Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Secret Shrine
Suddenly, the sound of horses neighing came from outside the main hall; the entourage of the Prince of Ruyang had arrived at the gate. Li Peixuan's black cloak was still damp with the snow from the northern frontier, but the jade pendant at his waist had been replaced with a jade ring, a garment typically worn by women. Through the window frame, the light gradually dimmed. Madam Mu gazed at the two figures standing side by side, and finally couldn't help but vomit a mouthful of blood—it turned out that this scheme had been quietly laid out months ago, ever since Li Peixuan returned to the capital.
The Prince of Ruyang's Mansion.
Inside the room, Li Peixuan brushed off non-existent wrinkles from his robes, settled into the main seat, and looked down at the person with his deep gaze. He softened his voice and asked, "Now that the Mu family matter is settled, I wonder if A-Lian is alright..."
"Your Highness..." Mu Lian rose and bowed, her expression aloof, interrupting Li Peixuan's words: "There is a difference between close and distant relationships. Please address me as Commander Mu, Your Highness." Since everyone knows this is just a transaction, there's no need to feign intimacy.
Li Peixuan tightened his grip on the object in his hand, sighed, and silently stuffed it back into his pocket. Oh well, there's plenty of time. Persistence pays off; even the hardest steel will eventually soften.
Composing himself, Li Peixuan said seriously, "Alright, Commander Mu, what are the arrangements for the next step? According to my scouts, my father will be returning to the capital soon."
The Prince of Ruyang is returning to the capital? Excellent. It's time to settle both old and new scores.
"The plan remains unchanged..." Mu Lian raised her eyes, looking into Li Peixuan's eyes, her voice questioning, "Has Your Highness made up your mind?"
With his slender fingertips gently stroking his still faintly aching heart, Li Peixuan nodded quietly: "Commander Mu, please go ahead and do it. This young master will give you his full support!"
"Very well, thank you, Your Highness." After bowing again, Mu Lian put on her veil, turned and walked out. Although Li Peixuan already knew her true identity, the Ruyang Prince's mansion had many servants, so she had to be cautious to avoid causing any trouble.
Because of the need to establish diplomatic relations with the Western Regions, the Empress specially dispatched the Prince of Ruyang to lead an envoy. Originally, the Prince of Ruyang feigned illness to avoid leaving the capital, but the recent investigation into the illegal iron mine operation by the military governor Liu Zhang had implicated many, and the Empress had subtly and overtly reprimanded many people. Although there was no direct evidence linking the Prince of Ruyang himself, it was clear to everyone that his household was involved behind the scenes. Under these circumstances, the Prince of Ruyang had no choice but to keep a low profile and dare not act recklessly or boss people around. After all, the Liu Zhang case had given him a firsthand experience of the Empress's ruthless methods. It was said that the prisons of the Judicial Office were already overflowing, and that outside the lower-level prisons for serious offenders, screams and wails had continued for three to five days and nights. The overwhelming stench of blood had attracted swarms of black crows to the high walls of the Judicial Office.
Inside the hall, Li Peixuan was fully aware of everything. Ever since that year, when the Prince of Ruyang made him use his own body to raise Gu worms, the last vestige of affection Li Peixuan held for his father had vanished. Since that was the case, why not let him take the position? Besides, this was something the Empress would be happy to see.
A lingering ache seemed to still throb in his chest. Li Peixuan stroked the scars left from the removal of the Gu poison, a bitter smile playing on his lips. In the royal family, what was there to talk about family? The scene of Mu Lian removing the Gu poison seemed to reappear in his mind; the soft, cool fingertips and the sharp blade slicing through his skin were still vivid, sending a shiver down Li Peixuan's spine. A heat seemed to slowly rise from a certain part of his body, causing the man on the throne to let out a low groan.
After a long while, the man raised his eyes and let out a long sigh. His moist and slightly reddened eyes looked out the window. As the wind blew and the curtains swayed, he could still vaguely see the graceful figure of that person as she left.
That night, the stars were faint, the clouds were scattered, and the moonlight was hazy.
A nimble, swift shadow slipped past the guards outside Prince Ruyang's study and quietly crept inside. The window closed behind her, shutting out the sparse starlight and hazy moonlight. Inside, the air was heavy, thick with the scent of aged ink and expensive sandalwood, as heavy as solidified amber, enveloping power and countless unspeakable secrets.
Mu Lian held her breath, like a ghost, her toes barely touching the cold, hard gold brick floor. In the darkness, her sharp gaze, like a probe tempered with ice, swept inch by inch over the room that symbolized the highest authority in the Prince's mansion—the enormous sandalwood desk, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the priceless treasures on the display shelves… each piece exuding a breathtaking extravagance and majesty.
Outside the window, the breathing and footsteps of the Prince's guards were clearly audible to Mu Lian, like the rhythmic sound of the tides, which she meticulously calculated the intervals between. Mu Lian's movements were swift and precise; her slender fingers brushed across the carved panel on the side of the bookshelf, her fingertips keenly catching an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible protrusion. With a gentle touch, a barely audible click of a mechanism came from within, and a panel silently slid open, revealing a dark opening. Without hesitation, Mu Lian reached inside, but her fingertips touched not the cold iron box she had expected, but a roll of delicate silk, carrying an unusual warmth.
What's this?
Mu Lian took out the silk scroll, which felt slightly heavy in her hand. Just as the scroll left the hidden compartment, a larger, more concealed panel beside it, like a sleeping behemoth awakened by the movement, silently retreated inward, revealing an even larger, deeper niche. In an instant, a more ancient, lingering aura, a mixture of paper and ink, and some indescribable chill, swept over her.
Mu Lian's heart skipped a beat at that moment. An indescribable tremor, seemingly originating from the depths of her blood, seized her without warning. Mu Lian didn't even bother to examine the scroll of silk before her gaze was drawn firmly to the depths of the open niche.
The somewhat empty niche contained neither gold nor jade, nor any secret letter. There was only a painting.
A painting of a lady, meticulously framed and hanging on the inner wall of the secret niche.
The scroll slowly unfurled in Mu Lian's hands, the silk making a soft rustling sound that, in the deathly silent study, was as clear as thunder. The candlelight flickered, its light and shadow leaping and climbing onto the canvas, illuminating the face of the person in the painting inch by inch.
In an instant, time seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand and then cruelly crushed.
Mu Lian's blood froze instantly, then surged wildly upwards in a dizzying rush, bringing a wave of dizziness. Her fingers, gripping the scroll, tightened abruptly, the knuckles cracking from the excessive force, instantly draining all color from her face, turning deathly pale. An extreme chill exploded from the deepest part of her spine, instantly engulfing her limbs and bones, making Mu Lian almost lose her balance. She staggered back half a step, her back slamming heavily against the cold antique shelf with a dull thud…
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