Chapter 26 Searching for the Person: We must see them alive, or dead… but they mustn't die!

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Xie Lanzhou, who was writing, suddenly felt a twitch between his eyebrows. A dot of ink appeared on the paper where the words "the moon shines brightly and the wind is gentle" were written in a flowing, vigorous style, and it happened to land on the character "moon".

The moon was veiled in dust. Xie Lanzhou put down his pen and asked, "How long has Fulin been gone?"

The man who was grinding ink for him respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, it has been about an hour."

Xie Lanzhou frowned, clapped his hands, and a guard quickly appeared in the hall.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Xie Lanzhou remembered that he had sent Seventeen to Xiangyang to investigate Su Panyue.

This guard, number fifteen, had always been working for him outside the palace and probably didn't know Su Panyue, so Xie Lanzhou said, "Go find Fulin and the girl with him."

He coughed lightly and corrected himself, "That palace maid, tell the two of them to come to see me immediately."

Fifteen accepted the order and left.

Xie Lanzhou stood by the bed, one hand behind his back, the other hand holding the Buddhist prayer beads hidden in his sleeve.

*

In less than half an hour, the fifteenth guard, along with Eunuch Fu, returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation through the secret passage.

Seeing that there were only two people, Xie Lanzhou's expression darkened, and he said, "Speak."

Fifteen reported first: "I found Eunuch Fu near the entrance of the secret passage. He must have been knocked unconscious, and I woke him up by pinching his acupoints."

"I have not found any of the palace maids Your Majesty mentioned."

Xie Lanzhou turned to look at Eunuch Fu and said coldly, "You tell me."

Eunuch Fu knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's all my fault."

"Get to the point! Where is she?" Xie Lanzhou interrupted.

Eunuch Fu kowtowed deeply to the ground: "This old servant found Miss Su in the Imperial Kitchen, and then took her along a side path to see His Majesty. I never expected that she would be knocked unconscious by someone on the way."

"Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Xie Lanzhou waved to him.

Grandpa Fu knelt and moved forward to his side, waiting to be punished.

Xie Lanzhou reached out and pulled him up, then looked at the injury on the back of his head.

"I should punish you; you don't even know who hit you."

Releasing the person, Xie Lanzhou muttered to himself, "Su Panyue, you are truly remarkable. I underestimated you."

Eunuch Fu looked up in surprise: "Your Majesty, are you saying that Miss Su hit this old servant?"

Xie Lanzhou nodded. "If it were really someone else, you probably wouldn't have woken up today."

Fifteen stepped forward and handed over a food box. "Your Majesty, this was found on the ground not far from the path."

Xie Lanzhou looked at the clearly visible Shangshanfang logo on the food box and took it.

As if suddenly remembering something, Eunuch Fu said excitedly, "Your Majesty, this is... this is what Miss Su prepared for you."

Xie Lanzhou's fingers tightened suddenly as he opened the food box. Inside was a plate of begonia-shaped pastries, but they looked very ordinary. They had fallen and broken on the ground, with some pieces spilling off the plate and others crumbling into pieces.

Xie Lanzhou picked up a crumb of pastry, realized he might have been wrong, closed his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Activate the secret guards and go find someone."

Fifteen cupped his hands in a fist and asked, "May I ask if Your Majesty is looking for that palace maid?"

Xie Lanzhou nodded, turned around and pulled out a painting from a stack of scrolls piled on the antique shelf next to him.

Unfold the scroll, and you will see a woman dressed in palace attire, with an oval face and bright, lively almond-shaped eyes, leaning against a chaise longue with a charming smile.

Fifteen glanced at the woman in the painting, and as if realizing something, quickly put the scroll away, not daring to look at it a second time.

Xie Lanzhou instructed, "First, send people to guard the various palace gates. At the same time, notify the people guarding the Prince Rui's residence to keep a close watch. Once they find her, rescue her first."

His voice remained steady, and no one knew that the veins in his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were bulging from clenching his fists.

Fifteen accepted the order and withdrew.

Eunuch Fu exclaimed in alarm, "Your Majesty, your wound is bleeding again! This servant will go and fetch Imperial Physician Gao."

Xie Lanzhou did not utter a word and sat back down at the table.

The imperial physician Gao came in and re-bandaged him to stop the bleeding. He said earnestly, "Although the poison they used has been neutralized, the side effects are still present. Your wound will heal more slowly, so please don't exert any force."

Xie Lanzhou seemed not to hear him and asked to herself, "How long can the poison be suppressed after the last medication and acupuncture?"

After a moment's thought, Imperial Physician Gao replied, "It will take at the earliest three days and at the latest five days. However, once the antidote I have just concocted is used, it can be completely eradicated. Your Majesty need not worry."

Xie Lanzhou's expression grew even more gloomy. He said, "I understand," and waved for him to leave.

The hall quieted down, leaving only him sitting at the desk and chair beside the writing desk. The ink droplets that had fallen from the bright moon and clear breeze had spread out and covered the character "moon".

He reached out and picked up the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and squeezed it hard. The paper instantly turned into pieces, which fell through his fingers, along with two drops of bright red blood.

Looking down at the blood seeping from the wound again, Xie Lanzhou paid no attention and carefully took out the dish of horribly mangled pastries from the food box.

I picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. A faint sweetness spread across my lips and teeth, but when I swallowed it, I felt a bit bitter.

He sat there and ate the pastries on the plate piece by piece. If you didn't look at his arm, from which blood was constantly dripping, his movements would have been described as elegant and composed.

After finishing the last piece of pastry, he suddenly collapsed to one side.

*

"Don't go!" When Xie Lanzhou woke up again, it was already late at night.

The eunuch Fu, who was standing guard by the bedside, immediately got up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry anymore. Just now, Physician Gao said that your headache has flared up and you need to rest." His tone was worried and pleading.

Xie Lanzhou got up and leaned against the side of the bed, saying, "Call Fifteen over."

A bodyguard dressed in black quickly appeared in the hall. Xie Lanzhou asked, "How is it?"

Fifteen replied, "Your Majesty, after learning that the assassins we spread were to confess, Prince Rui has indeed become somewhat anxious. Tonight, he has summoned a large number of strategists to the palace and is planning all night long."

"Moreover, the news that you have been staying at home in the palace should have reached you. I expect that you will take action tomorrow. I have already arranged a large number of people to guard the vicinity of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, just waiting to catch you like a turtle in a jar."

Everything was proceeding according to Xie Lanzhou's plan, and he should have been happy, but he felt only annoyance. He raised his hand to interrupt Fifteen and asked, "What's the whereabouts of the woman I asked you to investigate?"

Fifteen answered truthfully: "I immediately sent people to guard the palace gate, but found nothing unusual. The people who came to Prince Rui's residence today were all strategists, and I did not see any women."

Xie Lanzhou raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows, seemingly lost in thought.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After a short while, Xie Lanzhou spoke again: "Send a message to Seventeen by carrier pigeon and ask about the situation on his end. Have the people you sent out continue the search."

*

Another day passed, and Xie Lanzhou's headache worsened, requiring him to fall into a coma for a while to relieve the pain, thanks to the prescription given by Physician Gao.

However, Prince Rui made no move for a long time, and Su Panyue also disappeared without a trace, as if she had vanished into thin air.

On the morning of the third day, Xie Lanzhou still refused to attend court, and Prince Rui finally took action.

Early in the morning, he summoned a large number of court officials to the Hall of Diligent Governance. Today, he was dressed in a dark yellow brocade robe, looking very dignified.

Seeing that the court officials had gradually gathered, he clapped his hands to quiet the hall.

"On the day of the meeting with the Yan envoy, my brother spoke rudely, which led to an assassination attempt by the Yan assassins. My brother was injured and bedridden as a result. I'm sure all the ministers are very worried, and so am I." After saying this, he pretended to wipe away tears with his sleeve.

Then, changing the subject, he said, "But what should we do with the Yan envoy now? The Yan army has already deployed its troops and is heading towards the northwest border of our Great Qi. How to resolve this matter is urgent."

At this point, the Left Chancellor chimed in, "I believe that a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. Since His Majesty is in a deep sleep, it would be better if His Highness Prince Rui temporarily took over the administration of the state."

Upon hearing this, the hall erupted in uproar, and several courtiers under Prince Rui stepped forward to agree.

Prince Rui feigned refusal, saying, "Absolutely not! My brother's life is still uncertain, and I am truly worried. I should be attending to him at his bedside; how could I presume to do so?"

Some court officials wanted to offer advice, but suddenly a sharp voice came from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived!"

Everyone present was stunned, staring at the man in front of them who was walking in a black dragon-patterned robe. It was Xie Lanzhou, who had not been seen for several days. Although he was pale and thin, his steps were still steady and composed.

He walked straight to the dragon throne and sat down, asking in a calm voice, "What are you discussing so enthusiastically?"

The hall was completely silent. After a moment, someone took the lead in bowing and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

Xie Lanzhou smiled self-deprecatingly and pointed to the location of the Left Prime Minister: "Left Prime Minister, come and tell me what was said just now?"

The Left Chancellor bowed his head to the ground, unsure how to respond.

Xie Lanzhou turned to look at Prince Rui, his tone even colder: "Xie Yunrui, how did you know that my life or death was uncertain?"

Hearing him address him by his full name without any politeness, Prince Rui instinctively felt a sense of dissatisfaction, but the aura of the man sitting upright on the dragon throne made him feel an unprecedented fear.

Xie Lanzhou didn't say anything more, lowering her eyes to look down at him.

Under that unfathomable gaze, Prince Rui finally succumbed to the pressure and knelt down, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I had no other intentions. I was just worried about you, that's why..."

Xie Lanzhou sneered, "You're about to die, why don't you just tell us what's going on!"

Everyone in the hall was shocked. Although Xie Lanzhou was known as a tyrant, he had always kept his emotions hidden. This was the first time he had ever been so furious.

Prince Rui, Xie Yunrui, was so frightened that he trembled like a leaf, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I was confused for a moment. It was the Fifth Prince of Yan who found me first. He insisted that I help him..."

Xie Lanzhou listened quietly to his incoherent explanation of his collusion with the Yan envoy, and after a moment asked, "Anything else?"

Prince Rui was taken aback for a moment, then continued, "Your Majesty, I shouldn't have colluded with court officials. I only wanted to help you share your burdens. Please forgive me this time, Your Majesty."

Xie Lanzhou frowned even more deeply, a dull pain throbbing in his temples. Seeing that he really had nothing more to say, he waved his hand impatiently.

"Take them all away."

After saying this, he turned and left the Hall of Diligent Governance. His head was throbbing with pain, and every step he took was extremely difficult.

At that moment, Fifteen came to report: "Your Majesty, Miss Su has been found!"

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Author's Note: Second update. Could you please give me some nutrient solution? [Please!] Thank you, everyone.