Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The last sentence left Aunt Yu and Master Jing both astonished. "Princess, what do you mean by that?"
Princess Bilian sighed, "I remember one year, Chu Xiruo fell seriously ill, and no one could help her. The General's Wife once took her to Cheng En Temple under the pretense of praying. In order to cure Chu Xiruo, Jingkong tried every herb and even mistakenly ingested poisonous plants. It was truly a pity; miraculously, Chu Xiruo recovered from her illness, but she nearly lost her life due to poisoning. At that time, it was thought to be her compassion, but who would have guessed it was actually Maternal Love? Her health has been declining year by year; otherwise, she wouldn't have risked everything. It is because she feels her days are numbered that she took such risks just to save Chu Xiruo..."
Such stories always evoke deep emotions, and Aunt Yu and Master Jing fell silent again upon hearing this.
Princess Bilian sighed lightly and asked Aunt Yu, "How do you plan to explain this to the Empress Dowager?"
"I can only tell the truth. This matter can be hidden for a time but not forever, especially since the Empress Dowager is very perceptive... However, if the Empress Dowager finds out that the daughter-in-law she intended to support has turned into the Emperor's sister, what will she think?" Aunt Yu said with a bitter smile.
"And then there's the Emperor. Perhaps there is a hidden fate at play; some things cannot be forced. The Empress Dowager's deliberate obstruction has prevented a disastrous fate..." Master Jing sighed softly.
The night was deep, and the distant figures had long disappeared.
When they returned to the humble dwelling, Mei Shuang was still in a deep sleep.
For safety's sake, Master Jing had already swallowed a pill earlier. Even after returning to the dwelling without any unusual symptoms and confirming with several physicians that there was no poison, he felt relieved enough to give Mei Shuang the medicine.
They waited anxiously by Mei Shuang's bedside. Within half an hour, her breathing became much steadier.
After taking her pulse, the physician was quite amazed and couldn't help but express his surprise with joy. "She’s saved..."
Everyone felt a weight lifted off their shoulders. It was only then that Princess Bilian relaxed slightly but suddenly felt weak all over; her vision darkened, and she fainted.
When Mei Shuang opened her eyes, she felt as if her whole body had been run over by a cart—sore and weak. Even moving slightly felt exhausting.
"What on earth? How can sleeping feel like running five thousand meters?" Mei Shuang raised her hand to rub her forehead and sighed softly. After adjusting her focus, she realized she was in an unfamiliar place.
Propping herself up from the bed, she looked around and confirmed that she was not in the room of the temple where she had originally lain.
Strange things!
She pinched her arm, confirming that she was not dreaming. As she lifted the blanket covering her, she realized that her clothes had been changed.
The dirty outfit she had been wearing was replaced with a light lake green garment, soft and snug against her skin, very comfortable.
Before she could fully comprehend the situation, she heard soft footsteps and voices outside the door. "If I'm not mistaken, the young lady should be awake today. Come on, let's go in and take a look."
When Aunt Yu and Master Jing entered, they found Mei Shuang sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around in surprise.
"Oh my, the young lady is awake!" Aunt Yu and Master Jing exclaimed joyfully as they hurried over.
Seeing Master Jing did not surprise Mei Shuang; it was Aunt Yu's presence that astonished her. "Aunt Yu? What are you doing here?"
"Let's not discuss that for now. Miss Mei Shuang, how are you feeling? Are you better?" Aunt Yu asked with concern.
Mei Shuang was bewildered. "What happened to me? Last night I..."
Master Jing interjected, "Ahem, Miss Mei Shuang seems a bit confused. You've been ill for six days now..."
"Miss Mei Shuang?" Hearing Master Jing refer to her this way struck Mei Shuang as odd, but then something suddenly clicked in her mind. She jumped off the bed in shock. "I was sick? Today is the sixth day?! Oh no, this is bad!"
Putting aside how those six days had passed and why Aunt Yu was there, just recalling her agreement with that boy named Zheng Yi for the next day made her feel a wave of regret wash over her.
Noticing Mei Shuang's anxious and distressed demeanor, Aunt Yu and Master Jing exchanged puzzled glances. "What's wrong? What’s so bad?"
Mei Shuang couldn't spare a moment to explain; she bent down to find her shoes while suppressing her dizziness and sighed, "Oh no, I had an appointment with someone, and now this ruins everything..."
Aunt Yu stopped her, "Miss Mei Shuang, no matter what promises you made with anyone, even if something monumental has happened, you must remain calm. You've been ill for six days now, and just waking up means you can't go anywhere..."
"I've been sick for that long?" Mei Shuang paused in her actions of putting on her shoes, staring blankly. "What exactly is going on?"
...
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm red glow as it settled halfway down the mountainside, blending beautifully with the evening clouds into a picturesque scene.
Mei Shuang sat at a table by the window, resting her chin on her hand and squinting at the distant beauty. Her thoughts drifted, and for a moment, she felt as if she were back in the bustling palace, pondering over documents laid out before her. It was this familiar scenery that suddenly sparked an epiphany within her, revealing the astonishing secret hidden within the Secret Edict.
Looking back, her current predicament was not merely the result of a momentary cleverness.
If she hadn't unraveled the Secret Edict, she wouldn't have caught Nangong Nuo's attention, which led to Nangong Nuo taking action prematurely. Xiao Luo wouldn't have pushed her to risk going to Qishan to seize an opportunity; naturally, there would be no subsequent imperial decree granting her nobility. Without that decree, how could she have fled? And without fleeing, how could she have encountered Chu Xiruo? Thus, she would have been spared from the later threats to her life...
Fortunately, fate had smiled upon her once more; otherwise, she would have already reported to the heavens.
Aunt Yu and Master Jing had told her everything, their words laced with lingering fear.
To Mei Shuang, it all sounded like a tale filled with royal scandals and palace intrigues—just another story whose twists and turns seemed more legendary than most.
After all, such romantic entanglements had occurred throughout history. A ruler might take a fancy to a woman on a whim, leading to illegitimate children and sparking jealousy and rivalry among the harem. Thus began a deadly game of palace intrigue...
Of course, one couldn't entirely dismiss the emperor's feelings; when it came to matters of "love," deep emotions added layers of tragic beauty to the story that evoked sympathy.
However tragic these tales might be, they were merely remnants of past generations' affairs and had nothing to do with her.
The only connection she had was that seemingly gentle and kind-hearted Chu Xiruo harbored murderous intent towards her. The reason? It wasn't revenge for past grievances but rather that the man Chu Xiruo adored had turned his affections toward a woman Mei Shuang despised.
Mei Shuang felt a pang of empathy; she could even envision Chu Xiruo's pale face in disbelief. "The emperor... he hated her the most! How could he possibly develop feelings for her? I can't believe it... I refuse to believe it..."
Of course, not only did Chu Xiruo not believe it, but Mei Shuang also found it hard to comprehend after hearing it herself.
She dismissed Aunt Yu's words. Both she and Chu Xiruo had arrived here at the same time; who said the Emperor must have come for her? Perhaps the Emperor thought that Chu Xiruo had misunderstood him and had come here to explain himself, with no concern for her at all.
She self-deprecatingly curled her lips. Her current predicament was merely a result of Abbot and Chu Xiruo seeking revenge against her, thus resorting to such underhanded tactics. As for the idea that the Emperor had developed feelings for her, leading to Chu Xiruo's jealousy, that was truly far-fetched.
How many people truly understood the Emperor's thoughts?
Chu Xiruo dared to act under the Emperor's nose without a hint of awareness; how could she know how deep the waters ran here?
Who would have guessed that the seemingly kind and compassionate Abbot was actually an accomplice of Chu Xiruo? If it weren't for a twist of fate that led her to stay with Master Jing, she might not even have known how she had met her end.
Reflecting on the entire ordeal, Mei Shuang felt like a startled bird, still haunted by the memories. Her only conclusion was that she could never again trust anyone without reason.
Princess Bilian had fallen ill from exhaustion after taking care of Mei Shuang day and night. Mei Shuang visited daily, serving tea and water, which brought great comfort to Princess Bilian.
Even when Mei Shuang saw Princess Bilian, she felt a sense of familiarity in her appearance and couldn't help but marvel at how much they resembled each other.
The bond between mother and daughter was deep. When Princess Bilian looked at Mei Shuang, the tenderness in her eyes moved Mei Shuang every time. After all, there was finally a relative here who cared for her.
As they reminisced about the past, Princess Bilian began to cry before she could even speak. Choked with emotion, she said, "Shuang'er, these years have been hard on you. I haven’t been by your side, and I’m sorry you’ve suffered..."
Mei Shuang sighed deeply, feeling a mix of emotions. She didn't know whether Princess Bilian was aware of her previous hardships, but since entering the palace, she had indeed endured great suffering; thankfully, she had managed to survive it.
Seeing Princess Bilian cry pitifully, she comforted her, saying, "It's all in the past now. What could be more important in life than a mother and daughter reuniting?"
Princess Bilian felt warmth in her heart. After a moment of surprise, she agreed wholeheartedly. Through tear-filled eyes, she looked at Mei Shuang and realized they were indeed on different paths. Just moments ago, she had prepared herself to be scolded by Mei Shuang; however, this statement from Mei Shuang seemed to sweep away all grievances from the past.
Princess Bilian recalled the letter she had entrusted to Abbot for Mei Shuang and asked, "Did you read the letter I asked Pure Zen Abbot to give you?"
Mei Shuang shook her head, "No, what letter?"
Princess Bilian had written about the past in the letter. She originally planned to wait until Mei Shuang read it before making any decisions, but unexpectedly, Abbot never gave the letter to Mei Shuang. Perhaps since that incident, Abbot had already harbored murderous intentions towards Mei Shuang?
"It’s fine if there isn’t one," Princess Bilian said with a sense of loss, letting out a soft sigh. "Mother will tell you about the past later..."
The next morning, Mei Shuang felt that her body was almost recovered, so she hurriedly went out alone. To be honest, she still couldn’t let go of that boy named Zheng Yi.
Relying on her memory, she indeed found that big tree.
Walking around the tree, she noticed several deep scratches carved into its trunk.
"One, two, three... six, seven..."
Mei Shuang bent down to count carefully, using her fingers to calculate. Today was the eighth day; does that mean this little boy comes here every day to wait for her?
Her heart warmed at the thought. She straightened up and looked into the distance carefully, then found a place to sit down. From time to time, she counted the numbers, hoping that when she casually looked up, she would just happen to see that lively little figure bouncing towards her.
Comment 0 Comment Count