Lengxiangyuan
Although the princess is temporarily out of danger, she remains unconscious.
The Imperial Medical Bureau determined that although the toxins had been neutralized, the body's foundation had been damaged, requiring long-term rest and recuperation.
Although the emperor did not explicitly state that Xu Qingyao was skilled in medicine, his eyes held a more scrutinizing and deliberate gaze.
He ordered a thorough investigation into the assassin's origins and the source of the Wolf God's Tears, but the clues went cold outside the palace gates, and the person who delivered the medicine seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"This is a provocation."
Back at the Marquis's residence, Xiao Zhouyan dismissed everyone and said in a cold tone, "Shen Rou is telling us that even when she's not in the capital, she can still turn the world upside down."
Xu Qingyao rubbed her throbbing temples. The system had just consumed a lot of energy to analyze toxins and guide medication, and was now prompting her to enter low-power recovery mode.
"She chose to target the eldest princess, killing three birds with one stone. She both retaliated against the eldest princess, tested my strength, and drew everyone's attention back to us."
"Those Wolf God's Tears..." Xiao Zhouyan pondered, "How did she obtain them? And why did she send them to me?"
"Perhaps the sacred object was already in her hands when the Blackrock Tribe first began cooperating with her. Sending the antidote was not out of goodwill, but to demonstrate her control and let us know that she can give it away at any time."
Xu Qingyao analyzed, "Or perhaps, she has other plans and doesn't want the eldest princess to die right now."
Xiao Zhouyan nodded: "His Majesty has already become suspicious of me. Although your display of medical skills today solved the immediate crisis, it also confirms that you are not an ordinary young lady."
“Now that things have come to this, there’s no point in hiding our abilities.” Xu Qingyao raised her eyes, a sharp glint in them. “We might as well turn the tables on them.”
"oh?"
“If Shen Rou wants us to become the target of everyone’s criticism, then let’s do as she wishes and stand in the open.”
Xu Qingyao said slowly, "Since His Majesty has doubts, why not let him see our value? Although the northern border is pacified, Shen Rou and Yan Zhan have not been eliminated, and the Li Kingdom is eyeing us covetously. The court... still needs to rely on the general. And my medical skills may be used as leverage at certain times."
Xiao Zhouyan looked at her, his eyes darkening: "You want to get involved?"
“The timing of our moves is no longer under our control,” Xu Qingyao said calmly. “Since we can’t avoid it, we might as well take the initiative. Chen Rou is in the shadows, while we are in the light. It may seem like we are on the defensive, but there are ways to play in the light…”
She walked to the desk, picked up her pen, and wrote down the names of several medicinal herbs: "This is a prescription that can slowly clear the remaining toxins from the Princess's body and strengthen her constitution. Tomorrow, I will use this prescription as a pretext to request His Majesty's permission to enter the palace regularly to take the Princess's pulse."
In this way, she could legitimately and frequently enter and leave the palace, both to look after the eldest princess and...
To better observe the slightest movement within the palace.
Xiao Zhouyan took the prescription, his fingertips tracing the ink, and suddenly asked, "How much longer can you hold on?"
His question was direct, clearly indicating that he had already discerned that the source of her abilities was not ordinary medical skills.
Xu Qingyao was slightly startled, but then understood. It wasn't surprising that he had guessed it, given his keen perception.
"The energy consumption is high and it will take time to recover. However, it is still sufficient to maintain the current situation."
"What do you need?" he asked succinctly.
Xu Qingyao hesitated for a moment. The system had indeed given a hint that certain jade or antiques containing special energy could accelerate energy recovery, but such items were extremely rare.
"...some old jade or metal artifacts might be useful."
Xiao Zhouyan noted it down and didn't ask any more questions. He only said, "The palace is dangerous, so be careful in everything you do. I will send more people to protect you in the shadows."
**
The next day, Xu Qingyao submitted a prescription to the palace, and the emperor granted her request, allowing her to enter the palace every three days to take the pulse of the eldest princess.
This move indeed sparked discussion in the court.
Some people think that the Lady of Zhenyuan is kind and capable, while others secretly criticize women for interfering in politics, which is against etiquette.
The Fifth Prince's faction used this opportunity to attack Xiao Zhouyan, accusing him of allowing his concubines to interfere in palace affairs.
However, the emperor's attitude remained ambiguous; he neither stopped Xu Qingyao nor paid attention to the impeachments. Clearly, he needed Xu Qingyao's medical skills until the princess recovered.
Xu Qingyao was extremely cautious during her first visit to the palace to take someone's pulse.
She carefully examined the princess, confirming that the remaining poison was slowly being cleared, and adjusted the prescription. Throughout the process, the Empress accompanied her, her attitude gentle, but her words carrying a subtle probing tone.
Xu Qingyao was very discreet, focusing solely on the patient's condition and ignoring everything else.
As she left the palace, she unexpectedly encountered the Fifth Prince, Chu Huaijin, who had been claiming to be ill for many days, on the palace road.
"Lady Hou is truly a hidden talent." Chu Huaijin's smile was gentle, but his eyes were cold. "Not only is she blessed with good fortune and a long life, but she also possesses such medical skills that can bring the dead back to life. This has truly broadened my horizons."
Xu Qingyao bowed slightly: "Your Highness flatters me. It was merely by chance that I knew of the remedy. It is nothing compared to Your Highness's strategic planning and concern for the country."
Chu Huaijin's eyes darkened. These words sounded humble, but they actually implied that he had previously interfered in the affairs of the Northern Frontier.
He stared at Xu Qingyao, seemingly trying to read something from her face, but in the end he only sneered: "I hope that Madam's medical skills can truly bring the dead back to life."
Having said that, he turned and left.
Xu Qingyao watched his departing figure and sneered inwardly.
It seems that this Fifth Prince has completely come to regard her and Xiao Zhouyan as thorns in his side.
She looked up at the towering palaces, where sunlight streamed through the eaves, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs.
The Forbidden City is like a giant maze, with hidden secrets at every step.
The shadowy presence of Shen Rou, the threats of Yan Zhan, the emperor's suspicion, the prince's hostility... a thick fog of mystery, fraught with danger.
But she knew there was no way out.
Only by overcoming all obstacles and clearing away the layers of fog can we carve out a path to survival in this desperate situation.
*
Xu Qingyao regularly enters the palace to take the pulse of the eldest princess. On the surface, she remains calm, but in secret, she uses each opportunity to have the system quietly scan all parts of the palace.
She was extremely cautious, never venturing into sensitive areas, and only walking slowly along the designated routes. The system, like invisible tentacles, extended in all directions.
After several attempts, the system finally detected a faint, unique fluctuation originating from the same source as the residual energy on the Wolf God's Tears, pointing towards the northwest corner of the palace—
It was a palace garden that had been abandoned for many years. It was said that a concubine from the previous dynasty who believed in witchcraft committed suicide there. Since then, it had been regarded as an ominous place and had been sealed off for many years.
"Lengxiangyuan..." Xu Qingyao silently recited the name in her heart, and passed the information to Xiao Zhouyan through a secret contact.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhouyan's investigation also made progress.
He followed the clues of the Black Stone Tribe in the northern frontier and discovered that its connection with the Li Kingdom did not begin with Yan Zhan, but earlier.
Through interrogating prisoners and investigating border caravans, he uncovered a spy network of the Lebanese Kingdom that had been operating for many years. Following the clues, he even traced it back to an inconspicuous official in the Ministry of Revenue.
This person was in charge of some military supplies accounting. Although his position was not high, he had access to indirect information about the deployment of troops in the northern border region.
"It seems that Shen Rou and Yan Zhan's plan started earlier and went deeper than we thought."
Xiao Zhouyan handed the secret report to Xu Qingyao, "This person has been apprehended, but he's just a small fry. He confessed that all instructions from his superiors were transmitted through a dead mailbox, and he has never seen the person in person."
The trail seems to have gone cold again.
The unusual energy deep within the palace and the hidden agents within the Ministry of Revenue are like scattered beads, lacking a main thread to connect them.
**
On this day, Xu Qingyao entered the palace as usual.
As they approached the Imperial Garden, they saw Princess Chu Xue Zhao standing alone under a white plum tree, her figure slender, gazing absently at the remaining snow on the branches.
Xu Qingyao's heart stirred slightly, and she walked over.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Third Princess."
Chu Xue Zhao snapped out of her reverie, saw that it was her, nodded slightly, and looked at her face with a hint of inquiry: "Madam Hou seems to have lost some weight."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, I have been preoccupied with many trivial matters lately," Xu Qingyao said calmly.
Chu Xuezhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "The plum blossoms in Lengxiang Garden are blooming very well this year."
Xu Qingyao's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface: "Is that so? It's a pity that place doesn't seem to be frequented by many people."
“Yes,” Chu Xuezhao turned around, broke off a small branch of white plum blossom, and handed it to her, her voice as soft as a sigh, “Some places may look desolate, but they may hide unexpected things underneath. Just like some people may seem to be living a peaceful life, but they may not be clean behind the scenes.”
She gave Xu Qingyao a meaningful look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Holding the white plum blossom with its chilly fragrance, Xu Qingyao watched Chu Xuezhao's departing figure and felt a sudden sense of relief.
The Third Princess was reminding her that there was something wrong with Lengxiang Garden.
Moreover, she seems to know something inside, and may even be... secretly watching certain people and events.
Is it because of Xu Zhiyuan?
Or did she herself sense something amiss in the palace?
**
That evening, Xu Qingyao relayed Chu Xuezhao's hint to Xiao Zhouyan.
“Lengxiang Garden… Third Princess…” Xiao Zhouyan tapped his fingertips on the table and pondered, “The Third Princess’s birth mother died early and she is not favored in the palace, but she has been intelligent since childhood and has some contact with the scholars in Jiangnan because of her maternal family. She may be more informed than others. Since she has given this reminder, she must have some basis for it.”
He looked at Xu Qingyao: "Lengxiang Garden is a forbidden area of the palace, and officials from outside the palace cannot enter without permission. The task of investigating will have to fall to you."
Xu Qingyao nodded: "Next time I enter the palace, I will find a way to get close and investigate. However, I need to create a plausible 'accident'."
The two discussed the matter carefully and came up with a plan.
**
Three days later, Xu Qingyao entered the palace again.
After taking the princess's pulse, she requested to rest in the Imperial Garden, citing "chest tightness and nausea." The Empress granted her request and sent two palace maids to accompany her.
Upon reaching a waterside pavilion not far from Lengxiang Garden, Xu Qingyao feigned a slip and fell over the railing.
"Madam!" a palace maid exclaimed, rushing forward to help her up.
In the chaos, the white plum blossom given to Xu Qingyao by Chu Xuezhao slipped from her sleeve and, carried by the wind, drifted and fell directly into the collapsed wall of Lengxiang Garden.
"Oh no! My plum branch!" Xu Qingyao exclaimed anxiously. "It was a gift from the Third Princess..."
The palace maids looked at each other in bewilderment. Cold Fragrance Garden was a forbidden area, and they dared not go in.
Xu Qingyao held her forehead, her breath weak: "Could you... trouble one of the guards to help me retrieve it? That plum branch... holds great significance for me."
Her eyes were glistening with tears, showing how much she cherished that plum branch.
After hesitating for a moment, the guard saw that the Lady Hou was in such a state, and that she was only picking up a plum branch that had fallen into the deserted courtyard and was not going into the main building of the palace, so he agreed and jumped over the broken wall.
Xu Qingyao leaned against the palace maid, seemingly weak, but her mind was already connected to the system. With the help of the miniature energy markers on the guards, she extended the scanning range to the interior of Lengxiang Garden.
[Scanning in progress... Hidden underground space detected! Energy fluctuations originate from the same source as the Wolf God's Tear! Faint life signs detected... One person!]
Xu Qingyao closed her lower eyelids. There really was a secret room underground in Lengxiang Garden! And there were people inside! Who was it? Shen Rou's stronghold?
Or... something else?
Just then, the guard leaped out with a plum branch in his hand, his face pale, and whispered, "Madam, something seems strange inside... the yin energy is very strong."
Xu Qingyao accepted the plum branch, thanked her, and left the palace without lingering, making an excuse that she was feeling unwell.
Upon returning to the Marquis's residence, she immediately informed Xiao Zhouyan of her discovery.
“An underground chamber…there’s someone else…” Xiao Zhouyan’s eyes were sharp as an eagle’s. “It seems we’ve found the rat hole. But we don’t know if it’s Shen Rou herself or her puppet hiding inside.”
“Identity needs to be verified,” Xu Qingyao said. “But the palace is heavily guarded, and forcibly breaking in is too risky.”
Xiao Zhouyan pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Perhaps we don't need to go in ourselves. Now that we've determined the location and know there are living people inside, they'll eventually come out. We can just wait and see."
He looked at Xu Qingyao with a deep gaze: "Next time you enter the palace, I'm afraid you'll need to... put on another show."
Xu Qingyao instantly understood his meaning. He wanted to use her as bait to lure the snake out of its hole and force the person in the secret room to show themselves.
The risks are obvious, but this is the fastest way to confirm the other party's identity and break the deadlock.
"good."
She didn't hesitate at all.
The fog seemed to have lifted somewhat, but the road ahead was even more treacherous.
The power struggle between the imperial palace and the imperial court is about to reach a new stage.
She and Xiao Zhouyan must proceed cautiously step by step in order to seize the initiative in this complex game of chess.
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