By this time, even if the Empress Dowager Jing suddenly became a master of the martial arts, the Emperor would not have been surprised in the least.
The death of a person’s heart is but a momentary affair.
Or perhaps, his heart had been slowly withering for a long time, yet he refused to believe it, always waiting for so-called evidence, always hoping they could return to how things once were.
As it turned out, the past was nothing more than an illusory bubble.
With the Dragon Shadow Guard present, no matter how formidable the expert, they could not break through.
Behind him came Empress Dowager Jing’s cries and roars, tinged with a hint of hoarseness and exhaustion, along with her low sobs and loud weeping.
The Emperor did not look back even once.
It seemed that the heavens were not in tune with his mood at that moment; they did not bring the abrupt storm he might have expected, and the night was unsettlingly still.
He returned to Huaqing Palace.
The night had deepened; apart from the night-duty eunuchs, the rest of the Palace maids had gone to their residences to rest.
Eunuch Wei walked ahead of the Emperor with a lantern in his hand.
Perhaps sensing the Emperor’s poor mood, he had dared not speak along the way, but concerning whether the Emperor wished to sleep, he still mustered the courage to ask, "Shall your servant prepare the bathwater?"
The Emperor said numbly, "I’ll go to the Study Room to look over some documents for a while."
He could not sleep.
"Yes." Eunuch Wei did not insist further; after escorting the Emperor into the Study Room, he stepped out and instructed the junior eunuch to visit the Imperial Kitchen and have them prepare some clear porridge and snacks.
The Emperor had been spending a great deal of time in the Study Room lately.
Eunuch Wei, observing the Emperor’s face that looked as if it had been struck by lightning seventeen or eighteen times, leaving it a mess, did not even dare to step forward to offer tea.
Sighing, Eunuch Wei stood guard at the door, thinking to himself what a mess it had been. How had Empress Dowager Jing ended up completely torn apart within a single day?
He always had a feeling that something was off, but he could not put his finger on it.
The Emperor was truly pitiable.
The Emperor was truly suffering.
The Emperor...
What sort of Emperor indeed... A eunuch like himself pitying the Emperor, had he become ridiculously idle?
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