eurekapd Chapter 95 Years in the Palace 3
Chapter 95 Years in the Palace 3
Only Liu Baiyi was foolish enough to genuinely believe that Jing Yanzhi liked and loved her; otherwise, why would he always indulge her like that?
Perhaps she wasn't stupid. She knew the power of the Wang family of Dongxiang. They used their power to force Jing Yanzhi to marry her and to pamper and indulge her. Even if it was just an act, they had to make it look real.
She kept deceiving others and herself, covering up the fact that the man didn't love her at all.
When she woke up, she stared blankly at the white ceiling of the tent. Liu Xingxing felt a tightness in her chest and unconsciously reached up to wipe her eyes, revealing a tear stain that was not yet dry.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't grasp the person in her dream. The more she struggled, the less she could get close. She clearly knew who that person was, but as soon as she woke up, her memory became blurry.
"Liu Baiyi, so you knew all along..."
Liu Xingxing clutched her heart and murmured softly.
So you knew all along that no matter how hard you tried, you could never catch up with that man.
So you knew all along that man never loved you.
Liu Xingxing stretched lazily and called out lightly, "Early Spring!"
"Oh, Your Majesty, you're awake! Did you sleep well last night?"
Chu Chun responded and entered the room, followed by several palace servants she had brought out of the palace, as well as maids and servants from the mansion. They all came in and began to help Liu Baiyi close the curtains and serve her while she washed up.
Liu Xingxing had already developed the skill of not being moved by such a grand spectacle every time: "Hmm, it's fine. The bed at home is still the most comfortable."
"It's good that Your Highness slept well. Lord Liu has already gone to the morning court. Should we go and inform Madam that you are coming over?"
As Chu Chun spoke, she didn't even have time to stop wringing out a handkerchief and washing her hands.
"Hmm... no need to announce it. We can go over together in a bit. There's no need for these formalities at home."
"Yes."
After rinsing her mouth, wiping her hands and face, Liu Xingxing naturally moved to the dressing table to wait for Chu Chun to help her with her makeup.
These personal tasks were all started in early spring, while the others waited on the sidelines, some carrying clothes, others carrying jewelry and other small items.
In early spring, she gently combed Liu Baiyi's hair, a smile appearing on her face: "Your Majesty, what style of hairstyle would you like today?"
"I haven't been wearing my traditional palace-style hair bun at home these past few days. It looks nice, but it's too cumbersome. Something more casual and convenient is fine."
"Yes, whatever Your Majesty says goes. With Your Majesty's beauty, any hairstyle looks good on you."
"Just your sweet mouth."
Chu Chun is quite to her liking. She won't object to anything Chu Chun says. Of course, this is partly due to their different statuses. At least, no matter how strange Chu Chun's orders are, Chu Chun will obey and do them without worrying about Chu Chun revealing anything.
After finishing her hair and makeup, she changed into a light, goose-colored dress and went out to visit Madam Wang.
Wang Shi then chatted with her about everyday matters until nearly noon before letting her leave. Liu Xingxing managed to glean quite a bit of useful information, though it was all related to Wang Shi from Dongxiang.
However, this was not the reason she left the palace. Time was of the essence, and she did not want to waste time on other matters.
"Early Spring, how's the matter I asked you to handle going?"
Inside the clothing shop, Liu Xingxing looked around to make sure no one was watching, then whispered a question to Chuchun.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have arranged for you to stay at our villa in the suburbs of the capital. I have been very careful and no one has noticed."
"Yes, you did a good job."
Liu Xingxing changed into the same clothes as Chu Chun, then asked another trusted maid in the mansion to change into her clothes and cover her face with a veil. She told the maid to get into the carriage and go back to the mansion first, while Liu Xingxing and Chu Chun slipped out from the back.
She made a point of wearing bright-colored clothes and covering her face with a veil before going out today, all to secretly switch places with someone else.
Liu Xingxing hadn't read those novels for nothing. Given her status, there was no guarantee that there weren't three or five people secretly watching her. It was always better to be careful. She couldn't trust the people she brought from the palace, so she could only rely on the people from the Liu family.
The maid who impersonated her had a good relationship with Chu Chun and knew her well, so she shouldn't betray her. Even if she was from the Wang family, it wouldn't matter, as long as she wasn't from the palace.
Fortunately, she made an absolutely correct prediction this time. The person in the palace knew about Liu Xingxing's shopping trip almost immediately. However, he still didn't know what this woman, whose true nature he could see at a glance, was up to. Judging from her current behavior, she seemed quite normal.
Liufu Villa in the Suburbs of Beijing
Liu Xingxing looked at the middle-aged man with a full head of white hair kneeling on the ground, full of doubt.
"Say it again, what exactly is wrong with my body?"
"Your Highness, do you really not remember? Oh dear, I deserve to die, I truly deserve to die, but what I said is the truth! I really didn't know Your Highness would use the Mother-Child Gu on yourself when Your Highness asked me to find it! I deserve to die!"
Zhang Shi kowtowed twice more, his expression full of panic.
"Stop talking about being dead all the time, get up and tell me what's going on! What kind of mother-child gu?"
"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."
"This humble subject, this humble subject... Five years ago, Her Majesty spent a lot of money to buy a pair of mother-child Gu from this humble subject. I bought those mother-child Gu by chance from a foreign merchant, and I only have a vague understanding of their effects."
"It is only known that if the mother Gu is planted in another person, the person with the child Gu will develop an irresistible dependence and obedience to the person with the mother Gu. If the mother Gu dies, the person with the child Gu will also die."
"If a person has a mother-child Gu worm implanted in their body, there will also be side effects. The child Gu worm will subtly alter that person's memory, making their memory of the person who possesses the mother Gu worm more and more idealized and perfect. This is also a kind of self-protection of the mother Gu worm."
"The mother-child gu is not harmful to the human body. It is only used by people in the foreign regions to cultivate feelings between people who are in love or who are in love in one-sidedly."
"Your Majesty's illness is due to the presence of a mother-child Gu worm within you. The mother Gu worm has malfunctioned, which is why you are in this state. However, the one within Your Majesty is... is a child Gu worm..."
"Child Gu? Why not the mother Gu?"
"This humble subject would never make a mistake in diagnosis; it is indeed a venomous insect."
Zhang Shi finished speaking haltingly, and Liu Xingxing became increasingly silent after listening.
If Liu Baiyi really bought this thing herself, then it should be meant to be planted on Jing Yanzhi. So why is the one on her body a child Gu?
If she wanted Jing Yanzhi to depend on and obey her, shouldn't she have given him the Seed Gu? Why is the Seed Gu now on her?
Could it be that their attempt to cast a spell backfired and they were ambushed instead?
Jing Yanzhi, does he know about this too...?
Is there any way to remove it?
"...This thing on Your Majesty's body has been implanted for too long, and has long become a part of Your Majesty's bones and blood. If it is really to be removed... we can only use hibiscus flowers as a guide, mix it with pine needle ink, and then bleed it out again to draw it out. However, this method is dangerous, and it is very likely that even if the blood is drained, it will not be drawn out."
"If you were to take the plunge, what are the chances of success?"
Zhang Shi hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed again, terrified: "This humble subject is incompetent and dares not act, especially since Your Majesty is of noble birth. This humble subject truly, truly..."
"If it can be done, then stop talking nonsense and tell me what needs to be prepared. If this matter succeeds, I will guarantee you and your family a life of wealth and comfort for the rest of your days. If it fails... then it is my fate to suffer this calamity. I will pardon you and promise you that I will provide you with money to leave the capital."
So what if I bleed to death? Anyway, this is just an illusion. There's a 50% chance I'll just leave the illusion, and the other 50% chance I'll die sooner or later if the Gu worm isn't removed.
She really disliked having her life tied to a tiny Gu worm, especially since there was someone controlling the Gu worm.
Since there's a solution, why not give it a try? She's still pretty tough.
"This matter originated from me. Your Majesty is very righteous. I do not need Your Majesty's permission for money or anything else. If Your Majesty's matter can be resolved smoothly, it will also benefit my medical skills. That would be my greatest gain."
"If Your Highness wishes to begin now, then please ask Miss Chuchun to help you buy some pine gold ink from the South Market. Fusang Flower Herb keeper happened to bring some over. It will take some time to accomplish this."
"It's alright, I have plenty of time. Be careful when you go in early spring."
"Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured."