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Especially the words spoken by Mei Ru, "As long as you drink it, you will forget things you shouldn't remember," left Mei Shuang feeling even more horrified.
What had she seen that was so unsettling that it made Mei Ru so cautious, insisting that she drink that filthy substance to forget what she had witnessed?
Since the moment she sat in the bridal sedan chair preparing to enter the palace and be crowned, she had no recollection of her past experiences. Could it be because she drank that thing?
And was Mei Ru's relentless attempt to kill her due to fear that she might not forget completely, prompting her repeated attempts on her life?
Taking a deep breath, Mei Shuang turned to Yun Kong, who had a hint of worry on his face. "Do you know? I dreamt of Mei Ru..."
Yun Kong's eyes flickered slightly. "What did you dream about?"
"Nothing much, just that she wanted my life..." Mei Shuang replied lightly.
Seeing that Mei Shuang was fine, Yun Kong and Xiang Cao resumed their rest.
Mei Shuang could no longer sleep. She quietly got up, put on her clothes, and went out to the courtyard.
The night was deep and heavy with dew; the courtyard was quiet, occasionally interrupted by strange sounds from insects and small animals in the dense forest.
She never imagined that her sister Mei Ru was actually well-versed in medicine and a master at making poison. No wonder Nangong Nuo said she wasn't dead; there must be some truth to it. Such a woman would not easily be killed by Emperor Xiao Luo with a single strike. It seemed like nothing more than a ruse.
Given her close ties with the Eastern Kingdom and their mutual agreements, how could she not know the root of the Kuranami Miyako family's afflictions?
Then why was she indifferent to the tragic fate of her allies from the Eastern Kingdom? Even knowing that women represented by Kuranami Miyako were desperately seeking medical help everywhere, why did she not offer any guidance? Did she use a double-edged strategy to tell the Eastern Kingdom people that she could cure the Jiu Rang Family's illness in exchange for being taken to the Eastern Kingdom and then killed?
Thinking about it, although there was some truth to it, it was clear that Kuranami Miyako was merely repeating what an old lady had told them...
After pondering for a long time, Mei Shuang suddenly felt that this Mei Ru was incredibly mysterious. The more she thought about it, the more perplexing it became. It was as if a thick fog enveloped her, with Mei Ru's face appearing indistinctly, making it impossible to see her true appearance...
"The Left Chancellor's twin brother, Li Tang, is using the Left Chancellor's name to commit treasonous acts, intending to usurp power. To achieve this, he has resorted to vile schemes to turn the Left Chancellor into a statue and collude with the Eastern Kingdom. He even plotted for Mei Ru to replace Empress Mei Shuang, a crime deserving of execution. Bring her in for detention and we will decide on a trial date later..."
Xiao Luo's words echoed in her mind as she left the palace. If Li Tang was indeed attempting to usurp power, then his conspiracy had already been exposed. Why didn’t Xiao Luo eliminate his accomplices? Instead, when Mei Ru was taken away, he showed no excessive anger and even used the excuse that the Empress was ill to summon renowned doctors from across the land for her treatment. What was truly going on here? What scheme was the Emperor concocting?
The Emperor clearly knew how dangerous her situation was; why then did he let her leave the palace?
A series of questions made Mei Shuang feel a throbbing headache. Unbeknownst to her, the sky had already begun to lighten.
After sitting outside all night, just as Mei Shuang got up, darkness suddenly clouded her vision and she collapsed...
---
Purple Dawn Palace.
Summer was the favorite season of all the concubines. They shed their heavy winter garments and donned colorful thin silk robes, draping themselves in gossamer-like veils. Everyone felt lighter and moved gracefully like startled swans.
Empress Dowager Mingxi strolled aimlessly through the Imperial Garden, watching the numerous concubines gliding across Emerald Lake in boats while admiring the lotus flowers. The pleasant sounds of laughter floated from the lotus pond, making Empress Dowager Mingxi sigh, "I must be getting old; I find myself envying such carefree laughter..."
Aunt Yu quickly comforted her, "Empress Dowager, just look at your complexion; it's even more delicate than that of the concubines! How can you say you are old..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi shot Aunt Yu a glance. "Only you know how to flatter me... But this old face of mine remains youthful thanks to Shuang'er. If only Shuang'er were here, I wouldn't have to be without someone amusing by my side..."
With a sigh, she said, "This child doesn't know what kind of mischief has gotten into her; she is determined to leave the palace. It's been some time now, and I wonder how she is faring?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi's fondness for Mei Shuang became even more evident after Mei Shuang returned to the palace. As the Empress Dowager put it, Mei Shuang's brief excursion from the palace was not in vain; she returned with a plethora of fresh stories. At first, she hesitated to share them, but upon hearing that the Empress Dowager would punish her for silence, she spoke up eagerly, much to the Empress Dowager's delight.
Knowing that the Empress Dowager enjoyed tea, Mei Shuang prepared "Kung Fu Tea," turning the simple act of drinking tea into an exquisite experience.
Aware of the Empress Dowager's desire for beauty and fear of aging, Mei Shuang introduced "beauty masks," ensuring that the Empress Dowager applied one daily. Ever since using these masks, the Empress Dowager had even stopped using the beauty water prescribed by the palace physician.
Every little detail catered to the Empress Dowager's preferences made it impossible for her not to like Mei Shuang.
It was no wonder that Miss Mei Shuang had completely changed from her previous haughty demeanor; now, she showed no airs at all. Even when Aunt Yu complained of shoulder pain, Mei Shuang personally treated her with guasha therapy, which alleviated much of Aunt Yu's discomfort.
After a moment of contemplation, Aunt Yu realized that Empress Dowager Mingxi might be thirsty and offered her some tea. The Empress Dowager sighed again, saying, "Without her around, I have no one to discuss tea with..."
She then lamented, "You tell me, this child has been out of the palace for days now. Why hasn't His Majesty sent any word? When she was under Zhao Prince's care, I wasn't so worried. But now that even Zhao Prince's whereabouts are unknown, it truly makes one anxious..."
Listening to the Empress Dowager's complaints, Aunt Yu also felt that it had been a while since they had heard from Mei Shuang. She could only comfort Empress Dowager Mingxi, saying, "Your Highness worries too much. Miss Mei Shuang is clever and resourceful; after her experience outside the palace, I'm sure she will manage just fine. Besides, His Majesty allowed her to leave the palace for a reason..."
At the mention of His Majesty, Empress Dowager Mingxi couldn't help but show her displeasure. "This child doesn't seem to understand what she's thinking or what kind of spell she's under. She can't seem to let go of that Chu Xiruo. Does she think that as long as Chu Xiruo is absent, he will remain restless? With so many beautiful concubines in the palace, can't he find someone appealing? Moreover, I have been trying my best to bring him and Shuang'er together; why can't he see it? And Shuang'er herself—she used to be so infatuated with His Majesty and dreamed of becoming the Empress of the Great Qin Empire. Isn't this a perfect opportunity? The main palace is vacant; how many concubines are envious? Yet ever since Shuang'er came out of the Cold Palace and saw His Majesty, she acts like a cat caught by a mouse! I can clearly see that His Majesty doesn't dislike her either. Oh dear, they really are two little mischief-makers..."
After venting her frustrations, Empress Dowager Mingxi felt somewhat bored and decided to return home but not before instructing Aunt Yu, "Since His Majesty allowed Shuang'er to leave the palace without concern, we should ask Zhao Prince if he has any news about her..."
Aunt Yu followed behind with a wry smile, thinking how chaotic the Empress Dowager's matchmaking efforts were. Who didn't know that Zhao Prince was madly in love with Miss Mei Shuang? It was he who saved her when she nearly perished in the Cold Palace! Meanwhile, His Majesty seemed indifferent toward Miss Mei Shuang.
Now that the Empress Dowager favored Miss Mei Shuang so much and insisted on having her marry her son—who would agree to such a thing? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?
In the Hall of Governance, the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire, Xiao Luo, was contemplating a message delivered by a pigeon.
On the narrow slip of paper, there was a drawing of a Plum Branch, above which floated a Cloud, and behind it lay a range of undulating mountains.
Using drawings to convey messages served not only to prevent prying eyes but also made it difficult for anyone who intercepted the note to decipher its meaning solely from the illustrations.
Upon seeing the note, Xiao Luo let out a slight sigh of relief.
He then held the note over the candle flame, watching as it turned to ash.
At this moment, the note undoubtedly contained good news; at least it reported safety.
The plum referred to Mei Shuang, the cloud represented Yun Kong, and the mountain range symbolized Qizhou.
It seemed they had met, and everything was normal.
At the Lin Residence, Prefect Lord Xu had settled in since arriving at Lin Residence, treating it as his command center for operations.
However, ever since Lord Lu failed to capture the monk who had kidnapped the Noble Person in the small grove, the two of them seemed to have vanished without a trace. Despite sending large numbers of people out every day to search, there was little success; not even a clue could be found, let alone any news.
Even the monk who had fought with Lord Lu could not be found in any of the local temples; there was simply no monk by the name of Yun Kong.
"Lord Lu, you say that monk is named Yun Kong. Which temple does he come from?" Lord Xu genuinely doubted that Lord Lu was speaking sensibly.
Lord Lu thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "I remember now. Last time I encountered several traveling monks from local temples, and one of them mentioned that there were monks from a nearby foreign temple. I only remembered their names; could it be from the nearest Capital Dazhao Temple?"
Lord Xu was taken aback and skeptical. "Dazhao Temple? That is a well-known royal temple. Which monk inside isn't carefully selected and loyal to the royal family? How could someone have the audacity to kidnap an Esteemed Guest?"
Just then, someone came in with urgent news.
Lord Xu opened it and his expression turned serious as he sighed, "Lord Lu, it seems you were right. Several monks from Dazhao Temple have gone out traveling, including one named Yun Kong..."
He then became somewhat anxious. "Now that several days have passed, why is there still no news? Could they have flown away? Furthermore, if a monk is out with someone else, surely someone would notice; why has no one reported anything? Where could they have gone?"
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