Lin Ting couldn’t help but grasp his hand, their differing body temperatures colliding, penetrating through the skin to the flesh beneath.
Duan Ling asked, “What’s wrong?”
She let go and covered him with another cloak.
“Nothing. I’ll be back soon.” Â
“All right.”
Upon entering the Palace, the first person Lin Ting saw wasn’t the Empress, but Emperor Jiade standing before the Empress’s chamber.
She hadn’t met the Emperor before, but his dragon robe confirmed his identity.
Lin Ting bowed with the surrounding attendants and maids. Â
“Your Majesty.”
The Emperor wanted to see the person the Empress insisted on meeting despite her grave illness—because now she wouldn’t even see him.
“Lift your head.”
Lin Ting looked up.
He narrowed his eyes and studied her, then suddenly asked, “Have you ever met the Empress before?”
Lin Ting stole a glance at Emperor Jiade.
Though in his forties, he looked like a man in his sixties, but his youthful handsomeness was still faintly visible. Â
“Your Majesty, only once.”
The Emperor vaguely remembered that meeting.
He couldn’t hide from the fact that the Empress’s encounters were never secret from him.
“Other than that, no?” Â
She shook her head and replied, “No.” Â
Emperor Jiade didn’t press her further and waved his hand: “You may enter.”
Lin Ting had worried the Emperor would come with her to see the Empress, but the chamber doors closed behind her while he remained outside, easing her a bit.
She had just taken a step toward the phoenix bed when the palace maids and attendants all retreated.
Even though the Empress couldn’t get out of bed, Lin Ting still bowed to her: “Your Majesty, the Empress.” Â
The Empress slowly opened her eyes, focused her gaze, and spoke weakly: “Come here.”
Lin Ting stepped closer.
“I want to ask you a question.”
The Empress didn’t refer to herself as “this palace” but used “I.”
“Your Majesty, please ask.”
After a pause, the Empress asked: “Do you know what ‘modern’ means?” Â
Lin Ting said nothing for a moment.
The Empress coughed several times before saying, “Don’t worry, I bear no ill intent. Ever since I saw you last, I’ve kept thinking about you. My intuition tells me you are like me. That’s why, before I die, I wanted to see you again.”
Still, she did not elaborate.
The Empress habitually wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, though Lin Ting hadn’t seen her use a handkerchief.
The Empress’s breath grew weaker: “This era doesn’t truly exist—it’s just the setting of a book called . I was transported into the story but without a System.”
Lin Ting pondered.
They were not in the same book, but perhaps the author used the same dynasty background for two novels with some overlapping content.
The Empress continued: “I thought knowing the plot would let me change everything, but I was wrong. If I say something that will happen in the future or go against the story, I fall severely ill.”
Lin Ting was stunned.
It seemed the System really gave Lin Ting a chance to break free from the original story and constraints, allowing her to be herself.
The Empress had no such freedom. Â
Lin Ting didn’t reveal her identity but asked the question burning in her heart: “If you know doing this harms your body, why do you persist and not stop?”
The Empress suppressed a coughing fit: “Because I loved someone. I thought he could create an era of peace and prosperity, wouldn’t be consumed by power, and would let the people live well. But the truth proved I was blind.”
Very few who rise to high rank escape corruption by power, Lin Ting thought.
The Empress smiled faintly: “It’s a pity I can’t turn back now, as you see, I’m gravely ill and confined within this harem.”
Lin Ting blinked and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me this the last time you summoned me?” Â
The Empress lifted the curtains and said, “I planned to take these things to the grave, but I worried you might end up like me, so I couldn’t help but warn you. I hope you live well.”
Bottled up for most of her life, she felt somewhat relieved speaking them aloud.
Lin Ting asked, “If I’m different from you and not from this so-called modern place, wouldn’t you telling me these things…”
The Empress answered, “Kill me.”
She was indifferent: “But so what? I’m already going to die. Whether I die sooner or later makes no difference.”
“Also, I want to trouble you to apologize to Commandant Assistant Duan for me. I failed to stop His Majesty’s plan to make Medicine Men. It caused him much suffering in his youth and turned him into a Medicine Man who must come to the Palace every two months to give blood to the Emperor.”
Lin Ting, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head sharply to look at the phoenix bed.
So that’s how Duan Ling became a Medicine Man—and he still had to come to the Palace to give blood.
How could his parents have agreed to send him to become a Medicine Man? Â
Lin Ting couldn’t understand.
The Empress lowered the curtains and lay back on the phoenix bed. “I’m tired. You should go. We probably won’t meet again.”
She stood briefly, then turned to leave.
Outside the chamber door, Emperor Jiade was no longer there, only a few palace maids and attendants remained.
Lin Ting followed the Empress’s personal maid out of the Palace without obstruction. Â
The closer she got to the gates, the faster she walked.
Once outside the gates, Lin Ting immediately saw Duan Ling.
The cold wind blew constantly.
He wasn’t sitting inside the carriage, warmed by the stove and blankets, but standing outside, tall and statuesque. Â
The Empress’s personal maid left after escorting Lin Ting out.
She sprinted toward Duan Ling and asked, “Why weren’t you waiting inside the carriage for me?” Â
“A bit stuffy, so I came out.”
Lin Ting pulled Duan Ling into the carriage and held a hand warmer, giving him one as well.
The carriage moved, leaving the Palace gates, heading toward the Duan Mansion.
Duan Ling felt the warmth from the hand warmer and asked, “What did the Empress want with you?” Â
Lin Ting omitted the earlier part of their conversation and told him the latter part: “She asked me to apologize to you.”
“Apologize to me?”
Lin Ting looked into Duan Ling’s eyes and said, “The Empress said she regrets not stopping the Emperor’s Medicine Man plan, which caused you so much suffering.” Â
He responded with a faint “Hmm.”
She frowned, “Why did your parents agree to send you to become a Medicine Man?”
She meant Madam Feng and Duan Father. Â
Duan Ling smiled faintly: “Because I liked killing when I was young. When the Emperor said being a Medicine Man might change that, my father sent me. But he miscalculated—I wasn’t cured. I still like killing.”
Lin Ting had always known Duan Ling’s nature.
She wasn’t surprised by his fondness for killing; liking to kill didn’t mean killing indiscriminately.
But she was surprised his father sent him to be a Medicine Man. Â
“Mother didn’t stop him?”
Duan Ling said as if it was none of his concern: “My father sent me secretly without my mother knowing. By the time she found out, I was already a Medicine Man.”
Lin Ting asked again: “Does this have anything to do with your eldest brother? I heard Leyun mention your parents arguing and bringing up you and your brother.”
He stroked the hand warmer and replied, “No. But my eldest brother died trying to save the Emperor. He became an Imperial Guard because of our father. Maybe mother thought he harmed both me and my brother, so she mentioned us together.” Â
She frowned at Duan Father, “Why is your father so loyal to the Emperor?” Â
Duan Ling replied, “Foolish loyalty.”
At first, it was foolish loyalty.
Later, Duan Father wanted to obtain a way to restore the Medicine Men to normal from Emperor Jiade, so he had to show his loyalty to the Emperor. Â
Lin Ting had no words.
History indeed had many blindly loyal ministers who supported their monarch no matter what. Â
At that moment, the coachman called from outside: “Young Madam, Second Young Master, we’ve arrived.”
Just as they got down and entered the manor, servants greeted them: “Young Madam, Second Young Master, Madam and Master wanted to dine with you at noon today. Third Miss will also be there.”
Lin Ting turned toward Madam Feng’s courtyard.
“Okay, we know.” Â
Duan Xinning arrived earlier and stood up upon seeing them.
She was four months pregnant now, her belly growing more prominent.
“Leyun, Second Brother.” Â
Madam Feng rarely showed displeasure to others and smiled at Lin Ting: “Come, quickly sit down.”
It had been a while since the family had sat down together for a proper meal. Â
Lin Ting had just taken a step forward when she collapsed again.
Duan Ling caught her in time. Â
Duan Xinning screamed in fright: “Leyun!”
If Zhilan hadn’t feared Duan Xinning running forward and falling, risking the baby, and stopped her, Duan Xinning would have dashed to Lin Ting.
Even Madam Feng’s expression changed, and she ordered the servants: “Hurry, fetch the doctor!”
In less than a cup of tea’s time, the doctor arrived.
He came hurriedly, sweating even in the cold, wiping his face with a handkerchief before checking Lin Ting’s pulse on the couch where Duan Ling had laid her down. Â
After taking her pulse, the doctor met Duan Ling’s gaze, eyes flickering, stammering: “Young… Young Madam, time is short.”
Duan Xinning fainted upon hearing this as well.
Madam Feng quickly had her sent back to her room. Â
Madam Feng looked at Duan Ling.
He remained expressionless, fingertips trembling slightly.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.