Chapter 222: Chapter 99 Fiancé_2
Pei Yunmeng turned to her and asked, "Are you not hurt?"
Lu Tong shook her head.
Ever since she returned to Renxin Medical Hall from the Prince’s Mansion, Qingfeng, Pei Yunmeng’s guard, had been following her, waiting for any danger that might arise at any moment. After ten to twenty days of calm, just when even Lu Tong thought that the danger would not come, she encountered an assassin tonight.
It seemed that her visit to the Prince’s Mansion during the day to attend the "Baby Washing Ceremony" had ultimately provoked Meng Xiyang.
That Consort Meng really can’t hold her breath too well.
Qingfeng arrived just in time, and she was not hurt. The capture also went smoothly; she used herself as bait to catch the man, thus giving Pei Yunmeng a significant gift.
The person beside her spoke, "It’s still early, does Doctor Lu want to take a walk?"
Lu Tong came back to her senses and calmly said, "No need, I still have to go back to prepare medicine."
Pei Yunmeng’s footsteps halted.
Lu Tong lifted her eyes to look.
The young man stood in the Shengjing night, bathed in the overflowing and colorful light of the street lamps, appearing exceptionally handsome and distinguished. He fixed his gaze on Lu Tong, and seemed to be deep in thought as he spoke, "Doctor Lu always seems very busy."
Lu Tong remained silent.
The lanterns tied to the rails of the Luoyue Bridge in the distance cast their light onto the water below the bridge, shimmering with a snow-like glint, as if the moon of the fifteenth had shattered and its fragments were scattered upon the rippling river.
On the fifteenth, when she induced labor for Pei Yunshu and later conversed with Pei Yunmeng under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, the moon was fuller than tonight.
That night, she said to Pei Yunmeng, "Marshal, let me give you a gift."
Pei Yunmeng, who was under the tree, looked at her with a smile, "What gift?"
"The ’Child’s Woe’ poison that afflicted the Princess Consort is rare in Shengjing. The poisoner must be hiding within the Wangfu, but now that the matter has been exposed, the other party is prepared. Lord, you may encounter some difficulties in uncovering the one behind this, and the outcome may not be as expected."
That was what she said at the time.
Pei Yunmeng spoke with interest, "Does Doctor Lu have any insights?"
"Lord Pei’s intervention would ensure they dare not act rashly. But since I helped the Princess Consort with the poison and labor, they will surely see me as a thorn in their side, eager to get rid of me quickly. Moreover, I am merely a common girl, a commoner, nothing to fear. With just a little provocation, they are likely to make a move against me. If you could lend me a few men to protect me in secret, perhaps we could catch the person behind this."
After listening to her suggestion, Pei Yunmeng did not comment on her thoughts; he just gave her a look that revealed neither pleasure nor anger, and simply asked, "Doctor Lu seems to have a deep resentment towards the disparity between commoners and the official families."
She replied, "I’m just stating the plain truth."
He then leaned back lightly, nodded with a carefree expression, "It’s a deal."
In the ten to twenty days after returning to the medical hall from the Prince’s Mansion, she sat in the hall preparing medicine each day as usual, with no change from the ordinary, quietly waiting for the danger that might appear at any time. But all was calm with neither sign of the would-be murderer nor sight of the undercover guards arranged by Pei Yunmeng, until today.
She wondered what he had done to Meng Xiyang, who after enduring many days, still couldn’t hold back and attempted to harm her today.
In the days preceding this, she had not seen Pei Yunmeng, nor were there any letters exchanged between them. Today, Qingfeng captured the person; she had just delivered the man to the Patrol House when Pei Yunmeng arrived. There was no need for a private discussion to coordinate their stories, no need to understand each other’s arrangements, clearly, in the past days despite being at odds, exposing and entrapping each other, mutually threatening, in this matter, there was an inexplicable complicity as if they were co-conspirators.
It was a seamlessly coordinated effort.
The moon beneath the Luoyue Bridge was cut into countless glittering pieces by the passing boats, and a voice came to her ears, "What is Doctor Lu thinking about?"
Lu Tong snapped back to reality and looked towards the carriage at the street corner. Qingfeng was standing in front of the carriage, waiting for the two of them.
"I was thinking, it’s time I went back," she said as she moved forward.
Pei Yunmeng nodded, "Shall I escort you?"
"No need. It’s too late, I’d hate to cause a misunderstanding."
Though the shops on West Street had all closed, it would be just their luck to bump into some nearby peddlers. With Pei Yunmeng’s striking appearance, being seen with her at night would certainly give rise to gossip by the next day.
Lu Tong did not wish to invite trouble for herself.
Hearing this, Pei Yunmeng unexpectedly began to smile, "I didn’t expect Doctor Lu to be someone so concerned with her reputation." After a pause, he continued, "In that case, why didn’t you clarify when the Minister of the Imperial Treasury’s wife misunderstood the nature of your relationship with me?"
Lu Tong was taken aback.
The young man raised his eyebrows, calmly waiting for her response.