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墨書 Inktalez
"Do you know about the Empress?" Empress Dowager Mingxi sighed and then asked Mei Shuang.
"Empress?" Mei Shuang was momentarily taken aback, unsure why Empress Dowager Mingxi suddenly brought up Mei Ru. She wondered what exactly the "all" in the Empress Dowager's question referred to—was it about Mei Ru's situation being exposed and her rescue, or was it regarding Mei Ru's claims about her own background?
Mei Shuang quickly pondered for a moment and nodded, "I know a little..."
Yet, she felt indifferent inside; what significance did knowing about Mei Ru hold for her? According to Mei Ru, their relationship was not that of sisters born of the same father but rather two strangers with a sisterly bond. Especially now, they were in a starkly opposing and life-and-death rivalry. Of course, she still had some questions about Mei Ru. Did her previous suppression of Mei Ru as the legitimate daughter lead to such deep-seated hatred that Mei Ru wished to kill her? Intuitively, she felt that things were not that simple. After experiencing so many complex events, she sensed that all these isolated incidents seemed to be intricately connected, and within that connection, her existence could not be overlooked...
Seeing that Mei Shuang had agreed but seemed lost in thought, Empress Dowager Mingxi shifted her gaze to the silent Xiao Luo beside them. Noticing Xiao Luo staring out the window with a distant expression, Empress Dowager Mingxi felt somewhat displeased and raised her voice slightly, "Regarding the Empress, what does my son plan to do?"
Xiao Luo furrowed her brows at the question, retracting her gaze and fixing her dark eyes on the now-alert Mei Shuang. A smirk appeared on her lips as she spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "The Left Chancellor truly has unmatched daughters..."
This remark would be unbearable for an ordinary person; the Left Chancellor had two daughters who both had the fortune of becoming Empresses one after another—yet one was deposed while the other committed a capital offense. Even as an outsider, Mei Shuang couldn't help but feel embarrassed for the Left Chancellor, who was reputed to be virtuous and honorable. How could such a prestigious family have two such bizarre daughters? It was a disgrace to their ancestors.
If what Mei Ru said was true and the Left Chancellor could not bear children herself, wouldn't that add insult to injury? However, no matter how serious the Emperor's words were, what did it have to do with her?
Seeing that Mei Shuang remained unmoved, Xiao Luo understood this woman's mindset; she never regarded her as part of the esteemed Left Chancellor's family. Speaking would be pointless, so she changed the subject. "I have sealed off information regarding the Empress's sudden illness; she is being isolated for treatment and notices have been posted seeking renowned doctors from across the land."
Empress Dowager Mingxi nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. "This is very good; it preserves the royal family's dignity without alarming anyone..."
Mei Shuang was taken aback by this statement; it clearly held significant meaning. The phrase "without alarming anyone" indicated that there was an even greater conspiracy behind Queen Mei Ru's situation! Moreover, such words should typically be kept private yet were spoken without regard for her presence. She couldn't help but wonder what purpose Empress Dowager Mingxi had in letting her overhear this. Did she have such great trust in her?
Mei Shuang lowered her gaze and quickly reviewed what Empress Dowager Mingxi had said about an "extraordinary" lineage. This too seemed laden with meaning. Regardless of the truth, on the surface, both she and Mei Ru were daughters of the Left Chancellor. Yet here was Deposed Empress Mei Shuang receiving such favor from Empress Dowager—was it merely because she wrote beautifully? What exactly did Empress Dowager intend to convey?
After discussing matters with Mei Shuang for quite some time and giving her a few instructions, Empress Dowager Mingxi appeared fatigued and waved her hand for Xiao Luo and Mei Shuang to leave.
As Mei Shuang followed Xiao Luo out of the Empress Dowager's palace, she contemplated whether to greet the Sovereign ahead when Xiao Luo suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "I have something to ask you..."
In the Hall of Governance, Mei Shuang stared at a piece of writing on the Fire Stick that looked like a chaotic scrawl. She had been examining it repeatedly for quite some time but still could not grasp Xiao Luo's intent.
She glanced at the Supreme Ruler, who had handed her the Fire Stick and was now engrossed in reviewing a thick stack of memorials with a red brush, completely ignoring her presence as if she were invisible.
Mei Shuang could only continue to scrutinize the Fire Stick, focusing on the hastily written characters and the lines between the words. Several times she wanted to ask Xiao Luo what exactly she was supposed to be looking at, but each time she saw Xiao Luo's serious expression, she swallowed her words.
She had some understanding of this Sovereign's temperament; it was clearly not the right time to ask questions. Perhaps Xiao Luo thought she could understand? However, after reading it for the tenth time, Mei Shuang couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself—this thing was truly incomprehensible.
So, she could only stare blankly at the Fire Stick for an eleventh time.
As dusk approached, the light in the hall gradually dimmed, and Mei Shuang's eyes began to blur from staring too long at the Fire Stick.
I need a break. She gently picked up the Fire Stick and quietly moved to a table by the window, gazing out into the distance. After a while, her vision began to recover, and just as she was about to look at that frustrating Fire Stick again, her attention was suddenly captured by the sunset.
The fiery red sun sank in the west, casting its glow over distant mountains. A vast expanse of magnificent sunset clouds hung in the sky, radiating colorful light.
Mei Shuang soon became entranced by nature's artistry, gazing dreamily at the changing colors of the sunset clouds as if admiring a series of natural paintings—truly breathtaking.
After focusing on reviewing the Fire Stick for a while, Xiao Luo lifted her head and turned her gaze toward the window.
At the window, Mei Shuang rested one hand on the Fire Stick and propped her chin with the other, intently gazing up at the sky.
Outside, the afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the tall windows, seemingly enveloping this woman in a soft halo. Even her fine strands of hair were tinged with gold, enhancing her beauty. Beneath her delicate nose, her lips curled slightly upward in a childlike smile, revealing that just moments ago she had been deeply pondering over the Fire Stick but was now lost in pleasant thoughts. Seeing her relaxed demeanor made Xiao Luo smirk; it seemed she had already drifted off—clearly not cut out for this task!
However, Mei Shuang's focused expression piqued Xiao Luo's curiosity. There was such an attractive scenery outside the Hall of Governance that it made her forget about her business?
Before Xiao Luo could decide whether to go take a look, his actions had already reacted before his thoughts.
He stood behind Mei Shuang, following her gaze and naturally saw the dazzling and beautiful scenery at the horizon. As he focused on it, he noticed it was slowly changing; no wonder this woman was captivated.
Mei Shuang was mesmerized, completely unaware of the deep gaze from the man behind her. When the clouds and mist shifted again, her eyes suddenly brightened. The small hand that had been propping up her chin slammed down on the table, her expression unusually excited. "Got it!"
The sudden movement caused Xiao Luo, who was standing with his hands clasped behind his back, to glance sideways. This surprise and excitement showed no trace of a woman's modesty. However, he was more concerned about whether Mei Shuang's sudden realization would lead to any discoveries.
Mei Shuang tried to suppress her excitement and lowered her head to examine the Fire Stick carefully. She decisively turned it upside down and moved it further away, squinting her eyes to inspect it closely.
Indeed, she noticed something. The previously messy strokes of writing began to connect, and she could vaguely make out some characters that seemed like a picture...
Just as Mei Shuang furrowed her brows, preparing to discern further, Xiao Luo behind her naturally noticed something unusual.
From his angle and distance, he could clearly see the content above and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. When he looked at Mei Shuang again, there was a hint of complexity in his dark eyes.
This woman had just made him doubt her intelligence; unexpectedly, while so many others overlooked the oddities, she quickly grasped the essence of it.
As Mei Shuang pondered deeply while gesturing with her hands for an imminent revelation, the Fire Stick in front of her was suddenly pulled away. Startled, she instinctively reached out to reclaim it without thinking, complaining, "Hey, hey! What are you doing? Stop messing around!"
Following the long fingers gripping the Fire Stick upward, when she saw the man in front of her clearly, Mei Shuang felt embarrassed. How captivated had she been to dare snatch the Fire Stick from the Emperor and tell him not to mess around!
Thus, she quickly withdrew her hand with understanding and awkwardly stood up. "Your Majesty, I—"
Xiao Luo released the Fire Stick, withdrew his hand, and calmly asked, "Have you finished?"
Mei Shuang thought the Emperor was upset about her taking too long, and quickly replied, "I have finished... but I think I need a moment to confirm something..."
Xiao Luo furrowed his brow. "What is it?"
Just as Mei Shuang was about to answer, she suddenly seemed to recall something. She picked up the Fire Stick again, held it up to the sunset outside, examined it closely, and after some contemplation, she set down the Fire Stick and sighed. "Your Majesty, may I borrow some ink and paper?"
Xiao Luo watched as Mei Shuang bent over to draw something on the paper. She would occasionally compare it with the Fire Stick, then continue drawing. First, she made several dots on the paper, then began connecting them. After nearly half an incense stick's worth of time, when the final line was connected, Mei Shuang finally breathed a sigh of relief and handed the still-wet ink paper to Xiao Luo. "Your Majesty, here."
Xiao Luo took it with confusion and studied it for a moment before nodding. "How did you come up with this?"
Mei Shuang knew she had passed the test and lightly exhaled. She pointed outside. "It's from the sunset... When I was a child, I often watched the clouds with my friends, observing how they swayed up and down or side to side, transforming into various shapes. That inspired me just now..."
Xiao Luo nodded. The pattern Mei Shuang provided was clearly very different from what he had seen earlier, and the drawing on the paper was a depiction based on the reverse side of the Fire Stick.
With that, the meaning had completely changed.
Seeing the Supreme Ruler pondering over her drawing, Mei Shuang further explained, "I imagine that the person writing this memorial certainly does not want ordinary people to understand what he intends to express. Therefore, he deliberately set up so many obstacles. Even if someone were lucky enough to see the pattern in reverse, they might not grasp his true intention..."
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