'No way, no way! He is not allowed to die! We haven't even reconciled yet!' Huang Shu spurred his horse even faster. His mind was in chaos right now. He needed to meet Bai Yunyu to assure himself right now.
When the soldiers saw the Emperor rushing out from the depth of the jungle, they thought the Emperor was chased by a tiger or a wild panther, so they unsheathed their sword.
"Your Majesty, we will protect—"
"OUT OF THE WAY!" Huang Shu didn't slow down when he faced his entourage. The soldiers were surprised when their Emperor suddenly rushed towards their direction without any intention of slowing down or stopping.
The soldiers jumped out to dodge their Emperor. He spurred even faster with his horse to return to the forbidden city.
"Y—Your Majesty!" the general called him because he seemed to be in a hurry. They thought something had happened in the palace, maybe an attack or something else. So they gathered in formation and rushed to follow their Emperor.
The moment the generals caught with the Emperor with his absolutely reckless horseriding back to the forbidden city, the generals saw the Emperor jumped from his horse and rushed to the palace.
Imperial Concubine Xi, who was sitting near the main hall, was surprised with Emperor Xianliang's early return. She thought that the Emperor wanted to spend more time with her, so she stood up and blocked the Emperor, who seemed to be in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, I don't know that you will miss me so much—"
"OUT OF THE WAY!"
Emperor Xianliang shoved Concubine Xi out of his way. He didn't even care about the highest ranked concubine right now. Because all in his mind right now was his wife, his Empress, Bai Yunyu.
The generals saw that the Emperor was heading to the Cold Palace, and they got a bad feeling about it. They stared at each other and felt a sudden emptiness in their hearts. One general asked, "His Majesty, Empress Xiuying… is she...?"
"I don't know, but what can surprised the Emperor more than that?"
The generals could only stare at their Emperor's back, who gradually disappeared as he rushed to the Cold Palace far from the main hall of the forbidden city. Maybe it was too late for him to act like this because he could always go to that palace back then, but he didn't.
The generals didn't understand why the Emperor had to be so harsh with his Empress, especially when he said that he loved him.
It was like a hypocrisy.
***
Huang Shu kicked the rusty gate of the Cold Palace and saw a deserted courtyard. Everything was so shabby and fit more as a house for village farmer rather than an Empress.
He had a bad feeling, and his bad feeling was almost confirmed. Because back when Bai Yunyu was still very healthy after he got banished, he often sat at a chair, playing Guqin to ease his sorrow.
Huang Shu often watched him from afar almost every other day but dared not approach him because Bai Yunyu was still atoning for his sin. But time passed, and Huang Shu gradually got busy, especially after he got plenty of children from other concubines.
He abandoned Yunyu and only visited him once a month, or even once every three months.
Huang Shu gritted his teeth, he rushed to the door of Bai Yunyu's room, and when he broke the door open, he saw a heart breaking scene.
…
"No… no way…"
Huang Shu felt the world shattered right in front of his eyes when he saw his beloved wife, Bai Yunyu, died on his bead. He was malnourished, and his body was so thin and ashen that even Huang Shu almost couldn't recognize his wife.
Meilan darted her eyes at the Emperor. She had been crying while hugging her master's hand, hogging it, hoping that Master Bai's soul would come back, even though it was just a foolish attempt of desperation.
She glared with eyes blazing, full of hate at the Emperor. At this point, Meilan had lost the only person that cared for her, and she had zero fear of the Emperor. She didn't even care if the Emperor would kill her right now, but she needed to avenge her master. She must!
"YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED MY MASTER. AFTER ALL THAT HE HAD DONE FOR YOU!" Meilan attacked Huang Shu with her feeble punch to Huang Shu's face, but the man didn't even budge after receiving a punch on his cheek.
Because he felt the time had stopped right in front of him. He felt the world had been shattered, just like his heart right now.
He didn't even know how to react at this point. All he did was just staring at the corpse of his beloved wife, who died in such a pitiful state. So miserable that he couldn't even recognize him.
"YOU BASTARD! ASSHOLE! DIE, YOU IGNORANT JERK!" Meilan kept punching Huang Shu, but the latter didn't seem to be bothered with Meilan.
"My… wife…" Huang Shu staggered as he tried to approach Bai Yunyu's body. He pushed Meilan away, and the maid fell backwards until her back hit the wooden wall.
Meilan winced in pain, she wanted to hit this bastard Emperor again, but when she saw what the Emperor did, she halted.
No, not because she forgave this bastard Emperor, but because she didn't know how to react. Especially on how gentle Huang Shu turned out so suddenly.
She really thought this bastard Emperor would just burn her master's corpse heartlessly.
**
Huang Shu kept on staring at Bai Yunyu's corpse. Although his skin was ashen and so thin and malnourished, Huang Shu still saw the beauty he loved and continued loving. Even after ten years, Huang Shu would lie to himself if he said that he didn't love his wife.
Huang Shu caressed Bai Yunyu's cheek, and he had a bitter smile, "Wife… wake up, okay? I'm sorry for punishing you too much. I will bring a lot of medicine and food to replenish your energy."
…
"Wife, do you want me to bring you the favourite snack that you always eat? You like eating Tanghulu, right? I will give you plenty, as many as you like. But you need to wake up now…"
…
"Wife, it's noon already, don't sleep too much. I'm sorry for making you hungry. It was just a part of the punishment. But… but I already lift your punishment, let's return to our palace, okay?"
…
Meilan clenched her fist, "It's too late! My master is dead because of you! You ignorant bastard! You don't know his suffering! You starved him to death!"
"HE'S NOT DEAD!" Huang Shu denied it. He refused to accept the reality.
Huang Shu held Bai Yunyu's hand and kissed it gently, "My wife is just sleeping right now. He must have been too hungry…"
Huang Shu darted his eyes at Meilan, but not with hostile intention, he just coldly stared at her and ordered, "Go call the palace physician, my wife needs some medicine, and after that, he will return back to his glorious day as my beautiful Empress, Empress Xiuying."
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