Rebirth: Find a General as Your Backer

Cough cough... Cough cough... Heavy and muffled coughing echoed continuously in the hall, as if trying to break through the silent and slightly oppressive space.

At this moment, a cold wind howled outside the palace, and withered yellow leaves were swirled wildly by the wind, occasionally slapping against the palace walls and making a soft rustling sound, as if telling the story of the vicissitudes of time.

Lin Jingyao, carrying a cup of water, slowly and swayed as she entered the hall. Her delicate red lips parted slightly, her eyes filled with concern, and she said, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you lately? You've been coughing incessantly. Should we invite the shaman to come and give you a proper examination?"

She frowned slightly, her face full of worry, and her hands unconsciously gripped the water glass tightly.

The interior of the hall was dimly lit, with only a few weak rays of light struggling to filter through the carved windows. Dust motes danced lightly in the beams of light, like restless little sprites.

The king slightly raised his eyes, his gaze filled with weariness and helplessness. He glanced at her, then slowly reached out and took the glass of water.

After taking a few sips of water, he said sharply, "It's nothing, just an old ailment of mine. It'll get better with rest. But you must never tell anyone that I'm sick." The king's tone was full of solemn admonition, as if he were guarding a secret that could not be easily revealed. His brows furrowed slightly, and a serious expression appeared on his face.

"I don't know anyone here, so I certainly won't spread this around. But hearing Your Majesty's coughing makes me so worried. Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself. You are my only support." Lin Jingyao said as she gently patted the king's back.

She moved gently, and after watching the king drink a few sips of water, she reached out and took the cup, placing it lightly on the tray of the maid beside her.

At this moment, the wind outside the window seemed to pick up stronger, making the window creak. Just then, Dorji strode into the hall, bowed respectfully to the King and Consort Chu, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince is outside requesting an audience." He lowered his head slightly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and looked respectful.

"Let him in, Consort Chu, you may leave now." The King turned to Lin Jingyao beside him and said. There was a hint of authority in the King's eyes.

Lin Jingyao slowly stood up and nodded gently, but Duolan'er beside her gave her a wink. After taking only two steps, Lin Jingyao suddenly cried out and fell to the ground.

Dolan asked anxiously, "Consort Chu, what's wrong?" This sudden turn of events instantly drew the attention of both the King and Dorjee.

Lin Jingyao, her hand on her forehead, said weakly, "Your Majesty, I feel so dizzy, I can't even stand up." A look of pain crossed her face, her brows furrowed, and her other hand waved slightly, as if searching for support. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, as if the air itself had frozen.

Dorjeer hurriedly tried to help her up, but Lin Jingyao gently waved her hand. "Dorjeer, go and fetch the witch doctor to treat Consort Chu," the king said hastily upon seeing the situation. A hint of anxiety appeared on the king's face.

Lin Jingyao said weakly, "Your Majesty, perhaps I didn't rest well yesterday, so I feel a little dizzy. I just need to lie down and rest for a while, there's no need to trouble the witch doctor to make a special trip." Her voice was weak, her eyes held a hint of stubbornness, and she bit her lower lip slightly.

The maidservant beside her, Dolan, said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Consort Chu didn't sleep well yesterday because she was cold."

At this moment, the eldest prince strode in. Seeing the situation, he said, "Quickly help Consort Chu to the couch over there to rest." A look of concern appeared on the eldest prince's face.

So the maid Dolan, who was standing to the side, quickly helped Consort Chu up. And so she helped her walk slowly, step by step, over there.

Her figure appeared so frail, as if a gentle breeze could topple her. She lay down on the couch, then closed her eyes, seemingly asleep. At this moment, the hall was so quiet that only the soft breathing of the others could be heard, the atmosphere tense and eerie.

Seeing this, the king did not stop him. "Father, this is medicine I obtained. I heard it is very beneficial to your health, and it contains instructions on how to use it," the eldest prince said, handing over the medicinal herbs.

Then, she lowered her voice and whispered something in the king's ear. Because the voice was so soft, Lin Jingyao couldn't hear clearly, but it seemed the king's illness had worsened; this was important information. At this moment, the wind outside the window gradually subsided, and the light softened.

The eldest prince chatted with the king for a while about the affairs of various departments. The king instructed the eldest prince to travel around more, and then let the eldest prince leave.

"Your Majesty, the various tribes are increasingly praising the First Prince, so you can rest assured," Dorjeer said to the king, watching the First Prince's retreating figure. A look of admiration appeared on Dorjeer's face.

The king did not reply upon hearing this; his gaze was deep and complex, as if he were contemplating the future and destiny of the nation.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. He knew his own body best and only hoped that the eldest prince could shoulder the heavy responsibility as soon as possible.

He thought of the second prince, whose private activities had become increasingly audacious lately. He knew about the king's illness; the prince must have found out. At this moment, the king was filled with worry, unsure how the situation would unfold. Outside the palace, a few dark clouds drifted across the sky, seemingly foreshadowing the unpredictable nature of the situation.

A profound silence fell over the palace, and even the king's cough seemed more jarring in the stillness. Lin Jingyao lay on the couch, seemingly asleep, but her mind was in turmoil.

She knew she was in a complicated situation and had to carefully look for opportunities to survive, otherwise this godforsaken place would be unbearable. After listening to Su Lianxue's words, she also didn't want to continue being a servant girl.

Therefore, she had to seize the opportunity to help the second prince, so that she would have her day. Thinking this, she unknowingly fell asleep until she was gently shaken awake by Dolan.

She glanced at the sky; it was already quite late. She asked, "Where is the King?" Dolan replied, "The King saw you were awake so deeply that he didn't wake you; he went to see the First Queen."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jingyao walked to the main seat and searched through the items to see if she could find anything the eldest prince had given to the king. However, after searching for a long time, she found nothing and had to give up and leave.