Chapter 99: Opportunity (2)

"Even if you're not hungry, you have to eat a little! If you ruin your own body, how can you save the Prime Minister!" While saying this, Bai Yi picked up a rice bowl and clamped a pile of dishes, stuffing them into Zhuo Qing's hand: "Eat, eat!"

Zhuo Qing held the bowl, shook her head helplessly, and no longer pushed it away, lowering her head to eat. Bai Yi smiled with satisfaction: "That's more like it."

The two had only eaten a few mouthfuls when a servant stood outside the courtyard gate and shouted loudly: "Madam, Miss Qing is here."

Gu Yun! Zhuo Qing put down the bowl in her hand and hurriedly said: "Please invite her in."

The servant bowed and left. Before long, a hurried figure walked into the courtyard of Lanyue Lou.

Bai Yi could feel Zhuo Qing's anticipation for the visitor, as if this person could bring her strength and hope. He continued to eat as usual, but his eyes secretly swept over the figure walking further and further away.

It was her sister Qing Mo. He had seen her a few times. This woman's eyes were very sharp, and he had to be careful.

Gu Yun walked to the stone stool beside Zhuo Qing and sat down with a thud. Zhuo Qing originally intended to ask about her, but seeing her clothes covered in mud and withered leaves, and her messy long hair, she asked hesitantly: "This is..."

Before Zhuo Qing could finish speaking, Gu Yun had already cursed angrily: "Last night I was looking for information in the General's Mansion and was discovered by Su Ling. He actually wanted to place me under house arrest!"

She escaped from the General's Mansion? No wonder.

Bai Yi's face changed slightly. Su Ling wanted to place her under house arrest, and she was actually able to escape from the General's Mansion! Pretending to cover his mouth and laugh loudly, Bai Yi teased: "Did you dig a tunnel out?"

Gu Yun glanced at him and frowned at Zhuo Qing, asking: "Why is he still here?" Wasn't this kid the prince of Liaoyue? At a time like this, shouldn't he be avoiding suspicion?

Before Zhuo Qing could speak, Bai Yi had already glared at Gu Yun and roared: "Why can't I be here?"

Zhuo Qing patted Bai Yi's shoulder and said: "Bai Yi, go eat breakfast in the flower hall yourself, I have something to say to Qing Mo."

"Fine, I've eaten enough anyway." Glaring at Gu Yun again like a child, Bai Yi got up and left. His back looked like just a sulking child, but the sinister look that flashed in his bright eyes at this moment was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Gu Yun looked at his messy appearance and felt uncomfortable. Pulling her sleeve, Zhuo Qing sighed: "Follow me, I'll find you some clothes to change into."

"Mm." She didn't want to wander the streets looking like this either.

The two crossed the Nine-Turn Bridge and walked into Zhaixing Pavilion. Zhuo Qing found a relatively short dress in the wardrobe and threw it to Gu Yun. Retreating to the inner room, leaning against the screen, and slowly closing her tired eyes, Zhuo Qing asked in a low voice: "Did you find any clues?"

The sound of clothes rubbing came from inside, and Gu Yun's clear words followed: "Not yet. I was afraid you would worry, so I came to find you first. Later, I will go to the Ministry of Justice and try to see the two rebel leaders. I should be able to ask something."

"Mm." With her current status, I'm afraid she had no chance to see the two rebel leaders. If Gu Yun could see them, she would definitely find something.

Gu Yun was tying her ponytail while walking out of the inner room, and saw Zhuo Qing leaning against the screen, her eyes slightly closed, looking sleepy. Under the shadow of the screen, the heavy dark circles and pale lips made her look very haggard.

Hugging her thin shoulders, Gu Yun said worriedly: "Qing, your complexion is very poor."

Zhuo Qing leaned against Gu Yun's equally thin but very warm shoulder and smiled faintly: "I'm fine."

Fine, my foot! Patting her shoulder forcefully, Gu Yun smiled feignedly: "Alright, don't worry too much, be careful that Lou Xiyan will regret the marriage when he sees you like this!"

Zhuo Qing smiled. Yun's way of comforting people was still as clumsy! However, her heart, which had been wavering all night, seemed to have returned to its place. Suddenly thinking of something, Zhuo Qing suddenly said: "By the way, there is one more thing."

"What?"

Thinking for a while, Zhuo Qing leaned slightly and whispered something in Gu Yun's ear. Gu Yun's face also changed from calm to increasingly solemn.

"Madam!" Outside the door, Jing Sa's voice, which clearly revealed anxiety, startled the two women who were talking in low voices.

The two looked at each other, both having a bad premonition in their hearts. Zhuo Qing took a deep breath and asked: "What happened?"

"Master suddenly had a recurrence of his old illness in the Ministry of Justice prison this morning. The Imperial Physician has already seen him, and his current situation is unknown!" Jing Sa's deep voice sounded urgently. Zhuo Qing's face changed drastically. She rushed to the door, opened it, and immediately shouted: "Quick! Prepare the carriage, go to the Ministry of Justice prison!"

Jing Sa immediately replied: "It's already prepared."

"Good! Let's go now." Zhuo Qing and Gu Yun followed behind Jing Sa and walked toward the outside of the Prime Minister's mansion in a hurry.

In front of the Prime Minister's mansion, a pure black carriage was indeed parked, and a horse was tied beside it. Zhuo Qing had already boarded the carriage. Gu Yun hesitated for a while, but walked toward the horse and sat on it.

Riding the horse to the carriage window, Gu Yun whispered: "You go see Lou Xiyan, I'll go find Dan Yulan."

"Okay." Zhuo Qing nodded. Gu Yun was about to ride away, but Zhuo Qing suddenly grabbed her sleeve and whispered: "The thing I just told you..."

Gu Yun stopped her from saying what she wanted to say with her eyes, only saying roughly: "I already know, let's stay in touch!"

"Mm!" Zhuo Qing understood and let go of her sleeve, lowered the window curtain, and said to Jing Sa outside: "Let's go."

The carriage headed straight for the Ministry of Justice prison, but its path was blocked at the prison gate.

Zhuo Qing got off the carriage and walked toward the guarding yamen runners with Jing Sa. Zhuo Qing nodded at Jing Sa.

Jing Sa stepped forward, gently put two gold ingots into the hands of the two yamen runners, and whispered: "My Madam just wants to go in and see the Prime Minister, please accommodate us."

The heavy gold ingots in their hands were more than their annual salary! The two looked at each other, then looked at the plain-clothed woman standing quietly on the side, and finally didn't dare to accept them, pushing the gold ingots back at the same time, saying with difficulty: "The Prime Minister is now a serious criminal. Without the Ministry of Justice waist token or the General's Mansion order, this little one doesn't dare to let anyone in, so I hope Madam will forgive me."

Zhuo Qing was worried. Sure enough, was it so difficult to see him now?

"The Lord has an order, let her in." The clear voice came from behind them. Zhuo Qing turned back and saw Lv Jin standing behind her, holding a Ministry of Justice waist token in his hand.

"Lord Lu." The yamen runners saw the person and the waist token in his hand, and hurriedly retreated respectfully to the side.

Lv Jin bowed slightly and said in a very low voice in Zhuo Qing's ear: "Go in, but come out quickly."

Zhuo Qing's spine stiffened. Could it be that this waist token wasn't given by Dan Yulan? Looking up, Lv Jin, who was always steady and rigorous, actually winked at her. Immediately understanding, Zhuo Qing nodded slightly and thanked him: "Thank you, Lv Jin."

Zhuo Qing finally entered the Ministry of Justice prison, but unlike the prison she entered the first two times, the guards here were clearly more heavily guarded, almost one post every three steps and one sentry every five steps. However, the cell was more spacious and bright, and the environment was just a little better.

Walking to the innermost room, the yamen runner finally stopped and said: "Madam, the Prime Minister is inside."

The worry and anxiety of the night made Zhuo Qing's heartbeat suddenly become a bit fast. Taking a deep breath, Zhuo Qing stepped into the cell door.

The cell was larger than what she had just seen, but there was still only one small window for ventilation, so the light was not good, and the cell was a bit stuffy.

On the stone bed, covered with thick straw, a thin figure was lying on his side with his back to her, covered with a thin quilt.

Was it Xiyan? Didn't they say his old illness recurred? Why did they still let him sleep on the straw, why didn't they give him a more ventilated room, and where was the Imperial Physician? Where was the Imperial Physician?!

Zhuo Qing wanted to walk quickly to his side, but her feet were trembling involuntarily. After finally sitting down on the edge of the bed, Zhuo Qing didn't dare to touch him, only whispering anxiously: "Xiyan, Xiyan, how are you?"

Calling a few times, the person on the bed didn't react. Zhuo Qing was anxious, immediately reached out, grabbed his wrist, and felt his pulse.

She let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, although she wasn't a student of traditional Chinese medicine, she could feel that the pulse was still steady and strong.

Slowly laying Lou Xiyan's body flat, Zhuo Qing held his hand tightly and whispered: "Xiyan, you can hear me, right?"

On Lou Xiyan's body, he was still wearing yesterday's wedding dress. The stunning red set off his complexion even more pale, and his hands were colder than usual.

That red, which represented joy and happiness, deeply stung Zhuo Qing's eyes. Tears flowed out involuntarily, splashing onto his cold fingers drop by drop along her cheeks.

Lou Xiyan's hand suddenly moved, and his eyelids trembled as he slowly opened them. Zhuo Qing grabbed his hand tightly in excitement and called out: "Xiyan! You're awake!"

"Qing'er." After a long time, Lou Xiyan seemed to see the person in front of him clearly. His hand slowly reached toward Zhuo Qing's cheek, and his cool thumb gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. His hoarse voice sounded as gentle as usual: "Who, bullied you?"

The hoarse voice was so low that it was almost impossible to hear what he was saying. Zhuo Qing's tears, however, burst out again. Was the first thing he said when he woke up to tease her into crying? Forcibly wiping away the tears on her face, Zhuo Qing choked but retorted stubbornly: "I, I'm fine!"

Holding the hand she was using to wipe her tears, he shook his head with a smile, and Lou Xiyan sighed low: "With dark circles under your eyes like this, and you still say you're fine? You won't take care of yourself when I'm not by your side?" It had only been one night, how could she have tortured herself into this state!

"I..." Zhuo Qing was speechless. She knew what she looked like now, and she had no way to refute.

The two hands were tightly clasped together. She knew Xiyan was worried about her, and she was equally worried about him. Zhuo Qing asked anxiously: "Where are you uncomfortable? Is your asthma acting up again?"

Shaking his head lightly, Lou Xiyan replied in a low voice: "I'm fine, they are just making a fuss."

Before the words fell, Lou Xiyan suddenly coughed. After a while, his face turned from pale to flushed, and his breathing was clearly stifled.

"Xiyan!" Zhuo Qing hurriedly helped him sit up straight, helping him smooth his breath while letting him breathe evenly with her. Xiyan's hand was tightly gripping her arm, his fingers almost sinking into her flesh. The rough panting sound was heavier than the last, and Zhuo

After a long period of regulating his breathing, Lou Xiyan slowly regained his strength. Sunlight shone in through the small window, and dust motes swirled densely within the beam of light. This poorly ventilated cell felt stifling even for her to enter, let alone for a patient like Xiyan. And they even made him sleep on straw!

Xiyan's rapid breathing continued to sound in her ears, and the dust in the room was still dancing wildly before her eyes. The string in Zhuo Qing's heart snapped suddenly at this moment! Grasping Lou Xiyan's cold hand, Zhuo Qing said with sudden agitation, "Xiyan, I will not let you stay in a place like this any longer! I will definitely save you and get you out! I definitely will!"

"Qing'er?" Lou Xiyan was slightly startled. What has happened to Qing? She has always been calm; why is she so uncharacteristic today? Feeling a bit uneasy, Lou Xiyan whispered, "What are you going to do? Don't do anything foolish."

"As long as I can save you, anything is worth it!"

At this moment, in her determined eyes shone the persistence and tenacity he usually admired most. But at this moment, her persistence gave him a feeling of panic. Gripping her thin shoulders tightly, Lou Xiyan also became a bit anxious: "Qing, what is wrong with you? This matter has far-reaching implications. Before there is a final conclusion, you must not act rashly, otherwise, you will only implicate more innocent people."

Letting him grasp her shoulders, she could feel his worry from the strength of his grip, but she knew very clearly what she had to do!

"Xiyan, I am your wife; I cannot watch you suffer! In this world, no one can save everyone. I am just a woman, after all. As long as I can save you, the one I care about and cherish, that is a blessing! I no longer have the capacity to pity those innocent people!"

"Qing'er?" There was no madness or confusion in Zhuo Qing's cold, clear eyes; she was very lucid at this moment. But Lou Xiyan was puzzled. What had happened to his Qing'er? Why did she suddenly say such resolute and ruthless words?

Zhuo Qing did not explain; she just squeezed his large hand again, smiled slightly, and said calmly, "Rest well, I am leaving now."

Having said this, Zhuo Qing slowly stood up and walked out of the prison.

Lou Xiyan did not call her back. Watching her back disappear, Lou Xiyan slowly lay down and, just as before Zhuo Qing arrived, closed his eyes to sleep.

The hand hidden under the thin quilt slowly opened. Inside was a small note, left behind when Zhuo Qing had tightly grasped his hand before leaving...

Zhuo Qing exited the prison gate, and Jing Sa immediately went up to meet her. The tear stains on her face had not yet dried, but the expression in her eyes was very calm.

"What time is it now?"

Jing Sa looked at the sky and replied, "Just past the Shen hour."

Zhuo Qing stepped onto the carriage, and before long, her cold, clear voice sounded sternly: "Go to the North Gate of the Imperial Palace. I want to enter the palace."

(End of chapter)