Qingluan was nowhere to be seen, and Lengyue couldn't help but start to worry.
Just as she was about to get up, Feng Qingzhuo arrived. Seeing that only Leng Yue was there, he couldn't help but frown. "The Emperor is awake? Why are you alone? Where is Qingluan?"
Leng Yue sat up. "Didn't Chief Physician Feng see Qingluan? I... I sent her to invite you, didn't you see her?"
Feng Qingzhuo shook his head, "This old minister has not seen her, nor has he seen Miss Qingluan along the way?"
"That's strange, where could this girl have gone?" Leng Yue felt uneasy.
“Miss Qingluan is not a child, Your Majesty, you don’t need to worry too much. Let this old minister remove the needles for you first!” Feng Qingzhuo gently pointed, diverting Leng Yue’s attention to the silver needles.
Upon hearing this, Leng Yue agreed. Wasn't the reason she sent Qingluan to find Feng Qingzhuo to remove the needles? So she said, "Then I'll have to trouble Dean Feng."
This time, Chief Physician Feng did not give Leng Yue any more medicine. After removing the acupuncture needles, he left with his medicine box. Before leaving, he hurriedly said, "His Majesty is out of danger and can get out of bed and walk around."
Leng Yue watched Feng Qingzhuo's retreating figure, lost in thought. Just now, she wondered if it was just her imagination, but when Feng Qingzhuo was removing the needles from her, she seemed to smell a faint scent of gardenias.
Leng Yue only stared blankly for a short while before throwing back the covers, getting up, and getting out of bed. She sat down at the table, poured herself a glass of water, and slowly drank it while patiently waiting for Qing Luan.
When Qingluan was there, Lengyue felt that the palace wasn't so empty. Now that she was all alone, Lengyue suddenly felt very lonely and thought the palace was unbelievably large.
Leng Yue arrived at the palace gate and paced back and forth. After waiting for a while and still not seeing Qing Luan, she called over Xiao Li, who was waiting outside the gate.
"His Majesty summoned me?" Little Li bowed, but his face showed no respect whatsoever. He even referred to himself as "I" instead of "your servant."
Although Leng Yue noticed these things, she didn't say anything. She simply instructed, "Qing Luan just went out and hasn't returned yet. Go out and look for her."
“Yes,” Little Li said, then flicked his whisk and walked out the door.
Leng Yue was anxious, and sitting alone in her palace only made her more uneasy. She decided to leave the palace and sit down on the steps in front of the hall. Leng Yue turned to Zhan Wudi, "Guard Zhan, can we talk?"
Although Zhan Wudi's surname is Zhan, he bears no resemblance to the red-clad Zhan Zhao. Instead, he perfectly embodies the meaning of his name, Wudi (meaning invincible). Zhan Wudi is a large, burly man with a full beard. However, this also gives him a reliable and reassuring presence.
"Your Majesty, what is it?" Zhan Wudi's voice boomed like a bell, almost shattering Leng Yue's eardrums.
Leng Yue couldn't help but rub her ears. "I'm a little worried about Qing Luan. Do you think she'll be alright?"
Mentioning Qingluan, Zhan Wudi hesitated strangely for a moment, "Qingluan is so smart, she... she must have been delayed by something. I suppose... I suppose she... she'll be back once she's dealt with it."
Leng Yue sighed, "I know Qingluan is smart, but for some reason, I just can't help feeling at ease."
Zhan Wudi also fell silent. Who could predict what would happen in the palace? But for some reason, whenever he thought about Qingluan's accident, he felt a tightness in his chest.
Seeing that Zhan Wudi remained silent, Leng Yue asked about the assassination attempt on her, "Guard Zhan, have you found the assassin who tried to kill me?"
Upon hearing Leng Yue's question, Zhan Wudi replied, "The assassin has been captured, but..."
"Just what?" Leng Yue asked.
"The assassin confessed that the mastermind was Regent Ye Rufeng, and then committed suicide by poison." Zhan Wudi said with a face full of guilt, "I didn't ask him a single question, and the thief died. It's all my fault for failing in my duties!"
"Forget it, forget it," Leng Yue waved her hand. "You were caught in a trap set by someone who was not meant to be. He wanted to die, so what could you do? By the way, do you really think it has anything to do with the Regent?"
Zhan Wudi shook his head, "The assassin's actions are too deliberate. I have a feeling that there is someone else behind the scenes."
Leng Yue nodded. "I think so too. Who would send an assassin and then make a big fuss about it? Besides, that assassin isn't even afraid of death, so how could he so easily reveal the mastermind? It seems like the Regent is being framed this time."
"However, who do you think is most likely the assassin?" Leng Yue asked again.
Zhan Wudi shook his head, "To be honest, there are too many people in this palace who want to kill you, and I can't figure it out for the time being."
Leng Yue's face stiffened. "Guard Zhan, your honest words really hit home."
"Your Majesty, I have misspoke. Please forgive me." Zhan Wudi bowed his head to apologize, but unlike Qingluan, he did not kneel down at the drop of a hat.
Leng Yue sighed and shook her head indifferently, "Don't take it to heart. I know I'm not well received here. What you said is true. There's no such thing as a slip of the tongue."
Just then, Little Li returned with a large entourage. Judging by his bearing, he was even more imposing than Emperor Leng Yue.
Even Leng Yue might not be able to bring this many people with her when she goes out, but this Little Li is just a chief eunuch, yet he has a large entourage when he goes out.
"Well, did you find Qingluan?" Leng Yue quickly got up and asked. Zhan Wudi followed behind Leng Yue, also eavesdropping.
Perhaps because Zhan Wudi was present, Xiao Li Zi put on a show, saying, "This servant led people to search for a long time, looking everywhere Qingluan might have gone, and also inquired around, but we still couldn't find Qingluan!"
Leng Yue couldn't help but glance at Zhan Wudi, then instructed Xiao Li, "Keep searching. I don't believe a living person can just disappear into thin air."
Reluctantly, Li Zi agreed and led a group of palace maids and eunuchs away in a grand procession.
"Guard Zhan, do you know what it means to not find someone in this palace?" Leng Yue's voice was somewhat hollow. She regretted sending Qing Luan out to look for Feng Qing Zhuo.
Zhan Wudi's fingers stiffened, and he remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice low and deep, "Your Majesty, please don't overthink it. I believe that Miss Qingluan will be safe and sound."
"Yes, Qingluan is so smart, she'll be fine. I haven't even sent her out of the palace to live a good life yet..." Leng Yue became more and more upset as she spoke, and couldn't help but hug her knees and stare blankly into the distance.
Before they knew it, it was noon. Leng Yue was feeling dizzy from the sun, but she was still waiting for Xiao Li Zi.
When Xiao Li Zi returned, he said it was time for the Emperor to have his meal. Leng Yue had no choice but to return to the palace for her meal.
The morning passed, and Qingluan was still not found. Lengyue sent people out to search again in the afternoon, but they still found nothing. By evening, there was still no news of Qingluan. Lengyue knew that Qingluan was likely dead.
Zhan Wudi, standing outside the palace, felt the same way. Looking at the moon, he seemed to see Qingluan's smiling face. Today, Leng Yue had suggested sending Qingluan out of the palace to live a better life, and Zhan Wudi had considered it as well. He also wanted to leave the palace with Qingluan and live a peaceful life.
But now, even thinking about it has become a luxury.
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