With Feng Jin's words that Emperor Xuanwen was out of danger, the Empress Dowager finally breathed a sigh of relief, her days of tension gradually easing.
"It's good that you're alright... good that you're alright..."
The Empress Dowager, with her slightly aged steps, moved forward and sat by the bedside. Upon seeing the very weak Emperor Xuanwen, tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, instantly filling her cheeks.
"Mother... Mother... it is your son who is... is unfilial, making... making Mother... *cough*... *cough*..."
Before Emperor Xuanwen could finish speaking, he felt a discomfort in his chest and coughed violently.
"Slowly... slowly, your body has just begun to recover, you must rest well, everything will be alright... it will be alright."
Now that Emperor Xuanwen had woken up, Chu Yanxi's little schemes had completely crumbled. Everything would gradually return to peace, and some storms could finally be put to rest.
"It's best that you are awake now. These past few days, it was all thanks to Chenyi who stayed by your side, and even used his own blood as a guide, thereby saving your life."
The Empress Dowager spared no effort in attributing all the credit to Chu Chenyi, even pulling him to Emperor Xuanwen's side and directly exposing the wound on Chu Chenyi's arm.
A wound as large as a palm was revealed on his arm, the gauze wrapped around it already stained crimson.
"This..."
Upon seeing the wound on Chu Chenyi's arm, Emperor Xuanwen was greatly shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief, and a bitter feeling surged in his chest.
He had always neglected this son, Chu Chenyi, naturally ignoring him as much as possible.
But since he had gained the Empress Dowager's favor, he had truly entered his sight. Indeed, Chu Chenyi's excellence made it difficult to ignore him, and compared to Chu Yanxi, Chu Chenyi was more than just a little outstanding.
"You've worked hard..."
After a long pause, Emperor Xuanwen could only utter these words. He had never expected Chu Chenyi to make such a great sacrifice for him. Compared to his own treatment of Chu Chenyi, it made him feel deeply ashamed and want to escape.
Chu Chenyi remained calm, but a fleeting sadness crossed his eyes. He had anticipated this outcome, yet facing it still brought a pang of pain.
Indeed, no matter what he did, no matter how outstanding he was, in his father's heart, he still didn't exist. Perhaps his father truly just detested him.
"Your son's life was given by Your Majesty, this is what your son should do!"
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache as she looked at Chu Chenyi kneeling on the ground. She cast a reproachful glance at Emperor Xuanwen. He was her own son, yet his heart was so biased. If Chu Yanxi were standing here today, the scene would surely be different. With this thought, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel resentment towards Emperor Xuanwen.
"Chenyi, you've also been tired for days, hurry and get up, don't kneel on the ground. Oh, go and inform the soldiers guarding outside that your father has awakened, and Chu Yanxi must know too."
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager mention Chu Yanxi, Emperor Xuanwen's expression immediately changed. He eagerly asked, "Right, Yanxi... why isn't he here? And why hasn't the Empress come..."
The Empress Dowager was even more furious. How could she have raised such a foolish son? She sighed helplessly...
Chu Chenyi also felt a wave of disappointment. Fortunately, he was already accustomed to his father's favoritism. Wasn't this normal?
Even Feng Jin, standing by, was rolling his eyes incessantly. Emperor Xuanwen was truly a biased father. It was Chu Chenyi who had stayed by his side, even sacrificing his flesh and blood to save his life.
And he, in turn, completely ignored Chu Chenyi, who had sacrificed so much, dismissing him with a casual "You've worked hard."
But the moment Chu Yanxi's name was mentioned, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly inquired about Chu Yanxi's condition, showing such fatherly affection.
Emperor Xuanwen was indeed a good father to Chu Yanxi, but he was utterly heartless to Chu Chenyi. The stark contrast was truly shameful.
"Mother, why aren't you speaking?"
Emperor Xuanwen furrowed his brow slightly. After asking about Chu Yanxi and the Empress, he sensed the eerie atmosphere around him. Everyone seemed to have collectively fallen silent.
This made him instinctively feel that something had happened, and it was something very serious.
Especially with the Empress Dowager's extremely displeased expression, Emperor Xuanwen's heart was filled with a gnawing unease. Seeing the Empress Dowager remain silent for a long time, he couldn't help but press on, "Mother, what exactly has happened?"
The Empress Dowager sighed faintly. After weighing the matter, she decided to tell Emperor Xuanwen the truth. Keeping it hidden wouldn't last long anyway, and he would eventually find out. It was better to tell him now while the opportunity arose.
This way, her foolish son could clearly see what kind of people the Empress and the third prince truly were.
"After you fell ill, the Empress and the third prince could not contain themselves and rebelled. The forces outside the palace are now Chu Yanxi's. The entire palace is under the third prince's control. His goal was to force me to write an imperial decree to make him crown prince while you were still breathing, so that he could ascend the throne directly after your demise."
Emperor Xuanwen was momentarily stunned, finding it hard to believe that Chu Yanxi and the Empress would rebel during his grave illness. How could he... how could he believe that all of this was true?
"Mother... perhaps they were just... just temporarily confused, perhaps... perhaps..."
Even with all the evidence laid before him, Emperor Xuanwen still refused to believe that Chu Yanxi would rebel, still trying to find other excuses to defend Chu Yanxi. But even he didn't believe these words, so how could he convince others?
Emperor Xuanwen's attitude infuriated the Empress Dowager. If she had known he would be so timid, even now, with swords at his throat, he still clung to his own ideas. Such foolishness was beyond redemption. Why should she have gone to such lengths to save such a muddled fool?
"Enough, shut your mouth..."