Traveling through thousands of years, I only love you

Just as the dawn of dynastic revival began to emerge, fate dealt a cruel blow to Li Lingyuan and Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi fell seriously ill without warning, and his health plummeted. A dark cloud loomed over the entire palace, and indeed the dynasty.

It all started at a court meeting. Xiao Yi was discussing border defense and livelihood improvements with his ministers. Initially, he felt only slightly dizzy, which he attributed to recent fatigue. He forced himself to remain calm and continued with the agenda. However, a moment later, a wave of intense nausea and fatigue washed over him, and his body began to shake uncontrollably. Li Lingyuan was the first to notice Xiao Yi's abnormality. Her eyes widened in horror, and she screamed his name. The ministers gathered around, looking at the usually heroic General Xiao Yi, whose face was as pale as paper, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Xiao Yi was urgently escorted back to his bedroom. Li Lingyuan anxiously stayed by his bedside, watching him toss and turn in agony in his coma, her heart pierced by a thousand needles. She held Xiao Yi's hand tightly, as if she could pass on her strength to him, and choked with sobs, she said, "Xiao Yi, you must wake up. We agreed to witness the dynasty's prosperity together. You can't break your promise." At this moment, she had completely lost her usual imperial majesty, becoming just a woman worried about her lover.

The imperial physicians filed in, taking the patient's pulse, examining his tongue, and inquiring about his symptoms. Each step was handled with extreme caution, yet their expressions grew increasingly solemn. After a long moment, the leading physician spoke slowly, his voice trembling with resignation. "Your Majesty, General Xiao's condition is extremely rare. I have never seen such a pulse and symptoms before. It appears to be a severe heat-toxin, mixed with other unknown factors. I truly... cannot determine the cause. I can only prescribe some heat-clearing, detoxifying, and Qi-regulating remedies to see if they can alleviate the general's suffering."

A trace of despair flashed across Li Lingyuan's eyes, but was instantly replaced by determination. She said in a deep voice: "No matter what, you must try your best to save General Xiao. If there is any mistake, I will never forgive you!" The imperial doctors retreated obediently and hurried to prepare medicinal materials.

Li Lingyuan gently stroked Xiao Yi's forehead, her thoughts drifting back to the time they first met him, that dashing man they'd chanced upon in the palace gardens. His smile, his gaze, had been like a ray of light illuminating her previously lost and lonely world. In every moment they'd spent together, whether amidst the turmoil of power struggles or on the raging battlefields, Xiao Yi had always been by her side, offering her strength and support. Together, they'd weathered countless life-or-death trials and tribulations, believing a happy future lay just around the corner. But now...

As the days passed, Xiao Yi's condition showed no improvement, but instead worsened. His body burned like fire, and his coma stretched on for longer and longer. On the rare occasions when he regained consciousness, he was too weak to speak, his eyes alone conveying his comfort and reluctance to Li Lingyuan. Whenever Xiao Yi regained consciousness, Li Lingyuan would rush closer, her eyes filled with surprise and tenderness. She would whisper, "Xiao Yi, how are you feeling? Don't speak, conserve your energy." Xiao Yi would shake his head slightly, his lips moving slightly as if to say, "Don't worry," and Li Lingyuan's tears would instantly well up, dripping onto Xiao Yi's hand.

To find a cure for Xiao Yi, Li Lingyuan ordered a nationwide recruitment of renowned physicians. Notices were plastered throughout the streets, promising a generous reward for anyone who could cure Xiao Yi. Instantly, physicians from all over responded and rushed to the capital. These doctors, hailing from diverse schools of thought, each possessed their own expertise and perspectives. They examined Xiao Yi one by one, some shaking their heads and sighing, others frowning in deep thought, and still others proposing bizarre treatments. Some advocated acupuncture and bloodletting to expel toxins from the body; others suggested using rare herbs and pills made from animal gallbladders to combat poison with poison; and still others believed in the need for a special ritual, invoking divine protection.

Li Lingyuan hesitated between numerous options, knowing each one held Xiao Yi's life or death in jeopardy. She dispatched personnel to search far and wide for the precious medicinal herbs needed for the prescriptions, sparing no effort in manpower or resources. Meanwhile, she diligently attended to court affairs, reviewing memorials and conferring with ministers daily at Xiao Yi's bedside, forcing herself to maintain the dynasty despite her exhaustion. While Xiao Yi lay unconscious, he would sometimes murmur Li Lingyuan's name anxiously, as if even in his dreams he worried about her safety and the fate of the dynasty.

Yet, despite Li Lingyuan's efforts, Xiao Yi's condition continued to spiral like a runaway carriage, spiraling towards an unknown, dark abyss. His body gradually became thinner, his skin turned sallow, and his breath grew weaker. Watching his increasingly haggard appearance, Li Lingyuan felt a surge of helplessness and despair. She often knelt alone in the palace's Buddhist temple late at night, praying to the heavens, willing to sacrifice everything for Xiao Yi's recovery.

During this difficult time, some factions within the imperial court began to stir. Seeing Xiao Yi's serious illness, some ministers with ulterior motives saw this as an opportunity to expand their influence. They formed factions within the court, colluding with one another in an attempt to sideline Li Lingyuan and seize control of the government. Local officials also began to engage in corruption, imposing heavy taxes and levies on the people, leading to widespread public resentment. Smaller states on the borders, sensing the turmoil within the dynasty, began frequent harassment along the border, testing the dynasty's strength.

Li Lingyuan sensed these dangers and knew she couldn't afford to fall, threatening to plunge the dynasty Xiao Yi had risked his life to protect into chaos. She steeled herself and began to crack down on corrupt officials at court. She dispatched trusted ministers to secretly investigate officials implicated in corruption and bribery, gathering evidence and decisively bringing them to justice. In court, she displayed unprecedented authority and decisiveness, harshly rebuking and suppressing those ministers who attempted to form cliques for personal gain, thus re-establishing her own authority.

In response to border disturbances, she dispatched loyal and reliable generals to garrison and strengthen the frontier defenses. She also dispatched envoys to engage in diplomatic negotiations with neighboring countries, attempting to resolve disputes peacefully. While handling these matters, she constantly pondered how to ensure the long-term stability of the dynasty despite Xiao Yi's serious illness. She knew that only a stable and prosperous dynasty could create a favorable environment for Xiao Yi's recovery and ensure that their previous efforts would not be wasted.

In a corner of the palace, Li Lingyuan's personal maid watched her increasingly thin and exhausted figure and pleaded with concern, "Your Majesty, you must take care of yourself. You toil day and night like this. What if you collapse?" Li Lingyuan shook her head slightly and smiled bitterly, "If Xiao Yi can't recover, what does my health matter? But I can't let him down. I can't let this dynasty decline in our hands."

As the days passed, Xiao Yi's condition showed no improvement. In her despair, Li Lingyuan heard a legend about a hermit healer in the distant mountains, known for his extraordinary skills and the ability to bring the dead back to life. However, the mountains were treacherous, filled with thorns and ferocious beasts, and protected by mysterious formations, making them rarely accessible. Without hesitation, Li Lingyuan decided to send a team to explore. She selected her most elite guards and personally saw them off, her eyes filled with anticipation and determination: "You must find the healer. No matter the cost, I will spare no effort."

The guards embarked on a journey full of unknowns and dangers, while Li Lingyuan continued to fight a desperate battle against illness and the crisis of the court in the palace. She stayed by Xiao Yi's bedside every day, whispering to him about the affairs of the court, recalling the good times they had, hoping to awaken his consciousness. She filled Xiao Yi's ward with paintings they had painted together, and placed his favorite swords and books, trying to create a familiar and warm atmosphere. Xiao Yi would sometimes frown slightly when she whispered softly, as if trying to respond to her call, which rekindled a glimmer of hope in Li Lingyuan's heart. She held Xiao Yi's hand tightly and murmured: "Xiao Yi, you heard me, right? You must come back to me."

However, fate seemed unmoved by Li Lingyuan's perseverance. Xiao Yi's condition remained critical, his life like a candle in the wind, threatened to be extinguished at any moment. Amidst endless pain and suffering, Li Lingyuan clung to a glimmer of hope, believing that as long as she persisted, a miracle would one day occur, Xiao Yi would open his eyes again, and they would once again, hand in hand, weather the storm and enjoy the prosperity of the prosperous world. But until then, she could only struggle alone in this long darkness, carrying the burden of the entire dynasty on her fragile body, waiting for the dawn of light that would arrive at an unknown time.