With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

Lin Ci turned the corner of the corridor and saw Pearl leading a little boy in the distance. The child looked to be less than two years old, with delicate features and fair skin. When he saw Consort Chang, he let go of Pearl's hand and stumbled towards her, calling out in a childish voice, "Mother~~ Mother~~"

Consort Chang, just like an ordinary woman, squatted down, opened her arms and hugged the child, making him laugh out loud.

Lin Ci suddenly realized that she was being too suspicious. The other family was clearly a loving mother and son, living a happy life. Why was she being so suspicious? Thinking this, she returned to her original spot. Just as she turned around, Consort Chang turned her head and glanced at the place where she had been standing.

When Pei Jinxuan came out of Qianyuan Hall, it was already dusk.

He stood under the corridor for a moment, going over Emperor Yan's words in his mind. His elder brother had granted him permission to host the Prince of Liang, but had only given him the instruction to "behave with propriety."

Proportion.

He pondered those two words as he walked toward the palace gate. He glanced up unintentionally and caught sight of a slender figure.

Lin Ci stood outside the palace gate, beside the carriage, holding a hand warmer in her hands, the plain silver hairpin in her hair swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Ci looked up, her gaze falling on his face like pools of autumn water. She smiled, her crescent-shaped eyes outshining even the faint glow of the sunset.

Pei Jinxuan felt dazzled and stopped to stare at her.

Lin Ci slowly walked up to him and handed him the hand warmer.

"Why are you out here when you're perfectly fine staying at home?"

Pei Jinxuan snapped out of his daze and lowered his head. He dared not look her in the eye, afraid that he might inadvertently reveal his guilt.

She probably doesn't know that he secretly opened the coffin in the cellar last night...

Seeing him standing there blankly, Lin Ci grabbed his wrist.

Pei Jinxuan was startled, but his expression remained impassive.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly, his tone unusually gentle.

"Let me take your pulse," she replied with a faint smile.

Lin Ci pressed three fingers against his wrist, concentrating for a moment. Pei Jinxuan looked down at her thick eyelashes and pert nose, and for some reason, his heart started beating faster, and his pulse quickened as well.

Lin Ci peeked out; her eyebrows twitched slightly, but she didn't look at him.

"Your lungs are chilled; you need to rest properly." Lin Ci lowered her hand. "You don't need to accompany me to the palace tomorrow; I know what I'm doing."

The implied meaning is self-evident.

Pei Jinxuan was a bit stingy.

He didn't say anything, but simply lifted the carriage curtain to let Lin Ci get in first.

The carriage swayed and rattled as it made its way to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion.

The wheels creaked as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.

Inside the car, the two sat facing each other, looking at each other without saying a word.

Pei Jinxuan felt her cheeks were hot, so she pulled the carriage curtain open a little to let in some fresh air.

"I just spoke with His Majesty about hosting a banquet for Prince Liang," Pei Jinxuan said frankly. "Only Prince Liang knows about the Golden Kingfisher in the capital; this is a move we have to make."

Lin Ci asked with some curiosity, "Have you mentioned the forbidden technique of bringing the dead to life to His Majesty?"

Pei Jinxuan nodded. "This is truly a last resort. I don't want it to come to that. Right now, Prince Liang is a thorn in His Majesty's side. If we can remove him, everyone will be happy."

The carriage jolted and then suddenly stopped to make way for the oxcart in front, and the interior of the carriage fell silent.

After a while, the car started moving, and the wheels began to creak again.

Lin Ci then spoke, "If we could have pulled it out already, wouldn't we have? Moving against the Prince of Liang is equivalent to moving his 100,000-strong army. What will we do if the border becomes unstable then?"

Pei Jinxuan nodded in agreement and sighed helplessly.

Lin Ci then asked, "What are your plans for the Prince of Liang's banquet this time?"

"I do have a plan, it just depends on whether Prince Liang will give me the opportunity. On the day he comes to the banquet, you'd better stay in your room and don't come out. I'll take care of everything."

Lin Ci frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "The Prince of Liang is not easy to deal with, and he also has Xuan Jing by his side. Besides, they have been watching me for a long time, so there's no use in me hiding. I might as well be more open and straightforward, and deal with whatever comes my way."

Pei Jinxuan thought it made some sense, but he was still worried about Lin Ci's safety, and his brows remained furrowed.

Lin Ci saw through his thoughts and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Now we are all in the same boat; we share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or ruin."

Pei Jinxuan's eyes lit up; it was truly gratifying to have met such a insightful woman. He had just felt a headache, but now he felt completely at ease.

In the following days, Pei Jinxuan obediently stayed at home to recuperate, while Lin Ci went to the palace to take the Emperor Yan's pulse. In her spare time, she studied the art of bringing the dead back to life. A large earthenware pot was set up in Liufang Garden, with both high and low flames burning day and night, and the entire Jing'an Prince's Mansion was permeated with the bitter smell of medicine.

Before meeting Lin Ci, Pei Jinxuan couldn't stand the smell of medicine. He could take medicine occasionally, but he would definitely vomit if he smelled it for half an hour.

Seeing him slumped in his chair, holding a bowl, his face pale from vomiting, the steward kindly advised him to build another medicine shed for Lin Ci's use. Pei Jinxuan waved his hand without hesitation and said, "Build another medicine shed? How would I know what medicine she's brewing? That's not appropriate."

Even if she were brewing it right in front of you, you wouldn't know what kind of medicine it was. The manager muttered to himself, not daring to say it outright.

After being exposed to the smell of medicine for several days, Pei Jinxuan finally stopped vomiting. Sometimes she could even cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and go to Liufang Garden to help Lin Ci watch the medicine stove. However, every time she saw Lin Ci, she would frown, squat on the ground, and stare blankly at the pile of medicine residue, picking through it.

You don't need to ask to know she failed.

Pei Jinxuan wanted to go over and say a few words of comfort, but she ignored him, got up with a stern face, went back to her room and closed the door. Immediately afterwards, there was a series of clanging and banging sounds from inside, like pots being smashed and chairs being banged.

Pei Jinxuan stood outside the door like a dumb goose, his eyes glazed over, not daring to even breathe.

A moment later, Lin Ci emerged. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, looked up at Pei Jinxuan with a gentle smile, and asked softly, "When did Your Highness arrive?"

Pei Jinxuan: "...", startled, dropped her handkerchief on the ground.

Afterward, Pei Jinxuan figured out Lin Ci's tricks. She was completely absorbed in preparing medicine, and if he provoked her at that time, she would definitely turn on him without hesitation. He wasn't angry, nor did he dare to provoke her. He simply instructed the kitchen to prepare an extra plate of pastries every day. Sometimes the pastries would disappear, leaving the plate spotless; other times, the pastries would remain untouched until dark.

Everyone understood each other implicitly and performed their respective duties.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere in the capital grows stronger day by day. Red lanterns hang under the eaves of houses on both sides of the streets and alleys, branches of winter plum blossoms are placed in ceramic vases, and brand-new peach wood charms are pasted on the lintels of every household.

On New Year's Eve, Emperor Yan held a grand banquet for his officials in the Jiying Hall as was customary, and a ceremony of bestowing titles and rewards was held before the banquet. Although Lin Ci did not have an official rank, he still received two sheep, two jars of imperial wine, and a piece of cured meat, making him comparable to Judge Xu.

After the rewards were given, the banquet began.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, the Emperor Yan coughed incessantly, occasionally covering his mouth with his sleeve. The Empress, seated to his right, frowned deeply, but on such an occasion, she could not let anyone see it. She simply held the Emperor's hand discreetly, occasionally offering him ginger soup to soothe his throat. As the ladies of the court came to offer their greetings, she quickly smiled and responded to each one.

Sweat beaded on the Emperor's forehead, but in front of all the civil and military officials in the hall, he could only force himself to stand up, raise his cup, and say, "The new year begins, and all things are renewed."

The entire hall erupted in shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" The sound shook the palace.

During the mid-drinking and changing of clothes, the eunuchs presented palace flowers and bestowed flower hairpins upon the guests according to their rank.

Pei Jinxuan and Prince Liang were of the same rank. When the eunuch placed the flower hairpins on their headscarves, Prince Liang's gaze swept coldly across Pei Jinxuan's face. Pei Jinxuan, however, smiled calmly, raised his sword-like eyebrows, and generously raised his wine cup to him.

Several other princes and high-ranking officials also gathered around, enjoying the lively atmosphere and drinking together. For a moment, the entire hall was adorned with flowers and jewels, swaying gently in the breeze, creating an atmosphere of peace and prosperity under the palace lights.

The Empress, worried about Emperor Yan's health, turned to look at Lin Ci, who was standing to the side of a pillar. Lin Ci understood and, while adding wine, placed three fingers on Emperor Yan's wrist. His pulse was weak, scattered, and without a root, even weaker than in the morning.

Lin Ci remained calm and simply said in a low voice, "Your Majesty has drunk a bit too much."

Upon hearing this, the Empress hurriedly called out, "Eunuch Gao."

Eunuch Gao approached the Emperor Yan's side, carefully helped him up, and said loudly, "Your Majesty is drunk. Let me help Your Majesty to rest."

He shouted loudly, deliberately making sure everyone in the hall could hear him.

Emperor Yan stopped struggling and, with the help of Eunuch Gao and several eunuchs, slowly withdrew from his seat.

Midway through the banquet, the emperor departed first, but the atmosphere at the banquet remained lively.

The Empress sat upright in the main seat, holding a cup and smiling. She calmed the situation with just a few words. However, in the brief moment between rising to toast the ladies of the court, she turned to the side, grabbed Lin Ci's hand, and gripped it tightly with her fingers.

"Physician Lin, His Majesty has entrusted you with this task," the Empress instructed, her concern evident in her eyes.

Her words carried immense weight.

Lin Ci nodded without saying anything more, then turned and followed the eunuch.

The banquet was lively, with toasts and laughter filling the air. Only Pei Jinxuan's thoughts were on Lin Ci.