Xiao Yongjia returned to the banquet hall and sat down again in her original spot.

Seeing her return so quickly, the county princess couldn’t help being surprised. She stopped her intimate conversation with her young husband and asked about Gao Qiao.

Xiao Yongjia picked up the cup before her that a servant had refilled with fine wine, took a sip, and said with a smile: “He had other business and left.”

The county princess was a perceptive person. She made an excuse to go outside and questioned the servants about Gao Qiao.

She learned that earlier, the two had said something—no one knew what—and within moments, Lord Gao had been dismissed by Eldest Princess. She hurriedly chased after him, catching up at the gate to ask him to stay.

Smiling, she said: “It’s rare for Lord Gao to visit my home. Why not sit and stay awhile? If you leave like this and people hear of it, won’t they say I was neglectful?”

When Gao Qiao had arrived, he felt his chest full of pent-up emotions. But once he actually saw her, Xiao Yongjia deflated him with just a few words. Combined with that previous incident, seeing her unwillingness to forgive him only increased his shame. He stood there stunned for a moment before turning to leave.

He was a man who couldn’t let go of his pride. Thinking only that Xiao Yongjia didn’t want to see him, how could he be willing to stay? He said he had early morning court and took leave of the county princess before departing.

The county princess watched Gao Qiao and his attendants ride away, then returned to find Xiao Yongjia also looking tired and showing fatigue. She dispersed the night banquet and personally escorted her to her sleeping quarters.

Xiao Yongjia smiled and said: “I’m not an outsider—make yourself comfortable. Go back quickly, lest you neglect your young husband.”

The county princess snorted and also smiled: “He probably wishes I’d stay here longer. Which man in this world isn’t like a cat that steals fish? Turn a blind eye—as long as he behaves properly before me and keeps me happy, why worry about such things?”

Xiao Yongjia shook her head.

The county princess glanced at her.

“However, there are exceptions. I’ve never heard any romantic stories about Lord Gao. A’Ling, I don’t mean to be meddlesome, but he’s such a busy man—riding dozens of li through the night to my home to find you, talking about urgent business—what urgent business could there be? If you’d let him stay one night, would you lose a piece of flesh? When I went to see him off earlier, seeing his expression, I felt rather sorry for him.”

Xiao Yongjia sat before her mirror box, undoing her hair ornaments. At first she said nothing, but hearing the county princess laugh as if remembering something amusing, she couldn’t help glancing at her: “Why are you laughing?”

The county princess said: “I suddenly remembered things from our youth. Think back then—how many daughters in Jiankang dreamed of marrying the elegant young heir of the Gao family? Who could have imagined he’d be so disdained by you now? Thinking of it now, those events seem like they happened only yesterday. Look in the mirror—we’re both old now. Nowadays when I have troubles, I often compare them to my three previous dead husbands. In a few more years, who knows where I’ll even be lying—what’s worth such distress that one must argue about every little thing, fighting over right and wrong at every turn?”

Xiao Yongjia’s hands slowly stopped undoing her hair ornaments. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, motionless.

Seeing her dazed silence, the county princess realized her mistake and quickly said: “Blame me for talking too much! Every family has its own difficulties—how are you and I the same? I invited you here to have fun and be happy, yet I’m saying these dispiriting things to you. Don’t take it to heart.”

Xiao Yongjia smiled, raised her hand toward the comb, when suddenly she heard footsteps outside. A servant called: “Eldest Princess! County Princess! Something terrible has happened! Lord Gao just fell from his horse and injured his hand—he’s been brought back!”

The county princess cried “Oh my!”

Xiao Yongjia’s hand paused. She put down the comb, immediately stood up, took several steps to the door, pulled it open with one motion, and hurried out.

Arriving at the front hall, she saw Gao Qiao sitting with his right hand supporting his left arm, frowning as if enduring pain, his face somewhat pale. Gao Qi was beside him, talking to the county princess’s steward. She stopped and sternly scolded: “Gao Qi! How could you do your job? You can’t even protect one person properly?”

Gao Qi was very frightened, repeatedly apologizing, saying it was dark with a narrow road, and in a moment of carelessness he hadn’t watched the path properly, causing the horse’s hoof to step into a depression in the road surface, which made his master fall.

“Forget it—I was careless myself. It’s not anyone else’s fault.”

Gao Qiao spoke up.

Only then did Xiao Yongjia relent. She went to his side to ask about his injuries. The steward had already sent someone to urgently summon a physician specializing in injuries.

Soon the physician arrived. After examining him, he said the arm bone was fractured. He set it properly, used two bamboo splints to stabilize it, and bandaged it up.

After a period of commotion, the injured arm was finally treated. The physician and others withdrew. Gao Qiao thanked the county princess and actually stood up again, saying he wanted to return.

Xiao Yongjia frowned deeply and said: “If tomorrow’s early court lacks you alone, will the court collapse? In this pitch darkness, dozens of li of road—isn’t injuring one hand enough? Do you want to make it a matching pair? If you don’t mind the trouble yourself, at least consider the people following you.”

Seeing his master being scolded by Eldest Princess, Gao Qi was very frightened and quietly looked over, seeing him fall silent.

“He’s staying tonight. Thank you for the trouble.”

Xiao Yongjia turned to the county princess and said.

The county princess smiled: “I couldn’t ask for more. It’s late—you two should go rest quickly. I still have some matters to attend to, so I won’t stand around here and will go first.”

She instructed the steward to arrange accommodations for Gao Qi and the others, then left herself.

Xiao Yongjia turned to Gao Qiao.

“Follow me.”

Gao Qiao silently followed Xiao Yongjia into the room where she was staying.

Servants brought in bath water. Xiao Yongjia went to wash first. When she came out, she had already changed into loose sleeping clothes. Seeing Gao Qiao struggling to remove his outer garments with one hand, she stopped: “Do you want me to help you?”

“No need, no need—I can manage myself—”

Gao Qiao hastily declined and even turned his back. He quickened his movements but pulled his injured arm and let out another soft “hiss” of pain.

Xiao Yongjia twisted her lips, went over, reached out to grab his good arm with one hand, and with a swing, turned his entire body around to face her.

While helping him undress, she said coldly: “Still think you’re a tender young fruit that everyone wants to take a bite of!”

After undressing Gao Qiao, she turned and entered the bathing room, took a wrung-out bath cloth, told him to turn around, wiped the sweat from his back, then threw the cloth back into his hands.

Gao Qiao took the cloth and silently entered the bathing room. When he emerged a moment later, Xiao Yongjia pointed to the medicine that had just been delivered that evening on the table and told him to drink it.

Gao Qiao went over and drank it. Setting down the bowl, he turned to see her still sitting on the edge of the bed. After hesitating, he slowly walked over and also sat beside her.

“A’Ling, thank you…”

“Sleep.”

Xiao Yongjia covered her mouth and yawned, climbed onto the bed, and lay down facing inward.

Gao Qiao was stunned for a moment, then also slowly lay down. But how could he sleep?

His injured arm ached dully.

He thought of how Xiao Yongjia, tired of him, had run off here to enjoy herself without a word, staying for days.

He thought of the young man beside the county princess.

He thought of her reclining on the embroidered couch, beautiful as a flower, full of charm, with handsome servants competing to put shoes on her feet.

He also thought of his darling daughter who had been closest to him since childhood, yet had also been coaxed away by Li Mu and no longer wanted him.

Most infuriating of all, even Gao Huan had begun to disobey him.

His youthful dreams of Northern Expedition had long come to nothing. That son-in-law who had come to his door seemed to have intentions of inheriting his mantle, but appeared to be a rebellious subject.

As for the current court, it was like scattered sand. Even though he devoted all his energy and painstaking efforts to managing it, it was barely half-alive, barely maintaining itself.

Full of bitterness, Gao Qiao suddenly felt that living was meaningless. He closed his eyes and murmured: “Forget it, I’ve come to terms with it. A’Ling, I’m already an aged, decrepit body, while you’re still young. If like the county princess you have someone else you fancy and want to abandon me to remarry, seeking divorce, then do as you wish—I won’t stop you anymore…”

Xiao Yongjia slowly sat up.

“Gao Qiao, are you serious about these words?”

Gao Qiao opened his eyes, seeing her pair of eyes staring coldly at him. Suddenly losing his nerve, he hesitated and closed his eyes without speaking.

“Say it again!”

Gao Qiao remained motionless, as if he had fallen asleep.

Xiao Yongjia stared at her husband, sitting still for a moment.

“In your eyes, my not wanting to continue with you is because I’ve changed my heart and want to marry another?”

“In your view, what kind of person am I, Xiao Yongjia? Jealous, domineering, vicious, killing people to vent my hatred at the drop of a hat—is that it?”

“Stop pretending to be dead! Tell me!”

She clenched her fist and pounded his shoulder hard.

Gao Qiao opened his eyes: “A’Ling, I never said that…”

“But that’s exactly what you believe!”

Her eyes reddened and her breathing trembled.

“If I told you that those people who abducted and threatened Shao Yuniang back then were not arranged by me! That I knew absolutely nothing beforehand about the assassins arranged to eliminate Li Mu! Would you believe me?”

Gao Qiao was stunned: “If not you, then who?”

Tears finally fell.

Xiao Yongjia raised her hand to wipe her tears, turned her face away, took a long breath, then turned back to face Gao Qiao, actually smiling.

“Now I have another crime added—preferring the new and abandoning the old,” she nodded.

“It’s been hard on you, enduring me all these years, wasting your time. It’s best that you’ve thought it through now. Let it be so—from now on, you go your way and I’ll go mine, and we’ll have nothing more to do with each other.”

After speaking, she climbed down from the bed.

Gao Qiao finally reacted, realizing he had said the wrong thing.

Though slow, he could hear the hurt and grievance in her words, and seeing her resolute departure, he panicked.

He truly was quite fond of Xiao Yongjia. He especially missed their early years of marriage when they were young.

Her passion always left him somewhat overwhelmed. Though he appeared indifferent on the surface, he actually enjoyed it. Even though he later had many complaints about her, he still endured it, hoping she might reform.

He wasn’t a saint either—he had ordinary worldly thoughts. Over these years, with their marital relationship so cold, having a wife was like having no wife at all. The reason he suppressed his desires and didn’t seek new love elsewhere was because he knew she was jealous and didn’t want to completely break relations over such matters.

But in their youth, when they first married, it was Xiao Yongjia who had pursued him in their relationship.

Gao Qiao was accustomed to receiving and enjoying the attention and care from his princess wife. Even though he quite liked her, he seldom took the initiative to show affection.

Later, when their relationship cooled, Xiao Yongjia no longer clung to him.

But the habit of maintaining dignity in front of her, formed over many years, had become deeply ingrained and difficult to change.

Faced with his wife’s coldness, even when he sometimes wanted to retain her favor or please her, he couldn’t do it or say it.

Thus he gradually became weak, thinking not to argue with her. He would indulge her, let her be comfortable, and just get by day to day.

Day by day, their life continued like this.

At this moment, he could no longer care about saving face. He hurriedly reached out to grab her: “It’s so late and pitch dark outside—where else do you want to go!”

Xiao Yongjia, trapped on the bed by her husband, felt irritated and angrily pushed him.

Gao Qiao fell at her push, and when he toppled over, his injured arm was pressed underneath.

Hearing his cry of pain, she stopped and turned back.

Seeing her husband was so weak that her single push had knocked him over, lying on the bed motionless, she was also surprised.

She also saw his face slightly contorted, clearly from pain.

“How are you? Should I call someone to rebandage you?”

After a moment, she asked, her voice still cold.

Gao Qiao shook his head, frowning, enduring the pain as he slowly rolled over and raised his good arm to grab her hand.

“A’Ling, I’m very tired… Don’t leave, lie down and keep me company for a good sleep. If you have something to say, tell me…”

“You don’t say anything, just get angry at me and drive me away—how am I supposed to know what to do…”

For the first time in her life, Xiao Yongjia saw her husband show such a weary appearance before her.

His tone carried a submissive, powerless quality rather than the lecturing and perfunctory manner she had grown accustomed to over these twenty years.

Xiao Yongjia suddenly remembered when she had wiped his body earlier—his waist and ribs were so thin they were almost skeletal, no longer containing the implicit strength of his youth.

It turned out that without realizing it, he too had grown old.

For a moment, she felt bewildered.

Gao Qiao’s arm applied slight pressure, and she fell down, landing on her husband’s chest.

Their four eyes met.

“A’Ling—”

Gao Qiao called her name softly, raising his hand as if to stroke a strand of hair that had fallen loose across her forehead.

Urgent footsteps sounded outside, and someone shouted: “Lord Gao! A messenger from the palace urgently seeks you!”

Gao Qiao’s hand stopped, and he exchanged glances with Xiao Yongjia.

At such a late hour, with him not even in the city, unless it were a major matter, they would never track him down here.

Xiao Yongjia’s expression changed slightly. She quickly climbed off her husband, got down from the bed, and seeing him also sit up and bend over trying to put on shoes with one hand, she crouched down to put them on for him and helped him with his clothes.

Gao Qiao threw on his garments and hurried out to the front hall, where in the candlelight he saw a man pacing anxiously—Chen Tuan from Tai City. He immediately asked: “What’s the matter?”

“My lord, news has come from the palace that His Majesty suddenly fell seriously ill in the night. The illness seems severe. Minister Xu was summoned to the palace by the Empress in the night. I fear it’s a major matter, so I searched around to find you. You should go and see quickly.”

Gao Qiao was greatly shocked.

After the Emperor’s previous illness, when Gao Qiao had submitted memorials of advice, the Emperor had also seemed frightened. Subsequently, people Gao Qiao had in the palace reported that they no longer saw His Majesty taking Five-Stone Powder, and he rarely visited the chambers of his favored concubines, often sleeping in the Empress’s palace.

The Emperor sleeping in the Empress’s palace was not only proper and in accordance with moral principles, but presumably he also exercised more restraint in sexual matters than before, which would greatly benefit the Emperor’s condition of physical weakness. Moreover, these past days, Gao Qiao had noticed the Emperor’s face had a healthy glow, and during court sessions his spirits seemed much better than before, so he had gradually relaxed his concerns. How could he have imagined that tonight the Emperor would suddenly develop such a severe illness?

Gao Qiao was burning with anxiety. Knowing Xiao Yongjia would surely want to return as well, he instructed her to take a carriage and not hurry, while he once again rode back to the city.

Xiao Yongjia was extremely anxious. She watched Gao Qiao’s party hurriedly ride away, then requested two fast horses from the county princess who had been roused by the commotion, changed from the ox cart, and immediately returned to the city.

Gao Qiao rushed back to Jiankang, entered Tai City, and went straight into the palace.

Prince Xin’an Xiao Daocheng had also come.

This time, Empress Xu made no attempt to obstruct them.

Gao Qiao and Xiao Daocheng hurried inside to see Xu Mi sternly berating a row of imperial physicians kneeling before the dragon bed. Empress Xu held the still-young Crown Prince, weeping at the side.

The Emperor, who had been fine during the day, now lay on the dragon bed with his mouth and eyes askew, motionless.

“Your Majesty!”

Gao Qiao’s heart jumped in alarm. He rushed to the dragon bed and called out.

The Emperor’s eyeballs moved, looking at him, his face flushed red as if he wanted to say something. Using all his strength, his mouth only wriggled slightly, and his throat made several unclear, incomprehensible sounds.

His hands couldn’t move at all—only his fingertips could tremble slightly.

“Your Majesty! You were fine—how did you become like this!”

After nearly twenty years as sovereign and subject, plus being brother-in-law and brother-in-law, though their relationship had grown distant in recent years, there was still old affection between Gao Qiao and Emperor Xingping.

Seeing this condition, his voice choked with emotion.

Xu Mi’s eyes filled with tears. He abandoned the imperial physicians he had been berating and came over saying: “Lord Gao, this happened so suddenly. I too was awakened from sleep and when I arrived, His Majesty was already like this. The palace attendants said His Majesty cried out in nightmare and fell from the bed, then became unconscious. After the imperial physicians did their utmost to revive him, when he awoke he was in this condition. I fear in the short term it will be difficult for him to recover quickly—he can only be slowly nursed back to health. May His Majesty be blessed by heaven and overcome this danger soon.”

Gao Qiao’s eyes were red as he looked toward the imperial physicians.

One physician said fearfully: “His Majesty has always been physically weak with excessive internal heat, long imbalanced. The previous near-disaster from taking Five-Stone Powder is known to you, my lord. Though he no longer takes medicine these days, the toxins from earlier years may have embedded in his organs, impossible to remove. Encountering nightmares with excessive emotional agitation, plus falling to the ground, triggered a stroke, which led to this…”

The physician kept kowtowing, saying they would do everything possible to treat and hoped to cure the Emperor’s illness.

Gao Qiao looked toward Prince Xin’an Xiao Daocheng at his side.

He stared fixedly at the Emperor, his face ashen.

Those who suffer from stroke rarely recover, especially severe cases like the Emperor’s.

At best, he would remain like this—a living corpse lying in bed, barely clinging to life.

With the Emperor suddenly losing the ability to govern, it might be manageable short-term, but if it continued for years, as the state could not be without a ruler for even a day, the Crown Prince would eventually have to ascend the throne.

Once the Crown Prince became emperor, with Empress Xu elevated to Empress Dowager and Xu Mi’s influence, even someone of his own status and position would face more constraints in court—if he weren’t concerned about the current situation, he would have long since wanted to retire.

What more for members of the imperial clan who depended on the Emperor for their power?

It was just that he had originally thought this was a future matter. He never expected the Emperor to suddenly develop such a severe illness, catching everyone completely unprepared.

Gao Qiao looked toward Empress Xu, who held the Crown Prince and was wiping away tears, then at the Emperor on the dragon bed. Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard running footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw his wife Xiao Yongjia had also arrived.

“Little Brother!”

Xiao Yongjia rushed in and threw herself at the bedside, grasping Emperor Xingping’s hand as tears fell.

Seeing her arrive, the Emperor’s eyes suddenly widened. His eyeballs turned toward the Empress’s direction as he struggled to move his lips, apparently wanting to say something, but ultimately couldn’t speak. Perhaps using too much force, his face turned bright red, and suddenly his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.

Xu Mi’s expression was grave, Xiao Daocheng looked as if in mourning, the Crown Prince wailed loudly, and the imperial physicians surrounded him in frantic attempts at revival.

Xiao Yongjia stared at her brother, slowly released his hand, turned, and walked out.

Gao Qiao, seeing her face pale and knowing the Emperor’s condition couldn’t improve immediately, followed her out. Just as he was about to tell her to rest first, Xiao Yongjia suddenly stopped, turned, and said: “My brother’s sudden severe illness has another cause. He wanted to say he was harmed by someone, but couldn’t speak it. I know this.”

Gao Qiao was startled. After staring at his wife for a moment, he immediately called for Chen Tuan.

Moments later, Chen Tuan brought a palace attendant—one of Emperor Xingping’s personal servants.

Xiao Yongjia’s expression was stern as she stared at the palace attendant for a long while before asking: “Why has His Majesty suddenly been residing constantly in the Empress’s palace recently?”

The palace attendant dared not meet her gaze, lowering his head and saying fearfully: “Your Highness, this servant doesn’t know.”

“Have there been any suspicious people entering or leaving the Empress’s palace recently?”

“Your Highness, this servant is also not entirely clear…”

Xiao Yongjia said coldly: “You attend him personally, yet you know nothing about this and nothing about that! With His Majesty attended to like this, what use are you! Take him out and behead him!”

Chen Tuan stepped forward and dragged the palace attendant away.

Knowing this Eldest Princess had been arrogant and domineering for decades and that killing him in her current rage was merely a matter of moving her lips, the palace attendant’s legs immediately gave way. He threw himself forward and pleaded: “Eldest Princess, spare my life! There is indeed one suspicious matter, but earlier this servant dared not be certain, and His Majesty repeatedly and strictly ordered this servant not to spread word of it, so this servant dared not speak.”

“What matter?”

With things having reached this point, how dare the palace attendant continue hiding anything? He said in a low voice: “His Majesty’s recent visits to the Empress’s palace were because of a new maid beside the Empress. That maid appears to be Xianbei, presented to the Empress by Murong Ti, and later somehow His Majesty became…”

Before the palace attendant finished speaking, Gao Qiao suddenly understood, became so angry that his vision darkened, and nearly fainted.

His body swayed, and before he could steady himself, he said: “Come! Immediately arrest that bastard Murong Ti! If he resists, kill him without mercy!”

“Wait—keep him alive!”

As Chen Tuan was leaving, Gao Qiao sternly added another command.