The blackened marquis insists that the husband should be more valuable than the son!

His Majesty is in poor health and has temporarily summoned the six ministers to the palace.

Lian Dongshu looked at Liu Shen with a serious expression. His face was also full of anxiety. Compared with people like Lian Dongshu who were used to restraining their emotions, his anxiety at this moment seemed particularly genuine.

"Eunuch Liu, when did His Majesty start taking... the golden elixir?"

After hesitating for a long time, Lian Dongshu finally asked.

The late emperor also loved to take elixirs in his later years. Since the late emperor passed away and the current emperor ascended the throne, Taoist temples and Taoists in the Great Jin Dynasty have been suppressed to varying degrees. How come the current emperor also starts taking elixirs?

Liu Shen was in a state of confusion, his face wrinkled into a ball: "Lord Lian, this matter in front of the emperor...it is really difficult for me to tell you."

Lian Dongshu waved his hand to signal him not to say anything more, and said in a cold voice: "I didn't mean to pry into the emperor's affairs, but your majesty has been in poor health recently. And seeing that the eunuch was able to take out the golden elixir from his sleeve, it is clear that your majesty's work is definitely not a one or two day effort."

At this point, his voice softened.

"But I think you know what the golden elixir is. It is not good for your Majesty's health."

"I don't want to embarrass Eunuch Liu. You just need to tell me who presented this golden elixir to His Majesty," Lian Dongshu lowered his voice, his eyes narrowed but his stern expression remained. "I will take care of the rest."

Liu Shen fell silent.

After a long while, he said hesitantly, "It was Taoist Master Zi Yu who came to the palace a few days ago to inform Your Majesty that a cold wave was coming."

Lian Dongshu frowned, thanked him and turned away.

When his back disappeared in the square, the solemn and anxious expression on Liu Shen's face faded. He lowered his eyes and stared at the dust in his hand until his godson Liu Baoquan came to call him.

"Godfather, His Majesty has just woken up and sent someone to summon you. You'd better go quickly."

Liu Shen hummed.

He glanced at Liu Baoquan calmly and said sternly, "You all should keep your mouths shut about His Majesty's poor health. If the news leaks out, even I can't save your lives. Do you understand?"

Liu Baoquan rarely saw him with such a serious expression, and nodded repeatedly.

Liu Shen's expression eased a little, and he said, "Oh, by the way, send someone to tell the Queen's palace that His Majesty has finished the tonic that the Queen sent today."

Liu Baoquan was stunned for a moment, then agreed immediately.

After he left, he began to seriously think about what his godfather meant by this. He grabbed the eunuch next to him and asked him, and found out that the queen had indeed sent someone to bring soup to His Majesty today.

But after thinking for a long time, I couldn't come up with anything.

So he simply took the matter upon himself and headed towards the Qiwu Palace where the queen was.

Not long after, news that His Majesty was seriously ill spread from the palace to the Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion.

Up to this point, no one noticed anything was wrong.

Except Lian Dongshu.

·

After receiving the message, Xie Lang calmly threw the note into the charcoal brazier and burned it.

The firelight made his eyes appear especially bright.

At this moment, Xue Mingyue, Princess Cen and Xie Lang, who were sitting together, all watched the note burn to ashes quietly. The moment they saw Xie Lang's expression, they both felt the same way.

--Time is up.

Old Princess Cen looked at the two of them steadily, her tone as calm as before, exactly the same as the tone she had used when she requested to abolish the throne of Prince Dingyuan.

"I will guard the Marquis' Mansion and will never let anyone set foot in the mansion."

That was the assurance she could make.

Lian Po is old, but he still wants to wear armor for his country. Her expression is also filled with sharpness and murderous intent that cannot be concealed.

Over the years, even the emperor had forgotten that she had really been on the battlefield, had fought her way out of the swords and spears, and had galloped across the battlefield, but later she retired due to injuries.

Xie Lang's dark eyes moved slightly, and he whispered, "Grandma, remember to take care of yourself first."

Xue Mingyue pursed her lips upon seeing this, then reached out and held his hand.

At this time, there were still eight hours before Xue Mingyue was summoned to the palace.

·

royal palace.

Lian Dongshu went to the Taoist temple to look for someone, but did not see the Taoist priest Zi Yu.

He only saw Taoist Zi Yu's junior fellow, Taoist Zixu, who had been the nominal abbot of the Taoist temple in the palace since the emperor ascended the throne. Facing the commander of the imperial guards who came with great force and intended to hold him accountable, his expression did not change at all.

"Your Excellency, you came at an unfortunate time. My senior brother went traveling yesterday."

"Traveling?"

How could it be such a coincidence?

Lian Dongshu frowned, narrowed his eyes and asked, "Then do you know where he went? His Majesty is looking for Taoist Master Zi Yu to discuss something, and ordered me to invite the Taoist Master here. Can the master tell me his whereabouts?"

Zixu just shook his head.

He looked like a master who was detached from the world, and said calmly: "My senior brother never told me where he was going. If you want to find him, maybe you can catch up with him if you go out of the city now."

It's freezing cold now, and he definitely can't walk far in just one day.

If we send people to chase him now, we will indeed be able to catch up.

Lian Dongshu knew that he should do this, but he always felt vaguely that something was wrong. Perhaps it should be said that there was something wrong with this matter in every aspect. He didn't know whether he should chase after him.

If I don't chase him, Zi Yu will definitely disappear.

Chasing him, bringing him back for severe interrogation might make His Majesty feel that this is an act of usurpation.

...Lian Dongshu was thinking, when he suddenly heard Zixu in front of him speak again: "However, if you are anxious to find my brother, I think you can find him in a certain place."

"Where?"

"Mr. Lou, the headmaster of Chui Liu Academy, this is my good friend."

Hearing this familiar name, Lian Dongshu was stunned for a moment.

·

After a night.

Xue Mingyue didn't sleep well for a rare time, not because of a nightmare, but because she tossed and turned in bed.

It was not until the early morning when Xie Lang returned to the room, covered in frost, that she opened her eyes with slightly heavy dark circles. She ignored the faint smell of blood on him, forcibly dragged him into bed, and lay down to sleep.

The two slept in each other's arms.

She thought she would be able to fall asleep by now, but she couldn't.

Finally, I saw some light coming in through the window.

Xue Mingyue simply stood up.

At this time, there were less than three hours left before she was summoned to the palace by the Queen.

Liuyun Liuxing and others in the mansion seemed to have noticed her overly tense expression, so when she took a piece of soft armor and put it on under her clothes, Liuyun Liuxing was frightened, but fortunately she did not scream.

The two men turned pale with fright.

Obviously, no one expected her to do this. Even in the days immediately after the assassination, she had not been so vigilant.

Liu Xing stammered, "Miss, what are you doing..."

"Nothing, just getting ready."

Xue Mingyue looked at her own reflection in the bronze mirror, took a deep breath, and said, "You will stay in the Marquis' Mansion today."