Musician (Thirteen)

Led by the guards, Aili walked into the palace with her head held high.

"I, Aili, would like to speak to the king alone." As soon as she entered the main hall, Aili spoke bluntly.

Huyan Jun sat on the throne, not understanding the meaning, but still did as he was told and dismissed the royal officials.

After the royal officials left, Aili stood tall in front of Huyan Jun and performed a chest-beating salute.

"What is it?"

"The Queen Mother's matter."

Hearing her talk about Li Chiyin, Hu Yanjun immediately sat up straight and pricked up his ears: "Your Majesty?"

"Your Majesty should know that when the Queen first arrived in Fujue, she signed a contract with this woman's shop, right?" Aili asked back.

Huyan Jun frowned at this.

"Ever since the Empress was able to leave the palace, she has been coming to my shop every day. You know that, right?"

"Go on."

Then, Aili took a deep breath, put her hands behind her back, and clenched the hem of her clothes.

She said, "There are rumors circulating that the Empress is the reincarnation of a fairy. I have vowed to protect her, and I share your humble opinion. But the Empress has been in poor health lately, as you should be well aware."

"So? You have a solution?"

"The Queen has received this gift from heaven for me. She will surely live a long and healthy life. But now that she has reached this state, I'm afraid she won't survive this year."

Huyan Jun shrugged his nose and smacked his lips.

"Therefore, I, a humble woman, have the audacity to present myself before you, and ask Your Majesty to open your eyes and allow Jiang Yu to accompany the Empress and play music for her day and night!"

Hu Yanjun flew into a rage upon hearing these words, and immediately jumped up from his throne: "How dare you! Do you know what nonsense you are talking about?"

Even so, Ayi Li remained calm and composed: "Your Majesty's delicate body cannot be delayed! I have heard that the Central Plains zither technique has healing effects on both body and mind. If I want to save Your Majesty, I have no choice but to try it!"

Huyan Jun's face instantly turned ashen, his eyes widened with anger, his eyebrows raised, his hair and beard standing on end, like an enraged lion, and he was even breathing heavily.

Aili clasped her hands in front of her chest and trembled uncontrollably.

As soon as she decided to follow Xiao Lin's plan, she made preparations.

Obviously, this plan would definitely anger Hu Yanjun, and if the words were inappropriate, there would be a risk of losing one's head.

But Ai Li's eyes were determined, and she agreed without hesitation.

Li Chiyin was like a reborn child to her.

Her heart is wider than thousands of miles of fertile land and broader than the boundless sky, not only for herself but also for all the people of Fujue.

Save her? Are you kidding? If necessary, she can sacrifice her life for her.

Hu Yanjun felt a little calmer when he saw that she had no intention of retreating.

During the year that he was in power, he had heard all kinds of gossip, but in general, most of it was praise for Li Chiyin.

As a result, within just a year or so, his reputation among the people was already lower than that of Li Chiyin.

If Li Chiyin died in his hands at this time, how would the people of Fujue view him as the new king?

Hard to say.

So, Hu Yanjun thought for a moment, sat back on his throne, turned towards Ayi Li, and said, "As you wish, let's give it a try."

At the same time, Xiao Lin and Mu You were busy in Liuxiangju, waiting for news from Ayili.

Xiao Lin waited from broad daylight until the teahouse closed, and stepped across the threshold thousands of times before finally seeing Aili.

"How is it?" She immediately put down the work in her hands and asked hurriedly without saying a word.

Aili's eyelashes fluttered, the corners of her mouth trembled, and finally she nodded.

Great! Done!

Xiao Lin had never felt so happy before. When he saw Aili nod her head for the first time, he ran back to the shop crying and hugged Mu You.

Mu You was stunned and took a step back involuntarily. His heartbeat even faster and he skipped a beat. He raised his arms tremblingly and lightly touched Xiao Lin's back.

He and Xiao Lin had hugged each other several times, but never as tightly as they did now.

Since it was hard-earned, he enjoyed it.

Their plan was to make amends, restore everything to its original state, and let Jiang Yu continue to stay with Li Chiyin. Even if it was difficult to completely save her life, it could at least delay her life for a few years.

She thought, they had accomplished their mission, finding out the cause of Li Chiyin's death and saving her life, right?

Her tears flowed and wet Mu You's shoulders.

However, were these tears due to joy or her guilt?

In the past few days, Xiao Lin has been unable to fall asleep. Even though she doesn't know the truth and can't explain whether it was her and their mistakes that indirectly caused the death of Li Chiyin, the guilt still lingers in her heart.

Fortunately, this plan has not been scrapped.

In the following days, Huyan Jun kept his promise and allowed Jiang Yu to accompany Li Chiyin day and night. He also specially found a guqin for him from a merchant in the Central Plains and asked him to play a song for Li Chiyin before going to bed.

Jiang Yu felt honored and did as he was told that day.

But after not having played the guitar for more than a year, he became rusty.

But soon, the memories flowing in his blood allowed him to touch the notes again, and the melodious piano music lingered in Li Chiyin's ears again.

Fortunately, this trick really worked. Just by spending a few days with Li Chiyin, despite the scars on her face that had not yet disappeared, her complexion became much rosier.

Hu Yanjun saw it and felt a pang of pain in his heart, and then he had to let go.

After that, Li Chiyin and Jiang Yu would take time to come to Liuxiangju, firstly to ask for a cup of tea, and secondly to comfort Xiao Lin and Mu You.

She has always been kind, fearing that they would blame themselves for Hu Yanjun's mistakes.

Thanks to this, Jiang Yu was able to accompany Li Chiyin openly.

Even if they are not married, he is content.

Ever since Li Chiyin became pregnant, she and Huyan Jun had separated their rooms, and it was unlikely that she would return to his palace.

One day, Li Chiyin had just returned to the palace, and Huyan Jun also entered her bedroom.

When he opened the door, Jiang Yu was not there. Li Chiyin was leaning against the window frame looking at the scenery outside. He was frightened by the sound of Huyan Jun suddenly pushing the door open.

"What are you doing standing by the window?" Huyan Jun said coldly.

"Look at the scenery." Li Chiyin glanced at him, then turned around and continued looking out the window.

Hu Yanjun had no intention of angering her, but he didn't know how to start, so he just said something against his will: "You have a leisurely life as an Eji. No matter how much my daughter cries, you won't pay any attention to her."

Li Chiyin still couldn't turn around to look at him: "Didn't you arrange a wet nurse for her? I don't have milk, so I can't comfort her."

Her words were like icy needles, piercing deep into his heart when he was not paying attention.

Hu Yanjun didn't know why she would rather spend time and energy among the people than look him in the eye.

His heart clenched, and he inexplicably said, "I've been busy these days and haven't been able to take care of you. Why do you wear a veil all day long?"

"This is our custom in the Central Plains." Li Chiyin replied indifferently.

She hadn't expected that this perfunctory reply would provoke Hu Yanjun's anger: "Custom? Is it a custom? Or do you simply not want to see my 'ugly face'?"

He strode up to her and pulled off the veil that was covering her face.

"What are you doing!" Li Chiyin yelled.

But Hu Yanjun still saw the appearance under the veil——

Half of his face was flushed, his skin was cracked like bark, and there were pimples scattered around randomly.

Although she had slept well these days with Jiang Yu's company, a closer look revealed that her eyes were still cloudy and bloodshot, and she looked truly horrible.

While Huyan Jun was stunned, Li Chiyin immediately snatched the veil from his hand and turned her back.

"How did you become like this? Get treatment now!"

"Don't worry, they're just minor illnesses!"

"Don't talk nonsense to me!"

"Your doctors here will kill me!"

"Nonsense! I've relied on the Great Witch God to exorcise evil spirits and cure illnesses since I was a child! I was born much stronger than you!"

"Let me go! Let me go!"

…

Even though Li Chiyin tried his best to break free from Huyan Jun's pull, it was still useless due to the disparity in strength, and he could only be dragged away by him.

Along the way, whether Li Chiyin punched his arm with his fist or pried open his fingers with his nails, it didn't hurt Hu Yanjun at all.

Her struggle only stimulated his emotions, causing him to move faster.

Walking through the corridor, Huyan Jun pulled Li Chiyin to an attic filled with the smell of herbs. The strong bitter taste made Li Chiyin feel nauseous.

Huyan Jun threw her hard to the ground, hitting Li Chiyin's shoulder and causing pain.

At this moment, an old man wearing a cumbersome robe and a feather crown turned his head, saluted Hu Yanjun, and opened his wrinkled lips, speaking in a voice that only an old man could speak: "What is the matter, Your Majesty?"

"Great Witch God, please help me find out why her face is rotten."

At a command, the Great Witch God walked slowly to Li Chiyin with his crutches.

Before he could take a closer look, the stench from his body became the last straw that broke the camel's back for Li Chiyin. She could no longer bear the churning in her stomach and vomited on the robe of the Great Witch God in front of everyone.

This scene shocked Hu Yanjun who was standing nearby, but he only took a few steps back symbolically.

After Li Chiyin spit out the last mouthful, his chin was suddenly lifted up by the Great Witch God.

She forced her weak eyes open and stared at the drooping eyelids of the Great Witch God.

Suddenly, the Great Witch God screamed. He pushed Li Chiyin away and shouted, "It's the evil god! She's been possessed by the evil god!"

When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked, but then the Great Witch God began to dance and mutter something.

How could Li Chiyin believe what the Great Witch God said? How could she be possessed by an evil god!

But Hu Yanjun, who had been receiving treatment from the Great Witch God since birth, believed it without a doubt. He repeatedly recalled Li Chiyin's abnormal behavior in recent days.

She wears a veil and never appears to anyone. She always walks alone and in a hurry. She has a pair of bloodshot eyes like those of a demon. She even became ill and vomited continuously because of the "divinity" she encountered with the Great Witch God!

"Great Witch God, quickly exorcise the demon for her!" Huyan Jun roared.

Li Chiyin was confused. She sat on the ground stupidly, wanting to explain something but finding it difficult to speak.

"Go to the kitchen and get a bowl of chicken blood and a bowl of cow blood! Quick!" The great witch god muttered incoherently, waving his hands.

After receiving the order from the Great Witch God, his men hurriedly took small steps and left the attic.

Just as Li Chiyin was about to escape while everyone was distracted, she was grabbed back by Huyan Jun again and locked in his arms.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let go..."

To prevent Li Chiyin from continuing to scream, Huyan Jun reached out and covered her mouth without hesitation, leaving her no chance to resist.

He firmly believed that Li Chiyin was now completely different from her previous well-educated, virtuous and elegant self. She must have been possessed by an evil spirit as the Great Witch God had said. The most urgent task was to exorcise the evil spirit for her.

After a long time, Li Chiyin's voice became hoarse from screaming. She struggled desperately, trying to escape Huyan Jun's control, but was ultimately trapped by him.

At this time, the Great Witch God's subordinate, holding a bowl of chicken blood in his hand, stepped into the attic, followed by two people - Jiang Yu and Xiao Lin!

Xiao Lin was here, pretending to be Aili's helper, and came to the palace to visit Li Chiyin.

Jiang Yu had only left Li Chiyin for a moment when he happened to meet Xiao Lin on the way, so he planned to take her to Li Chiyin's bedroom.

However, while walking with her, they were accidentally stopped by the Great Witch God's men, and out of kindness, they came to help.

Unexpectedly, when they followed the Great Witch God's men and went up to the attic, they were surprised to find that Li Chiyin was locked up tightly by Huyan Jun.

When she saw that it was Jiang Yu and Xiao Lin, she shouted even harder.

But Jiang Yu was still unaware of the current situation. Just as he was about to go up and rescue the trapped Li Chiyin, Hu Yanjun had his hands held down by his men.

The Great Wizard God mixed the two bowls of blood together, poured out a red pill from the medicine bottle on the table nearby, and dipped it into the bowl of blood. Then, he put his entire hand into the blood and walked straight towards Li Chiyin.

Xiao Lin suddenly felt something was wrong and yelled at the Great Witch God: "Let her go! Let her go! She will die!"

But the Great Witch God did not stop there. On the contrary, he came to Li Chiyin. No matter how she struggled, he still opened his hands stained with chicken and cow blood and clasped them vertically on her head.

Then, Huyan Jun pinched her cheeks and stuffed the red pill into her mouth.

Li Chiyin was extremely desperate. She collapsed to the ground with a thud and tried to hold her throat but couldn't vomit.

Afterwards, the Great Witch God continued to pay his respects to Hu Yanjun and explained, "Your Majesty, I have fed the Queen Mother a medicine made from nine poisonous insects. Fighting poison with poison will surely force the evil spirit out of her body."

Li Chiyin was stunned.

Nine poisonous insects! Those were Fujue's most poisonous insects! The medicine she took was actually made from the Nine Poisonous Insects!

He is trying to kill her!

Jiang Yu was also stunned. He didn't understand why the matter had turned out like this.

At this moment, Xiao Lin suddenly realized——

From the beginning to the end, it wasn't his resentment that killed Li Chiyin. It was clearly their pedantic ignorance!

She and Mu You tried every possible means to save Li Chiyin, but they were still no match for Hu Yanjun who killed him with one blow.

No matter how much you plan, you still miss a step.

"You...you..." Jiang Yu felt a heart-wrenching pain, and the bitterness surged up his throat, forcing him to be unable to utter a word.

Hu Yanjun noticed their strange behavior, but he remained indifferent.

In his eyes, he did this just to cure Li Chiyin and had no ill intentions.

He firmly believed that the great witch god could drive away the evil spirits in Li Chiyin and ensure her longevity.

For a long while, the only sounds in the attic were Jiang Yu's sobbing and Hu Yanjun's silence beside him.

Li Chiyin supported himself on the ground with his hands, and a tear as big as a bean gathered in the corner of his eye, dripping from the air onto the damp ground in the attic.

She didn't understand why she was being harassed one after another.

She had clearly been doing her best to consider others, always being approachable, courteous, and obedient. She had tried to do everything to minimize harm, but she was still treated like this by the people here.

Could it be that she really did something wrong...

After taking the Nine Poisonous Insect Pill, she could not hold back her tears, and her tears fell onto the ground.

At this moment, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, a hot current rushed into her throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out in an instant.

"Evil spirits, go away! Evil spirits, go away!" muttered the Great Witch God.

The bright red blood formed a sharp contrast with the dark blue bricks. She felt that her surroundings were so noisy and yet so silent.

Looking at the blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, she understood that under the absolute control of the pedantic, it would be useless for her to be sober alone. Her unwillingness, her perseverance, and her step-by-step compromises were all shattered at this moment.