Many opportunists in the court, seeing that Ji Zhuo had lost the emperor's favor, believed that he would never recover.
Disheartened, Ji Zhuo's parents decided to travel to Jiangnan to relax, bringing along their daughter-in-law and the granddaughter whose biological father was Gu Qinghuai.
From that moment on, the Ji and Lin families vanished overnight, as if they had never existed.
Lin Xihe waited patiently for Mu Ruoyan's return at his Liu residence. However, Mu Ruoyan was late, and just then, his pharmacist arrived to examine him. This pharmacist was only a year or two older than Lin Xihe, yet she was able to neutralize the effects of the special medicine on Mu Ruoyan and prolong his life. Intrigued, Lin Xihe struck up a conversation with her, unexpectedly learning Mu Ruoyan's method of detoxification.
When Mu Ruoyan returned to the mansion, she saw Lin Xihe looking dejected, leaning against the chaise lounge by the window with a wandering gaze.
"What's wrong? Missing your daughter?" Mu Ruoyan squeezed next to her and asked softly.
Lin Xihe remained silent, staring blankly at the candlelight before her.
"Do you regret letting Tangbao go with them?" Mu Ruoyan asked patiently, reaching out to pull her into his arms.
Previously, after much deliberation, Lin Xihe felt that Tang Bao was too young to travel a long distance to the northern border, so she decided to let her accompany Chu Yunni and her husband by water to Nanzhao to find Lin Xihe's brother. Mu Ruoyan also sent people to accompany and protect her. In this way, even if the situation in Dahao was turbulent, Ji Zhuo would not be controlled by others because of Tang Bao.
Lin Xihe looked up at Mu Ruoyan, her eyes full of heartache: "It's not because of Tangbao. I'm very relieved that Tangbao is being taken care of by them."
"Then why are you doing this? Ji Zhuo will not be in danger on this trip."
"It's not Ah Zhuo, it's you!"
Lin Xihe's voice trembled slightly: "Why didn't you tell me that you need to have bloodletting and medicinal baths every month? Why didn't you tell me that it's excruciating pain that can make you so weak that you can't even get out of bed for days?"
She learned from the pharmacist that Mu Ruoyan had been enduring such pain during the days she disappeared.
Only then did she realize that Mu Ruoyan had endured unimaginable torment in order to survive. Moreover, this method could only prolong her life, but she didn't know how long it could extend it—perhaps only twenty years.
As Lin Xihe spoke, her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Mu Ruoyan hadn't expected that she would be so sad because of her, and a pang of emotion stirred in her heart: "You feel sorry for me?"
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