The landslide at Luoxia Mountain shocked the entire capital.

What was Luoxia Mountain? It was the location of Dafu Temple, a famous temple with a hundred years of history. How could such a sacred Buddhist site experience a landslide?

Emperor Mingkang followed Taoism, but the current Empress Dowager was a Buddhist. The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, and other government offices naturally didn’t dare neglect this matter, sending many personnel to clear the blocked passages.

For a time, the topic of conversation among the capital’s citizens after meals revolved entirely around this event, all speculating whether someone had offended Buddha, bringing down such calamity.

Princess Zhenzhen’s identity was special. To prevent the people from connecting the landslide to the imperial family, the fact that she had been caught in the landslide and buried alive was naturally suppressed, not allowing the slightest rumor to leak out.

Princess Zhenzhen had fainted in the carriage and was sent back to the palace, not awakening until the next day.

She felt her throat dry and painful, calling out hoarsely: “Someone—”

“Your Highness is awake!” The palace maid who had been keeping watch hurried over, then stared with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost.

“Go pour water for this palace.” Princess Zhenzhen’s head felt heavy and muddled, not thinking much of the maid’s strange reaction.

“Your Highness, Your Highness—” The palace maid’s face turned pale, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

“Go! This palace wants to drink water!”

“Yes, yes.” The palace maid was flustered and confused but had no choice but to follow Princess Zhenzhen’s orders to fetch water.

Princess Zhenzhen closed her eyes, and the image of a young man suddenly flashed through her mind.

That had truly been a nightmare, fortunately, he had saved her.

She only remembered that when the mountain collapsed and water gushed out, it was like an angry dragon desperately chasing after them.

She was carried by guards as they ran. Looking back, she watched helplessly as the angry dragon chased closer and closer, until it finally roared and engulfed them. After that, she had no memory at all.

When she awakened again, in the endless darkness, she couldn’t see anything. It seemed to be raining, dripping onto her face. She couldn’t help but raise her hand to touch it, only to feel something stiff and ice-cold.

In that instant, she suddenly understood—what was propping up above her body was a corpse, and what she had thought were raindrops was human blood—

At that moment, she nearly went mad, desperately screaming for help, but even after shouting until her voice was nearly hoarse, there was no response.

Despair overwhelmed her completely. She even somewhat resented the guards—why hadn’t they just let her be crushed to death then? She had survived, consciously enduring all this, only to eventually starve to death.

Later, she lost consciousness again. She didn’t know how long she slept—in her awareness, it seemed like a lifetime—then she felt light.

She seemed to have gained much strength and struggled to open her eyes, then saw a young man.

Sword-like long eyebrows, eyes like cold stars, and an unperturbed gaze.

He said: “Your Highness need not say much. This subject will take you out.”

Recalling this, Princess Zhenzhen couldn’t help but smile.

She wanted this man!

Such a man would surely give her the best support. No matter what difficulties she encountered in the future, he would calmly tell her: This subject will take you out.

“Your Highness, the water is here.” Seeing Princess Zhenzhen with closed eyes and smiling, the palace maid felt even more terrified and spoke with a trembling voice.

Princess Zhenzhen opened her eyes again. This time, the confusion faded, and her mind returned, making her aware that something was wrong.

She didn’t drink the water, frowning as she asked: “What’s wrong?”

The palace maid buried her head low, trembling continuously: “Your Highness, Your Highness, you—”

“What exactly is going on? Explain it clearly to this palace!”

The palace maid gathered her courage and simply turned to fetch a carved Western mirror, presenting it to Princess Zhenzhen with trembling hands: “Your Highness, please look—”

Princess Zhenzhen already had an ominous premonition in her heart. Suppressing her nervousness, she glanced into the Western mirror.

This Western mirror that had traveled across oceans was different from ordinary bronze mirrors, able to reflect people with perfect clarity. Princess Zhenzhen only glanced into the mirror once before immediately screaming at the top of her lungs: “How can this be? How can this be?”

She covered her face with both hands, screaming incessantly, then, with a last glimmer of hope, peeked through her fingers into the mirror again. Completely collapsing, she struck down the mirror with her hand.

“This isn’t real, it can’t be real, ah—” Princess Zhenzhen’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

“Your Highness, Your Highness—”

Amid chaos, Consort Li received the news and hurried over.

“How could Your Highness faint again after waking up? Has the imperial physician been summoned?”

The palace maids were all trembling with fear. One of them boldly said: “Your Ladyship, you’ll understand once you see.”

Consort Li quickly walked into the inner chamber and immediately saw Princess Zhenzhen unconscious on the bed, crying out involuntarily: “Zhenzhen!”

Princess Zhenzhen remained motionless.

Consort Li rushed over and carefully examined Princess Zhenzhen’s face. She saw that her daughter’s facial skin was reddish, seeping yellow fluid, appearing as if it was about to ulcerate. What had originally been an absolutely beautiful face now only made people feel sick and nauseous.

“What is this?” Consort Li couldn’t help but scream.

The palace maids all knelt in a group: “We servants don’t know! Last night, Your Highness was still fine, but who knew she’d wake up this morning looking like this?”

Consort Li’s vision darkened repeatedly.

Yesterday, when her daughter was sent back to the palace, she learned that such a major incident had occurred. She had watched over her daughter until midnight before returning to rest. At that time, her daughter had indeed looked fine, and the imperial physician had also said the princess was just physically weak and would be fine with more rest. How had she become like this after just one night?

“Your Ladyship, the imperial physician has arrived.”

Consort Li immediately rose to greet him.

The one who came was still the same imperial physician who had examined Princess Zhenzhen the previous night.

“Imperial Physician, please quickly examine the princess.” Consort Li stopped the physician from performing proper greetings and hurriedly turned back.

The imperial physician followed in. Upon seeing Princess Zhenzhen’s condition, he was shocked.

“Imperial Physician, please examine her quickly. How could the princess become like this?”

The imperial physician carefully examined Princess Zhenzhen and repeatedly shook his head: “Incomprehensible, truly incomprehensible!”

“What do you mean?”

“Your Highness’s condition appears as if her face has been contaminated by some poison, but as for exactly what happened, this humble official cannot say.”

“This, what should be done?” Hearing the imperial physician say this, Consort Li was at a loss.

“Perhaps we should invite our Director to take a look, he might be able to discern some clues.”

The Director was the highest official of the Imperial Medical Academy, generally appointed from the most skilled imperial physicians. However, with Consort Li’s status, requesting the Director wasn’t so easy—the Director primarily served the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

Consort Li went to the Cining Palace.

“Such a thing happened?” After hearing Consort Li’s request, Empress Dowager Yang was shocked.

Emperor Mingkang had few offspring. Only two princes had survived to adulthood, and though there were more princesses, they weren’t numerous. Empress Dowager Yang had genuine affection for the obedient and beautiful Princess Zhenzhen. She immediately ordered palace attendants to summon the Director and even stood up saying: “This dowager will accompany you to see.”