Lin Ze said, "Don't worry, I'll look after Yan'er. Your injuries have just healed, don't get caught in the rain."
Lin Yanxi cast a worried glance at Lin Ruoyan. She wished she could keep Lin Ruoyan by her side, but she hadn't found the sorcerer yet, and following her would only be more dangerous. Fortunately, the Crown Prince was already imprisoned. Ruoyan, being childlike, would forget about it in a few days.
The rain in the sky grew heavier. Everyone began to disperse, and Emperor Nan Min, surrounded by guards, entered his sedan chair. The Empress lagged behind alone. As Shen Muzhou and Lin Yanxi passed her, Shen Muzhou stopped.
Shen Muzhou halted beside the Empress and turned to her, "Empress, are you comfortable sitting on that throne?"
A large part of the Empress's robe was soaked. Two palace maids holding umbrellas followed behind her. Her phoenix eyes, filled with venom, fixed on the two of them. Even in her most humiliating situation, she held her head high, maintaining an air of superiority.
"I am the Empress, the highest-ranking woman in Nan Min. Only I can truly understand the taste of this position."
Shen Muzhou let out a cold, sneering laugh. He drew Lin Yanxi's slender shoulder towards him, angling the umbrella to shield her as he led her away. The rain intensified, striking their faces with a slight chill. Most of the royal family had already left the Fengshen Platform. The crowd of commoners dispersed after seeing off His Majesty.
Only a woman adorned with pearls and jade remained seated. Clad in white, drenched in the rain, she exuded an inherent coolness. Luo Jingxin calmly watched Shen Muzhou hold an umbrella for another woman, shielding her. She saw them standing together on the Fengshen Platform, trusting and supporting each other. Tears welled up until they blurred her vision, tracing a path down her long, curled lashes like a broken string of pearls.
A pair of men's black deerskin boots appeared before her. An umbrella shielded her from the rain above. With a flicker of hope, she raised her eyes. The usually flippant face before her now bore a look of sorrow, his eyes filled with concern as he gazed at her.
"Let's go back," Shen Yu said.
She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Where else can I go?"
Her wedding to Shen Muzhou was imminent. According to His Majesty's decree, she was supposed to return to the Prince Mu's manor. Yet, neither Shen Muzhou nor the manor seemed to offer her any refuge. Return to the palace? She resided in a side hall of the rear courtyard of Yao Hua Palace. Although the Crown Prince and Empress had orchestrated the matter, it resulted in the Crown Prince's imprisonment, leaving her with no place to stay in Yao Hua Palace. Where else could she go?
Shen Yu said, "Come... come back with... me..."
Luo Jingxin rose from her seat, snatched the umbrella from his hand, and, with a cold, indifferent glance, said, "Listen carefully. I am only going to one place: Prince Mu's manor."
"If you truly wish to help me, then find a way to help me return to the manor, a way that makes Shen Muzhou willingly welcome me back."
With that, she held Shen Yu's umbrella and brushed past him, heading towards a waiting carriage.
Lin Yanxi fell ill for two days after returning. The manor was filled with the scent of herbs. Shen Muzhou was busy in the Dark Night Division every day. The Crown Prince's affair seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg; a much larger body lay hidden beneath the visible glacier. The investigation was not proceeding smoothly. Despite ample evidence, His Majesty's intentions remained unclear.
However, no matter how busy he was, he would always return at the time Lin Yanxi was due to take her medicine, coaxing her to swallow the bitter concoction.
"I think I'm much better."
She wore a thin undergarment, her gauze skirt clinging to her form, revealing a expanse of fair skin at her chest that could stir a man's heart. He picked up the clothes from the bed and draped them over her. "How can you be so careless with the cold when you're not well?"
"Here, drink your medicine."
Lin Yanxi suddenly realized something and blushed, obediently putting on the clothes. She recoiled from the medicine he offered.
"This medicine is too bitter."
Just as he was about to speak, she quickly added, "Don't tell me the 'good medicine tastes bitter' line. That's what my father always says."
Shen Muzhou chuckled, his earlier frustration vanishing. He pulled her slender waist into his embrace, drawing her close. He said meaningfully, "Then I won't say it."
He pinched her small nose, forcing her mouth open. At first, she resisted, pursing her lips tightly, her head dodging him stubbornly. After a playful struggle, she could no longer hold back, gasping for air. Before she could catch her breath, a porcelain spoon was pressed to her lips, and the bitter liquid flowed into her mouth. She glared at him, her eyes wide with anger.
He quickly released her nose and coaxed her, "Have a bit more."
"I don't want it," she said, trying to jump down. But his hand held her soft waist firmly. She said indignantly, "It's really incredibly bitter. Taste it if you don't believe me."
She stared at him with a stern expression, a trace of the medicine still lingering on her lips. Her lips, moistened by the medicine, appeared tender and pink, plump like glazed pearls.
"Then I'll taste it."
A wild possessiveness suppressed in his eyes could no longer be contained. He pressed his lips against hers, stealing the sweet breath from her mouth. The young girl in his arms gave a gentle push, her small hands struggling aimlessly. These struggles were like a kitten's scratching, only intensifying a dark, destructive urge. She was so beautiful, innocent, and pure. He felt like a tightly wound spring that had suddenly snapped.
However, in a moment, Lin Yanxi involuntarily hooked her arms around his neck, trembling in his embrace, their bodies entwined. Her breathing grew softer, and she let out a whimper. "Mmm..."
"Miss," Lizhi called softly from outside the door.
As if waking from a dream, she placed her small hands on his chest, her face flushed. Shen Muzhou reluctantly released her lips. Lin Yanxi lay on him, catching her breath for a moment, before replying, "What is it?"
Lizhi said, "Master Jiang has returned."
Master is back! She smiled and said, "Got it."
After Lizhi reported and walked away, listening to her footsteps fade, Shen Muzhou gently cupped her chin, making her meet his gaze. She had always found Shen Muzhou's eyes to be adept at hiding his thoughts, making them inscrutable. But now, she found his peach blossom eyes to be utterly transparent. She could even see her own reflection in the depths of his ink-black pupils. Especially at this moment, his eyes seemed incredibly captivating.
She realized her emotional shift and tried to regain her composure. She averted her gaze and said, "You, you, if you do that again next time, I'll get angry."
"Is that so?" he chuckled. He then kissed her again, but this time it was quick, a light peck before he immediately pulled away, as if teasing her.
"You! I'm really angry now!" The blush on her face spread all the way to her earlobes.
Shen Muzhou smiled indulgently. He coaxed her, "Didn't you ask me to taste how bitter the medicine was?"
She shot him a glare. Her charming appearance made him want to tease her further, but considering she was a girl with a difficult temper, he restrained himself. Lin Yanxi mumbled, "Why did you have to taste it like that?"
Shen Muzhou picked up the medicine from the table. "Then you drink your medicine, and I won't taste it." He added, as if to avoid any misunderstanding, "I won't taste it today."
The young girl didn't have as many complex thoughts as he did. Looking at the bowl of dark liquid, she frowned slightly. "You know how bitter it is."
Shen Muzhou asked, "Is it bitter? Why do I find it sweet?"
"Shall I... taste it again?" he teased, deliberately leaning closer. The young girl quickly leaned back, covering her mouth and shaking her head. She obediently picked up the medicine bowl and, holding her breath, drank it down.
"Good girl," he said, ruffling her hair before releasing her. The intimate atmosphere in the room was too strong; it felt oppressive to her. She was destined to leave this place. Thinking of leaving and never seeing him again, a pang of sadness inevitably surfaced. She changed the subject, trying to dispel her discomfort.
"How is Shen Qingyun doing?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Muzhou's smile faded. "He is the Crown Prince, after all. My father's stance doesn't seem very firm."
"You mean, His Majesty doesn't want to punish the Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince is different from me. I have the support of few ministers, but the Crown Prince and the Empress have rallied nearly half the court. Since the Fengshen Platform incident, ministers have repeatedly submitted memorials begging for the Crown Prince's clemency, even kneeling outside the palace gates to pressure His Majesty. His Majesty was furious at first, but he has been hesitant to issue an edict for the past two days. Fortunately, those ministers who knelt outside the palace gates were punished and expelled from the palace."
Lin Yanxi nodded. "It seems we need to find other evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes and administer another strong dose."
"I want to go to the Dark Night Division myself and question him about the sorcerer. Perhaps I can find other evidence of his crimes."
Shen Muzhou's rough fingertips gently pinched her cheek. "You're not well enough to go anywhere right now. Drink your medicine obediently. You can go after you've recovered."
"I'm worried about His Majesty..." The Crown Prince was, after all, born to the Empress. The Empress held considerable power in Nan Min. If the Emperor didn't make a decision soon, the Crown Prince wouldn't be imprisoned for long. He might just be confined for a few days, and the matter would be swept under the rug.
Shen Muzhou understood Lin Yanxi's concerns and reassured her, "Don't worry. Until this matter is resolved, my Dark Night Division will not release him."
---
"Master."
After Shen Muzhou left the manor, Lin Yanxi freshened up and went to see Jiang Mingsheng. Jiang Mingsheng was injured and sat in the courtyard drinking tea. Seeing Lin Yanxi arrive, he quickly covered his injured spot with his sleeve.
Lin Yanxi's eyes sparkled. She asked with a smile, "Master, what did you gain on this trip?"
Jiang Mingsheng proudly took a book from his sleeve and threw it onto the table. "I found this in the old residence. According to the methods in this book, it can help you re-condense your talismanic power."
"It will just take some time."
Lin Yanxi happily took the book and flipped through it. It contained a combination of drawings and text, describing the relationship between the workings of heaven and earth and talismanic power, as well as the reasons for its dissipation. Jiang Mingsheng said, "Simply put, the dissipation of your talismanic power isn't necessarily a bad thing. After cultivation, as your talismanic power reunites, you can reach the next level."
"First, focus on recovering your health. We'll discuss your talismanic power later."
Lin Yanxi flipped through a few pages and asked, "Did you find any trace of Jiang Cong this time?"
Mentioning Jiang Cong, Jiang Mingsheng paused and looked at his injured left leg. He waved his hand. "That brat, who knows where he's hiding? No trace at all." Seeing the solemn expression on Lin Yanxi's face, he added, "However, I went to the old residence and found that someone had entered Jiang Cong's room. Perhaps he returned to the residence. Don't worry too much; at least he's alive."
"I'll go out again in a few days to look for him."