Just as Lu Tianjiao was overwhelmed with longing and no longer needed to suppress her feelings, she was tenderly pouring out her heart to the unconscious man on his sickbed. In fact, Zhang Mama had already gotten up and followed her quietly from the side hall to the main hall, and listened carefully to all of her words of longing and sorrow.
After a long while, seeing that she seemed to have no ill intentions towards Xuan Yuanhan, he shook his head, lowered his voice and sighed helplessly, "What a tragedy, what a tragedy!" Then he slowly walked out of Lin Yuexuan.
At the entrance of Lin Yuexuan, the guards were already waiting at the door as ordered. As soon as Zhang Mama stepped out, they respectfully handed her a four-cornered lamp of peace and prosperity that they had prepared for her.
As soon as Zhang Mama reached out and took it, she nodded and winked at her, then headed towards the direction of Zihexuan, the sleeping quarters of the Dowager Consort, which had been deserted for a long time except for the regular cleaning staff, under the lamplight.
Meanwhile, in the quiet Xinglin Pavilion, the faint chirping of insects, a sign of spring's awakening, could already be heard.
Physician Yue had already prepared everything methodically. He held a small bowl of what appeared to be a light brown paste in one hand and a piece of white paper in the other, patiently giving final instructions to a guard: "This is made by grinding Arisaema into powder and mixing it with vinegar. Have someone apply it to this paper. At the appointed time, wait for orders and stick it outside the window closest to His Highness's bed in Lin Yue Xuan. Remember, no matter what anyone hears or sees, make sure all the guards in Lin Yue Xuan are not alarmed and do not approach to disturb him."
After listening, the guard took the bowl of paste and white paper handed to him and examined them carefully, seemingly clueless. Finally, he just laughed and said, "Isn't it just about having Lin Yuexuan's brothers pretend to be deaf and dumb, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear? Don't worry. But why does this sound so mystical? Could it be... Physician Le, when did you also learn to play the supernatural?"
Physician Yue smiled upon hearing this and continued, taking out a stack of yellow paper. He said, "This is a 'divine talisman' made by mixing two mace of alum and five fen of scutellaria baicalensis powder. Tonight at midnight, bring a basin of warm water with it and tell Miss Lu that this is a talisman that Her Highness obtained from a highly virtuous monk at the City God Temple in the south of the city when she returned from the south. Have her spread it out and soak it in water for a while. Then, at midnight tonight, use this holy water to wipe Her Highness's eyes to ensure her safe passage through the tribulation."
“‘Divine Talisman,’ Physician Yue, you are truly something… But why can’t I see any strokes on this talisman?” The guard exclaimed in surprise as he quickly took the talisman and examined it for a long time before finally asking in confusion.
Physician Yue remained silent with a smile. After a long while, he said mysteriously, "This is a secret that cannot be revealed. Tonight, success or failure will be decided in one fell swoop. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. This is a last resort. You must carefully repeat everything I just told you to do. Do not make any mistakes. Otherwise, all your efforts will be wasted."
"Physician Yue, you can rest assured, the brothers will definitely handle tonight's task well. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
As soon as the guard spoke, Physician Yue glanced sideways and noticed a bowl of fragrant jasmine tea on the table where he had just drawn the talisman. He hurriedly said, "Oh, right, there's also this bowl of jasmine tea, which is crucial for the 'Inviting the Guest into the Urn' ritual. There's a great secret inside. You must take it in to Miss Lu along with the basin of water and the talisman. Tell her... that you've troubled her to take care of His Highness for Granny Zhang tonight, and that you must personally watch her drink it all."
"Yes, I've remembered everything. You can rest assured and leave everything to me. I will certainly live up to your mission." The guard said, then placed the bowl of medicinal paste and the fragrant bowl of jasmine tea into the tea tray. He then folded the mysterious talisman and the white paper neatly and put them into his pocket before picking up the tea tray, turning around and walking away from Xinglin Pavilion.
Imperial Physician Yue stepped out onto the stone steps under the eaves. A night breeze swept by, fluttering his white robes. As he stroked his short beard in thought, he watched the departing guards, his eyes gradually narrowing...
Inside the Purple Harmony Pavilion, starlight flowed gently, dappled across the ground, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
In this quiet and secluded courtyard, it was as if all time had been frozen at a certain moment in the past, with only wisps of sandalwood smoke rising gently with the breeze, filling the entire hall.
In the dim candlelight, Granny Zhang had just finished applying powder and drawing her eyebrows, and was sitting blankly in front of a mirror, staring at the unfamiliar face yet the all-too-familiar attire reflected in it. For the first time in her life, she dared to take out and change into the crimson palace dress that her mistress, the late Princess Dowager of the Prince of Qin's residence, had loved most.
At that moment, she tried her best to imagine the blurry figure in the mirror as her mistress. Every smile, every word, surged through her heart. In that instant, it was as if she had truly become the person she remembered from eight years ago.
How she wished the Dowager Princess were still alive, so that she wouldn't feel so exhausted and lonely. How she wished that these eight years were just a nightmare that was too long and too difficult to wake up from, but that one day she would finally wake up.
How wonderful it would be if everyone woke up on that day and found that they were all still alive and well. She longed to see with her own eyes how successful and brave her son was now, a veteran of countless battles, a household name, a defender of the country, and the most beloved person in the Western Qin Kingdom.
Yet he, like her, was so lonely, but with an added layer of icy coldness that seemed to have lasted for millennia. Now, he lay unconscious on his sickbed...
As she pondered this, she silently shed tears as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
After a long pause, she carefully checked her attire again. As if she had made up her mind, she slowly stood up and said solemnly, "Your Highness, tonight, regarding the great fire eight years ago, whether it was a natural disaster or man-made, this old servant will definitely help you uncover the truth of what happened back then. You must not die in such an unclear way. The culprit must pay the price she deserves."
Having said that, Granny Zhang gritted her teeth, resolutely walked out the door, and headed back along the corridor towards Lin Yuexuan...
Inside Lin Yuexuan, before they knew it, Lu Tianjiao had been rambling and crying for most of the night, and it was already past midnight.
This is the time when most people let down their guard and are most tired, and Lu Tianjiao is no exception.
By this time, she was already exhausted and lay down beside Xuan Yuanhan's bed, unable to resist the urge to doze off.
But she stubbornly didn't want to waste this hard-won opportunity to be alone with him in a room. She really didn't want to leave him for even a moment longer. So she had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed with her chin propped up by one hand. But she couldn't help but doze off incessantly, and didn't even hear the footsteps of the person getting closer and closer to her in Lin Yuexuan.
A slow knocking sound suddenly rang out.
Standing at the door were two guards from the Prince of Qin's residence. They were ordered by Physician Yue to deliver the bowl of fragrant jasmine tea and some light porridge and side dishes to Lu Tianjiao at midnight. One of them carried a basin of hot water, and the other carried a tray.
In the dead of night, such a discordant sound suddenly broke out, startling Lu Tianjiao so much that he immediately woke up and stood up.
The guard carrying the jasmine tea stepped forward and approached her sincerely, saying, "Miss Lu, Zhang Mama suddenly fell ill today, and we troubled you to take care of His Highness last night. It must have been very tiring for you. I have prepared some congee and side dishes for you, Miss Lu, so please replenish your strength."
Lu Tianjiao composed herself before cheerfully saying, "Your Highness is my senior brother, and it is my duty as your junior sister to take care of him. There is no hardship involved. You are too kind."
As he spoke, the guards had already swiftly taken everything out of the tea tray and placed it on the table in the center of the hall. Lu Tianjiao walked over and glanced at it, then turned to look at the pitch-black night outside the window and asked, "What time is it now?"
"Reporting to Miss, it's almost midnight," the guard replied.
"It's already midnight... General Cheng, has he not returned to the manor yet?" Lu Tianjiao frowned slightly and asked in surprise.
"Regarding the matter in the south of the city, the general still needs to thoroughly discuss it with several relevant officials after the morning court session. Therefore, he shouldn't be able to return tonight," the guard lied.
As Lu Tianjiao listened, he slowly sat down at the table, deep in thought. His eyes darted to the side, and he suddenly noticed a basin of steaming hot water on a carved wooden stand next to another guard standing by the window. He said, "That basin of water is…"
Upon hearing this, the guard hurriedly took out the talisman that Physician Yue had instructed him to take from his bosom. Before he could speak, Lu Tianjiao snatched it away and pondered it for a long time, wondering, "What is this? It looks like a talisman, but there are no strokes or characters on it."
The guard then hurriedly explained, "Oh, it's like this. When the princess and my prince returned from the south of the city, they passed by the City God Temple in the south of the city and obtained a talisman from a highly virtuous monk there. The monk said that after returning to the mansion, one should spread it out and soak it in water for a while, and then use this holy water to wipe the prince's eyes at midnight to ensure that the prince can safely pass through this calamity."
"Is it really that effective?" Lu Tianjiao asked, holding the talisman with a mixture of belief and doubt.
The guard said quietly, "At this time, it's better to believe it than not. Besides, I've heard that the enlightened monk is quite accomplished. Perhaps it's true."
Lu Tianjiao had actually heard of this eminent monk before, but had never met him in person. That was why he suggested that Mei Xiyuan go there.
Thinking of this, she said, "Alright, in that case, I will immediately soak this talisman and help Your Highness wipe your eyes."
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