Chapter 141: Plague

Mu Yuanzhi picked up the pillow and glanced at it: "This looks valuable, not an ordinary jade pillow."

Gu Rongjin examined it carefully and said: "I recall an ancient text mentioning a pillow called the Dream-wandering Pillow; lying on it one might see a fairyland, or the future, even past and present lives."

Past and present lives?!

Hearing those words, Mu Yuanzhi suddenly felt the pillow in her hand heavy.

Seeing her lost in thought, her expression solemn, Gu Rongjin laughed: "What's wrong, Little Yuanzhi? Do you also believe in past and present lives, karma and reincarnation?"

Mu Yuanzhi composed herself, slipped the pillow back to Gu Rongjin, and changed the subject: "Who are you chasing?"

"Probably a thief, coming from the direction of the Eastern Palace; this pillow might have been stolen from the Eastern Palace. I've indeed heard that the Crown Prince received a fine jade pillow."

"A thief comes all the way to the Imperial Palace just to steal a jade pillow—how absurd!" Mu Yuanzhi said. "This pillow is certainly not ordinary."

"If it's the Dream-wandering Pillow, just try it and you'll know!" Gu Rongjin said, examining the pillow again with great interest.

As soon as she heard Gu Rongjin wanted to try the pillow, Mu Yuanzhi frowned.

What if the Dream-wandering Pillow really could show past and present lives?

Forget it; even if it were true, their past lives were probably just noisy quarrels.

"Just to be safe, I think I'll go to the Imperial Observatory to get some sleep." Gu Rongjin asked Mu Yuanzhi: "Do you want to come?"

Mu Yuanzhi shook her head. "I still have things to do."

"What things?" Gu Rongjin asked. "Something more fun than testing the Dream-wandering Pillow?"

"Whether it's fun or not is still unknown." Mu Yuanzhi curled her lips.

Gu Rongjin furrowed his brows: "All right, I'll go myself, test the effect, then come back to let you play!"

As for who stole the pillow, frankly he isn't very concerned.

At the same time in Changle Palace, Pei Yunxi waited for the pillow's return, but there was no sign of anyone.

She was restless, thinking, "Could it be that we've failed after all?"

And they were supposed to be top-notch experts, yet sneaking into the Eastern Palace to steal a pillow was proving difficult!

Ever since Pei Yunxi learned that Pei Shangyan had such a pillow, she had been thinking of getting it, but after hinting several times with no response from Pei Shangyan, she figured he wasn't willing to give it to her, so she had no choice but to send someone to steal it.

The Eastern Palace attendants she had bribed told her that ever since Pei Shangyan obtained this jade pillow, his whole demeanor had changed.

Moreover, the jade pillow had been lent to Pei Shangling; Pei Yunxi calculated the days and was shocked to realize that those two had indeed changed their attitudes toward Mu Yuanzhi considerably after that.

She couldn't help but grow curious about the pillow, feeling there must be more to it than meets the eye!

"Master!"

Xueer rushed in.

"What's up? Did the people I sent return?" Pei Yunxi sprang up in delight.

Xueer shook her head: "No, it's that the streets are suddenly abuzz with news that the Crown Prince of Huangli State whipped you! It's spreading like wildfire!"

"What?!" Pei Yunxi gasped in shock.

How could this happen?!

How could she face anyone now?!

Who on earth leaked this?!

Seeing her master at a loss, Xueer comforted her: "At least the matter has blown up, so His Majesty and the Emperor of Huangli State will have to deal with it……"

The softer she spoke, the quieter her voice became, for Pei Yunxi's gaze could devour a person.

But what she said is true—tomorrow the Huangli State entourage will depart, yet the Emperor shows no sign of pursuing the matter; it looks like he wants to make a big thing small and a small thing disappear.

"You think I don't want to, but if I had to sacrifice my reputation, I'd rather not act!" Although swallowing that dead cat was utterly unwilling, making her unable to lift her head before all the noble ladies would be even worse!

"Master, could it be that someone from Weiyang Palace leaked it?" Xueer said with a solemn expression.

"Surely not?"

Punishing the Huangli State's Crown Prince would already be avenging her—how would that benefit Mu Yuanzhi? Or is it just to ruin her reputation?

In fact, Mu Yuanzhi never even considered how Pei Yunxi would fare; she merely wanted the two Huangli State individuals to fight each other.

With things having come to this, neither of them will be able to stay put.

"Master, I heard the Huangli State entourage has delayed their departure." Xiao Yunzi returned to report.

He and Linglong had already returned to Weiyang Palace this morning to attend, leaving Hongdou and Xiao Nianzi at the princess's residence.

If Mu Yuanzhi had heard this news earlier, she would surely have worried; but now it only shows that a good show is about to begin.

Three days later, the Emperor of Huangli State sent a letter; though Mu Yuanzhi naturally didn't know its contents, word soon came that the Huangli State's Crown Prince had been demoted to Prince Li.

Since he is no longer the crown prince, handling it is much easier; next comes the contest of wits and courage between the former Crown Prince, now Prince Li, and Prince Chun.

Mu Yuanzhi noticed that although the Huangli State entourage hadn't left, the furtive glances that used to linger around her had vanished completely.

But does this truly dispel the "thief's covetousness" entirely?

Mu Yuanzhi, nibbling on osmanthus cake, pondered.

"Master! Don't eat the osmanthus cake!"

"What's wrong?" Mu Yuanzhi couldn't swallow the osmanthus cake in her mouth, nor could she spit it out.

Linglong looked panicked: "The utensils used to steam the osmanthus cake were used by someone infected with the plague and not disinfected!"

"What are you saying? What do you mean infected with the plague?!" Mu Yuanzhi stood up, her expression grave.

"I, too, just received the news: there's plague in the palace gates!" Linglong said, trembling with fear, "We don't know how far it has spread; right now the imperial physicians at the Imperial Medical Institute are gathered together discussing countermeasures, and the Emperor has ordered you and the Qilin to go there at once!"

"Why is there plague in the palace gates? Where is the source?" Mu Yuanzhi spat out the osmanthus cake, undaunted in the face of danger, and calmly asked Linglong.

"They say it's that deer sent by Huangli State!" Linglong said, gritting her teeth in hatred, "They don't even know if it's malicious, but they actually sent a plague-infected white deer, calling it an auspicious deer!"

Mu Yuanzhi seemed to recall it was Prince Chun who sent it; at the time, because the deer was exceptionally beautiful, she had taken a few extra looks.

"Huangli State couldn't be that stupid to do something so obvious; Prince Chun is very likely taking the fall."

Then the mastermind can only be Huangli State's former Crown Prince, now Prince Li.

Turns out those two started their internal strife here so early?

These two troublemakers, if they're going to fight, let them fight, but they're also harming others!

"Let's go, we're heading to the Imperial Medical Institute."

The Son of Heaven summoned her, so she couldn't refuse; she could only prepare epidemic prevention measures.

She wore a face veil, took some medicinal pills, thought it over, and still decided to leave Linglong here.

There's no need for an extra person to go risk it.

Inside the palace gates it was far more stable than she had imagined, except that everyone wore face veils, their steps were more hurried than before; when they saw others, they kept some distance, absolutely avoiding random conversation and contact.