mesbooks Chapter 442
Chapter 442
Who came up with this name?
Qin Yiru gloated, "Young Master Lang chose it. He said that a humble name makes a child easier to raise. Who told you and your wife not to think of one in advance! Young Master Lang said a boy would be called A'niu, and a girl Niuniu. Just be glad they are two boys!"
Niuniu?
Yan Daniu, Yan Erniu?
Yan Zheng's forehead darkened with imaginary lines, the corners of his mouth twitching fiercely. "Did Yun Lang never go to school? Was his childhood tutor not angered to death by him?"
Qin Yiru said leisurely, "As for his childhood tutors, two were spies and he killed them, and another died to save him. However, this boy was a famous child prodigy when he was young, so there shouldn't be any problem with his education."
If there's no problem with his education, then he's just targeting him, right!
Yan Zheng sneered, "No wonder he can't get a wife!"
The smile on Qin Yiru's face stiffened as he suddenly realized that Third Yan was right!
For so many years, Young Master Lang has never lacked women around him, but there hasn't been a single one he actually cared about...
The eldest young master is already gone, and the second young master is like this.
Is the Yun family going to be left without an heir?
The old divine doctor shook his head in horror, quickly tossing the thought aside.
Inside the room, Yan Zheng walked over to the incubator box.
Inside, the two babies were breathing evenly. Although their eyes had not yet opened, they looked much better than their initial wrinkled appearance.
He turned his head and asked, "Old Divine Doctor, they..."
Qin Yiru stroked his white beard and said, "Don't worry. With this strange box that came from who-knows-where, the lives of the two babies are safe for now. However, it's hard to say if they can survive without this thing. So wait another month or so, and take them out when they reach full term. If they are fine then, they will truly be fine."
Yan Zheng felt a wave of relief, cupping his hands in gratitude. "Thank you for your trouble, Old Divine Doctor."
Qin Yiru quickly jumped away. "Don't thank me just yet. If something unexpected happens then, this old man won't be able to bring them back!"
Yan Zheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He stared fixedly at the box for a while. "It's good that they look more like A'yan..."
Qin Yiru smiled. "There's a common saying among the people that 'a son resembling his mother brings walls built of gold bricks'. But since you're already the emperor, the babies will definitely have immense wealth and nobility anyway..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the man: "No, regardless of whether they are boys or girls, it's good as long as they look like her."
The old man was taken aback, not expecting the new emperor to be so infatuated. He couldn't help but tease, "Don't celebrate too early, kid. When a woman has a child, her focus shifts. When she guards the babies day in and day out, let's see if you can still smile."
The emperor, however, didn't care at all. "As long as she is happy."
Qin Yiru was speechless. He had seen devoted men, but never one this devoted!
Early the next morning, Yun Lang brought his sister to the medicine hut.
The closer they got, the more vibrantly the surrounding plum blossoms bloomed. The brilliant flowers weighed down the branches, looking like a dream that had lasted for years without waking.
Chu Ruoyan frowned slightly, and Yun Lang explained, "This is the plum blossom formation set up by the old madman. The closer we get, the more dangerous it becomes. You must follow me closely later; you can't take a single wrong step."
She braced herself and followed behind him. After twisting and turning, they finally entered the medicine hut.
The Regent was indeed not there. Yun Lang led her straight to the innermost room. "Mother, look who your son has brought to see you?"
Chu Ruoyan shuddered and looked up, only to see a woman sitting behind the curtain.
Wearing a green silk dress, her appearance was absolutely stunning. The winds and frosts of time seemed to have left no trace on her face.
But her face was numb, and her hollow eyes stared straight ahead, as if she hadn't heard Yun Lang's words at all.
Yun Lang's eyes grew hot as he stepped forward and squatted beside her knees. "Mother, your son did not disappoint you. I brought back eldest brother, and I also found little sister..." He waved his hand at her as he spoke, and Chu Ruoyan hurried forward.
"Mother, look, this is little sister Miaomiao, the daughter you risked your life to protect back then. Do you remember?"
After he finished speaking, Chu Ruoyan pursed her lips slightly and called out, "Mother."
Although she had been separated from her mother very early on, blood ties and natural instinct made her call out naturally the moment she finally saw her.
The brother and sister both looked at her expectantly.
But that wooden face remained completely unresponsive.
A flash of disappointment crossed Yun Lang's face. Perhaps having been disappointed too many times, he quickly pulled himself together. "It's alright, Mother. Little sister has come up to Plum Mountain now and can accompany you every day. Maybe one day you will remember her, and then you will fully wake up."
The Princess Consort sitting on the bed suddenly stood up.
Chu Ruoyan was startled. "Mother?"
But she saw no signs of her awakening; instead, she walked straight to the table and sat down.
Yun Lang's expression changed. "Not good, the old madman is coming back!"
Chu Ruoyan was alarmed. Before she had time to ask anything, she was dragged out of the medicine hut by him.
Sure enough, no sooner had the two of them left than the Regent returned.
He seemed to sense that someone had been there, his eyes turning gloomy. But when he saw the Princess Consort sitting by the table, his expression instantly softened. "Qing'er, I'm back. I even brewed your favorite morning dew tea, want to taste it?"
After saying that, he took a cup, poured the tea, and fed it to her mouth sip by sip.
The Princess Consort just woodenly opened and closed her mouth, constantly repeating the action.
It was as if no matter how much water the man fed her, she could drink it all...
Chu Ruoyan felt her blood run cold watching this. She pulled her brother a few miles away before asking in a trembling voice, "Is Mother truly still alive?"
Yun Lang's body stiffened. "You could say she is 'alive'... but she lives as neither human nor ghost. She has no consciousness or sensation, no feelings or emotions. Her seven emotions have left her body, and her six souls are all lost. Other than being able to eat, drink, and breathe, she is no different from a piece of wood."
Chu Ruoyan felt a chill run up her spine. Thinking that she herself had almost ended up like this back then, she couldn't help but ask, "Is there truly no cure for the Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream? What if we did for Mother what was done for me..."
"It's useless," Yun Lang pulled a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth. "I tried it when I first came back. Whether it was the God-Relieving Gu or planting an incomplete Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream in Mother again, nothing worked. The old man said it's because Mother's Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream has already fully taken root, so she can never be saved. It's just that you, Miaomiao, had good luck and narrowly escaped with your life."
Chu Ruoyan didn't know what to say for a moment.
If she were to become like that and stay by Yan Zheng's side for a lifetime, it would truly be better to be dead!
Returning to the wooden cabin, the old man had already left.
Shadow was talking to Yan Zheng about something unknown. Seeing the two return, Yan Zheng asked, "How was it? Did everything go smoothly?"
Yun Lang hummed absentmindedly, and Chu Ruoyan's heart was also heavy. "We saw Mother, but she is exactly as the old man described, having lost her soul and become a puppet..."
Yan Zheng held her hand to comfort her. "There is still a long road ahead; there will always be a chance."
Chu Ruoyan could only nod.
Yun Lang, feeling irritated, turned to leave. Yan Zheng said, "Wait! What did you mean when you said earlier to be careful of the people from the Western Frontier?"
Yun Lang stopped in his tracks. "You don't know? That's true, your Yan Family Army has always been fighting the Southern Barbarians, so you don't know much about the Western Frontier. Let me put it this way, you at least recognize Princess Meng Ji of the Southern Barbarians, right?"
Yan Zheng's eyelids lifted. "Is it related to her?"
Yun Lang snorted. "More than just related. Hasn't the Holy Cult of the Western Frontier been torn apart since the battle back then? The largest faction that split off is controlled by the High Priest Wu Xian! This person is Meng Ji's master, and her extraordinary puppetry skills were also taught to her by Wu Xian!"
The Emperor and Empress were startled. Chu Ruoyan thought of something and quickly asked, "Then the medicine-man Gu..."
A hint of appreciation flashed in Yun Lang's eyes. "Miaomiao is as quick-witted as ever to think of this so fast. That's right, the medicine-man Gu was listed as a forbidden art by mother. Logically, it should never have been leaked to outsiders, yet it still fell into Yun Zihao's hands. Therefore, I suspect it was also Wu Xian who leaked it. The elder beside Yun Zihao is Aunt Luo's senior martial brother, and in all likelihood, he was also sent by him."
"Then what exactly is he trying to do? Help Yun Zihao seize the throne? But when the situation was at such a stalemate before, he never showed up!" Chu Ruoyan furrowed her delicate brows, truly terrified by the medicine-man Gu.
Whenever she thought of her eldest brother's appearance at that time, she wished she could slaughter everyone who used this wicked art!
Yan Zheng wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Yun Lang's face also darkened. "I've thought about this before. If his target was the throne, he would have made his move long ago. Delaying until now, I suspect it's..."
He and Yan Zheng exchanged a glance, both finding confirmation in each other's eyes: "The medicine-man Gu."
Chu Ruoyan couldn't help but take two steps back. Yan Zheng supported her and comforted, "A'Yan, Yun Zihao said that the medicine-man Gu has only succeeded on eldest brother so far, and hasn't spread out for the time being."
"But they've already refined tens of thousands of people, which means they've been searching for a way to successfully create medicine-men!" She suddenly thought of something, her eyes shooting straight toward the shadow guard. "Among the diplomatic mission from the Western Frontier this time, is Wu Xian also present?"
The shadow guard nodded subconsciously, and Chu Ruoyan gasped. "So that's how it is! They are coming for me!"
The crucial step for the medicine-man Gu always failed, so they used the banner of searching for the Holy Maiden, hoping to find a breakthrough from her, a blood relative of the Yun Dynasty!
Yan Zheng's eyes turned extremely cold in an instant. "If that's truly the case, then they are courting death!"
Yun Lang, however, said, "Don't underestimate Wu Xian. Martial arts at their peak can only match a hundred men, but Gu arts can rival ten thousand, not to mention his Gu manipulation skills are far superior to those of Aunt Luo and Meng Ji. If he really is coming for Miaomiao, those people in your imperial palace won't be able to stop him."
Yan Zheng slowly frowned, and Chu Ruoyan suddenly cried out, "Oh no! Second Sister!"
Meng Yang's carrier pigeon message mentioned that Second Sister was pretending to be her as the Empress. If Wu Xian didn't see through the disguise, wouldn't he abduct her back to the Western Frontier?
The Capital, Kunning Palace.
Chu Ruoyin sat on the phoenix throne, trying her best not to show any timidity.
Before long, the Western Frontier envoy arrived.
Unexpectedly, this High Priest was extremely young. With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, he was handsome and graceful. If he hadn't been wearing the unique priest attire of the Western Frontier, one might have mistaken him for a young master from a noble family.
Wu Xian raised his left hand to his forehead in a salute. "Greetings, Holy Maiden."
Chu Ruoyin pressed her hand down and said, "Dispense with the formalities. Grant him a seat."
Two young eunuchs hurriedly brought over a chair. Wu Xian smiled faintly. "Thank you."
The two eunuchs jolted simultaneously. Even though they were castrated men, a flush of red crept over their pale faces.
One said, "He was smiling at me."
The other retorted, "He was smiling at me! Me!"
Just like that, completely disregarding decorum, they began to brawl right there in the hall. Even when the imperial guards rushed in and pinned them to the ground, their eyes were bloodshot, looking as if they wanted to swallow each other alive.
How could Chu Ruoyin have ever seen such a scene? She pinched her palms hard just to barely maintain her composure.
Behind her, Xie Zhizhou let out a cough. Chu Ruoyin hurriedly shouted, "Audacious! How dare you cause trouble in Kunning Palace!"
Wu Xian replied, neither haughty nor humble, "The Holy Maiden misunderstands. It is these two whose wills are weak. This Priest did not make a move."
Chu Ruoyin's face darkened. "Since that is the case, there is nothing left to discuss. See the guest out!"
Xie Zhizhou secretly praised her inside. Courtesy before force, this was the true bearing of the Mother of the Nation.
Wu Xian smiled helplessly and snapped his fingers.
The two young eunuchs finally snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream, staring blankly at each other.
"Holy Maiden, please do not take offense. The Western Frontier comes with the intention of negotiating peace and would not dare to offend you in the slightest." Saying so, Wu Xian ordered someone to present the state credentials. Chu Ruoyin pretended to glance over them before tossing them to Xie Zhizhou.
The latter took a look and cried out in shock, "What? You are willing to cede Hulu Valley and retreat your borders by ten paces? Are you serious?"
Willingly ceding territory without even fighting a war, this was a first.
Wu Xian remained calm and breezy. "Every word in the state credentials is true. Holy Maiden, the religious sects of the Western Frontier have been in internal turmoil for a long time, and armed conflict is about to break out again. That is why this Priest traveled thousands of miles to the capital, to invite you to return with us and stabilize the situation."
Chu Ruoyin truly didn't know how to answer this time. She turned her head to look at Xie Zhizhou, who was actually hesitating. "This... if just making a trip back can be exchanged for so much land..."
Wu Xian added, "If your esteemed country still feels this is not enough, we can even offer up the throne of the Western Frontier. After all, the person on this throne has historically only been the Holy Maiden's husband. If it is given to your Emperor, it wouldn't be considered a breach of the rules."
Xie Zhizhou was extremely tempted by what he heard. Chu Ruoyin remembered what her eldest sister had once said: unequal trades always hold a scam.
Thus, she held herself back and said, "The High Priest exaggerates. As the Mother of the Nation, this Palace no longer has the freedom to roam. This matter needs further deliberation. High Priest, please return."
Wu Xian hesitated slightly, but still gave a bow and left.
After he left, Chu Ruoyin let out a long breath. "Commander Xie, did Ruoyin perform adequately?"
Xie Zhizhou smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Very good, almost indistinguishable from the real thing!"
Chu Ruoyin patted her chest, finally feeling relieved. On the other side, as soon as Wu Xian exited the palace gates, someone came up to greet him.
"How is it? Have you found out?" Wu Xian asked.
The person lowered his voice and said, "Answering my Lord, we've inquired clearly. Back then, the Holy Maiden ended up in the Chu family and was raised to adulthood by the Duke of Chu's estate. It all matches up, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"It's just that at the time, the Duke of Chu also had a daughter of a similar age named Roumin. Rumor has it that to repay the Prince Regent's kindness, he swapped the two children. But your subordinate believes there are many suspicious points in this. What kind of person would sacrifice their own biological daughter? So the specific details still need to be thoroughly investigated."
Wu Xian's gaze darkened. "No matter who it is, we must find the Holy Maiden as soon as possible!"
The key to refining the medicine-men was very likely on her. Only by figuring it out could they cultivate them on a large scale and create an invincible army!
The subordinate complied, then asked curiously, "But if it really is the one in the palace, what if she refuses to return with us?"
A dark glint flashed in Wu Xian's eyes. "Then she can't blame anyone else..."
Early the next morning, inside Kunning Palace.
Chu Ruoyin finished washing and dressing, planning to take a walk in the gardens.
As a result, just as she stepped out, someone covered her mouth and hoisted her over their shoulder.