The pinnacle of the martial arts world - Chapter 92
flowering.
He sat in a recliner, his eyelashes appearing as dark lines from looking up, his eyes gleaming. He smiled, his thin lips curving upwards, his smile as sweet as orchids and musk. "Bai Li Wushuang?"
Time seems to rewind to that year, that day. The setting sun cast a rosy glow on the stone steps of Xuyu Temple, and flowers bloomed faintly like mist on the mountainside. A young man in white and blue robes and a woman in red with her hair in a high bun brushed past each other.
Their sleeves brushed against each other's cuffs.
A faint fragrance lingers in the air.
Extra story about falling snow
Winters in Beijing are particularly cold, this year being the coldest yet. Autumn seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye, and then heavy snow blanketed the city.
From the corner of Yun'an Palace, a small sheepskin boot peeked out. The trousers were tucked into the boot opening, and the skirt was lifted above the knee. This was to prevent the dress from making any rustling noise. Her hair was deliberately styled into a simple bun, without any tassels or hairpins, only a single jade hairpin. Apart from breathing, she had essentially eliminated any sound that could be silenced.
She crept in quietly, covered in fallen snow.
The main gate of Yun'an Palace was closed, but that didn't stop her. To facilitate her master's summons at any time, the side gates for palace servants were left open. She knew these places as well as the lines on her palm.
The hall was silent, with only the occasional faint glow from one or two lamps. Further inside was complete darkness, where the master's bedroom was located.
She didn't need to go that deep; her destination was the pharmacy in the side room. This side room was originally a library, but since half a month ago, medicinal herbs and medical tools had been continuously moved in from the Imperial Pharmacy. Even before she got close, she could smell the bitter aroma of medicine. She tiptoed in, clutching the medicine her brother-in-law had given her in her hand—all she had to do was apply it to the earthenware pot used for brewing medicine—her brother-in-law's words still seemed to echo in her ears.
Chapter 181
She groped her way to the medicine jar, opened the lid, and pulled out the stopper—
"What are you doing?"
The voice was cold and clear, like moonlight falling on snow, breaking the silence in the darkness without warning. She trembled, the bottle slipping instantly back into her sleeve. Turning around, she asked, "Who is it?" Her voice was slightly tense, but that didn't hinder her quick reflexes. "Why are you hiding here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" There was a rustling sound in the darkness, like a curtain being drawn back—she saw a faint light and shadow in the darkness, a satin surface shimmering with a faint light, and a pair of eyes that were like a lake under the moon, exceptionally clear and bright, as if shimmering with light.
It was snowing in the center. The temporary master of this palace.
She took a step back and quietly moved towards the door—as far as she knew, this man's eyesight wasn't as good as it seemed; it was so dark. She should make a graceful escape before he could see her face clearly.
But her plan failed. A figure appeared at the doorway without her noticing; it was Zhan Yuan, Yang Luoxue's disciple. With a "snap," a tinderbox was lit, and the light, like a sudden flood, engulfed the room, exposing the girl who had sneaked in. "I'm just here to find medicine—" She had already prepared an escape route. "I am Princess Duolan, the second daughter of the Prince of Anyang. Don't you know that?"
“It’s the scent of Teng Ziyin,” Yang Luoxue said calmly. “If you want to use medicine in front of me, you’re a hundred years too early—” Her voice suddenly disappeared from her throat, as if an invisible hand was choking her.
His eyes, which were gradually blinding, finally adjusted to the light in the room. Before him was a fiery red figure with her hair styled in a high bun. His vision was blurred; the figure seemed to be reflected in water, rippled constantly. He could no longer make out her face; only the distinct color remained in his eyes, striking his heart in an instant.
Dolan couldn't describe the expression she saw on his face... like the despair of someone suddenly overwhelmed by a flood, or the desolation of someone unwilling to succumb. She only felt that in that instant, the light in this man's eyes seemed to illuminate the entire medicine pavilion, like lightning, but only for a moment. After that moment, the light quickly dimmed, and under the lamplight, Yang Luoxue's face looked like a withered flower.
It wasn't her.
It wasn't her.
He withdrew his hand from the curtain, the silk drape obscuring his view. Zhan Yuan had already entered, turned on the lamp in the room, and was looking at her coldly.
Dolan composed herself, took a breath, and said in the calmest tone, "I couldn't sleep last night and was looking for some calming pills. I knew that the best medicine from the Imperial Pharmacy had been moved here, so I came to take a look. The two doctors have been working very hard taking care of His Majesty, so I didn't want to wake you... I didn't expect to wake you both, I'm so sorry."
Zhan Yuan didn't speak. As she finished speaking, he pressed her pressure point. The medicine bottle rolled out of her sleeve. He picked it up, sniffed it, and said, "It really is poison."
—The evidence is irrefutable.
No matter how well you plan your escape route or how smoothly you cover up your lies, it's all useless.
She hadn't expected Yang Luoxue to sleep in the pharmacy instead of the bedroom, nor had she expected that this man could tell what medicine she was carrying just by smell. Her originally flawless plan now seemed ridiculous.
Chapter 182
Her face turned pale.
"Let her go."
From deep within the curtains, the sound of falling snow drifted out, sounding somewhat weary for some reason.
Zhan Yuan was stunned. "She wanted to poison the medicine; that's regicide—"
"Let her go." A slight movement came from inside the bed curtains. "I'm going to sleep."
Dolan couldn't believe her good fortune for a moment, and she was also afraid that they might have something else up their sleeve. She left quickly.
"The miracle doctor, she's very likely sent by the Second Prince—"
"Zhan Yuan, we're just here to treat people."
But this concerns the throne and the entire nation! Is it really alright? Zhan Yuan stood silently for a while, then turned off the lamp and left.
The room fell into darkness again, and Yang Luoxue on the bed did not close his eyes. His hand was on his forehead, which was sometimes burning hot and sometimes icy cold.
It turns out, I still can't forget.
Just when I thought I had lost all hope, I was suddenly gripped by a painful shock because of that similar figure. Her face flashed vividly in my mind in an instant, her red dress as fiery as fire, her hair as black as ink.
The snow reflected on the windowpane, letting in a soft blue light. What are winter nights like in Sading City? Are they this cold too?
He rolled over and pulled the covers over himself. But the chill, like a snake familiar with its surroundings, slipped in through every crack.
It's very cold.
It's very cold.
Early in the morning, Yang Luoxue went to take the emperor's pulse, with Zhan Yuan following behind carrying a bowl of medicine. The two entered the main hall of the Qianzheng Palace, the emperor's residence. The princes were already waiting outside the curtain, while inside were the empresses, concubines, and princesses. Princess Duolan was among them. The Princess Consort of Anyang was the empress's sister; the empress had no children of her own and always treated Duolan like her own daughter. Duolan spent more time in the palace than in the prince's residence. When Yang Luoxue entered, her heart skipped a beat. What if they said—
Her hand was being held tightly; it was the Empress. Every time Yang Luoxue came to take her pulse, the Empress was extremely nervous, fearing that the divine physician would utter even a single ominous word.