A Bowl of Hot Soup Filled the Hall with Spring; Behind Locked Buddhist Hall Doors, Old Hatred Lingered

Yun Shuyue lay sprawled on the large elmwood table, her snow-white woolen hat askew, tilting to the bridge of her nose.

The empty wooden spoon in his hand tapped against the table, making a thumping sound.

The more she knocked, the more aggrieved she felt. Finally, she looked up, her eyes already red-rimmed.

Sisters, please be the judge!

Murong Xue sat on a bench, slowly chewing on a hard-boiled egg.

He swallowed and snorted.

"Who told you to be so naive, believing everything people say?"

"I've been scammed, but I still want to eat fried cakes."

Yun Shuyue puffed up her cheeks in anger, but didn't know what to say.

Xie Wanqing, standing to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She carried the white porcelain teapot to Gu Moran's side and refilled his teacup with hot tea.

As the tea poured into the cup, its delicate aroma gradually masked the smell of cooking oil in the room.

"Your Highness, don't just sit there watching the show."

"I sat in the study all night last night; let me have a sip of hot tea to soothe my throat first."

Just as Gu Moran reached out his hand, a rough porcelain medicine bowl was placed on the corner of the table.

The bottom of the bowl hit the wooden table with a dull thud.

A few drops of the dark brown medicine sloshed out, and the bitter smell assaulted my nose.

Shen Ling'er wore a blue apron with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and held half a roll of medicine prescriptions in her palm.

She stared at Gu Moran, her eyebrows raised high.

"Put the tea aside for now."

"Drink this medicine while it's hot; it's good for calming the mind, reducing internal heat, and replenishing energy."

Gu Moran looked at the bowl of medicine, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Doctor Shen, my pulse is stable today."

"The fever from last night has subsided."

Don't try to fool me with your pulse diagnosis.

Shen Ling'er pushed the medicine bowl forward.

Who's staying up all night?

Who had such a burning sensation in their hands in the middle of the night?

Do you want some or not?

Before Gu Moran could answer, Shen Ling'er had already decided the consequences for him.

"No, I won't drink it. Tonight, all the salt in my dinner will be replaced with Coptis chinensis powder."

Murong Xue slapped the table and laughed.

" Sister Ling'er, that's a great idea!"

"To deal with someone as disobedient as him, you have to use drastic measures."

She gestured with her Gu Moran.

"Your Highness, please drink."

"Don't drag us down with you."

Lin Qingdai stood by the porch, holding a sword.

Her back was pressed against the red-lacquered wooden pillar, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard wall, the roof ridge, and the end of the corridor, without the slightest relaxation.

When Murong Xue mentioned the pharmacy, Lin Qingdai's ears burned slightly, and she immediately turned her face away.

She gazed at the snow-covered courtyard outside, her fingers still gripping the hilt of the knife.

Gu Moran glanced at the several faces in the room, each with their own ideas, and could only sigh in the end.

He picked up the bowl of medicine and drank it all in one gulp.

The bitter taste pressed down from the back of his tongue to his throat, Gu Moran frowned, casually taking the hot tea that Xie Wanqing handed him.

He drank too quickly and almost choked.

Xie Wanqing steadied the teacup, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

"Drink slowly."

No one is going to compete with the prince.

Soft footsteps echoed around the corner of the corridor.

Liu Ruyan slowly walked over, carrying a newly tailored dark blue quilted undershirt.

"Your Highness."

Liu Ruyan came to the table and unfolded her inner garment.

Her fingertips brushed over the stitches on the collar, making a very soft sound.

"It's cold outside; I had my body measured a few days ago."

"The fine cotton lining was sewn on last night. Your Highness, please try it on to see if it fits."

The clothes were tailored to fit snugly, with a soft satin neckline that felt warm and delicate to the touch.

Gu Moran reached out and touched the fabric, then looked up and saw the faint dark circles under her eyes.

"You spent the whole night looking at the secret contact list sent from the old building?"

Liu Ruyan lowered her eyelashes and straightened the corner of his outer robe.

"The whereabouts of three people on the roster don't match; I've copied them out separately."

"Your Highness can examine it more closely when you have time."

She paused, then spoke even softer.

"The clothes were just something I sewed casually; it's nothing important."

Gu Moran looked at her for a moment, then didn't ask any further questions.

The charcoal in the brazier was burning bright red.

The wind outside the window grew stronger, but the laughter and chatter in the courtyard were still contained by the charcoal fire.

The capital city.

Inside the Buddhist hall of Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, the heavy door latch slowly came down.

The palace doors, covered with wrought iron sheets, were closed by two elderly women working together.

The door hinge made a dry, long creaking sound.

Immediately afterwards, the two cast iron bolts fell down one after the other.

The wind and snow, human voices, and footsteps on the palace road were all kept outside the door.

There were no large candles lit in the Buddhist hall, only three bronze lamps that burned continuously.

The tiny flame flickered in the lamp, and the rich scent of sandalwood lingered among the beams and pillars for a long time.

On a high seat.

The Empress Dowager sat cross-legged on a rosewood couch.

She was dressed in a dark black brocade robe, her thin, withered fingers slowly stroking a string of blackened sandalwood prayer beads.

The prayer beads clicked together, producing a soft clicking sound.

In the center of the Buddhist hall, Noble Consort Chen knelt upright.

She removed her usual jewels and wore only a plain palace dress.

His hands were clasped together in front of his knees, his fingernails already dug into his palms.

The Empress Dowager stopped what she was doing.

On the table lay a tattered old genealogy book, its edges charred black, with most of the page for the eldest branch of the Gu Clan missing.

Whether the emperor can survive this ordeal is anyone's guess.

The Empress Dowager finally spoke, her voice terribly hoarse.

"These days, I haven't been able to sleep well."

"Close your eyes, and you'll Black Tortoise Gate from over twenty years ago."

Noble Consort Chen lowered her head and did not respond.

" Chengshi personally took the gun and pierced Chengqian's chest."

The Empress Dowager stared at the old score, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

He wouldn't even allow the Imperial Clan Court to collect the body.

" Chengqian was thrown into a mass grave outside the city, doused with kerosene, so that Gu Chengshi wouldn't even be able to keep his ashes."

Noble Consort Chen's shoulders tensed slightly.

The Empress Dowager gripped the prayer beads, her knuckles turning white.

But he miscalculated one thing.

Heaven didn't let him go too far.

" Chengqian was still breathing when he was thrown into the mass grave."

"An old, renowned doctor who had been dismissed from his post and returned to his hometown happened to be collecting herbs outside the city and saved him."

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and paused for a moment.

"The mass grave was piled high with corpses, burned by kerosene, making it impossible to recognize their faces."

The Emperor's men Chengqian had already turned to ashes and did not investigate further.

"Three century-old ginseng roots, and a few doses of potent medicine."

"The old doctor pulled Chengqian back from the brink of death, and then, under cover of night, hid him in a medicine cart and took him deep into the mountains."

"His life was saved, but his health was ruined."

"His sternum was shattered, and his lungs and internal organs were damaged. He could only hide in the deep mountains and rely on medicine to stay alive."

"After enduring that for a year, she was still able to give birth."

The wick of the ever-burning lamp burst open gently.

Noble Consort Chen's fingers curled even tighter, and blood seeped between them.

The Empress Dowager opened her eyes again, her gaze fixed on her.

"Even now, I find it absurd that Chengqian actually reunited with Liu Sushang, Liu Huaijin's younger sister, who was traveling around in the deep mountains."

The two married, Liu Sushang became pregnant.

But Chengqian's injuries eventually couldn't hold out.

After his death, Liu Sushang returned to the capital with her unborn child and disguised herself to enter the Liu family mansion.