Chapter 51 [51]
【51】/First release on Jinjiang Literature City
The night was dark at the Cile Palace, the southernmost summer palace.
A sharp "click" sound broke the silence in the hall, and the fine Ru kiln cups and bowls fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
"You said the Emperor and Concubine Zhao fell off the cliff together?"
Empress Dowager Gu covered her chest with her hands, and her eyes went dark. If the nanny beside her had not supported her in time, she would have collapsed to the ground.
In the center of the hall, Yu Mingjiang was carried back. His wounds had been simply bandaged, and his already beardless face had turned even paler due to the excessive blood loss. He lay on the stretcher, barely breathing. "Your Majesty, I found this on the cliff..."
He raised his uninjured right hand tremblingly, and in his palm was a jade pearl earring stained with dust and blood.
"This is exactly what Concubine Zhao is wearing today."
Yu Mingjiang's voice choked with sobs, tears welling in his eyes. "The Imperial Guards even found footprints on the cliff edge, and they're definitely those of Your Majesty and Concubine Zhao..."
At this point, he could no longer contain his grief. He bowed himself to the ground and wept bitterly, "I deserve to die. I failed to protect my master. I am ashamed of Your Majesty and the Queen Mother."
The bad news came too suddenly. Empress Dowager Gu was in despair and fell on the edge of the couch, with a buzzing sound in her ears. She really couldn't accept it.
"Oh, Manager Yu, what's wrong with you?" the nanny beside her exclaimed.
Empress Dowager Gu was stunned for a moment, then looked again, only to see that half of Yu Mingjiang's robe was soaked with blood. The old eunuch seemed to be completely unaware of the pain, pounding the ground with his fists and tears streaming down his face.
Seeing this, Empress Dowager Gu felt even more melancholy. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve and ordered, "First, take Chief Steward Yu back and have the imperial physician take good care of him."
He then ordered the eunuchs beside him, "Quickly go and invite Chief Minister Gu, Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Liang Gong, and Commander of the Five Military Camps Guo Baoshuai..."
After a pause, she clutched her handkerchief and added, "Also, Xiao Xian, the Prince of Liaodong, have them come to see me quickly."
The eunuch immediately obeyed the order and did it.
Yu Mingjiang was carried away, and the hall fell silent for a moment, leaving only the suppressed sobs of Empress Dowager Gu.
The nanny beside her patted her back and comforted her: "Don't be too sad, Queen Mother. Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor. Good people will be blessed by heaven..."
"The True Dragon Emperor is not a mortal. If he falls off such a high cliff, he will be shattered into pieces!"
Queen Mother Gu covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face. "Ah Yin, how could this poor child have such a miserable fate? He suffered so much the moment he was born, and now he has finally found his happy ending. Everything seems to be getting better and better. Maybe he could even become a father this year... Those damn assassins! When I find the mastermind behind this, I will definitely cut them into pieces!"
Nanny was also deeply distressed. She sighed twice, then suddenly remembered something and whispered in her ear, "Master, it's fine if you invite the Prime Minister, Lord Liang, Lord Guo and others to discuss matters, but why invite the King of Liaodong as well? What if the news gets out..."
"I don't care about that."
Queen Mother Gu's eyes were red as she looked at the servant who had served her for many years and said, "Wenying, I don't trust anyone in this world now, not even my brother... I only trust Xiao Xian."
In this world, no one else could treat her like Xiao Xian did. He would always stand by her side.
The nanny had witnessed her master's unrequited love in their youth, and she also knew that the King of Liaodong was a man of loyalty and righteousness. With him present, the master would feel more at ease, so she said no more.
As the master and servant were sighing in the hall, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
"Aunt, aunt——"
Concubine Gu, dressed in a crimson purple summer gown, hurried into the hall, the golden hairpins on her crow-like hair shaking violently.
Seeing the lingering tears on Empress Dowager Gu and the nanny's faces, Imperial Concubine Gu paused, her charming face changing again and again. Finally, her brows furrowed, and her voice grew weak. "Could it be true, as they say, that His Majesty...he too was killed?"
Queen Mother Gu looked up at her niece with a sad expression: "Yu'er..."
Concubine Gu swallowed her saliva, her eyes filled with disbelief and confusion: "No... Impossible, how could... How could this happen..."
Her body was about to fall, and the palace maid helped her sit down in time.
Empress Dowager Gu thought she was just sad, so she wiped away her tears and told the nanny to bring her a cup of soothing tea.
Turning to look at Concubine Gu again, he saw that her face was incredibly pale.
"Yu'er?" Empress Dowager Gu frowned and called softly, then tried to hold Concubine Gu's hand, but found that her fingertips were very cold.
Concubine Gu hurriedly retracted her hand as if she had been pricked by a thorn.
Queen Mother Gu looked at her strange behavior and narrowed her eyes: "Yu'er, what's wrong with you?"
Concubine Gu was stunned and quickly shook her head: "No, no... I am worried about His Majesty. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the Emperor. He is blessed by God, nothing will happen to him, absolutely nothing will happen to him!"
After all, Empress Dowager Gu had stayed in the deep palace for many years and had met all kinds of people.
Seeing that his niece looked more nervous and guilty than sad, a terrible guess came to his mind.
After the nanny brought the calming tea, Empress Dowager Gu dismissed everyone in the hall and left only Concubine Gu.
"Aunt, what are you doing..." Concubine Gu's eyelashes trembled.
Since there were no outsiders present, Queen Mother Gu didn't bother to talk about those twists and turns. She fixed her dark eyes on her niece and asked solemnly, "Yu'er, is this assassination related to you?"
Concubine Gu's already pale face turned even paler. She pretended to be calm and said, "Aunt, why do you ask this? How could this matter be related to me? This is a serious crime of treason..."
"It's good that you know it's a serious crime of treason!"
Empress Dowager Gu's eyes darkened, her tone even more stern. "I have ordered the summons of your father, the Imperial Guards, and the commanders of the five military camps. This matter is of grave importance and must be investigated to the end. I have just sworn in my heart that when the mastermind behind this heinous crime is apprehended, I will chop him into pieces and pulverize his bones!"
She almost squeezed out the last eight words through gritted teeth.
When Concubine Gu heard the sonorous words, her slender shoulders couldn't help but tremble twice.
Seeing her reaction, Empress Dowager Gu grew increasingly disappointed. After waiting for a long while without her speaking, she finally couldn't help herself and slammed the table hard, scolding in a cold voice, "At this point, you still want to hide it? Do you really want the entire Gu family to be buried with you?"
The table shook violently with this clap of hands, and the cup of calming tea even swayed twice, causing the tea to overflow and soak the embroidery on Concubine Gu's cuffs.
Although Empress Dowager Gu is usually gentle and kind, like a bodhisattva, when she gets really angry, her majesty from having held a high position for many years cannot be underestimated.
Concubine Gu, already harboring suspicions, was frightened by this and immediately rose from the couch and knelt before Empress Dowager Gu. "Aunt, I'm telling you, I'm telling you... This has nothing to do with me. Seriously, I swear!"
She looked up, unable to conceal her panic as she explained, "I did arrange a group of assassins, but the ones today are definitely not my men! I arranged them for tomorrow, intending to eliminate Lu Zhiwan while His Majesty was taking him hunting... Aunt, believe me, I really have no intention of harming His Majesty. I was only going after the Lu family. Think about it, even if I had a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare commit regicide. Besides, if anything happened to His Majesty, I would become a widow, which would be of no benefit to me..."
God knows how shocked and frightened she was when the palace maid came to report that His Majesty had been assassinated.
Her people were scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so why did something happen today?
And it’s not just Lu Zhiwan who’s in trouble, but also His Majesty!
This matter was of great importance, and she could no longer sit still. She hurried to the Queen Mother to inquire about the situation.
"Aunt, please believe me, those are not my people...it really has nothing to do with me..." Concubine Gu explained anxiously, her voice trembling.
Queen Mother Gu looked at her kneeling niece, her eyes unable to conceal her disappointment and helplessness. She shook off her hand that was tugging at her sleeve and tearfully scolded her, "Yu'er, how...how did you become like this! In the past, you were so audacious as to drug His Majesty's food and drink, which was already a heinous crime! Now you even dare to arrange assassins to kill the concubines! Do you think His Majesty is a fool, or do you think I am a fool? If Lu Zhiwan was assassinated in the palace, can't we trace it back to you?"
Concubine Gu's eyes flashed, and she whispered, "I...I know I was wrong, aunt. I was confused! I won't dare to do it again! But today's assassination attempt really has nothing to do with me!"
Do you really know you are wrong?
Queen Mother Gu stared at her tearful face, and suddenly remembered the last time she was caught drugging the emperor, she had also knelt in front of her and her brother, crying, saying that she was wrong and would never do it again.
But next time, she still dares!
She has great ambitions, and she knows that she has the support of her aunt, father and brother. She is fearless, so what is there to be afraid of?
"Yu'er, you really disappoint me."
Empress Dowager Gu raised her hand to press her swollen forehead. Before Concubine Gu could speak again, she shouted, "Someone come!"
Soon a palace maid stepped forward and said, "Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager Gu said solemnly, "Take the imperial concubine back to her side hall and keep her under strict guard. Without my permission, she is not allowed to leave!"
"Empress Dowager!" the nanny was surprised.
"Aunt——!" Concubine Gu also shouted, "I am truly wronged. This matter has nothing to do with me. Aunt, please understand!"
Empress Dowager Gu was very upset at the moment and didn't want to hear another word from her. She just raised her hand and asked the palace maids to drag the person away.
As soon as Concubine Gu was taken away, Prime Minister Gu and others arrived.
Empress Dowager Gu suppressed her expression, straightened her sleeves slightly, and walked towards the outer hall solemnly.
***
The moon rises and sets, the sun rises, and it is another bright summer morning.
Thirty miles east of Jiuqing Mountain, in an inconspicuous farmyard, chickens crowed, dogs barked, and smoke rose from the kitchen.
"Grandpa, grandma!"
The little girl's clear voice rang out joyfully in the bright sunshine: "Sister Chang'e has woken up!"
"Oh, I'm glad you woke up. The medicine soup is almost cooked."
An old man in a grey coarse linen shirt poured out the herbs from the medicine basket, turned to the old woman at the stove and said, "Old woman, take it to the girl."
The old lady agreed: "Okay, I'll go right away."
In the simple but tidy thatched hut, Lu Zhiwan, who had just opened his eyes, stared at the gray roof, his head still a little dazed.
Where is this? The underworld?
Is the underworld so simple?
Just at this moment, footsteps were heard at the door.
She turned her head and saw a white-haired old lady walking in with a steaming bowl of medicine.
Lu Zhiwan: “…” This shouldn’t be Meng Po and her soup.
"Girl, you're awake. How do you feel now?" The old lady put the tray in her hand on the table at the side.
Lu Zhiwan also realized at this time that she probably made the right bet - the plot would not kill the two villains so early!
If she is alive, then Xiao Jingting must be alive too!
The joy of surviving the disaster surged in her heart. She stood up and looked at the woman: "Excuse me... Your Majesty... My..."
Her voice was hoarse and rough, and she changed the subject: "Where is my husband? Is he okay?"
"Hey, girl, lie down first and talk. You're still so wounded." The old woman came forward to support her and comforted her, "Don't worry, your husband is lying in the next room. His injuries are much more serious than yours. When my old man brought you back, he had a high fever and it lasted all night. It finally subsided this morning. But his wounds are too deep, especially the arrow wound on his shoulder blade. It's so deep and bleeding so much. It's really scary!"
Hearing this, Lu Zhiwan endured the pain all over his body and tried to get up again: "I want to go see him."
"Don't worry, don't worry."
The old lady said, "I know you're worried about your husband, but you have to take care of your own health first. Take your medicine first, eat some water and rice, and then it won't be too late to go see him."
The yellow-haired girl who had been hiding timidly beside the table also poked her head out and echoed, "Yes, Sister Chang'e, don't worry, your husband hasn't woken up yet."
Lu Zhiwan was stunned by her calling her "Sister Chang'e". The old lady picked up the medicine and said, "You are a country girl with no experience. Seeing your beautiful face, she thought you were Chang'e who had come down to earth, so she called you that."
"That's it." Lu Zhiwan leaned back on the buckwheat pillow and took the medicine. "Thank you, Auntie. My last name is Lu. You can just call me Little Lu."
"I dare not."
The old lady shook her head repeatedly. Seeing Lu Zhiwan slowly sipping the medicine, she sighed, "Although I come from the countryside, Miss Lu and your husband's appearance and clothing clearly indicate they are not ordinary families. Did you encounter bandits? How did you end up so injured, lying on the riverbank?"
Lying on the riverbank? Lu Zhiwan's eyes flickered.
The memory of yesterday evening came flooding back to her mind. She remembered pulling Xiao Jingting off the cliff, with the wind whistling in her ears. The terrible feeling of weightlessness made her brain go blank and she couldn't think at all.
They fell for an unknown amount of time before they plunged into a cold, bottomless pool of water. Afterwards, she lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, it was now, and she and Xiao Jingting were rescued by this kind farmer family.
"My old man's surname is Sun, so you can just call me Auntie Sun. This is my granddaughter, Yingying."
Aunt Sun said slowly, "We are herbal farmers at the foot of this mountain. Two years ago, Yingying's father went into the mountains to collect herbs and accidentally fell from a cliff and died. Yingying's mother was still young, so she was taken back by her family and remarried, leaving behind a little girl like Yingying to live with me and this old man..."
"Yesterday, my old man was returning from gathering herbs. He passed by the river and first spotted you. Then, walking a little further, he spotted your husband. Thankfully, God bless you two, and you're both still alive. I'm truly thankful to God for your lives."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiwan simply said that she and Xiao Jingting were a couple on a trip, and that they had been retaliated against by their enemies and had accidentally fallen off a cliff. After that, she thanked Aunt Sun again and again.
Aunt Sun waved her hands repeatedly: "Don't be so polite. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Let's just consider it as accumulating merits, and ask God to bless us with a few more years of life, so that he can protect our Yingying for a little longer."
After chatting for a while, Lu Zhiwan drank the medicine and ate half a bowl of fish porridge, and he felt a little stronger.
She once again proposed to go see Xiao Jingting. This time, Aunt Sun did not stop her. She only said, "Young lady, go slowly. Your leg is seriously injured. You shouldn't be out of bed..."
He didn't feel anything when he was lying down just now, but now that he moved, Lu Zhiwan also felt a tearing pain.
When he lifted the quilt, he found that he had quite a few wounds on his body.
Fortunately, most of the injuries were superficial, with the most serious being on the right leg. According to Aunt Sun, it was probably scraped by the sharp rocks, leaving a horrific wound with flesh torn open.
At this moment, applying herbal medicine and wrapping it with gauze could help avoid facing the bloody situation.
With the support of Aunt Sun and the little girl Yingying, Lu Zhiwan moved to the next room with difficulty.
"I originally wanted to put you two in the same room, but your husband had a severe fever last night and needed someone to keep an eye on him. Otherwise, it would be terrible if no one was watching him and his brain was damaged," Aunt Sun explained.
Lu Zhiwan nodded in understanding: "Thank you for your help, sir."
Walking into the next room, a strong herbal smell hit me in the face, mixed with a faint smell of blood.
On the crude long kang with the window half open, the familiar tall figure lay flat on his back, motionless. The dim light and shadow cast on his face, making his skin, already pale from blood loss, almost transparent.
For a moment, Lu Zhiwan felt that the person in front of him was like a cluster of ice and snow in the sun, which would disappear in the next moment.
Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by a big hand. Her eyes were hot, her nose was sore, and she was almost on the verge of tears.
"Miss Lu..."
"I'm fine."
She tightened her grip on the door frame, finally suppressing the emotions surging in her heart, and slowly moved to the side of the couch.
Seeing her like this, Aunt Sun sighed softly, "Don't be too sad, young lady. Your husband is young and strong, and has a good physical foundation. He will be well soon."
Lu Zhiwan forced a smile: "I believe he will."
Aunt Sun said a few more words of comfort, then tactfully took the little girl Yingying away, leaving the space to this ill-fated pair of mandarin ducks.
The wooden door closed again, and the room was filled with a melancholy silence.
Lu Zhiwan sat beside the couch, quietly looking at the unconscious man on the couch.
His black hair was disheveled, and he was wearing a rough but neat gray-brown men's robe. His three-dimensional face had lost its color and was as pale as paper, with a three-finger-wide red scratch on his right cheek.
Although he looked so disheveled and haggard, it did not diminish his handsomeness at all, but instead added a sense of brokenness.
In the past, when she saw beauties with damaged makeup on TV, she would lick the screen at the evening party. Now, seeing the person she liked injured like this, she was in no mood to appreciate the beauty at all. She just kept feeling sad and wanted to cry.
"Xiao Jingting..." She called softly in a hoarse voice, and her slender fingers touched his forehead, the temperature was still hot.
Although it is not high, a low-grade fever that persists is also dangerous.
Lu Zhiwan looked solemn, and remembered that Aunt Sun said he was seriously injured.
After hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand to lift the thin blanket on the man, and then reached for the tie of his robe.
The man's muscular body slowly came into view, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, solid abdominal muscles, and clearly defined muscles.
However, the large blood-stained bandage wrapped around his shoulders and back, as well as the wounds of varying depths all over his body, ruined the perfection of this body, making people frown and feel heartache.
"Xiao Jingting, can you hear me?"
After tying his robe back on, Lu Zhiwan took his hand, lowered her head, and gently rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand, her long eyelashes trembling: "Look, how amazing we are. We didn't die after falling from such a high cliff. It shows that God still favors us..."
"Since it wants to fight us, then we will fight it. I just don't believe it's so powerful that it has no weaknesses at all. If it were truly invincible, why would it rush to make a big move and correct the plot the moment you implemented the decree to reduce the power of the feudal lords? It's obvious that it's panicking."
"...I wonder what's going on at the palace right now? With something like this happening, the Empress Dowager must be very worried and should have sent someone to look for us..."
"Wake up quickly! Once you wake up, we'll go back. There are imperial doctors and fine medicines in the palace. Once your wounds are healed, we'll investigate the origins of those men in black and settle accounts with them."
Although we know that it is the plot gravity that is causing the trouble, the origins of those men in black are still unknown, and we don’t know which faction they belong to.
Lu Zhiwan held Xiao Jingting's hand and sat in deep thought.
Near noon, the little girl Yingying tiptoed in and called her to eat.
Lu Zhiwan responded with an "OK" and glanced at Xiao Jingting who was still asleep.
"I'll go eat first and come back to accompany you later." She said softly, letting go of his hand.
She had probably been sitting for too long, and when she stood up suddenly, her bones ached. She leaned forward on the bed and bent down, when a white shadow suddenly appeared from between her collars.
The jade pendant that she always wore was given to her by Xiao Jingting.
She still remembered that when Xiao Jingting gave her the jade pendant, he said that it had the effect of warding off evil spirits and protecting safety.
She didn't believe it before.
Now think about it, Xiao Jingting fell from the same cliff and was injured so seriously, but he was still able to walk. Maybe there is some mystery in this jade pendant.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiwan took out the jade pendant from his neck and put it on Xiao Jingting.
Jade pendant, oh jade pendant, if you are really a spiritual gem, please bless him with peace and prosperity, and wake up soon.
The little girl Yingying came forward to support Lu Zhiwan. Seeing her melancholy and worried look, she thought for a moment and whispered to comfort her: "Sister Lu, big brother will be fine."
Lu Zhiwan lowered his head and smiled at the seven-year-old but exceptionally sensible little girl: "I know he will be fine."
Of course.
She firmly believed it.
Perhaps it was because sincerity was effective, or perhaps Baoyu's magic was truly effective. In the evening, when the sky was filled with red clouds, the person on the couch finally moved.
Looking at his trembling eyelashes and slowly opening eyes, Lu Zhiwan could not hide his excitement: "Your Majesty, you are finally awake!"
As if he had been asleep for too long, the man's dark eyes were covered with a thin layer of mist, revealing a newborn purity and clarity.
He rolled his eyes and looked around before finally fixing his gaze on the fair and graceful face of the beautiful woman beside the couch. A hint of confusion and vigilance appeared in his deep brows. He said in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
