The result of the autopsy showed that the poison came from a foreign land and was not refined from poisonous herbs or animals within the territory of Northern Yan.
Huo Wei intensified his search. He constantly visited the Imperial Medical Office and pored over medical books. He was determined to find out what the foreign poison was and who had brought it into the palace.
In the deep palace, memories fade quickly. Even the most intense grudges will gradually diminish in the winter winds.
Wei Enxian was completely bedridden in the palace, ignored by everyone. Even Murong Min never came to visit.
It seemed that only Murong Jue's mother, Huo Wei, and Dugu Luanyue still remembered his death. Others had stopped talking about it.
However, the pain in Huo Wei's heart never subsided. He had been at the forefront of the investigation. Wei Enxian had actually noticed all this.
Murong Min doted on the newly promoted concubines. There were five or six of them in total, and it was not uncommon for him to have two or three of them serve him at night.
Dugu Luanyue turned a blind eye and told these women to serve the emperor well.
However, Murong Min did not grant them much power. He had completely entrusted the management of the harem to Dugu Luanyue.
During the day, he even asked her to come to the Zichen Palace to help him with the imperial red - inked edicts. His attitude towards her did not change because of the incident involving Prime Minister Ning. Instead, he trusted her more, but he no longer let her serve him at night.
One day, Dugu Luanyue took off her phoenix robe and put on a light - blue long dress with simple patterns. Her hair was not styled in the elaborate coiffure of the concubines in the palace. Instead, she just tied her black hair up with a blue silk ribbon.
In the past, she had always been dressed in a gaudy and charming way, but in recent days, she had taken a fancy to simple and elegant outfits. When she was free in the Zichen Palace, she would draw wild geese.
Murong Min had just finished talking with Prime Minister Ning in the side hall and then walked over.
Recently, Prime Minister Ning had to be carried into the palace. His back had two broken ribs, but he didn't know who had done it.
However, Murong Min noticed that after he had outmaneuvered Prime Minister Ning, the latter was even more cautious and loyal to him. Prime Minister Ning said that he would spare no effort to investigate the matter of the orphan from Jinyang.
Murong Min looked up and saw a light - blue figure writing and drawing in front of the imperial desk. His expression was obviously stunned, and he seemed to be rooted to the spot.
He staggered over and saw that Dugu Luanyue was painting. It was a vivid painting of a pair of wild geese flying over the vast grassland.
Dugu Luanyue smiled and said, "Your Majesty, does your servant paint well?"
Murong Min's eyes suddenly darkened. He reached out and tightly grabbed Dugu Luanyue's neck. Affected by the hallucinogen, illusions would appear in his mind when he got excited:
"Lu Wanyin, these wild geese. Are they you and Xie Jinyang?"
Dugu Luanyue was pressed against the imperial desk and couldn't breathe. She rolled her eyes and was on the verge of death.
Eunuch Yingxi knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please look clearly. This is the Empress, not Mrs. Lu!"
"Get out! Get out! No one is allowed to come in!" Murong Min roared in a fit of rage and drove all the palace servants out.
It was not until Dugu Luanyue was almost strangled to death that he finally let go.
Dugu Luanyue quickly ran away from the imperial desk, but Murong Min pulled her back and hugged her in his arms. "You can continue painting. I'm not angry anymore. Anyway, you won't see Xie Jinyang in this lifetime."
Dugu Luanyue touched her jade - like neck and asked, "Your Majesty, please take a good look at who your servant is?"
Murong Min hugged her tightly and refused to let go. His voice was filled with some grievances and concessions:
"I wanted you to enter the palace, but you didn't want to. You said you would rather spend your life in a temple than enter the palace with me.
I agreed to all your requests. You can do whatever you want, and I'll grant it.
Xie Jinyang is just a general, while I'm the Son of Heaven. What am I inferior to him? Wanyin, you know that I only want you."
Hearing this, Dugu Luanyue couldn't help but sneer. Murong Min was such a pitiful and sad, yet both heartless and affectionate person. He was really a strange man.
She smiled and said, "Your Majesty is confused. Your servant is the Dugu family, your second empress."
Murong Min immediately let go of her and regained his usual false gentleness.
After that, Murong Min would secretly size her up from time to time. He always felt that the empress was very much like an old acquaintance, but her appearance was completely different.
Maybe it was just his own obsession. Lu Wanyin had been dead for many years.
Not long after, the first winter plum blossom bloomed in the palace.
The news that Dugu Luanyue was the most favored in the harem spread again. She often helped the emperor with the imperial red - inked edicts and was deeply trusted by Emperor Wenhui, Murong Min.
Under the effect of the golden pills, Murong Min often told Dugu Luanyue some of his past events with Lu Wanyin.
Sometimes he would hug her and cry, sometimes laugh. At other times, he would beat her and strangle her neck, looking full of hatred. And then in a moment, he would be full of tenderness. His emotions were extremely split.
On this day, Dugu Luanyue returned to the Fengluan Palace looking exhausted. She said hoarsely:
"Aunt Mei Jiang, Lu Wanyin is indeed Murong Min's obsession. He is almost going crazy for this woman.
Lu Wanyin has been dead for so many years, and Murong Min has had children with so many different women, but he still loves the one he can never have in his lifetime."
Aunt Mei Jiang said, "It seems that your plan to control the emperor in this way has worked.
Now the emperor can hardly do without you. He wants to see you every day and likes to see you in blue clothes. He trusts you very much.
Now in the court, you help the emperor with the imperial red - inked edicts and gradually transfer a lot of real power to Prince Yuzhang's faction. This is a good thing.
However, Your Majesty, this is not a stable situation. Without the support of the Wei family, once you leave Northern Yan, many things will be hard to say.
After all, only when Prince Yuzhang is at the highest position in Northern Yan can he check and balance that foolish emperor."
Dugu Luanyue raised her somewhat gloomy eyes and said, "I know. That's why Huo Wei needs to marry into the Wei family. This is the simplest and fastest way.
If the two military leaders unite and take control of the military power of the whole Northern Yan, Murong Min will be completely emptied of power.
Even if Murong Jue hadn't died, Huo Wei would still need to marry into the Wei family."
Aunt Mei Jiang was a little puzzled. "Why?"
Dugu Luanyue said, "Because after Murong Jue ascended the throne, Huo Wei and the Wei family would no longer be allies but enemies competing for power.
Only if Huo Wei marries a daughter of the Wei family and becomes one of them can we eliminate future troubles once and for all. Maybe he can even command the Wei family. In this way, I can rest assured when I leave."
She needed Huo Wei, but she didn't plan to abandon him after using him. She was planning for Huo Wei's future. After all, Huo Wei had said that he would not go back to Southern Chu with her.
So ensuring that Huo Wei could stay safely in Northern Yan was the last thing she could do for him.
Dugu Luanyue asked Aunt Mei Jiang to convey her intention outside the palace. Within a day, Huo Wei secretly sneaked into the Fengluan Palace.
On that cold and desolate night, Dugu Luanyue returned to the palace with some injuries and saw Huo Wei looking at her angrily.
Huo Wei walked over, grabbed her and pulled her in front of him, pinning her against the wall. His voice suddenly turned cold. "Dugu Luanyue, why do you want me to marry Wei Zhiruo?"