Chapter 627: A Life and Death Torment

Chapter 627: Chapter 627: A Life and Death Torment

Emperor Muwu sat up, his brow tightly furrowed. "What did you say?"

The palace servant lowered his head, his body trembling slightly with fear.

"This servant went to deliver a meal to Princess Yuhe this morning, but no one answered no matter how I knocked. I had a bad feeling. In the past, Princess Yuhe was always an early riser; something like this had never happened. I took the liberty of pushing the door, but... but I found it was locked from the inside!"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face still a mask of terror.

"I didn’t dare delay, so I kicked the door open. And then... and then... I saw Princess Yuhe lying on the bed. She wasn’t breathing!"

Emperor Muwu’s expression turned cold and grim.

"Someone! Prepare my carriage for Yaohua Palace!"

Eunuch Li dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty, please reconsider! You... your illness has not yet healed. How can you... how can you..."

He was genuinely trying to dissuade him, as Emperor Muwu’s body simply couldn’t take the strain.

Not long ago, Xiao Chengxuan had been exiled, Jiang Qingmei had ended her own life with a cup of poisoned wine, and even Xiao Jiayi had been stripped of her title as princess. The dust from that storm had just begun to settle, and now, who would have thought an accident would befall Xiao Lansi!

No matter how much Emperor Muwu disliked her, she was still his own daughter.

If he were to see such a scene with his own eyes... it would surely aggravate his condition terribly!

Emperor Muwu took but a single step before clutching his chest in pain and suddenly collapsing backward!

"Your Majesty!"

Eunuch Li cried out and lunged forward. The palace attendants behind him all rushed over as well, barely managing to catch Emperor Muwu.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You absolutely must preserve your imperial health!"

Eunuch Li pleaded endlessly, hastily wiping away a tear before turning to call for help.

"Miss Ye! I beg you, come quickly!"

Ye Chutang set down the brush in her hand and sighed internally. She crumpled the nearly finished prescription into a ball and tossed it aside.

’With this new development, the prescription will have to be changed again.’

"Help His Majesty lie down." Ye Chutang walked over and gestured for the others to disperse. She then took a small white jade bottle from her purse and poured out a few soybean-sized brown pills for Emperor Muwu to take.

Emperor Muwu was gasping raggedly, one hand pressed tightly to his chest, his face flushed red.

After a good while, his breathing gradually stabilized.

But his lips were exceptionally pale, and he was drenched in sweat, looking considerably more haggard.

The crowd of palace attendants, Eunuch Li included, finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Miss Ye, thank goodness you happened to be here!"

Eunuch Li was still shaken with lingering fear.

The servant from Yaohua Palace, still kneeling on the floor, was even more stupefied by the scene. All the color had drained from his face, and his body went limp.

’If anything had happened to His Majesty, I would have been sentenced to death for sure!’

"Your Majesty must get proper rest and not exert yourself further," Ye Chutang advised.

Emperor Muwu struggled to lift a finger, then shook his head.

"You... you go in my stead... and see..."

At this moment, there was truly no one more suitable for the task than Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang nodded lightly. "Yes."

She approached the palace servant. "Please lead the way."

"Ah? Oh, oh!"

The servant finally realized he had just dodged a bullet. If it weren’t for the fact that they were still in Emperor Muwu’s presence, he would have dropped to his knees to thank Ye Chutang profusely.

"Second Miss Ye, please... please follow this servant—"

As Ye Chutang reached the doorway, she paused and glanced back.

Inside the solemn, opulent hall, Emperor Muwu lay quietly, looking exceptionally solitary and desolate in the vast space.

His body was truly failing him. Now, even walking out of this palace had become an incredibly troublesome affair.

A ray of sunlight slanted in through a window, landing right on his face.

His eyes were downcast, his hair peppered with gray, reflecting a faint silver sheen in the sunlight.

He exuded an invisible aura of decay and decline.

It was as if he were frozen in a tableau.

Ye Chutang withdrew her gaze and stepped out the door.

...

「Yaohua Palace」

As soon as Ye Chutang arrived, she saw the heavy guard presence outside the gate.

The servant explained in a low voice, "Ever since Princess Yuhe was confined here, the Imperial Guard has been standing watch personally. No one is allowed to enter or leave at will."

Ye Chutang nodded in understanding.

Every crime Xiao Lansi had committed was punishable by death. She was only being held here temporarily because of the arrival of the Wazhen Mission.

Although she couldn’t even truss a chicken, the matter was of great importance, so naturally, she had to be watched closely.

"Not even a bird could fly in here, I imagine."

The servant nodded. "Indeed. Her three daily meals are delivered at set times. Other than that, we servants don’t dare to speak a single extra word."

This was a hot potato.

All who were assigned to work here felt it was an unlucky post.

They had assumed that once the Wazhen Mission left and Xiao Chengxuan’s case was settled, it would finally be Xiao Lansi’s turn.

Who could have expected that at a time like this, she would suddenly die!

How could these servants not be terrified of being implicated?

Arriving at the room’s entrance, the servant carefully pushed the door open.

"Second Miss Ye, you—"

"It’s fine." Ye Chutang saw his hesitation and shook her head lightly. "Since I’m here, I must take a proper look."

"Yes."

The servant then recalled that this was the woman who had recently examined a corpse in public. She surely wouldn’t be afraid. Seeing her calm and composed expression, he couldn’t help but feel a bit more courageous himself.

"Second Miss Ye, please."

Ye Chutang lifted her foot and stepped inside.

The faint smell of blood immediately assaulted her senses.

Ye Chutang’s eyes narrowed slightly as she quickly scanned the room.

This had originally been Jiang Qingmei’s residence, the height of luxury. After her... incident, almost everything here had been cleared out, leaving it empty and barren.

At a glance, it looked as if it had been ransacked.

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the servant explained in a low voice, "Th-this place was searched thoroughly several times before, which is why it looks like this."

Ye Chutang nodded. Rounding the screen, she saw Xiao Lansi lying on the bed. One hand hung limply over the side, her face was deathly pale, and the space between her brows was dark and bruised. Blood had trickled from the corner of her mouth, the stain now dry.

She was long since dead.

Ye Chutang’s expression grew solemn as she stepped forward.

As she drew closer, she saw that the quilt covering Xiao Lansi was torn. There were several scratch marks on the edge of the bed, faintly stained with blood, as if someone had clawed at it frantically.

Ye Chutang touched the side of her neck.

Xiao Lansi’s body was still warm, but there was no pulse.

Ye Chutang then looked at the hand hanging by the bed. As she expected, the fingernails were all broken, and the crevices between her fingers were filled with blood.

There was also blood in her ears and nostrils.

It appeared she had died bleeding from all seven orifices... and had suffered immense torment before her death.

"Did you notice anything unusual during the night? Or hear any strange noises?" Ye Chutang asked.

The servant quickly shook his head. "Nothing at all!"

Ye Chutang wiped her hands with a handkerchief before turning her head to look at the servant, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Nothing at all?"

The servant began to panic.

"Miss Ye, there really was nothing! If you don’t believe me, you can ask the Imperial Guard stationed outside! They didn’t hear anything either!"