Lin Zhenfan, having taken medicine from the Ghost Valley Master during the day, felt much better that day.
At night, he changed into a night-suit, brought along two hidden guards, and quietly made his way towards the imperial palace from the Duke Lin’s mansion.
Within the imperial palace, in Jinghua Hall, white steam slowly permeated from a large sandalwood bathtub, gently swirling with fragrant rose petals, layered densely, emitting a pleasant aroma.
A graceful figure stood by the sandalwood bathtub, carefully testing the water temperature with her toes. Once she confirmed the temperature, she slowly stepped into the tub.
As she submerged herself into the tub, she let out a comfortable groan. Soon, the bath washed away all her fatigue and worries.
Just as she was about to fall asleep in the bath, a figure approached her from behind. The woman assumed it was her personal maidservant.
Without looking, she asked, “Have the people sent out returned?”
After speaking, the woman waited for a moment but received no response from the person behind her. Thinking her personal maidservant, Shu Qin, hadn't heard her, she spoke again, “Shu Qin, have the people sent out tonight returned?”
The man behind her frowned slightly upon hearing her words and directly asked, “Why did you send people out?”
Hearing this, the woman quickly turned around. Upon seeing Lin Zhenfan standing behind her, she froze for a few seconds.
“Weren't you injured? How did you get into my palace?” the woman asked indifferently.
“Yulan, I’ve been back for several days now, why didn’t you come to see me? It’s truly disheartening,” Lin Zhenfan said in a peculiar tone.
“You have so many confidantes, why would you need me to worry about you?” Concubine Jing raised an eyebrow and said.
“Oh dear, it sounds like you’re jealous,” Lin Zhenfan teased.
“Do I need to be jealous of you?” Concubine Jing replied indifferently.
“Yulan, do you still resent me for not eloping with you back then?” Lin Zhenfan said, a hint of pain slowly creeping into his eyes.
“Let the past be the past. Don’t mention this matter again. Tell me, why have you come to find me?” Concubine Jing’s eyes held something unreadable.
“I need to borrow your Thousand-Year Warm Jade for a few days to heal my internal injuries,” Lin Zhenfan stated frankly.
“You need the Thousand-Year Warm Jade? Are your internal injuries very severe?” Concubine Jing retorted.
“Two years ago, I placed a puppet gu on someone. Unexpectedly, it was easily broken yesterday, and my body suffered a backlash, resulting in internal injuries. Therefore, I wish to borrow your Thousand-Year Warm Jade for a few days to recover,” Lin Zhenfan explained truthfully.
“Unfortunately, my Thousand-Year Warm Jade was borrowed by Xiao'er (the third prince, Prince Ning) over a month ago. If you need the warm jade, go find Xiao’er.”
After saying this, Concubine Jing remained seated indifferently in the bathtub. Her eyes, now filled with complex emotions, were blurred by the faint steam from the water, completely concealing her feelings.
“Xiao’er, why did he take the Thousand-Year Warm Jade? Could he also have internal injuries?” Lin Zhenfan asked.
“His body is fine. As for why he took the Thousand-Year Warm Jade, I’m not entirely sure. You should ask him yourself. However, I suspect he won’t tell you the reason,” Concubine Jing said heartlessly.
“Yulan, I wronged you back then by not keeping my promise to take you away, but Xiao’er should have the right to know his origins,” Lin Zhenfan said sickeningly again.
Hearing this, Concubine Jing was so enraged that she stood up naked from the large bathtub made of sandalwood and yelled at him, “Lin Zhenfan, you were married in Nan Zhao country back then, yet you deceived my feelings! Are you now trying to harm us, mother and son, again? I heard you were willing to kill your own wife and your own daughter (Wen Yuerou). Do you intend to harm us, mother and son, again?”
“Yulan, things are not as you think. I never liked that woman from Nan Zhao. She forced me to marry her back then. My influence was very weak then, and I couldn’t oppose her… I could only comply with her at first. It wasn’t until I met you later that I truly experienced the joys between men and women.”
Lin Zhenfan’s explanation was shamelessly brazen.
In truth, the main reason he had married that woman in Nan Zhao while living incognito was to gain the influence of his father-in-law, Wen Baiqi.
Later, he came into contact with the Remnant Moon Tower through his father-in-law and utilized his father-in-law's position within the Remnant Moon Tower to successfully infiltrate its inner circles, gradually replacing his father-in-law. However, he also faced considerable ostracism from many within the Remnant Moon Tower.
Therefore, he then seduced Ming Yulan, the sister of the then-Venerable Master of the Remnant Moon Tower, making her fall in love with him. However, at that time, Ming Yulan had already been impersonating the legitimate daughter of the Ji family, an official family, by her brother, Ming Jingcheng, to participate in the imperial selection process in the Tianwu Imperial Palace. The objective was to infiltrate the palaces of various countries with the influence of the Remnant Moon Tower.
Unexpectedly, she was soon arranged to be a secondary consort in the residence of the current Emperor when he was still a prince. Yet, she still loved him. Furthermore, the two of them maintained contact in secret, even assisting him in finding ways to break away from the Remnant Moon Tower and establish his own sect, founding the Dark Night Pavilion.
Ming Yulan still fantasized about becoming a bandit queen with him, living a life of bliss together. However, later, at a critical moment, he only chose power.
“Lin Zhenfan, you are truly shameless. I don’t want to see you now. Get out,” Concubine Jing said in a low voice, directly issuing him an order to leave.
“Yulan, do you detest me that much?”
Lin Zhenfan embraced Concubine Jing’s body, still dripping with water. Unexpectedly, Concubine Jing managed to break free from his grasp.
“Get out now!” Concubine Jing pointed towards the door.
Seeing Concubine Jing’s firm stance, Lin Zhenfan could only leave the imperial palace for now and secretly head to Prince Ning’s mansion.
…
Prince Ning’s mansion, study room.
At this moment, Prince Ning, Jun Moxiao, stood with his back to a hidden guard. “Your Highness, just as you predicted, Lin Zhenfan went to Jinghua Hall in the imperial palace.”
“How is my mother?” Prince Ning, Jun Moxiao, asked.
“This… this, Concubine Jing is bathing in the room. It is inconvenient for this subordinate to enter and I do not know what Lin Zhenfan and Concubine Jing said inside.”
“Alright, I understand. You may leave!” Prince Ning, Jun Moxiao, said calmly.
After the hidden guard left, he raised his hand to rub his temples. Ever since he discovered the secret between Lin Zhenfan and his mother a few years ago, he had begun to worry. What would be the consequences if his imperial father discovered this secret between his mother and Lin Zhenfan?
Just as he was lost in thought, an internal eunuch suddenly appeared and knocked on his door.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
“Your Highness, the General of Zhennan requests an audience!” the attendant said respectfully.