Mass grave.
Even during the day, it appears unusually eerie.
The occasional cawing of crows sounded particularly desolate.
When Master Lingyin found Wen Ruyi, she was already nearly dead.
Wrapped in a tattered mat, it was thrown into the weeds.
Several crows landed beside her, intending to have a feast.
Master Lingyin helped her up, took her pulse, and found it to be weak. He then examined her injuries and found that she had lost too much blood due to the lack of timely stitches and treatment, and there was no hope of recovery.
He sighed deeply; in the end, it was he who had ruined her life.
If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have ended up like this.
He reached out and pressed her philtrum.
After a long while, Wen Ruyi slowly opened her eyes. When she saw him, she felt resentment.
It was indeed because of him that she ended up like this.
But she also knew she wouldn't survive, so she didn't reveal her resentment.
“Tell me your last wishes, and I will fulfill them for you,” the Taoist priest said compassionately.
"I don't want anything... I just want Wen Nongnong's life. My whole life is thanks to her... I want her to suffer an even worse fate than me..." Wen Ruyi was extremely weak, but her voice was shrill and resentful.
"I promise you." Master Lingyin agreed without hesitation.
"Then...that's fine." Wen Ruyi finished speaking and breathed her last.
Master Lingyin sighed, and finally dug a pit, buried her, built a tomb for her, lit incense, burned paper money, and then left for Xiangzhou.
He originally intended to kill Wen Nongnong, but now, because of Wen Ruyi's situation, he wants Wen Nongnong dead even more.
He was already desperate yesterday, but she took him in, which gave him the opportunity to infiltrate the imperial guards and escape the palace.
He owed her an immense debt of gratitude, and naturally he wanted to fulfill her last wish.
...
Nighttime, the royal palace.
Although Gu Heng had blocked the news, Xiao Yan still heard some rumors and went to the palace to ask A Tuo Jiang Hua about it.
He just didn't expect that when he arrived, Atuo Jianghua wasn't in the house.
He assumed she had gone out to play, so he sat down inside to wait.
But not long after, he suddenly heard the baby crying loudly.
He listened intently and realized that the sound seemed to be coming from a side hall.
He was stunned. How could there be a child at A Tuo Jiang Hua's place?
Whose child is it?
He was filled with doubt.
After waiting for a long time without seeing Atuo Jianghua return, he lost patience and was about to leave when he suddenly heard footsteps outside.
He immediately recognized the sound as Atuo Jianghua's footsteps.
As for why he could immediately recognize the footsteps of Atuo Jianghua, he himself was somewhat taken aback.
However, he still cautiously hid behind the screen.
He had just hidden behind the screen when the door was pushed open.
Atuo Jianghua and her maid entered.
The three of them were communicating in the Uyghur language.
A moment later, the two maids left.
After closing the door again, Atuo Jianghua took off her clothes and walked towards the screen, intending to put her outer garments away before going to the bathroom to take a bath.
As she got closer, she saw a dark shadow on the screen.
She was startled, thinking it was an assassin. Just as she was about to take her whip, she saw a dark figure slowly emerge from behind the screen.
"What, it's you?" she said irritably after recognizing the person.
Xiao Yan crossed his arms and looked at her leisurely. "Where have you been? You've kept me waiting."
Sensing the accusatory tone in his voice, she frowned and said, "How was I supposed to know you'd come?"
Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something more, he suddenly noticed her disheveled clothes, quickly turned around, and scolded, "You really are a casual person."
Hearing him say that, Atuo Jianghua realized that she had taken off half of her clothes.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with it; it wasn't like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
But she still reached out and pulled her clothes back up.
"By the way, is there something you need that you came to see me so late?"
Xiao Yan made sure she was dressed before turning around. "I heard some rumors, but I didn't know if they were true, so I came in to confirm with you."
What's going on?
"I heard that Empress Dowager Guo was assassinated the night before last and has not yet woken up. Is this true?"
“It’s true. Guo Yuzhen wanted to visit her, but she was stopped. The Emperor strictly forbade anyone to disturb the Empress Dowager and also forbade everyone to discuss the matter. It seems that the Empress Dowager’s condition is not very optimistic,” A Tuo Jianghua said.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan fell into deep thought.
It is truly illogical that Gu Heng would order a news blackout and forbid people from discussing such a momentous event as the assassination of Empress Dowager Guo.
Why did he try to suppress the news?
Was he worried that if Empress Dowager Guo passed away, his marriage to the Si family would not be able to proceed as scheduled, thus delaying some of his plans?
For example, did he plan to kill Hengzhi at the wedding banquet?
Besides this, he really couldn't understand why Gu Heng wanted to suppress the news of the Empress Dowager's assassination.
"What's wrong? Is something the problem?" Atuo Jianghua couldn't help but ask when she saw his serious expression.
Xiao Yan collected his thoughts and said in a low voice, "The Emperor is about to get married, and he has issued an edict inviting Hengzhi back to the capital for the banquet. I suspect that he intends to harm Hengzhi at the wedding banquet."
Upon hearing this, Atuo Jianghua was taken aback. "Then you must quickly find a way to stop the Prince of Xiang from entering the capital!"
“I have already sent someone to deliver the message, but Hengzhi is a very stubborn man and may not listen to my advice. I’m afraid he will still insist on going to the capital,” Xiao Yan said.
"What should we do then?" Atuo Jianghua asked worriedly.
“It’s alright. I’ve already told him about the Emperor’s potential threat to him. Even if he enters the capital, he’ll surely have a way to deal with it.” Xiao Yan said, walking towards the entrance of the tunnel. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly stopped. “By the way, if something happens to me, I’ll need to trouble you to take the Empress Dowager out of the palace. I’ll have someone meet you outside.”
Upon hearing this, A-Tuo Jiang Hua's heart sank. "What do you mean, 'what if something happens to you'?"
Xiao Yan shrugged and said nonchalantly, "I was just thinking that if Gu Heng didn't find what he was looking for in Jingci Palace, he might think that the thing was on me."
A Tuo Jiang Hua's eyes widened. "You mean, next, he might target you?"
Seeing her so surprised, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle. "Why are you so surprised? Even if I'm imprisoned, it won't stop you from leaving here."
A Tuo Jiang Hua frowned, "But if something happens to you, I'm afraid I won't be able to take the Empress Dowager away by myself."
"Don't worry, I'll have Zhou Jun help you," Xiao Yan said. "I've made all the arrangements. As long as you leave the palace, someone will escort you to Xiangzhou." Xiao Yan said solemnly.
Upon hearing this, Atuo Jianghua stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, saying, "Duke Jingguo, why don't we leave now? That way, Gu Heng won't be able to deal with you."
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