The Sickly Emperor Is Only Immune to Me
Chapter 349 - 346: Loophole

Chapter 349: Chapter 346: Loophole

"What did you just say?"

Chu Jun had been lost in thought and hadn’t heard Luo Shan clearly.

Luo Shan repeated with a smile, "I asked if you found the meal to your liking?"

Chu Jun nodded hastily, "Quite good."

"That’s good. It’s best to have a light breakfast. It’s good for your health."

"Mmm."

He responded absently, looking quite docile.

The more Luo Shan watched, the more she liked him, and she really wanted to reach out and touch his face.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time yet.

After the meal, using the excuse of checking his pulse, Luo Shan touched Chu Jun’s wrist and felt his racing pulse. She laughingly asked, "What are you thinking about? Why is it beating so fast?"

Thinking of you.

Chu Jun blushed, swallowed those words, and instead said, "Nothing."

It was a clear case of protest giving the situation away.

Luo Shan felt that every gaze, every expression of Chu Jun’s was flirting with her—how could a man blush like that!

It was devastatingly innocent!

*

The wind and frost on the border were harsh.

Xiang Ying still ended up dragging Sang Jue down.

After a miscarriage, her body continued to bleed, her face devoid of color, and her entire body seemed to be soaked in icy water, frozen stiff.

"So cold. So cold—Mr. Sang, I’m so cold~"

She rode the horse, exhaling white breath, squinting her eyes, instinctively burrowing into Sang Jue’s embrace.

Sang Jue wore a black cloak, with soft black fur around his neck, setting off his handsome appearance, his skin as white as frost and snow.

"Xiang Ying, you can stop now."

He pushed away Xiang Ying’s rigid body and furrowed his eyebrows tightly.

On the way to the border state of Jizhou, he had thought several times to leave her behind, but was always swayed by her pleas.

He could tell she was a woman who was harsh on herself, but her body couldn’t handle it.

If this continued, she wouldn’t live much longer.

He certainly couldn’t bring a corpse to Bei Qi.

"Ah!"

Xiang Ying let out a scream.

She had just been pushed by Sang Jue, and her weak body had almost failed to remain seated on the horse, nearly falling off.

Fortunately, Sang Jue grabbed her arm in time and pressed her back onto the horse.

"Sir, let’s rest for one night. Just one night, please? I beg you."

She turned her head, her face pale and pitiful, speaking pleading words.

Sang Jue tugged at the horse reins, looked at the distant Dan State City, hesitated for a moment, and then agreed, "Remember, you only have one night."

Afterwards, he held her tightly and, squeezing the horse’s sides with his legs, galloped away.

Soon, they arrived at Dan State.

After entering the city, he chose an inn to stay in, and after settling in, he asked a waiter to invite a doctor.

The doctor took Xiang Ying’s pulse and said something about an incomplete miscarriage, then prescribed medication.

That night, Xiang Ying howled heartbreakingly and bled profusely.

The next day

She simply couldn’t get up.

Seeing her as a burden, Sang Jue lost his compassion, left her some money and belongings, replenished his own supplies, and then rode north.

Two days later

He arrived at the border state of Jizhou.

Jizhou Military Camp

He announced his arrival and met Rong Ye.

Rong Ye actually didn’t welcome the Sang Family.

The reason was quite simple.

Because of the Sang Family’s Empress, all the cities he and his brothers had captured had to be returned.

In his view, Empress Sang was nothing but a deadly beauty.

Yet the youth from the Sang Family was undeniably handsome, and he suddenly understood the Emperor’s feelings—alas, beauty does not distinguish between men and women, and it can easily blind the wise.

"I need help."

Sang Jue got right to the point, breaking the silence.

Marshal Rong sat in the commander’s seat, raised his hand to grant Sang Jue a seat, and asked, "What help do you need?"

Sang Jue said nothing, glancing at the young soldier who had led him in.

The Empress’s disappearance was a secret that had to be kept.

Marshal Rong saw his need for a private conversation and waved the soldier away.

Only after the soldier had left did he say, "Speak. Have you come here with orders from the Emperor?"

He thought Sang Jue had come to deliver a secret message from the Emperor.

Sang Jue shook his head, paused to organize his thoughts, then said in a low voice, "Marshal Rong, the Empress has disappeared."

Marshal Rong was startled, "What? The Empress disappeared? How could that be?"

Hadn’t Empress Sang just had a grand wedding with the Emperor?

He had even sent a wedding gift.

How could she have suddenly disappeared?

Sang Jue ignored his shock and continued, "The BeiQi Emperor also fancied the Empress. On the day of the grand wedding, he arranged for an assassination, and it was successful. Afterwards, while the Emperor was unconscious, with everyone’s attention focused on Qingning Palace, they replaced the Empress. Now, the impostor Empress is deceiving everyone in the Dahe Palace, while the real Empress might already be in the BeiQi Palace."

"The Empress was replaced?"

Marshal Rong was baffled, "How is that possible? With so many people watching, how could the Empress have been replaced?"

Ridiculous!

An empress of a nation was replaced, and the Imperial Army within the Imperial Palace just ate their rations?

Since his departure from the palace to lead the campaign, the Dahe Palace had lost its Empress twice—it was nothing less than a provocation to the dignity of the royal family!

It was also a contempt for the Dahe Forbidden Army!

Unaware of Marshal Rong’s thoughts, with utmost seriousness, Sang Jue said, "That’s indeed what happened. I have come here following the trail, intending to investigate the BeiQi Palace. I need the help of Marshal Rong."

Marshal Rong felt something was amiss upon hearing his words.

Yet, he suppressed the odd feeling and asked first, "What help do you want?"

Sang Jue replied, "I need ten men to accompany me and infiltrate BeiQi, following my command."

Marshal Rong then asked, "How do you plan to rescue the Empress?"

Sang Jue answered, "We will play it by ear."

He had no specific plan yet, he needed to reach BeiQi territory to gather information first.

Hearing this, Marshal Rong found him unreliable—if he hadn’t thought things through, why come to him for men?

"I haven’t received any orders from the Emperor."

His suspicions arose, giving Sang Jue a piercing look, "If the Empress could be replaced, who’s to say you haven’t been?"

Sang Jue hadn’t expected Marshal Rong to suspect him, and it was almost laughable, "Marshal Rong, if I were replaced, what would I be doing here? Walking into a trap?"

"Perhaps it’s to spy on our military information."

Marshal Rong had said it offhandedly, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Thus, the look he gave Sang Jue turned serious and dangerous in an instant.

Sang Jue felt as though he’d be ruined by his own ally and quickly said, "Marshal Rong, calm down. I am truly of the Sang Family, I have not been replaced."

As he spoke, he took out the Sang Family’s token as proof of his identity, and with all due solemnity, he said, "Marshal Rong, please think it over. This concerns the Empress and cannot be delayed."

Marshal Rong did not wish to get involved with the matter of the Empress. Looking at the token in his hand, he was still dubious, "People can be forged, how do we know the token cannot? Besides, I truly have not received any instructions from the Emperor."

Having said this, and to safeguard military intelligence, he ordered directly, "Young Master Sang, forgive the offense. Guards—"

"Wait—"

Seeing that Marshal Rong was about to call for his arrest, Sang Jue hastily held out his hand to stop him, and explained, "Marshal Rong, there are no orders from the Emperor because... he is probably unaware of the Empress being replaced. In my view, it’s better that he doesn’t know because it won’t reach the ears of the BeiQi Emperor, giving us a chance to rescue the Empress while he is off guard."

"The Emperor is unaware?"

Marshal Rong latched onto this key point, his gaze growing even more suspicious, "If even the Emperor doesn’t know, how do you?"

Sang Jue helplessly said, "A series of unfortunate coincidences."

He had learned of the Empress’s replacement by chance when tracing Xing Ce and Xiang Ying and accidentally hearing it from Xiang Ying.

At that moment, he had decided not to send word to the Emperor for reinforcements.

As he’d said, if Emperor Da He was unaware, then the spies of the BeiQi Emperor would not be alerted, and the Bei Qi Emperor would naturally become smug and lower his guard, providing an excellent opportunity for a rescue.

Unfortunately, Marshal Rong was not convinced, completely taken over by suspicion now, "Full of holes!"

He suddenly stood up, pointing at Sang Jue, and bellowed, "Who exactly are you, and what are your intentions!"