Chapter 209: Skeletons

Chapter 209: Skeletons

Rou An met Lu Yan's gaze squarely. "Your Highness must be curious how I came to know about this, am I right?"

Lu Yan rose slowly and descended the steps, approaching Rou An. He thought to himself that the late emperor had a dull son but a perceptive daughter. Lowering his eyes to look at the woman's dark head, he spoke in a low voice:

"You know too much. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

In his previous life, there was no such variable as Rou An, which made it difficult for Lu Yan to deduce how a princess who rarely ventured outside could have learned about his impersonator and the poison in his body.

Rou An’s intelligence lay in her ability to see the situation clearly without resorting to deceit. She laid all her cards on the table and said, "The military token was given to me by Deputy Director Qin Yan. The method to neutralize the poison was also extracted from Wu Mei by him. All I ask is that Your Highness and the Regent spare our lives."

A hint of surprise flashed across Lu Yan's eyes. "The two of you?"

A princess? A eunuch? When did these two form an alliance?

Rou An bowed deeply. "Please grant us your mercy!"

If the information she provided was true, letting them go wouldn’t matter much since Lu Yan never intended to kill Zhao Fu. The key issue now was...

"How can you be sure Qin Yan isn't lying to you?"

Rou An's gaze remained steady, even showing a maturity beyond her years. "I heard this poison recurs monthly. Without the antidote, one would die within half a year from spitting blood. Even if Your Highness sought out the best doctors, they could only extend your life for a year or two. Why not take a bold chance?"

Lu Yan spoke with a hidden meaning. "It seems Qin Yan has indeed told you a lot. Tell me, what is the cure for this poison?"

Rou An took a deep breath. "There are two ways to prolong life with this poison. One is to take the antidote monthly. The antidote Your Highness previously took was made by Qin Yan, and he knows the formula by heart. However..."

Lu Yan smiled slightly, finishing her sentence. "However, this medicine only treats the symptoms, extending life for no more than five years before becoming ineffective, correct?"

Rou An looked at Lu Yan in surprise, realizing he knew this detail. She inwardly felt relieved that she hadn’t tried to deceive him. "Your Highness is right. That leaves the second method: breaking the curse!"

Lu Yan showed interest. "How do you break it?"

Rou An hesitated for a moment. "Use a blade to cut open Zhao Kang's chest, extract the mother worm from his lungs, and use it to lure out the offspring worm from your body."

Lu Yan asked without revealing his emotions. "How do you lure it out? By cutting open my chest like Zhao Kang?"

Rou An shook her head. "Zhao Kang was destined to die young, so the late emperor had a Western monk plant the curse in him to extend his life. It has been over twenty years, and the worm has deeply penetrated his organs, necessitating surgery."

"Since you've only had the curse for seven years, a small incision in your chest near the wound, combined with the jingle bell from Wu Mei's room, should suffice to draw out the offspring worm."

This was an extremely dangerous method because Zhao Kang’s death would instantly lead to Lu Yan’s demise.

If this method were false, Zhao Kang would be cut open, and Lu Yan would follow him to the afterlife shortly after.

If it were true, how could Zhao Kang survive long enough for Lu Yan to remove the offspring worm? Truly, it was a difficult dilemma!

Lu Yan quickly analyzed the risks and benefits, his expression unreadable. "Sister, this method might be worse than not offering any solution at all. It puts Your Highness in a difficult position."

Rou An knew this method was challenging, biting her lip lightly. "But Wu Mei told Qin Yan this, and they are like father and son. They wouldn’t lie. The jingle bell is hidden in Wu Mei's room. If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, you can send someone to search..."

"I will consider it carefully. Return to the palace and don’t leave unless necessary."

Lu Yan wouldn’t easily try this method, but since Rou An offered the military token without knowing it was fake, he felt obligated to show leniency.

Rou An hesitated. "What about my request..."

Lu Yan looked at her, his eyes as warm as when they first met, and his voice as soothing as a summer breeze. Smiling, he asked, "Have I ever said I wanted to kill you?"

He wouldn’t kill a lonely woman in this life, just as he didn’t in his previous life.

However, Qin Yan’s fate needed to be discussed with Huo Lang, ensuring he showed mercy.

"Qin Yan has been with Wu Mei since childhood, and he is cunning and meticulous. How could he easily hand over the military token and reveal the antidote method? There must be something sinister behind it."

Huo Lang, naturally suspicious, frowned deeply upon hearing the antidote method came from Qin Yan. "You didn’t know, but Wu Mei died in prison last night, likely due to Qin Yan’s actions."

In the Imperial Garden, they sat facing each other. Lu Yan calmly brewed a pot of tea and said, "No matter. Keeping him alive serves no purpose. Even if Qin Yan didn’t kill him, Wu Mei would have found a way to end his own life. After reviewing ancient medical texts, I found his method plausible, though risky."

Huo Lang sipped his tea, his tone solemn. "Their lives can be spared for now, but I won’t agree to this method unless we have no other choice."

Lu Yan calculated. "Suppressing the poison with medicine can extend life for five years, but Zhao Kang might not live that long. His body is already weakened, and recent events have taken a toll. He might only have two years left."

Huo Lang slammed down his teacup, angry. "Who knows if they fabricated this? My subordinates are capable; surely they can find a way to cure you. Do you trust them or me?!"

Lu Yan, intending to praise Huo Lang for being more composed, realized he still had a childish streak, always wanting to compete. Smiling, he held Huo Lang’s hand and kissed it gently, a simple gesture filled with allure. "Of course, I trust Your Highness."

Huo Lang’s anger dissipated. His gaze darkened as he lightly touched Lu Yan’s lips with his thumb, the rough callus rubbing against smooth skin, causing a shiver. He spoke with hidden meaning:

"Your Majesty must always trust me."

On the other side, Mo Heng, following Huo Lang’s orders, entered the Imperial Garden and saw this intimate scene. His face twitched, and he turned to leave, but a deep male voice stopped him:

"Since you’re here, sit down. I have something to discuss."

Well, there was no escaping now.

Mo Heng sighed inwardly and approached to pay his respects. "This humble Taoist Mo Heng greets Your Majesty and Your Highness."

It was Lu Yan’s first proper meeting with Mo Heng. He noticed the man wore black robes, with black hair and beard, and his lips and nails had an eerie purplish-black hue. Though he seemed untrustworthy, Lu Yan felt a strange familiarity and glanced at him more closely. "Taoist, please rise."

Huo Lang observed their interaction, sipping his tea with a frown, lost in thought. "Taoist, you are skilled in divination and possess great wisdom. Do you have any knowledge of medicine? Your Majesty is suffering from a strange poison. Any advice would be appreciated."

Mo Heng humbly replied, "I’ve heard Your Highness mention this before and have privately calculated. This poison is a destiny-related calamity for Your Majesty, beyond human intervention. If you survive, it will be a turning point. If not..."

Mo Heng chuckled awkwardly, trailing off.

Lu Yan gently restrained the grim-faced Huo Lang and asked with a smile, "Beyond human intervention? Does that mean you know the cure?"

Mo Heng stammered.

Huolang’s voice was icy cold: "Speak!"

Mo Heng pretended to chant a Daoist incantation: "Your Highness, forgive me. The heavenly secrets must not be revealed."

Huolang stood up directly, his expression grim: "Are you mocking this prince?!"

This cunning Daoist usually provided one strategy after another, each with remarkable effects. Why was he useless at such a critical moment? Huolang was already anxious about the strange poison in Lu Yan's body, how could he tolerate Mo Heng making light of it!

Mo Heng thought to himself, "I learned 'Thirty-six Strategies of Love,' not 'Thirty-six Solutions for Strange Poisons.' Isn't Huolang making things difficult for me?"

"Your humble servant deserves death. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

Just as Huolang was about to speak, Lu Yan pulled him back and smiled slightly: "Your Highness, I find Daoist Mo Heng particularly kind-hearted, perhaps an old acquaintance. Perhaps we met somewhere before. For my sake, please overlook his rudeness."

Huolang's face darkened: "But your poison..."

Lu Yan comforted him: "There is always a way out."

Lu Yan showed no reaction to the antidote methods but found this cunning Daoist intriguing. He warmly invited Mo Heng to have tea with them, asking about his background and where he practiced, showing great interest.

"Where does Daoist practice?"

"In... space station... Ah, no, Space Mountain."

"What a peculiar name. It seems I am quite ignorant. Why are Daoist's lips and nails black? Could it be that you are also poisoned like me?"

"Born this way, born this way. Your humble servant was born black."

"It seems we have a great connection. Where did we meet before?"

"Your Majesty jests. You live deep within the palace, while your humble servant wanders the mountains. How could we have met? If we did, perhaps it was a past life connection?"

Feeling the sharp gaze from Huolang, Mo Heng felt like he was being killed by his eyes. Seeing Huolang’s cold smirk, he quickly corrected himself: "Of course, nothing compares to the seven-life-long bond between Your Majesty and Your Highness."

Only then did Huolang look satisfied and turn away.

Hearing this, Lu Yan didn’t take it seriously, thinking Mo Heng was just flattering him. He smiled: "Daoist, don't be nervous. I was just curious. Tomorrow, during the grand assembly, I intend to give you an official position. Are you interested?"

Since Huolang brought his troops into the palace, Lu Yan had not attended court for a whole month. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he was waiting for the right opportunity. Tomorrow seemed about right.

Thinking that being an official was something worth taking, Mo Heng smiled broadly and thanked him: "Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty!"

Huolang glanced at Mo Heng's fair face, thinking that this cunning Daoist looked peculiar but had some charm. He couldn't let him linger around Lu Yan: "Daoist, if there's nothing else, please leave. This prince has important matters to discuss with the emperor."

Mo Heng immediately took his cue and left cheerfully.

Seeing this, Huolang frowned: "Are you really going to attend court tomorrow?"

Lu Yan fiddled with the chess pieces on the stone table: "I sent Gongsun Mo to Ruzhou to fetch something. He returned to the capital last night. Tomorrow is a good time to attend court."

Huolang's heart skipped a beat, feeling an inexplicable unease: "What thing?"

Lu Yan remained silent, placing a black piece on the board with a light clink—

"Just the remains of over a thousand people."

His voice was light, like ashes after a raging fire, dispersing with the wind.