She glanced around, and the sensation of being watched vanished.
Only a line of passing guards marched away with steady steps.
Had Xiao Shan returned? The feeling was identical to the last time in Xinyu City.
Impossible, even if he had returned, he couldn't enter the imperial palace.
Who could be spying then? Had they overheard their conversation?
Lu Yanmo's face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth, "Your Highness the Second Prince, please speak with caution."
This was a grave offense of treason, not to be uttered lightly. The Second Prince's careless words were far too imprudent.
Before the Second Prince could speak further, Ling Yao stopped him. She knew how stubborn Lu Yanmo was and did not wish to prolong this confrontation. Thus, she calmly said, "Young Master Lu, you have rashly blocked my path and spoken inappropriately, which is already a great disrespect. Regarding what you just said, I believe you should first discuss it with Grand Tutor Lu and see if he agrees."
After speaking, she glanced at Yu Liu, "Second Brother, let's go."
Yu Liu stood in front of Lu Yanmo, preventing him from pursuing further.
But this time, Lu Yanmo did not move. He merely gazed deeply at Ling Yao's retreating back, her words replaying in his mind.
Finally, he concluded: she wanted him to persuade his father before bringing up the proposal of marriage?
.............
At the Prince of Runan's mansion, beneath the carved rhombic window lattice, a hidden guard reported the situation and then flew away.
The Prince of Runan stood silently for a long moment, his gaze calm.
Then, he pushed open the door and entered the room. The room was warm and comfortable, exquisitely decorated. Several pots of peonies bloomed vibrantly, emitting a natural fragrance. The floor was covered with a thick carpet, making footsteps silent. He took off his shoes and walked to the side of the large rosewood luohan bed carved with cloud patterns.
From beneath the gauze curtains, a pampered, fair, and tender hand with dimples emerged. He quickly took it.
"Are you feeling any better? Perhaps we should try another prescription. This won't do at all; you've lost so much weight."
The person on the bed let out a pleased chuckle.
"It's just that age has its toll. When I was carrying Ling Yin, I only found out when my belly grew large."
Mentioning Ling Yin, a flicker of pain crossed the Prince of Runan's eyes. The person on the bed also fell silent.
Soon, the Prince of Runan regained his composure, his tone still warm and gentle, "Shijin and Ling Yao are also good children, kind-hearted. They take after you."
Silence fell upon the room once more.
The Prince of Runan smiled, "Alright, be happy. Let Zhenzhu arrange whatever you wish to eat. I need to go to the palace."
He patted the woman's hand soothingly, then gave a few instructions to Zhenzhu, who was attending them, before leaving.
Upon entering the palace, he arrived at a secluded small courtyard in a corner of the imperial palace.
The young eunuch Li Gui was a low-ranking individual who had seen few nobles, but he recognized the person before him. It was the Prince of Runan, known for his exceptionally good temper and disposition.
Immediately, he adopted a respectful and sincere attitude, kneeling to greet him, "This servant Li Gui greets Your Highness."
"Mm, rise. How is Eunuch Bai Xi? Has he been well cared for?"
"Yes, this servant has been taking good care of him! Your Highness can rest assured." Li Gui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the noble who came a few days ago had warned him, otherwise, he would be in trouble today.
He quickly stepped forward to open the door and invited the Prince of Runan in.
The room, compared to a few days ago, was clean and tidy, with only a faint odor. The person on the bed was dressed neatly, propped against the headboard, their hair neatly combed, revealing a gaunt and frightening face. Two quilts were draped over them, covering them from the waist down.
There was still uneaten porridge on the table, indicating the person had eaten their fill.
Did this Ling Yao truly possess some skill to make the once abusive eunuch mend his ways?
What had she said to make Li Gui so obedient?
Was it a threat, or perhaps a bribe?
The Prince of Runan waved Li Gui away and leaned closer, carefully examining Bai Xi, whose eyes were vacant.
Bai Xi stared blankly at him, his eyeballs slightly unfocused, showing no signs of deception. No normal person would be in this state.
"Bai Xi, the Emperor has passed away."
He stared intently at Bai Xi's eyes. Those dull gray eyes showed no change, only emitting an involuntary "Ah ah" sound from his mouth.
In Bai Xi's life, the most important person was the Emperor. If he were not insane, he could not have remained indifferent upon hearing this news.
The Prince of Runan inwardly chided himself for being overly suspicious. Bai Xi had been fed the Soul Devouring Soup. Lu Jiangtian, no matter how careless, could not have let him escape.
But he did not know that Bai Xi had learned a secret technique from someone. It was originally learned to better test poisons for the Emperor, which involved hiding food in his throat and only swallowing it after a while if there were no adverse reactions.
Over the years, this had become an instinct, even when he ate.
When he drank the porridge mixed with the Soul Devouring Gu and felt an abnormality in his throat, he sensed something was wrong. Thus, he clawed at his throat and forcefully expelled all the porridge, injuring his throat in the process.
After the Emperor began acting strangely, he started investigating secretly. He hadn't expected their actions to be so swift, intending to eliminate him as well. He could only begin to feign madness, imitating the Emperor.
Then, he was thrown here.
Fortunately, he had recorded everything in the imperial palace and hidden it in Fengque Tower.
Because the Emperor had said that only Princess Ling Yao could save the Jing Kingdom.
What the Emperor said must be true.
Indeed, Princess Ling Yao had returned, earlier than he had anticipated.
After his test, seeing that Bai Xi showed no unusual signs and merely beat the bed like an idiot, then clawed at the bed frame, trying to climb down, resembling those mindless, deranged individuals, the Prince of Runan lowered his guard. His gaze turned gentle again.
"Then Eunuch Bai Xi should rest well. When the day of your passing comes, I will arrange for you to enter the imperial mausoleum to continue serving my elder brother."
This was an immense honor; there had never been a precedent for a eunuch to be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
He was still testing.
Eunuch Bai Xi remained indifferent, making "ah ah" sounds at the bowl on the table.
The Prince of Runan smiled slightly and finally left.
"Li Gui, thank you for your hard work in taking care of Eunuch Bai Xi."
"It is not hard; it is what this servant should do."
"Mm, take good care of him. When Eunuch Bai Xi passes away, it will also be a meritorious deed for you. I will have the Imperial Household Department assign you a good post."
"This servant thanks Your Highness!" Li Gui was overjoyed and kowtowed deeply.
Until the Prince of Runan departed, he happily stood up. When Eunuch Bai Xi passed away, he could leave this wretched place!
When he passes away, when he passes away...
When will he pass away?
As a wicked thought crossed his mind, he shivered violently. A voice told him that if he didn't take good care of Eunuch Bai Xi, he would die.
Forget it, it was better to serve him diligently!
That night, after Li Gui served Eunuch Bai Xi, he collapsed in exhaustion and fell asleep.
However, Eunuch Bai Xi's door was opened.
Bai Xi dragged his body and slowly crawled out, laboriously crossing the threshold. Leaning against the wall with his weak body, he was wearing the white sleeping clothes that Li Gui had just changed for him.
In the moonlight, he meticulously wiped off the dirt clinging to them.
The Princess was right; he loved cleanliness the most.
"This old servant thanks the Princess for granting this old servant his final dignity." He was allowed to die cleanly.
"Emperor, Bai Xi will go ahead to pave the way for you."