Luo Zhiheng's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, all to deceive the imposter. The imposter must be someone with real skills, and the medicine he prescribed would indeed alleviate Mu Yunhe's pain. She needed to make the imposter believe that Mu Yunhe was truly taking his medicine to avoid arousing suspicion and prevent the imposter or his backers from plotting against him.
Of course, Luo Zhiheng's 'fear and caution' today was just to lower the imposter's guard against her. Only when she, Luo Zhiheng, was no longer a threat could the imposter act more arrogantly. She would always find a way to kill this imposter.
Luo Zhiheng was determined to eliminate the imposter by administering the drug. With the prince gone, she could only deal with the immediate crises one by one. The imposter was the one who could directly affect Mu Yunhe's health and life, so this guy was Luo Zhiheng's first target to eliminate.
Upon hearing this, Doctor Liang glanced at Mu Yunhe's face. Although it wasn't extremely bad, it was clearly sickly, and Luo Zhiheng's words matched the reaction he had observed after administering the medicine. He had actually come today to check on Mu Yunhe; how come he hadn't died after taking the medicine for so many days? Logically, Mu Yunhe should have had a relapse yesterday. He had previously suspected that Mu Yunhe might have discovered the problem with the medicine and refused to drink it.
Now it seems he overthought things. That's right, there aren't many good people in this palace, the princess is a fool, the prince doesn't care about the inner quarters, and Mu Yunhe is naive and simple-minded—how could he possibly discern the authenticity of the medicine? It seems he overestimated this family. He used to think Luo Zhiheng was difficult to deal with, but now that the prince is gone, Luo Zhiheng has lost her edge. Turns out she's just a spineless coward who uses someone else's power to intimidate him?
Then what did he have to fear about this Prince's mansion? What was there for him to be cautious about? Thinking of this, his heart warmed slightly. Since the Prince was no longer there, he could finally go see her…
Thinking of this, Doctor Liang's mind wandered. His eyes darted around, and his face softened as he said to Mu Yunhe, "Young Prince, don't be nervous. This medicine is like this, it works slowly. It will get better after a while. I'll increase the strength of the medicine for you, and I guarantee your pain will be relieved quickly."
Although the person above had instructed that Mu Yunhe should not die quickly, but only keep him from getting better and keep him on his last breath, and that was what he did, Mu Yunhe's condition did not flare up as he had predicted. Doctor Liang also wondered if his medicine was indeed not effective enough.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Liang," Luo Zhiheng said ingratiatingly.
Doctor Liang snorted coldly, pretended to take Mu Yunhe's pulse, and then left without saying anything.
Luo Zhiheng watched him leave, then had her wet nurse, Zhang Mama, follow him, specifically instructing her not to be discovered and to just watch where Doctor Liang went from a distance.
"Where do you suspect he went?" Mu Yunhe knew what Luo Zhiheng was thinking as soon as he saw her actions, but he was also puzzled. Where could an imposter who had just arrived at the Prince's Mansion and did not know anyone there go?
Luo Zhiheng ran her fingers along her brow, her eyes sparkling: "That's not necessarily true. You can know a person's face but not their heart. Who knows who in our household he might know?"
Luo Zhiheng said this mainly to prevent any unforeseen problems. She was worried that there might be some hidden contacts within the Prince's mansion, and if they made contact with that Divine Physician Liang, she might be in trouble. Now that Divine Physician Liang had received bad news about Mu Yunhe, he would likely try to inform that person in the shadows if there was any contact. She needed to seize the initiative and not let anyone make a move against her.
Luo Zhiheng's caution was not told to Mu Yunhe, but Mu Yunhe was not stupid. Although he was far away from the secular world, he never neglected his studies and could be said to be very knowledgeable. Because he was confined to this small place for many years, Mu Yunhe, like other men, had the ambition to gallop across the battlefield and the desire to travel all over the country. And because he could not even go out like a normal person, he longed for the outside world even more.
Therefore, Mu Yunhe's favorite books were miscellaneous books, travelogues, and books that described local customs and traditions. He was like an encyclopedia filled with maps of Zhejiang and the world, and he knew everything about any place he had read.
Therefore, Mu Yunhe was not lacking in insight; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to immediately see that the divine doctor was problematic. While surprised by Luo Zhiheng's meticulousness, he would never praise this cunning woman. Instead, he sneered disdainfully, "Would someone who came with such a purpose not be careful? Sending your wet nurse along exposes you and also alerts them. You're practically stirring up trouble, you fool!"
He spoke confidently at the beginning, but the last two words were uttered very softly by Mu Yunhe, almost subconsciously. He was annoyed and afraid that Luo Zhiheng would hear him and start crying again. Women who cry all the time are indeed the most annoying.
Luo Zhiheng didn't refute, but looked at Mu Yunhe with innocent eyes and said, "Besides my wet nurse and maid who are loyal to me, who else can I trust?"
Mu Yunhe fell silent. Yes, they were surrounded by enemies on all sides, and they had few trustworthy confidants. There were eyes and ears everywhere in the palace, but none of them belonged to them. If they made any move, they would likely be discovered and cause endless trouble.
The wet nurse followed Doctor Liang away, carefully following him all the way. After he entered his courtyard, the wet nurse found a secluded place to hide. No one knew that she was surprisingly nimble and agile.
As the sun set and the crescent moon rose, Doctor Liang remained silent. Just as the wet nurse was thinking of returning to report to Luo Zhiheng, the tightly closed courtyard gate suddenly opened. Doctor Liang emerged, acting furtively. After looking around for a while and finding no one, he closed the gate and quickly left, heading straight for Consort Li's courtyard.
Zhang's mother paused, concealing her actions well, holding her breath, her eyes shifting. Only when Liang the Divine Doctor's figure was just a blurry shadow did she suddenly dart out, following him silently and swiftly in the night like a cat, watching helplessly as Liang the Divine Doctor brazenly entered Consort Li's courtyard.
There's definitely something fishy going on between these two!
Zhang's mother wanted to go in and take a look, but she wisely stopped far away from the courtyard. Her eyes were unpredictable as she looked at the courtyard that exuded a cold aura. Her mind raced, and she simply hid. She wanted to wait for Doctor Liang to come out and see how long he had been inside.
When Doctor Liang entered the courtyard, he wasn't nervous at all, because the courtyard gate was open for him.
The courtyard was quiet, with only a flickering light in Consort Li's room. Doctor Liang's eyes flashed with anger as he strode in. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a refreshing fragrance—the scent of begonias that he had personally prepared for her!
A smile played on his lips as he entered the bedroom. There he saw a woman lying on the soft couch, her body arousing his blood. Her revealing clothing and the legs barely visible beneath the light gauze made her alluring. Although she was older, she still possessed a captivating charm that could entice any man. Moreover, she had long been skilled in the art of seduction, which gave her the ability to make men submit and fall in love with her.
"I knew you'd come back. We... are still as in sync as ever, Brother Shen!" Consort Li was no longer the ruthless or hypocritical woman she was during the day. Where was the loving mother in front of her son? Her face was radiating a captivating and charming smile, and her voice contained a silent allure and invitation.
Yun Hemo Jiji. This "Gentleman" stirred the heart of Doctor Liang, who couldn't help but recall many years ago when they were still so young. They fell in love at first sight, but were forced to separate because of Prince Mu's intervention. Prince Mu forcibly separated them; otherwise, this woman would be his woman today, and he wouldn't have had to think of her for so many years, never even marrying.
Xu Jiushen is his real name, Zhen. He even went so far as to hide his identity and pretend to be someone else for the woman in front of him. But it doesn't matter. For her to call him "Brother Shen" after so long, everything he did was worth it.
He walked over unsteadily, squatted down in front of her, grabbed her chin—it was still so soft—and said in a nasty tone, "Do you still see me as your childhood sweetheart? Gentleman? What did you call Prince Mu when you were in his arms? My lover?"
Consort Li chuckled, reaching out to stroke Xu Jiushen's white hair, eyebrows, and beard little by little. Then, she suddenly ripped off his beard and tore a piece of skin from his heel. The mask fell to the ground, revealing Xu Jiushen's true face.
A man who looked to be only in his thirties, with a fair complexion and handsome features, but whose eyes held a lewd and evil quality that made people feel very uncomfortable.
Consort Li's eyes sparkled as she fondled his cheek, then touched his face with her own, murmuring, "How come you don't look old? You're still so captivating."
Xu Jiushen, unable to resist her rubbing against him, let his large hands roam over her body. Sometimes, with a little pressure, one could hear Consort Li's suppressed moans...
"Is Prince Mu starving you? So thirsty?" Xu Jiushen said, whether sarcastically or provocatively, and then pressed her down.
Consort Li chuckled: "How could he be as amazing as you? Do you know how much I miss you?"
"You really miss me? Then why have you never seen me alone after I've been here for so long? And why don't you even look me in the eye when we meet?" Xu Jiushen questioned her defiantly, his large hand kneading and pinching her hard.
Consort Li frowned and murmured, "Do you think I don't want to? But that old man's men are everywhere. How can I dare to make any rash moves with him around? If something is discovered, I won't be able to defend myself in front of so many people, and you'll be in trouble too. I'm doing this for you. Look, now that the old man is gone, I'm opening the door wide to welcome you."
Consort Li wasn't telling the truth. She did indeed want to see Xu Jiushen, but she hadn't expected him to come to her on his own. Before she could even send someone to look for him, her spies discovered he was heading her way. That's why she acted as if they were on the same wavelength. Although she needed something from him, if the person she needed help from was Xu Jiushen, wouldn't he be like a grasshopper in her hand, unable to escape? 15409902
Xu Jiushen's eyes gleamed with even more lust, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Do you really care about me? I'm afraid you just want to use me. Every time there's any commotion from the young prince, you immediately send someone to tell me, so I can embarrass them and harass Prince Mu. I feel like you're just using me."
"So I was just using you, and you still came, didn't you? Do you know how heartbroken I am by talking like that? You're all I think about. Now I'm under you, and if anyone finds out, I'll surely die. Don't you understand how I feel about you?" Consort Li said aggrievedly.
Xu Jiushen kissed her fiercely, his eyes blazing with fire. He knew he was being used by her, but he still did it willingly. Why was he so shameless? Knowing that she was suffering in the palace, knowing that she couldn't wait to get rid of Mu Yunhe, knowing that she wanted the position of princess, he came without hesitation.
He came to shelter her from the wind and rain, to kill that troublesome Mu Yunhe for her, to get rid of the princess for her—whatever she wanted, he would come without hesitation at her word. She couldn't care less about anything else; her heart, dormant for over twenty years, was once again ablaze with passion.
So even though he knew he was being used, he didn't regret it.
Seeing that Xu Jiushen was about to lose control of his lust, Consort Li quickly got down to business: "Brother Shen! Wait a minute, I know you came for your own reasons, but I also know you came for more than just her, right? You came for me too, didn't you? I know you have me in your heart, just like I've always had you in my heart, haven't I?"
Xu Jiushen's handsome, wicked face revealed a cruel smile as he caressed her swollen lips and asked, "Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"
Consort Li's eyes glistened with tears as she suddenly hugged his neck, sobbing, "Kill him! Please kill him for me! I can't take it anymore. They're too arrogant. Everyone is bullying me. Today they're even trying to force me to my death! If I continue to be merciful and tolerant, I'll be the one who dies. Brother Shen, I'm so sad. Please, help me."
The moment she started crying, Xu Jiushen could no longer vent his suppressed anger on her; all that remained was a shared sense of annoyance and tenderness: "Alright, alright, don't cry. Who is it? Who do you want dead? What happened today?"
Consort Li tearfully recounted the events surrounding the corpse to Xu Jiushen. Of course, she omitted and embellished the story as usual, portraying her as a simple and innocent victim who was now suspected by Luo Zhiheng and the Princess Consort. They wanted to kill her; she was so pitiful and tragic.
Xu Jiushen's eyes shifted. He wasn't a man without his own thoughts, but his lover was at the center of his emotions, and another purpose of his visit was to help her. So he nodded and said, "Don't cry, I'll help you. Who do you want me to kill? Luo Zhiheng? That girl doesn't seem as formidable as you make her out to be, does she?"
Remembering how she bowed and scraped before him in the nude photos, Xu Jiushen looked down on and despised Luo Zhiheng. Could she really have driven the cunning Consort Li to such a helpless state? Luo Zhiheng? It wasn't that he underestimated Luo Zhiheng; he utterly despised her. Therefore, Xu Jiushen naturally interpreted this as Consort Li's goal being to make him destroy Luo Zhiheng.
Consort Li retorted, "It's not her. Although she's hateful, she only does it because she has powerful backers. Once Mu Yunhe dies, won't Luo Zhiheng be nothing but a helpless widow? Let's see how arrogant she'll be then!"
Consort Li only revealed half of the story, leaving only Luo Zhiheng. With just a little effort, she could turn Luo Zhiheng into a widowed woman who brings misfortune to her husbands, a cursed star destined for loneliness. In this way, she could slowly deal with Luo Zhiheng and make her wish she were dead!
"What?" Xu Jiushen pushed away Consort Li, his expression changing inscrutable. The higher-ups hoped that Mu Yunhe would live for the time being, so that they could control the Mu Prince's Mansion. Otherwise, Mu Yunjin, this outstanding heir, would definitely inherit the Mu Prince's Mansion, making it even more difficult to deal with.
"What? Doesn't Brother Shen want to help me?" Consort Li clung to him, asking softly and weakly.
“No, it’s just that you should know that I came here not only for you…” Xu Jiushen sighed.
Consort Li's expression was somewhat ferocious, and her words were filled with sarcasm: "Of course I know, the only one who could get you to come out of seclusion is my good sister! You came for her, didn't you? You've really gone to great lengths for her unborn son!"
Xu Jiushen's expression was somewhat abnormal. The word "child" seemed to be making him suppress some emotion, but it was fleeting. He put his arm around Consort Li and laughed, "Jealous? Why are you still like you were back then, always fighting with your sister? Aren't I here for you now? But if your sister is doing well, won't you be doing well too? Besides, this is a crucial moment in the struggle for the throne. Once the old emperor dies, the crown prince's ascension to the throne will be a foregone conclusion."
"However, the Crown Prince is personally leading the expedition, and his fate is still uncertain. Meanwhile, the other princes who are capable of vying for the throne are all there. Your sister's child will surely be loved by everyone from birth. The old emperor cherishes your sister's child very much now, and she still has the ability to compete for the throne."
"But Prince Mu is the key figure. He's an undisputed supporter of the Crown Prince. He's still somewhat safe while the Emperor is alive, but once the Emperor is gone and the Crown Prince ascends the throne smoothly, your sister and your unborn nephew will be in serious trouble. That's why your sister sent me here—to ensure Yun Jin inherits the Mu family mansion. That way, the entire Mu family can serve as a strong backing for your nephew. Therefore, Mu Yunhe's death is inevitable, but not now, do you understand?"
Consort Li's eyes were filled with shock and mockery. She had planned everything, but she still couldn't outsmart her older sister who held a high position!
She initially thought Xu Jiushen's arrival was the Emperor's doing, that he could no longer tolerate the Mu family and wanted to eliminate the only legitimate son of the Mu family. She never expected such a grand scheme to come from her own sister, who shared both parents. And her sister's motives truly shocked Consort Li—was it to seize the Mu family to provide protection and a stepping stone for her son?
Did she get Li Fangfei's permission?!
Consort Li was furious and her face changed color. Then she realized, what? She would also benefit? Given the current Crown Prince's magnanimity, if any child in the Mu Prince's mansion wavered and sided with the Consort, then it would be fine if the Crown Prince was killed, but if the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the entire Mu Prince's mansion would be buried with him! Including her and her son! 12.
She would never allow Li Fangran to destroy the palace she had painstakingly built for her own purposes!
"You can't be so selfish. Just for that unborn child, you want to sacrifice everything for my son? What right do you have!" Consort Li's gaze was cold as she angrily accused her.
A flash of anger crossed Xu Jiushen's face: "You're not allowed to talk about your sister's child like that!"
Consort Li sneered, "How ridiculous! Why are you so protective of that brat? Could it be that he's actually your son, Xu Jiushen's child?"
Consort Li was so angry that she spoke recklessly, completely unaware of the murderous intent that flashed across Xu Jiushen's face.
"Even if you had a hundred lives, you wouldn't dare touch the emperor's woman. Xu Jiushen, just tell me straight: are you willing to kill Mu Yunhe right now for my sake?" Consort Li had no idea that her contemptuous words had miraculously saved her life.
Xu Jiushen's expression softened, and he hugged her, saying, "Of course I'm willing, but you'll have to wait. However, I can put Mu Yunhe into a coma, so you can use that as an excuse to punish Luo Zhiheng severely. What do you think?"
A lover is important, of course, but how can they compare to one's own flesh and blood or greater interests? Even in the most passionate moments, a man can remain rational to the point of being cold-blooded!
Consort Li wanted to say something, but Xu Jiushen interrupted her, pressing her down on the bed for an extremely intimate encounter.
An hour later, Xu Jiushen, still dressed impeccably as Doctor Liang, left Consort Li's courtyard. Only then did Zhang Mama rush back to report Luo Zhiheng's astonishing discovery.
First update! There will be another update today. The plot is about to reach its climax, are you all excited? Please vote and leave comments, love you all!
095 Deadly Drug!
Updated: 2013-06-10 14:01:02 Word Count: 3372
Before Zhang Mama arrived, Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe were staring at each other. Luo Zhiheng stood up several times, wanting to leave. She was a little worried. Why hadn't she returned for so long? Could something have happened? Luo Zhiheng secretly blamed herself for being careless. No matter how composed Zhang Mama was, she couldn't match the strength of the girl. If something really happened, the girl could still put up a fight.
"Stop pacing around. No news is good news," Mu Yunhe said without even lifting his eyelids.
"Of course you don't care or concern about someone who isn't yours!" Luo Zhiheng glared at him angrily, and then there was a knock on the door: "Miss." Her mother was still there.
Upon hearing Zhang Mama's voice, Luo Zhiheng immediately opened the door and asked anxiously, "How is the wet nurse? Why has it taken so long? Did something happen?"
Zhang Mama glanced at Mu Yunhe with a somewhat unpleasant expression. She didn't think she could bring this up in front of Mu Yunhe. Luo Zhiheng noticed this, so she pulled Zhang Mama out of the room and went to the maid's room, then told the maid to go outside and keep watch.
"Tell me, what did you see?" Luo Zhiheng asked.
After a moment's thought, Zhang's mother told him everything she had seen. She didn't reveal her own guesses, but Luo Zhiheng, after hearing her words, already understood what was going on.
"I never expected that this imposter would be connected to Consort Li!" Luo Zhiheng's mind raced, and she had already figured something out.
If Consort Li is connected to this imposter, then everything will fall into place. Consort Li found Mu Yunhe a nuisance, so she had this man impersonate a divine physician to treat Mu Yunhe—the treatment was a ruse, the real intention was to kill Mu Yunhe. And Consort Li is actually connected to such a man; in the dead of night, a lone man and woman spent over an hour together—anything could happen.
There's a hint of passion! Luo Zhiheng sensed the scent of passion!
But this matter cannot be discussed with Mu Yunhe for the time being, nor can it be known to the Princess. Otherwise, who knows what might happen. Although Mu Yunhe seems to dislike his father, and the Princess seems to have given up on the Prince, can she guarantee that this rigid ancient person would really disregard family ties?
However, everything is manageable now. Now that she knows the relationship between Consort Li and the imposter, she doesn't need to be so restrained. Previously, she suspected the imposter was a gift from the Emperor, but Consort Li and the Emperor shouldn't be connected, so it must be that Consort Li used some method to obtain the imposter. As long as it's not related to the Emperor, there's nothing to fear.
"By the way, you've been gone for so long, won't you be found out?" Luo Zhiheng asked curiously.
"Don't worry, Miss, I'm being careful. No one will find out." Zhang Mama's eyes flickered slightly, and then she added, "But you must be careful with this Consort Li. From now on, you must have a maid or me by your side no matter what you do. You must not act rashly. Also, Consort Li's courtyard always gives people a very strange feeling, as if there are many eyes watching you when you stand in front of that courtyard. It's very scary."
Mrs. Zhang gave a subtle hint, though she couldn't be too obvious, but she believed the young lady would get the hint.