Chapter 602: Sang Zhi Wakes Up 3
The Beili Emperor’s face fell. "Which officials are they?"
"Minister Zhang Jiang and Minister Chen Zhuocheng from the Ministry of Revenue, Minister Huai’an and Minister Li Siyan from the Ministry of War, and..." Mr. Li listed them off.
The longer he listened, the darker the Beili Emperor’s expression grew. Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue were Qian Fu’s students, and the ones from the Ministry of War were on good terms with Xiang Minghou.
He knew perfectly well what these men, gathered together for an audience on such short notice, wanted to say and do.
"Let them kneel. I’d like to see just how long they can last."
’Just a country girl died. It’s no big deal.’
’Ye Qianning had been in the Capital City for such a short time, yet she’d already won over so many people. It’s better that she’s dead now. After only a few months, any bonds of affection couldn’t have run that deep.’
’If she had been allowed to grow up and those feelings had deepened, things would have become truly troublesome.’
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, this is bad!" a young eunuch cried, bursting in anxiously.
Mr. Li turned to rebuke him. "What’s all this shouting about?"
The young eunuch immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed several times. THUD. THUD. "Your Majesty, Noble Princess Consort Zhan is bleeding!"
"What did you say?" The Beili Emperor stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, Noble Princess Consort Zhan accidentally fell outside the hall and is now bleeding! Your Majesty, please, you must go and see her at once!"
Upon hearing this, the Beili Emperor glanced back, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, let me accompany you," Consort Yuan said.
"Very well."
The Beili Emperor departed the palace, leading Consort Yuan by the arm.
Yuan Yintang followed them out of the hall, heading toward the Imperial Physicians’ quarters.
Dragon and Qilin Hall fell silent.
On the bed behind the screen, Sang Zhi slowly opened his eyes. They were an unnatural, ashen gray, and deep within them, swirling rings resembled a whirlpool in an abyss.
They were so profoundly dark that one could not look directly into them, yet they also inspired a deep-seated terror.
Scenes from Four-direction Mountain flashed through his mind, the Beili Emperor’s voice echoing in his ears. He sat up and, without even putting on his shoes, strode out of the hall.
"Eigh... Eighth Prince?" The guard on duty froze for a second, stunned to see Sang Zhi walk out.
Sang Zhi continued straight outside.
The guard snapped back to his senses and moved to block him. "Eighth Prince, you cannot wander about freely without the Emperor’s permission."
Sang Zhi looked up, his eyes a pair of bottomless black pits.
The guard’s heart lurched. ’The Eighth Prince’s eyes...’
"Get out of the way."
His voice, devoid of any warmth and paired with those pitch-black eyes, sent an involuntary shiver through the guard.
The guard took an unconscious step back. "Eighth Prince, the Emperor’s orders are..."
"Get out of the way."
The icy voice cut him off.
The guard paused, then stepped aside.
Sang Zhi descended the steps.
"You two, follow him! I’m going to report to the Emperor," the guard ordered before turning and hurrying off.
Sang Zhi made his way toward the palace gates, exuding an aura that warned all to keep their distance. Palace maids and eunuchs scattered as he approached.
「The General’s Manor.」
The manor was steeped in a silent, heavy grief. In just half a day, everyone seemed to have aged by years. Gu Lao and Madam Zhan kept a constant vigil over Ye Qianning.
Dean Chen and his associates were rushing about, attending to various matters.
Within half a day, the Capital City was in an uproar as news of the death of the young lady of the General’s Manor spread among the populace.
Lou Mountain Academy was also in chaos. When the teachers learned of Ye Qianning’s death, they were all stunned. As the reality sank in, they were heartbroken, their old eyes filling with tears.
The most heartbroken of all was Teacher Zhang. Upon hearing the news, he simply sat down and wept uncontrollably.
The other teachers were also distraught. Though she had only been at the academy a short time, they had all grown genuinely fond of the little girl. She had seemed slow-witted at first, but she was, in reality, exceptionally clever.
To be gone just like that... It was all too sudden, and they found it incredibly difficult to accept.