maidservant

"I heard that Concubine Gao..." Yunshan's words came to her lips, but she hesitated and stopped, her expression full of reluctance and hesitation.

"This sister is really pitiful." Lin Yu sighed softly, with compassion in his eyes.
"She was a pampered young lady in Kyoto, and she was pregnant. The chaotic and bloody scene yesterday frightened her terribly, causing her to bleed profusely. Unfortunately, she couldn't find a doctor or pharmacist at the time, and she lost her baby, and herself..."

As Lin Yu spoke, he became emotional and couldn't help coughing a few times.

Seeing this, Yunjin and Yunshan hurried forward, comforted Lin Yu softly, helped him lie down and rest, and quickly sent someone to call the imperial physician.

Afterwards, Yunshan walked alone in the palace, looking at the desolate and cold scene, and walked forward with melancholy and numbness.

Before she knew it, a centuries-old elm tree blocked her way. She came back to her senses and wondered where she was going. Oh, she was going to the Pharmacy.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

"Yunshan?" She turned around and saw Lin Xiao standing not far away.

Lin Xiao was extremely anxious. He quickly stepped in front of Yun Shan, his eyes full of concern and self-blame. He blurted out, "I guess you must have been scared these past two days! It's all my fault for coming in late. Have you had a good rest now?"

Yun Shan looked a little dazed, and shook her head gently, her voice filled with confusion: "Lin Xiao, I always feel that this whole thing is so unreal, like I'm in a fog, and I can't tell the truth from the false."

The two walked to a stone bench nearby. Lin Xiao moved naturally and considerately. He quickly took off his robe and carefully spread it on the stone bench before motioning Yunshan to sit down.

His eyes followed Yunshan closely the entire time, his heartache evident in his expression: "Seeing you so distraught this morning, it felt like a needle was stabbing my heart. It hurt so much."

Yun Shan forced a wry smile, her own miserable appearance at that time flashing through her mind. She said with a hint of self-mockery, "I must have looked awfully ugly back then. If the general saw me, he'd probably regret it."

"Yes, I regret it." Lin Xiao deliberately dragged out his tone, and suddenly changed the subject. A trace of cold murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he spoke word by word.

"I regret not killing all those traitors directly and not finding you sooner."

Yunshan calmed herself down and turned the topic to the rebels: "Have those rebels been detained?"

"More than 3,000 people were held alive. The number is too large. The prisons in the city cannot accommodate them all. They can only be sent to the military camps on the outskirts of the city for custody." Lin Xiao explained patiently.

Yunshan hesitated for a moment, lowering her voice unconsciously, with a cautious look on her face: "Is it... the young prince?" This matter is too sensitive, and no one in the palace dared to mention it easily until now. It must be because the higher-ups have strictly ordered the news to be blocked.

Lin Xiao looked around cautiously, and after confirming that no one was around, he leaned closer to Yunshan and whispered:

"The young prince and the dowager were imprisoned in the palace where the dowager had previously lived. Except for the dowager, everyone in his palace was secretly executed."

"Your Majesty, please spare his life?" Yunshan was puzzled. The emperor had always been decisive in killing people. Now that there was solid evidence that the young prince was rebelling against the country, he actually spared his life. It was really puzzling.

"Our Majesty is still unwilling to give up!" Lin Xiao sighed slightly with a complicated expression.

"Your Majesty has always been very kind and doting to this only brother of yours. I'm sure he will personally inquire about this matter and seek an explanation before he will give up."

The emperor suffered betrayal and hurt from his family many times. No one would be able to let go of such a feeling.

"The rebel leader was once a soldier under the command of the deposed prince. He and I took part in the same martial arts examination. When he was defeated, he tried to commit suicide, but I stopped him." Lin Xiao recalled the past with a calm expression, but with some emotion.

Then, his expression became serious, and he looked at Yunshan seriously and warned: "These people are being interrogated at this moment. Yunshan, you must not be interested in this matter. This is His Majesty's sensitive spot and cannot be touched." "Okay, are you going to the palace to see the emperor and give him a reply?" Yunshan tactfully changed the subject.

"I have already reported to His Majesty the number of rebels and the situation we are dealing with. Now that I have received His Majesty's grace, I am about to go see my sister. Will you accompany me?"

Yunshan shook her head slightly, stood up from the stone bench, and said, "I have to go to the pharmacy. The palace people were seriously injured and they are short of manpower."

The two said goodbye, and Yunshan hurried to the pharmacy.

When Zhong Yaocheng saw Yunshan coming in, he gave her a disdainful look and said sarcastically, "Oh, Lord Song is here! He's so lucky! Getting promoted is as easy as eating."

Yunshan pretended not to hear and cleverly avoided her unfriendly attitude. She walked straight to the inner hall and received her assignment from the Chief Pharmacist.

At this time, Li Mei quickly came to her side, first grabbed her arm and pulled it gently, carefully confirmed that she was not injured, and then hugged her tightly with a sense of relief.

"Niannian, I heard that the eldest princess and Li Xueshi are both okay?" Yunshan asked with concern.

"My brother, sister-in-law, and their family of three are all safe and sound. They just gave birth, and are too weak to move, so they're still recuperating in Xiyun Palace. I just came from there, so don't worry, the baby is doing well."

Li Meng replied with a smile, then added, "But—after work, I'll tell you in detail."

It turned out that the situation was extremely critical last night. In order to protect the lives of those around her, the princess had no choice but to feign compromisingness and being respectful to the rebels.

She even said she was willing to support the young prince. At that critical moment, this was indeed a temporary solution to the urgent problem.

However, His Majesty had suffered repeated betrayals from his family over the years, leaving him heartbroken. Even though this was a sister from the same mother, it was inevitable that he would feel resentful when this news reached His Majesty.

The deep brotherly love that once existed between them seemed to be shrouded in an indelible haze amidst the imperial power and the successive betrayals.

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler. He will figure it out after some time." Yunshan said as she served a cup of Rain-Previous Longjing tea to Li Meng who was entering her room for the first time. Her tone was gentle and full of comfort.

"I believe that my brother and sister-in-law are both very wise people. They will definitely be able to resolve this dilemma and get out of this difficult situation." Li Meng nodded slightly. Although there was worry in her eyes, she still comforted herself.

"But, there's one thing I don't understand—" Yun Shan suddenly changed the subject, and the experiences of the eldest princess over the past month emerged in her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder,
"Why are the rebels trying so hard to get the princess into the palace?"

"My eldest sister-in-law speculates that there are only two reasons for this."

"First, hostages and checks and balances of power. By trapping my brother and his wife in the palace, I can force my father to not easily mobilize the ministers to support the king. After all, it's a waste of time, and my father will definitely have concerns."

She picked up the teacup, took a sip, paused for a moment, and then continued:
"The second is the struggle for legitimacy. The young prince is only 16 years old and has no children. Do you know the story of Hu Hai slaughtering his own relatives?"

"Well, historical records state that Hu Hai, at the instigation of Zhao Gao, launched a bloody massacre of his brothers and sisters to secure his throne. He first beheaded 12 of his brothers in the downtown area of ​​Xianyang as a public display. He then tortured six of his brothers and ten of his sisters to death using the grinding iron in Duyou. Prince Jianglu and three others were imprisoned in the inner palace and eventually forced to commit suicide. In total, he slaughtered all 6 of his brothers and sisters."

Yunshan's eyes widened as she spoke, "The young prince actually refused to let go of the royal bloodline that the eldest princess is carrying in her belly?"

Li Meng shook her head helplessly. "People's hearts are hard to guess. My eldest sister-in-law really doesn't want to believe it, but the current situation is so difficult to stop."

She sighed slightly, a look of relief on her face, and continued, "Fortunately, my sister-in-law gave birth to a baby girl. Those people may have felt that the baby girl posed no threat to them, so they let her go for the time being. It can be considered a blessing in disguise." (End of this chapter)