Chapter 296: Chapter 293: Snatching Love

Yuesang Palace

Ms. Lin looked at her emaciated daughter on the bed and wiped her tears, “What’s gotten into you that you can’t see past this?”

Ever since she entered the palace last night and saw her daughter’s sickly appearance, she had been urging her to leave the Imperial Palace and recuperate.

No matter how much she pleaded, she could not get her daughter to agree.

How could Sang Ruoshui agree?

She had been madly in love with the Emperor, and having been indulged in the beautiful dream of Lover’s Sleep for so long, she was deep in lovesickness. The mere thought of leaving the Imperial Palace made her feel life was too painful to bear.

“Don’t… talk about it… I won’t… I won’t leave…”

Suffering from illness, she spoke without much strength.

When Sang Yan arrived, Ms. Lin was still persuading–

“Do you remember the cousin who stayed at our home when you were little? The one named Xu Xinglan. You used to like him so much. You even said you would marry him.”

She thought of pairing the two to sever Sang Ruoshui’s infatuation with the Emperor.

Unfortunately, Sang Ruoshui remained unmoved.

“He’s just a blockhead. Utterly boring.”

She spoke with disdain and was dissatisfied with her mother’s words, “Give up! I will like no one but the Emperor!”

No sooner had her words fallen than a chorus of voices inside the palace hailed, “Greetings to the Empress–”

Such a pleasing title!

Sang Ruoshui watched the majestic and beautiful woman with envy gnawing at her heart: all that glory should have been hers if she, Sang Yan, had not entered the palace.

“Rise.”

Sang Yan ignored Sang Ruoshui’s hostile gaze, found herself a chair, and sat down, then turned to Ms. Lin, “Mother sent for me, what is the matter?”

Ms. Lin said, “Your sister is stubborn. No matter how much I advise her, she refuses to leave. Perhaps you could ask the Emperor to persuade her?”

Sang Yan did not expect Ms. Lin to have this thought and was momentarily puzzled by her logic, “Do you think the Emperor can persuade her?”

It was not a question of persuading her; even if the Emperor spoke a few kind words to her, she would only become more attached to the palace and less willing to leave.

Ms. Lin also knew the Emperor could not persuade her younger daughter and sighed in resignation, “What are we to do?”

Sang Yan glanced at the person pretending to be dead on the bed and said coldly, “Let her be. After a year or two, she will inevitably tire of it.”

By now, Sang Ruoshui had not even spent a full year in the palace. Even if neglected, she was not yet at the point of giving up.

There is not a person that time cannot change.

But Ms. Lin was unwilling to wait any longer, “Look at her health. If she stays in the palace, do you think she will live long?”

She knew her younger daughter was suffering from unrequited love, spending her days in the palace, hearing news of the Emperor and Empress’s affection, driven to the brink of madness and illness.

Since ancient times, many lovesick women have been met with cold-hearted men.

There have been too many women who died for love.

She could not let her younger daughter make another mistake.

Sang Yan remained silent.

Ms. Lin continued, “Today, no matter what, I must take her out of the palace.”

With that, she turned to Xiang Ying, “You are the Chief Palace Maid here, right? Go pack your lady’s belongings; we are leaving today–”

“No! I don’t want to!”

Sang Ruoshui, who had been “playing dead,” could no longer keep up the act.

She had thought that her mother, seeing her in such a pitiful state, would persuade Sang Yan not to hoard the Emperor’s affection and to share some with her. She never expected her mother would want her to leave.

Sang Yan naturally welcomed this outcome. Seeing Xiang Ying standing still, she said, “Why are you standing there startled? Go pack the belongings.”

Xiang Ying saw that the Empress had given an order, and who was she to disobey?

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She turned and went to pack up the belongings.

Seeing this, Sang Ruoshui became agitated, “Don’t go! Xiang Ying! You mustn’t go!”

She struggled to sit up and was even determined to get out of bed to stop her.

But her legs were simply too weak; as soon as she tried to leave the bed, she collapsed to the floor.

Ms. Lin hurried to help her, soothingly coaxing her, “Ruoshui, listen to mother. Mother won’t hurt you. You have no fate with the Emperor; if you go on like this, you will harm yourself.”

“That’s my own business! You can’t! You mustn’t!”

She cried out, tears streaming down her face.

Ms. Lin had to almost carry her back to the bed, and while Sang Ruoshui still tried to get up, she was firmly held down, “Ruoshui, just listen to mother this once–”

“No! I won’t listen! You just think I’m out of favor and useless, and you’re afraid I’ll ruin Sang Yan’s future prospects, aren’t you?”

As she spoke of Sang Yan, her anger shifted, “It’s you! You’ve wanted me gone for a long time, haven’t you? Sang Yan, you have such a cruel heart! The poor Emperor has been deceived by you! No! He’s just temporarily blinded by you, but one day, he will understand how good I am! I will wait–”

She murmured, yearning, her gaze drifting over to Xiang Ying packing up, and feeling provoked, she suddenly screamed, “Stop it! You stop that! Xiang Ying! You sto–”

Before she could finish, blood spurted from her mouth, and then, she leaned back and collapsed heavily.

“Ruoshui!”

“Lady–”

Ms. Lin and Xiang Ying both rushed over, calling out to her while pinching her philtrum trying to wake her up.

Sang Yan, seeing this, frowned and ordered a Palace Attendant, “Quickly, summon the Imperial Physician!”

The Imperial Physician was on his way to Yuesang Palace for a checkup.

Encountering a Palace Attendant from Yuesang Palace halfway, upon hearing that Princess Consort Sang had fainted again, he hastened his steps, almost running in.

Fortunately, he was still young and able to run.

After examination, he knew the reason, “Lady is physically weak and cannot sustain such shocks; the sudden burst of anger caused her to vomit blood. Although it’s not a major issue, it can’t go on like this, or it will leave lingering ailments and shorten her lifespan.”

Indeed, even the current situation could harm her fundamentally if she didn’t rest and recuperate properly.

“Emperor–”

“Don’t leave me… Emperor… your consort can’t bear to be without you…”

“Emperor… Emperor…”

Sang Ruoshui lay on the bed, delirious, still muttering about the Emperor.

The Imperial Physician was moved by the sight: It was said that Princess Consort Sang was deeply infatuated with the Emperor, and it seemed to be true! As for the future Empress Sang Yan, snatching love with an unsheathed sword, taking the love of her own sister, indeed, it’s a case of seeing the face but not the heart.

Sang Yan didn’t know what the Imperial Physician was thinking, but hearing that Sang Ruoshui couldn’t tolerate such shocks, she gestured to Xiang Ying not to pack up anymore.

Sang Ruoshui was genuinely frail now, having vomited blood several times. If something happened to her after leaving the Imperial Palace, and she took her own life, it would be her fault.

So be it.

Better to wait until her health improved.

Ms. Lin thought the same.

Especially hearing her younger daughter call out so affectionately for the Emperor, it was deeply distressing.

Therefore, in hopes of hastening her younger daughter’s recovery, she hesitated before suggesting to Sang Yan, “Ah Yan, seeing her like this, maybe… let the Emperor come to see her, to stay and talk with her?”

She had just wanted Sang Ruoshui to stay away from the Emperor, but now she was hoping the Emperor would come to accompany her.

Sang Yan almost admired her for the strength of her will–like a reed in the wind, utterly spineless!

“The Emperor is like feeding poison to quench thirst for her now.”

She spoke the truth with a cold expression, making her stance clear, “I will not let the Emperor come here.”

Allowing Sang Ruoshui to stay temporarily in the Imperial Palace was already the extent of her mercy.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Ms. Lin sheepishly smiled, “That’s true, my thoughts were wandering. I was just saying–”

Two daughters she had, and she admitted that she used to favor her younger one, but now, both were dear to her heart, and she cared for both.

Her eldest daughter had lost three fiances, a life of hard luck. Now, after a hard struggle, she had finally earned the Emperor’s favor; how could she speak those words?

Ah, she had truly grown foolish with old age!