MCSCPM -Chapter 116 Past Events

“You may leave now. If there’s anything, I’ll call for you again. Remember—don’t let anyone enter casually.” Nangong Mei rose and slowly walked to the table.

For the past few days, she hadn’t had a proper meal even once.

Before, she used to eat together with her mother in the sleeping quarters. Now that her mother was gone, there wasn’t even anyone left to share a meal with.

Thinking of this, Nangong Mei’s tears fell drop by drop into her bowl.

“All the pain you’ve given me—I’ll make you repay it tenfold, a hundredfold!” Mixed with the bitterness of her tears and the hatred in her heart, her eyes brimmed with resentment.

Only after four hours, when the palace maid brought in the boiled medicinal herbs, did she finally rein in that hateful expression.

Because the medicinal soup from the bowl had splashed onto the letters, the paper was quickly stained, and the original writing became impossible to read.

Nangong Mei lit the candles in the room. A gentle breeze passed by, and the flickering flame trembled before her eyes, as if it were about to go out.

She moved the letter paper toward the flame. Like serpents, sparks devoured the paper in her hands. The crimson firelight reflected on Nangong Mei’s face, warm and calm.

Those past events were thus reduced to ashes.

Suddenly, Nangong Mei thought of something. When the Empress had been poisoned, it was Nanny Lai at her side who had testified against others—could there be something hidden beneath all this?

If the Empress had truly been ruthless enough to use her own status and life to eliminate her mother, wasn’t that a rather enormous gamble?

Yet with Yin Qingyue’s existence, that gamble seemed far less dangerous.

Nangong Mei slowly clenched her fists. From gripping too tightly, her fingers dug deep into her palms. Blossoms of bright red bloomed on the ground, glaringly vivid.

She slowly rose to her feet. She placed all the blame on Yin Qingyue. If not for Yin Qingyue, none of this would have happened. Her mother and she would still be fine, and nothing would have changed.

But because of that woman, everything had changed.

“Second Princess, what’s wrong?” the little palace maid knocked repeatedly at the door, calling out anxiously.

“Nothing.”

As soon as Nangong Mei finished speaking, the maid rushed straight in.

“Your Highness, please don’t do anything foolish!” The maid ran in, panting. Only when she saw the ashes on the floor did she realize she had worried for nothing.

“You may leave.”

“This servant smelled fire—something burning—so I…” the maid stammered, not daring to raise her head.

“You were afraid I might do something reckless?”

“No, no, this servant wouldn’t dare!” The maid dropped to her knees with a thud.

“That’s enough. You may go,” Nangong Mei said indifferently. She hadn’t expected herself to seem so pitiable in the eyes of the servants.

With that, Nangong Mei walked out of the room and sat alone in the courtyard, slowly sipping her tea.

“Second Princess, I’ll change the tea for a fresh pot,” the maid said, taking the teapot from the table and heading toward the kitchen.

In the courtyard, the pavilion doors were left open. A light breeze blew through, carrying with it the fragrance of bamboo and lotus leaves, as well as the medicinal herbs Nangong Mei herself had planted in the courtyard. Several scents mingled together, occasionally releasing a refreshing aroma.

Wherever the wind passed, the plants in the courtyard swayed under its caress, like dancing maidens before Nangong Mei’s eyes. Her mood gradually began to lift as well.

“Second Princess, the tea is ready,” the maid soon returned with a pot of steaming hot tea.

“Second Princess, be careful—it’s hot.”

“You may go now. I want to be alone for a while,” Nangong Mei said softly, as though afraid of disturbing the harmony of the moment.

“Yes.” The maid cast a complicated glance at Nangong Mei before turning and leaving.

In the past, whenever her mother had time, she would also drink tea with her here. The people were there, the tea was there—but the mother who used to drink tea with her was no longer.

A trace of sadness quickly climbed onto Nangong Mei’s brow. Let her remain immersed in this sorrow forever.

She slowly closed her eyes, breathing in the bamboo-leaf fragrance her mother had loved most in life. Everything felt so real, as though her mother were still by her side.

Meanwhile, in the Emperor’s sleeping quarters…

Nangong Lin lay on the bed, not a trace of color on his lips, looking utterly haggard.

“Cough, cough.” He couldn’t help coughing, and the handkerchief was filled with fresh blood.

The eunuch beside him hurriedly replaced it with a clean one. “Your Majesty, why are you coughing up blood again?”

“I fear my days are numbered,” Nangong Lin said weakly.

“Your Majesty’s dragon body is blessed—how could such a thing happen? Besides, isn’t there still the divine female physician in the palace?” the eunuch said quickly, helping Nangong Lin sit up.

Nangong Lin closed his eyes. He knew his own body.

Yet there was always a knot in his heart.

“Has there been any news from the Second Princess at the Rose Pavilion lately?” Nangong Lin asked calmly.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Second Princess has hardly left the Rose Pavilion at all. She stays in her chambers all day and seems to have fallen ill recently,” the eunuch replied carefully.

“Fallen ill?” Nangong Lin frowned deeply, asking with displeasure.

“Your Majesty,” the eunuch quickly patted his back, easing the coughing slightly.

“Go to the Imperial Medical Institute and take some nourishing medicine to the Rose Pavilion. If that divine female physician can go there, have her examine Mei’er to see exactly what illness she has,” Nangong Lin said. Only then did the tightly furrowed lines between his brows slowly ease.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Supported by the eunuch, Nangong Lin lay back down.

However, his sleep was restless. In his dreams, his daughter Nangong Mei kept tugging at his sleeve. The scene shifted in an instant, turning into Consort Sun, and then into the Crown Prince.

Only when someone gently pushed him did he wake.

“Your Majesty, wake up—you were having a nightmare,” Consort De said softly. She was dressed in light lavender robes, her demeanor gentle.

“This concubine just arrived, and Your Majesty kept calling out ‘Mei’er.’ You must be deeply worried about the Second Princess’s illness,” Consort De said with concern written all over her face.

“Mei’er…” Nangong Lin murmured softly.

“Your Majesty, if you are worried about Mei’er, you must take good care of your health. Only then will you be able to go to the Rose Pavilion,” Consort De said with a smile. The Emperor’s illness absolutely had to improve; otherwise, leaving all court affairs to the Crown Prince alone would not be ideal.

“How is the Crown Prince doing?” Nangong Lin asked.

At the Emperor’s question, Consort De’s heart sank slightly, yet she still replied gently, “The Crown Prince is doing well in all respects, just overly fatigued. After all, he is still young when it comes to handling court affairs. Moreover, although his chronic illness has been cured, if…” She did not continue, but the implication was clear.

“You are thoughtful, my beloved,” Nangong Lin said.

Her words reminded Nangong Lin that even knowing his physical condition, he could not allow it to worsen unchecked. Among the imperial sons, there was still none who could fully shoulder responsibility on his own.