Chapter 117 [Xue Taifu's Side Story] "Azi is home."...

Chapter 19 [Xue Taifu's Side Story] "Azi is home."...

Xue Taifu had arranged everything. He only needed to take the medicine to fake his death, and his subordinates would take care of the rest. When he woke up, he would be able to completely get rid of the title of Taifu and would just be Xue Jia Azi, Xue Jia Azi, free and able to do whatever he wanted.

Before taking the drug to fake his death, he couldn't help but glance at the enormous Jiaofang Palace. He had lived here since he entered the palace at the age of sixteen. No matter where he went in the palace, even if he climbed to the top of the city wall, he would eventually have to return here. It was as if there was a chain that had locked his ankles, preventing him from leaving.

Now things are finally different; he no longer needs to come back here.

Xue Taifu took out the pills from the brocade box, closed his eyes and swallowed them. He drank a sip of water, then lay down on the bed, waiting for the medicine to take effect.

A quarter of an hour later, the palace attendant, having received instructions from the Imperial Physician Xue, entered to serve him on time. However, he found the Imperial Physician Xue lying on the bed, seemingly asleep. But the Imperial Physician Xue said that if he was asleep, he must be woken up.

The palace attendant had no choice but to muster her courage and call him, but found that no matter how she called, Xue Taifu did not wake up or respond at all.

When the palace attendant saw that Xue Taifu was motionless, a bad feeling immediately arose in his heart. His fingers were trembling as he checked Xue Taifu's breathing, only to find that Xue Taifu had stopped breathing.

The palace attendant was so frightened that he couldn't help but scream and scrambled out to report the news.

"Oh no! Oh no! The imperial physician has collapsed!"

The palace servants' panicked cries echoed throughout the Jiaofang Palace. Upon hearing this, the palace workers who were working stopped what they were doing and knelt on the ground.

The Empress Dowager soon received the news. At first, she thought it was just that Consort Xue was unwell and that the palace servants were exaggerating. But when she saw Consort Xue lying lifeless on the bed, she, the Empress, could not help but shed tears.

"Father, Father?" The Empress tried to wake Xue Taifu, but when she touched Xue Taifu's pulse, which had no beating at all, she collapsed and almost lost her balance.

The chief eunuch quickly stepped forward to support the emperor, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The Imperial Physician..."

The divine physician Jiang stood to the side, and the emperor cast a hopeful glance at her. Perhaps her father was simply asleep; after all, his health had been so weak before, he had just fallen into a deep sleep...

A look of sorrow flashed in Physician Jiang's eyes as he said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician was already suffering from qi and blood deficiency. He was able to wake up earlier, but he was already on his last legs. However, the Imperial Physician did not want me to say it, fearing that Your Majesty would worry too much. Last night, the Imperial Physician coughed up some blood and asked me to come and take his pulse. I diagnosed at that time that the Imperial Physician would probably not last more than a few days. I just did not expect it to be so soon."

With these words from Physician Jiang, the news of Xue Taifu's death was definitively confirmed. Even though the Emperor summoned all the physicians from the Imperial Hospital to examine him, not one of them dared to say that Xue Taifu was merely asleep.

Ji Weinian also rushed to Jiaofang Palace. She really didn't believe that with her senior sister there, nothing could happen to Xue Taifu. However, after she took Xue Taifu's pulse, she got the same result as the previous imperial physician.

Ji Weinian was still reeling from the shock; even her breath trembled. "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences..."

How could this be? Ji Weinian looked at Doctor Jiang, wanting an answer: why did Doctor Xue suddenly pass away when he was perfectly fine?

Doctor Jiang then repeated to Ji Weinian what he had just said to Emperor Wei.

Physician Jiang looked grief-stricken. "Junior sister, it's my fault for not being skilled enough. I could wake the doctor up, but I couldn't save his lifespan."

She knelt on the ground and begged the emperor for forgiveness, saying, "I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Emperor Wei just quietly looked at Consort Xue. Her father must be asleep, right? Just a few days ago, he was so concerned about her, and even helped her to reorganize the harem. He also told her that it was getting cold and she should remember to wear more clothes.

"Your Majesty, it's getting cold. Don't wear such thin clothes. Wear more layers."

"Wei'er, remember to wear more clothes."

These words seemed to echo in her ears. Holding Xue Taifu's cold hand, the Empress couldn't help but cry. She was now truly orphaned, and from now on, she would have no father.

The mournful tolling of bells echoed through the palace.

"The master passed away----"

Emperor Wei wanted to keep Consort Xue's coffin in the palace for a few more days, but the ministers of the previous dynasty said that this was against etiquette, and that as the widow of the late emperor, Consort Xue was a successor empress and should be buried in the imperial concubine mausoleum, not with the late emperor.

Overwhelmed with grief, the emperor locked himself in his study, forbidding anyone from entering, leaving his ministers helpless and anxious.

Xue Taifu, a man, wielded great power and could even manipulate the Emperor's decisions. Now, they wished they could erase all traces of Xue Taifu's existence as soon as possible and hoped that the Emperor could recover soon.

The coffin of Xue Taifu had been lying in state for a whole day, but the Emperor still refused to come out of the Imperial Study. Helpless, the court officials had no choice but to plead with Jiang Wanyi.

Jiang Wanyi requested an audience, and the Emperor, at least, was willing to let her in.

Emperor Wei's eyes were red, as if he hadn't slept all night.

Jiang Wanyi hugged her with heartache and comforted her, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician didn't want to see you so sad either. He has always loved you very much. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Physician Jiang to keep it from you. I think the Imperial Physician went to Fahua Temple to pray for blessings, hoping that Heaven would give him more time to accompany Your Majesty."

Emperor Wei tugged at Jiang Wanyi's sleeve and began to sob softly.

Her father had always loved her dearly. If it weren't for her, her father would have had a carefree and joyful life, and might even have had his own children. But all of that was ruined because of her.

She's not some kind of supreme ruler; she's a child without parents.

Jiang Wanyi quietly stayed with her. The Empress had been suppressing her feelings for far too long. She was bullied as a child, and it was Xue Taifu who pulled her out of the mire. When she ascended the throne as a teenager, it was Xue Taifu who helped her clear away the obstacles.

Although he is not my biological father, he is better than my biological father.

But even though Xue Taifu was only a few years older than Emperor Wei, he had to go through so much.

Only the young emperor's weeping could be heard in the imperial study.

The next day, Xue Taifu's coffin was transported to the imperial concubine's mausoleum. The court officials were satisfied with the result and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

When Xue Taifu woke up, he found himself in the concubine's mausoleum.

His coffin was ventilated, and the people who transported it were very careful, so he did not feel tired. Instead, he was interested in visiting the concubine's tomb.

If he remembered correctly, the emperor's birth mother was also fortunate enough to be buried in the imperial concubine's mausoleum.

When Xue Taifu saw the tombstone inscribed by the late emperor himself, he stood there and stared at it for a while.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, his subordinate couldn't help but ask, "Doctor, are you leaving now? The guards stationed at the mausoleum will be patrolling here soon."

Xue Taifu withdrew his gaze. "Let's go."

"From now on, don't call me Taifu, call me Young Master."

The subordinate acknowledged the order: "Yes, young master."

With Lady Xue dead, there is only one Xue family member, Azi, left in the world.

Grandpa Su was very anxious because his granddaughter-in-law hadn't been seen for several days, but his granddaughter hadn't shown any interest at all.

“Grandfather, Azi just has some things to take care of at home. She’ll be back once she’s done,” Su Yawan explained to her grandfather, but her words only made him angrier.

“You’re such a big person, can’t you go with your granddaughter-in-law when he goes to run errands? I see you have hands and feet, but you don’t even have the strength to accompany your own husband?” Grandfather Su now finds Su Yawan extremely displeasing.

“He’s still pregnant! You’re such a heartless wife. If your grandson-in-law doesn’t come back soon, you can forget about ever entering this house!” Grandfather Su said with a wave of his hand.

Su Yawan felt wronged but couldn't express it. She was actually more nervous and worried than her grandfather, afraid that something might happen to Azi along the way. His body was so delicate, wouldn't he get tired lying in the coffin for two days? Would he be scared after he woke up?

But at this moment, she couldn't help at all.

She could only submit a memorial like the court officials, requesting His Majesty to transport Xue Taifu's coffin to the imperial concubine's mausoleum as soon as possible. If it took more than two days, Azi would probably be bored to death.

Judging by the time, he should be back by now.

But it was getting dark, and Su Yawan still hadn't seen him. She couldn't help but wonder if Azi had changed his mind and didn't want to be with her anymore? Or had he run off with someone else?

If he runs off with someone else, the world is vast and boundless, and she will truly be unable to find him, ending up alone for the rest of her life.

Su Yawan became more and more frightened, but she couldn't go back. Her grandfather said that if she didn't see her granddaughter-in-law, she would sleep on the street that day.

"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?" A familiar male voice rang out.

Su Yawan looked up and saw Azi's face.

He was dressed in purple, touching his pregnant belly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What, do you think I'm old and unattractive, and you regret it?"

If Su Yawan dared to say a single word, he would have snapped her neck on the spot.

Su Yawan hugged him tightly, sniffed, and burst into tears of joy. "I'm so happy that my husband has come home. From now on, we'll never be apart again."

Heaven knows that during this time she couldn't enter the palace, she thought about him night after night, fearing that he would change his mind and abandon her.

"Granddaughter-in-law is back?!" Grandfather Su's booming voice came from the courtyard. The old man, leaning on his cane, ran faster than anything else, and the servants couldn't catch up with him.

Su Yawan smiled and said to the person inside, "Yes, Grandfather, Azi has come home."