The Red Mansion Big Liar.

Chapter 737: Inside and Outside the Palace
“I’m… I’m dying, I can’t breathe… I can’t breathe, Your Majesty… Your Majesty… please spare my life…”

On the dragon couch in the Yangxin Palace, Emperor Wanlong sat astride Concubine Wu, his hands tightly grasping her neck, muttering: "Those who want to harm me, die!"

Concubine Wu's charming and graceful face had already turned purple, and her face was filled with despair and fear.

She stretched out her hands and legs from the quilt and pulled them weakly, revealing her snow-white skin like a broken lotus root. The graceful and elegant curves hidden under the quilt also appeared and disappeared as her limbs moved.

It formed a sharp contrast with Emperor Wanlong at this moment, which was indescribably weird and charming.

However, Emperor Wanlong's facial features were distorted, his eyes were bloodshot, and he turned a blind eye to this beauty. Even though Concubine Wu, who was sitting under him, was terrified and crying out to the sky, he still turned a deaf ear to her.

At first, Concubine Wu did not dare to hurt the dragon's body. By the time she realized it, it was too late.

As time passed, Concubine Wu's struggle gradually weakened, and the despair and fear in her eyes were gradually replaced by loss of consciousness, emptiness and numbness.

Suddenly.

“Bang…Bang…Bang…”

A series of dull bells rang out.

Emperor Wanlong was startled, and then he realized that Concubine Wu was dying under him, and quickly let go of her hand: "My beloved concubine! My beloved concubine?"

"Cough cough cough..."

Concubine Wu finally caught her breath, gasping for breath and coughing for a long time.

There was regret, fear, and relief in his eyes, all kinds of emotions intertwined together, and finally turned into relief for surviving the disaster.

As the saying goes, if the king wants his subjects to die, the subjects have to die. Although concubines are the emperor's bedmates, they are undoubtedly no different.

Even if someone is killed by mistake, there is no place to seek justice, let alone make groundless accusations.

After a long while, Concubine Wu finally calmed down and said with lingering fear: "Your Majesty, you are finally awake!"

"Wake up, wake up, my beloved, don't blame me, it's just a nightmare."

Emperor Wanlong, who had regained consciousness, showed a look of concern and put his hand on the red mark on Concubine Wu's neck, rubbing it back and forth.

However, this concern made Concubine Wu, who survived the disaster, feel frightened.

She was afraid that the emperor was ill again, but she didn't dare show it. However, goose bumps appeared uncontrollably.

Concubine Wu could only suppress her fear, pretended to hold the emperor's hand, moved it away from her neck, and forced a smile, saying sympathetically: "I'm fine, your majesty did not mean to make a mistake."

Then he lowered his head and continued to pretend to cough to ease the fear in his heart.

The elixir that Emperor Wanlong took had violent side effects, causing him to become mentally confused and out of control occasionally.

The assassination attempt at the Spring Ploughing Ceremony intensified the excitement. This was not the first time that the emperor had suddenly attacked and hurt someone in a dream, and she had heard of it before.

However, she had not experienced it personally and did not feel the pain deeply.

Secondly, she relied on the emperor's favor and always felt that it would not happen, and she was reluctant to hurt herself. In addition, seeing that Madam Miaoyin was about to give birth, her desire for an imperial heir became stronger, and she could not help but have a fluke mentality.

But now, I can truly feel the threat of death.

If you try, you will die. If it weren’t for the sudden bell, I’m afraid I would have been doomed this time.

Thinking of this, she was suddenly startled and quickly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, the bell just now..."

As he was speaking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the palace, accompanied by the eunuch's rapid and sharp cry: "Your Majesty! It's bad, the emperor has passed away!"

After all, the emperor was seriously ill with poison and had recently encountered a series of misfortunes.

First, his two sons fought against each other and killed each other, and then he personally sent Concubine Zhen away.

Finally, he didn’t make it to the Wanshou Festival and the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway.

"Ah?" Emperor Wanlong was suddenly awakened. The bell ringing had not stopped yet.

Concubine Wu quickly advised, "Your Majesty, please don't worry about me. Come over quickly. I will pack up and come back soon."

"Please take a rest first, my dear!"

Emperor Wanlong also knew that he could not delay any longer, so he quickly stood up. When the emperor was dressed and left the Yangxin Palace, Concubine Wu could no longer hide the fear in her eyes. She collapsed on the bed like a deflated ball, shaking like a sieve.

After surviving the disaster, she never dared to put herself in danger again.

As for grace, royal heirs and the like, how can they be as important as one’s life?

She had already died once, so how could she dare to hope for luck again?

However, whether to sleep with him or not is probably not up to her.

However, this experience gave her an excuse for being too frightened. The emperor must have known that he was in the wrong and could understand that she was too frightened and would not force her.

Anyway, it's better for me to die than for my friend to die. The emperor has no shortage of women. I have died once, so it's time for someone else to take his turn.

Thinking of this, Concubine Wu suddenly shuddered.

Although I survived a disaster, others may not be so lucky.

At present, Madam Miaoyin is about to give birth. After giving birth to the royal heir and finishing her confinement, she, who has not slept with the emperor for a long time, will inevitably have to sleep with him.

Before the emperor ascended the throne, his first wife died and was never appointed as the new queen. After he ascended the throne, the position of empress remained vacant.

If Madam Miaoyin was accidentally killed by the emperor in his dream, I, as the imperial concubine, would undoubtedly have the best chance of obtaining custody of the child.

Anyway, I am just forcing trouble, not actively harming others.

As the saying goes, those who survive a great disaster will be blessed in the future. Could it be that there is a destiny in the world and good fortune will come after bad times?

Thinking of this, she was inexplicably reminded of an old story.

At that time, when Madam Miaoyin became pregnant with the royal heir, Zhou Xianzu intended to target his family and dilute his own shares in Quyuan Zatan, but was blocked by Zhang Yunyi.

Originally, I thought that Zhang Yun逸 had a good vision and knew how to judge the situation. He knew that with my honor and favor, it was only a matter of time for him to become the royal heir, so he showed goodwill to my family.

But now that I think about it, I'm afraid there is a deeper meaning to it.

People outside might not know this clearly, but as the emperor's wife, she was very clear about Prince Ning's handling of the matter.

Not only did Zhang Yun逸 help Emperor Xingxian to revive, but he also had a flash of inspiration and saved the emperor at the critical moment. So the emperor's consideration was not unreasonable.

Since he could foresee that the emperor would be assassinated, his initial show of goodwill might not have been a foresight. Madam Miaoyin was just trying to make things easier for him.

The more Concubine Wu thought about it, the more serious it seemed to her, and she became more determined to pretend to be sick. She simply stopped rushing to get up and go to the spirit table of the retired emperor to show her filial piety.

……

This series of bells not only awakened the unconscious emperor, but also disturbed Zhang Yunyi in Hengwu Garden.

Unlike Emperor Wanlong, he kept following the rhythm, counting silently in his mind, and counted forty-five times before he suddenly got up from Xue Baochai.

"I'm afraid something has happened in the palace. I have to go in immediately."

While Zhang Yunyi was searching for clothes to mend, he said to Xue Baoqin, "I'm afraid it will take some time before we can get married."

Only the retired emperor and the emperor could enjoy such treatment.

Although, in terms of age, the possibility of the emperor emeritus was greater, Zhang Yun逸 knew very well that the emperor was not much better.

However, of course, this kind of thing could not be explained in detail to Baochai and the others, and could only be referred to as the changes in the palace.

However, whether it was the emperor or the emperor emeritus, national mourning was inevitable. Not to mention marrying a wife or concubines at this juncture, even the full moon banquets and hundred-day banquets for the soon-to-be-born children had to be cancelled.

"Sister knows the seriousness of the matter, Brother Yi, don't blame yourself."

Although Xue Baoqin was unwilling, she also knew the importance of the matter.

While nodding in agreement, she secretly sighed at her ill-fated fate. Not only had her engagement been full of twists and turns, but even her marriage had to encounter a national mourning.

……

(End of this chapter)