BXBX NOVEL Chapter 233 - Entering the Palace
Chapter 233 Entering the Palace
It might not be a bad thing for the Lin family to receive so much attention.
Had her father and brother not guarded them so closely, those people would have succeeded in entering her parents’ house.
It was said that the Emperor, i.e. Lin Mengya’s father-in-law, had not held court for long. So all of this was actually under the control of the Empress and the Crown Prince.
Lin Muzhi married the Empress’s younger sister, but he refused to stand by her side. Lin Mengya married Long Tianyu. Therefore, the Empress and the Crown Prince had not been able to hold back their urge to remove the Lin family.
It was such that everyone who refused to join them, would not be allowed to join any of the others.
The Empress and the Crown Prince had been trying to drawing Lin Muzhi over to their side, and he had always declined. After many years, they came up with the idea of getting Long Tianyu to marry Lin Mengya.
As a matter of fact, Lin Mengya had already seen through them, and was aware of their plan.
They came up with a scheme that Lin Mengya would die in the bridal sedan chair, for no apparent reason. Her father and elder brother would then make a punitive expedition against Prince Yu.
Then, the Empress and the Crown Prince would show up and pretend that they were there to uphold justice.
For one thing, it would comfort senior officials, and would touch Lin Muzhi and Lin Nansheng, and they would then join them. For another, they could use Lin Muzhi and Lin Nansheng to eliminate Long Tianyu.
One stone, two birds. What a plan. But unfortunately, Lin Mengya, who had been mysteriously resurrected, fouled up their plan. What was worse for them, was that Lin Muzhi and Lin Nansheng seemed to be getting close to Long Tianyu.
The Empress might be driven mad by that.
“I’ve been considering, little girl, you should divorce Long Tianyu. Look at you, your small face has become thinner, ever since your elder brother’s return.”
Qinghu felt bored, as he bent over the table before Lin Mengya. He raised two slender fingers and pinched her thin face.
Lin Mengya smilingly shook her head, after avoiding the ‘pinch’.
“I can leave Long Tianyu, but I can’t get away from my father and brother. Well, I know you’ve done a lot for me. So tell me, what award do you want? I’ll try my best to make you satisfied!”
Lin Mengya was rarely willing to try to satisfy him. Hearing that, Qinghu’s eyes immediately sparkled.
Qinghu thought about it for a while, and finally, he seemed to have a good idea.
“Little girl, I heard that a month later, there will be an auction, where lots of treasures will be sold. Can you come with me?”
The new year was only about a month away. But Jiang City was not too far away.
“Okay. If you had not proposed that, I was also planning to take a trip with all of you. Year-end bonus for you guys.”
Qinghu raised his eyebrows and stared at her in confusion. “Take a trip, what does that mean? What year-end bonus?”
He shook his head. Qinghu originally wanted to go with her alone. As a result—
Okay, it’s fine, as long as she was accompanied.
After Ma’am Xu and Jinsu were removed, Liuxin Courtyard eventually became a quiet house again.
There were several servants who had secretly betrayed Lin Mengya. After removing them, she only had her trusted followers left in Liuxin Courtyard.
When night fell, Lin Mengya was exhausted after a full day’s activity. Then, she took off her outerwear, and put on dusty pink light underpants.
She pulled out the round hairpin, and with her hair hanging down, read a book by the table. What a typical home life. She looked gentler, not like the fierce person she was, by day.
Rooms in Liuxin Courtyard had been rebuilt, under the supervision of Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu.
No matter how heavy the rain and snow were outside, she would not feel cold inside at all. It was like summer in her room.
The two managed to find a screen which had double sided embroidery on it. The screen was placed in the inner room, and kept out the wind totally.
“Let me make it brighter. Your eyes will not hurt, when you are reading, Master.”
Baiji only wore a pair of white underpants and her hair hung down, like Lin Mengya. She was trimming the wick with a pair of scissors.
“Leave it there for now. Come and sit here. I have something to tell you.”
Lin Mengya put down her book. No one, except the three of them, was aware of the plan between Baishao and her. But Baiji, who was very careful and delicate, had already discovered some clues to their plan.
Since that, it was only reasonable that she could not let it go.
“Master, you’re free to tell me anything.”
Looking into her eyes which brimmed with trust in her, Lin Mengya could not keep it a secret anymore, and had to tell the truth. Thus, she explained everything in detail to Baiji.
“I can’t risk putting Baishao in a dangerous situation. That’s why I chose to keep it from you. As a planted agent, she has to face a far more dangerous situation than we expected. Don’t blame her, Baiji, blame me, okay?”
Tonight, Lin Mengya did not only let Baiji serve her instead of Baisu, but also gave her a detailed explanation. Baiji’s anger had already subsided.
She thought that she was so lucky to serve such a kind master.
“Oh, there’s one thing you have to do for me. You have to keep it to yourself. Only you and I know about this.”
Lin Mengya came closer to Baiji’s ear and said something in low voice. Baiji kept what she said in mind, and looked serious.
“I see, Master, I promise I’ll get it done well.”
There was an unexpected heavy snowfall and everything gleamed with a white sheen outside. Lin Mengya seemed to lose herself in thoughts, as she sat by the window.
Suddenly, the gate of Liuxin Courtyard was pushed open. Two figures carrying lanterns, came into her sight.
Old female servants, who were wearing cotton-padded jackets, respectfully knocked at the door and said.
“The Prince is here, Master.”
From today, no one was able to shake off Lin Mengya’s status as the female Master of Prince Yu’s Mansion.
Prince Yu’s Mansion still needed a female Master. Long Tianyu’s public declaration was equal to admitting Lin Mengya’s status as the Master here.
“It’s cold out there. Let him in, Baiji.”
“It’s already so late. Why is Long Tianyu here?”
Baiji opened the door. Long Tianyu, wrapped in a black cloak, entered the room at the same time.
In comparison with the cheerless Qingwu Courtyard, Liuxin Courtyard seemed as warm as spring, and was really a paradise on earth.
“It’s cold. Warm yourself up, Your Highness.”
Baiji handed him a small stove, where silver charcoal emitting a light fragrance, was burning.
“Your Master is sleeping?”
Long Tianyu looked calm, yet anxiety could be seen in his eyes.
Baiji shook her head and pointed at the inner room, saying.
“She is not sleeping. Please come in, Your Highness.”
Long Tianyu himself did not know why he was so eager to see Lin Mengya’s warm smile tonight.
Leaving his servants at the outer room, Long Tianyu took off his coat, and entered the inner room.
A waft of fresh, sweet fragrance freed him from his anxiety immediately. Then, he saw a beauty dressed in dusty pink, looking out at the snow, by the window.
“It’s freezing. Are you not cold?”
Those caring words meant for her, came out of his mouth, spontaneously. He did not even find anything annoying about it. They were a couple, weren’t they?
“No, it’s warm inside. I sometimes worry that the heat would knock me out. Your Highness, is there an emergency? It’s so late now, but you still came to see me.”
After their wedding night, Long Tian rarely came to her at night.
Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu were like friends living in a house, each enjoying his or her own life, respectively.
However, both of them failed to recognize the desire that drew them close to each other, like a magnet.
“It’s not like that. Well, there’s news from the Palace. Father is getting worse now.”
The Emperor was ill and had not recovered yet, on a snowy night like tonight.
Long Tianyu looked into the direction of the Imperial Palace. He could not remember when he last saw his father.
“Why? The other day, I came across Dr. Qiu, when I stayed with my elder brother. He told me that His Majesty was in a stable condition. How did his condition worsen in such a short time?”
Lin Mengya frowned. As far as she knew, the Emperor was always in good health.
He had the usual chronic diseases, as he got older.
Those pills the royal doctors prescribed for the Emperor were mainly for healing and nourishment. There seemed nothing wrong with those pills.
“I don’t know. I’ve asked those doctors why, but did not get a satisfactory answer. The Empress is keeping a tight lid on the happenings in the Palace. I can’t get any information about father in the least.”
A trace of grief emerged in his black eyes.
This suffering was like a kind of torture, when a son could do nothing to help his seriously sick father. Only the son himself would bear the pain of feeling so helpless.
All at once, Lin Mengya wanted to help this poor man.
A bold assumption she had, popped into her head. “Can the Emperor’s illness not be as simple as it looks ”
“Let me pay a visit to the Emperor.”
Lin Mengya herself, was astonished at that idea. But after thinking about it, she believed that it would be a great favor for the Lin family if the Emperor regained his health. After all, her father got well along with the Emperor.
Then, at least, nobody would dare to attack Lin family so brazenly.
“I don’t agree. Even though you are a master in medicine, if all the royal doctors could not heal father, what more can you do? And the Emperor and the Crown Prince are preying on you now. If you visit father now, how could I feel at ease, knowing that you might encounter some danger.”
Long Tianyu declined genuinely, but it made Lin Mengya more determined.
“I’m a master in treatment, so that’s exactly why I may be able to know what illness His Majesty has! Those royal doctors are all incompetent, otherwise, I would not need to have to detoxify Qin Mo.”
Long Tianyu thought about it, and found her explanation quite reasonable.
Perhaps because those doctors were used to sticking to convention, so the Emperor could not recover.
“But, there’s one thing. Nominally, I’m the daughter-in-law of His Majesty, but I’m not allowed to enter the Palace without His Majesty’s order. And even you’re unable to see His Majesty. I would, of course, have no chance at all.”
The flame of hope, burning just now, was doused by the cold water of cruel reality, at once.