Chapter 43: Lady Jing

Jiguang Pavilion.

Li Muxian, having nothing to do during the day, leaned against the railing of the corridor, gazing at the scenery below in the courtyard while attempting to devise a martial art similar to “Life-Death Talisman.”

Although creating his own martial art was no great challenge, crafting one from nothing still required considerable thought.

At this moment, Li Yuanling, who had been beside him, stared at him for a long while before speaking:

“Be careful—this Jiguang Pavilion may seem as tightly guarded as an iron barrel, but in truth, it hides many spies.”

Li Muxian turned to look at her, then suddenly asked:

“If I reported you to the Deputy Commander of the Tianjin Guard, would they immediately expel you?”

At this, Li Yuanling’s face darkened; she furrowed her faint eyebrows and said:

“Don’t talk like that. I truly want to stay and protect you. You don’t know how much Lady Gan missed you—her spirit would never wish to see you come to harm.”

As soon as she spoke, Li Yuanling realized she had said something wrong and immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

Li Muxian’s expression changed slightly; he asked:

“What do you mean by that?”

I remember that before the fake imperial prince incident, wasn't the late Lady Jing accompanied in the imperial prison by the Seventh Prince?

Li Yuanling blinked her eyes, then waved her hands frantically:

“You misunderstood—I meant… I meant…”

Seeing her stammer and fail to find an excuse, Li Muxian shook his head:

“If you don’t want to say, don’t. I won’t force you.”

Then he turned back, gazing blankly at the distant lotus pond, continuing to ponder the key to crafting the Life-Death Talisman martial art.

Seeing this, Li Yuanling exhaled slightly in relief.

Yet, upon noticing that Li Muxian seemed utterly unconcerned, a deep sorrow stirred in her eyes.

After a long while, Li Yuanling spoke softly:

“Lady Gan knew long ago that Li Zhi was not her biological son, but she never revealed this—she told only me.”

As she spoke, her gaze softened as she fixed it on Li Muxian:

“On the day before she passed, she lay in bed for the entire day without uttering a word. But I knew—she wanted to see you one last time before she died. Yet… she never got her wish.”

At this, Li Muxian turned to look at Li Yuanling, her eyes red with tears, and fell silent for a moment.

Then he sighed lightly and said:

“So you’re the one who exposed the fake prince?”

Hearing this, Li Yuanling shook her head:

“Lady Gan forbade me to do so. She only wanted you to live peacefully as an ordinary person—that’s why she never sought you out.”

“I didn’t understand it, but I never defied her final wish. So I had nothing to do with this.”

Li Muxian frowned slightly:

“Then who was responsible?”

“I don’t know. The case from twenty years ago is still under investigation, and no conclusion has been reached. But I suspect it was one of Li Zhi’s enemies.”

Li Yuanling voiced her guess, though she had no involvement in the matter and knew very little.

Li Muxian gave it only a brief thought, then asked no further.

At this moment, Li Yuanling spoke firmly in a low voice:

“Don’t dwell on the past. Now that you’ve returned to the capital, I will fulfill Lady Gan’s final wish—I will ensure you live safely.”

Then her expression turned serious as she continued:

“Lady Gan lived in seclusion, rarely appearing in public, but someone in the palace must have seen her. So once you appeared in this Jiguang Pavilion, someone—like me—must have recognized your true identity.”

“Remember, everyone here either dreams of becoming the Seventh Prince or believes themselves to be him. Their behind-the-scenes factions are extremely complex. Someone may well take desperate action against you.”

As she spoke, Li Yuanling paused, then noticed Li Muxian once again staring blankly at the pond below. Frustrated, she wiped away the lingering tears at her eyes and whispered sharply:

“Are you even listening to me?”

Li Muxian glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said:

“Of course I’m listening. But don’t worry yourself—go back and be the princess you’re meant to be.”

At that moment, two figures suddenly descended from the sky, appearing behind Li Yuanling in the blink of an eye.

One wore a dragon-fish robe, tall and imposing, with streaks of white in his temples, his face rugged and strong, radiating brute strength.

The other had a pale, beardless face, dressed in a crisp, immaculate vermilion eunuch robe, his black hair neatly combed and hanging straight to his shoulders.

His fingers were slender and long; when slightly raised, they unconsciously curled into a orchid-finger gesture.

“Your Highness, this is no place for you. Please accompany this servant back to your mansion.”

Sun Changyu, Chief of the Direct Palace Supervision, bowed deeply; beside him, Deputy Commander Song Shanyue did the same.

At this, Li Yuanling glared at Li Muxian in furious shock:

“You really reported me?”

Li Muxian turned and smiled:

“Did you think I was joking?”

That morning, he had informed Xiao Anzi of Li Yuanling’s disguise as a man—though the Tianjin Guard likely needed higher approval, hence their delayed response.

“Ah… ah…”

Li Yuanling was now clearly furious; she spun around and shouted at Sun Changyu and Song Shanyue:

“Get out of my way! I’m staying right here—I’m going nowhere!”

Hearing this, the senior eunuch Sun Changyu shook his head gently:

“If Your Highness insists, then forgive this servant for being disrespectful.”

“You dare touch me?”

Li Yuanling’s face darkened, but the next moment, she shook her head violently, feeling dizzy, then slowly collapsed toward the ground.

Seeing this, Sun Changyu swiftly caught her and called out behind him:

“Someone—escort Princess Huarong back to her mansion.”

Instantly, several young eunuchs carried a small palanquin up the stairs, took Li Yuanling from Sun Changyu’s arms, and hurried away with her.

Now, only Sun Changyu, Song Shanyue, and Li Muxian remained on the corridor.

After a while, Li Muxian glanced at the two and asked:

“Do you have something else?”

Hearing this, Sun Changyu and Song Shanyue exchanged a look, both sensing something unusual.

Earlier, they had used a powder called “Yin Xiang Yan” to induce sleep in Li Yuanling.

This substance caused no harm, but rendered anyone instantly unconscious—even a martial master could not resist it; only a Grand Master could withstand it with overwhelming Qi.

Yet Li Muxian had inhaled Yin Xiang Yan—and had shown no effect whatsoever.

(End of Chapter)