Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

Ming Lingyi wasn’t curious about Li Yun’s secrets, but now that the Little Bun had brought it up, she had to feign some interest.

"Oh? What secret?" Ming Lingyi asked.

Li Yan leaned close to her ear. "I discovered that Father was slapped!"

The Imperial Physicians conducted their examination through a layer of bright yellow gauze, so they couldn’t see his father’s face clearly. And Liu Ye, even if he had seen something, wouldn’t dare spread it around. But since Li Yan had been watching over his father all night, he had seen it with perfect clarity.

Li Yan had been right by the bed, and he had double-checked several times.

Ming Lingyi: "..."

She was about to brush it off, but she hadn’t expected the five-year-old to be so perceptive.

Li Yan hadn’t forgotten that Liu Ye had mentioned his father left the palace to see his mother.

’So, the slap mark on Father’s face must have been from Mother, right?’

"Mother, you’re so incredible!" Li Yan whispered into Ming Lingyi’s ear. "You even dared to hit Father!"

In Li Yan’s eyes, his father had always been the symbol of authority.

Whether inside or outside the palace, no one dared to defy his father.

But now, Li Yan was discovering that wasn’t entirely true.

’For instance, his mother must be a little more powerful than his father.’

’After all, his father was slapped by his mother and even coughed up blood, but his mother looked completely unhurt. When you compared them, of course his mother was the stronger one.’

Ming Lingyi: "..."

She had been about to try and bluff her way out of it, but her son had called her out before she could even utter a word.

Ming Lingyi forced a laugh. "Why would Little Huachao think Mother was the one who hit Father?"

"Because no one else would dare!" Li Yan said. "It had to be you, Mother! There’s no one else!"

Ming Lingyi: "..."

At that moment, Ming Lingyi’s feelings were incredibly complicated.

She didn’t know whether to be happy that her son had so much "faith" in her, or to feel exasperated by his matter-of-fact assumption.

"Shh, let’s keep this our little secret, okay?" Ming Lingyi felt a wave of exasperation, but she knew that if anyone else found out, she’d have a lot of explaining to do.

Slapping the sovereign of the nation... if word of that got out, she’d be drowned by the condemnation of every scholar in the land.

Li Yan nodded. "Of course. If Father knew, he wouldn’t want me blabbing about it either. He has his pride, after all."

Ming Lingyi: "..."

’Li Yun really ought to hear this for himself.’

"But Father isn’t doing too well right now..." Li Yan looked conflicted. He had been so scared being all alone that he ran out of the palace to seek comfort from Ming Lingyi. "He isn’t eating properly, and all the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital are terrified of him..."

Li Yan looked up from Ming Lingyi’s embrace. "Mother, Father will be okay, right?"

His eyes were filled with unconcealed anxiety.

Seeing this, Ming Lingyi felt her heart ache.

She raised her hand and stroked the Little Bun’s chubby cheek. "Yes, he’ll definitely be okay."

’Even if I don’t care about Li Yun’s health, I have to consider Li Yan’s feelings.’

’Besides, I do hope Li Yun stays healthy and lives a long life. After all, Li Yan is still so little. If something were to really happen to Li Yun, what would become of my Little Bun?’

"The Imperial Physician said that when Father wandered out last night, it was because he wanted to find you, Mother. Do you want to go back and see him? Father... he’s really a little pitiful..." Li Yan asked tentatively, his voice soft.

In his mind, if his father really wanted to see his mother, then as long as his mother was willing, she should go pay him a visit.

"But if Mother doesn’t want to go, then don’t go!" Li Yan quickly added.

Ming Lingyi paused, taken aback. She truly hadn’t considered visiting Li Yun.

’I don’t know anything about medicine. What good would it do even if I went to see him now?’

"Did your father ask you to pass on a message?" Ming Lingyi asked.

Li Yan shook his head so hard it looked like it might fly off. "No, no! It was my idea... It’s because Father suffered from soul loss last night. If he got sick because he missed you, Mother, I-I was just thinking that maybe he’d get a little better if you went to see him. But if you don’t want to go, then you really don’t have to!"

Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but chuckle, hearing the conflict and uncertainty in his voice. "Of course Mother can’t refuse a request from my Little Huachao."

Li Yan, however, replied with a very serious face, "I won’t force Mother to do anything. It’s just..." He lowered his voice, sounding utterly helpless and at a loss. "It’s like choosing between the palm and the back of your hand—both are flesh. It’s very hard for me to choose."

Ming Lingyi: "..."

She truly couldn’t hold it in any longer and let out a little "PFFT!" of a laugh.

’I have some regrets,’ Ming Lingyi thought. ’If I had been here these past five years, would I have been able to see just how adorable my Little Bun is much sooner?’

Ming Lingyi’s promise to return to the palace with Li Yan was not a decision made on impulse.

Li Yan wouldn’t lie to her, and she was, in truth, a little worried about Li Yun’s health.

’Coughing up blood? I had no idea about that.’

’He seemed perfectly fine last night. How could he have suddenly fallen ill?’

Ming Lingyi recalled Li Yun’s somewhat pale complexion the last few times she’d seen him. At first, she had just assumed he was naturally fair-skinned and that years of pampered palace life had made him even paler. But thinking back now, she realized it was likely a bloodless pallor.

Since she was going into the palace, Ming Lingyi didn’t delay any further.

She disguised herself as a guard by the Crown Prince’s side.

However, when she saw how cooperative Cheng Yi was, Ming Lingyi raised an eyebrow.

’It’s possible,’ she suddenly thought, ’that the one in the palace was perfectly aware of Li Yan’s plan to leave today.’

"Forget it." Ming Lingyi suddenly dropped the pretense. She looked directly at Cheng Yi, breaking their unspoken understanding. "Commander Cheng, can I enter the palace just like this?"

She couldn’t be bothered to pretend to be someone else.

’Without Li Yun’s approval,’ Ming Lingyi thought, ’it would be nearly impossible to get through the palace gates, even if I were disguised as one of Li Yan’s guards.’

When Cheng Yi felt Ming Lingyi’s gaze land on him, a shiver went through him.

Hearing her words, Cheng Yi smiled wryly to himself.

’The Empress is as perceptive as ever.’

"The Empress is the master of the inner palace," Cheng Yi said. "You can naturally enter whenever you wish. This subordinate would not dare to stand in your way."

His words earned a soft chuckle from Ming Lingyi. "I can enter just because I wish to? Would that be possible without your master’s approval?"

Cheng Yi gave a dry laugh. ’That’s a question for the Emperor to discuss with the Empress himself,’ he thought. ’I’m just the one who carries out orders.’

Ming Lingyi didn’t make things too difficult for Cheng Yi; after all, he wasn’t Li Yun’s personal bodyguard anymore.

Riding in the carriage, Ming Lingyi arrived at the palace gate.

Just as she had expected, the journey was unimpeded.

’After all, with Li Yun’s most capable Grand Steward, Liu Ye, waiting for me at the gate, what obstacles could there possibly be?’