Lin Yanxi looked back at Shen Muzhou. He hadn't visited her for several days. Seeing him now, she felt he had grown much thinner.
"You seem so gaunt. Has the cold sickness flared up again these past few days?"
Shen Muzhou approached her. The cold sickness was indeed still gnawing at him daily. "No, I'm much better. It's just that I've been swamped with official duties and haven't had time to tend to myself."
Lin Yanxi finally relaxed. She continued, "Yes, such a busy person. I haven't seen you in so long, you must be extremely occupied."
"Wanwan just visited me. She's going to marry Shen Yu as a secondary imperial prince's consort."
Shen Muzhou already knew this, but he couldn't interfere with matters in Yaohua Palace. "Since Shen Yu has agreed, he will treat Luo Wanwan well."
Lin Yanxi had always suspected that it was because Luo Jingxin was so insistent on marrying Shen Muzhou that Shen Yu, heartbroken, had finally agreed to this marriage. However, Shen Yu was indeed kind-hearted and wouldn't make things difficult for a woman.
Seeing her still a bit dejected, Shen Muzhou said, "I'll give you something."
"What?" Lin Yanxi's eyes brightened. She then took a closer look at him. He was holding a dagger.
Shen Muzhou handed her what he was holding. "You've always wanted me to teach you some martial arts, haven't you? This long dagger has been crafted according to your height and strength. It should suit you."
The dagger's scabbard was red, with a few small flowers entwined around it, clearly a feminine item.
When the scabbard was drawn, the dagger's blade was sharp and elegant—a killing weapon.
Lin Yanxi was delighted. She had long wanted to learn martial arts so she could defend herself when her talisman arts were unusable.
Shen Muzhou stepped closer, standing before her, and looked down at her. "Martial arts generally require decades of inner strength as a foundation, with countless variations in moves. Each stance can evolve into dozens or hundreds of ways to wield a blade."
"Therefore, I will only teach you one move: the killing technique."
"Come, let me demonstrate first. Watch carefully."
With a flick of his wrist, he effortlessly retrieved the dagger from her hand. His movements were fluid, his robes billowing in the wind. The next moment, the scabbard was pressed against her heart.
"This spot, if you can find this spot, you can strike a fatal blow." He tapped again with the scabbard.
Lin Yanxi took his hand and stood up from the chair. Her delicate fingers lightly caressed his chest, and with a serious expression, she asked, "Is it here? Or here?"
Even through his robes, he could feel her fingertips like little cat paws tracing his heart, stirring his emotions.
He subtly shifted his gaze, caught her hand, and moved it half an inch higher. His throat bobbed. "It's here."
Lin Yanxi looked as if she suddenly understood. She withdrew her small hand, grabbed the long dagger, and walked a few steps towards the room without a word. Shen Muzhou thought she was tired and wanted to rest, so he followed her at a distance of about one step.
The young girl raised an eyebrow, suddenly turned around, and with a twist of her wrist, pointed the dagger directly at Shen Muzhou's heart.
He narrowed his eyes, remained in place, and the scabbard touched his chest.
"How was it?" A hint of slyness flickered in her eyes.
His gaze was affectionate as he looked at her. "Very skilled."
Lin Yanxi retracted the dagger, tilted her head, and looked at him. "Did you go easy on me? With your martial arts and alertness, how could you not have dodged?"
Shen Muzhou's lips curved into a beautiful arc. "Perhaps you are exceptionally gifted then."
She was very pleased with this answer. "Naturally."
With that, she happily walked into the room. Shen Muzhou helped her lie down and asked, "Did you pull on the wound just now?"
Lin Yanxi shook her head. "No, I didn't. I've been lying here every day; I'm practically moldy."
"By the way, what about the jade talisman?"
Shen Muzhou replied, "I have returned the jade talisman to His Majesty. The Crown Prince will soon move against the Dark Night Division."
Noticing the faint worry in her eyes, he said, "Don't worry, I have a countermeasure."
He had already been secretly collecting evidence of the Crown Prince's illicit tax collection to retaliate. This way, after his death, with this evidence in hand, the Crown Prince wouldn't dare to trouble Lin Yanxi.
After Shen Muzhou left, Lin Yanxi sought out Jiang Mingsheng again. Although Shen Muzhou said his cold sickness had improved significantly, his pale complexion with an unnatural flush made him appear even more sickly.
His condition could not be delayed any further.
"Master, you must have a way. I beg you, tell me. I'm willing to do anything to try."
Jiang Mingsheng happened to be cornered by her in his room. Seeing that her injuries had only healed halfway and she still looked very weak, he said with concern, "You, you should look after yourself before you worry about others."
He helped Lin Yanxi sit on a chair, turning his head away from her.
Lin Yanxi stubbornly tugged at his sleeve. "Master, don't you want to avenge the Jiang family?"
When it came to revenge, Jiang Mingsheng became interested. He slammed his palm on the table. "Of course, I want revenge! When I find the curse masters, I will flay them alive! To comfort my departed kin of the Jiang family!"
Lin Yanxi quickly said, "Exactly. We now suspect the curse masters are hiding in the imperial palace, but with my talisman arts, I cannot sense them. The only person who can help us find the curse master in the palace is Shen Muzhou."
"If he dies, who will help us?"
Jiang Mingsheng sat on the chair and was silent for a moment. "Alright. The Jiang family's ancient texts record a method for creating a talisman. This talisman requires the heart's blood of the talisman master. It's called a Blood Guiding Talisman. However, the method of extracting the blood is extremely perilous, causing one's entire blood to flow in reverse. The pain alone would be excruciating."
Lin Yanxi's face lit up with joy. Without thinking, she said, "I'm not afraid, as long as I can save him."
Jiang Mingsheng angrily poked her forehead with his finger. "Save him, save him! You save him, but what about yourself? What if something happens to you? What about the Jiang family? And what about the Grand Tutor's mansion?"
Lin Yanxi's eyes dimmed. She hadn't really thought that far ahead.
She could disregard her own life, but she carried too many responsibilities. Yet, she couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"There must be a way that benefits both sides," she said in a low voice, unsure if she was speaking to herself or to Jiang Mingsheng.
After leaving Jiang Mingsheng's courtyard, she sat listlessly on the swing.
The clouds in the sky gradually hid behind layers of dark mist, much like her current predicament. The night sky was dark, with only the moon hanging high in the firmament, guiding the myriad of stars.
---
For the next two days, Lin Yanxi confined herself to her room, studying the contents of the ancient book. She discovered that the book seemed to be only the first volume. On the last page was a half-drawn topographical map.
This kind of map could only be seen with talisman arts. Where was the other half?
When she was inventorying her mother's dowry at the Grand Tutor's mansion, she hadn't found the other half.
Two days later was Luo Wanwan's wedding day.
She was merely a concubine, so there were no elaborate betrothal rituals. She was simply to be taken to the prince's mansion in a red sedan chair.
However, it was evident that Shen Yu valued her greatly, allowing her red sedan chair to enter through the main gate. There were no crowds of guests, only a few close friends invited.
Shen Yu, dressed in wedding robes, waited outside the mansion early in the morning. The entrance was decorated with lanterns and streamers, no less grand than for a principal wife's entrance.
When Lin Yanxi and Shen Muzhou arrived, Shen Yu greeted them and ushered them inside.
Shen Muzhou had prepared a generous gift, which was carried into the mansion by servants.
"Little Ninth, you're truly a good friend. You've spent a lot," Shen Yu said, patting Shen Muzhou's back, beaming with joy.
Shen Muzhou seemed hesitant to speak. After a moment, he asked, "Are you truly set on this?"
Shen Yu didn't quite understand what he meant. After some thought, he assumed it was about his wedding.
He smiled. "Of course. The person in her heart might not be me, but since she's willing to marry me, I will treat her well. Although Mother only agreed to her being a concubine, since I'm marrying her, I don't plan to marry anyone else. There's no difference between a wife and a concubine."
"Once I am granted a fiefdom, I will take her away from the capital and live a carefree life."
Shen Muzhou rarely showed a smile, but he did now. "It's good that you've come to this understanding. Then, settle down from now on, and don't go to those places so carelessly every day."
Shen Yu chuckled sheepishly. "Naturally. I will treat her well."
Shen Muzhou nodded. "Actually, Luo Wan..."
Before he could finish speaking, a dignified and opulent woman walked in from the entrance. It was the current Empress.
Shen Yu hurried to greet her. "Mother, why are you here?"
The Empress adjusted his wedding robe and smoothed his slightly disheveled hair at the forehead, saying tenderly, "How could your mother not come to her son's wedding?"
Shen Yu put his arm around the Empress's shoulder and said somewhat childishly, "I knew Mother loved me the most."
"You've grown up now that you're married. You're still acting like a child," the Empress chided him with a smile, but her words were full of endless affection.
Her phoenix-like eyes were also a little red, moist with tears.
Shen Muzhou looked at the loving scene of mother and son, but a cold, murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
Lin Yanxi noticed his change and slowly walked to his side, quietly holding his hand by his side and looking at him.
The strange emotion in his eyes quickly vanished, and he returned a calm gaze to her.
"Crackling—"
As the sound of firecrackers erupted, cheerful suona music gradually approached.
An eight-person sedan chair, borne by eight men, landed steadily in front of the main gate.
Shen Yu, who was usually unrestrained and disregarded rules, showed a hint of nervousness and restraint. He paused for a moment before cautiously stepping forward. A young maid lifted the red curtain.
Luo Wanwan's face was covered by a red veil, and she wore a red wedding dress outlined with gold thread. Her long skirt trailed on the ground.
Shen Yu, with controlled politeness, took her hand. Jingxin was very particular about etiquette, and he was afraid of doing something wrong today that might displease her.
He said softly, "I've wronged you."
According to his wishes, he should have elevated Luo Jingxin to the position of principal wife. Instead, she could only be taken as a concubine, and everything was kept simple. He felt he had let Jingxin down, especially since she was a Princess of Chaoyang.
Her usual accessories were the cheapest made of pearls from the South Sea, and her food, clothing, and housing were all of the best quality.
Lin Yanxi looked at the people around and asked curiously, "It's Wanwan's wedding, why isn't her elder sister here?"
Hearing her words, Shen Muzhou also glanced casually at the people gathered at the entrance. Luo Jingxin was indeed not present.
Luo Wanwan stepped her red-shoed foot over a small brazier. Shen Yu said beside her, "This is a folk wedding ritual, symbolizing a prosperous future and warding off bad luck."
He was worried that Luo Jingxin, accustomed to life in the palace, might not like folk wedding customs, so he carefully explained beside her.
Luo Wanwan's face was hidden by the red veil, and she nodded slightly.
Seeing that she liked it, Shen Yu was relieved.
As the wedding ceremony was halfway through, an announcement was heard: "An imperial decree has arrived—"