Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

The two sides were facing off. The leader of the opposing side was Wen Qi, the young general of the Hetun Army and the eldest son of Duke Wen.

“Princess, if you take another step forward, I cannot guarantee the safety of your brother and the Empress.”

The sharp blade was pressed against Shen Yuchen's neck; with just a little force, it could slit his throat.

"Wen Qi, your father has already been executed. Why do you continue to be so stubborn? I promise you, as long as you release the Crown Prince and the Empress, I will ensure that the women of your Wen family will not be implicated."

Shen Sangwan's throat was almost bulging out, fearing that the other party might accidentally send Shen Yucheng to meet the King of Hell.

In this situation, the death of the emperor, the death of the empress, or anyone else is acceptable, but the death of her main character is unacceptable!

"Ha—Does Your Highness think I'm so easily fooled? Today, even if the Wen family is wiped out, I will drag the Crown Prince and the Empress down with me."

Wen Qi gripped the hilt of his sword, about to slit Shen Yuchen's throat, when an arrow shot swiftly and steadily through his wrist from afar.

"Your Majesty—protect the Empress and the Crown Prince."

After Mo Feng shot that arrow, Shen Sangwan shouted and rushed straight towards Shen Yuchen.

Despite the pain in his right hand, Wen Qi picked up the longsword from the ground with his left hand and slashed at Shen Yuchen with all his might.

Shen Sangwan stepped forward almost without hesitation, shielding Shen Yuchen in her arms, and took another sword blow in the process.

"puff--"

Her back wound was bleeding too much, and although she couldn't feel the pain, she no longer had the strength to swing her sword to defend herself. The only thing she could do was to protect Shen Yuchen's life with her own body.

"Awan—!"

"Sister—!"

The Empress and Shen Yuchen spoke almost simultaneously.

Mo Ran kicked Wen Qi aside and, surrounded by several people, captured him alive.

"Sister, don't scare Ah Chen, Ah Chen is scared!"

Seeing his older sister gushing blood from her mouth, Shen Yuchen, though already twelve years old, was so frightened that he burst into tears.

The moment the Empress was rescued, she ran to Shen Sangwan's side, picked her up, and carried her towards her own palace.

"Shuchun, go to the Imperial Hospital and bring Physician He and Physician Li here, quickly!"

"Slave, go now."

"Mother... My elder sister has vomited a lot of blood. Will she die? I'm scared."

The Empress, unable to comfort Shen Yuchen, and her personal maid, Gu, removed the armor from Shen Sangwan's body.

Upon seeing the inner garment completely stained with blood, everyone in the inner palace covered their mouths and noses and fell silent.

The empress, who always wore a smile, was now in tears, her delicate fingers trembling.

Her Ah Wan truly lived a life of unbearable suffering!

It's because her mother's influence was too weak, and she lacked the protection of her maternal clan.

Her sister, Ah Wan, wanted to protect her younger brother, and only she had real power.

Ultimately, it's because she's too useless.

Shen Sangwan had fallen into a coma. In her hazy sleep, she seemed to see her parents crying for her.

I couldn't help but feel a little mocking inside.

〖Shen Sangwan, oh Shen Sangwan, your remains are probably long gone. They probably don't even know you're dead, so why would they cry for you?〗

"Even dreams these days are so unrealistic!"

Oh, how could I forget? Dreams are always the opposite of reality. Who knows where those two are having a good time right now!

[Master, Master, wake up! Don't sleep anymore, you can't sleep anymore!]

"Huh? Hitomi, was that you calling me?"

In her dazed state, Shen Sangwan felt that there was a lot of noise around her, with all sorts of chaotic sounds constantly assaulting her.

【Master! Master!】

Xiao Tong's voice grew more urgent. Shen Sangwan tried hard to open her eyes, but she was like a drowning person, tightly wrapped by an octopus, and no matter how she struggled, it was all in vain.

【Master, I'm so sorry!】

Xiao Tong silently mourned twice, and then began to curse the main system.

"hiss--!"

Shen Sangwan sat up in shock from her bed.

[Damn it, just kill me already, I'd really appreciate it!]

"Your Highness, His Highness has awakened!"

Shu Chun had been serving in the inner palace. When he saw Shen Sangwan wake up, he was quite excited and shouted out.

Upon hearing Shuchun's voice, the Empress, supported by Granny Gu, hurried inside from behind the screen.

"If you don't wake up soon, I'm afraid the main system will electrocute me. Xiaotong, you just wait!"

Suddenly, a mouthful of black, foul blood spurted from his mouth, soiling the gold-embroidered brocade quilt covering him.

"Um... Master, I'm trying to save you. The sword was coated with a deadly poison, and you're trapped in a nightmare. If you don't wake up and take the antidote from the system, you might really die."

Hehe—should I thank you then?

My whole body aches, just like the day I first woke up.

"Xiaotong, didn't you say the side effects of the Vitality Pill would last for a month? Why does my body hurt so much? It feels like my internal organs are about to shatter."

【Master, you are currently poisoned. The poison has neutralized the effects of the Life-Saving Pill and... has also caused complications, enmm...】

〖。。。。。。〗

"This system is such a damn idiot! I've never been so speechless in my life."

"vomit--"

Another mouthful of foul blood gushed from his mouth.

Even if the original princess had a good constitution, she couldn't withstand this kind of abuse, right?

"Awan!"

"Physician Li, the princess has been given acupuncture and medicine, so why is she still vomiting blood frequently?"

Outside the screen, led by Physician Li, seven or eight physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy knelt on the ground, holding their breath and trembling with fear.

"Your Majesty, the poison His Highness has been afflicted with is a Gu poison from the Northern Witch Kingdom. I...I am of limited knowledge and learning..."

"Mother, tell them all to leave."

"Awan, don't be afraid, your mother will definitely find a cure for your poisoning."

Shen Sangwan was slightly taken aback, then a hint of a smile appeared in her phoenix eyes.

So this is what it feels like to have a mother's care.

"Mother, when I attacked the Northern Witch Kingdom two years ago, I obtained a medicine that could cure all poisons. I gave it to Miss Cen as a gift for her coming-of-age ceremony. You can send someone to the Chiyuan Garden in the suburbs of the capital to bring her here. She will save me."

"Is what Awan said true?"

"Naturally—poof!"

"Main system, you've really gone too far. I've already gone to great lengths to play this game with you, and now you're not even offering an excuse? I've suddenly obtained a cure that even the Imperial Hospital can't cure. Do you really want me to die even faster? Why don't you just eliminate me completely? I'm not playing with you anymore."

Shen Sangwan felt as if her soul was about to be electrocuted out of her body, and she was even vomiting blood. There was probably no one more miserable than her!

"Mother, please hurry, I am in great pain."

"Alright, Shuchun, take a few people and go to Chiyuan to explain the situation and quickly bring the person over."

"My slave takes orders."

The Queen dismissed everyone, and the room instantly became clear and bright.

Shen Sangwan then took a closer look at this extraordinary empress from the common people.

Wearing a sky-blue robe embroidered with lotus patterns, she had an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows. Her features, while not strikingly beautiful in the grand palace, exuded a dignified air.

Perhaps it was the appearance he developed from years of immersion in the imperial harem.

Shen Sangwan didn't believe that someone who had no maternal family to support her could sit comfortably in the position of empress for twenty years without some scheming or treacherous intentions. However, looking at the other person's expression, it didn't seem like the cold and calculating demeanor she had in mind when she saw someone in a high position.

Is His Majesty and Empress now like Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty?

Although this is a fictional era, she might actually encounter it.

I never had the chance to meet Empress Ma, the wife of Emperor Taizu of Ming, but to have met the Emperor and Empress of Nan Jing Kingdom is a blessing in disguise.

“My son is suffering. In the future, never work so hard again. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”

The Empress held the person in her arms, her eyes filled with tears, a feeling of pity welling up in her heart.

He gently stroked Shen Sangwan's dark hair with his warm palms, again and again.

"Mother, I am fine."

Shen Sangwan was barely breathing, already at her last gasp, and it was uncertain whether she could hold on until Cen Yan arrived.

She was actually quite curious whether if she died like this, she would truly disappear completely from this world and cease to exist.