Chapter 78
The next day, Ji Zeming came to the Eastern Palace on the pretext of official business. As soon as he reached the palace, he saw Eunuch Ma. Eunuch Ma knew that he and His Highness had once been close friends. Seeing this, Eunuch Ma smiled broadly and hurried forward, saying, "Isn't this the Minister of Rites? Why are you here in the Eastern Palace to see His Highness?"
Ji Zeming also returned the greeting respectfully, saying, "Indeed. I have come today to discuss the details of the state wedding with Your Highness. Please, Eunuch Ma, pass on the message."
Eunuch Ma's smile grew more earnest as he said, "Your Highness went to the library this morning and hasn't returned yet. My Lord, why don't you wait for a moment?"
Ji Zeming thought for a moment, then said, "No need. I'll go directly to the library to find His Highness."
Relying on his past memories, Ji Zeming headed straight for the library. When he got closer, he saw the door was open and stepped inside. However, the scene before him was beyond his belief.
Initially, Luo Sanrong had been reluctant to accompany Li Yin to the library. The two had been so inseparable all day, and Luo Sanrong was apprehensive, fearing they would arouse suspicion. However, Li Yin ignored her and insisted on dragging her along.
Luo Sanying listened to the sound of Li Yin turning pages of the book, and felt sleepy. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier. Soon, she fell asleep on the table.
Li Yin saw this and suddenly felt like playing a prank. He found a feather from somewhere and gently tickled the tip of her nose. Luo Sanrong was disturbed and unable to sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Li Yin with a faint smile on her face.
Li Yin and Luo San'er looked at each other, and he also lay on the table, smiling, and teasing, "Did you dream about me just now? Look, you even had a smile on your face when you were asleep."
Luo Sanrong admitted it generously and said softly, "Yes, I saw you in my dream."
Li Yin became even more interested and asked, "What did you dream about?"
Luo Sanzhen pretended to recall the past and said, "I dreamed of the time when His Highness first called me Luozhen..."
At that moment, Ji Zeming, who had just approached, happened to hear the word "Luo Er". In an instant, the words that the attendant had reported to his father last night emerged clearly in his mind: "Hong Jingxiu's daughter is called Hong Luo Er."
Ji Zeming could hardly conceal his shock.
But when he looked up and saw Luo San'er's smile, as bright as a spring flower, he felt a stirring in his heart, a desire to protect that smile. So, he tiptoed quietly out of the library. Unnoticed, yet another person in this world knew the secret that Luo San'er was Luo'er...
The morning mist in Qingshi Lane has not yet dissipated, but the fragrance of soapberries is already wafting outside the courtyard of Mr. Chashan's house at the end of the lane.
Xiulan squatted beside the bluestone slab under the old locust tree, beating the starched plain cloth shirt with a wooden hammer. The sound of water meandered along the cracks in the stone slab, softening the moss at the base of the wall.
She rolled up her blue cloth sleeves, her exposed arms were stained with water droplets, and the strands of hair on her forehead were wet by the morning dew and stuck to her temples, but her movements were very agile.
When the last piece of cloth shirt was hung on the bamboo pole, a familiar scent suddenly blew in the wind.
Xiulan's hand stopped in mid-air, her eyes fell on the blue-gray figure at the entrance of the alley not far away, and her back straightened instantly.
Without looking back or pausing, she just turned around silently, carrying the empty wooden basin and was about to walk into the yard, but as she heard the man's footsteps quickly chasing her, a warm hand grabbed her wrist.
"Xiu Lan." The man's voice was a little hoarse, and guilt flooded his eyes like a tide. "Have you been well these years?"
Xiulan yanked his hand away with such force that she stumbled half a step. She looked up at Lord Shang, dressed in a brocade robe. Her eyes were devoid of warmth, only bitter sarcasm. "Thanks to Lord Shang, I'm not nearly as devastated as I used to be. I'm only just close."
The wooden basin swayed slightly in her hands, and water droplets fell onto the bluestone slabs, splashing tiny drops of water. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was cold, without any extraneous emotion.
Lord Shang lowered his eyes and looked at her knuckles that were tightly gripping the wooden basin. Her knuckles were white, and she was obviously angry.
He sighed and said sincerely, "We found some clues and thought we could find you. Maybe we can find out whether that person is alive or dead."
"That one?" Xiulan suddenly laughed out loud as if she had heard a huge joke, but her laughter was full of sadness.
She suddenly threw the wooden basin in her hand at his feet. With a "splash", the remaining water in the basin splashed onto the hem of his brocade robe, soaking a large area of the cloth.
"It's all because of your ideals and ambitions, it's all because of your uprising! How did Luo Yu and I get through these years? Has anyone of you ever asked?"
Her voice suddenly rose, her eyes were slightly red, but she tried hard not to let the tears fall.
When the war was raging, she fled everywhere with the young Luo Er, enduring hunger, cold and humiliation. In those days, these people who talked about "righteousness" never appeared.
Lord Shang looked at the wooden basin at his feet, then at Xiulan's red eyes, and his voice deepened: "I'm sorry."
He bent down to pick up the basin and handed it to her, his tone filled with promise, "But it's different now. We have the ability to protect you and will never let you suffer any injustice again."
"Protect?" Xiulan snorted coldly, raising her hand to snatch the wooden basin from his hand. Her eyes swept over the embroidery on his brocade robe with disdain. "Who would believe Lord Shang's lies? You came to us today, are you trying to use Luo Ye to do something again?"
She knew these people's methods too well. In the past, they disregarded the lives of ordinary people for the sake of uprising, and now they are pushing her and her son into the abyss again for the so-called "righteousness".
Lord Shang frowned, but his tone remained patient. "Xiu Lan, we do this so that millions of people can no longer live in war and for peace. Luo Zhen... maybe she can help, so please, help us."
"We know nothing." Xiulan interrupted him, turned sideways, no longer looking at him, and said in a cold tone without a trace of emotion, "Lord Shang, please go back and don't come to us again in the future."
After she finished speaking, she quickly walked into the yard carrying the wooden basin. With a "creak", the wooden door closed behind her, isolating all the words and guilt outside the door.
The wind blew through the old locust tree again, and the cloth clothes hanging on the bamboo poles swayed gently. The morning mist at the entrance of the alley gradually dissipated, leaving only Lord Shang standing there, looking at the closed wooden door with a complicated expression.
The night was as dark as ink, splashing on the towering palace walls. The palace lanterns under the corridors swayed with a dim glow, making Li Yin's figure look tall and slender.
He had just come out of the library and was passing by the Eunuch's Palace when he saw a ray of light leaking out of the Tail Sword Room, which was particularly conspicuous in the quiet night.
His footsteps paused involuntarily, and then he gently pushed open the half-closed wooden door. A slight creaking sound broke the silence of the night.
Wei Dao was just getting up from the bed, his dark nightgown still stained with wrinkles from the mattress. Seeing Li Yin come in, his pupils shrank slightly, and he subconsciously gathered his sleeves. His expression was as stiff as a taut bowstring. "Your Highness, why are you here?"
Li Yin's gaze passed him, falling directly to the floor. The moon-white nightgown huddled in the corner, its dark red bloodstains like solidified cinnabar, gleaming glaringly in the light. His heart tightened, and he took two steps forward, his voice dripping with subtle anxiety. "What's with that bloodstained clothing? Are you injured?"
His Adam's apple rolled, and his hands clenched quietly at his sides. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, his voice somewhat deliberately steady: "Yes, a soldier was injured during training yesterday, and there is some blood on him."
Li Yin's eyes swept over his body. Seeing that his clothes were neat and tidy and there was no wound at all, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still asked, "Is the injury serious?"
"It's okay. The medical officer has already taken care of it. Don't worry, Your Highness." Weidao lowered his eyes, avoiding his gaze, and spoke as calmly as possible, but Li Yin still caught the panic that flashed in his eyes.
Back in the East Palace, the flickering candlelight in the hallway drew a frown from Li Yin's face. The intuition he'd developed since childhood with Wei Dao stabbed him like a fine needle, gently pricking his heart: Wei Dao was lying.
He tapped the table with his fingertips and said in a deep voice, "Call Wei Zheng."
Wei Zheng, the leader of the Imperial Guards, quickly entered the palace. He was still wearing his armor, and the plates of armor clashing against each other made a crisp sound. He knelt on one knee and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
"Were any soldiers injured during your training yesterday?" Li Yin went straight to the point, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, staring at Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng looked up, his eyes full of confusion, and replied truthfully: "Your Highness, there was no training yesterday. The soldiers were all resting in the camp."
Li Yin paused, his tone confirming, "You really didn't train?"
"Indeed, there is no such thing. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can check the records in the camp." Wei Zheng said with a firm tone, without any hesitation.
Li Yin waved him away, leaving only the flickering candlelight in the hall, casting his shadow on the wall. His expression grew increasingly solemn. Why would Wei Dao lie? What secret lay behind the bloodstains?
Meanwhile, the night deepened on the streets outside the palace.
Ji Zeming was wearing a moon-white brocade robe and strolling on the bluestone road. The evening breeze lifted his clothes, but Luo Sanrong's smile kept appearing in his mind. That smile was as warm as the spring sun. But when he thought of Luo Sanrong's true identity that she had not revealed, his heart felt like a huge rock was falling, and he was struggling whether he should tell Li Yin the truth.
At this moment, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. The man was wearing a gray cloth shorts and walking hurriedly. It was the attendant sent by his father to investigate Luo San'er's identity. Ji Zeming's heart moved, and he deliberately slowed down his pace and passed him by.
Sure enough, the attendant quickly stopped, turned around and bowed, his tone somewhat respectful: "Sir, why are you here? I have something to report to the Prime Minister."
Ji Zeming turned around, a faint smile on his face, but there was no warmth in his eyes: "It's so late, what important things did you find out?"
The attendant looked around, lowered his voice, and leaned closer to say, "I have found out that Luo Sanrong is now in the palace."
Ji Zeming feigned surprise, his brows raised. "The palace? Is this information reliable?"
"Absolutely reliable. I saw him enter the palace with the eunuchs with my own eyes, and I was just about to go back and report to the Prime Minister." The attendant's tone was firm, his face full of anxiety.
Ji Zeming's smile deepened, but his voice became a little colder: "That means you haven't told anyone yet?"
"Yes, I just got the information and haven't had time to return home yet." The servant nodded, not noticing the strangeness in Ji Zeming's eyes.
"Then you go quickly. I will be back home later. I have something important to discuss with my father." Ji Zeming waved his hand and watched the servant turn around and walk quickly towards the alley. The tenderness in his eyes faded away in an instant, leaving only cold murderous intent.
He followed quietly, his footsteps as light as fallen leaves brushing the ground.
The servant seemed to sense someone behind him and suddenly quickened his pace. Ji Zeming also quickened his pace. The two of them walked one in front and one behind, and soon arrived at a secluded high wall.
Just as the attendant was about to turn around to investigate, a long sword suddenly crossed his neck, its gleaming cold. He was terrified, but when he saw that it was Ji Zeming, his tense body relaxed. He sheathed his sword and asked in confusion, "Sir, why are you following me?"
Ji Zeming showed a gentle smile on his face and said softly: "I forgot to tell you something just now. Come here and I will tell you."
The attendant did not suspect anything and stepped forward, asking softly, "Sir, you said..."
Before he finished speaking, Ji Zeming suddenly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, and with a flash of cold light, he stabbed it into the servant's heart.
The servant's pupils suddenly dilated, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. Blood slowly seeped out from the dagger, staining his gray cloth shorts red.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His body fell limply to the ground, completely dead.
Ji Zeming looked at the corpse on the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief, but his fingertips trembled slightly.
He squatted down and fumbled for a secret letter from the servant's chest. The moment he opened the letter, his pupils suddenly shrank, and the calmness on his face disappeared, leaving only shock. The content of the letter was far more terrifying than he had imagined, and it involved a shocking secret deep in the palace.
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