After finally getting through the first day, Xu Yixing dragged his legs, which had become swollen like carrots, and boarded the car back to the palace - Lu Anyuan could not leave so early, as he still had to stay and deal with the remaining matters of Yian Palace.
"When I go tomorrow, make sure I wear two knee pads and hide some food in my sleeves."
"Okay." Siqin wasn't much better than Xu Yixing. After all, how could she stand while her master was kneeling? She felt just as uncomfortable, so Xu Yixing just glanced at her and immediately rejected the idea of bringing her into the palace tomorrow.
Forget it. There are so many people in the palace anyway. I can just grab one to accompany me to the palace. This is what it means to share the hardship!
When Lu Anyuan finally returned to the palace after a long day, the moon was already high in the sky. However, he was a little touched that Yixing was still awake and waiting for him.
"You've been kneeling for so long today, why don't you take a rest?" Lu Anyuan moved to the head of the bed, loosened the cushion behind her to make it more comfortable, and looked at her with a smile.
"Hasn't our filial son Lu been busy until now? Why don't you complain of being tired?"
"Haha, I'm forced to do this. Madam, why don't you stay home tomorrow if you're sick? I heard from the imperial physician that our father is in a bad mood and probably won't be able to come in the next few days."
"Really?" Xu Yixing was shocked. She knew that the emperor must not like the empress dowager, but no matter what, he would not pretend to be sick on the first day of the wake, otherwise it would damage his reputation as a filial son.
It looked like the Emperor's injuries weren't as serious as they'd thought. "Let's forget it. Even if the Emperor doesn't go, the concubines and ladies are watching. If they find something to hold against us, it wouldn't be a good idea to do it now."
Lu Anyuan didn't say anything. He just lifted the quilt and took a look at Yixing's legs. Sure enough, his knees were swollen. He felt distressed all of a sudden. "You idiot, can't you wear a knee pad?"
"You wore it?" Xu Yixing raised his head and met his complaining expression, "You really wore it? Why didn't you tell me!" Humph, we agreed to share the hardship, why did you cheat secretly!
"Then I didn't expect you to come to the palace without taking any measures."
Xu Yixing was speechless. Before entering the palace, he was busy preparing for the Hongmen Banquet. Who knew that he would actually go to keep vigil for someone else? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?
"It's okay, I'll wear it tomorrow." Xu Yixing raised her hand and stroked his face. Normally, she didn't like this kind of contact, but now, probably because she had made up her mind to leave, she always felt that every time she saw Lu Anyuan, she would see him less and less, and she couldn't help feeling reluctant.
But Lu Anyuan obviously misunderstood, and suddenly blushed and said shyly: "Your legs, you don't want tonight?"
"What are you thinking about!" Xu Yixing widened his eyes, moved his body inside, turned over and pretended to sleep.
Lu Anyuan was not annoyed. He quickly tidied himself up and got on the bed, turning his back to her at all times. However, Xu Yixing could still feel the heat of his breath.
"I'm afraid I'll have to do this every day for the next few days. Father is not in good health, and I'll be responsible for everything in and out of Yi'an Palace. If you feel tired at night, just go to bed and don't wait for me."
Speaking of this, Xu Yixing suddenly remembered what happened today. Without turning around, he said in a muffled voice, "Why did the Third Prince leave with me today?"
"Humph, the Cui family has its roots in the capital, so of course they don't want him to be exiled. He's trying to take advantage of a loophole and show off in front of the emperor."
"Then why don't the other princes go?"
"They don't have that intention. Even if they did, not everyone has a high-ranking maternal family like Third Brother. Going there for no reason would seem disrespectful to the Queen Mother."
"That's right. The Third Prince is really good at taking advantage of loopholes." Xu Yixing sighed dejectedly, buried his head in the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep.
In the following days, just as Lu Anyuan said, the emperor did not show up at all. It was only on the last day of the empress dowager's funeral that he reluctantly struggled to attend the ceremony.
Xu Yixing looked at the emperor from afar. His face and lips were pale. He really looked like he had suffered a serious illness. Moreover, the wound was probably the kind that would bleed, otherwise how could he be so weak?
The funeral was over and it was time for everyone to have a good rest, but Xu Yixing quietly got off the carriage when it passed a restaurant, covered his face with a cloak, and went to the private room on the second floor.
"Uncle." Xu Yixing was still holding the note that someone had inexplicably slipped to him when he left the palace. The note contained the location. It seemed that his uncle had finally figured it out.
"Sit down." Bai Yu's expression was not much better. Although he didn't have to kneel in Yian Palace for seven days, so many people came to the palace every day, and he, as the commander-in-chief, could not relax for a moment.
Xu Yixing sat down as he was told, looking at him expectantly. Since there was no one else in the room today, it seemed his uncle had no intention of introducing his people to him in person. "What do you want from me, uncle?"
Bai Yu looked up with a complicated expression. He had found nothing unusual in the results of his investigations over the past few days. However, Xu Yiyan had indeed undergone a significant change after Yixing's death. She seemed less cowardly than before.
But looking at the person in front of him, Bai Yu still found it difficult to connect her with his lively and outspoken niece.
"Your style of doing things seems to be different from before." He was referring to the fact that Xu Yixing was different from before.
Xu Yixing smiled softly: "If it was still the same as before, wouldn't my family have noticed something was wrong long ago?"
"So you're really good at it?"
"It's genuine." Xu Yixing raised his head, his eyes revealing determination and confidence. Of course I am me, and it can only be me.
"Forget it!" Bai Yu raised the wine glass in front of him and drank it all, forcing himself not to bring in any supernatural legends or anything like that. "It's just that this matter is too bizarre and absurd. Don't tell anyone else about it, otherwise you'll inevitably get into trouble."
"It has been like this for years, and even if I told others, no one would believe it."
Bai Yu nodded, feeling a little relieved. "I can give you the person you asked to borrow last time, but from now on, whatever you do will have nothing to do with me, and I won't ask that person about anything. That person's past and future will have nothing to do with me."
Xu Yixing was secretly delighted. Regardless of whether his uncle could truly resist asking, the fact that he had said so at least proved that the man was a ruthless assassin, and one who, no matter how hard he tried, had no connection to him. That was great!
After seeing Xu Yixing nod, Bai Yu twirled his beard slightly, half-closing his eyes: "His name is Chao Jianyi."
"Who?" Xu Yixing shoved a meat bun into his mouth. Chao Jianyi? The son of the late Imperial Physician Chao Guoan? He was the same Imperial Physician who had examined his father after he was poisoned! No wonder! If he was one of my uncle's men, he would definitely know the details of my father's poisoning!
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