Thunder
This thought sent chills down her spine, but after a moment she steadied herself and found that many things actually made sense.
For many years, the Empress had only one son, whom she raised with great care, and finally succeeded in placing the Third Prince on the throne. Whether it was the once favored and unparalleled Consort Ming, or the Fifth Prince whose family had fallen from power due to his martial arts prowess and resourcefulness, anyone who threatened the interests of the Empress and the Crown Prince was cleverly eliminated. To say that there was no Empress's planning and scheming would be too smooth.
Even more turbulent waves follow each one. In the past life, when the Lin family fell from grace, was the Empress involved? My mother was naturally indifferent to worldly affairs and had no connection with the Empress. Had she not attended the banquet as a noblewoman that day, nothing would have happened. Did the Empress's sudden murderous intent stem from some shocking secret my mother had inadvertently discovered years ago?
And this secret happens to strike at the heart of the Empress's life, and is closely related to the person she cares about most in her life—the Crown Prince.
With her eyes closed, Lin Xu felt her heart pounding uncontrollably. She forced down her fear and anxiety and whispered, "Quietly prepare a carriage at the back door. Remember to avoid everyone."
.
As dusk deepened, a faint glow of fiery clouds painted the horizon. The twilight slowly enveloped the capital city.
The Duanhe Princess's residence is surrounded by high walls at all four corners. The old and new leaves of the trees in the courtyard rustle and occasionally make quiet, soft sounds.
Princess Kunrou had just returned to her residence from the martial arts training ground and had not yet had time to change her clothes. She was dressed in a dark crimson riding outfit, looking dashing and heroic. A long sword was attached to her waist, and there was still a bit of dust on her riding boots. The sweat between her brows was still visible.
She strode into the side hall, glanced around, and said with a smile, "Pan'er said you came, but I didn't believe it. What, you didn't hide today, but instead deigned to come and visit me?"
Lin Xu knew that Liao Yan had been dissatisfied ever since she chose to live in seclusion with Mian Xue. She thought that instead of hiding from the world like this, it would be better to fight the Dou family head-on to the death, so as to avoid any complications.
Lin Xu rose and bowed, a hint of a smile in his eyes: "I've heard that Your Highness's subordinates are now in charge of the entire martial arts training ground, displaying remarkable bravery and skill, with no general or martial arts student daring to disobey. There are also many young women who wish to emulate you, join the army, fight on the battlefield, and achieve great military exploits!"
Liao Yan raised her eyebrows, then looked around. "What, didn't the little guy come along?"
Since Mianxue's birth, Liao Yan had only met her a few times, but he had always kept her in his heart. He even wanted to volunteer to take on the important responsibility of teaching Mianxue martial arts, and was very eager to try. Lin Xu just couldn't help but laugh and cry at this. Mianxue was still just an infant in swaddling clothes, how could she possibly learn martial arts!
However, the matter was urgent, and she didn't have time to reminisce. As Yin'er brought over fragrant hot tea and some delicate snacks, Lin Xu told Liao Yan the whole story.
She and Liao Yan were already very close friends, so there was nothing to hide about it.
The moon rose high in the sky. Princess Kunrou leaned against the soft couch, draped in a crimson gauze robe, her face lightly powdered, her expression deliberately conveying weariness and weakness. Though naturally fair and delicate, even her feigned illness couldn't conceal the sharpness in her eyes.
"His pulse is steady and calm... Forgive my ignorance, Your Highness seems to be fine."
Having served in the Imperial Medical Academy for many years, Physician Xu was well aware of the intricacies of dealing with these imperial relatives and nobles. Even though Liao Yan had summoned him hastily today, and the pulse appeared normal, he still needed to diagnose something. He slowly withdrew his hand from the pulse-taking position, the doubt on his face instantly vanishing, and whispered:
"...It's just that your heart fire is a bit too strong. I wonder if Your Highness has been troubled lately? Would you like me to prescribe some medicine to help alleviate this?"
Seeing this, Liao Yan covered his mouth and smiled, glancing sideways at the screen next to his soft couch.
A five-panel folding screen made of carved nanmu wood was clearly well-maintained. A faint, delicate fragrance seemed to waft out from it.
Physician Xu was taken aback, then heard Liao Yan speak again, smiling faintly, "Physician Xu truly lives up to his reputation as the head of all the imperial physicians. I do indeed have some worries, but they are not things that can be resolved with ordinary prescriptions."
Before the words were finished, a clear, cold voice broke the silence of the hall from behind the screen.
"Imperial Physician Xu, you have been in charge of the Imperial Hospital for many years and are known as a master of healing. I wonder if you still remember the palace banquet many years ago to celebrate Prince Mao's great victory over four countries and his triumphant return?"
Physician Xu frowned slightly, clearly puzzled by this abrupt question. He pondered for a moment, then heard the woman behind the screen continue in a low voice:
"That palace banquet invited all the officials and noblewomen of the court. My mother was also summoned to the palace to attend the banquet. She was in good health before she left, but that night she suddenly fell ill and died! The eunuchs from the palace said that it was caused by a 'relapse of an old illness,' but I am her daughter and I know that my mother had no old illness at all! I just want to know, my mother was in good health when she left. How could such a healthy person suddenly die in the palace?"
Physician Xu's sharp eyes were fixed on the screen, and his expression gradually darkened.
"You are... Madam Zhao'en? The daughter of Madam Lin from the past?"
Lin Xu's heart stirred; he had indeed remembered! That day, by chance, Physician Xu was invited to the Dou family to examine Dou Yanxun's pulse. He had only briefly seen him in the dim light of the night, yet he recognized his eyes, which were very similar to his mother's!
Physician Xu... he might have been at that palace banquet back then, and he might even know how his mother was murdered!
The hall fell silent again, as if isolated from the world, utterly still.
Liao Yan had anticipated that a shrewd physician like Xu wouldn't speak so easily, so she gave Yin'er, who was standing at the door, a wink. Yin'er nodded and quickly returned with a tray in both hands. On it were two cups of light tea and several small dishes of snacks, the aroma of tea wafting through the air.
Physician Xu glanced down, but his fingers paused slightly.
The tea itself is fine; every master in the palace has the finest tea. However, the cup in front of me is made by hand from Baixi, the porcelain capital. The body is extremely thin, and the glaze has a bluish tint.
It was also porcelain, which he knew all too well.
Liao Yan slowly raised his hand, picked up a cup, closed his eyes to smell the aroma of the tea, and said leisurely:
"These teacups were a gift from my uncle, the Emperor, and have never been used. I heard that Physician Xu is from Baixi? It's quite a remarkable thing that such a kind and skillful Physician Xu came from a town that has been making porcelain for generations."
Physician Xu's forehead was slightly damp with sweat. Princess Kunrou was now at the height of her power, with military achievements to her name, and was no longer the young princess who needed the protection of the eldest princess. Since Princess Kunrou had invited him here, she must have been prepared to have her entire Xu family under her control.
However, after a short while, Physician Xu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said sincerely, "Your Highness is too kind to refuse, and I dare not disobey."
Liao Yan always enjoyed dealing with intelligent people, so he smiled with satisfaction.
After a moment of contemplation, Physician Xu carefully said, "Your humble servant was indeed fortunate enough to have met Madam Lin once. Madam Lin was born into the Imperial Academy and was as bright as the moon... The day Madam Lin fell ill, it was indeed sudden."
"...is inevitable."
Lin Xu's calm voice was like the first snowfall, yet it coldly uttered the most ruthless and terrifying words.
“My mother is by nature indifferent to worldly affairs and is by no means an unkind person. Unless she touches on that person’s most important and crucial interests, she would never be attacked and killed.”
Upon hearing this, even Princess Kunrou's expression couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Imperial Physician Xu, were you in Changchun Palace that day... to see my mother for the last time?"
After much deliberation, Physician Xu finally showed reluctance and whispered to the screen:
"To be honest, the palace was bustling and chaotic that night. I was summoned late at night, but was only told that I was there to examine the pulse of a lady who was feeling unwell... I didn't dare to think too much about it, but when I arrived, I found that the person lying on the bed, surrounded by blood, was Madam Lin. At that time, Madam Lin was already deeply poisoned, and her consciousness was gradually becoming blurred. I dared not disobey that person's orders, so after a simple examination, I casually wrote out a few prescriptions under the pretext of 'sudden onset of a serious illness, vomiting blood'..."
"As a doctor, I naturally felt immense guilt, but even though Madam Lin was already very weak at that time, she still whispered to me not to disobey that person, otherwise she would also be in imminent danger... I am not a true husband, so I could only give Madam Lin a few painkillers so that she could pass away peacefully..."
"I have always remembered this matter and felt utterly helpless. That is why I couldn't help but say a few more words when I first met you that night... It was all my fault."
Kunrou sighed softly.
“That person has offered their life in exchange, how can you refuse?” After saying this, she looked at the screen, but it was completely silent, and she couldn’t help but feel a little worried.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Xu's voice rang out again.
"Mother, did you mention me when you left?"
Physician Xu shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Madam Lin was in excruciating pain at that time, and must have been in unbearable agony. Even if she missed you, she would have found it difficult to say it."
Perhaps to make amends to Lin Xu, Physician Xu thought long and hard, but still spoke up:
"There are many things I would never have wanted to mention in my life, but this matter was caused by my own moral failings back then, so I might as well tell you the truth, Madam—Madam, your guess is not much different from mine. That night, there was a commotion in Changchun Palace, and that person was terrified. When I arrived, I heard her muttering to herself, as if to say: 'He's back... What should I do? What should I do!'..."
A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the previously silent night sky, followed shortly by a deafening clap of thunder that thundered and rolled across the rooftops.
Spring rain is usually continuous and fine, but at this moment, countless downpours poured down, pounding on the eaves and tiles, as dense as thousands of arrows falling into the river. The wind whipped the rain against the windowpanes, even blowing the curtains inside the hall fluttering in all directions, and the dazzling candlelight flickered, its light and shadow trembling slightly.
Lin Xu, seemingly oblivious to the sudden downpour, abruptly raised his head.
His clear eyes stared straight past the intricately patterned screen, gazing into the far, far distance, into the boundless void.
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