Bu Xiangyin shivered slightly upon hearing his words, her palms growing cold. She absolutely could not reveal any clues, or she would lose her life if she ruined her master's plan.
Although she was very covetous of this man, wishing she could drug him and take him right then and there, she knew he was an absolutely formidable character. She would be the one to suffer if she acted rashly, so she needed to be absolutely foolproof.
"I really forgot, I don't remember anything," Bu Xiangyin said, looking up with a troubled expression. Her bright, pretty face looked pale with worry. Feng Xie immediately, and with concern, pulled her small hand away. "It's alright, don't think about it anymore. We can think about it slowly later."
But if Bu Xiangyin wasn't Liu'er, what would he do? Should he take her into the palace? Even if he didn't favor her, just seeing her would be good.
Feng Xie sighed softly. He truly wanted someone to accompany him; loneliness was truly terrifying. The empty Weiyang Palace was deathly silent. Every night, he heard the cries of a child, each sound an angry accusation of his cruelty.
Then he would hear Liu'er's despairing, cold laughter. Each time, he would wake up in a cold sweat, yet the next night, he would still sleep in Weiyang Palace.
Over five years, his nerves were almost shattered. The imperial physicians repeatedly advised him to stay away from Weiyang Palace, but every night, as if possessed, he went there. This was the very reason he had left the palace.
Away from the imperial palace, he wouldn't think of Weiyang Palace.
"Yes, I hope I can remember soon," Bu Xiangyin said softly. If she hadn't been poisoned, how wonderful it would be. She would willingly follow this man home.
But who was he, really? He looked like someone of wealth and status. She wondered how her master had made an enemy of him to set such a large trap.
"It's alright, Liu'er doesn't need to be anxious. Rushing things only makes them worse. If you can't remember, you can slowly recall," Feng Xie said gently, reaching out to support Bu Xiangyin. However, Bu Xiangyin, without haste, stood up and moved her hand away, bowing gracefully.
"Since my husband says so, Xiangyin is greatly comforted. I hope I can remember soon." Bu Xiangyin's eyes seemed distant, as if she were troubled by her situation.
Feng Xie looked at such a face, such sorrow, and his heart genuinely did not wish for her to suffer even a hint of trouble.
"Alright, Liu'er, don't overthink it. Go down and rest. Even if you can't remember, it's fine. I will take you back."
Feng Xie couldn't help but comfort her, praying in his heart, Liu'er, these past five years have been too bitter for me. I hope you are truly you. I will atone for my past mistakes with you for the rest of my life.
"Good," Bu Lixiang nodded and walked gracefully towards the exit. She still didn't dare to stay with this man for too long, fearing she might reveal clues.
Although this man was handsome, he was also very astute. If he discovered she was a fake, she would likely meet a similarly grim end.
As Bu Xiangyin stepped out, Ri Ying, Zhan Yun, and Lin Caixue entered. They looked at the Emperor, who seemed lost in thought, staring at Miss Bu. Women's hearts are always exceptionally delicate. Lin Caixue took a step forward and respectfully asked,
"Your Majesty, if Bu Xiangyin is truly the Empress, then who is buried in the imperial tomb? Why doesn't Your Majesty send someone with an imperial decree to secretly infiltrate the imperial tomb and open the coffin? If the coffin indeed does not contain the Empress, then even if Miss Bu is not the Empress, she must have a connection to the Empress. Otherwise, why would she imitate the Empress's words and actions so perfectly?"
As Lin Caixue finished speaking, even Zhan Yun and Ri Ying nodded. This suggestion was indeed excellent. They should first check the imperial tomb to see if the Empress was truly in the coffin.
If the Empress had indeed left the coffin, then this Bu Xiangyin might be the Empress, or they could use her to lure out the Empress.
Feng Xie's handsome, jade-like face lit up with brilliance, and a faint smile touched his lips. He looked at Lin Caixue, "Caixue, you are becoming more and more intelligent. Good, this is a good idea. Whatever you want in the future, you will be greatly rewarded."
"Thank you, Master," Caixue bowed and stepped aside. Zhan Yun looked at Caixue beside him, his eyes flashing with intermittent light.
After so many years, he found he didn't understand Lin Caixue at all. Sometimes she was intelligent and charming, and sometimes she was frighteningly dull. He took concubines and married wives, and she showed no reaction, as if she were unaware, which only made him more annoyed.
Yet, at other times, she appeared radiant and intelligent. The distance between them lay in the fact that Lin Caixue was the Emperor's secret guard, and so, he could never resolve this knot in his heart.
Feng Xie nodded with satisfaction, his gaze incredibly dark, a sinister chill touching his lips. "Ri Ying, immediately send someone secretly to the capital. I will issue a secret decree to Prince Yan, ordering him to immediately go to the imperial tomb and investigate whether the Empress's remains are in the coffin."
As Feng Xie uttered the last sentence, his voice grew hoarse, and his heart couldn't help but tremble. He hoped that Bu Xiangyin was Liu'er, and that there were no remains inside. His entire being emanated an oppressive aura.
Ri Ying and Zhan Yun knew the Emperor's thoughts. Whether the Empress had left the palace could only be known by going to the imperial tomb to see.
"Yes, please issue the secret decree, Master."
Lin Caixue retrieved the writing brush, inkstone, ink, and paper from the adjacent study and placed them on the table. She ground the ink and respectfully asked the Emperor to write.
Feng Xie lifted the hem of his robe, stood up, and walked to the desk. He concentrated, then wrote with his brush, affixed his great seal, and handed it to Ri Ying, indicating he should find a capable and trustworthy person to deliver it to Prince Yan's mansion.
Ri Ying took the order and went out to carry out his task. Inside the room, Zhan Yun and his wife accompanied the Emperor. Feng Xie felt a bit tired, so he waved for Zhan Yun and Lin Caixue to withdraw. He leaned back on the couch to rest for a while.
Zhan Yun led Caixue out, instructing the guards outside the door to watch carefully and not disturb him. They too went to rest, as they suspected there would be more trouble in the days to come.
In the separate residence, Bu Xiangyin's whereabouts had not yet been found, but a personal letter from Chu Feng had arrived. Dai Mei looked at the楼主 (Lóuzhǔ -楼主, meaning owner of a building, often used for the head of an organization, especially in martial arts novels) with a solemn expression. Chu Feng would never send a letter to the Wanfeng Tea House unless something had happened. There was only one possibility: something big had occurred. What could it be?
Liu Liu opened the letter and read it. Frankly, she was stunned, her mind blank for a long time before she recovered. She handed the letter to Dai Mei. Dai Mei read it and was clearly also shocked, taking a long time to speak.
"This is too outrageous! They are offering to join forces with our Seven Stars Tower to kill the Emperor!"
Liu Liu nodded, remaining silent. Even if she had grievances with Feng Xie, she wouldn't be so foolish as to kill the Emperor. They didn't want to be Emperor. If the Emperor were killed, the world would likely fall into chaos.
It would benefit those who wanted to be Emperor. Furthermore, how did the Emperor leaving the palace leak out? The news could only have come from within the palace. It seemed there was an inside traitor.
What a boastful employer! They could name their price. Did that mean they could have half the empire if they asked for it? This was too ridiculous.
"It is too outrageous. Who is this person? Is their target the Emperor, or the throne?" Liu Liu said thoughtfully, while Dai Mei was concerned about what the楼主 would do.
"楼主, what do we do? Do we accept or not?"
"I want to see who the contact person is. I suspect the real employer will not show themselves but will send a stand-in. But let's go and meet that stand-in. Hopefully, we can find some clues."
"Let's see who sent him to make contact, and then perhaps we can follow the vine to find the person who truly wants to kill the Emperor," Liu Liu said calmly and with a touch of arrogance. Dai Mei nodded, "Alright."
"You contact Chu Feng and negotiate the price in person. Tell that person to come to Fengyue City. I want to see him."
"Yes," Dai Mei replied and went out to send a carrier pigeon, telling Chu Feng to inform the employer that the楼主 would personally handle the matter.