Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up gasping for air, my entire body burning hot.

The sensation of the flames felt as if it hadn’t yet dissipated.

My maid, Hongyu, approached with a bowl of soup. “Madam, this is a medicinal decoction bestowed by the Empress Dowager. You must…”

“Drink it all, down to the last drop,” I finished coldly.

Hongyu’s eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised that I had anticipated her words.

Having experienced death three times now, I was much calmer compared to my previous panic and terror.

I couldn’t run; right now, I was nothing more than a turtle in a jar.

Yuan Heng was dead set on my demise. He was even vicious enough to discard his own child.

It came back to the same question: Why did he want to kill me?

What kind of drug had he given me that could make me faint so deeply I seemed dead? Even when steel needles were driven through my limbs, I hadn’t woken up once.

Furthermore, the time from when I regained consciousness to when I was burned to death was incredibly short-less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

But in that brief moment, I had noticed something wrong.

When the fire was consuming me, the pain across my body was excruciating, but the pain on my face had been heart-wrenching, as if my skin was being torn away.

…

Hongyu leaned in. “Madam, you look terrible. Are you feeling unwell?”

I took the bowl from her hand and drained it in one gulp. “I’m going to lie down for a while. You don’t need to stay and serve me.”

Seeing that I had taken the medicine, Hongyu let out a sigh of relief, feigning concern. “Should I send someone back to the capital to fetch a physician to check on you?”

I waved her off. “It’s just morning sickness and fatigue. No need to make a fuss. You may leave.”

As soon as Hongyu left, I scrambled up and rushed to the pot of ink orchids in the room, shoving my fingers down my throat to gag myself.

I vomited up most of the medicinal soup I had just swallowed.

I only hoped that these villains would lower their guard once they saw me take the medicine, giving me a chance to escape.

There had to be a gap in their perimeter where the guard was thin. I had to get out!

Yet, just as I reached the door, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.

It made no sense. I had clearly vomited the drugged soup. How could I still be affected?

Suddenly, I caught a strange scent in the air.

I looked back and saw an incense burner on the bedside shelf, thin trails of smoke curling from it.

Those black-hearted monsters! They had added sedatives to the incense as well!

My head spun and my legs turned to jelly. I collapsed to the floor.

Before long, the door creaked open.

Through a hazy blur, I saw Hongyu enter. The wicked servant stood over me and nudged my arm with her foot, muttering to herself in surprise.

“Huh? Why is she lying on the floor? I guess I really do have to use the iron needles to pin her down.”

It was her. She was the one who had pinned my limbs!

I couldn’t hold on any longer and blacked out completely.