Chapter 36 - 1#

Huang Yijie clutched her bleeding lower abdomen, struggling to lie on the wet floor. The blood that was constantly seeping out quickly disappeared, swallowed by something unknown.

Her face was very pale.

It was the kind of pale that had lost all color.

Just as Rong Jiu had said, even though she had suffered such a serious penetrating injury, she was still not dead.

Near the wound, something condensed into a lump was wriggling, repairing the flesh. Although the speed was very slow, it was indeed keeping her alive with her last breath.

Huang Yijie’s other hand struggled to reach for the palace gate.

She stared intently at the closed palace gate.

The severe pain and cold made her vomit blood, half-conscious… how did it come to this…

Ah, she remembered. This ending was probably destined from the moment she entered the palace.

Huang Yijie’s original surname was not Huang.

Her mother was a daughter of the Huang family who had married out, but she was a concubine’s daughter, married to a family on the southwestern border.

That family seemed friendly to outsiders, but the mother of the husband she married was a worm witch who had passed down her skills for generations. This skill was passed down to daughters, not sons. When Huang Yijie was just born, the worm witch took a fancy to her and took her as a disciple.

Therefore, Huang Yijie’s grandmother was both her relative and her master. She had lived with Gu worms since she was a child, depending on them for survival, more familiar with them than with her parents.

But her mother couldn’t stand it. She could barely accept that her mother-in-law was a worm witch, but she couldn’t accept that her daughter was one too.

Those who were used for trials were also living people!

Even if some of them deserved it for some reason, such things were still against nature and too cruel.

Not to mention some people who didn’t deserve it.

When Huang Yijie was fifteen, her mother’s family sent people to attend her coming-of-age ceremony. Her mother told the Huang family about this, and then…

It didn’t bring about any change.

After all, her mother was just a concubine’s daughter of the Huang family, not very important. The Huang family at most passed the news back. If the higher-ups had no plans, then naturally there were no other possibilities.

At that time, Huang Yijie thought it would continue like this until the Empress Dowager sent someone.

That should have been a few years later in autumn. The Huang family suddenly sent someone to say that she was to enter the palace and change her surname to Huang.

At that time, her grandmother drove all the Gu worms and worm slaves. When those stiff bodies swayed out, they did bring a lot of destructive power. But they were no match for the large number of armed forces brought by the Huang family.

At that time, Huang Yijie realized that although Gu worms were powerful, if they were to face a real crowd of people, no matter how many powerful means they had, they would not be able to use them.

After all, what they were good at was not a highly contagious Gu.

And her grandmother was not such a crazy person, it was impossible to refine so many worm slaves.

Unless they were insane, they simply couldn’t go against the Empress Dowager’s people.

For the sake of her parents and grandmother, Huang Yijie agreed to enter the palace and was taken to the capital. The intensive training along the way quickly turned her into a graceful and dignified lady, and she successfully entered the palace.

Huang Yijie was also very clear about the Empress Dowager’s purpose in letting her enter the palace.

It was for Emperor Jingyuan.

On this matter, the Empress Dowager and Prince Rui had different views. At least, although the Huang family would help the Empress Dowager bring Huang Yijie back, they also warned the Empress Dowager for Prince Rui’s sake.

The Empress Dowager… she was really a bold woman, even daring to summon Huang Yijie to Shoukang Palace many times. Did she think she wouldn’t put a Gu on her… maybe that was true, Huang Yijie wouldn’t risk her own family.

Obedient, submissive, and then, Huang Yijie turned the people around her into worm slaves, little by little.

The entire palace was filled with spies sent by the Empress Dowager, which was still a bit unbearable.

But among so many things, the only place Huang Yijie didn’t want to go was Qianming Palace.

She entered the palace for Emperor Jingyuan.

But Emperor Jingyuan was a complete madman.

Huang Yijie had come into contact with him several times, and had a strange feeling that he had already seen through her. But even so, she had put a Gu on him several times…

And it was useless.

There seemed to be an extremely powerful force in Emperor Jingyuan’s body that did not allow other things to devour it. As long as it was a less powerful Gu worm, it would be devoured after entering the body.

Later, Huang Yijie learned from the Empress Dowager that the emperor had been poisoned in his early years, and a large amount of toxicity had accumulated in his body.

Huang Yijie did know about the poison called “Song of Sorrow”.

It was one of the nemeses of Gu worms.

No host who was poisoned had ever lived past twenty-five.

Not to mention that Emperor Jingyuan had lived to this day, but how did he live like a normal person?

This kind of poison would only torture people into a disfigured state.

Although Huang Yijie was puzzled, it was none of her business. Ever since she guessed that there was a smell in Qianming Palace that repelled Gu worms, she knew that many of the Empress Dowager’s schemes might have been seen through by Emperor Jingyuan.

She didn’t mention this to the Empress Dowager.

But for some reason, Emperor Jingyuan had never acted on it.

…But as Emperor Jingyuan made a move against the Huang family, the situation changed again.

Huang Yijie sighed, and before the heavy rain came, she stood in front of Qianming Palace, and then showed a gentle smile.

Yes, in Qianming Palace, there were indeed countless smells that could block Gu worms.

But not all Gu worms would be blocked by them.

For example, Huang Yijie’s life Gu.

The woman’s eyes turned slightly red, and she walked slowly towards the front of the hall.

“Noble Consort, His Majesty has ordered that no one is to be seen.” The palace servant who stopped her was polite, but his attitude was very firm. “Please do not go any further.”

This Noble Consort came by herself, without even a servant to attend to her. This was too strange no matter how you looked at it.

The Noble Consort’s hand gently rested on the palace servant’s arm, and she smiled at him: “Are you going to stop me?”

The palace servant: “Of course… not.”

His voice was first firm, then soft, and a dark red light flashed in his eyes.

The Noble Consort smiled, let go of her hand, and strolled towards the inside.

One step, one step, and another step.

The Noble Consort calmly walked into Qianming Palace.

“Ugh…”

The intense pain pulled her consciousness out of a semi-comatose state. Huang Yijie could no longer remember how she and Emperor Jingyuan had appeared in Fengxian Hall… probably because the smell in Qianming Palace was too strong.

Even if Huang Yijie could control the restlessness of the Gu worms, the Gu worms were in her body, which was extremely painful for her, and Emperor Jingyuan…

The “Song of Sorrow” in his body was an extremely terrible and insidious poison. It would take time to completely control Emperor Jingyuan beyond the toxicity of the “Song of Sorrow”, especially since the smell in Qianming Palace was strong and suppressed the performance of the Gu worms… For this reason, Huang Yijie controlled Emperor Jingyuan and left with him.

She chose Fengxian Hall, probably because it was rarely visited and no one would come.

Unfortunately, she was one step too slow.

When she felt that the Gu worms wandering in the harem were beginning to lose contact, Huang Yijie realized that something was wrong.

Then, that person broke in.

…She should have killed Emperor Jingyuan with one blow.

Why didn’t she do it at that time?

Was it because the emperor looked at her with eyes as calm as a still well, as indifferent as a corpse, or was it because… she was also afraid…

Hee…

Even so, so what?

Someone dragged Huang Yijie’s body up, and that strange smell wrapped around her, making her extremely dislike it… but, even if the emperor was arrogant… hee…

Didn’t he still have to bow his head in front of that person?

Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha ha—

Rong Jiu, Rong Jiu…

He actually called himself Rong Jiu in front of that person!

Huang Yijie suddenly opened her eyes, her fingers like eagle hooks, grabbing the arm of the person who came. Ning Hongru’s face appeared in front of her, and he glanced at her indifferently.

Unfortunately, Huang Yijie had lost too much blood. Even if the Gu worms in her body were helping her, they could only barely keep her alive, and could not sustain her to make more reactions.

“Take her away.”

“Yes.”

The fully armed guards dragged Huang Yijie up and disappeared into the rain.

Ning Hongru, on the other hand, looked at the Fengxian Hall that was emitting black smoke, and then, carefully looked at the small hall in the distance that was not affected.

Finally, he couldn’t help but show a bitter face.

Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how could you burn down Fengxian Hall too!

…

Yes, Rong Jiu, how could you burn down Fengxian Hall too?

Jingzhe was a little dazed and hugged himself helplessly.

It was very cold. Although the clothes he wore on the outside were coated with tung oil and looked very waterproof, his hood was not covered when he was running away.

His clothes were all wet.

So cold.

Jingzhe shivered, not only because of the cold temperature, but also because of an inexplicable unease.

…Probably, it was also related to Rong Jiu behind him.

The fingers that were rubbing back and forth on the back of his neck carried a dangerous pressure.

Then, he finally let go.

The coolness dissipated, and Jingzhe subconsciously followed Rong Jiu with his eyes, only to see the man walk to a corner, and he didn’t know what he did, but a small fire suddenly rose in the cold and damp small hall.

The sudden bright light of the fire made Jingzhe involuntarily raise his hand to block the dazzling light.

But where did the fire come from?

…And was it really a good thing to start a fire in this small hall?

The ones enshrined here were also members of the royal family.

After a pause, Jingzhe put down his hand and smelled a faint, familiar smell.

That was the smell that was on him just now.

…It was those incense sticks.

Jingzhe hesitated, and moved to the side in small steps, and saw clearly the firewood that was burning… why did the appearance look a bit similar to the pattern of the outer golden pillars of Fengxian Hall.

Just now, after lighting Fengxian Hall, Jingzhe seemed to have smelled the same scent.

But at that time, Rong Jiu took him away from Fengxian Hall, which was undoubtedly actively heading towards the worm tide. This almost scared Jingzhe crazy, and he just hid in Rong Jiu’s arms, with no mind to pay attention.

Those terrifying black tides, the thought of them almost crawling on him, scared Jingzhe to the point of wanting to cry.

Wuwuwu… you should go find your mother, don’t come for me.

Jingzhe lowered his head and rubbed his hands, still so cold.

“Come here.” Rong Jiu’s voice sounded coldly, with a bit of suppression. “Take off your outer clothes.”

Jingzhe hesitated a little, but the cold still drove his legs, making him walk towards the fire.

He carefully sat down opposite Rong Jiu.

After hesitating for a moment, his fingers quickly unbuttoned the outer layer of waterproof clothes, and took off the eunuch’s uniform, only then did he carefully approach the fire.

The heat rushed over, and Jingzhe wiped his face, as if he had come back to life.

When he looked up, Rong Jiu was gone again.

He always appeared and disappeared like a ghost.

Jingzhe hugged himself and sat by the fire, watching the dancing flames in silence.

He didn’t even see when Rong Jiu came back.

“What are you thinking about?”

A clear and cold voice sounded, and because it was too familiar, Jingzhe’s answer was almost blurted out.

“Why did you burn down Fengxian Hall?”

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Rong Jiu.

He saw Rong Jiu holding a wooden basin in his hand, and he didn’t know where he found it. Then he put it down, and slowly unbuttoned his outer garment. While doing so, he answered in a light voice:

“Weren’t you afraid of those Gu worms? After Fengxian Hall is rebuilt, the inner and outer golden pillars, walls, and tiles will all be quenched with a special incense. When it is lit, it can drive away as many of those Gu worms as possible.”

Rong Jiu’s explanation was very detailed.

…Speaking of which, Jingzhe also knew about this.

Back then, when he passed the third-class eunuch examination of the Directorate of Palace Maintenance, wasn’t one of the examinations to clean the renovated Fengxian Hall?

Jingzhe remembered this belatedly.

“…But, that’s Fengxian Hall.” He hugged his knees. “You just burned it down like that. Won’t His Majesty… hold you responsible?”

Jingzhe’s voice was floating, with a bit of indelible surprise: “Why, did the Noble Consort, want to kill you…”

Shouldn’t the person Huang Yijie wanted to kill be the emperor?

Why was it Rong Jiu?

Huang Yijie’s attitude at that time was also very strange, as if what he said was very ridiculous… but, what was… wrong with that?

Jingzhe’s sensitive nerves were jumping wildly.

Countless whys made him a mess, and even…

Huh?

Jingzhe suddenly came back to his senses and found that his foot was being held. He looked blankly, and Rong Jiu had already taken off his outer clothes, spread them on the ground, with the clean inside of the guard uniform facing up. Then, Jingzhe’s feet, with his shoes and socks removed, were placed on the clothes.

The other foot was also grabbed and the same steps were repeated.

Jingzhe looked down at his dirty feet, and then at Rong Jiu’s originally clean clothes being stained by his feet. All his doubts flew away in that instant. His face turned red, and a sense of shame inexplicably surged up, making his voice tremble: “Rong Jiu, what are you doing!”

Rong Jiu was slowly rolling up his sleeves. Hearing this, he glanced at him, “Washing your feet.”

“I don’t need it, what are you doing!”

Jingzhe said anxiously, and was about to pull his feet back, but the man held his ankle, and he couldn’t pull it away no matter how hard he tried.

Rong Jiu: “Aren’t you afraid of those Gu worms?”