Lin Yanxi saw his complexion wasn't good. "Has the cold illness worsened?"
Shen Muzhou closed the door and turned to look at her. He swallowed a mouthful of blood forcefully and said after a pause, "It's nothing, it'll be fine in a while."
He walked over and sat by Lin Yanxi's bedside, tucking in the corner of her quilt. "It'll be autumn in a few days, you must not catch a chill."
Autumn. Calculating the time, the drought in Nanmin should also be coming to an end.
The Nanmin royal family held an autumn hunt every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In her previous life, it was ten days before the autumn hunt that it rained for three consecutive days, resolving the drought. Although the drought had affected the timely planting of crops, as long as the rainfall was abundant, they could still get by.
However, before the drought ended, the refugees in the capital of Nanmin had caused a disaster, leading to unrest in Nanmin.
Before long, Li Zi came in carrying a food box. The box contained two small dishes and two bowls of congee.
Shen Muzhou picked up one of the bowls of congee and said, "You may go now."
Li Zi was a little worried. Since she was a child, she had been taking care of her young lady when she was sick. "Your Highness, perhaps I should do it."
He held the congee without any intention of putting it down. Lin Yanxi said, "It's alright, Li Zi, you may leave now."
Hearing her young lady's words, Li Zi nodded and left the room.
Shen Muzhou held the congee in one hand and a small porcelain spoon in the other, gently stirring it. He brought the spoon of congee to Lin Yanxi's lips. The young girl was already looking at him eagerly, impatient.
She obediently opened her small mouth and took a sip of the congee. The mellow aroma of rice blended with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus honey.
He asked, "Is it hot?"
Lin Yanxi stuck out her small pink tongue and licked her lips. "It's not hot. I found your chef's congee to be quite delicious."
Shen Muzhou was amused by her charming demeanor and said, "That's because you're hungry."
This was indeed true; she hadn't eaten anything for as long as she had been unconscious.
"By the way, when you went to the Grand Tutor's mansion to retrieve the jade talisman, were there any people you didn't clean up properly? If any were missed, I'll have Xiao Liu clean them up to avoid these people identifying you later and causing trouble for the Grand Tutor's mansion. We need to make plans early."
Lin Yanxi raised her eyebrows triumphantly and said, "You can trust me to handle things. Everyone who saw my appearance is dead, except for my younger sister. Ruoyan will not betray me."
Hearing her say that, he was relieved. He fed her a few more mouthfuls of congee. Xiao Liu gently knocked on the door from outside. "Your Highness."
Shen Muzhou's gaze had been fixed on her, and he didn't move his eyes even when he heard the commotion outside. He merely replied with an "Mm."
The person outside pushed the door open.
Xiao Liu stood there. Shen Muzhou said, "Speak. What has the Crown Prince been up to?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Prince returned to the East Palace and then went into the palace. After entering the palace, he went to Yaohua Palace. During this time, apart from the Third Princess causing a scene with the Empress, no one entered the hall."
Lin Yanxi asked, "What was the Third Princess causing a scene about?"
Xiao Liu looked at Shen Muzhou and didn't answer. Shen Muzhou said, "The drought in Nanmin has not eased this year. I suggested to my father that we arrange a marriage alliance with the northern barbarians. The north is willing to offer grain and water as a betrothal gift."
This point was no different from her previous life. The only difference was that the timing was earlier than in her previous life, and it was Shen Muzhou who proposed it this time.
Lin Yanxi asked, "What about the Grand Tutor's mansion? Was it implicated?"
Xiao Liu said, "Second Miss, please rest assured, everything is well at the Grand Tutor's mansion."
Shen Muzhou said, "You may withdraw now."
Xiao Liu bowed and walked out of the room.
After leaving the room, he saw Li Zi waiting alone in the courtyard and teased, "Where is that girl Tangchao? Slacking off again?"
Li Zi's gaze was fixed on the closed door, afraid of missing any orders from her young lady. She casually replied, "She must have gone out. It's been a while."
After Xiao Liu left, Lin Yanxi hadn't spoken again, and the expression on her small face was somewhat heavy.
There was still a small half-bowl of congee left in Shen Muzhou's hand. She said, "I can't eat anymore."
He put down the congee and used a clean cloth to wipe her lips. "With your cat-like appetite, you stop after just a few bites."
Lin Yanxi ignored him, still thinking about what Xiao Liu had said. "According to Xiao Liu, the Crown Prince went to the palace immediately. If he believed that the black-cloaked person took the jade talisman, then the black-cloaked person is hiding in the palace?"
"And I sensed a curse at the hairpin banquet earlier. I suspect this person is hiding in the palace."
"Could it be that the Empress has some connection with the black-cloaked person?"
Shen Muzhou furrowed his brows. There were too many people in the palace, making it impossible to investigate.
He said, "The three-day deadline is fast approaching. The Crown Prince should already know that the jade talisman is not in the hands of the black-cloaked person. He will soon suspect the Dark Night Division. Before that, I must go into the palace to present the jade talisman to my father."
"As for the matter of the black-cloaked person, I will find a way to investigate the people in Yaohua Palace further and see if there is anyone suspicious around the Empress."
After Shen Muzhou finished speaking, he got up and walked outside. As he took a small step, a small hand wrapped in white bandages, with only five slender fingers like jade shoots exposed, grabbed his robe.
Lin Yanxi said softly, "Be careful with everything."
He was slightly taken aback and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
---
For the next two days, Lin Yanxi stayed in her room recuperating. During this time, apart from Luo Wanwan, no one else came to visit her.
When Luo Wanwan came, most of the white bandages on Lin Yanxi had been removed, leaving only the deepest wound on her abdomen still wrapped. Even so, it startled Wanwan.
Her gaze was fixed on Lin Yanxi's lower abdomen, and she asked with concern, "How did you get injured like this?"
Lin Yanxi followed her gaze, looked down at the white bandage on her lower abdomen, and said, "A thief broke into the manor, and I exchanged a few moves with him. He cut me with a knife, but it's not serious anymore."
"My injury must not be spread outside."
Luo Wanwan didn't doubt her words. "Of course. Rest assured, I won't tell anyone. But with so many guards in the manor, it seems they are not skilled enough, allowing the thief to slip through."
Lin Yanxi smiled. "It just looks painful, but in reality, it doesn't hurt anymore."
This was true. Shen Muzhou had used the best wound medicine in the manor. Except for the scar that would remain on her lower abdomen, her other wounds had left no trace at all. Instead, her skin felt more tender than before.
The medicine also contained some pain-relieving ingredients. During her recovery, apart from the slight tugging pain when she moved around, she felt almost no pain when lying down.
Luo Wanwan nodded and placed the oil-paper-wrapped package in her hand by her bedside. "You like sweets, so I specially made some for you."
"And..."
As she spoke, she took out a red invitation from her sleeve, a little shyly. "I'm getting married."
Lin Yanxi was surprised and quickly asked, "Married to whom?"
Luo Wanwan paused, lowered her eyes, and said softly, "Shen Yu."
Lin Yanxi was so shocked she sat up in bed. "Hiss—"
She clutched her abdomen, grimaced in pain, and said, "Wanwan! How, how could you marry Shen Yu? Do you know why the position of his Fifth Prince Consort has been vacant for so many years?"
Not to mention Shen Yu's terrible reputation in the capital, he had disappeared after returning from Ghost City and spent his days drunk in brothels. The Empress sent eunuchs to find him in brothels every day.
Even though he was so dissolute, he had remained unmarried for so long, and had no concubines, which showed how much Luo Jingxin meant to him.
Luo Wanwan quickly helped Lin Yanxi sit down and said, "I know, but he's not marrying me as his Fifth Prince Consort. I'm just a concubine."
Lin Yanxi glared at her. "You are the legitimate daughter of Prince Anchang's manor. You can marry anyone as the main wife. Why do you have to wrong yourself?"
"Are you being forced by your elder sister? Or by the Empress? I'll help you find a solution."
Luo Wanwan stood there, somewhat embarrassed, as if a thread was pulled taut on her body. She always looked timid.
She took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "Yanxi, no one is forcing me. Do you know what Prince Anchang's manor is like? My mother is the legitimate wife of Prince Anchang's manor, but there are seven concubines in the manor, and three wives kept outside.
"My mother is outwardly virtuous and generous, but in reality, she has no choice. She fights with those women day after day. Today you gain an inch, tomorrow I gain a foot, endlessly consumed by disappointment and jealousy, living a lifetime like this.
"Look, what use is it that my mother is the main wife? She still guards an empty room, and my father only symbolically visits her a few times a year. But for this one visit, she has wasted her life in the inner court.
"But in this kind of world, this is the fate of women. I cannot change much. As someone from Prince Anchang's manor, marriage is just a transaction. If it's not a transaction with the Fifth Prince, it will be with someone else. The only thing I can change is my own state of mind."
Lin Yanxi felt she couldn't quite understand, yet at the same time, she seemed to understand. Luo Wanwan always appeared timid and weak, but when she spoke these words, her tone was firm, enduring, and tinged with helplessness.
Luo Wanwan continued, "I don't want to live a lifetime relying on fighting for a man's affection like my mother. So, whether Shen Yu loves me or not, who he loves, what does it have to do with me? I am just a decoration in his inner court, a vase. But I think even a vase should live well."
"I think if there's an opportunity, after getting married, I'll open a dessert shop and be self-sufficient."
Lin Yanxi agreed with her words. Everyone should live well regardless of their circumstances, and she supported her idea.
But if she had a choice, who would want to waste their life in the inner court?
Wanwan seemed to have thought of something and smiled. "Don't worry, I've thought it all through. If one day my elder sister changes her mind and marries Shen Yu, then I'll divorce Shen Yu and live a carefree life. She's my elder sister, she won't make things difficult for me."
However, Wanwan's words were firm, indicating she had made up her mind. Lin Yanxi said, "Alright, if you've decided, I'll support you. What about Shen Yu? Did he agree too?"
Luo Wanwan hesitated. Her elder sister had said that the plan with the Empress must not be told to anyone. She nodded stiffly, "Mm."
Lin Yanxi had initially thought that since Shen Yu was so fond of Luo Jingxin, he might not agree. But seeing Luo Wanwan nod, she figured he must not have been able to resist the Empress.
"If Shen Yu dares to bully you, I won't let him off."
After Lin Yanxi said this, Luo Wanwan looked at her and smiled. Lin Yanxi, holding her stomach, laughed heartily with her. They then talked about their future plans.
Luo Wanwan said she wanted to find something to do, like opening a shop, to be self-reliant.
Lin Yanxi then realized that the sweets she had sent her earlier were all handmade by Wanwan.
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat serious and somber, instantly became relaxed.
As dusk gradually fell, Lin Yanxi saw Luo Wanwan off and then sat on a chair in the courtyard. She guessed that they would not see each other again until after Wanwan married Shen Yu.
"What are you thinking about?"
Shen Muzhou, whom she hadn't seen for a while, walked in from outside the courtyard.