I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 430 Gao Xian Uses Blood to Copy Scriptures (Bonus Chapter)

His face looked haggard, his cheeks were thin, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

He seemed to have lost all his energy, but his expression was unusually focused.

He bent down, his brush moving slowly across the paper as he copied the scriptures word by word.

With each stroke, his pale fingertips would clench tightly, as if he were doing his best to write the characters neatly.

But the handwriting still showed signs of trembling.

The air in the main hall seemed to have stagnated, making it suffocating.

Like a silent sacrifice.

Every stroke, every line, is imbued with deep regret and restraint.

He remained silent, letting the candlelight stretch his shadow long and narrow.

As night deepened, the wind outside the palace began to stir, and a corner of the window screen was lifted by the breeze.

Gao Xian lowered his head and continued copying.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the palace gate, accompanied by a panicked announcement: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, what brings you here!"

No sooner had the eunuch at the gate finished speaking than the Empress Dowager had already stepped over the stairs, her gaze sharp and her voice cold.

"Let's see who dares to stop me!"

She rushed into the inner hall without waiting for the messenger to stop her.

Inside the main hall, the lights were dim, and the white silk on the table was stained red with blood.

A faint smell of rust filled the air.

Gao Xian sat upright in front of the low table, his face pale, the brush in his hand trembling slightly, yet he still wrote stroke by stroke with unwavering determination.

This was the scene that greeted the Empress Dowager as soon as she entered the room.

Her gaze froze instantly, then was consumed by anger and fear.

For a moment, I couldn't care less about anything else.

She rushed forward, her voice almost trembling: "Gao Xian! Are you crazy?"

Upon hearing her voice, Gao Xian paused slightly, but did not look up to respond, keeping his gaze focused on the blood-written letter.

The Empress Dowager turned pale with anger and snatched the writing brush from his hand.

"Didn't you hear what the imperial physician said? You only have ten years left to live, and you're going to torture yourself like this?"

"Do you really want to die?! If you keep going like this, I don't think you'll even live a month!"

Gao Xian finally raised his head, his eyes calm but weary.

His voice was low and hoarse, “Mother, I know what I’m doing.”

"Measures?" The Empress Dowager's voice rose a few decibels.

"What sense do you have! You're clearly playing with your own life!"

Gao Xian didn't say anything more, but just looked up into the distance.

The Empress Dowager fought back tears and said through gritted teeth, "Even if you have a strong conviction, you can't exchange your own life for it! Who are you going to face?!"

"I won't let you act so recklessly!"

The Empress Dowager was trembling with anger. Suddenly, she stepped forward, snatched Gao Xian's wrist, and yanked him hard.

He instinctively tried to pull back, but it was too late.

The Empress Dowager moved roughly, lifting his sleeve and immediately focusing her gaze on his arm.

For a moment, she was stunned.

Gao Xian's arms were covered with crisscrossing wounds.

Some have already scabbed over, while others have not yet healed.

Dark red bruises were visible, with bluish-purple tinges around the skin.

Every scar was shocking to behold.

The Empress Dowager's eyes widened, her anger and shock mingling in them, and she froze on the spot.

She stared in disbelief at the shocking wounds, her chest heaving.

A moment later, she snapped back to her senses, her voice sharp and trembling.

"Gao Xian, why! Why are you doing this?! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Gao Xian paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand from the Empress Dowager's.

He bent down and straightened his cuffs, gathering the tangled fabric to cover the shocking wounds, as if nothing had happened.

"Mother, I know what I am doing."

He also knew what he had done.

He saw it in an ancient book.

Copying scriptures with blood can atone for sins committed in a previous life.

He wants to atone for what he has done.

Whatever the cost.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager trembled with anger and pointed fiercely at him.

"I think you've had it too easy, that's why you have the time and energy to do these things!"

"I've done so much for you, and this is how you act as emperor?"

Her voice was almost furious, "Gao Xian, do you even know how you came to be emperor!"

Gao Xian did not avoid her gaze; instead, his tone became even colder.

"Then tell me, how did I come to be the emperor?"

The air inside the hall froze instantly.

The Empress Dowager stared at his face, her anger choking her.

She looked at Gao Xian's thin yet cold face, her eyes revealing complex emotions.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and didn't give a direct answer.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, but her voice still carried a chill.

"You should know how many obstacles I cleared for you to sit in this position today, and how many lives were sacrificed to secure your throne!"

"You should be a good emperor! A wise ruler! Not here copying some blood oath!"

Gao Xian's gaze remained fixed on him, his tone icy.

"So what? Is Mother telling me that I should be grateful and ignore the sins I have committed?"

The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, her voice rising: "What crimes have you committed! You are the ruler of the world, everything you do is justified!"

"Everyone is an ant before you! You can kill and decide as you please! You don't need to feel guilty, you don't need to reflect! Because this is power! This is imperial power! Everyone should listen to you!"

Gao Xian chuckled softly.

"But Mother, I don't think so."