“I’m going to the imperial study. You should have a nice sleep. I’ll return to accompany you for dinner later.” Long Yang retrieved his outer robe that was hanging from the folding screen and put it on.
He walked back to the bed after donning the robe and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. He grabbed her by the shoulders and said, “Lie down.”
“Alright.” Lu Liangwei lay back down on the bed obediently. She watched as the man left, but was no longer feeling sleepy.
A few things kept playing in her mind.
First, she was thinking about how Chen Xuping had been rescued. Then it was about Long Yang being poisoned when he was young.
Frostbite was a damaging poison. It would slowly erode one’s body and she wondered how His Majesty managed to live through the pain all these years.
Her heart suddenly went out for him.
If he had not met her, by the end of the year, he would have…
A pain seared through her chest at the thought of his fate in the original story.
His Majesty was such a good man. He had suffered so much and if he had died young, the heavens would have been incredibly unfair to him.
On another note, could His Majesty being poisoned be in some way related to her mother leaving home in anger?
Did the mastermind make use of Madam Zheng to create discord between her parents in order to prevent His Majesty from being cured?
If this was true, this mastermind was an evil and vicious person.
They had planned to destroy His Majesty and caused her parents’ fight to escalate to the current state of ruin.
Her mind continued to be filled up with all sorts of thoughts before she finally felt sleepy again.
Outside the door.
Zhao Qian’s ear has been sticking right at the wall as he waited for his master’s next instructions. He had listened in for half a day and had yet to receive any orders.
He could not help but turn to look at the sky outside. It was only noon. Could his master be in a frisky mood right now?
As he waited anxiously, he suddenly heard his master’s footsteps approaching the door. He jumped as he quickly retreated a few steps and stood in his place properly.
As expected, the door creaked open soon and his master stepped out, looking dapper.
“Master.” Zhao Qian immediately stepped forward.
“Deploy all resources for the capture of Chen Xuping.”
Long Yang did not stop walking as he left Grand Phoenix Palace. “Also, keep a close watch on the Crown Princess.”
Zhao Qian immediately replied respectfully, “Yes, Master.”
…
While the entire imperial capital was on the lookout to capture Chen Xuping, the man in question had been brought to a little rural town.
There was a private house with a courtyard there.
Right then, Chen Xuping was covered in wounds as he sat on a chair. He stared at a man in front of him as he roared, “Who asked you to come?”
The person he was looking at was a very young man who had a sly look about him. His name was Zhao Heng. When he heard Chen Xuping’s accusatory tone, he tried to control his temper. “If it wasn’t for Lu Yunshuang getting someone to deliver a message to me, were you prepared to die just like that?”
“What happens to me is none of your business.” Chen Xuping frowned.
Zhao Heng stared at him for quite a while before sneering. “If I hadn’t rescued you, your head would have been separated from your body. What happened to you? It’s only been a short few months since we’ve last seen each other and you’re already giving up on yourself?”
Chen Xuping clutched his wounded arm and said nothing.
Zhao Heng’s tone softened when he saw Chen Xuping acting this way. “What exactly happened to you? What would that ‘pure moonlight’ of your heart do if you’re so desperately seeking death?”
At the mention of ‘pure moonlight’, a condescending look appeared in Chen Xuping’s eyes.
Zhao Heng was taken aback. “What’s with you?”
He had always known how much this best buddy of his adored Lu Yunshuang.
Zhao Heng had left the imperial capital in the first place because he had gotten into an argument with Chen Xuping over Lu Yunshuang.
Lu Yunshuang was already married and was someone else’s wife, yet his best buddy was still lovesick for her as he waited by her side. Zhao Heng could not take it anymore and had bad-mouthed Lu Yunshuang slightly, which caused Chen Xuping to flip out.
Zhao Heng was so mad that he left in a huff then and there..