When Huo Wei learned this piece of news, he knew it was the work of the delicate imperial consort, Sheng Yunqi.
It must have been Sheng Yunqi who told the emperor that taking the golden pills would surely do him good and advised the emperor to guard against him. That was why he was prohibited from entering the inner palace.
Now, as a Taoist priest, Sheng Yunqi could move freely in the harem. He often pulled Du Gu Luanyue along to talk to the emperor about the golden pills, and the two of them met almost every day.
As for him, he could only stay in the front - court area of the palace and was not allowed to set foot in the harem even a single step.
Thinking of this, Huo Wei couldn't help clenching the eight - treasure glazed dagger in his hand.
Shen Guilan entered the study with a medicine basket in hand. He casually sat down and joked,
"The imperial consort has started to use his brain. You, without an official title, are going to suffer a bit."
Huo Wei's sharp eyebrows frowned deeply. He threw the dagger over and said, "Senior Brother, do you still remember this?"
Shen Guilan took the dagger that Huo Wei had worn since childhood. There was a character 'Liu' on it. He nodded and said, "Of course I do. Isn't this the thing your mother left for you?"
Huo Wei said, "Yes, but I think there's something wrong.
I returned to Jinyang City when I was three. In fact, I don't remember anything from those years. All these things were told to me by an old nursemaid later.
My mother's surname was Lu. The surname on this dagger was not her real surname but an alias she used when she sold her paintings. She was quite famous back then. Outsiders only knew this painter as Liu Yin."
Lu Wanyin had loved painting and calligraphy since she was a child. But due to her status, she used an alias to paint and sell her works.
This dagger was given by General Xie Jinyang when he first met Lu Wanyin.
A young and somewhat dull - witted general, when he first gave a gift to the woman he loved, gave her a dagger.
At that time, he didn't know her real name, so he carved the character 'Liu' on it.
There was another identical dagger, but the surname on it was 'Lu'. This was because Xie Jinyang realized his mistake and quickly gave another one. Lu Wanyin had kept both of them well.
Shen Guilan looked at him and said, "I know all this. Why did you suddenly bring this up? What's wrong?"
Huo Wei's voice was a bit low:
"I have a younger brother. The nursemaid told me that I could use this dagger to recognize him. His age is unknown.
But according to the timeline, this younger brother and I have the same mother but different fathers. He is the blood of Murong Min.
However, all this was told by that nursemaid.
Who can prove that the child sent away back then must be the blood of Xie Jinyang and that I must be the elder brother instead of the younger one?"
Hearing this, Shen Guilan's expression suddenly changed:
"According to the emperor's behavior, as soon as the child was born, he must have asked your mother to serve him. The age difference between you and your younger brother must be small, probably only one year.
In this case, only that nursemaid knew. But the nursemaid who raised you died in that bloodshed long ago."
Huo Wei walked over, took the dagger in his hand and observed it carefully:
"Master said I'm the son of Xie Jinyang. But besides Master, who can prove it? Only by finding that half - brother can my identity be proven."
Shen Guilan seemed to understand what Huo Wei meant. He stared at him intently and said,
"You're worried about your bloodline. You're afraid that if you're really Murong Min's son, then there's no such thing as revenge. You'd be killing your own father.
Killing one's father and the emperor is against the law of heaven and is an unforgivable crime."
He paused for a moment and said, "But Master was the military advisor of General Xie Jinyang and raised us since childhood. He wouldn't lie to us. Why do you doubt it?"
Huo Wei leaned back on the wide chair with a gloomy face and said calmly, "I'm not overly suspicious. I just suddenly thought of it."
Shen Guilan was also pondering this matter. Their master had always been urging Huo Wei to take revenge. Was there something abnormal about this?
Why did Huo Wei start to doubt these things? Weren't these things they had firmly believed in since childhood?
...
Fengluan Palace, Northern Yan Palace
Du Gu Luanyue looked at the red pills in the brocade box and shook it:
"Yunqi, we can't increase the dosage of these things anymore. Murong Min's health is deteriorating rapidly. I'm afraid it will arouse suspicion.
Our goal is to strip Murong Min of his power and support the third prince to ascend the throne, not to poison him in Northern Yan.
You should know that if the poisoning of a country's emperor is discovered, not only will we not be able to leave Northern Yan, but a war between the two countries will surely be inevitable."
Sheng Yunqi nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."
After discussing these important matters, Sheng Yunqi wished he could spend some time alone with Du Gu Luanyue. He walked over and took her hand: "Luanyue, I can finally look at you openly."
Du Gu Luanyue looked at him calmly with her jade - like eyes. There was not much emotion in her eyes. She slowly withdrew her hand from his grasp:
"I know everything about how you plotted against Huo Wei. Why did you do that? Huo Wei could move freely in the harem. He could provide some help."
Sheng Yunqi's face darkened: "Luanyue, your relationship with Huo Wei was just a short - lived affair based on calculation and utilization. Don't take it too seriously.
I will whole - heartedly help you complete the plan, and then we'll return to Southern Chu to get married.
Huo Wei is from Northern Yan. He has his own pursuit of power and will not follow you.
If you want to keep a few more male concubines in the harem in the future, it's also a common practice for the female emperor. I won't be petty about it. But Huo Wei, he's out of the question."
Du Gu Luanyue raised her eyes and asked, "Why?"
Sheng Yunqi's thin lips tightened into a sharp line. His eyes were cold: "It's just him. He won't do."
Du Gu Luanyue didn't look at him anymore. She folded her arms and turned to the side:
"Forget about the female emperor. My father is still alive.
Yunqi, we've been childhood sweethearts. But as people grow up, their pursuits and preferences will change. Some things can't be forced."
Sheng Yunqi looked at her back and didn't say anything. Anyway, Du Gu Luanyue would eventually return to Southern Chu. Once she was back in Southern Chu, the emperor and the queen would personally arrange their marriage.
To ensure the smooth progress of the plan, Sheng Yunqi devoted all his efforts to making Murong Min interested in the pursuit of immortality. He added hallucinogenic incense to the incense Murong Min used when meditating.
Murong Min swam in the fairyland every day, mingling with the fairies in the clouds. He didn't feel hungry or sleepy. He seemed to be in a dream all day, which was extremely wonderful.
Du Gu Luanyue would be summoned by Murong Min to the Zichen Palace. She would read out the memorials from the court officials of Northern Yan to him word by word. Then, after the emperor expressed his opinion, the queen would write the imperial approval on his behalf.
Du Gu Luanyue coaxed him to have fun every day. Murong Min trusted her very much. Gradually, it was the queen who sat on the dragon throne in the Zichen Palace more often.
One day, when Murong Min returned from meditating in the side hall, in a daze, he suddenly saw Du Gu Luanyue sitting on his dragon throne like a king.
Her eyes were clear and sharp. She read and approved the memorials in an orderly manner. The way she dipped the ink brush in cinnabar and stamped the imperial seal made him stand there in a daze for a long time.
Murong Min's face instantly turned gloomy. A dangerous look flashed in his deep, imperial eyes.