Chapter 59 Wait a little longer
While the Guan family was in constant turmoil, Meng Lingge's days at the Prince of Anshun's residence became increasingly fulfilling and busy.
The Prince's Mansion covers a vast area. Peach gardens and plum groves, boating on small lakes, artificial hills and flowing water, each courtyard has a different scenery, allowing people to enjoy flowers and spring outings without leaving the mansion.
It was drizzling in the spring today, and Meng Lingge overslept, which was unusual for her. The bedside was still warm, but Wen Zhiming was nowhere to be seen.
Meng Lingge put on her clothes and got out of bed. Dong Qing, who was outside the door, heard the noise and knocked on the door to enter, carrying things for washing her face and rinsing her mouth.
"Your Highness woke up so quickly. The Crown Prince told us not to disturb you and to let you sleep a little longer. He went out to buy you lotus flower pastries and won't be back for a while."
Meng Lingge remembered.
Last night, the kitchen delivered several plates of pastries, including a lotus flower pastry. She casually remarked that there was a pastry shop called Zhang Ji on Shengxing Street in Beijing, and that their lotus flower pastries were the most beautiful and crispy.
Wen Zhiming actually remembered it and went to buy it for her first thing in the morning.
"It's still raining outside, does he have a cloak?"
"Put it on." Dongqing said while helping Meng Lingge wash up, "The young master is so considerate to you. Originally, I was worried that the young master would hurt you, but now that I see how good the young master is to you, I'm worried... that matter you really intend to keep hidden forever..."
Dongqing was the only one of the four maids who knew that Wen Zhiming had been poisoned with Gu worms. Carrying such a big secret, she was on tenterhooks every day, afraid that she might accidentally reveal it in her sleep.
She used to be afraid of Wen Zhiming, but now, looking at him, she felt both moved and sad.
Touched that the young master could still treat the young lady with such sincerity despite being harmed by the Gu worm, yet saddened that such a good person as the young master might only have a few years left to live.
The young lady may appear to be all smiles every day, but in reality, she is probably more anxious and worried than the young lady.
Meng Lingge sat down in front of the dressing table and looked at the slightly thin woman in the mirror. She had been eating quite a bit lately, but she had still lost weight, probably due to frequent insomnia.
The two people who were sent to Lanyu Kingdom to investigate the Gu worms returned to their residence a few days ago. According to them, there are about ten kinds of Gu worms in Lanyu Kingdom, one of which is called Zhishi Gu, and its symptoms are almost identical to Wen Zhiming's.
The Mind-Eroding Gu does not hinder physical growth, but it controls the brain, causing intellectual stagnation and devouring rationality and memory.
Wen Zhiming is still able to take care of himself and control himself, and his memory has not been greatly affected. The only problem is that his IQ has remained unchanged, which is already a relatively good situation.
As for the method to expel the Gu worms, the information brought back by the secret guards was basically the same as what Su Leyan had said.
She was almost certain that Wen Zhiming was not frightened or had a strange illness, but had been poisoned with a mind-eroding Gu.
The search for the four secret guards in the capital, suspected to be the Grand Preceptor of the Blue Feather Kingdom, yielded nothing.
Sometimes Meng Lingge would wake up in the middle of the night, feeling Wen Zhiming's body temperature, and thinking that this husband who now had her in his heart and eyes might leave soon with the death of the Gu worm.
She could no longer fall asleep. Her heart was filled with a subtle pain and panic.
The Gu worms cannot be forcibly expelled, and the person who cast the Gu cannot be found. The only remaining hope is the last method mentioned by Su Leran.
The Gu worm and its host coexist in flesh and blood, share the same thoughts, and share joys and sorrows. If the host experiences betrayal and abandonment, or great grief and despair, the Gu worm may sense the host's despair and leave the host's body on its own initiative.
However, this method is still very risky. If Wen Zhiming cannot accept it, unexpected situations could easily occur.
Meng Lingge had previously considered telling Princess Anshun that she was Wen Zhiming's mother, and that it would be most appropriate for her to discuss this matter with her.
But she couldn’t decide on such a difficult choice, so how could she bear to put Princess Anshun, who had a heart full of maternal love, in a difficult position?
Handing the comb to Dongqing, Meng Lingge said slowly, "Let's wait a little longer."
Let's wait a little longer. Perhaps the secret guards can find the person who cast the curse.
Seeing that Dongqing hesitated to speak, Meng Lingge gave her a reassuring look, then changed the subject, saying, "Zhang Luo came today, right? Is there any new information about the Guan family?"
Upon hearing this, Dongqing became interested and said with a smile, "I've been here. The new play produced by Yunshao Workshop is sold out every time, with no seats available. Now the whole capital knows about Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan's character. I heard that the ladies in the palace have all requested this play. Guan Yi'an hasn't left his residence for two days. I don't know if he's afraid to go out or if he's arguing with Meng Huanyan at home."
Upon hearing this, Meng Lingge smiled and said, "Feng Ziyi's literary talent is indeed remarkable. The ladies in the palace have requested this play, which will surely alarm the Emperor. After the seven-day period, it's hard to say whether Guan Yi'an will be able to be reinstated."
Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan's disgraceful acts were revealed to Feng Ziyi through an anonymous letter. She thought that Lord Feng would simply spread the information, but unexpectedly, he wrote a storybook and commissioned the most popular opera troupe, Yunshaofang, to stage a new play overnight.
This would certainly be even better.
Last time, Guan Yi'an was able to get the position of Vice Minister of Rites through connections, and this time he may also be able to use connections to resolve these matters and get the Emperor to return the official position to him.
Chen Luo had been guarding the Guan residence for almost a month and had not discovered anything unusual.
Without finding someone to help Guan Yi'an, it will be difficult to completely bring him down.
Dongqing said, "The emperor's mind is hard to fathom. Today is the sixth day of Guan Yi'an's leave, and there has been no movement from the palace. I wonder what the emperor is thinking."
Guan Yi'an's problem was a lack of personal morality, not a lack of ability. But now the matter has blown up so much that the Emperor cannot completely ignore it.
Unless the person behind Guan Yi'an is already protecting him.
"Have Chen Luo check if the Guan residence is recruiting, and find a way to get someone in," Meng Lingge said in a deep voice.
Guan Yi'an is cautious; he may have already discovered Chen Luo. Sending a stranger into Guan's residence is the only way to gather more information.
Holly accepted the order and withdrew.
Meng Lingge sat in the room for a while, and when she heard hurried footsteps outside, she knew that Wen Zhiming had returned.
She stood up and greeted him with a gentle smile.
"My lady, my lady..." Before she even arrived, Wen Zhiming's voice came through, "Look what good things I brought you back!"
Wen Zhiming, his cloak still dripping with water, entered the room with a gust of cold wind. Before Meng Lingge could answer, he reached into his robes, took out a tightly wrapped oil paper package, and waved it in front of her.
"These are my wife's favorite lotus flower pastries. When I went there, this was the last pack. I paid twice as much money to buy them from someone else."
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