As the incantation deepened, the Mad Queen's body began to tremble slightly. Her eyes darted beneath her eyelids, seemingly wavering between dream and reality.
Xu Yuehuai held her hand tightly, listened to the rhythm of the piano music, and guided her gradually into a deep hypnotic state.
Suddenly, the mad princess opened her eyes abruptly. She struggled to get up, but her body was tightly bound by an invisible force.
Her face showed a pained expression, as if she were enduring immense torment. Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened; she knew this was a crucial moment.
The man in black robes quickly guided the mad princess into the depths of her memories, attempting to find the reason for her confused memories.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the mad princess's consciousness remained unstable. Her expression grew increasingly pained, as if something was desperately trying to hinder the hypnosis.
Qin'er noticed the mad princess's condition, and her fingers danced faster on the strings. A beautiful yet tense melody filled the study, attempting to soothe the mad princess's agitated emotions.
However, this hypnosis attempt seemed destined to fail. "Miss, it seems this hypnosis attempt will not be successful," Qin'er said softly, her tone tinged with helplessness.
Xu Yuehuai sighed and released the Mad Princess's hand. She understood what this defeat meant, but they had to face reality.
The man in black robes stood up, his eyes filled with determination. "Let's try again."
However, at this moment, Xu Yuehuai suddenly spoke up: "No need, we may need to look for other clues."
Her voice was deep and powerful, as if it could pierce through all the fog.
"But now the most important clue is stuck with the Mad Princess. I feel that I will soon get the truth from her."
Xu Yuehuai turned her head and looked at the man in black robes. "What do you mean?"
The man in black smiled slightly. "Based on your description and my experience, her neurological abnormalities are likely the main reason for the failed hypnosis."
"Next, we need to cure the Mad Queen's illness, and perhaps then we will be able to uncover the secret she is hiding."
Xu Yuehua hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and agreed.
The man in black robes nodded in satisfaction, then turned and left.
Xu Yuehuai watched his retreating figure, a sense of melancholy creeping into her heart. She wondered if the next hypnosis session would be successful. But she decided to take it one step at a time.
So, Xu Yuehuai began to secretly treat the mad princess. Every day she would come to the mad princess's room to take her pulse, perform acupuncture, cupping, massage, and even give her some medicinal soup that she had prepared herself.
Her technique was skillful and precise, clearly the result of years of practice. After a long while, the mad princess finally gradually returned to normal.
Her mind cleared up, and she was able to remember that Xu Yuehuai was the little maid who often came to help her.
Her attitude towards Xu Yuehuai improved, and she would sometimes take the initiative to chat with her.
One night, Xu Yuehuai, along with the man in black robes and Qin'er, once again found the sleeping Mad Princess.
The three of them stood quietly by the bed, gazing at the sleeping face of the mad princess.
The man in black robes waved his hand lightly, and an invisible force enveloped the entire room. Xu Yuehuai's heart skipped a beat; she knew that the man in black robes was hypnotizing her.
She stared intently at the mad princess, afraid of missing any detail. After a long while, the mad princess's eyelids twitched slightly, and then she opened her eyes.
Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if she hadn't fully woken up yet.
The man in black robes slowly asked, "Your Highness, do you remember me?"
The mad princess paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I remember you. You were the doctor who treated me."
The man in black robes smiled faintly and said, "Not only that, I also know that you know some things that others don't. You once saw an important edict, do you remember it?"
The mad princess's eyes suddenly widened in terror. She abruptly sat up in bed, staring at the man in black robes in horror, and asked, "You... how do you know about this?"
The man in black robes did not answer her question, but continued, "I want to know where that edict is. Just tell me what you want me to do for you."
The Mad Princess was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, go ahead and say it. As long as you can send me away from the Cold Palace, I will agree to any condition you set."
The man in black smiled slightly and said, "Then please tell me, Your Highness, where did Wu Hanqing put that edict?"
The Mad Princess's eyes became unfocused again. She closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long while, she slowly said, "The imperial edict was placed in the royal ancestral hall by Wu Hanqing."
The man in black robes nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand gently.
The mad princess's eyelids grew heavy, and she fell asleep again.
The man in black robes turned around and said to Xu Yuehuai and Qin'er, "The matter has been settled. Let's go." With that, he took the lead and walked out of the room.
So, Xu Yuehuai and Qin'er also left the Cold Palace and went to the ancestral hall with the man in black robes to search for the imperial edict.
The night was as dark as ink. The three of them moved silently through the palace corridors, each footstep as thrilling as a heartbeat.
Xu Yuehuai held Qin'er's soft hand tightly, her eyes firm and deep, as if trying to see the truth through the thick darkness of the night.
Qin'er nestled close to her side, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and nervousness, her hands trembling slightly.
The man in black robes led the way, his figure appearing and disappearing in the night, mysterious and unfathomable.
They finally arrived at the ancestral hall, the ancient building appearing even more solemn and majestic under the moonlight. The man in black robes gently pushed open the door, and a long-dormant aura wafted out.
As the three stepped into the ancestral hall, the air was filled with a somber woody scent and a damp atmosphere, as if telling the story of the passage of time.
The ancestral hall was dimly lit, with only a few flickering candles barely illuminating the surroundings.
Xu Yuehuai and Qin'er followed behind the man in black robes, their eyes searching around, hoping to find the imperial edict.
However, there seemed to be no unusual signs here, only some old memorial tablets and an old offering table.
The three were somewhat disappointed, but they did not give up. They began to examine every corner more carefully, even scrutinizing the stone slab under the offering table.
Just when they were about to give up, Xu Yuehuai suddenly discovered a strange mechanism.
It was a small iron box hidden in the wall, seemingly ordinary, but with a complex mechanism.
Xu Yuehuai carefully operated the mechanism, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead as she focused intently on solving the puzzle. As the mechanism turned, the wall slowly slid to one side, revealing a dark passage.
The passageway exuded an ancient and worn atmosphere, as if time had stood still.
Qin'er and the man in black robes both showed expressions of surprise upon seeing this, knowing that this might be the location of the imperial edict they were looking for.
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