The cicadas' shrill cries filled the summer day, and the air was thick with a sticky feeling. The dark clouds piling up on the horizon were a sure sign that a heavy rain was destined to fall today.
But it didn't.
Such overcast weather had lingered for a full three days.
The poor weather directly caused the spirits of everyone in the Capital City to wilt. Amid such conditions, the incessant chorus of cicadas and frogs seemed to be desperately screaming, as if seizing their last moments to wildly announce their presence.
Yet, the Emperor's health had gradually begun to improve amidst this weather.
He had started to have the strength to attend to some of the state affairs.
Empress Zhang Lanyi was constantly by his side. Everyone knew that the Emperor's final days were approaching, and it seemed more like a… flickering resurgence of vitality.
"Did today's meal suit your taste?" The Emperor ladled out a bowl of soup for Zhang Lanyi: "Have one last sip of soup, you're too thin."
