Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Inside the incense burner, ambergris burned slowly, its purple smoke curling and swirling like a sleeping dragon.

Xu Dahai strode to the bedside, leaned down and whispered something in the ear of the man lying on his back. The man closed his eyes slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Let him in."

Eunuch Xu turned back and led his men in. A cold wind rushed in from the palace gate, making the bright yellow brocade curtains beside the bed sway precariously.

The person inside was coughing incessantly. Xu Dahai directed the eunuchs to close the door and looked apologetically at the man, "Lord Xiao, His Majesty is inside. This servant cannot leave. Please go over by yourself."

Xiao Zong knew he was an extremely intelligent man, and that listening to too much would only lead to mistakes, so he didn't want to get into trouble. He didn't insist, thanked him, and went straight into the bedchamber.

"Your humble servant Xiao Zong pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Li Kai raised an eyebrow. "How surprising. Even the rebellious Lord Xiao can admit his mistake?"

"I don't dare."

Xiao Zong kept his head down and heard the man cough again. He picked up the medicine from the table and brought it to the bedside.

Li Kai glanced at the dark, murky medicinal soup and asked with a half-smile, "There was no poison, was there?"

Xiao Zong remained kneeling, repeating, "Your subject dares not."

Li Kai sat up halfway, took two sips from the bowl beside his mouth, and sighed, "It's so bitter!"

Xiao Zong reached for some candied fruit in the distance, but Li Kai grabbed his arm and said, "Eating sweet things makes you recover slower, no need to rush."

"Yes."

Seeing that he was now quite sensible, Li Kai took a few breaths and then unleashed a thunderous clap.

"Ji'er, is he your child?"

Xiao Zong's pupils trembled as he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my relationship with Consort Zheng is completely innocent. I have never dared to overstep the bounds. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"

"Then tell me, whose child is he?"

Xiao Zong pursed his lips. If Li Ji were to be said to be the son of Consort Zheng and her lover, His Majesty would lose all face; if he were to be said to be His Majesty's bloodline, that would be blatant lying, and he might be beheaded before he even left the palace.

After pondering for a while, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "How would I know who His Majesty favors? Why don't we summon the historian to ask him?"

Li Kai pointed at him, coughing and laughing, "You little rascal, you've been using all your cunning on me, you need to be taught a lesson!"

"I am right here. Whether you want to punish me or strike me, isn't it all up to you?"

Xiao Zong's tone at this moment was no different from that of a father and son talking.

When Liangzhou rescued the emperor, His Majesty did mention wanting to adopt him as his son, but he declined, saying he "didn't want to get an official position through connections."

At the time, Li Kai scolded him for being ungrateful, saying that such an opportunity would not come again. However, in just three years, he rose to the position of Commander of the Leopard Guard, which may have been due to the Emperor's help.

His Majesty was not only a mentor to him, but also a teacher, friend, and elder.

Therefore, he was loyal with reverence, and his honesty concealed a rebellious streak, believing that he could be forgiven for whatever he did.

Li Kai straightened his expression. "I know it was all that wicked woman Zhao Shuo's doing, but for you to dare plant a spy by my side is utterly rebellious!"

Xiao Zong raised his head and then lowered it again, pursed his dry, cracked lips, and resignedly awaited his judgment.

Li Kai saw through his little tricks and changed the subject, "Fortunately, you handled the Southern Xinjiang issue well, otherwise, with all the trouble you've caused, you would have died a thousand times over!"

"Does His Majesty mean... I won't be punished?"

"Okay, get up!"

Xiao Zong smiled and got up, diligently serving the medicine. Li Kai got angry when he saw this, pushed away the medicine bowl, and ordered him to open the brocade box on the table.

The box was long and narrow, clearly a box for swords. When he opened it, it looked quite familiar; it was the very Shangfang sword that he had used to kill Wang Dun.

"Why is Your Majesty giving me this?"

"Heaven has not granted me longevity, what can man do! My days are numbered. To prevent chaos in the palace and turmoil in the court after my death, I hereby bestow upon you the Imperial Sword, which can be used to execute members of the royal family and eliminate treacherous officials. I only wish that you will protect the Great Qi Empire and ensure that the people enjoy peace and tranquility!"

Xiao Zong put down his sword and strode to the bedside. "Pu Hong has not returned to the Southern Frontier. I have him bound and sent back to the capital with the delegation. Once he returns, he will surely find a way to cure Your Majesty."

Li Kai forced a smile, his lips pale. "When he was working at the Imperial Hospital, he took my pulse and said I had two years left to live. Zhao Shuo's poison nearly killed me. It's a miracle I can still speak a few words now."

“At that time, Pu Hong harbored a glimmer of hope, vainly hoping to return to the southern border and ascend the throne. His words may not have been credible. Now that he has no hope of returning to the country, he can only rely on Your Majesty's grace to survive. He will certainly do his best to cure your chronic illness.”

"I know my own body best. This time, I really can't take it anymore."

Li Kai grabbed his wrist with some force and said, word by word, "Remember, together with the cabinet, protect Daqi!"

Xiao Zong squatted down, his expression also filled with sorrow because of his desolate voice, and solemnly promised, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust!"

*

After that meeting, Li Kai miraculously survived until the delegation returned to the capital. Under Pu Hong's care, he was kept alive for half a month before passing away at the end of January.

The moment the death knell tolled, Xiao Zong was jolted awake from his sleep. Upon hearing the second toll, he shook his sleeping wife awake and told her that he needed to go to the palace.

Su Zhi, still half-asleep, sat obediently by the bedside. In the dim candlelight, she watched him put on his clothes layer by layer, fasten his belt, and open the cloud-patterned box to take out an extremely ornate sword.

The ink-black bamboo shadows swayed gently on the window paper, overlapping with the sound of the bell, as if they came from the same banquet's music and dance, surprisingly in sync.

He stood there for a while, then shrugged and turned to walk towards the bed.

Xiao Zong squatted down, his voice gentle, "His Majesty has passed away. He may need to go to the palace to pay his respects later. I'll go ahead first. You should pack your things and go with your elder sister-in-law, okay?"

Su Zhi was still in a daze and asked, "Aren't you coming with me?"

"I have something to do." He patted her head. "Be good, don't worry me."

Not wanting to cause him any trouble, Su Zhi nodded and said, "Okay."

Xiao Zong gave her a light kiss on the lips, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and quickly left, his footsteps disappearing into the distance with him.

Su Zhi looked at his strong yet somewhat resolute back and felt inexplicably flustered.

"Wait--"

She wanted to ask, why must one bring a sword when entering the palace?

Unfortunately, Xiao Zong left in a hurry and did not hear her call. He simply disappeared into the night without looking back.

The baby in her womb sensed her unease, kicking and thrashing about, making her feel as if her internal organs had shifted. She stroked her belly with one hand, urging them to be quiet, while gripping the railing of the four-poster bed with the other, breathing out rhythmically and slowly.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the pain did not subside; instead, it intensified.

Her clothes were soaked with cold sweat again and again, clinging to her body, expanding and contracting with her breath like earthworms, making one feel nauseous.

“Come…someone…”

She called out weakly, and with her other hand she reached for the lattice for leverage, accidentally knocking over the blue and white porcelain vase on the flower stand.

The maid carried the boiled water to the corridor, and upon hearing the noise, she threw down the basin and ran into the house.

As the candlelight was lit, she saw the bloodstains on the lady's skirt and was instantly terrified.

She stumbled outside, shouting, "Quick! Go get a doctor!"

The servant was about to run away when she grabbed him again, saying, "Midwife, please bring the midwife here too!"

"Okay, I'll go right away!"

Under the gloomy sky, cries and roars filled the air, and chaotic footsteps spun like tops, never stopping.

The cold armor and sharp swords reflected the cold, stern faces of the figures, who, despite their aloofness, possessed eyes brimming with desire.

As Xiao Zong moved through these faces and eyes, a slight coolness fell on his cheek when he looked up.

He wiped his fingertip, stared at it for a moment, but couldn't tell if it was rain, fog, or snow.

Perhaps they are tears!

He laughed at himself.