"Even if you're not hungry, you must eat something! If you damage your health, how will you save Lord Lou?" As he spoke, Bai Yi picked up a bowl of rice, scooped up a portion of vegetables, and pressed them into Zhuo Qing's hands. "Eat, eat!"
Zhuo Qing, holding the bowl, shook her head helplessly, no longer refusing. She lowered her head and began eating, while Bai Yi smiled with satisfaction. "Now, that's more like it."
They had barely taken a few bites when a servant stood at the courtyard door, calling out loudly, "Madam, Miss Qing has arrived."
Gu Yun! Zhuo Qing put down her bowl and hurriedly said, "Quick, invite her in!" The servant bowed and left. Soon, a brisk figure rushed into the Lan Yue building.
Bai Yi could sense Zhuo Qing's eager anticipation toward the visitor, as if this person could bring her strength and hope. Despite still holding the rice bowl, his eyes discreetly followed the figure that was steadily moving away. It was her sister, Qing Mo, whom he had met a few times. This woman's eyes were sharp, and he would need to be cautious around her.
Gu Yun walked quickly to the stone bench beside Zhuo Qing and sat down with a thud. Zhuo Qing, originally about to ask her something, hesitated when she saw her sister, her clothes soiled with mud and dried leaves, and her hair a mess. She asked, "What happened to you?"
Before Zhuo Qing could finish, Gu Yun exploded in anger, "Last night, I was searching for materials at the General's residence when Suo Ling found me. He tried to lock me up!"
She escaped from the General's residence? No wonder.
Bai Yi's expression shifted slightly. Suo Ling tried to imprison her, and yet she managed to escape the General's estate. Pretending to stifle a laugh, Bai Yi teased, "Did you dig a tunnel to get out?"
Gu Yun shot him a glance, then frowned and looked at Zhuo Qing, asking, "Why is he still here? Isn't he Prince Liao Yue?"
Shouldn't he be avoiding suspicion in a situation like this?
Before Zhuo Qing could speak, Bai Yi glared at Gu Yun and growled, "Why can't I be here?"
Zhuo Qing gently patted Bai Yi on the shoulder and said, "Bai Yi, you go to the flower hall for breakfast. Qing Mo and I have something to discuss."
"Fine, I'm almost done anyway." He shot Gu Yun one last childish glare before getting up to leave. His back appeared petulant, yet the cold glint in his bright eyes was enough to make anyone shiver.
Zhuo Qing felt uncomfortable seeing Gu Yun in such a disheveled state. She pulled at her sleeve and sighed, "Come with me, I'll find you something to wear."
"Mm."
She didn't want to wander around the streets like this. The two of them crossed the winding bridge and entered Zha Xing Pavilion. Zhuo Qing rummaged through the wardrobe and threw a relatively shorter dress to Gu Yun, then retreated into the inner room, leaning against the screen and slowly closing her tired eyes. In a soft voice, Zhuo Qing asked, "Have you found any leads?"
The sound of clothes rustling came from the room, and Gu Yun's clear voice soon followed, "Not yet. I didn't want you to worry, so I came here first. Later, I'll go to the Ministry of Justice. I'll try to meet with those two rogue leaders; I should be able to extract some information."
"Mm."
With her current status, it seemed unlikely that she would have a chance to meet those two rogue leaders, but if Gu Yun managed to, she might uncover something.
Gu Yun, while tying her hair into a ponytail, walked out of the inner room and saw Zhuo Qing leaning against the screen, her eyes slightly closed, looking weary. The shadows cast by the screen highlighted the dark circles under her eyes and pale lips, making her appear rather haggard.
Gently embracing her frail shoulder, Gu Yun voiced her concern, "Qing, your complexion looks awful."
Zhuo Qing leaned against Gu Yun's slender yet warm shoulder and smiled faintly, "I'm fine."
It's a miracle if she's fine! Gu Yun slapped her shoulder with a mock lightness and said, "Enough, don't worry so much. Be careful, or when Lou Xiyan comes back and sees you like this, he might call off the engagement!"
Zhuo Qing smiled faintly. Yun's attempts to comfort were still as clumsy as ever! But somehow, the uncertainty that had plagued her heart throughout the night seemed to have settled somewhat.
Suddenly, Zhuo Qing remembered something. She exclaimed, "Oh, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
Zhuo Qing bent down slightly and whispered in Gu Yun's ear. Gu Yun's expression, which had been calm at first, grew increasingly serious.
"Madam!"
The anxious voice of Jing Sha from outside the door startled the two women. They exchanged a glance, both sensing an ominous premonition. Zhuo Qing took a deep breath and asked, "What happened?"
"The master suddenly suffered a relapse of his old illness this morning at the Ministry of Justice prison. The imperial doctor has already examined him, but his condition is still unknown!" Jing Sha's voice sounded urgent, and Zhuo Qing's face turned pale. She rushed to the door and called out, "Quick! Prepare the carriage, we're going to the Ministry of Justice prison!"
Jing Sha quickly replied, "It's already prepared."
"Good! Let's go now."
Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun hurried after Jing Sha towards the door of the mansion. Sure enough, a pure black carriage was already waiting outside, with a fine steed tethered beside it. Zhuo Qing climbed into the carriage, and after a moment's hesitation, Gu Yun walked toward the horse and mounted it.
As she steered the horse toward the carriage window, Gu Yun softly said, "You go to see Lou Xiyan. I'll go find Shan Yulan."
"Alright."
Zhuo Qing nodded. Just as Gu Yun was about to ride away, Zhuo Qing suddenly grabbed her sleeve and whispered, "About what I told you earlier..."
Gu Yun stopped her with a look, briefly saying, "I already know. We'll be in touch!"
"Mm!"
Zhuo Qing let go of her sleeve, lowered the curtain, and addressed Jing Sha outside, "Let's go."
The carriage rushed toward the Ministry of Justice prison but was blocked at the entrance. Zhuo Qing got off the carriage and walked with Jing Sha toward the prison guards. Zhuo Qing nodded to Jing Sha.
Jing Sha stepped forward, placing two gold ingots into the hands of the guards and whispering, "My lady just wants to see Lord Lou. Please, do us this favor."
The gold ingots in their hands were worth more than their yearly salaries combined! The guards exchanged a glance and then looked at the calm woman standing beside them. Ultimately, they didn't dare accept, pushing the gold back with difficulty. One of them said, "Lord Lou is now a major criminal. Without a Ministry of Justice medallion or a command from the General's residence, we cannot allow anyone inside. We hope you understand, Madam."
Zhuo Qing's heart sank. Indeed, it's this hard to see him even for a moment now?
"By order of the authorities, she may enter."
A clear voice came from behind them. Zhuo Qing turned to see Lü Jin standing there, holding a Ministry of Justice medallion in his hand.
"Lü Daren."
The guards, upon seeing Lü Jin and the medallion, hurriedly stepped aside, showing respect.
Lü Jin gave a slight bow and, in a voice so low only Zhuo Qing could hear, said, "Go ahead, but hurry and come out."
Zhuo Qing stiffened. Couldn't this medallion have come from Shan Yulan? She raised her gaze, and saw the usually composed Lü Jin wink at her. Realization dawned, and she nodded slightly, her voice full of gratitude: "Thank you, Lü Jin."
Zhuo Qing finally entered the Ministry of Justice prison, but unlike the previous times, the guards led her to a different section. The security here was clearly stricter, with guards stationed every few steps. The cells were slightly brighter, but still contained nothing more than stone slab beds.
The guard stopped in front of the last cell, saying, "Madam, Lord Lou is inside."
Zhuo Qing's heart raced, her breath quickened with worry. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door.
Inside, the cell was larger than the others she had seen, but still had only a small window for ventilation, making the room stuffy and dim. On the stone bed, a slender figure lay with his back to her, covered with a thin blanket.
It was Lou Xiyan! Hadn't they said his old illness had relapsed? Why had they left him here on the straw without a more ventilated room? Where was the imperial doctor?
Zhuo Qing hurried to his side, but her steps betrayed her. She trembled as she finally sat beside him, afraid to touch him. She whispered anxiously, "Xiyan, Xiyan, how are you?"
There was no response from the figure lying in bed. Her worry surged. She immediately reached for his wrist, checking his pulse. After a long breath of relief, she realized that despite the coldness of his
skin, his pulse remained steady. It wasn't as bad as she had feared, but it was still concerning.
"Why wasn't he properly cared for?" she muttered under her breath. She quickly stood up and approached the guard outside, speaking in a low tone, "Where is the imperial doctor?"
"Already on the way."
Zhuo Qing nodded stiffly and returned to Lou Xiyan's side, her eyes still troubled. Would the doctor be able to help him recover quickly, or would things get worse?