Chapter 448: Darkness and lightness
Under Huo Lin's murderous gaze, the imperial physicians racked their brains and tried every possible method.
They used acupuncture needles to treat acupoints, administered herbal decoctions, and even some folk remedies.
After a long night of turmoil, the two children's heart-wrenching cries finally subsided, and their high fever temporarily dropped from a terrifyingly burning temperature to a scalding level, but it continued to fluctuate, and the situation was not optimistic.
Jiang Huan was exhausted and stayed by the children's side almost non-stop, holding their warm little hands.
Huo Lin forcibly pressed her down onto the couch next to him to rest. In her drowsy state, she fell into a bizarre and fantastical dream.
She dreamt that she was running through a fog, searching for the cries of children, but she couldn't find them anywhere.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the mist, dressed in plain white with a cold demeanor and an indistinct face; it was Liu Shuyao.
She tried to call out, but no sound came out. She saw Liu Shuyao nod slightly to her, and a soft halo seemed to emanate from her fingertips, dispelling some of the mist...
Jiang Huan woke up with a start. She sat up, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
Strange, why would I dream about Liu Shuyao?
Thinking this, Jiang Huan suddenly remembered what Liu Shuyao had said to her that day.
If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to her.
Perhaps, after all this time of self-cultivation, she has truly discovered some secrets?
"Did you have a nightmare?" Huo Lin, who had been standing guard by her side without daring to leave for even a moment, immediately stepped forward and took her hand. It was ice-cold to the touch and was still trembling slightly.
Jiang Huan grasped his hand tightly and said urgently, "Huo Lin, I dreamt of Liu Shuyao. I think we might be able to invite her to the palace. I know it sounds a bit strange, but I'm really anxious. I have a feeling that she can help us."
Huo Lin frowned and pondered for a moment.
Although he did not believe in gods or Buddhas, he was unwilling to give up any glimmer of hope at this moment.
[Liu Shuyao it is, her intuition is usually right.]
Even if it's truly useless, please have Liu Shuyao recite scriptures and pray for blessings to soothe her emotions.
"Very well, I will send someone to invite him immediately."
Huo Lin no longer hesitated and immediately ordered Wang Degui to personally lead a group to the temple to bring Liu Shuyao into the palace.
Liu Shuyao arrived quickly, dressed in a simple gray cotton robe, her eyes calm and serene, revealing a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.
She bowed to Huo Lin and Jiang Huan, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Highness."
“No need for such formalities, Layman Liu.” Jiang Huan quickly offered a gesture of support, disregarding formalities, and said urgently, “I have invited you to the palace today because my two children have suddenly fallen ill, and the imperial physicians are helpless. I am uneasy and would like to ask you to pray for the children and recite scriptures to put my mind at ease.”
Liu Shuyao's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded gently: "The prince and princess are blessed with good fortune and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. This humble subject is willing to do my best."
She didn't ask much about the illness, only requesting a quiet, clean room and a glass of water.
The purification room was quickly prepared. After Liu Shuyao entered, she first burned incense and sat quietly on the futon for a while. Then she got up, took the cup of water, and walked to the children's bedside.
Her movements were very gentle; she dipped her fingertips in cool water and splashed it onto the two children's burning foreheads, chests, wrists, and ankles.
At the same time, she began to recite a passage of scripture. Her voice was not loud, and even somewhat indistinct, but it inexplicably had a calming power.
Strangely enough, shortly after Liu Shuyao completed this simple ceremony, the wet nurse who had been standing by her side suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"They've withdrawn! It seems, it seems they really have withdrawn!"
Jiang Huan and Huo Lin immediately went over and reached out to touch it.
The two children's breathing, which had been rapid and labored like bellows, became much more steady and long. The flush on their faces also faded at a visible speed. Although they were still warm to the touch, they were no longer the alarmingly hot ones.
What surprised everyone the most was that the two little ones, who had been drowsy, actually let out a few comfortable hums, twisted their little bodies, and fell into a deep sleep.
Overjoyed, Jiang Huan burst into tears, tightly grasping Huo Lin's hand, too choked to speak.
Huo Lin looked at this miraculous change, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
This cannot be explained by ordinary medical techniques. Does that mean that the children's sudden fever is not an illness at all?
[Someone is using underhanded and dirty tricks behind the scenes.]
Within the palace, only the one in the Cining Palace has the ability and dares to do this.
[Fine, before I've even had a chance to settle accounts with her, she's already set her sights on my children.]
After Liu Shuyao finished doing all this, a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, as if the ritual had taken a lot of her energy.
“Your Majesty, the evil spirits have temporarily receded, and the princes and princesses need to rest, but…” She paused, looked up at Huo Lin, and added meaningfully, “If the source of the evil is not eliminated, it will remain a hidden danger.”
Jiang Huan was extremely grateful and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you very much, Layman Liu. I will never forget your kindness and virtue. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."
Liu Shuyao simply shook her head, as if everything she had just done was nothing more than a small favor, or perhaps, a way of repaying something.
She bowed again and quietly took her leave.
Huo Lin watched Liu Shuyao's departing figure with icy eyes and whispered to someone in the shadows, "Shadow Seven."
A figure that almost blended into the darkness appeared silently and knelt on one knee: "Master."
"Investigate what's going on in Cining Palace, especially who the Empress Dowager has met with." Huo Lin's voice was filled with murderous intent. "If you find out that someone is behind this, find that person, eliminate them completely, and hand them over to the Empress Dowager!"
"Yes." Shadow Seven accepted the order, and his figure once again disappeared into the darkness.
That night, at Cining Palace.
As the Empress Dowager listened with smug satisfaction to her confidante's report on the chaos that had gripped Weiyang Palace, she imagined the tragic loss of Jiang Huan's beloved son, a wicked smile playing on her lips.
Suddenly, a dull thud was heard outside the hall, followed by gasps from the palace maids.
"What's going on?" the Empress Dowager scolded unhappily.
The old woman was also startled and quickly said, "This old servant will go and see right away."
She walked quickly to the palace gate, and as soon as she pushed it open a crack, the moonlight mixed with the dim light of the palace lanterns shone in, illuminating the blurry scene in the courtyard.
The old woman glanced at it, then froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, quickly turned back, and slammed the door shut.
"Empress Dowager...the one in the courtyard is...the sorcerer...she's dead..."
"What!" The Empress Dowager stood up abruptly, knocking over the teacup beside her. Her face drained of color, and her body turned ice-cold.
She rushed to the window, pushed it open, and saw the old woman who had been casting a curse on her earlier, her eyes wide open, her expression twisted, a peach wood sword she herself had used for the ritual stuck in her chest, her death tragic.
A chill ran from the soles of the Empress Dowager's feet straight up to the top of her head, making her scalp tingle.
The imperial palace is heavily guarded. Only Huo Lin could find this person so accurately and then so arrogantly throw the body back into her Cining Palace courtyard.
He not only knew that she was using witchcraft to curse the princes and princesses, but he also kept a close eye on her.
Her every move, her supposedly secret dealings, were all under his watchful eye!
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