Lin Yun's head slammed hard against the corner of the cabinet, and her vision went completely dark. Her body slid limply down, like a withered leaf. Xiao Tao's scream pierced the night sky, but was drowned out by the clanging of clashing swords.
The guards and bodyguards worked together to kill the last assassin, and the room finally fell silent, with only the heavy smell of blood remaining in the air.
The courtyard was deathly silent, save for the night wind carrying the stench of blood as it swept across the eaves. Wang Defa gasped for breath, the tip of his knife pressed against the ground, sweat mingling with blood as it slid down his forehead.
He kicked aside the corpse of a body of a suicide soldier at his feet and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Find out! Do these people have any identification?"
A guard crouched down and deftly examined the corpse's clothes, pulling out a piece of cloth embroidered with a dark pattern from the inside of the collar. His pupils contracted sharply: "It's a death squad member from Ninth Master's mansion!" He handed the cloth to his companion, his voice extremely low, "Report to the master immediately."
The leader of the guards nodded, turned and rushed out of the courtyard, his figure disappearing into the night like a ghost.
The remaining people quickly cleaned up the scene, covering the bloodstains with yellow soil, and dragging away the corpse wrapped in a straw mat, as if nothing had ever happened.
Xiao Tao knelt beside the bed, trembling as she pressed a handkerchief against the wound on the back of Lin Yun's head. Blood soaked through the silk, spreading a glaring red between her fingers. "Miss... wake up..." she choked out, looking at Wang Defa, "Uncle Wang, why isn't the doctor here yet!"
Wang Defa's face turned pale instantly. He clenched his fists, veins bulging, and shouted, "The best doctor in the county is on his way! Hold on tighter!" He turned abruptly and yelled at the guards outside the door, "Send someone else to urge him! Run until your legs break and drag the doctor here!"
—————————
The Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City.
Yongzheng gripped the secret letter delivered by his bodyguard, his knuckles turning white from the force. The few words on the letter pierced his heart like a sharp blade: "Miss Lin has been attacked and is unconscious." His pupils constricted sharply, his chest felt as if a boulder was pressing down on him, and his breath caught in his throat.
"You bastard!" He slammed his hand on the table, making the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone all jump. Su Peisheng was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to make a sound.
"Prepare the horses!" Yongzheng's voice was as cold as ice, his eyes surging with murderous intent. "I will go to Shangyang County myself."
Su Peisheng was shocked and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible! You are of inestimable worth, how could you—"
"Shut up!" Yongzheng interrupted sharply, his eyes blazing with fury. "You dare question my words?"
Su Peisheng trembled and quickly kowtowed, "This servant wouldn't dare! This servant will make the arrangements immediately!"
---
Three days later, in Shangyang County, at Yunxiang Pavilion.
Lin Yun lay quietly on the bed, her face as pale as paper, with only a faint trace of rosy color remaining on her lips. Her eyelashes drooped like butterfly wings, casting a shadow beneath her eyes.
A faint scent of medicine filled the room. Xiao Tao, with red eyes, stood guard by the bedside, occasionally wiping Lin Yun's forehead with a damp cloth.
"Miss, please wake up..." Xiao Tao murmured softly, her voice choked with sobs. "My life is worthless, I should be the one to die in your place."
The door was gently pushed open, and Wang Defa led in an elderly doctor with white hair and beard.
The old doctor examined her pulse for a long time, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "The young lady's pulse is steady, but she hasn't woken up yet. I'm afraid the blood stasis in her brain hasn't dissipated. I'll prescribe a few prescriptions to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Whether she wakes up or not depends entirely on fate."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tao burst into tears: "Doctor, please save my young lady!"
The old doctor sighed and shook his head.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Yongzheng, dressed in casual black attire, stepped into Yunxiang Pavilion, looking travel-worn.
The guards had already cleared the area, and the courtyard was silent.
He strode towards the inner courtyard, each step feeling like he was walking on a knife's edge, his heart filled with both anxiety and a sense of inexplicable fear.
The moment he pushed open the door, his gaze instantly locked onto the slender figure on the bed.
"Get out." Yongzheng said as he walked into the house, without even looking at Xiao Tao. Su Peisheng pulled Xiao Tao out.
In the morning light, Lin Yun's face was almost transparent. Her small, delicate face was exquisite, with long eyelashes like fans, a small and straight nose, and lips that, though pale, were still rosy, as if she had just fallen into a light sleep.
Yongzheng's breath hitched, and his steps unconsciously slowed. He walked slowly to the bedside, leaned down to gaze at her, his fingertips trembling slightly. This was the second time he had seen her, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed.
"Yun'er..." he called softly, his voice hoarse and unlike his own.
There was no response. The room was so quiet that the faint sound of a candle burning could be heard.
He reached out and gently stroked her cheek; the touch was cool and smooth, like the finest porcelain. His fingertips lingered on her brows and eyes, and an indescribable emotion surged within him.
He never imagined that he would miss someone so much, nor did he ever imagine that she would look like this when they met again.
"I'm late," he murmured, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes.
"You've always been clever." He brushed aside the damp hair clinging to her neck, his thumb unconsciously stroking the small red mole near her ear. "How did you fall for that trick this time?"
Su Peisheng whispered from outside the door, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, you should—"
"Get out!" Yongzheng shouted without turning his head. The suppressed anger in his voice silenced Su Peisheng instantly, and he hurriedly retreated.
Silence returned to the room. Yongzheng took Lin Yun's hand in his, feeling a faint warmth in his palm. He held it tightly, as if that would pull her back from the darkness.
"Who hurt you?" His voice was deep and icy, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "I will make them pay for their crimes in blood!"
Lin Yun remained lying quietly, unresponsive to his words. Yongzheng stared at her, his heart churning with hatred.
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