Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1207: Chapter 1209: The Same Dead Qi_1

It’s indeed hard to accept Princess Diao Bin’s current condition, so Bai Ruozhu understood that the emperor’s concern was causing confusion, and she could sympathize with his current state of mind.

However, she had underestimated the emperor’s wrath. Glaring at her, he bellowed, ”Are you saying you can’t save her? What use are you if you can’t save her? Drag her out and behead her!”

Although it was rare for the emperor and the empress dowager of Danliang Country to behead people without cause, the emperor, with his golden words, did have that power.

The empress dowager reacted quickest, hurriedly taking hold of the emperor and whispering, ”Yinyin, don’t be like this. The princess is suffering from the curse’s onset. Ruozhu is just a doctor, how could she understand sorcery?”

The emperor was still furious, and said to Bai Ruozhu, ”If you are of no use, then get out!”

Bai Ruozhu felt an unpleasant taste in her heart. She was also worried about Princess Diao Bin’s safety, but she was truly powerless and had been scolded like that by the emperor. Although she said she understood the emperor’s feelings, it was impossible for her not to have any thoughts of her own.

She bowed and silently withdrew. The empress dowager opened her mouth to call out, but seeing the emperor’s resolute attitude, she had no choice but to let her go.

”Yinyin, Ruozhu is a good child,” the empress dowager said with a sense of helplessness.

”Since she doesn’t understand sorcery, let’s not involve her in this matter which is after all a royal family secret,” the emperor virtually spat the words through clenched teeth.

The empress dowager was stunned, a pained expression appearing on her face. She couldn’t deny that it had already been ascertained that Princess Diao Bin had had the curse transferred to her by a blood relative. Involving the Former Emperor, neither she nor the emperor were willing to let more people know.

Soon, Ning Yu rushed over. Seeing Bai Ruozhu waiting outside the main hall of Liuhui Palace, he was taken aback and asked, ”Madam Jiang, why are you standing out here? What has happened to the princess exactly?”

”Go inside and you’ll see. The emperor lost his temper, and I couldn’t go in, but if you need help, call Hao Mu over,” Bai Ruozhu said softly, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Ning Yu frowned, not understanding why the emperor had lost his temper, but recalling the incident where he and Bai Ruozhu had been locked up in Sky Prison, his expression grew grave.

”Alright, I’ll go in and have a look at the princess first,” Ning Yu said, bowing to Bai Ruozhu before quickly entering.

Unable to see the situation inside the palace, Bai Ruozhu felt anxious nonetheless. No matter how badly the emperor treated her, she was still concerned for Princess Diao Bin’s safety—the emperor was the emperor, and Diao Bin was Diao Bin. Moreover, if Diao Bin hadn’t given her the pill, her second brother might have already left her by now. But with the pill, at least Diao Bin could suppress the curse for a while, and with some luck, possibly for decades.

Inside the palace, Ning Yu greeted the emperor and empress dowager, but his eyes swept over to the unconscious Diao Bin and instantly rushed over, not even waiting for the emperor and empress dowager to ask him to rise.

Since it was about saving someone’s life, the emperor wouldn’t fuss over formalities, but the empress dowager’s eyes showed helplessness. She could see that Ning Yu was terribly nervous about Diao Bin, but how could a disciple of the National Master marry? How could the two of them be together?

Let it be, let it be, the empress dowager sighed silently in her heart. If Diao Bin survived, no matter whom she wished to marry, the empress dowager would do her utmost to fulfill her daughter’s wish, as long as her daughter could live.

”How could this happen!” Ning Yu exclaimed. His tone wasn’t questioning but rather an outcry, as if he had discovered something.

Ning Yu’s brows were tightly knotted. What surprised him was not the transformation of Princess Diao Bin when the curse took effect—he understood the art of sorcery and naturally knew what a curse looked like when it struck; this did not astonish him. What truly shocked him was the dead aura emanating from Diao Bin’s body. This kind of aura was imperceptible to others, and only someone like him, who had studied Daoist practices from a young age and reached a certain level, could see it.

And yet, that dead aura closely resembled the one his master had. He once did not realize this was the state in which his master was in the secret chamber during seclusion until the Emperor’s sudden intrusion revealed his master suffering from backlash. Later, when Ning Yu returned to the Astrology Tower from Sky Prison, he finally saw his master and was completely taken aback by the dead aura surrounding him.

Tears streaming down his face, he repeatedly asked his master why it had come to this, but the National Master gently stroked his head and said, ”Your master has peered too much into the secrets of Heaven, and thus I have suffered divine retribution. It’s all because of my past arrogance. You must not follow in my footsteps; never dare to try changing the Heavenly Path. I do not wish to see you meet the same end as me.”

”No, no, Master, you won’t have any issues. I’ll definitely find a way to cure you,” Ning Yu sobbed.

The National Master smiled, a smile full of resignation, ”Silly child, having you as my successor, I have no regrets. However, there is so much more you have to learn. Try to read as many books as you can in the Astrology Tower.”

”Master Ning, what’s going on?” The Empress Dowager asked anxiously from the side.

Ning Yu was brought back to the present. If it had been someone else, they might keep their doubts hidden and slowly seek clarification. But Ning Yu had lived in the Astrology Tower all his life with very limited contact with the outside world, and his heart was exceptionally pure. Whatever he was thinking, he directly voiced out.

”Why does the dead aura on the princess resemble that of my master so closely? What exactly is going on?” Ning Yu was also at a loss. He felt that he knew too little; in frustration, he clenched and unclenched his head. With his limited skills, how could he possibly cure his master’s backlash?

The Emperor’s gaze flickered upon hearing this. The dead qi on the National Master was similar to that of the princess? Could it be....

All of a sudden, he glared at Ning Yu as if interrogating a criminal, ”Tell me! Is the National Master’s backlash related to the curse on the princess?”

The Emperor’s voice was not quiet, and Bai Ruozhu, who was outside the hall with ears perked up, ended up overhearing Ning Yu and the Emperor’s conversation.

The one involved is often confused, while the outsider sees clear. She was now an observer as well. If the National Master was the one who had cursed the princess, logically the curse should have been broken for it to backlash onto the National Master.

Therefore, the Emperor’s speculation was completely unreasonable. Besides, Ning Yu had confirmed earlier that the princess had her curse transferred by a blood relative. The Former Emperor himself would not have transferred the curse, which would require someone who understood the art of sorcery to perform, and that person might very well be the current National Master!

So, that was why the National Master suffered backlash?

In the palace, Ning Yu quickly said, ”Your Majesty, you’re not suspecting my master, are you? He has always been loyal to the Royal Family and would never curse the princess.”

The Emperor snorted coldly and stormed out of Liuhui Palace, seemingly heading towards the Astrology Tower. Ning Yu glanced at the unconscious Princess Diao Bin and hurriedly followed.

The Empress Dowager chased after him but was worried about leaving the princess unattended, so she turned to Bai Ruozhu and said, ”Ruozhu, please go and check on them for me. If the Emperor acts impulsively, you must stop him. Say it’s by the sorrowful command of this Empress Dowager.” Saying so, she handed Bai Ruozhu a Jade Pendant, symbolizing that Bai Ruozhu was acting upon her command.

Bai Ruozhu nodded and said, ”Alright, I’m on it. Empress Dowager, don’t worry too much. Also, have someone look for Diao Yao. After all, the princess has always been concerned about Diao Yao’s safety.”