The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 42.2

Chapter 42.2

Lin Yanran was actually feeling a bit guilty, so she agreed readily and strode out of the room.

Youqin Mingyue stared at her departing back, and her posture suddenly relaxed. She forced herself to stand up and fetched brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, intending to practice calligraphy. Although everything had been arranged for the theft of the gold tonight, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, practicing calligraphy could calm her mind.

At that moment, she saw the mirror. She picked it up, brushed aside her hair from her back, and looked into it. She immediately saw that her gland was covered in bite marks of varying depths.

It was much more severe than the first time.

Her face suddenly flushed with shame and indignation. She had wondered why her gland felt so red and swollen while she was bathing earlier; it turned out that the d*mned commoner had lied to her. Afterward, she hadn’t just taken one bite—she had bitten her over and over again.

Lin Yanran came into the central hall and happened to run into Chen Xiaohua, who was returning from buying groceries. Xiaohua said, “Sister Yanran, that bald man you rescued is looking for you. He says he has something to tell you.”

Lin Yanran’s heart stirred. “Did he say what it was about?”

Chen Xiaohua replied, “I told him my Sister Yanran is very busy and that he should tell me so I could pass it on, but he said he wanted to contact his family. He wouldn’t say anything else, he insisted on seeing you.”

Lin Yanran gave an acknowledging sound and hurriedly left the house. She bumped headlong into Liu Zhenzhen, who was also heading out.

“Morning, Dr. Liu. Have you finished recording the medicine I formulated last night?”

The moment Liu Zhenzhen saw her, a look of joy first flashed across her face, and she took two brisk, cheerful steps toward her before suddenly stopping. She turned sideways, hands behind her back, and gave a light huff. “Lin Yanran, you are such a scoundrel. You threw this young lady away as soon as you were done using her. This young lady will absolutely not help you as an assistant next time!”

Lin Yanran scanned her suspiciously, then arched an eyebrow. “Dr. Liu, did you take the wrong medicine?”

Liu Zhenzhen’s eyebrows shot up in anger, and her “lofty expert” facade instantly crumbled. She snapped, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Lin Yanran argued righteously, “Yesterday we made a bet. You lost to me, Dr. Liu, and promised to be my assistant from then on. For you to say this now—are you planning to go back on your word?”

Liu Zhenzhen was momentarily speechless, her face flushing with annoyance, yet she refused to back down. “Even if I agreed to be your assistant, you have to show some respect. Who throws someone away the moment they’re done with them? If you do it again, I absolutely won’t help you.”

Only then did Lin Yanran understand the reason. She immediately bowed to her. “It was my fault. Things were urgent yesterday, I apologize. Dr. Liu, please be the bigger person and forgive me this once. In the future, whenever I formulate medicine, I will surely be respectful and polite to you, and afterward, I’ll treat you to good food and drink. How about it?”

Liu Zhenzhen felt quite satisfied hearing this. She hummed, “Now you’re talking like a human being. As for the future, it depends on your performance. If you behave well, I’ll help you.”

Lin Yanran chuckled inwardly and took the opportunity to say, “I’ve already prepared wine and food. Tomorrow at noon, I’m hosting a banquet for you and Senior Feng. Please, both of you, be sure to grace us with your presence!”

Liu Zhenzhen grew even happier and couldn’t help but ask, “Truly?”

Lin Yanran said with a smile, “Of course it’s true. Dr. Liu, I was just about to go see the man saved by your medicine. Do you want to come with me?”

Liu Zhenzhen was in high spirits and readily agreed.

Ever since Ji Yue was rescued, he had been lying in the woodshed at Chibao’s house. After taking the medicine, his injuries were gradually healing, and he could now sit up.

Lin Yanran squatted down and looked at him. “This is Dr. Liu, who gave me the medicine. It was her pill that saved you.”

Hearing Lin Yanran give her all the credit, Liu Zhenzhen’s mood improved further. She said a bit bashfully, “Lin Yanran, it’s true I gave you the pill, but you were the one who saved the man. I won’t take credit for your work for nothing.”

From the moment Lin Yanran appeared, Ji Yue had been looking at her with a gaze of absolute reverence. From that brief glimpse that day, he had already deeply memorized his savior’s face.

He struggled to kneel and kowtow. “Savior, thank you for saving my life. I, Ji Yue, am willing to serve you like a beast of burden in this life to repay your great kindness and virtue!”

Lin Yanran quickly stopped him. “You don’t need to do this. I believe anyone who saw the situation then would have lent a hand. Right, Chen Xiaohua said you were looking for me. What is it? If you have any needs, just say the word.”

Ji Yue glanced at Liu Zhenzhen. Lin Yanran said, “Dr. Liu is warm-hearted and loves to stand up for justice. Whatever you have to say, just say it.”

Liu Zhenzhen, delighted by the praise, added, “Is your body still uncomfortable? If anything hurts, tell me, and I will naturally treat you.”

Ji Yue said, “Since the savior says so, I will speak. The villain who injured me is currently with my brother. I want to contact my brother to tell him the truth, lest that villain harms him. I wonder if the savior can help?”

Lin Yanran immediately realized the “villain” he spoke of was Xuan Ming. She asked, “How do you want us to help?”

Ji Yue said, “That villain is hiding in the nearby Black Dragon Stronghold, and my brother is there too. If it is convenient for the savior—”

“Black Dragon Stronghold?” Liu Zhenzhen interrupted him sharply, her voice full of anger. “Is your brother a bandit from the Black Dragon Stronghold?”

Ji Yue said hurriedly, “No, my brother is not a bandit. As for his specific identity, I cannot disclose it right now. I hope the savior can forgive me!”

Liu Zhenzhen snapped, “If he’s not a bandit, what is he doing hiding in the Black Dragon Stronghold? You’re being so secretive—are you a bandit from there too?”

As she spoke, she began to eye him suspiciously. Lin Yanran quickly stepped in to mediate, explaining how Liu Zhenzhen had once been kidnapped by the bandits. Hearing this, Ji Yue looked thoughtful for a moment, then reached into his robes and fished out his waist token.

“Does the savior recognize this object?”

Lin Yanran took it, looked at it, and handed it back. “I don’t recognize it.”

Liu Zhenzhen, however, let out a small exclamation. She snatched the token to examine it, her eyes growing even more suspicious as she stared at Ji Yue. “Whose token is this?”

Ji Yue replied, “This token belongs to me. To tell the truth, I am one of the Night Watchmen arranged by the imperial court in Fengwu City. This time, I came to Shimen County specifically to investigate the case of the thirty-nine lives lost. During the investigation, I found the clues pointing toward the Black Dragon Stronghold, so I followed them. I didn’t expect to encounter a formidable enemy and nearly lost my life. If not for meeting my savior, I would already be in the underworld.”

As he said this, he gave Lin Yanran another look of gratitude.

Liu Zhenzhen clutched the token and asked, “Then is your brother a court official or a criminal?”

Ji Yue hadn’t expected this rural doctor to be so sharp. He instinctively didn’t want to say—after all, this matter involved the Prince and the Princess and touched upon imperial power struggles. Even if he wasn’t fully in the loop, he knew the danger involved. He said vaguely, “My brother is naturally a person of the court. Because he is on a secret mission undercover at the Black Dragon Stronghold, it is not convenient for me to say more. Please forgive me, savior.”

Liu Zhenzhen’s expression shifted. She suddenly pulled Lin Yanran aside and whispered, “This is a Night Watchman’s token. Night Watchmen hold a special status in the Longyuan Kingdom. You’d better not provoke them. Let this person leave as soon as possible, and don’t believe what he says.”

Lin Yanran sensed her good intentions and was secretly grateful. She feigned curiosity and asked, “Dr. Liu, how do you know it’s a Night Watchman’s token? And last time you were with the Magistrate’s son… you wouldn’t happen to be some kind of high-ranking noble, would you?”

Liu Zhenzhen’s heart skipped a beat. Oops, I accidentally let it slip.

She stole a glance at Lin Yanran and saw her looking back expectantly. She felt a part of her wanted to tell her the truth, while another part didn’t. This inexplicable feeling was very strange. She hesitated and said, “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just a bit wealthier than average people, that’s all.”

Lin Yanran immediately cried out, “Aha! Dr. Liu, so you really are a rich lady!” She turned warm and friendly, grinning as she said, “Dr. Liu, as the saying goes, ‘if you become wealthy, do not forget each other.’ We can be considered friends who have gone through life and death together. Since you’re so rich, you must take good care of your poor friend here in the future.”

Liu Zhenzhen heard the slight expectation in her tone and felt both annoyed and proud. This Lin Yanran—clearly a genius, yet she just had to be obsessed with money. Before, when she found out her master had silver, she immediately called him a “big tycoon.” Now that she knew Liu was rich, she called her a “rich lady.”

Truly shameless!

She said haughtily, “Fine, it depends on your performance. If you’re loyal enough, I’ll naturally be loyal too.”

Lin Yanran immediately showered her with heavy praise until Liu Zhenzhen felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly changed the subject. “Hey, what exactly do you plan to do with this man?”

Lin Yanran said, “Since I saved him, I’ll see it through. If what he asks isn’t too difficult, I can think of a way.”

Liu Zhenzhen knew that anything involving Night Watchmen was never a good thing. She instinctively wanted to stop her, but seeing Lin Yanran’s serious face, she couldn’t bear to disrupt her kindness. After all, when she and Gu Yuwan were escaping, it was Lin Yanran who led them out of the deep mountains one step at a time.

She said, “Let’s go. We’ll listen together.”

A moment later, the two learned of Ji Yue’s request. It wasn’t actually that difficult; he wanted Lin Yanran to help deliver a message to his brother to bring him to Phoenix Town.

Liu Zhenzhen frowned. “The Black Dragon Stronghold is so dangerous, and Lin Yanran is just a hunter. How could she get close to your brother? Are you trying to get her killed?”

Ji Yue hurriedly said, “I know this is asking a lot. But both my parents are dead, and my brother is my only relative left. I’m truly afraid something will happen to him. Please help me, savior. You don’t even need to get close to the stronghold. I have something on me; as long as it’s released, it will automatically lead my brother here.”

He pursed his lips and blew. Lin Yanran immediately saw his collar bulge, and then something began to squirm and climb, quickly emerging from his neck.

Ji Yue pinched the scruff of its neck and held it out on his hand. “Savior, this is a marten I’ve raised since it was small. It is most intelligent; it can track my brother’s scent and lead him out.”

Lin Yanran was startled. When she helped Ji Yue wash his body that day, she hadn’t seen this marten. Where had it been hidden?

Seeing her surprised look, Ji Yue added, “Savior, when I fell that day, the marten scurried away to save its life, but later it found its way back to me.”

So that was it. Lin Yanran asked curiously, “Then why don’t you just let the marten go find your brother?”

Ji Yue sighed. “The marten can only recognize a path for three or four miles. Any further and it will get lost. I truly have no other choice, so I had to beg my savior.”

Liu Zhenzhen frowned deeply. “You really want to help him find his brother? The Black Dragon Stronghold isn’t just a little bit dangerous. If you run into those bandits, there’s no escaping.”

Lin Yanran pondered. “If it’s just that, it’s not too difficult. However, you know my wife is unwell, so I can’t leave home. I can find someone else to deliver the message.” She looked at Ji Yue. “But how will your brother be convinced to trust the messenger?”

Ji Yue was prepared. “Savior, if you have someone bring my waist token to my brother, he will know immediately and will definitely follow.”

Lin Yanran took the token. Only then did she notice that one side had “Night Watchman” inscribed, while the other side bore Ji Yue’s name. No wonder.

Liu Zhenzhen was still uneasy. “Better safe than sorry. The Black Dragon Stronghold is full of desperate outlaws, and our Phoenix Town is full of ordinary folk. Are you really going to send someone?”

Lin Yanran thought to herself: Dr. Liu is such a great assist. The more she said this, the less suspicion there would be on her from Ji Yue’s side.

She nodded to Liu Zhenzhen and said to Ji Yue, “Dr. Liu has a point. We in Phoenix Town are honest people. If we truly provoke the bandits, our whole town might suffer. How about you wait until your injuries are healed and go find your brother yourself?”

Ever since Ji Yue escaped death that day, the more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. Princess Liu Honghuang knew he was Ji Xuan’s biological brother yet still tried to kill him; it showed how vicious she was. If his brother accidentally angered her, wouldn’t he also meet a tragic end?