Chapter 50 "It seems that Miss Yuan the Second is with someone..."
“Miss Helan hasn’t learned how to speak to me yet. It seems the lessons learned before weren’t profound enough?” Yuan Chaolu replied. “Even if my being a slave is exposed, I won’t be forced to stay in Luoyang. But the Helan family’s scheme against Lu Runlan involves the interests of the entire Helan family. Aren’t you afraid of making enemies of the Lu family?”
"A feud?"
Helan Zhen pretended to listen, but glanced at the shadows out of the corner of her eye. She had talked to Yuan Chaolu for so long, and finally waited until her subordinates had prepared everything. She saw a rustling sound coming from behind the bushes in the distance.
Do you think Lu Changli was unaware of this matter?
Yuan Chaolu was slightly taken aback. "He knew too?"
Fearing that Yuan Chaolu would notice the commotion, Helan Zhen chatted with her for a few more minutes. “Of course. Otherwise, how do you think my men would have been able to tamper with the Lu family’s carriage without anyone noticing? Lu Changli also wanted to arrange a marriage between the two families, but Lu Runlan had been unwilling to agree before.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a howl of an animal came from the bushes, and the ground shook. Yuan Chaolu turned around and saw a wild bear emerge from the bushes.
The bear was terrifying in appearance, with bloodshot eyes and a huge body. As dusk fell, you could see bits of prey hanging between its teeth and its claws stained with blood. Standing there, it was much taller than an adult man.
It spotted Yuan Chaolu and its breathing became even heavier.
When Yuan Chaolu came to her senses, Helan Zhen beside her had already run into the depths of the forest behind them.
An arrow, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, shot out from the jungle and struck the wild bear squarely.
The wild bear was instantly enraged and charged towards Yuan Chaolu, bringing with it a foul stench.
Yuan Chaolu's pupils contracted, and she turned to run. Just then, a golden figure flew out from the direction of the jungle where Helan Zhen had fled, and in a flash, blocked Yuan Chaolu from the beast.
Helan Zhen screamed and fell to the ground in fright from the sudden turn of events. Yuan Chaolu took a few steps to Helan Zhen's side, grabbed her from the ground, and held her in front of him.
Before them, a leopard and a black bear faced off.
Although the wild bear was robust, the leopard in front of it was also quite imposing. The two rarely clashed in the wild. Moreover, after the golden lion appeared, its companion, another leopard, also emerged from the jungle, forming a pincer movement against the enraged wild bear.
Helan Zhen suddenly woke up and struggled, but Yuan Chaolu grabbed her wrist. The young lady, who had been living a life of luxury all her life, was far weaker than a female slave. Yuan Chaolu held all ten of her fingers firmly and pinned her arms behind her back.
"You lured this wild bear here, hoping to leave me utterly mutilated?" Yuan Chaolu whispered in her ear.
Helan Zhen panicked: "Are you crazy? What time is it? Why aren't you running away? What are you doing here!"
In the distance, the wild bear crouched low, its eyes scanning back and forth between the golden lion and the two women behind it, but it hesitated to pounce.
The situation was on the verge of erupting, but Yuan Chaolu held onto Helan Zhen tightly, while using her other hand to pour out powder from a medicine bottle and smear it on Helan Zhen's sleeve.
Suddenly, the wild bear leaped up, roaring as it charged toward the golden lion. Taking advantage of the moment, Yuan Chaolu shoved Helan Zhen forward and then turned and ran away.
The roar of a wild beast came from behind her. Yuan Chaolu lifted her skirt and ran out of the woods, shouting, "Help! Help! I'm in trouble!"
Birds fluttered through the woods, their calls echoing through the hunting grounds.
The soldiers rushed over upon hearing the commotion, holding torches high, instantly illuminating the hunting forest as if it were daytime.
What happened?
Yuan Chaolu leaned against a tree trunk, panting heavily. Tears mixed with cold sweat rolled down her face as she stammered, "I encountered a wild bear! Wasn't it said that the bear was driven deep into the forest? I...I...Miss Helan is still inside! Hurry!"
The soldiers' expressions changed, and they filed in one after another, carrying their spears, instantly illuminating the hunting forest with torches.
Yuan Chaolu looked out into the forest, her chest heaving.
Helan Zhen secretly tampered with things in the forest, ambushing archers. She had expected this and had been watching Helan Zhen's every move since she stepped into the hunting grounds, and immediately noticed her unusual behavior.
Little did they know that Yuan Chaolu had received the emperor's permission that day, and that he would come to the forest that afternoon to search for the golden lion.
The original plan was to apply a special medicinal powder to Helan Zhen's arm to lure the golden lion into attacking her from the forest and cripple one of her arms.
This wild leopard that served the emperor always obeyed only the emperor's orders. Who would have thought it would be at her beck and call? Even though Helan Zhen was seriously injured with a severed arm, the Helan family would only treat it as an accident and would not dare to show the slightest disrespect to the emperor.
Unexpectedly, Helan Zhen was so ruthless that she summoned a fierce bear to attack, intending to create the scene of Yuan Chaolu being eaten by wild beasts.
More and more people gathered outside the hunting grounds, including civil and military officials and noble ladies, who also heard the great commotion.
What happened?
Yuan Chaolu, panting heavily, recounted the details of his encounter with the wild beast, his entire being utterly bewildered, as if he had suffered a great shock.
A noblewoman stepped forward to comfort her and inquire about the situation. Yuan Chaolu looked up and saw a young woman walking towards her from the crowd.
"Miss Yuan, don't cry. Tell me what happened." Lu Runlan helped Yuan Chaolu up. "I heard that there's also a Miss Helan."
Yuan Chaolu nodded, her eyes blurry with tears: "Yes, has Miss Helan not come out yet?"
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, but then they suddenly heard a wild beast's roar echoing through the forest, mixed with a woman's shrill scream, and even the horrifying sound of flesh being torn apart.
There was chaos and war there. Torches flickered through the forest. After a long while, a group of soldiers appeared at the end of the forest, carrying a bloodied and mangled figure.
When Helan Zhen was carried out, a sudden uproar erupted in the crowd. Her clothes were soaked in blood, her right hand hung limply at her side, and from her wrist to her elbow, not a single piece of flesh was intact; it had been torn to shreds, with exposed bone, a horrifying sight.
Her beautiful face was now bloodless, her cheeks as pale as paper, and only the groans escaping from her lips proved that she was still alive.
Lu Runlan covered her lips, let go of Yuan Chaolu, and followed.
The tent was in complete disarray. He Lanzhen was placed on the bed, cold sweat constantly seeping from her forehead.
"Quickly, go and call the imperial physician!" The voice spread outwards.
Helan Zhen lay on the bed, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, but the imperial physician did not arrive for a long time. Finally, a member of the Helan family rushed in with Qi Yu.
Qi Yu, carrying his medicine box, turned to leave, but was stopped by Lu Runlan.
"Why is Physician Qi leaving? Miss Helan is seriously injured here; how can you just stand by and watch her die?"
Qi Yu said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but the imperial physicians are all unable to come right now. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is unwell and unconscious. An imperial decree from the mountain summons all imperial physicians to proceed immediately!"
Lu Runlan was startled by what she heard and grabbed Qi Yu's hand, "What did you say!"
"News came from the mountain at dusk that the Empress Dowager is coughing up blood and her pulse is critical. I cannot afford to delay any longer, and I hope you will all understand."
Lu Runlan grabbed Qi Yu, her voice trembling, "My aunt is seriously ill, I will go with you."
However, the servants of the Helan family blocked their way. The old woman said, "Lord Qi, you can't leave! If you leave, Miss will likely be in grave danger tonight! Please stay and save my young lady's life!"
The old nanny knelt down and hugged Qi Yu's legs, not allowing her to move an inch.
Qi Yu's forehead was beaded with sweat as he looked at Lu Runlan.
"Get out of the way!" Lu Runlan stepped forward and said coldly, "Is Miss Helan more important than the safety of the Empress Dowager?!"
The old woman gritted her teeth and refused to back down.
In the midst of the stalemate, someone suddenly shouted, "Doesn't each family have a servant who is skilled in medicine? The most urgent task is to stabilize Miss Helan's injuries!"
The person on the bed was in excruciating pain; every moment of delay increased the danger.
The speaker was Yuan Chaolu. Upon hearing this, Qi Yu looked at Lu Runlan in front of him and said, "Miss Lu is proficient in medicine and comes from a family with a long tradition of medical knowledge. She even came to the Imperial Medical Bureau a few days ago to ask me about some medical methods. Her medical skills are no less than those of my colleagues in the Imperial Medical Bureau."
She stared intently at Lu Runlan, "Why don't we first seal the acupoints to relieve Miss Helan's pain, and then come later when I have finished dealing with the Empress Dowager's affairs?"
Lu Runlan was taken aback: "I..."
Behind her came Helan Zhen's choked sobs, her voice mournful and incessant.
Qi Yu sighed, "Then I can only remain here, but what about the Empress Dowager..."
Yuan Chaolu said, "Imperial Physician Qi has served the Empress Dowager for many years and knows her condition best. He should be guarding her bedside now."
A voice outside the tent said, "The Empress Dowager's condition is critical. Physician Qi should go up the mountain first."
Lu Runlan no longer hesitated: "You go ahead, Aunt's health is the most important thing, I will take care of things here."
"Then I'll have to trouble Miss Lu." Qi Yu handed the medicine box to Lu Runlan, bowed, and hurriedly took her leave. When she lifted the curtain, her eyes briefly met those of Yuan Chaolu by the tent, then they looked away in an instant before she quickly walked into the night.
After she left, Lu Runlan opened the box, took out silver needles, walked to the bedside, and began to skillfully insert acupuncture needles.
Several major events have occurred tonight, and news of them has already spread throughout the hunting grounds: first, a noble lady encountered danger in the forest; then, Miss Helan was in critical condition; and finally, the Empress Dowager was ill...
Yuan Chaolu watched Lu Runlan perform the acupuncture, gradually fell silent, and after a long while, she walked out of the tent.
Only then did the dull pain in her wrist strike. She unfastened her sleeve and saw a bruise on her wrist, a scratch left from hunting in the forest.
Yuan Chaolu returned to her tent, applied some medicine, changed her clothes, and headed towards the Empress Dowager's palace on the mountain.
Everything went extremely smoothly today. Although there were some unexpected events along the way, they did not affect the overall direction of the plan.
Yuan Chaolu had already told Qi Yu what to do about the Empress Dowager's condition: add a certain ingredient to her medicine so that she would appear to be in critical condition tonight.
This is a unique poisonous formula from my elder sister's medical book, which even the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau have never seen before. With Qi Yu present, they wouldn't have been able to diagnose it.
The Empress Dowager's condition will not worsen at all; she will surely wake up. Tonight will ultimately be nothing more than a false alarm.
However, the Empress Dowager had to fall ill. Only when the Empress Dowager fell ill could all the imperial physicians in the hunting grounds be summoned to the mountain, so that when Helan Zhen was seriously injured, there would be no imperial physicians by his bedside, and he could only seek help from Lu Runlan.
I still remember how my elder sister got caught up in the mess with the Lu sisters. It all started when she was giving acupuncture to a pregnant woman. The needles malfunctioned, resulting in the death of both mother and child...
The gold needles in the medicine box that Qi Yu left for Lu Runlan tonight had been processed beforehand and were contaminated with filth.
What Yuan Chaolu needs to do now is wait for the outcome.
Beneath Yuan Chaolu's thick eyelids, a faint smile appeared.
Along the mountain path, palace lanterns lined up in a row, leading to a brightly lit area. A group of people were already waiting on the path, all there to visit the Empress Dowager because of her illness. At this moment, the group whispered among themselves, their faces solemn and dignified.
Yuan Chaolu walked up the stone steps, rubbing her wrist, which ached slightly from time to time.
A voice rang in her ear, abruptly pulling Yuan Chaolu back to reality.
Yuan Chaolu snapped out of his daze and saw a figure standing by the edge of the woods. It was Zhong Changjun. He said, "His Majesty just came down the mountain and saw the Second Miss here. Has the Second Miss also come to visit the Empress Dowager?"
Yuan Chaolu looked in the direction the finger was pointing, and behind the swaying trees in the forest, she could vaguely see a tall and slender figure. Zhong Changjun gestured with his eyes, signaling Yuan Chaolu to follow him into the forest.
There are pedestrians coming and going outside the woods behind us; if we meet here, we might easily be seen by someone.
Yuan Chaolu felt somewhat uneasy, but still bowed gracefully to the emperor. When she came to her senses, Zhong Changjun, who was standing behind her, had disappeared.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Empress Dowager is unwell, so I have come immediately to pray for her good health."
The moonlight was like water. Yuan Chaolu raised her head and was slightly taken aback. Under the moonlight, the young man was dressed in a scarlet robe. She was used to seeing the emperor wearing dark or light robes, and rarely saw such a bright color, but it made her eyebrows and eyes look beautiful and piercing.
"I was having a banquet with some close ministers when I heard a palace servant report what happened in the hunting grounds." His gaze fell on her face, with a hint of scrutiny.
Yuan Chao looked bewildered: "Your Majesty also heard about what happened at the hunting grounds this evening? It was truly terrifying. At that time, I was hunting in the forest with Jin Ni by my side when that wild bear suddenly pounced out of nowhere, startling me. I was only saved by Jin Ni's intervention, otherwise I would probably be that beast's meal today."
Yuan Chaolu pulled his hand and gently covered her chest: "I was really startled. I don't dare to stay in places with few people now. I feel relieved to see Your Majesty. Is Your Majesty going to see the Empress Dowager? Then I can only take my leave."
When she said "only," her voice choked slightly, as if she was extremely reluctant to part with it. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her expression was pitiful.
Xiao Zhuo gazed at her and said, "The imperial physicians are still administering acupuncture to the Empress Dowager. If you wish me to stay with you, I will stay with you a little longer."
Yuan Chaolu nodded, then moved closer, looking up at the man.
Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes, looking at his wrist being held by her, and said, "Tell me properly what you did with Jin Ni in the woods this afternoon. I remember that Miss Helan has always been at odds with you. How did you two end up together?"
The Hualin Garden had thousands of people and covered a vast area, yet even the slightest disturbance would be reported to the Emperor in secret, without the slightest error.
Hearing his meaningful question, Yuan Chaolu sensed a hint of a smile on his lips and cautiously replied, "Then I will tell Your Majesty the whole story. I met Miss Helan by chance in the woods..."
The night breeze was cool, carrying the faint scent of wine from his robes, and brushed against her cheek.
**
People come and go from time to time along the mountain paths.
Outside the Empress Dowager's palace, the officials stood quietly and respectfully. The one in the lead was Prince Yan, Xiao Luozhi, who stood under the gate, anxiously awaiting the result inside the palace.
Footsteps sounded nearby. Prince Anle, the sons of the Gao family, and several friends who had always been on good terms with the Prince of Yan walked forward together.
"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. The Empress Dowager's health is blessed by Heaven," everyone reassured him.
The Prince of Yan said solemnly, “The Empress Dowager is certainly safe and sound, but I really cannot calm down. I would rather go and transcribe Buddhist scriptures for her now.”
Prince Anle put his arm around him and said, "Your Highness Prince Yan, please wait a moment." The remaining people exchanged glances, hesitant to speak.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Xiao Luozhi asked, "What is it?"
"We don't know whether we should discuss this matter with His Highness Prince Yan."
Xiao Luozhi said, "Speak freely."
Prince Anle hesitated for a while before saying, "In fact, when we arrived just now, we saw Miss Yuan Er, who was having a secret rendezvous with a man in the woods."
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Author's note: Lulu's revenge plan is proceeding smoothly.
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