The little phoenix sighed. “I have no idea when Grandpa will return. If he finds out you saw my body, he'll be furious. Grandpa's temper is truly terrifying.”
Oh dear, my life is over!” Han Mingyuan slumped down.
The little phoenix rubbed her belly and looked at him. “Hey, I'm hungry.”
“What does your hunger have to do with me?!” Realizing escape was hopeless, Han Mingyuan's mood soured. Sigh, he'd been looking forward to crashing at his sister-in-law's place for New Year's treats!
“Go find me some!” The little phoenix demanded.
“Are you kidding? It's the middle of the night—where am I supposed to find food? It's not like every tree has fruit on it,” Han Mingyuan snapped impatiently.
Seeing Han Mingyuan's attitude, the little phoenix felt as if her fire had been doused. She lowered her head, silent.
Han Mingyuan watched the figure across from him, head bowed and still, as if the vibrant spirit from before belonged to someone else entirely. He couldn't help but roll his eyes, inwardly scornful of himself. Then he glanced up, turned, and flew away.
Hearing Han Mingyuan leave, tears began to fall one by one from the little phoenix's eyes. Grandfather was right. With both parents dead, no one but him would ever truly care for her.
When Han Mingyuan returned, he found the small woman hugging her knees, her head buried in them as she wept. His expression darkened slightly—it seemed he had been a bit too harsh with her lately.
He walked over, plucked a fruit from his embrace, and handed it to her. “Here. It's unwashed.”
The little phoenix lifted her head, her face still streaked with tears. She stared blankly at the fruit before taking it and biting into it.
“I thought you'd left,” the little phoenix said between bites.
Han Mingyuan, sitting beside her—a rare occurrence—picked up a fruit and took a couple of bites.
Sigh. This fruit was truly awful.
“This fruit is awful,” the little phoenix grumbled, though a faint smile slowly spread across her lips.
“It really is awful,” Han Mingyuan agreed.
Thinking of how this woman beside him had come to this forest for him, eating this kind of fruit for over a month, Han Mingyuan felt he should treat her better. Of course, that was on the condition she toned down her fiery temper and stopped demanding he marry her.
The two ate their fruit in silence. Unnoticed, the little phoenix had leaned against Han Mingyuan's shoulder and fallen asleep. Seeing her cling to him like a little bird, Han Mingyuan thought of how their constant bickering had robbed them both of proper sleep lately. He couldn't bear to push her away.
Fine, he'd be her pillow just this once!
Having come to terms with it, Han Mingyuan drifted off too. The sight of them nestled together looked especially harmonious in the night.
After an unknown span of time, a figure suddenly appeared in the woods. Spotting the two huddled together, it watched silently for a long while before vanishing back into the forest.
Early the next morning, Han Mingyuan opened his eyes slightly. He saw that the little phoenix had fallen asleep in his arms at some point, his arms wrapped around her. They looked incredibly intimate.
Looking at her like this, she seemed rather attractive.
He shifted slightly. The little phoenix murmured softly, clearly about to wake. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
“You little bastard! How dare you make a pass at my granddaughter! I'll skin you alive!”
The sudden shout startled both of them. They quickly separated. Han Mingyuan looked utterly embarrassed, while the little phoenix jumped up with delight, shouting into the air, “Grandpa! You're back! Hurry up and let me out!”
“Hmph!”
A cold snort echoed as a lean, elderly man materialized before them.
Han Mingyuan stared at the old man, his scalp tingling. He could already foresee the headache awaiting him. If only he'd returned to the capital sooner—how he longed for the city right now!
Had he known Han Mingyi intended to give him a thorough lesson, this thought of returning to the capital would likely have vanished.
Eight days after the palace coup, Phoenix City welcomed a new dawn. Everyone stepped outside to bask in the sunlight, savoring the winter warmth.
All corpses within the palace had been cleared overnight. After eight days of suspended court sessions, the Golden Throne Hall reopened to host the morning court session.
After Du Xiaoli stabilized the Empress's injuries, Han Mingze went in to check on her. Fortunately, the palace still had all the medicinal herbs Du Xiaoli needed—luckily, there was one last thousand-year-old ginseng root left.
Before the morning court session, Han Mingze sat by the Empress's bedside while Du Xiaoli prepared medicinal pills in the corner of the room.
“Anle, when will the Empress awaken?” Han Mingze asked, his face etched with worry.
Du Xiaoli paused her work and replied, "I cannot guarantee anything at this moment. The Empress Dowager's palm strike was too close—it shattered the Empress's internal organs. If not for the silver needles keeping her alive, she would have... She's been clinging to life through herbal decoctions. If we could administer the ginseng and other ingredients as pills, the efficacy would be far greater. I'll then use the silver needles to aid absorption. Her condition can only be judged after she takes the pills."
Working through the night to prepare the pills, dawn had already broken outside when Du Xiaoli administered them to the Empress.
“Your Majesty, it is time for the morning court session.” Eunuch Shan delivered Han Mingze's robes and announced from outside the door.
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