Early the next morning, Jing Chen sent someone to invite Zhu Qingjue.
Zhu Qingjue learned that he had dreamt of some scenes last night but did not ask about the content. He only had him describe the discomfort in his body. She took the opportunity to remove a few herbs from the original prescription and gave him a bottle of Clear Heart Pills.
"This is a pill I specially refined for you. If you have a dream in the future, take three pills when you wake up. It can relieve your headache."
"Many thanks." Jing Chen took it and opened it in front of him. He sniffed it. He had some knowledge of medicine and could distinguish the smell of mint and camphor.
Before Zhu Qingjue left, she did not forget to tell him, "I will go to the palace to report. His Majesty may summon you to the palace for questioning."
After seeing Zhu Qingjue off, Jing Chen returned to his room and took out the portrait he had drawn last night. Looking at it again during the day, he still felt that this person was unfamiliar. If the scene in the dream had not been so real, he would have suspected that this person was a figment of his imagination.
After thinking about it, he made another copy of the portrait. Then, without waiting for the Emperor to summon him, he went to the palace to present this portrait.
With Zhu Qingjue there, he could not hide it from Emperor Zhao Qing. Furthermore, he sensed that Emperor Zhao Qing was impatient. If there was no progress, it was hard to guarantee that he would not turn to Yu Shu.
.....
As soon as Zhu Qingjue left Chengming Hall, Jing Chen entered the palace.
Emperor Zhao Qing listened to Jing Chen describe the scene in his dream and saw him draw a portrait. He was clearly very happy and did not force Jing Chen to stay in the palace. He let him go that day.
Then, he urgently ordered someone to bring him to the palace so that they could discuss what to do next.
It was still early after Jing Chen left the palace. He did not return to the Princess' manor but instead went to Yu Shu's manor on Baochang Street.
It was dusk and the sun was setting. There were a few sedans and carriages parked outside the gate. Jing Chen dismounted and walked. As soon as he arrived at the gate, he saw a servant blocking the gate. He waved an invitation in his hand and smiled obsequiously at an old man at the gate.
"Old Uncle, our master has already come three times. Please make an exception. Even if you don't want to accept our gifts, please pass on a message. No matter if it's tomorrow or the day after, as long as our master can see Official Yu, you can take this bit of money to drink."
Another servant looked at him in disdain, "You've only been here three times. My master has been waiting every day at this hour for half a month, and he hasn't even seen you. You, you'd better wait at the back."
Due to the commotion in front of the door, the imperial bodyguard from the princess's estate quickened his pace and ran in front of Jing Chen to call for him. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, "Is Official Yu in the estate?", he was pushed aside by several people in front of him.
"First come, first served. Do you know the rules?"
The servant's face darkened. He grabbed the saber at his waist and scolded in a deep voice, "How dare you. The Right Commander is here. Get out of the way."
The servant was startled by him and turned his head in a daze. He saw Jing Chen behind him. Although they didn't recognize him, they could tell from his clothes that he was of noble status. They reacted in time and spread out to the sides.
Jing Chen frowned slightly and passed them. Before the servant could speak again, he said to the old man at the gate, "Please inform the master that Jing Chen has come to see him."
Coincidentally, the gatekeeper recognized Jing Chen. Previously, when the new residence was under renovation, Jing Chen had followed Yu Shu here once and finally entered the door. Thus, he did not treat him the same way and politely nodded and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm sorry.
"Sir, please wait a moment."
After that, he called for a servant boy at the gate and asked him to go inside to pass the message.
.....
Yu Shu had a rest today and stayed at home for the whole day. She said that she would not see guests. Tomorrow was the day of her evaluation, so she had to make some preparations.
She was quite surprised to hear that Jing Chen was here. She also had something to say to Jing Chen, so she asked Xin'er to go out and pick him up. She didn't lead him to the living room or the flower hall, but directly to the north wing.
Jing Chen waited outside the door for more than a minute before someone came out to lead the way.
Xin'er took him to the shortcut and passed through the big garden.
It was the first time that Jing Chen came here after the renovation of the residence. The previous time didn't count. Yu Shu didn't invite him to the wedding banquet. At this time, walking in the garden, his eyes were filled with green mountains and clear waters. The beautiful grass was fragrant and beautiful. Occasionally, a pair of white cranes would glide over his head and sing happily, making him feel relaxed and happy.
Although Jing Chen had something on his mind, he couldn't help but be touched by the plants and animals in the garden. He recalled his time in the mountains. When he saw Yu Shu, he praised,
"The garden is very beautiful."
Yu Shu temporarily forgot about the entanglement and said proudly, "Of course, I have tried my best to clean it up. How can it not be beautiful?"
Seeing that she was happy, Jing Chen thought about it and praised again, "Excellent Fengshui."
Yu Shu smiled and said, "Then I have to thank my master."
Jing Chen wanted to chat with her for a bit, but he couldn't find the right topic. He tried a few times to no avail, so he could only talk about business with her. "Not long ago, the Emperor appointed the Imperial Hospital's Drug Judge, Zhu Qingjue, to treat me. I drank his medicine and had a dream last night. I dreamed that I was plotted against in Jianye City."
Yu Shu had dismissed the others when he came in. Hearing this, she was very surprised and asked him hurriedly,
"You remember everything?"
Jing Chen shook his head, "No, I just remember some fragments, such as how I fell into the hands of others." As he said this, he told her the story of him wandering in Jianye City and being drugged in his food.
"When I woke up from my coma, it seemed that I was imprisoned in a carriage. At that time, I had probably been buried by silver needles in my acupoints, so I lost all my martial strength and couldn't escape. But I heard someone talking outside, and I saw a person's appearance through the crack of the door."
"Who was it?" Yu Shu lowered her voice. She was a little nervous and excited. If the person Jing Chen saw was Duke Xiang, then it would confirm their previous suspicions of Duke Xiang. At the same time, they would be able to confirm the person who wanted to kill her.
"I don't know."
Yu Shu let out a breath and asked again, "And then?"
"Nothing, then I woke up."
"… That's it?" Yu Shu was disappointed.
"I drew that person's appearance. Do you want to see?"
Yu Shu's eyes suddenly lit up, "Let me see."
With a portrait, it would be much easier. When the time came, with the imperial notice, criminals would be listed all over the world, and they would be able to find this group of thieves.
Jing Chen took out the portrait that he had copied earlier. Before he could open the four corners, Yu Shu stretched out her hand and pulled it over. As she shook it off, she said,
As she shook it off, she said, "Didn't you hear their conversation? What did they say?"
Then she looked down at the portrait on the paper. At first glance, she felt that it was a little familiar. Jing Chen's painting was not abstract, not as vivid as modern sketches, but it was more realistic. In addition, this person had a very unique appearance. If someone knew him, they would definitely associate Jing Chen's portrait with a real person.
"Tsk, it seems like I've seen it somewhere before." She muttered to herself, then she heard Jing Chen whisper.
"Young Master, let's rest for a while before continuing."
"What?"
"It's what the person in the painting said. He said, 'Young Master, let's rest for a while before continuing.'"
Yu Shu was stunned. Something flashed in her mind. She brought the portrait closer to her face and stared at the face. Slowly, her eyes widened, and there was a scream in her heart.
It's him, how could it be him!?
Jing Chen saw that her eyes were about to pop out, so he asked, "Do you know him?"
"I don't know him." Yu Shu blurted out. Afraid that Jing Chen would suspect something, she quickly added, "He looks a little familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen him."
Jing Chen said, "It doesn't matter. I've already presented this portrait to the emperor. I believe he will soon send someone to find this person's whereabouts."
Yu Shu was speechless.
"You gave the portrait to the emperor?"
"Yes," Jing Chen saw that her expression wasn't right. He thought that this wasn't appropriate, so he explained to her, "Zhu Qingjue of the Imperial Hospital knows my body like the back of his hand. He went to the palace to report, so I couldn't hide it even if I wanted to. With this portrait, the emperor won't think of making things difficult for you for a while. "
Yu Shu squeezed out a smile and said to him, "Thank you for thinking of me. Do you still have any use for this portrait? Can you leave it for me?"
It was rare for Jing Chen to get a good expression from her. Not to mention one portrait, even if she asked him to draw one hundred more, he would be willing.
"You keep it. It's fine as long as you don't lose it."
With the portrait in hand, Yu Shu immediately stood up to send him off, "Tomorrow is my assessment. I'm not ready yet. You can go back."
She originally wanted to say something to him, but she didn't have the mood to do so now.
She called for a maid to send Jing Chen away. Yu Shu closed the door and turned her head with a heavy expression. She held the portrait that Jing Chen left behind and looked at it several times. Finally, she confirmed that she didn't recognize the wrong person.
She had seen this person before.
If she remembered correctly, he was a steward in Prime Minister Xue's Mansion. His surname was Xu.
In May of last year, in Yiyang City, she was still a worthless burden. The Ji family caught Yu Xiaoxiu to threaten her. They used her fate as an excuse. They wanted her to replace Ji Xingxuan, who had a precious fate, to marry the eldest young master of the Xue family. The Xue family sent people from the capital to the physiognomy, and the leader was this Governor Xu.
If it weren't for the words "eldest young master" that Jing Chen learned, she wouldn't have remembered who this person was.
Yu Shu anxiously walked back and forth in the room. She calculated the time. When Jing Chen was killed in the south, this Governor Xu stayed in the south. It just matched.
In that case, the person who inserted the silver needles into Jing Chen's acupoints and the person who went to the River of Abandonment was the Xue Clan's Chief Steward. It could be imagined who had instructed him to do so. Could it be that the Xue Clan wanted to rebel?
What to do? What to do? Jing Chen has handed the portrait to the emperor. They can't get it back even if they want to. Once they arrest people, the Xue family will be the first to bear the brunt.
Wouldn't Xue Rui suffer a calamity!?
Yu Shu's heart burned with anxiety, and she utterly didn't have the mood to doubt if Xue Rui would be on the same side as the thief that poisoned Jing Chen.
Miss, dinner is here. Where is it? Yun Dou knocked on the door.
Yu Shu woke up with a start. She hastily folded the portrait and put it in her arms. She opened the door and strode out: I want to go out. Ask someone to bring my horse!
No, she had to inform Xue Rui as soon as possible. She couldn't let him sit and wait for death.
This was a heinous crime related to rebellion. Once the emperor found out that it was related to the Xue family, he would not be lenient.
Yu Shu could almost foresee that this portrait would bring an unprecedented disaster to the Xue family, who had great power in the court.
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