Tangli Fried Snow

Yu Fangxun stood up respectfully and said, "The Empress Dowager has instructed that Prince Duan is of noble status and should not be subjected to torture. His Majesty has also instructed that Prince Duan should be treated kindly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive us."

Empress Jin snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Shen Shibai said, "Why don't we send a few experts to rescue Jin Cheng?"

Empress Jin rubbed her temples and said, "How could Duan Jingyu let someone he finally captured be rescued so easily?"

Shen Shibai smiled slightly: "It's not easy to launch a strong attack from the outside with a large army, but it's feasible to start from the inside. Why not try a counter-espionage plan?"

Everyone looked at him.

"Why not send Jiang Qimo to give it a try?"

Empress Jin's phoenix eyes revealed an approving look, and she nodded slightly to indicate her agreement.

…………

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with the smell of medicinal soup.

Surrounded by physicians, eunuchs, and palace maids, the emperor struggled to sit up. He was about forty years old, with a pale face, handsome features, clear eyebrows and bright eyes, and a broad forehead. However, he was thin and frail, with thin lips, giving him an appearance of being sickly and small.

He lay in bed for a full twenty days, his body exhausted, his mind tormented by the illness, and he was utterly depressed. Ever since he drank the wine that Duan Yuanshan had brought from afar at the palace banquet, he had been vomiting and having diarrhea, and hadn't gotten out of bed since.

The imperial physicians examined the "poisoned wine" repeatedly but could not identify the poison, nor could they find an antidote. Strangely enough, some of the eunuchs who drank the wine were unharmed, while others fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea.

The physicians offered various opinions, but ultimately none could come up with an effective antidote.

If Shirley were here, she could probably guess some of the reasons. It was probably because the wine contained harmful bacteria and microorganisms that caused His Majesty the Emperor to fall ill after drinking it. In ancient times, there were no antibiotics, no IV drips, and no technology to check for bacterial and viral infections in the blood and intestines.

Even as an emperor, he could only drink bowls of bitter medicine, which further aggravated his weak stomach and intestines, causing him to vomit and have diarrhea every day, resulting in electrolyte imbalance. During the worst days, he almost died. Today, he felt a little bit of strength and used all his strength to sit up. Lying down all day, he felt dizzy, had difficulty breathing, and felt like he was about to suffocate.

When Empress Jin arrived, she saw him sitting and drinking medicine being served by someone. She immediately sat down by the bed, took the medicine bowl from the maid, and personally fed the emperor the medicine.

After taking their medicine and dismissing the servants, the emperor and empress sat facing each other and spoke privately behind closed doors.

Empress Jin adopted a more feminine demeanor and said with a coquettish smile, "Your Majesty, my son told me today that he wanted to see you. He recently learned three new ancient poems and kept pestering me to bring him to see you so he could recite them to Your Majesty. I am so happy that you are all better today."

The emperor felt a warmth in his heart, thinking that he hadn't seen his youngest son for many days and missed him terribly.

"He's still young, don't let your illness affect him. I'll call him to see me again in a few days when I'm fully recovered."

"How is Duan Yuanshan?" the emperor asked.

The Empress smiled and said, "Lord Yu treated him with courtesy, so Your Majesty need not worry."

"Before I met him, I thought that if the two of us met, we would make a decision that would be most beneficial to the country, and history might even be changed. Who knew that this meeting would lead to these troubles? We must not let Duan Yuanshan suffer any mishap on our side, otherwise the entire Song Kingdom will be doomed," the emperor said with deep emotion.

Empress Jin secretly sighed that it was fortunate that things were in this situation, otherwise she and her son would not have had this opportunity. She said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Perhaps with this opportunity, the North and South can be unified and Your Majesty can unify the world. Your Majesty, it is most important to take good care of your health. There is no need to worry."

"Yesterday, our Jin family army captured Sanchuan and Pingjin as strongholds, and breaking through the enemy's blockade is just around the corner. Today, Lord Shen sent Jiang Qimo to the front line to mediate, and good news will surely come in a few days."

The Emperor nodded. "When you have time, you should visit Princess Yaoguang more often. She is all alone in the palace and depends entirely on your care and concern."

Empress Jin patted his hand and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the princess's food, clothing and daily necessities are all the best, and all the servants are arranged by me personally."

Empress Jin then spoke to the Emperor about several recent important matters of the court, without informing him of the latest battle situation at the front. She simply served him meals and helped him rest, and ordered the physicians to take good care of His Majesty. She stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a full hour before leaving.

The magnificent sedan chair swayed precariously as it arrived at the Peony Pavilion. Princess Yaoguang, surrounded by four palace maids, gracefully approached to greet her.

Empress Jin looked down at Princess Yaoguang, her beautiful, watery eyes sweeping over her several times. She performed a palace curtsy, and her sweet voice rang out: "Yaoguang respectfully welcomes Your Majesty the Empress's carriage."

Whether from the cold or nervousness, the little girl's voice trembled slightly.

Empress Jin personally helped her up, touching her icy hands and saying, "Get up quickly, it's getting cold, why aren't you wearing more clothes? Your hands are so cold, have you been waiting for a long time?" She then looked around and said to several palace maids, "You lot! Why didn't you get the princess a thick, windproof cloak?"

The palace maids behind them hurriedly knelt down, trembling and begging the Empress for forgiveness.

Empress Jin snorted coldly, then said gently to Yao Guang, "His Majesty is unwell, so I must take good care of him before I come to see you."

Yao Guang quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I'm not cold. You don't need to scold these palace maids. His Majesty's health is important. I already feel guilty that I can't personally serve His Majesty at his bedside. You have to manage the harem, take care of the young prince, and serve His Majesty when he is ill. It must be too hard for you."

Empress Jin said happily, "You're the most sensible one! Have you been enjoying your stay these past few days?"

Yao Guang replied, "The Empress and the Empress Dowager have been very kind to me."

As they spoke, the group arrived at the Peony Pavilion and sat down. Empress Jin examined her beautiful face closely. She was as beautiful as ever, with fair skin and an elegant and dignified appearance that concealed boundless charm and allure. She was truly a rare beauty.

"Your brother crossed the Yangtze River a few days ago, and he might be at the gates of the city in a few days," Empress Jin said slowly.

Yao Guang's heart skipped a beat, a mixture of excitement and fear, her eyes revealing only a hint of confusion to the Empress.

“He also kidnapped my younger brother, Jin Cheng,” Empress Jin said, looking at her. “I hope you will send a letter to Mu Bai.”

A complex expression flashed in Yao Guang's eyes, and she was momentarily speechless.

"You'd better write a letter to your mother and brother, just write whatever I say..."