Shen Ling'er put the copper bell into her palm, then released it.
Put it back in the medicine box, then take it out again.
This action was repeated three times.
Gu Moran stood by the table without saying a word.
He's heard far too many people use nice words to cover up their wounds.
But actually, saying anything is pointless.
Especially beneath this wound lie her parents, and the stoic endurance that Elder Shen had endured for over a decade.
Shen Ling'er turned to the next page.
Tao Wujiu's confession continues.
The last time the Shen-shi couple entered the alchemy room was because the emperor reacted abnormally after taking the elixir.
Several prescriptions left behind by Emperor Taizu at the end of his reign were rediscovered. The alchemist said they could calm the mind, nourish vital energy, and prolong life. He warned against listening to the nonsense of others.
Shen Zhiheng examined the pulse, Wen Heng examined the medicine.
The two people jointly wrote a proposal to suspend Dan.
Tao Wujiu just a medicine slave at that time, responsible for moving charcoal, sealing wax, and sweeping furnace ash.
He saw with his own eyes Wen Heng pick up the medicine cup from the stove, test it with a silver needle, and his face immediately darkened.
She said something.
"This isn't a tonic; it's something that will take your life."
Gu Moran noticed that Shen Ling'er's eyelashes lowered.
That sentence and the death warrant that Chu Tianxing the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, though separated by many years, ended up in the same place.
Shen Ling'er continued reading.
The confession stated that on the night the alchemy furnace caught fire, Tao Wujiu was sent to the old warehouse to retrieve wax.
When he returned, the side hall had already been sealed off.
There was smoke inside.
Someone is coughing.
Someone is knocking on the door.
The knocking on the door lingered for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then stopped.
The next day, the case file was changed to state that the doctor had misjudged the heat.
The Shen-shi couple fled Beijing to avoid punishment.
The alchemy workshop has been taken over by a different person, and the medicine slaves have been dispersed.
Tao Wujiu half of his ear burned and a burn mark left on his wrist. He was never allowed to mention that night again.
Shen Ling'er's hand stopped at the edge of the paper.
My parents were burned alive.
It's clearly written on the paper.
With the imperial decree before them, no one dared to offer assistance.
Gu Moran around the table and stood beside her.
"Stop looking."
Shen Ling'er's lips moved slightly.
"I want to see."
Gu Moran pressed down on the next few pages.
"The furnace number and the names of the people involved are listed after that. That's enough for tonight."
"Enough of what?"
She looked up, her eyes were terribly red, but her voice was very steady.
"I know they're dead, I know Grandpa kept it from me, Gu Moran, all these years I've been carrying a dumbbell, hoping my parents will come back..."
Gu Moran pressed the corner of the paper with his fingertip.
" Ling'er, I know you can't accept this."
"But you have to stay alive first before we can continue the investigation."
Shen Ling'er stared at him.
If she rushes to the Imperial Medical Bureau now to ask Elder Shen, to ask the Emperor, and to dig up old files, the entire Shen Family's old case will be presented to the Emperor tomorrow morning.
The emperor will not feel guilty.
He'll only turn on you.
At that time, not only the Shen Family, not only her, but even the Prince Yi's Residence will be dragged into the mud.
Gu Moran will also be dragged into this, along with her five older sisters...
Shen Ling'er slowly lowered her hand.
The brass clasp of the medicine box struck the edge of the table with a short, muffled thud.
"Grandpa knew all along, why didn't you tell me?"
Gu Moran looked at the small amount of medicine powder on the table, her voice very low.
" Elder Shen must have his own reasons for being able to remain in the Imperial Medical Bureau for so long."
Shen Ling'er's fingers tightened.
"You're defending him? He's clearly just blindly loyal!"
Gu Moran placed the copper bell into her palm.
" Ling'er, if your grandfather had told you the whole truth back then, what would you have done?"
Shen Ling'er blurted out, "I'll go to the palace..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
Imperial power is mighty, while all living beings are but ants.
She was just a young child.
She really can't blame her grandfather.
She was still young then and couldn't even memorize all the medicine names.
To protect a child, the only thing he could do was lie.
But even after she understood, her chest still felt tight and painful.
After a long time, Shen Ling'er gently placed the copper bell on the table.
"I want to go to Grandpa and ask him what happened."
"No."
" Gu Moran, what right do you have to stop me?"
Gu Moran put away the confession and pulled out the pages from the Shen Family separately.
"Because this thing is in my hands now. Because the moment you leave, the people watching Elder Shen will make a move. Because what you want to investigate isn't just one old case, but an old crime that the emperor refuses to admit."
He paused, then looked up at her.
"And only because you are Gu Moran's wife."
Shen Ling'er's chest heaved violently.
The scent of medicine lingered on her sleeve, while a bitter smell wafted out.
After Gu Moran finished speaking, he placed the medicine bowl on the table in front of him.
The medicine has gone cold.
The cold medicine was even more bitter; the bitterness lingered at the bottom of the bowl, and it made the back of the tongue feel numb when it entered the mouth.
Shen Ling'er watched him drink it all in one gulp.
This time, she neither urged nor scolded.
Gu Moran put down the empty bowl; the porcelain bowl was cold and hard against her palm.
Shen Ling'er held on for a long time, but her last breath finally broke.
"Husband, am I being silly?"
Gu Moran looked at her.
She looked down at the copper bell, her voice so soft it was almost broken.
"My parents are dead, and I didn't know. I still bother my grandfather every day, wanting sweet cakes and demanding that he write back to my parents sooner."
The powdered medicine on the table was blown away by the wind and landed next to the confession.
Gu Moran felt a pain in his chest.
" Ling'er, you're not stupid."
He pushed the empty bowl aside and reached out to pull her into his arms.
"You've grown up, and your medical skills are superb. Today you were even able to detect the furnace mark inside the copper bell. Ling'er, you're amazing."
Shen Ling'er's eyes welled up with tears.
She didn't cry out, but tightened her grip on the copper bell, the edges digging into her palm, but she didn't loosen it.
Gu Moran out and hugged her even tighter.
Shen Ling'er rested her forehead on his shoulder.
The aroma of medicine, the bitter smell, and the lingering dampness of the night all crammed into this small study.
Gu Moran closed his eyes.
The person in my arms held back their tears; they were very quiet.
The silence was heartbreaking.
His gaze passed over her shoulder and landed on the pages of Tao Wujiu's confession on the table.
The paper was thin, yet it weighed down the entire Liu Clan, the Shen Family couple, and Han Che's life.
They still hold onto old grievances that the emperor refuses to acknowledge.
After a long while, Shen Ling'er spoke in a hoarse voice.
Gu Moran.
"Um."
"I don't know what to do."
Gu Moran tightened his grip on her arm.
"Just stay by my side and I'll take care of the rest."
Shen Ling'er grabbed his sleeve.
"My husband, I'm useless..."
"Nonsense! Haven't you been chasing after me every day, making me drink medicine to strengthen my body? Without you, could I have gone from a weakling to this capable?"
She didn't laugh.
My breathing has finally stabilized a bit.
Uncle Fu came by the door once, stopped at the door, and then left.
The light in the study shone along the wall, not illuminating the two people's faces, but only casting a dark ring around the brass bell on the table.
Gu Moran until she calmed down before helping her sit down.
"Take a break, don't cry."
Shen Ling'er raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, the movement quick, as if afraid of being seen.
She turned her head and stared at the furnace number, the pain in her eyes gradually turning into fire.
Check the medication.
Check the furnace.
Check old files.
This is a road you can't walk while crying.
We need to piece together the evidence step by step.