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“Empress?” Lin Yuan was momentarily stunned, still unwilling to give up, and asked in confusion, “Isn’t she supposed to marry that prince?”
Lin Tian'er knew it didn’t make sense, so she simply didn’t explain and instead gave Lin Yuan a sharp reprimand. “Stop daydreaming; you’re not even in the same league as Lin Shoutong. The Emperor truly cares for her. Being an Empress is a tremendous honor that someone like you can’t even aspire to. Don’t meddle in things you don’t understand, got it?”
Although Lin Yuan felt dejected, she muttered, “Does she know how dangerous it is there? Does the Emperor know?”
“......”
Lin Tian'er was caught off guard by the question but thought to herself that not only did the Emperor know, but he had also sent her there.
However, she understood Lin Yuan's implication: if the Emperor truly cherished Lin Shoutong, would he really let her go to such a dangerous place?
Then she smiled wryly. Lin Yuan had a point, but if others heard this, it would be seen as slandering the Emperor, which was a serious crime punishable by death. If the Emperor himself heard it, that would be even worse.
Of course, most people could understand that such comments stemmed from differing perspectives.
Lin Yuan spoke from a place of romantic concern, while the Emperor likely considered the greater good of the nation. Moreover, in the hierarchy of ruler and subjects, marital relationships came second; national affairs took precedence over personal feelings.
However, after being pointed out by Lin Yuan, Lin Tian'er was momentarily taken aback. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Miss Lin may have been sent on a dangerous mission by decree, but she went willingly and for the sake of the country; although the Emperor cherishes her, sometimes he cannot have both sides. Besides, this is fundamentally two different matters... stop interfering...”
Lin Tian'er shot a glance at the downcast Lin Yuan, then turned to check if Mei Shuang had woken up.
“Can I go in and take a look?” Lin Yuan pleaded.
“What are you looking for? The more you look, the more thoughts you’ll have,” Lin Tian'er snapped without hesitation. “The Emperor saved her life; she’s already his person. If you get any closer, watch your head.”
On the Rosewood bed, lightly veiled with gauze, Mei Shuang lay with her eyes gently closed and shallow breaths, appearing still asleep.
Lin Tian'er sat gently in front of the bed, staring blankly for a while before sighing and muttering to herself, "Lin Shoutong, when will you wake up? The Emperor is eagerly awaiting good news from you every day. Also, our shop's sign is already up; everything depends on you..."
Looking at the unconscious Mei Shuang and reminiscing about the happy days they had before, Lin Tian'er felt a wave of sadness wash over her and couldn't help but start sobbing again.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she suddenly saw Mei Shuang looking at her from the bed.
Lin Tian'er was startled, thinking she was imagining things. She quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve and leaned forward to take a closer look. Indeed, Mei Shuang had awakened, her clear eyes gazing at her.
Lin Tian'er excitedly rushed to the bedside, her voice trembling, "Oh my goodness, you finally woke up."
Mei Shuang shook her head, signaling her to be quiet.
"Go outside and see if anyone is there," Mei Shuang whispered.
"Huh?" Lin Tian'er was puzzled but turned to check outside. She returned and said, "There's no one out there; I was afraid too many people would disturb you."
Mei Shuang struggled to sit up, and Lin Tian'er quickly placed a pillow behind her back.
"I've been sick these past few days; you've worked hard..." Mei Shuang said.
"What are you talking about? We're like family," Lin Tian'er replied, wiping away her tears and putting on a cheerful smile. "They say that surviving great hardships brings future blessings."
As she spoke, she pulled out the Golden Coiling Dragon Imperial Edict from her pocket and was about to unfold it. "Look, your good fortune has arrived!"
"Wait," Mei Shuang stopped her. "I'm still unwell; receiving the decree now might not be appropriate and could be seen as disrespectful. Let's wait until I'm better before I accept it."
Lin Tian'er was momentarily taken aback, then sighed, realizing that Mei Shuang had considered everything thoroughly. Receiving an imperial decree was a very solemn affair; ordinary people had to prepare an incense table in advance to receive it. Since Mei Shuang couldn't get out of bed to accept the decree, she decided to put it away for now.
After chatting for a while, Mei Shuang learned that she had been down the mountain for some days.
"The envoy from Yamataikoku has returned to the capital. Before leaving, he specifically instructed me to let you know if you were well. Cong Fei hasn't come down the mountain at all; he is said to have fallen ill. The Emperor has granted him permission to descend and seek treatment first, and he will go afterward..." Lin Tian'er said while peeling an apple for Mei Shuang, recounting what had happened since Mei Shuang's descent.
Mei Shuang listened to Lin Tian'er chatter about various matters but noticed she hadn't mentioned Nangong Nuo. So she asked, "Is there any news about Zhao Prince?"
Lin Tian'er paused her hand and casually replied, "None..."
Seeing Lin Tian'er’s anxious expression, Mei Shuang understood that the matter concerning Nangong Nuo had affected her deeply. She could accept the decree to go to Qishan to save them, so she must have been aware of some of the circumstances here. Her current demeanor clearly indicated that she was still preoccupied with Nangong Nuo; otherwise, given her personality, she would have already expressed her outrage against Nangong Nuo for harming Mei Shuang.
After a moment of silence, Mei Shuang said, "Although I have awakened, I still feel weak. Please don’t tell anyone that I am awake for now; I don’t want to be disturbed. Also, I need to write a letter to the Emperor. Prepare some writing materials for me; I need peace and quiet for the next few days..."
That night, after Lin Tian'er left her with the writing materials, she sent her away.
As July brought scorching heat to the capital, the sweltering summer became increasingly unbearable.
In the Imperial Garden of Purple Dawn Palace, flowers bloomed like a sea, creating a pleasant scene. However, few concubines were willing to take a stroll outside; they preferred to stay in their chambers enjoying chilled plums or Sour Plum Soup made by the Imperial Kitchen to beat the heat.
Sour Plum Soup was the best refreshing drink for this season, far superior in taste compared to previous cooling soups served in the palace. Everyone in the palace knew its origins and enjoyed it while also remembering Miss Lin from the back garden who bore a striking resemblance to the daughter of Mei Manor but was elusive and rarely seen lately. They speculated about why they hadn’t seen her for some time and noted that even Shijieyu, who usually kept a low profile, had also vanished without a trace.
However, Shijieyu had always been indifferent by nature and rarely interacted with other concubines in the palace; it wasn’t unusual for her not to be seen for long periods. Some curious individuals inquired about Shijieyu’s illness and her refusal of visitors. This news delighted other concubines since the Emperor seldom paid attention to them but often visited Shijieyu instead. With her illness, wouldn’t they have a chance? Moreover, some even heard that the Emperor hadn’t visited the back garden for several days—did this mean that that woman named Lin had fallen out of favor?
The conclusion excited the concubines even more, as they eagerly hoped that the Emperor would one day visit their palaces. When the concubines gathered to pay their respects to Consort Chen, they all offered suggestions, and in the end, it was decided that Consort Chen would personally invite the Emperor to participate in their program.
However, on her way, the newly dressed Consort Chen encountered the hurried Li Gonggong. After explaining her intentions with enthusiasm, Li Gonggong frowned and said, "The Emperor has been troubled and unable to sleep these past few days. It would be better if you did not go, Consort Chen."
"Unable to sleep due to worries?" Upon hearing this, Consort Chen became displeased. She thought to herself that ever since her severe illness, the Emperor had not come to see her; why was it that he was troubled just when she intended to visit him?
"No, I must see the Emperor," Consort Chen insisted. Feeling neglected by the Emperor made her even more upset, and now she felt her pride had been wounded.
Li Gonggong smiled awkwardly and mentioned he had important matters to report to the Emperor immediately, but Consort Chen ignored him and pushed him aside as she headed towards the Hall of Governance.
Caught off guard, Li Gonggong loosened his sleeves, causing several Fire Sticks to fall out. Startled, he hurried to pick them up.
Consort Chen's sharp eyes caught sight of one of the Fire Sticks first and ordered a maid to retrieve it.
Li Gonggong did not dare to snatch it back and could only let Consort Chen open it. To her surprise, it was an urgent document from Qizhou. Knowing it concerned important state affairs, Consort Chen dared not overstep and quickly closed it. However, as she did so, she caught a glimpse of the words "Miss Lin" and "Severe Illness."
She couldn't help but feel puzzled. Wanting to check on Xiao Luo in the Hall of Governance, she noticed the envoy from Yamataikoku approaching hurriedly from a distance and decided instead to head towards the Empress Dowager.
Anriyan had returned from Qizhou a few days ago and was urgently summoned by Xiao Luo to the Hall of Governance. Upon entering, he found Xiao Luo deep in thought over a Fire Stick before him, looking troubled.
Anriyan's heart tightened; could something have happened with Mei Shuang in Qizhou?
Seeing Anriyan arrive, Xiao Luo snapped back to reality and gestured for him to sit down. He then picked up a document from the Fire Stick and handed it to him.
Anriyan was puzzled. Upon taking a look, he discovered it was an urgent message from Qizhou Lin Manor. The Fire Stick indicated that Miss Lin had awakened and expressed that her life was short, asking Lin Tian'er to take her for a walk by the river. Unexpectedly, she had a sudden episode and unfortunately fell into the water, and her whereabouts were currently unknown; it seemed she had met with an accident...
His hand trembled as he raised his gaze to Xiao Luo, his voice slightly shaking, "Is this... really true?"
Xiao Luo's expression was grim as he handed over another Fire Stick.
Anriyan made an effort to control the emotional turmoil within him and took the Fire Stick.
This letter was written by Mei Shuang when she was conscious. It explained that the reason the entrance to the hidden treasure collapsed in the end was that the scepter originally maintained some kind of balance within the Underground Palace. Once the scepter and other treasures were removed, the balance in the cave was disrupted.
The inscription on the door stating "No Return" was not a curse but rather a supernatural force that could not be explained at that time. The two large blue gems on the scepter were not gems at all but a special type of stone. This stone came from the heavens and emitted radiation, causing hallucinations; they returned sick because of this. As for the heavy mechanisms, they were designed to prevent outsiders from easily entering and also to keep the "evil spirits" within the treasure from harming others.
After reading it, Anriyan stared blankly and nodded, "Indeed, not a single detail is wrong. I never expected this woman to have such insight..."
He sighed in conclusion, "If she hadn't unlocked the mechanisms in the cave at the last moment, these people would have long been buried within..."
His final remark carried deep meaning and was thought-provoking.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Luo felt even more that his counterpart was mocking him. He chose to ignore it and simply said calmly, "Now that Your Highness the Envoy has returned triumphantly, I must fulfill my promise; from today onward, the Great Qin Empire and Yamataikoku shall maintain friendly relations..."
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