A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1202: He’s So Strong, He Must Still Be Alive!

With a final expelled breath of crimson fluid, Zi Su's strength utterly failed, and she collapsed, unable to rise.

Witnessing Zi Su fall before her very eyes, a crushing weight descended upon Xia Ruqing's chest, as if battered by a relentless sledgehammer.

Her heart ached with an intensity that made it impossible to even straighten her aching back.

"Ah!" she shrieked in utter despair.

"Zi Su!"

"You fool!"

"Get up, please get up!"

Her voice, raw and shrill, grew hoarse with each desperate cry, blurring her vision as dizziness consumed her.

Suddenly, Zi Su's eyes fluttered open, her head lifting weakly.

"Mis... Mistress!"

"Zi... Zi Su! Ugh..."

"I... I can no longer... serve you!"

"Zi Su... is departing!"

Fatally wounded, Xia Ruqing cried until her insides felt as though they were tearing apart.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Your Majesty, please, save her!"

"Please save her..."

Zi Su weakly shook her head, her eyes pleading.

"No!"

"Mistress, you must escape! Go quickly!"

"Quickly... go! Ugh..."

Two more gushes of blood escaped Zi Su's lips. Her voice faded into a whisper, her breaths becoming shallower until they ceased altogether.

A pained expression crossed Zhao Junyao's face as he glanced back.

Realizing Zi Su could not be saved, he forcefully shoved Xia Ruqing away from the precarious ledge.

"Hurry, run! Our people are waiting outside!"

"If you escape now, you'll be safe!"

The moment his words left his mouth.

Xia Ruqing tumbled heavily out from the cave's opening.

Disregarding the pain in her scraped knees, she scrambled to her feet and frantically peered back into the cave.

"Your Majesty, hurry out!"

"I'll be right here to catch you!"

"Your Majesty, please!"

Before she could utter another plea, massive boulders began to fall.

Two struck Zhao Junyao directly, while others narrowly missed him, crashing down at the cave entrance and sealing the sole, narrow opening.

"No..."

Xia Ruqing stood frozen, her mind reeling.

"No! No way!"

"This simply cannot be happening!"

"Someone! Anyone!"

"Who can save His Majesty?"

"Quickly, someone come and save the Emperor!"

Xia Ruqing's desperate shouts echoed into the night.

But alas...

Explosives had been strategically placed beforehand, and the nearby detonations continued to rip through the silence.

The surrounding elite guards were either deceased or gravely injured.

Despite her prolonged, frantic cries, no one answered.

Casting her gaze around the desolate scene, a horrifying realization dawned upon her.

The ground was littered with corpses; not a single living soul remained untouched.

The few who still drew breath were mangled, missing limbs, and utterly incapacitated.

Xia Ruqing was plunged into a state of utter bewilderment.

"Gunpowder?"

"How could such potent gunpowder exist in this era?"

"Not even within the Great Chu Dynasty, nor any of its neighboring nations, possessed such power!"

"Could it have been brought from across the vast seas?"

"Wasn't gunpowder in this age a recent invention by the Great Chu Dynasty itself?"

Xia Ruqing surveyed the impenetrable darkness, her heart sinking with despair.

The night's events were too chaotic, too inexplicable for her to grasp.

"What in the world is happening?"

"Even if His Majesty couldn't fathom it, how could I possibly comprehend!"

"Where did this gunpowder even come from!"

Another deafening explosion boomed in the distance, sending flames surging towards the heavens.

The earth trembled violently, sending Xia Ruqing sprawling to the ground.

Her gaze snapped back to the rubble-choked cave entrance, her thoughts consumed by the fate of Zhao Junyao trapped within.

With renewed urgency, she pushed herself up and scrambled back to the debris, calling into the narrow cracks.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please hold on, I will find a way to save you immediately!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, you must endure!"

Sobbing uncontrollably, Xia Ruqing clawed at the jagged stones with her bare hands, the sharp edges tearing at her flesh.

The recent explosions had rendered the rocks razor-sharp.

Her hands quickly became a bloody mess.

"Your Majesty!"

"Don't frighten me like this, please say something!"

"Zhao Junyao, you absolute beast!"

"You cannot die!"

"You are the Emperor, you must live! If anyone is to perish here, it should be me!"

"Zhao Junyao!"

"Can you hear me?"

"..."

Time lost all meaning for Xia Ruqing. Her hands, numb and bleeding, her voice a ragged whisper, her strength utterly depleted.

Coupled with the significant blood loss, her body finally gave out, collapsing onto the ground.

At that precise moment, yet another earth-shattering roar reverberated.

The cave, along with its entire contents, collapsed inwards with a violent groan.

"No!"

Her final, grief-stricken cry tore through the air before a searing pain engulfed her chest. Her body convulsed, a fresh wave of blood erupted from her lips, and consciousness finally abandoned her.

...

Three days had passed when Xia Ruqing finally stirred.

Upon awakening, she found herself within an unfamiliar yet exquisitely ancient and elegantly furnished chamber.

Drapes of deep purple, gossamer fabric, intricately embroidered with clusters of blossoming lilacs, framed the bed.

The canopy bed, crafted from rosewood, bore carvings of intricate and complex patterns that spoke of masterful artistry.

Adjacent to the bed, a 'beauty couch' made of sandalwood awaited, accompanied by a small tea table of huali wood. Upon it rested a jade incense burner, the source of a gentle, serene fragrance that curled upwards through its perforated design, perfuming the air with a lingering, tranquil aroma.

A jade dewdrop lily, freshly bloomed beside the incense burner, imparted a touch of life to the elegantly restrained chamber. The room exuded luxury without compromising on refinement, grand yet possessing a graceful self-restraint. Its adornments were notably tasteful.

Despite the refined surroundings, Xia Ruqing was gripped by an inexplicable dread as she failed to recognize her location. She slowly raised her head, attempting to rise and ascertain her whereabouts. However, upon detecting movement, several maids swiftly entered from outside.

'Miss, you have finally awakened!'

'Hurry, go inform the Master!' the maids exclaimed, their faces alight with joy. Some attended to her, while others rushed out.

Xia Ruqing grew even more bewildered. 'Miss? The Master?' What was happening? Could she have time-traveled again? That seemed impossible! 'Oh heavens, with this single soul, how many more journeys do you intend for me?'

She instinctively reached to touch her face. 'Ouch!' A piercing pain from her hand caused her to recoil immediately. 'Miss, do not move!' a maid cautioned. 'Your hands are injured. The Master has already summoned the finest physician in the city to tend to them for you!'

Xia Ruqing was taken aback. 'The Master? Who is this Master?! I am completely confused! Could it be Zhao Junyao? It shouldn't be.'

Xia Ruqing recalled Zhao Junyao being trapped in the collapsed cave. Even if he had survived the collapse, he might have already... Her nose tingled, and tears welled up, spilling down her cheeks. 'Emperor!' Her heart ached with a deep, convulsive sorrow. He was the Emperor; how could he possibly die? If he perished, what fate awaited the kingdom?

A sudden, intense throbbing seized Xia Ruqing’s head. Her heart felt as though ten thousand knives were twisting within it, inflicting such agony that she could neither straighten her body nor draw a full breath. 'Ugh...' The back of her throat filled with a metallic taste as she expectorated another mouthful of blood. A few maids cried out in involuntary fright.

'Miss!' 'Miss, what is happening to you?!' 'Quick, call the doctor?!' Xia Ruqing listlessly wiped the blood from her lips with her sleeve, her expression vacant as she collapsed back onto the bed.

'Ha... call a doctor?' her thoughts raced. 'What is the point?' 'If you are dead, what reason do I have to continue living!'

During her daze, a maid’s voice called out from beyond the room. 'The Master is here!' The chamber instantly fell silent, with only the distinct sound of approaching footsteps filling the air. Driven by curiosity, Xia Ruqing could not resist turning her head. Her tear-filled eyes rendered her vision blurry, yet she discerned a man's silhouette emerging from behind the bead curtain.

He wore purple-gold boots. Xia Ruqing's heart leaped with elation; Zhao Junyao favored these colors. Could it be him? Gazing further up, his outer robe was a dark hue, trimmed with gold and intricately embroidered with flowing cloud patterns. Her heart fluttered once more; this was also a color he frequently wore. It had to be him! He is so formidable; he must still be alive!