Long time no see
Soon, the news of the deposed and imprisoned King of Zhenshan spread throughout Dayu. Before the chaos could subside in the Duke of Xu's mansion, Zhao Qiang led a thousand elite soldiers to surround him.
The over-eighty-year-old Duke Xu suddenly went black and fainted, leaving the remaining members of the Yao family speechless with grief.
In a secluded bedroom of the imperial palace, all the curtains were drawn, and everyone was dismissed, leaving only silence in the room.
Liao Yan, having just applied medicine, straightened her clothes and came out of the inner room. She had sustained several abrasions during the commotion, but fortunately the horse was quickly brought to a stop, and she had only suffered superficial injuries, requiring only a few days of rest.
However, it's all truly worthwhile for what's to come—
A person was leaning against the bed, dozing off with their hand on their forehead and eyes closed. It was Lin Xu, who was extremely exhausted after experiencing all sorts of ups and downs.
Her slender figure was clearly exhausted from a busy day. She opened her eyes only after hearing the faint footsteps.
Liao Yan glanced at the still night outside the window and sighed softly.
"The Prince of Zhenshan has been deposed, and the Crown Prince is too calm."
Wei Zhao had followed Wei Yun for many years since he was in school. Even though he knew early on that he was mediocre and out of the struggle for the crown prince position, he still loyally supported the crown prince.
Today's game was originally intended to intimidate Yao Qijiang, who was far away, into sending troops. However, the Emperor Su's reaction and the severe punishment of Wei Zhao were something Liao Yan had not initially anticipated.
Presumably for this reason, Wei Yun, who had always been very kind to Wei Zhao, remained silent for the first time, fearing that he might be implicated.
Lin Xu rubbed his aching temples.
"Today, Prime Minister Zhao's act of kicking someone when they're down was something we both expected. However, how could Prince Mao tolerate Prime Minister Zhao's smugness? His restraint is merely due to his dissatisfaction with Wei Zhao's overconfidence during today's horse race. I'm afraid that the real conflict will begin soon... after Yao Qijiang is captured."
The two had been secretly plotting this for a long time. Furthermore, Lin Xu had overheard some news during his stay at Zhou Weikan's private residence, so he naturally knew Yao Qijiang's dissatisfaction with Zhao Xiang's faction and the urgency of the situation. A storm was brewing, and everything hinged on a single thought.
Since he was so restless, she decided to add fuel to the fire—
Liao Yan, being a princess and having supervised martial arts for a long time, now has disciples all over Dayu, not to mention spies specifically for gathering information. For several days in a row, people have been telling Yao Qijiang that the Zhenshan Dynasty has suffered setbacks, is powerless, and is constantly oppressed, and that the Yao family is on the verge of collapse. They have even fabricated a lie that Prime Minister Zhao will soon make a move against Yao Su'an to coerce the Yao family into relinquishing power.
Having been confined to the prefecture for many years, and given his inherently arbitrary nature, Yao Qijiang naturally became suspicious very easily. However, Lin Xu and Liao Yan had already arranged everything in Mu Jing—
Even though he sent his trusted confidant back to Mujing to investigate the truth, Liao Yan's men interfered, causing delays and hardships on the journey. As a result, the day the confidant returned to the capital happened to be the day he was attending a banquet at the imperial palace and receiving congratulations from all the officials.
It was also the day that Yao Su'an was trapped and had no news of her.
Lin Xu originally planned to find an excuse to lure Yao Su'an away from the banquet. The princess's room in the palace had been unoccupied for a long time, so she intended to stay there with Yao Su'an for several hours until everything was settled. However, she did not expect that Wei Tingya and Miao Yiyun had also come prepared today. Instead, she stumbled upon the perfect opportunity, not only reaping the benefits but also managing to extract the true cause of Yao Suran's death.
As for Yao Qijiang's true reason for this northern expedition, even if he was full of dissatisfaction, what he really wanted was nothing more than to purge Zhao Xiang's faction and support the Yao family. However, in the eyes of those civil officials who were already wary of military generals, his northern expedition was an indisputable capital offense.
This impending conflict, occurring just before the imperial examinations, naturally fueled Prime Minister Zhao's discontent, leading to another round of infighting between the civil and military factions.
Judging from Zhao Xiang's attitude today, it seems that everything is about to turn violent and stormy.
And this is merely the first step in Lin Xu's grand scheme to help Liao Yan seize the throne.
There is no precedent for an empress in Dayu. Even the powerful Princess Chang was only betrothed to Liao Qian, the imperial son-in-law, at a young age, and was given land and a residence.
He himself not only had to help Liao Yan achieve her long-cherished wish, but also had to remove all obstacles for her, including the enemy who killed his mother.
—The empress who was her mortal enemy.
Sitting opposite Lin Xu, Liao Yan noticed the complex emotions churning within her. Her eyes darkened slightly, and she said in a low voice:
"I told you long ago, this is a one-way street with no turning back. Either win... or... are you really ready?"
Lin Xu raised his eyes upon hearing the sound, his gaze as clear as a mirror, reflecting the dim light of the lamplight:
"Princess, rest assured, my heart and soul remain as they were before, and I have never regretted it."
The two plotted in secret for a while longer, until dawn was breaking.
Liao Yan yawned deeply and, seeing that Lin Xu's eyes were dark circles again, couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, we can discuss this another day. You should go back and rest, lest Mianxue start fussing about looking for her mother."
Lin Xu's heart clenched at the mention of Mianxue's name. He had spent a full day and night at the palace because of this. He wondered how Zhuling and Rongwei were taking care of her.
She dared not delay any longer and immediately prepared to return. Liao Yan glanced at her and couldn't help but remind her:
"You've made many enemies because of me now, so you must be careful in the future. The Crown Prince and the Empress might send people to investigate..."
Still feeling uneasy, he sent several strong and tall guards to escort her back.
Lin Xu thanked him repeatedly, and the two then embraced and said goodbye.
When she finally arrived home in a carriage and saw the small courtyard with its gate tightly closed again, she couldn't help but feel sad.
She hadn't spent enough time with Mianxue; she couldn't continue like this. Lin Xu suppressed the melancholy in her eyes and gently pushed open the tightly closed door. She saw Zhu Ling standing guard outside. Her initially wary expression relaxed considerably upon seeing her, and she smiled happily:
"Madam! You're finally back! I was so worried..."
Because she was worried about Mianxue's safety, she instructed her family to take good care of Mianxue instead of accompanying her. Although it was only a day, the news of the deposed Prince of Zhenshan and Yao Qijiang's rebellion approaching Mujing had spread throughout the streets and alleys, making Zhuling and the others live in fear at home.
Lin Xu patted Zhu Ling's shoulder affectionately as he walked quickly into the hall. He wondered if the little one was still fast asleep. He didn't notice the hesitation that flashed across Zhu Ling's face.
"lady……"
She walked all the way to her usual main room, and when she opened the door, she froze after seeing the scene inside.
Incense burned softly in the hall, emitting a faint, cool fragrance. Yet, inexplicably, another scent was mixed in. The mingling of these aromas caused her to frown.
Sunlight streamed through the sycamore trees into the room, but looking ahead, the small elm bed that she had specially commissioned to be made for Mianxue was now empty.
On the other side, a tall, clear, moon-white figure stood backlit.
As if hearing a sound, the man slowly turned around, his hands naturally cradling a swaddled baby, none other than the fast-sleeping Mianxue.
The warm morning sun illuminated that incredibly familiar face. He had handsome features with slightly upturned eyes. His usually smiling peach blossom eyes were now dull and unfathomable as he stared straight at her.
Lin Xu never expected to see Dou Yanxun in this house.
Gao Youyi had told her that this house was extremely close to the Dali Temple, and that Gao Yanbang usually had people keeping a close watch on it...
She hadn't rested all night, and now, even if she opened her mouth, she couldn't utter a single word.
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei, who had just arrived, both bowed and begged for forgiveness. Rong Wei was on the verge of tears. "Madam, please punish me. I only heard a puppy barking outside the door, which sounded just like Xue Tuan. I peeked through the crack in the door and found out it really was Xue Tuan... and the Second Master who came here with Xue Tuan..."
Lin Xu looked at Xue Tuan, who was wagging its tail and happily running around the loquat tree in the courtyard, and gently closed its eyes.
Yes. A puppy's name is the most sensitive thing; even if she tries to find out its scent, she can't erase it. Besides, Rongwei used to take care of Xuetuan, so she naturally had a deep bond with it... How could she have forgotten that?
At this point, further punishment would be useless. Lin Xu gently raised his hand, signaling Rong Wei and Zhu Ling to step back first.
After not seeing him for a long time, Dou Yanxun seemed to have become even thinner, and the moon-white robe with dark patterns on him looked a bit loose. He rarely wore this color, which made her feel a little dazed for a moment.
Mianxue, completely unaware of what was happening, was sleeping soundly in Dou Yanxun's arms.
Bathed in the morning light, the father and daughter even bore a striking resemblance. A pang of sorrow gripped her heart, causing a slight ache in her fingers. This was how it should be; she was his daughter too. He should have been there for Mianxue from birth to adulthood.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Dou Yanxun gently shook the swaddled baby in his arms, his calm voice breaking the silence in the hall.
"What? It's only been a few days since we last met, and you're already at a loss for words, Madam?"
He took a few steps forward, his handsome, imposing features carrying an air of pressure as he slowly approached her. A strange smile inexplicably appeared on his lips, as if he had suddenly thought of something; the corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a beautiful curve.
"...How come I heard that Madam misses me so much that even when she goes to a banquet, she doesn't forget to ask others about my recent situation?"
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat, and then her face suddenly turned red.
She then understood why Dou Yanxun had come here today.
But those words were just an excuse she made up in front of the Empress in a moment of desperation. She knew that the Empress still believed she was just a foolish woman infatuated with love, and that was enough.
But he wasn't even at the banquet then, so how did he know what she said so quickly...?
Lin Xu lowered her eyelashes, feeling both guilty and flustered, and naturally wanted to escape. These thoughts were naturally seen by the man in front of her.
Dou Yanxun carefully placed Mianxue back on the small elm bed, then turned and walked towards her.
They were only inches apart. Dou Yanxun's gaze shifted downwards, landing on her trembling fingers on her sleeve. He reached out and grabbed her fingers, holding them tightly without a word, and guided them towards his heart.
It was clearly early morning, and all around was bright and clear, yet the darkness in his eyes seemed to press down, thick and unyielding. He suddenly pulled forward, drawing Lin Xu into his arms.
"If you miss me, why don't you come find me?"
Lin Xu struggled in his arms but could not, only feeling the cold yet scorching aura surrounding her, an aura that belonged only to him.
Before she could argue, he held her even tighter in his arms, and her hand, placed on his chest, suddenly became burning hot even through the thin spring clothes.
His voice fell low and hoarse, as if he were gritting his teeth as he recited her full name and each word was an accusation against her.
"Lin Xu... how long are you going to keep hiding from me?"
"If you say you miss me, then why are you avoiding me..."
"If you want to play hard to get with me... I, Dou Yanxun, will play along to the end."
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