Suicide
On the third day of June, the day he had agreed with Zhang Bai, Lin Yan quietly sneaked into the Empress Dowager's palace at night.
Zhang Bai lit the aphrodisiac incense in advance to make the guards guarding the door sleepy.
As the Empress Dowager's trust in him grew, the guards were no longer as vigilant as they were at the beginning, and secretly became lazy and went back to their rooms to sleep.
Lin Yan climbed in through the window and saw Zhang Bai sitting there obediently waiting for her.
Staring at his back, Lin Yan didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that the child had some inexplicable aura.
Hearing the noise behind him, Zhang Bai turned around, his eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly stood up and shouted, "Sister Lin."
Seeing Zhang Bai's still innocent eyes, Lin Yan felt that it must be an illusion.
She walked over, touched Zhang Bai's head, and said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for a few months. You've lost weight."
"Sister Lin, I heard that you were injured. Are you okay?" Zhang Bai asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, it's been a long time. Are you used to it here?" Lin Yan found a stool and sat down.
"It's fine. I eat well and sleep well here." Zhang Bai brewed tea for Lin Yan, considered his words, and whispered the purpose of calling Lin Yan here.
Zhang Bai came here to find out how many soldiers and horses Song Ting had behind him.
After staying in the Empress Dowager's palace for so many days, Zhang Bai also learned that Song Ting had multiple strongholds in the Song Dynasty, and all the troops left by Prince Jing were scattered in these strongholds.
Therefore, if we can know these strongholds, it will be just a matter of time before we can find out Song Ting's background.
But even though the Empress Dowager had some trust in Zhang Bai, she did not mention a single word about the stronghold.
Finally, Zhang Bai came up with a plan.
He developed a poison that could make a person instantly strong and invulnerable for a period of time, but once the poison expired, the person would die suddenly.
This method was revealed to the Empress Dowager. Although she had some reservations about the fact that this poison could cause sudden death, she was obviously tempted.
Zhang Bai continued his efforts and proposed to test the poison, hoping to develop a better poison that would not kill people.
The experiment naturally requires people, a large number of people. The Empress Dowager finally gritted her teeth and had Zhang Bai taken to one of the strongholds for him to experiment.
After listening to Zhang Bai's plan, Lin Yan did not smile at all, and his expression was serious, "Xiao Bai, you said you wanted to use people for experiments."
Zhang Bai, who thought he would be praised, froze in expression and retorted in a low voice: "They are all bad guys, so what if they die."
Lin Yan frowned and looked at Zhang Bai: "Xiao Bai, not all of Song Ting's people are bad people. If they are bad people, just kill them with a knife. Turning them into beasts that are neither human nor ghost is against human ethics and it is wrong."
"What's wrong with that? I specifically picked out those who killed people. They deserve to die," Zhang Bai retorted with his neck stiff.
Looking at the stubborn Zhang Bai in front of him, Lin Yan rubbed his eyebrows and began to regret sending him in.
He is obviously well-behaved and sensible in front of them, and looks harmless, but why is he so cruel when he does things?
Lin Yan continued to reason with him, "Even if you are killing people who deserve to be killed now, these practices are wrong. It was wrong from the moment you used people for experiments. It is very likely that more innocent people will be killed in the future. These are uncontrollable."
"The people of Song Ting are all those who want to rebel. If they succeed, they will kill countless people of the Song Dynasty. What's wrong with me killing them?" Zhang Bai looked confused.
Lin Yan's head was throbbing with pain. Why was this child so stubborn? He looked up and saw the hostility between Zhang Bai's brows, and his heart inexplicably tightened.
Xiao Bai, we can’t stay here anymore. This is the only thought in Lin Yan’s mind at this moment.
There are already countless people with incorrect thoughts here. Xiao Bai is still young and doesn't understand many things, so he can be easily led astray.
If we really let him continue like this, one day it will lead to disaster.
Lin Yan was silent for a moment and said no more. He wanted to knock Zhang Bai unconscious and take him away, but he thought that doing so would arouse the Empress Dowager's suspicion, and it would be more trouble than gain if they were found out.
"You stay here for now and don't take any action. If I find out that you continue to use that poison, I will pretend that I have never known you." Lin Yan left after saying these words.
Zhang Bai stared at the direction where Lin Yan left and muttered to himself: "Am I really wrong?"
Then I couldn’t help but feel anxious, “Will Sister Lin and the others not want me anymore? Am I too useless?”
"Yes, as long as I do something useful, Sister Lin will be proud of me, and they will not abandon me." Zhang Bai's eyes flashed with determination.
After leaving the palace, Lin Chang did not go back, but went to the place where Song Ting imprisoned Lao Zhao.
Zhang Bai's matter gave her a headache. It was obvious that the child had not become like this overnight. He used to behave so obediently in front of them. If it weren't for this time, no one would have noticed that something was wrong with him.
If this continues, Xiao Bai will grow crooked sooner or later.
Old Zhao had watched Xiao Bai grow up, and Lin Yan planned to go and ask him what to do.
But it was late at night, and Lin Yan had no hope that Old Zhao was still awake.
At this time, Zhao Mengsheng was lighting a lamp and carefully drawing a portrait of a woman who looked to be in her thirties or forties.
When Lin Yan arrived, the painting had just been completed.
Seeing Lin Yan visiting late at night, Zhao Mengsheng asked in surprise: "Why are you here so late, Xiao Yan?"
Because of Zhang Bai's matter, she didn't drink a sip of water in the palace, and she also talked a lot of moral principles to the children. She was thirsty all the way and hurriedly made herself a cup of tea.
"It's your good disciple," Lin Yan complained as he drank, "I never thought that the kid would have such a cruel idea."
"I went to look for him tonight, and he told me he had concocted a poison that would make a person weaker than a gun, but would ultimately cause them to die suddenly. Look, is this something a child could come up with?"
After listening to this, Zhao Mengsheng pondered for a while and finally sighed, "Xiao Bai is a child who has had different ideas from ordinary people since he was young. He used to have his father to discipline him, but now his father is dead. It is probably hatred that has led to his heart being crooked. Now that he has no relatives, it is inevitable that he will go astray."
Lin Yan thought of Zhang Bai's stubborn yet somewhat panicked expression, and felt sorry for the child.
"Once this matter is settled, bring him back to the Valley of Divine Doctors. I will discipline him personally and will be able to get him back on the right track," Zhao Mengsheng proposed a solution.
“That’s all I can do.”
The red candle on the table flickered, shining on Zhao Mengsheng's painting. Lin Yan noticed it and asked in confusion: "Who is the person in the painting?"
"I finished the painting tonight and was thinking of waiting for you to come and show it to you, but I didn't expect you to come right after I finished it." Zhao Mengsheng pointed the painting at Lin Yan and said, "Send someone to check it out and see what it's all about."
Lin Yan looked at Zhao Mengsheng in confusion, "Why do you suddenly ask me to investigate a woman?"
"Remember I told you before that after I was arrested, they asked me to develop a scar removal medicine?" Zhao Mengsheng said.
"Remember, the person whose scar you wanted to remove was burned and is a little confused."
"That person is the one in this painting. I healed the scar on her face." Zhao Mengsheng stroked his beard and said mysteriously, "The leader who arrested me was very caring towards this woman. She must be very important to him."
"But the strange thing is, they asked me if there was any way to make this woman permanently insane."
Lin Yan frowned, "If it's important, why don't you want to cure her."
Zhao Mengsheng waved his hand and said, "I don't know. Go and check if this woman has any other identity. If she is a bad person, I will give her a dose of poison and let that woman become a handle for their leader."
After hearing this, Lin Yan said helplessly: "I was wondering who Xiao Bai looks like sometimes, but it turns out he looks like you."
"My apprentice is not like me, who else does he look like?" Zhao Mengsheng raised his head with a hint of pride on his face.
Lin Yan put the portrait away, stood up and prepared to leave, but then he thought of something and asked, "The person who killed Xiao Bai's father is dead, and the mastermind will be caught soon. Isn't it time for you to leave now?"
Zhao Mengsheng waved his hand and said, "I eat and drink well here, I treat their injuries, and they provide me with the best medicinal materials. If anything happens, I will knock them out and run away."
"Okay, then you stay here." Lin Yan knew that he could not persuade this old naughty boy, so he took out a whistle and said, "If anything happens, blow it and someone will take you away."
After saying this, Lin Yan left.
The next day, Lin Yan took the portrait and ordered his men to investigate.
Looking at the person in the portrait, Lin Yan inexplicably felt that this person's eyebrows and eyes looked familiar.
Just at this moment, Mrs. Gu came over with a bowl of Tremella soup and sat next to Lin Yan, "Yan'er, come and drink the soup that your mother cooked for you."
Lin Yan's face relaxed instantly. He took the soup with a smile and took a sip, "The soup cooked by mom is so delicious."
"If it tastes good, drink more." The wrinkles on Mrs. Gu's face were squeezed together, but it could be seen that she was very happy at the moment.
Looking down at the painting that Lin Yan placed on the table, Mrs. Gu asked in confusion: "Why does Yan have a portrait of Princess Jing?"
"What did mother say?" Lin Yan put the bowl on the table, picked up the portrait, and looked anxious: "You said the person in the portrait is Princess Jing, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Madam Gu examined the painting carefully and confirmed, "The Princess Jing in this portrait looks ten or twenty years older than when I saw her, but you can still tell it's her."
Lin Yan frowned, picked up the painting and stood up, "Mom, I have to leave for something, I'll drink the soup when I come back."
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
Lin Yan rode his horse as fast as he could to the Regent's Palace, wanting to tell him about Princess Jing, but he forgot that Song Yizhou was still in the morning court.
For some reason, Lin Yan didn't feel nervous about coming.
Unable to meet Song Yizhou, Lin Yan walked aimlessly on the street and saw a familiar figure - Song Xi's personal maid Xiaohuan.
Lin Yan walked up, patted Xiaohuan and asked, "Has Xishui left the palace? Where is she? I have something urgent to tell her."
"Her Highness did not leave the palace. She asked me to buy some things and then go to Miss Zhou's clinic to buy some medicinal herbs, but she asked me to go to Miss Zhou later," Xiaohuan replied.
"By the way, His Highness also asked me to give you this sword." Xiaohuan held the sword with difficulty, muttering, "I just don't know why His Highness didn't give it to you personally. She also prepared a silver needle to give to Miss Zhou. I just met Miss Zhou the day before yesterday, but I didn't give it to her then, as well as Miss Xiao's."
The more Lin Yan listened, the more she felt something was wrong. Why did Xishui suddenly want to give them gifts?
She frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "Why did Xishui see Aning the day before yesterday? Aning caught a cold the day before yesterday and did not go out, and Xishui did not come to Zhou's house."
Thinking of what Aning had told him, that there was something wrong with the stream water recently, Lin Yan couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"His Highness clearly went to Yongchun Tower and asked me to stay downstairs, saying that he wanted to chat with Miss Zhou." Xiaohuan also began to get anxious at this moment.
Just then, a beggar bumped into Lin Yan and dropped a note.
Lin Yan picked it up and read it. It said, "Today, Princess Yong'an committed suicide."
"Do you have any way to let me enter the palace? Your princess may be in danger now. I need to enter the palace immediately," Lin Yan asked anxiously.
"I have the princess's token, you can take it in." Xiaohuan naturally didn't think that Lin Yan would joke about this matter, so she hurriedly gave her the token.
Lin Yan didn't know where Song Xi's palace was. He took the token, rode a horse and quickly went to the palace with Xiao Huan.
It was forbidden to ride horses in the palace. At this moment, Lin Yan did not care about the patrolling guards who might mistake her for an assassin. He took Xiaohuan and flew onto the roof.
Xiaohuan had never seen such a scene before. She was so scared that she wanted to scream but was afraid of being discovered. She tried hard to overcome her fear and show Lin Yan the way.
Because she brought people with her, Lin Yan was still discovered by the patrolling guards. They thought she was an assassin and quickly picked up arrows to warn Lin Yan.
The situation was extremely urgent at the moment, so Lin Yan ignored the guards, dodged their arrows and continued to move forward.
Seeing that they could not shoot the man down, the guards, seeing Lin Yan's superb martial arts skills, thought that he was an assassin and hurriedly chased after him.
Lin Yan walked towards Princess Yong'an's palace without caring about anything, causing chaos in the palace.
If Song Yizhou had not left the court, heard the guards' report, and guessed that it was Lin Yan, the palace would have been even more chaotic.
Knowing that Lin Yan was heading towards Song Xi, Song Yizhou knew that if it wasn't a big deal, Lin Yan wouldn't be so anxious, so he took Song Jing and hurried towards Song Xi's palace.
Lin Yan hurried and finally arrived when Song Xi was hanging on the beam.
Seeing Song Xi kick the stool away and it fell on the beam, Lin Yan released the arrow from his sleeve, cut the white silk, and flew over to catch her.
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