"Ouch... it hurts!" Zhong Li blinked her eyes open dazedly, feeling a wave of headache washing over her. The room spun before her eyes.
"You're awake?" A familiar voice sounded by her ear.
Zhong Li followed the source of the voice. Before she could get a clear look at the person, a bowl of medicine with a strong bitter taste was presented before her.
"Mmm... what is this? It smells so bad!" Her voice was hoarse and weary, and if one didn't listen carefully, they might mistake it for her being spoiled.
Lan Heng looked at the medicine bowl in his hand, unable to suppress a chuckle. "I usually see you prescribing medicine for others, and decocting it with such efficiency. I didn't expect you yourself to be afraid of bitterness. Have I discovered your weakness?"
Zhong Li raised her eyes, her gaze meeting the man opposite her. In an instant, a profound sense of disappointment welled up in her eyes.
"I know who you think I am. He's tied up and can't get away, so he asked me to look after you," Lan Heng said, once again bringing the bowl of medicine closer.
Zhong Li said nothing more. She took the bowl from Lan Heng, closed her eyes, and gulped it down in one go.
"Here!" As she put down the bowl, Lan Heng placed a piece of candied fruit into her hand.
Zhong Li looked at the candied fruit, hesitated for a long moment, but ultimately did not eat it.
She looked at Lan Heng and asked, "Where is he?"
Lan Heng was about to say something when Zhong Li added, "Don't try to fool me. I know how I got out."
Lan Heng sighed and recounted everything Lu Wuxie had been doing at the Ministry of Justice.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li, forgetting her lingering weakness, pulled away the blanket covering her and prepared to get out of bed.
"What are you doing?" Lan Heng grabbed her arm and asked.
Zhong Li said, "How can Lu Wuxie go to prison in my stead? If things are like this, wouldn't it play right into those people's hands? Besides, my place is cold and damp, and his่ poison was only recently dispelled in the summer. Wouldn't this be like gambling with his life?"
"Lier, he went with the Emperor's imperial decree. He sought that decree himself. You should understand what that means. Moreover, you've known him for more than a day or two. He must have his own plans for doing this. Your reckless actions will only make him worry more." Lan Heng explained anxiously, fearing that Zhong Li might fall ill again if she acted rashly.
Fortunately, Zhong Li had remained relatively calm, and she had heeded some of Lan Heng's words. She fell silent for a moment, then obediently returned to bed, half-reclining and pulling the blanket over herself.
Seeing her like this, Lan Heng's worried emotions slowly eased. He turned and left the room, returning shortly with a bowl of plain congee.
"Eat something. This will help your body recover faster," he said, bringing the congee closer to Zhong Li.
Zhong Li picked up the congee and ate it slowly. Lan Heng sat by her bed, tucked in the blanket, and then said, "When Lu Wuxie went to the palace, he entrusted me with something."
Zhong Li put down the bowl and asked, "Was it to find the Tao family?"
Lan Heng nodded. He was not at all surprised that Zhong Li could guess this; she was as clever as ever.
"So, what was the result?" she asked.
Lan Heng shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've searched all over Jin City, but the Tao family has vanished as if into thin air. There's no trace of them."
Zhong Li pondered for a moment. She had actually expected Lan Heng to find nothing. After all, this entire situation seemed to be a setup by A Wu. A Wu was so clever and had followed her and Lu Wuxie for so long; naturally, he understood the importance of thoroughness and clean execution.
"What will you do next?" she asked.
Lan Heng sighed. "Lier, to be honest, although I am the Grand Judge of Dali Temple, I have no authority to thoroughly investigate the Qiatel Cao case. My actions are limited."
Zhong Li recalled what Hua Yao had told her on the first day she was imprisoned. This case involved too many people, and Lan Heng's position in Dali Temple had been completely marginalized. If they wanted to continue the investigation, there was only one way now: an underground investigation.
"There's one more thing I think you must know." Lan Heng gazed at her for a long while, seemingly understanding her thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he finally decided to deliver the even worse news to her.
Zhong Li raised her eyes, signaling Lan Heng to continue.
"The Emperor did agree to let the Prince act as surety to get you out of prison. However, you are still under investigation, and A Wu has not yet cleared your name. Therefore, you currently have no official position." Lan Heng said.
Zhong Li seemed to have expected this, and she smiled. "A Wu hates me so much that he'd want my life. How could he possibly clear my name? I had already anticipated not having an official position, but there is no law in Southern Yue Kingdom that prohibits commoners from investigating cases."
Lan Heng glanced at her, not answering immediately. Instead, he walked to the window and pushed it open forcefully.
Zhong Li followed his movements and looked out the window. She saw that her small courtyard, less than a hundred square meters, was filled with Dali Temple personnel, and everyone looked unfamiliar.
Zhong Li thought for a moment and already had an answer. "These are A Wu's men, aren't they?"
Lan Heng nodded. "Yes. The day you were released from the Ministry of Justice, A Wu brought his men and surrounded this courtyard. As for the pretext, I don't think I need to explain it to you."
Zhong Li sneered. What pretext could there be? It was undoubtedly that she was a suspect in the Qiatel Cao case, and this was done to monitor her more effectively.
"However..." Lan Heng looked at Zhong Li's rare look of being flustered and chuckled. "I've made complete preparations."
"What do you mean?"
Lan Heng glanced at the Dali Temple constables monitoring Zhong Li in the courtyard, unaware of their conversation. He carefully closed the window, leaned close to Zhong Li's ear, and told her his plan.
Zhong Li never imagined that in this lifetime, she would get to be a noble lady while wearing Hua Yao's face. According to Lan Heng's plan, she waited until her body had recovered somewhat and then swapped identities with Hua Yao. Now, Hua Yao was living in the separate residence, being monitored by A Wu's subordinates, while Zhong Li was heading straight for the imperial palace in a carriage.
"Miss, we've arrived." Hua Yao's coachman, unaware of any deception, spoke to Zhong Li inside.
Zhong Li imitated Hua Yao's demeanor as she alighted the carriage. She gave the coachman a few instructions and, led by Eunuch Hua, headed directly into the palace. Eunuch Hua, naturally aware of Zhong Li's true identity, led her past the Empress's spies within the palace and through a seldom-trafficked corridor, finally arriving at a secluded separate residence within the palace.
"Lord Zhong," Eunuch Hua bowed to Zhong Li. "Please enter. His Majesty has been waiting inside for a long time."
Saying this, Eunuch Hua pushed open the door to the separate residence. With a creak of rotting wood, Zhong Li saw the situation within the courtyard. Overgrown vegetation and fallen leaves greeted the cold wind. Only a small palace appeared relatively clean from the outside. This place was only slightly better than the cold palace where Consort Rong resided.
She glanced at Eunuch Hua, who kept his eyes downcast, and without hesitation, pushed the door open and entered.
"Young Minister Zhong has arrived?" As she stepped half into the hall, before she could get a clear look at the interior, a voice from the opposite side caught Zhong Li's attention. She followed the sound and saw Lu Jing'an sitting in a grand armchair not far away, holding something that looked like a memorial in one hand and resting his forehead with the other, lost in thought.