Chapter 648: Poison Oath (2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Emperor slowly sat down while supporting his weight on the coffee table. A bitter taste spread from his mouth to his heart.

Feng Yang was already 68 years old. She was close to 70 years old, even older than the previous Emperor. It was actually not very sudden for her lifespan to be at its end. The Emperor was already mentally prepared.

However…

The Emperor rubbed the space between his eyebrows and recalled the scene of Feng Yang fainting just now. He asked in a hoarse voice, “Yanfei, why did she suddenly faint today?”

“Is she sick?”

After asking, the Emperor immediately rejected it himself. “No, she’s not sick.”

Gu Yanfei had just checked Feng Yang’s pulse and given her acupuncture. If she was sick, the next step would be to talk about Feng Yang’s illness and the treatment plan for her, not a simple sentence: Her lifespan is coming to an end.

If Feng Yang were to live a life without illness or calamity, she should peacefully pass away in her dreams when her time came. Why was she now enduring such pain, as if undergoing excruciating torment that gnawed at her very bones?!

The Emperor’s expression became serious.

Gu Yanfei glanced in the direction where Feng Yang was and said, “Her Highness’s soul is imprisoned. After death, her soul will dissipate, and she won’t be able to enter reincarnation. When I just checked Her Highness’s pulse, 1 discovered that Her Highness’s soul has already been injured…” Feng Yang didn’t have much time left.

“What?” The Emperor blurted it out in disbelief. His face was pale, and his weak body swayed again, on the verge of collapse.

Obviously, Gu Yanfei’s words dealt him a huge blow.

The Emperor muttered dejectedly, “Her soul will dissipate and she won’t be able to enter reincarnation…”

As a person, the destruction of one’s soul was probably the crudest outcome. It meant that a person would never have another life and that this life was the end. There was nothing to look forward to anymore.

The temperature suddenly plummeted, and the air was dyed with the coldness of autumn frost.

“Emperor, I once asked Her Highness why she was like this, but she refused to say.” As Gu Yanfei spoke, she felt a warmth on her cold fingertips. Chu Yi’s long fingers hooked onto hers.

The Emperor sat there as if he didn’t hear anything. He lowered his eyes and didn’t say anything for a long time, his body trembling and hunched.

After a long silence, he looked up. His eyes were filled with blood vessels as he said in a hoarse voice, “I might know.”

The Emperor rubbed the space between his eyebrows tiredly and signaled for the two of them to sit.

Chu Yi held Gu Yanfei’s hand and led her to the east window to sit down. His right hand gently caressed her black hair and the back of her neck. He then took out the teacup and tested the temperature of the tea before handing it to her.

Gu Yanfei smiled at him. Her smile was shallow, and even her willow eyebrows rippled gently.

The Emperor composed himself. When he looked up, he happened to see the scene of the two children smiling at each other. His heart couldn’t help but warm, and his entire body perked up. The fatigue and helplessness in his heart also dissipated a little.

The Emperor coughed dryly, cleared his throat, and asked seriously, “Yanfei, you might be able to tell when my aunt’s soul was injured?”

“About 20 years ago.” Gu Yanfei roughly estimated. “I can’t determine the exact date.”

The Emperor grabbed the armrest of the chair with one hand and widened his eyes. The wrinkles between his eyebrows seemed to have become deeper. He nodded heavily and said, “That’s roughly right.”

20 years ago? Chu Yi’s handsome face revealed a thoughtful expression as he handed a plate of candied plums to Gu Yanfei.

Gu Yanfei picked up a candied crabapple and put it in her mouth.

The Emperor organized his thoughts and explained this long-ago incident tirelessly. “This was 21 years ago. At that time, Emperor Taizu had just died and the previous Emperor had yet to officially ascend the throne…”

“After 49 days of mourning, the former Emperor, Aunt, and the officials escorted Emperor Taizu’s coffin to the imperial mausoleum to bury it.”

“That night, everyone spent the night in the palace near the imperial mausoleum. The late Emperor guarded the night in the imperial mausoleum and also prepared for the ritual the next day. Who knew that in the middle of the night, the late Emperor led thousands of vanguard soldiers of the prefecture army to surround the palace and force Aunt to hand over Emperor Taizu’s Notebook?”

At this point, the Emperor paused, and his eyes grew darker. He gritted his teeth tightly, and the lines on his entire face tightened.

Chu Yi immediately saw some clues in the subtle change in the Emperor’s expression. He asked acutely, “Father, is there something else going on?”

Many people had heard of the previous Emperor forcing Feng Yang to hand over “Emperor Taizu’s Notebook” after Emperor Taizu died. In the end, it was left unsettled, but that was all.

The Emperor smiled bitterly and nodded slightly. Only then did he talk about the unknown inside story hidden behind this matter..