Chapter 34 Blood Test: Was the Empress Dowager here to assassinate me? ...
During the Lesser Heat season, the weather is extremely hot, so the honor guard chose to walk through the lakeside pavilions where people could escape the heat.
The lotus flowers on the lake are in full bloom, their petals delicate and vibrant, their green leaves as emerald as jade plates, standing tall and graceful. A gentle breeze carries their faint fragrance, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
Seeing the picturesque scenery, Chu Yueyuan slowed her pace.
Shen Zizhan, who was walking behind her, also slowed down.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a corner of the man's purple robe flutter in the wind, and the mutton-fat jade mandarin duck ring was still hanging at his waist.
In fact, the relationship between people can be gleaned from their simple interactions.
Shen Zizhan respected her as his sovereign, and he was like her shadow cast by the light, always silently following behind her. Even if his heart was troubled, he would hide it back in that shadow.
If it were the regent, she would only see the man's broad shoulders and back. He was so arrogant, referring to himself as a humble subject to her, but he never actually considered himself a subject.
He was never her subject; he was destined to be the ruler of the world.
Yet this arrogant man, in order to save her, ventured into a den of dragons and tigers, nearly losing his life and his right to rule the world.
Chu Yueyuan has been thinking about this question ever since she woke up.
Why did the Regent go to save her?
Perhaps, in general, it was because the man was too arrogant and did not take the trap set by the void seriously that he suffered such a heavy blow.
According to Chief Lin, in order to kill the Regent, Xu Kong smeared aconite juice, a deadly poison, on the sword. Although it only slightly grazed the skin, the venom seeped into his heart through his bloodstream. If the wound had been any deeper, even a great immortal might not have been able to save him.
Lin Sizhou suppressed the events that occurred at Tanzhe Temple, only announcing to the outside world that the Regent had been injured at the hunting grounds and needed to recuperate for a period of time.
He has not yet regained consciousness.
It's been fifteen days already. If he keeps sleeping, will the Regent turn into a fool, or... never wake up again?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when Chu Yueyuan immediately shook her head.
No, the Regent is considered an inauspicious figure by Buddhist decree; his birth chart is so powerful that it could be used as an axe to chop wood if written on rice paper...
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Shen Zizhan's clear and melodious voice was like a babbling brook; the moment he opened his mouth, it dispelled the sweltering heat of the summer day.
Chu Yueyuan turned around, and the handsome man's face was reflected in the shimmering lotus flowers of the lake, a truly pleasing sight.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked curiously, "The Hall of Diligent Governance is not far ahead, why did you stop, Minister Shen?"
Shen Zizhan's amber eyes were filled with the light of a lake, clear and bright. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, I lied to you. In fact, Lord Lin has not summoned me for many days."
Chu Yueyuan was not surprised that Chief Lin was wary and distant of Shen Zizhan. The Shen family had been officials for generations, with both merit and virtue, and was the head of the upright officials. Their stance in the court had always been impartial.
With the Regent's fate currently unknown, if the Shen family were to learn of this and take any action, the situation would inevitably descend into chaos.
She gently shook the palace fan in her hand and smiled slightly: "Chief Lin is not as efficient as the Regent. In the past few days, he has sent far fewer memorials to the Phoenix Palace. He is busy dealing with government affairs and will inevitably neglect the officials who submit memorials. Once the Regent recovers and returns, everything will be fine."
Shen Zizhan gazed at the woman's bright smile. Sunlight shone on her porcelain-white skin, and her dimples were faintly visible at the corners of her lips. For a moment, his eyes darkened slightly.
"Does Your Highness trust the Regent greatly?"
Chu Yueyuan paused slightly as she fanned herself. She frowned and thought for a moment before saying softly, "Trust is mutual. The Regent has never abandoned me, so naturally I choose to trust him."
"Your subject understands." Shen Zi nodded, his long eyes lowered with a faint shadow, concealing the emotions in his eyes.
He said calmly, “The Great Heat has passed more than halfway, and the Beginning of Autumn is approaching. The capital usually experiences several rainstorms around this time. I have seen that the fish at the bottom of the lake have all swum to the surface, and I suspect that this rainstorm will be particularly fierce. Your Highness should stay in the Phoenix Perch Palace these days and not go out, so as not to get your clothes wet in the rain.”
Chu Yueyuan could easily understand the warning in Shen Zizhan's words. Her gaze fell on the lake below the waterside pavilion, where she saw a large number of koi carp leaping out of the water, opening and closing their mouths, futilely swallowing air.
"Minister Shen's insight is remarkable; it seems this heavy rain was destined to fall..."
She murmured softly, her fair chin resting on the palace fan, then smiled gently: "If I insist on facing the wind and rain, will you hold an umbrella for me, Shen Qing?"
"meeting!"
Shen Zizhan answered decisively, his clear, bright eyes sparkling, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I am willing to be the Empress Dowager's umbrella, sheltering you from the wind and rain."
————
The Regent's Palace, inside the study.
A wicker incense burner on a rosewood desk emitted wisps of smoke, and the man's handsome face, shrouded in the smoke, resembled a celestial being enveloped in mist, exuding an otherworldly grace untouched by worldly affairs.
The steward of the Prince's residence brought over a bowl of medicinal soup and placed it on the table, whispering a reminder: "Your Highness, it's time to take your medicine."
Pei Muwei placed the wolf-hair brush on the jade brush holder, wiped the ink stains off his fingers with a damp cloth, and drank the medicine.
Seeing that the Regent looked better than when he last visited, Lin Sizhou, who was standing behind his desk, felt much more at ease and reported on the recent situation in the court.
"Recently, Prince Chen has been frequently hosting banquets at his old residence in the capital, inviting officials to his study for private talks under the pretext of appreciating calligraphy and paintings, which shows signs of him forming cliques."
"According to my investigation, these officials who came from Prince Chen's residence have received cultural artifacts and jewelry from Prince Chen to varying degrees. I have recorded these officials in order to settle accounts later."
General Kan responded, "Our spies have sent word from Liangzhou that the eldest son of the King of Liang has taken inventory of the supplies for 60,000 troops. Although these supplies have not yet left the city, 10,000 cavalrymen are already on guard outside Liangzhou. If we send troops, they can reach the capital in just one month by fast horses."
The Great Qi stipulates that each vassal king can have three guard battalions, each with a strength of more than 20,000 men. If the vassal king is located near the border, the strength can be doubled. For example, Pei Muwei was formerly the Prince of Beiting, and because of the Canglang tribe that often invaded from the west, his strength can reach 200,000 men.
The King of Liang's 60,000 troops were not many, but when you add the King of Runan, who had long planned to raise an army.
In terms of troop strength, Pei Muwei is at a disadvantage, not to mention that half of the Futu Army is fighting against the Canglang Clan on the front lines, and these troops cannot be recalled for the time being.
Pei Muwei listened to their report without any change in expression. He put down the medicine bowl and spoke calmly:
"Has anything been found at Tanzhe Temple?"
Lin Mu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, I have checked the ordination certificates of Xu Kong and the other four monks. They entered Tanzhe Temple fifteen years ago. Due to the passage of time, I can only find that their place of origin is Yongzhou. As for information about their relatives, I have already sent people to Yongzhou to investigate.”
Lin Sizhou's eyes lit up, and he snapped his folding fan shut, asserting, "Fifteen years ago, when the retired Emperor Wu was on the throne, Prince Liang, as the eldest prince, had already begun to assist in government affairs and even personally went to Yongzhou to serve as supervisor for two years. All of this was enough for him to place his men in Tanzhe Temple!"
"Prince Liang must still harbor resentment over what happened back then. This so-called 'surrender to the capital' is just a pretext. His ultimate goal is to get rid of you and take your place!"
General Kan angrily cursed, "You ungrateful bastard! If we had known that Prince Liang was up to no good, we should have had those bandits cut off his head back then."
Behind the long table with its scrolling floral pattern made of huanghuali wood, the group fell into a debate. General Kan suggested that they simply detain the Prince of Liang; with his father and mother in their hands, the Prince of Liang's eldest son would not dare to act rashly.
Lin Sizhou was so angry that his face turned red. He pointed his folding fan at General Kan's nose and cursed him for being muddleheaded. Wasn't he afraid that the eldest son of the King of Liang would be pushed to the brink and use the pretext of rescuing his father to lead his troops straight into the capital?
The steward of the Prince's mansion served a cup of tea. The unfurled tea leaves floated in the tea water, emitting a refreshing aroma.
Pei Muwei picked up his teacup and took a small sip, his gaze falling on the pond outside the courtyard. His dark eyes, hidden in the misty steam, seemed lost in thought.
When the pond water is clear, you can see everything in it clearly, but when the lake water becomes murky, you can't see the culprit stirring up the mud and sand.
Fish that stir up the mud and sand will always lose one or two scales.
Right now, the pond water isn't murky enough; we need to wait a while longer. His absence from court is giving the fish the courage to stir up the lake water.
The teacup landed on the table with a light touch, and the people arguing behind the long table instantly fell silent.
Pei Muwei handed the written troop deployment order to General Kan and calmly instructed: "Deploy 50,000 heavy cavalry to garrison north of the river to monitor the Prince of Runan's actions."
"Should we send troops to Liangzhou to intimidate them?"
"No need, wait a little longer."
After a moment's thought, Lin Sizhou guessed the Regent's intention. Holding his folding fan, he bowed and said:
"Your Highness is farsighted. I will continue to spread the news in the court that Your Highness is unable to attend morning court sessions, and take this opportunity to test which officials are loyal to the Han while serving Cao Cao."
Seeing that the political discussions were almost over, Lin Sizhou glanced at the sky outside the window and secretly squeezed the folding fan in his palm.
"Your Highness, there is one more thing I need to say..."
"What is it?"
"The Empress Dowager was concerned about the Prince's injuries and went to the Hall of Diligent Governance every day to inquire about his condition. I made several excuses, but the Empress Dowager then asked to leave the palace to visit the Prince. I resolutely refused. The Empress Dowager smiled and didn't say anything at the time, but later she..."
At this point, Lin Sizhou's voice was filled with helplessness and grievance. He suddenly looked up, and there were several red and swollen pimples on his fair face, and a bright red boil had also appeared on the corner of his lips.
He said with a mournful face, "The Empress Dowager instructed the Imperial Kitchen to add a large amount of Qin pepper to my meals every day, and even the soup has been changed to spicy soup. Your Highness, you know that I eat a light diet, and I get sick as soon as I eat spicy food..."
General Kan, who was standing to the side, was really struggling to hold it in. He tried hard not to imagine the scene of Chief Lin rushing to the latrine while clutching his stomach. He lowered his head deeply, his shoulders trembling.
"I went to the Imperial Kitchen to argue with them, but the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor said that there was a precedent of Eunuch Zhao disrespecting the Empress Dowager, and he wouldn't dare disobey the Empress Dowager's decree even if he were beaten to death. He even advised me to eat it and my stomach would get used to it..."
Pei Muwei frowned as he listened to the elaborate schemes the young empress dowager had devised in the palace. He pressed his long fingers to his brow bone, seemingly finding it absurd, and even laughed in anger:
"So you took the Empress Dowager out of the palace?"
Lin Sizhou knelt down, lifting his robes, and sobbed, "This humble official should have informed the Prince in advance, but the Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver lunch today... spicy rabbit head with spicy beef soup!"
Pei Muwei's gaze swept coolly over General Kan, who was trying not to laugh.
General Kan hurriedly knelt down as well, and said in a muffled voice, "Your Highness, please punish me. I escorted the Empress Dowager all the way here. I initially refused her request, but... the Empress Dowager cried in front of the nun. Your Highness, you know that this rough man is most susceptible to a woman's tears, especially since the Empress Dowager is a young widow..."
The wind and snow in Beiting were biting cold, and the cold wind often made people's heads ache. Many years ago, in order to outflank the enemy's rear, Pei Muwei personally led a team of Buddhist soldiers to walk for a day and a night in the snow and ice, and he did not feel a headache at that time.
The young empress dowager's abilities were even more formidable than the biting, howling winds of the Northern Court.
The harem is full of people and eyes, and it is not easy to clean up the spies left by his brothers. He did not want to involve the young empress dowager in this matter, since she knew nothing about it and it was safer for her.
The young empress dowager, being so intelligent, couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle. Her insistence on forcing Lin Sizhou to take her out of the palace to see him, openly seeking to establish a relationship with him, could only mean...
Concern leads to confusion.
Releasing his fingers from between his brows, Pei Muwei suppressed the glint in his eyes and said calmly, "Since the Empress Dowager has arrived, let her in."
Inside the East Warm Pavilion, Chu Yueyuan curiously examined the decorations.
Unlike the magnificent and splendid Qinzheng Hall, the Regent's Palace is very simply furnished.
Bookshelves, books, tea table, incense burner, zither, chess set—aside from these, there are no other ornate decorations, revealing the refined taste of the homeowner.
There were no valuable animal hides or precious swords and bows hanging on the wall, only a few framed calligraphy and paintings. The brushstrokes on the paper were strong and powerful, each stroke exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring aura.
The Regent is a good warrior, a good ruler, a good chess player, and a good calligrapher. Is there anything in the world he can't do well?
As Chu Yueyuan frowned in thought, Lin Sizhou, his eyes red-rimmed, entered and bowed to her.
"Your Majesty, the Regent still shows no signs of waking up. The imperial physician just took the Prince's pulse and said that his pulse is weak and his life is in danger."
Chu Yueyuan withdrew her gaze from the calligraphy and painting, and noticed Lin Sizhou's red and swollen eyes. She sighed inwardly, thinking that Chief Lin was truly devoted to the Regent. After hearing the imperial physician's words, he cried again in distress.
She gently comforted him, "Envoy Lin, there's no need to worry. Imperial physicians always tend to speak in a strong tone. Perhaps the Regent will wake up in a few days."
Lin Sizhou nodded in agreement with the Empress Dowager's words: "Your Majesty, please go in and see the Prince later. Once Your Highness is at ease, please come out quickly. After all, Your Highness went out of the palace incognito today. If you don't return before the palace gates are locked, I'm afraid word will leak out."
Chu Yueyuan flatly rejected it:
"That won't do. I consulted Imperial Physician Zhao, who said that the brain is the sea of marrow, and a person in a coma cannot always rest quietly. They need someone to keep them company and chat with them, or let them smell a scent they like, so as to awaken their dormant brain..."
She picked up the prepared ivory food box and earnestly explained to Chief Official Lin, "I think Physician Zhao's words make some sense, so I specially brought the Regent's favorite tea and snacks."
As Chu Yueyuan spoke, she opened the food box to show her good intentions: "Oh! By the way, I also prepared taro paste pastry, which the Regent hates the most. If the Prince is unmoved by his favorite food, then I will try taro paste pastry, which he hates the most, and see if I can scare him awake."
Lin Sizhou gazed silently at the sky: .....
"A quarter of an hour, at most I can only give Your Highness a quarter of an hour."
———
The dormitory room was filled with the bitter smell of Chinese medicine.
Chu Yueyuan walked slowly around the floor-to-ceiling screen, her gaze falling on the man lying on the bed, her clear eyes flashing.
In her memory, the regent was always upright, with the golden dragon and cloud patterns on his shoulders gleaming arrogantly in the sunlight. His narrow, phoenix-like eyes were sharp and haughty like those of a hawk, looking down at all living beings as if he were a god.
The man lay quietly on the bed, his face pale, his eyes closed, so weak that he had lost his terrifying aura, finally making her realize that he was just an ordinary person.
Humans do foolish things, get hurt, and die.
Chu Yueyuan tiptoed forward, squatted down by the bed, her delicate eyebrows furrowed with worry, and her slender fingers, resting on the corner of the quilt, unconsciously clenched.
After a while, she shakily reached out her hand, her fingers touching the man's straight nose. She felt a warm breath gently brushing against her fingertips and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"I did not come empty-handed to visit Minister Pei this time, but the food box was stopped by Chief Minister Lin. Minister Pei, if you want to settle the score later, please do not hold me responsible."
Chu Yueyuan gazed at the man's face and saw that he had a full forehead, deep brow bones, and distinct eyelashes. Even in his sleep, his sword-like eyebrows were not slightly furrowed. She wondered which unfortunate minister's house he was ransacking while he was asleep.
Such a beautiful appearance, it would be a waste if it didn't wake up!
She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the small mound between his brows with her fingertips, murmuring to herself:
"No wonder Miss Xia knelt outside Phoenix Perch Palace for several days in a row, begging me to allow her to enter the Prince's residence to attend to Minister Pei when he was ill. Minister Pei's silent and closed-eye demeanor was indeed much more pleasing to the eye than his usual stern and cold appearance..."
The regent remained motionless with his eyes closed on the sandalwood carved bed, as if he hadn't heard her teasing, or perhaps... he would never respond to her.
In the quiet dormitory, the man's weak breathing was almost inaudible. He was as fragile as a feather, easily blown away with just a gentle breath, without needing a strong wind.
A sudden wave of bitterness welled up in Chu Yueyuan's heart. She lowered her head, biting her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears that were slowly rising in her eyes.
Unfastening her purse, Chu Yueyuan took out a string of eighteen sandalwood prayer beads. Kneeling beside the bed, she tied the beads to the man's wrist while whispering:
"Alas... During the time that Pei Qing has been ill, I have heard that the Prince of Liang is amassing troops in his fiefdom, the Prince of Chen is using a banquet as an excuse to win over military and civil officials in the capital, and the Prince of Runan is also causing trouble. If Pei Qing does not wake up soon, then the merits you have worked so hard to snatch from the Canglang people will be handed over to others..."
"I said the other day that I would get a Buddhist prayer bead bracelet for you at the temple, to pray for your good health and longevity, so that you can protect me and the Emperor forever."
"I haven't broken my promise; I got you the bracelet. But you're lying here unconscious. What kind of protection is that? Pei Qing is a true man, and a true man cannot be unfaithful to a young widow..."
The woman's voice gradually choked up, and large tears streamed down her face, landing on the man's cold hand.
Chu Yueyuan cried so hard that her vision was blurred by tears, and she didn't notice that the man on the bed slightly curled his fingers.
Having been a silent confidante for too long, and now, apart from the unconscious man, there was no one else around, Chu Yueyuan could unleash her suppressed emotions through tears without any restraint.
"It's all my fault for having a guilty conscience; the thief took advantage of my weakness, causing Pei Qing to be injured..."
"If my few punches had sent Pei Qing to the underworld, then my sins would be immense..."
Seeing that the man on the bed remained motionless, Chu Yueyuan's eyelashes welled with tears, and she whispered, "Pei Muwei, I have a secret to tell you..."
"Although I cry easily, those tears are all feigned. When I was little, whenever I cried, my father would visit my ailing mother. Later, when my elder sister bullied me, my tears could elicit sympathy. The tears I shed when I was down on my luck were to seek protection. And the tears I shed in the palace were also to protect myself..."
"Every tear I shed is calculated, except... the day my mother left, and... and now, for you..."
"I really don't want you to die..."
The woman's low sobs were like a gentle drizzle pattering on the windowpane, faint yet clear, unsettling the heart. The man on the bed frowned, as if he was about to be awakened by the continuous drizzle.
Chu Yueyuan's face was streaked with tears. She pulled up the man's white silk sleeve to wipe her tears, and after saying what had been weighing on her heart, her emotions gradually calmed down.
Having cried and uttered countless words of repentance, and having sincerely obtained the Buddhist prayer beads for the other person, it's time to get down to business.
After crying for so long, Chu Yueyuan saw that the man showed no signs of waking up. It seemed that what Lord Lin said was true; the Regent was too deeply poisoned and would not wake up in the short term.
Can poisoned blood still be used for blood-drop kinship testing?
Chu Yueyuan stopped crying. She reached out and touched the small porcelain bottle in her purse, then looked up at the man on the bed with his eyes closed, her gaze hesitant.
The opportunity was rare; there was no better time than now to allow her to secretly take a few drops of blood from the Regent.
Chu Yueyuan's gaze gradually hardened. She raised her hand and removed the turquoise-inlaid gold hairpin from her temple, and her thick black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
Gently lifting the man's slender hand, she carefully examined his five fingers, finally choosing the index finger, which seemed easier to prick.
Having had experience stabbing Eunuch Su before, she had already sharpened the gold hairpin to a fine point, making it gleam like a sword's edge in the sunlight. She pinched the man's index finger, held the gold hairpin in her other hand, and forcefully stabbed it down.
The first time, the hairpin didn't pierce the skin; it only grazed it slightly.
Chu Yueyuan's heart pounded like a drum, her chest pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. She glanced quickly at the unconscious man, and seeing that he didn't react, she swallowed hard and stabbed him again.
The second time, the gold hairpin pierced the skin, revealing faint traces of blood.
She stared intently at the blood trickling from her fingertip, nervously licked her lips, and, finding it too little, steeled herself and pricked it again with all her might.
The third time, tiny beads of blood gushed out.
Chu Yueyuan was overjoyed and was about to reach for the purse at her waist when she suddenly heard a man's cold voice from above.
"Is the Empress Dowager here to assassinate me?"
Startled, she trembled, and the blood-stained gold hairpin clattered to the ground.
Chu Yueyuan raised her head blankly, her gaze meeting the man's deep, dark eyes, which were like a cold pool. Her mind went completely blank.
Pei Muwei lay on her side on the couch, beneath her smooth, pale white silk nightgown, revealing a man's tall, strong body. His deep, long eyes were slightly narrowed, and his voice was so calm that no emotion could be discerned:
"Your Highness's tears just now were so sincere, because you wanted to send me on my way."
In Chu Yueyuan's chaotic mind, only one thought arose: to destroy the evidence and extinguish the motive, and absolutely not let the Regent discover her intentions.
Without hesitation, she leaned forward, parted her cherry lips slightly, and then boldly... took the man's bleeding fingertip into her mouth.
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