Yu Jingchen, worried about Nan Zhiyun's current state, crouched down. "Yun'er, my good girl, your father has gone to another world to protect the country and fight on the battlefield. There are the people of Yuan, the soldiers of Yuan, and the generals of Yuan..."
"Your Majesty... will you take me to find Daddy? I miss Daddy. I don't want him to go there, I want him to come back... I want him to come back." Nan Zhiyun pleaded, looking at Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen reached out and stroked Nan Zhiyun's head. "Yun'er, be good. He misses Yun'er too, but there's no other way. However, to be with Yun'er, he will become a star in the sky. Tonight, I'll take Yun'er to see the stars, okay?" Yu Jingchen's heart ached seeing Nan Zhiyun like this.
"No... I want to go find Daddy. Daddy, can I come find you?" she said, smiling.
"Daddy, why aren't you answering me? Daddy, Nannan is here. Daddy... Daddy!" Nan Zhiyun roared, but no one would answer her.
Suddenly, Nan Zhiyun found it hard to breathe. Daddy... she saw Nan Su's shadow appear before her.
"Daddy..." Nan Zhiyun reached out to grasp Nan Su's hand.
But she couldn't touch him. She heard someone calling her name, but Nan Zhiyun had lost consciousness. Her stomach hurt... the baby... Nan Zhiyun was bleeding.
"Yun'er!" Yu Jingchen panicked, seeing the unconscious Nan Zhiyun. He quickly picked her up.
"Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician!" Yu Jingchen roared. Fearing any unforeseen circumstances, the imperial physician had been accompanying them.
Ci'an Palace
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes tightly, kneeling before the Buddha, clutching her prayer beads. In an instant, the beads scattered on the floor, their rattling sound unsettling.
"Empress Dowager!" An Xin's urgent voice called out.
"Empress Dowager, General Nan... General Nan has passed away..." An Xin knelt.
The Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes. They were empty, devoid of any spirit. Indeed, she had been unable to see for the past two days.
"Empress Dowager..." An Xin feared something might happen to her.
"A'Su..." The Empress Dowager tried to stand, and An Xin quickly helped her up.
"Assassins entered the General's mansion, causing many casualties. Afterward, a fire broke out. General Nan was found in the Empress's boudoir before her wedding. By the time he was discovered, he was already... gone," An Xin reported.
"Today, His Majesty brought the Empress back to the mansion. The Empress could not bear it and fainted on the spot. The imperial physician said the Empress's health was already poor, and with today's events... she experienced some fetal distress and began bleeding. If not careful, she might miscarry."
The Empress Dowager staggered. She closed her eyes, and a tear of blood trickled down her cheek.
Her ears buzzed, a cacophony of noise. Her vision was pitch black; she could see nothing and hear nothing.
"Empress Dowager! Empress Dowager!" An Xin kept calling, but the Empress Dowager did not respond. She... could no longer hear.
The noisy world suddenly fell silent...
The next moment, the Empress Dowager spat out a mouthful of blood. An Xin cried out in fright, but the Empress Dowager was oblivious to it all. She had completely fainted.
"Guards! Guards! Imperial physician, summon the imperial physician!" An Xin was greatly frightened. The blood the Empress Dowager spat out stained the Buddha... Would the Buddha forgive her...?
Buddha is merciful, Buddha wouldn't be so cruel, would he?