Chapter 124: Three Days Have Passed
"System, why did I have to come along?"
In Fuyao Palace, Xie Liuzheng stood there a little stiffly, looking at the serious faces all around her and forcing herself to stand ramrod straight.
The System replied, "Because Xu Xingchen is going to die today."
Xie Liuzheng: ???
’What does Xu Xingchen’s death have to do with me?’
’I’m not even a relative of the Xu Family.’
’Her Majesty specifically asked me to come. Could it have something to do with the System?’
’Did the System make some kind of shady deal with Her Majesty behind my back?’
Xie Liuzheng had barely exchanged a few words with Xu Xingchen, but she was a huge fan of his looks. It would be such a shame for a handsome young man like him to die. He was so young, and he’d been tortured into this state. Who wouldn’t feel heartbroken seeing him?
As a sucker for a pretty face, she chose to ignore the stories about Xu Xingchen torturing people in the Heavenly Prison.
"Her Majesty has the Imperial Physicians watching over him every day and is using so many fine medicines to sustain him. Can he still not be saved?"
The System replied, "His fate is to live only until today."
Xie Liuzheng asked, "Her Majesty captured you that day. Didn’t she ask you to find a way?"
The System said, "Didn’t I already help her find him?"
Xie Liuzheng pressed, "You have a way to keep Xu Xingchen alive, don’t you?"
The System explained, "Xu Xingchen was destined to face this calamity. Even if he hadn’t been kidnapped, he was originally fated to die in an accident. It’s just that his death is more tragic now."
What the System meant was that fate could not be changed; he would die one way or another.
But Xie Liuzheng didn’t believe it. "You said before that... what’s-his-name... Xiao Lin was the male lead and Her Majesty was supposed to die. Now Xiao Lin is as dead as a doornail, and Her Majesty has become the Empress."
Xie Liuzheng shot it a sidelong glance, full of disdain and contempt.
The System instantly exploded. "What’s with that look? It’s impossible for me to be wrong! The Empress was an accident, but the world can’t be full of accidents! It’s written crystal clear in the Book of Fate..."
The System was about to argue further when the Imperial Physician’s surprised voice came from inside. "Your Majesty, Mr. Xu is awake!"
Xie Liuzheng shot the System another sidelong glance.
The System flew into a rage, instantly puffing up into a ball. "If I say he’ll die, he’ll die! It’s a final burst of energy before death, you get it? A final burst of energy before death!"
Xie Liuzheng said nothing, just quietly watched it squirm and waited for it to be proven wrong.
However, the System wasn’t the only one with this idea; the Xu Family thought so too.
Today, half of the gauze bandages on Xu Xingchen’s body had been removed, revealing wounds that were truly gruesome and terrifying.
Anyone who saw them would think that if they had suffered such injuries, they definitely wouldn’t have survived.
He hadn’t woken up for days, and now he was suddenly awake and seemed quite alert. If this wasn’t a final burst of energy, what was?
Grand Tutor Xu had pleaded with the Emperor to allow the couple Xu Yunzhou and Su Rong to see their son one last time. Su Rong’s tears flowed uncontrollably, and Xu Yunzhou’s eyes were also moist with unshed tears.
Grand Tutor Xu stood to the side, taking sip after sip from his teacup, not even noticing that it had long been empty.
"Your Majesty..."
After exchanging a few words with his parents, Xu Xingchen fell silent. For years, Xu Yunzhou and his wife had been traveling the world, so Xu Xingchen had spent more time with his uncle’s family. He was naturally aloof, and he didn’t share a deep bond with the parents who were so often absent.
Even on his deathbed, he had nothing more to say to them.
"I want to see Her Majesty."
Hearing this, Su Rong looked up, her expression souring. But the image of the Emperor swinging her sword was still vivid in her mind, and Xu Shikai was still bedridden and unable to move.
Even if she was displeased, she didn’t dare say anything. After all, this was the Emperor.
Without waiting for Su Rong’s consent, a little eunuch who was already in attendance went out to inform Xiao Yang.
Xiao Yang walked in and saw Xu Xingchen with his eyes open. His body was covered by a thin blanket, with only his head showing.
The bandages on his head had been removed. His hair was shaved, leaving only a faint stubble, and the several cuts on his scalp were covered in medicinal paste. He looked both ugly and pitiful.
The only part of his face that was still pleasant to look at were his eyes.
"Your Majesty..."
The moment Xu Xingchen saw Xiao Yang, his clear, limpid eyes, like cold springs, instantly lit up.
Xiao Yang walked over. "Mm. How do you feel?"
Xu Xingchen replied, "Alright."
His eyes were filled with impatience. "Your Majesty said that if I survived, you would grant me one request."
He had clearly already decided on it and was just waiting for Xiao Yang’s nod.
Xiao Yang didn’t deny it. "I did indeed promise. But not like this. You are too ugly right now."
Xiao Yang’s disdain was blunt and completely without tact.
Ignoring Xu Yunzhou’s attempts to stop her, Su Rong spoke up. "Your Majesty, Xingchen is about to die! Can’t you grant him his final wish?"
Xiao Yang replied coldly, "No."
In contrast to Su Rong’s anger, Xu Xingchen didn’t show even a hint of disappointment. He didn’t believe he was going to die. He hadn’t asked to fulfill a last wish, but merely to confirm if the promise he had heard was real.
"Then, Your Majesty, wait for me."
’I will get better. I will recover. And then I will take Her Majesty home and lock her in the cabinet I built myself.’
"A monarch does not jest."
Xiao Yang nodded. "A monarch does not jest."
Han Yang brought in a bowl of medicine and had Xu Xingchen drink it. In less than a moment, he began to feel drowsy and slowly closed his eyes.
Xiao Yang came out and sat down with Grand Tutor Xu.
By now it was night. No one left, and no one spoke, save for Su Rong’s quiet sobs.
Xu Shikai couldn’t come, so Huang Yin came to the palace with their daughter.
Everyone wore a grim expression, as if they were keeping a death vigil.
Xiao Yang noticed Xie Liuzheng’s discomfort and gestured for her to come over and sit beside her.
"Tired?"
Xie Liuzheng shook her head. "No."
Xiao Yang said, "Then keep me company tonight."
Xie Liuzheng wasn’t the least bit reluctant, but in the end, she couldn’t fight off her drowsiness and dozed off.
She didn’t know how long she had slept, but she woke with a start to find herself leaning on the Emperor’s shoulder. Startled, she quickly wiped her mouth.
’Phew, I didn’t drool!’
She instinctively wanted to sit up, but the thought of being so close to Her Majesty made her instantly freeze. She quickly shut her eyes, pretending she hadn’t woken up.
’This is a rare opportunity. Time to get cozy.’
’Her Majesty smells so, so good... ’
Xiao Yang sat there all night. She didn’t go back in to see Xu Xingchen, nor did she give any orders.
No one knew why she, the Emperor, was keeping watch over a mere subject, but they could sense she was waiting for something.
Finally, Lin Yi reminded her, "Your Majesty, it is midnight."
It was now twelve o’clock midnight. Once it passed, a new day would begin.
Three days. They had passed.
Xiao Yang sat for a while longer, then gestured for Han Yang to go in and check.
A moment later, Han Yang came out. "Your Majesty, Mr. Xu is still unconscious, but his pulse is stable. He is out of immediate danger for now."
The System was perched on top of Xie Liuzheng’s head. Xiao Yang turned to look, and their eyes met. The System muttered a few curses and went to check the Book of Fate. No one knew what it saw, but it didn’t show itself again.
The commotion of Han Yang going inside had woken everyone from their drowsy state, and they all heard what he said.
Xiao Yang said, "Tomorrow morning, you may take Xu Xingchen home."
All she had wanted was these three days. As long as Xu Xingchen survived these three days, she wouldn’t concern herself with the rest.