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Especially the words spoken by Mei Ru, "As long as you drink it, you will forget some things you shouldn't remember," left Mei Shuang feeling even more horrified.
What had she seen that was so terrible that it made Mei Ru so cautious, insisting that she drink those filthy substances 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 previous experiences. Could it be because she had drunk that thing?
And was Mei Ru's relentless attempts to kill her out of fear that she wouldn't forget completely, hence the 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 went back to rest.
Mei Shuang could no longer sleep. She quietly got up, put on her clothes, and went 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 knowledgeable in medicine and skilled in making poison. No wonder Nangong Nuo said she wasn't dead; there was indeed basis for it. Such a woman would not be easily killed by Emperor Xiao Luo with a single strike. It seemed to be merely a ruse.
Given that she had close ties with the Eastern Kingdom and was involved in secret dealings, how could she not know the root cause of the Kuranami Miyako family's affliction?
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, how could she not offer any guidance? Did she use a double-edged strategy, telling 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 relaying what an old lady had told them...
After pondering for a long time, Mei Shuang suddenly felt that this Mei Ru was so mysterious. The more she thought about it, the more perplexing it became. It was as if a thick fog enveloped her, and Mei Ru's face appeared hazy and indistinct, 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 with the intent to usurp power. To achieve this, he has resorted to vile schemes, turning the Left Chancellor into a statue and colluding with the Eastern Kingdom. He even plotted for Mei Ru to replace Empress Mei Shuang, a crime deserving of execution. Bring her in; we will detain her and schedule a trial for another day..."
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 did Xiao Luo not eliminate his accomplices? Instead, when Mei Ru was taken away, he showed no excessive anger and merely used the excuse that the Empress was ill and summoned renowned doctors from across the land to treat her. What was truly going on here? What scheme was the Emperor concocting?
The Emperor clearly knew that his situation was perilous; why then did he allow himself to leave the palace?
A series of questions made Mei Shuang's head throb with pain. Unbeknownst to her, dawn had already broken.
After sitting outside all night, as soon as Mei Shuang stood up, darkness suddenly enveloped her, and she collapsed...
---
Purple Dawn Palace.
Summer was the favorite season of all the concubines. They shed their heavy winter garments for thin, colorful silk robes and draped themselves in gossamer veils as light as a cicada's wings. Each of them felt considerably lighter and moved with grace like startled swans.
Empress Dowager Mingxi strolled aimlessly through the Imperial Garden, feeling bored as she watched the numerous concubines in flowing garments boating on the Emerald Lake while admiring the lotus flowers. The pleasant sounds of laughter from the lotus pond made Empress Dowager Mingxi sigh, "I must be getting old; hearing such playful laughter makes me inexplicably envious..."
Beside her, 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 I must say, maintaining this old face is also 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, and it's been quite some time now. I wonder how she is doing?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi's affection for Mei Shuang became even more evident after Mei Shuang returned to the palace. As the Empress Dowager put it, Mei Shuang's trip outside 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 a delightful experience with intricate steps.
Aware of the Empress Dowager's desire for beauty and fear of aging, Mei Shuang introduced "beauty masks," ensuring that the Empress Dowager applied them daily. Since using these masks, the Empress Dowager had even stopped using the beauty water prescribed by the palace physician.
Every little thing was tailored to please the Empress Dowager; how could she not be fond of Mei Shuang?
It was no wonder that before this, Mei Shuang had always looked down on others except for the Empress Dowager. However, she had completely changed; now she showed no airs at all. Even when Aunt Yu complained about shoulder pain, Mei Shuang personally treated her with gua sha therapy, and Aunt Yu felt much better.
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, there's no one to discuss tea with me..."
She then complained further, "You tell me, this child has been out of the palace for so long without a word from the Emperor? When she had Zhao Prince looking after her, I wasn't so worried. 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 heard from Mei Shuang. She could only comfort Empress Dowager Mingxi by saying, "Your Highness worries too much. Miss Mei Shuang is clever and resourceful; after her experience outside the palace, I'm sure she'll manage just fine. Besides, since the Emperor allowed her to leave, he must have his reasons..."
At the mention of the Emperor, Empress Dowager Mingxi couldn't help but show her displeasure. "This child doesn't know what she's thinking or what kind of spell she's under. She can't seem to let go of Chu Xiruo. Does she think that as long as Chu Xiruo isn't around, he won't find peace? With so many beautiful concubines in the palace, can't he find someone appealing? Furthermore, I have been trying my best to bring him and Shuang'er together; why can't he see it? As for Shuang'er herself—she used to be so infatuated with the Emperor 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 met the Emperor, she acts like a cat seeing a mouse! And I can clearly see that the Emperor doesn't seem to dislike her... Oh dear, what a pair of little foes..."
After venting her frustrations, Empress Dowager Mingxi felt bored and decided to return home but not before instructing Aunt Yu, "Since the Emperor allowed Shuang'er to leave the palace without concern for her well-being, we should ask Zhao Prince if he has any news about her..."
Aunt Yu followed behind with a wry smile, thinking how chaotic this situation was. Who didn't know that Zhao Prince was madly in love with Miss Mei Shuang? It was Zhao Prince who saved her when she nearly perished in the Cold Palace. The Emperor's feelings toward Miss Mei Shuang were quite different.
Now that the Empress Dowager favored Miss Mei Shuang 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, Emperor Xiao Luo of the Great Qin Empire was contemplating a message conveyed by a Pigeon.
On the narrow note, there was a drawing of a Plum Branch, above which floated a Cloud, and behind it were rolling mountains.
Using drawings to convey meaning was not only to prevent prying eyes but also because if someone intercepted the note, it would be difficult to decipher its meaning just from the images.
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 ashes.
At this moment, the note undoubtedly carried good news; at the very least, it reported safety.
The plum referred to Mei Shuang, the cloud represented Yun Kong, and the rolling mountains 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 kidnapped the Noble Person in the small grove, the two of them seemed to have vanished into thin air. Despite sending large numbers of people to search every day, there has been little success, with not even a trace or 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 truly 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 recalled 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 anyone 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? Moreover, 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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