With the incident at the Ninth Prince's Mansion, the atmosphere in the entire Chang'an District was somewhat oppressive.
Fortunately, Mo Qingrui often invited friends to her residence to play, so she didn't attract too much attention.
She invited everyone into the mansion, brewed tea, and dismissed all the maids and servants before saying, "You all came in such a hurry, are you afraid that you will be implicated by this vixen for everything that happened before?"
Fu An'an is the most impatient person.
“Princess, please stop joking. If we were afraid, we wouldn’t have come. What happened to Jiang? What are these people trying to do? I’m so confused by all the news I’ve heard. One minute they say Jiang is going to kill the Empress Dowager, the next they say she’s colluding with the remnants of the Sui Dynasty to rebel, and then they say she was drained of her life force by a living person. These rumors are making my heart race.”
Zhu Huaijun said, "I heard that many censors have gone to the palace. Those people have the power to talk the dead back to life. Now that the Ninth Prince's mansion has been sealed off, the situation is probably not good."
Lu Ning nodded in agreement.
“My husband, Xiao Ping, was present at the morning court session. It was Madam Song’s son who personally reported Jiang Meizi. The mere charge of using sorcery to murder the Empress Dowager is enough to be fatal. None of the people in the court who support the Ninth Prince have stepped forward this time. There are rumors that the Emperor intends to take down the Ninth Prince this time, and no one dares to provoke him. But Jiang Meizi has been kind to me, and I cannot rest easy if I do nothing.”
Fu An'an suddenly clapped her hands.
"This is the capital city, where public opinion has the greatest influence. Why don't we incite the people and give Jiang a reputation as a savior bodhisattva? Once we get rid of this wicked woman's reputation, wouldn't that turn things around?"
Liu, who had remained silent, shook her head.
"This move is probably useless."
Fu An'an wasn't familiar with her and didn't dare to speak to her.
Zhu Huaijun recognized Lady Liu and hurriedly asked, "Why does Madam He say that?"
Mo Qingrui looked astonished.
"When did you report to the Emperor about Jiang Meizi saving your son Yidong?"
Liu nodded.
“You know my husband. He never lies. After the incident, he wrote a memorial and submitted it, but it disappeared without a trace. You all should know Doctor Zhong of Huichuntang. He has a close relationship with the Emperor Emeritus, but he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. If even the Emperor Emeritus won’t step in, it will be really difficult to get past the Ninth Prince and Madam Jiang.”
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
If they were simply framed, they would not hesitate to stand up and testify.
But now, if the Emperor is determined to investigate and prosecute, who can help him?
Mo Qingrui took a sip of tea.
Born into royalty, she was usually rather unreliable, only interested in enjoying herself and having fun, but she saw things more meticulously and accurately than others.
“At this time, none of us should make a move. If we really contact the court officials to confront those censors, what will the Emperor think? He will only think that the Ninth Prince’s Mansion is going to rebel. At that time, not only will we not be able to help Jiang Meizi, but everyone who stands up will also suffer.”
She looked at Madam Liu as she spoke.
"Your family has been exiled for many years, yet you remain as cold and hard as a rock. Aren't you afraid of being exiled again?"
Liu smiled.
"It's not that we're not afraid, but we feel indebted to you for saving our lives. If we do nothing, we'll have no peace for the rest of our lives. It would be better to live a peaceful life in a cold and harsh place."
Although the group was not familiar with her, they couldn't help but admire her character.
Mo Qingrui said, "You should all go back first. I will go to the palace tomorrow to find out what's going on. Since there is no imperial decree yet, nothing should happen tonight."
...
In the middle of the night, Mo Yunhan developed a high fever.
Jiang Qingwan fed him all the water she had, but his fever still didn't go down.
His whole body was burning hot, and he huddled in the tattered quilt, shivering. One hand was still tightly gripping Jiang Qingwan's skirt, and his lips, white from the fever, trembled as he murmured.
“My mother is not a demon, not… a demon.”
Jiang Qingwan used her remaining spiritual energy to help him relieve the pain again and again, and fortunately it had some effect. After all that effort, she was so tired that she was covered in sweat and looked even more disheveled than Mo Yunhan, who was lying on the bed.
She felt both heartbroken and annoyed.
"Including the debt from Xuanling Mountain for saving you, you must give me 30% of the money in Puheng Money House. I've really lost out big time."
She touched Mo Yunhan's forehead and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the temperature was no longer so high.
Overwhelmed by exhaustion and drowsiness, she didn't even have the strength to get up, and just wanted to sleep as she slumped against the edge of the bed.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard.
It's very light.
Yet it was exceptionally clear even in the empty palace.
Although the palace is uninhabited year-round, the grease on the lamp holders has not burned out. At this moment, several lamps are burning in the sleeping quarters, their dim yellow light casting flickering shadows, making the scene even more eerie and chilling.
A slight chill crept into the air.
It was chillingly cold, penetrating straight to the bone.
Jiang Qingwan's heart skipped a beat, and she forced herself to stand up.
A dark shadow was cast on the pale white window paper outside the door, standing motionless at the doorway, seemingly with no intention of coming in.
But the chill in the bedchamber grew stronger and stronger.
Black tentacles, like silk threads, slithered in through the crack in the door, tentatively heading towards Jiang Qingwan.
But they didn't rush to attack; instead, they circled around her, like venomous snakes.
Several tentacles turned toward the bed, poised to strike.
The next moment, she was burned by the talisman thrown by Jiang Qingwan and fled in fear, while the other tentacles began to stir and got closer and closer to her.
Jiang Qingwan felt a sharp pain in her empty dantian and couldn't use any more spells.
She glanced back at Mo Yunhan, then stepped outside.
As she moved, the tentacles retreated in unison, then followed suit.
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