Ch. 1571..1580
Chapter 1571: Princess 1570 Poisoned Chapter 1571: Princess 1570 Poisoned After dealing with the morning’s matters, Tan Rou lay down to sleep in the air-conditioned room. She had planned to sleep until she woke up naturally, but while she was still dreaming, she suddenly heard a commotion outside.
“What’s going on?” Tan Rou irritably threw off the quilt, “Why have I been unable to sleep properly these past few days? As soon as I fall asleep, someone inevitably wakes me up. This morning, it was Mrs. Hai Wei and her family, and now who is it?”
“Thump thump thump—thump thump thump—” The urgent knocking startled Tan Rou. “Miss Rou, have you woken up?”
Tan Rou replied in an exasperated tone, “Even if I hadn’t woken up, your knocking would have done the job.”
The maid said anxiously, “Please come out and take a look, the princess has been injured.”
Tan Rou sprang up from the bed and dashed to the door, “What happened? How did she get injured? How did the people accompanying her protect her?”
The maid replied with a sense of grievance, “The princess didn’t let anyone follow her. She went out alone this time, and no one knows where she went.”
Tan Rou asked, “Where is she? Where is she now?”
The maid answered, “The princess is in her room. She has fallen into a coma, and the doctors are also there; they say the princess has been poisoned.”
“Ah?” Tan Rou was dumbfounded. Samiyi had only gone to fetch something. How could she have been poisoned?
She quickly went to Samiyi’s room and found it full of people. Several maids who always followed Samiyi were crying at the bedside, as if Samiyi had already passed away.
“What are you all crying about?” Tan Rou said angrily, “The princess is not dead yet!”
Those maids were startled by her and really stopped crying.
Tan Rou pushed her way to the front. A doctor was examining Samiyi’s body, shaking his head as he did so, “I’ve never seen such an odd poison. The toxin has spread throughout the princess’s body, and she will soon lose her life.”
Samiyi’s face was turning purple, a sign of poisoning indeed, but the doctor didn’t know what poison it was because their country didn’t have this toxin in its poisons.
“Do not speak like that while she is still alive,” Tan Rou, who had seen her fair share of poisons and cured many, would not give up easily until the very last moment.
“Make way for me, let me take a look at the princess,” said Tan Rou.
The doctor quickly stepped aside, and Tan Rou placed her hand on Samiyi’s wrist, then lifted her eyelid to check, finally pulling out a very thin needle and pricking Samiyi’s fingertip.
“How strange,” murmured Tan Rou.
The doctor asked, “Miss Rou, what’s so strange?”
“This poison indeed has no cure in your country, but in ours, any old doctor could neutralize it,” Tan Rou stated.
“Really? Are the doctors in your country all that skilled?” The doctor asked in surprise.
“No,” Tan Rou responded, “It’s mainly because the poison originates from our country, and it is a special plant. Both its leaves and roots are poisonous. If taken separately, they could kill, but if the leaves and roots are ingested together, not only will there be no ill effects, but they will also enhance one’s health.”
“What a miraculous plant,” the doctor marveled.
“Now is not the time to marvel at miraculous plants; we must hurry to detoxify the princess. If we delay too much, the princess may indeed lose her life,” said Tan Rou.
The doctor came to his senses and they immediately said, “Miss Rou, we will follow your orders. You are the chief physician today.”
Tan Rou instructed, “Send someone to bring the medicine chest from His Majesty the King. It contains the herbs I need, but only trustworthy people can move it. I don’t trust others.”
The doctor replied, “Alright, I will personally take a few doctors to move it.”
These were royal doctors, all of whom were extremely loyal to the royal family. If they couldn’t be trusted, then there were no trustworthy doctors in the country.
“Good,” Tan Rou emphasized, “Be very careful when you move it. Don’t damage anything inside.”
Chapter 1572: 1571 Injury Cause Chapter 1572: 1571 Injury Cause The princess’s treatment began quickly, as the poison wasn’t from this country, which was why the local doctors believed the princess was doomed. However, Tan Rou had studied pharmacology and had encountered this type of plant before. Though she had never used it to craft medicines, she had indeed kept some samples in her box.
Once it was clear what poison it was, it became much easier to treat it properly. After a series of treatments, Samiyi’s vital signs had returned. She hadn’t woken up yet, though—it was estimated it would take some time before she could awaken.
Tan Rou said, “Take good care of her here. During this period, don’t feed her anything. If she wakes up, try to get her to drink more water to flush out the remaining toxins from her body.”
The maids did as she instructed.
At that moment, the doctor assisting Tan Rou curiously asked, “Miss Rou, what medicine did you use? Why do I feel like you just gave the princess a few injections, and then she was out of danger?”
Tan Rou flashed a mysterious smile. “This is a secret of our nation. I cannot reveal it, otherwise, I would be in trouble.”
The doctor dared not inquire further, “Alright, alright, I will definitely keep your secret.”
Tan Rou thought to herself that she hadn’t even revealed anything yet—what secret was there to keep?
Not long after the treatment concluded, Laka hurried over. As he entered, he shouted, “Aunt, Aunt!”
Tan Rou’s ears were nearly deafened by his loud voice. She scolded, “Prince Laka, don’t you have any common sense? You shouldn’t yell like that in a patient’s room.”
Laka covered his mouth, “I’m sorry, I was too excited.”
Tan Rou could understand Laka’s feelings, “Yes, I know you’re very concerned about the princess’s condition, but she needs rest now. If you want to see her, wait until she wakes up.”
Laka stubbornly said, “I want to wait here until Aunt wakes up.”
Suddenly, Tan Rou thought of His Majesty the King, who was still lying in bed. When the King had been ill, Laka hadn’t insisted on staying by his side until he woke up. The poor King seemed not very favored by his son; it appeared that the Prince was fonder of his aunt.
Samiyi’s condition was much better than the King’s. About an hour later, she woke up, and her first words were, “An assassin.”
Then she realized she was no longer on the street, “How come I am here?”
“I don’t know,” was the first thing Tan Rou said when she came to check on her and found she was alright. “By the time I was notified, you were already lying here, nearly dead.”
Samiyi spoke weakly, “Someone tried to kill me.”
“Clearly,” Tan Rou said. “You have a very small wound on your body. The wound itself isn’t fatal, but the poison that entered from that wound is extremely deadly. If you were half an hour later, your royal family might have needed to prepare another grave.” Since there were no outsiders around, Tan Rou didn’t need to mince her words.
Samiyi smiled and said, “Thank you, you saved my life again.”
“It’s nothing,” Tan Rou asked, “But tell me, why were you injured? Didn’t you have guards with you?”
“No,” Samiyi said. “Uncle Faler told me to retrieve a list, and I thought I would be back soon, so I didn’t take guards with me. Besides, guards are very conspicuous, and if I had gone with them, we surely would have been noticed.”
“But you were noticed anyway,” Tan Rou said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been injured.”
“It was a very strange incident,” Samiyi said seriously. “I was walking on the street when suddenly someone rushed over. His clothes were ragged and his face was covered by hair. I thought he was a beggar coming to ask for alms, but instead, he attacked me with a sharp spike. I tried to dodge, but he still stabbed my arm.”
“How would a beggar have that kind of poison?” Tan Rou didn’t understand. “That poison actually comes from my country, and even there, not everyone can recognize it.”
Samiyi didn’t know why the beggar would attack her, “After I was injured, I ran outside and finally collapsed in front of the palace gates before fainting.”
“That explains why the poison spread so quickly; it was because you ran,” Tan Rou said.
Chapter 1573: 1573 is missing Chapter 1573: 1573 is missing Samiyi still didn’t want to doubt Faler, she said, “Give me a little more time, I’ll call and ask him.”
Tan Rou revealed a harsh reality, “Samiyi, your phone has been on the nightstand the whole time, and I even glanced at it just now. Since you’ve been unconscious, there’s been no sign of incoming calls on your phone screen. Hasn’t the time of your appointment with him already passed? If he really wanted to contact you, he would have called by now.”
Samiyi was gradually starting to believe Tan Rou’s words, but she still wanted to struggle a bit more, “Let’s wait a little longer, I want to see him in person.”
Tan Rou thought, if it was really Faler who wanted to assassinate Samiyi, then Samiyi probably wouldn’t be able to find Faler now.
Samiyi was an impatient person. She was still lying in bed in the morning, and by the afternoon, she insisted on getting up to walk. Moreover, she demanded to see Faler, and no matter how much Tan Rou tried to stop her, she wouldn’t listen.
Unable to dissuade this stubborn princess, Tan Rou had a lightweight wheelchair brought for her so she could get around while sitting in it.
This time, Tan Rou didn’t dare to take Samiyi out alone; she found several strong and agile guards to accompany them. In case of danger, these guards could protect Samiyi’s safety. Tan Rou herself didn’t need the protection of the guards—she could take on ten people by herself.
Standing once more in front of the small courtyard’s gate, Tan Rou carefully observed the surroundings and noticed that this house was different from others: its door was smaller than average house doors. There was a round plaque hanging on it with engravings that Tan Rou couldn’t understand, looking somewhat like a sea urchin.
Samiyi had the guard knock on the door, who initially used little force, but since no one inside responded to open it, he gradually increased his strength.
“Your uncle’s ears are really getting worse,” Tan Rou said. “I feel like the door’s about to be knocked down, yet he still doesn’t hear it.”
Samiyi had an ominous feeling and immediately said, “Don’t knock anymore, just kick the door down.”
Upon Samiyi’s order, the guards began to ram the door. The noise disturbed the next-door neighbor, and a middle-aged woman holding a long stick emerged, cursing as she came out, “What madness is this? Why are you tearing down someone’s gate? Don’t you believe I’ll call the police on you?”
Samiyi glanced at her, then continued to order them to break down the door. Seeing Samiyi’s attire, the middle-aged woman sensed that she wasn’t someone easy to provoke and thus changed her tone of voice.
“Miss, I don’t know how the old man inside has offended you,” the woman asked. “Why are you tearing down his door?”
Samiyi said, “I have something of mine with him. Now that I’ve asked him to hand it over, he doesn’t want to. I have no choice but to use force.”
The middle-aged woman replied, “Miss, then you might not be able to find him, because he left last night.”
Samiyi was taken aback, “What do you mean?”
The woman explained, “After 7:30 last night, someone sent a car to pick him up. I asked where he was going, and he said his relatives had come to pick him up. He needed to go stay with them for a while. Oh dear, I wonder if he left to avoid debts?”
Samiyi clenched her fists and commanded, “Tear the door down for me!”
The guards immediately went to find tools to dismantle the door.
Seeing the commotion, the middle-aged woman didn’t dare to say anything further, “Well, you all continue. I’ve still got soup simmering in the pot at home, I’m heading back.” With that, she hastily returned to her house.
The guards were efficient; they couldn’t pick locks, but they knew how to break down doors—a few moments and they had the door dismantled.
After they opened the door, Tan Rou wheeled Samiyi inside and saw that all the items in the courtyard were still there, with two teacups set out on a table. The main house’s door was shut, and the curtains were drawn. It seemed as though the owner had arranged everything before leaving.
The guards called out, “Is anyone inside? If so, come out for a moment.”
“Don’t bother yelling,” said Samiyi. “The person inside has already left.”
Tan Rou suddenly asked, “When did he notify you to come and collect the items?”
Samiyi answered, “He only told me this morning, and he instructed me to hurry over. If I took too long, he wouldn’t give me the items.”
Chapter 1574: 1572 Suspected (Previous chapter was missed, hereby supplementing) Chapter 1574: 1572 Suspected (Previous chapter was missed, hereby supplementing) “I hurried back because I was worried about encountering danger outside,” Samiyi didn’t know she had been poisoned, “I just felt uncomfortable in my heart, and soon my head began to spin.”
“Mm,” Tan Rou nodded, “You can’t be blamed for this. You didn’t bring guards with you; you must have been very scared.”
“Aunt, do you know who wants to harm you?” Laka asked.
“With resignation, Samiyi said, “Laka, there are many in this country who wish me dead. The people living in poverty wish the royal family would all die, the nobles who crave benefits wish me dead, and those contenders for the throne who know the inside story wish me dead, even more, for if I die, they can obtain more benefits.”
“Then it must be Busodi who did this. He must have found out you went out alone and wanted someone to kill you so he could inherit the throne,” Laka said with certainty, “I’m going to confront him right now!”
“Don’t confront him without evidence,” Samiyi stopped Laka from going to Busodi, “Confronting him now would only raise his guard, and it will become very difficult for us to catch him later.”
“So you’re just going to let him poison you?” Laka said angrily, “He failed this time, but what about the next time? What if Miss Rou hadn’t been there to treat you in time?”
Samiyi, her head aching from Laka’s clamor, said, “Laka, calm down a bit, my head hurts.”
Tan Rou didn’t want Laka to continue arguing there either, she said, “Prince Laka, please go out for now. The Princess needs to rest a bit more. And I need to change the Princess’s dressing; it’s not too convenient for you to stay here.”
Samiyi also said, “Laka, go attend to the state affairs. I can’t go to the office right now, so I’m entrusting the affairs to you. If you’re unsure how to handle it, leave some matters there until I’m able to deal with them.”
Although Laka didn’t want to leave, he left for the sake of the bigger picture, “Aunt, rest well. I’ll come to see you after I’ve handled the state affairs.”
Once Laka had left, Samiyi called the maids out of the room—now it was just the two of them.
“Do you have something you want to tell me?” Samiyi asked.
Tan Rou spoke directly, “The reason you got hurt is not so simple, and I don’t think Prince Busodi did it.”
“Right, I never suspected Busodi,” Samiyi agreed. “Busodi is very proud; he definitely wouldn’t do such a despicable thing. And he’s currently in solitary confinement; he probably doesn’t have the energy to focus on me.”
“Knowing in advance that you were going out alone, arranging an assassin on your route, and preparing the poison – this must have been done by someone familiar with you,” Tan Rou said.
Samiyi was reluctant to suspect those around her, “Few people knew I was going out, not even my maids knew where I was going; how could anyone else know? I don’t want to suspect them, but there might truly be a spy among us.”
“There is definitely a spy around you; you just haven’t discovered them.” Tan Rou wasn’t addressing the issue of the spy; what she wanted to talk about was the attempt on Samiyi’s life today, “Samiyi, haven’t you ever suspected that person?”
“Who?” Samiyi hadn’t caught on to whom Tan Rou was referring, “Is there someone else?”
“Someone you trust very much,” Tan Rou said. “Think about it, who asked you to go there? And despite being able to send someone else to retrieve the list, he still made you go alone; why is that?”
Samiyi’s expression changed, “I… I don’t want to suspect him.”
“There can’t be many who knew when you’d leave, which route you’d take, and that you would be going alone, right?” Tan Rou said.
“Uncle Faler could never harm me; he’s my own uncle,” Samiyi said, distressed.
“If he’s your own uncle, then why did he sever ties with the royal family?” Tan Rou, an outsider, saw things more clearly, “Samiyi, you can’t be sure whether he is truly on your side or someone else’s.”
Chapter 1575: Search 1574 Chapter 1575: Search 1574 “It looks like he had been plotting this for a while,” Tan Rou analyzed, “He asked you to come here to retrieve something, but in reality, he left last night. You wouldn’t have gotten anything even if you safely made it here. And I think the enemy wouldn’t just have an ambush set up in one place—they likely have people arranged all around the area, ready to strike as soon as someone gets their hands on the object.”
Samiyi couldn’t understand why Faler would do such a thing. “He had already promised to give me the list he had in his possession, so why deceive me? If it really was him who sent someone to kill me, what kind of feelings should I face him with in the future?”
Tan Rou found it amusing. Even at this stage, Samiyi was still thinking about how she would confront Faler in the future; she didn’t actually believe Faler would meet her, did she?
Maybe Faler had already left the country. But she decided not to share this thought with Samiyi to avoid causing her any excessive grief that might make her faint.
“Let’s head back,” suggested Tan Rou, “He’s already left this place, and even if we stay here, we won’t be able to meet him.”
“No,” Samiyi hadn’t forgotten the reason for her visit. She instructed the guards, “Search this place, and if you find any file folders with names on them, bring them to me. I need them.”
Tan Rou knew Samiyi wanted to find the list, but since Faler had already left, he must have had no intention of handing anything over to Samiyi. Perhaps he’d already destroyed the list.
“Alright, let’s look around here then,” Tan Rou said, “If we can’t find it, we’ll go back—you’re still not fully recovered and can’t keep staying here.”
Samiyi replied wearily, “Rou, I’m causing you trouble.”
“It’s no big deal; this is just a small thing for me,” Tan Rou responded.
The guards searched the house inside and out, even checking inside the flowerpots, but they found no file folders with names.
“Your Highness Princess, we haven’t found what you’re looking for,” a guard reported, “The walls haven’t been taken apart, should we continue searching?”
“No need,” Samiyi waved her hand, “You all can go outside.”
After the guards had left, Samiyi slowly stood up from the wheelchair and scanned the house with a cold smirk, “I have always respected him because he’s my uncle. That’s why I’ve been sending him gifts every year and I’ve even persuaded my brother to give him back his fief. But I never thought he would do this.”
“People’s hearts can change,” Tan Rou said, “He’s been gone from the palace for so many years, no one knows what he’s experienced during that time, nor can anyone be sure he’s still the same as he was.”
“Very well,” Samiyi spoke calmly, “Since Uncle Faler has no regard for familial ties, I see no need to show him courtesy any longer. From now on, Faler will be considered a criminal to the royal family, and I will issue a warrant for his arrest. I hope that when I see him again, he will still be alive.”
“Should we leave now?” The place was rather hot, and Tan Rou didn’t want to stay any longer.
Samiyi settled back into the wheelchair, “Yes, let’s go.”
As they left the premises, they discovered a crowd of onlookers likely attracted by the earlier commotion.
The guards cleared a path for Samiyi, and the spectators, guessing that the woman in the wheelchair was not someone to be trifled with, quickly made way.
Tan Rou, walking at the rear, glimpsed someone familiar in the crowd.
The young girl Ina was amongst the crowd, trying to get a view inside the house by jumping up because she wasn’t tall enough.
She couldn’t let Ina see Samiyi. That was Tan Rou’s only thought.
She quickly moved in front of Ina and addressed her amongst the crowd, “Ina, what are you doing here?”
Ina’s attention was diverted by Tan Rou, and she responded, “I was just out playing when I saw lots of people gathered here, so I wanted to see what was happening.”
“Is that so,” Tan Rou deliberately changed the subject, “Where were you this morning? We didn’t see you when we woke up. Also, were those needle marks on Mia’s body given by you?”
Ina replied, “Ina just wanted that sister to sleep for a while. Did Ina do something wrong?”
Chapter 1576: 1575 and Ina go shopping Chapter 1576: 1575 and Ina go shopping Tan Rou didn’t want to judge whether Ina was right or wrong, and even if she asked Ina why she did it, Ina wouldn’t answer her.
“Nothing, I was just asking casually.” Tan Rou turned back to glance at the crowd and saw Samiyi looking this way.
Samiyi also noticed Ina, so she immediately had someone drive the car away.
Tan Rou breathed a sigh of relief. If Ina had really seen Samiyi, it would have been hard to explain.
“Pretty big sister, what are you doing here?” Ina asked.
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Like you, I came to watch the excitement, but now it seems that the source of the excitement has left, so we should leave too.”
Ina said, “Big sister, I think that person just now looked a bit familiar, like…”
“Familiar?” Tan Rou interrupted, “Maybe you’ve seen her somewhere before. Oh, never mind her. It’s rare for us to meet during the day, so let me take you for some delicious food.”
Indeed, since she had known Ina, every meeting had been at night. This really was their first daytime meeting.
“Okay, Ina loves delicious food the most.” Ina said very happily.
Tan Rou relaxed a bit, “Then let’s go.” She led Ina away while sending a message to Samiyi, telling her to head back to the palace quickly and not to wait outside.
Besides, Tan Rou still had an important matter to attend to tonight and probably wouldn’t go back.
Walking on the road, Ina took the initiative to speak to Tan Rou, “Pretty big sister, what color do you like?”
Tan Rou answered, “Blue and white are both fine.”
“Ina likes red, a very beautiful red,” Ina said. “Just like the color of the sun.”
Tan Rou laughed, “Isn’t the sun golden?”
“No, the sun is red,” Ina described. “Every evening, Ina sits high up and watches the sun. At that time, it is red, just like blood.”
Tan Rou didn’t like this description and corrected, “Maybe it’s more like a red apple then.”
“No,” Ina insisted, “It’s the color of blood.”
Tan Rou didn’t correct her further. Since she thought the sun was like blood, so be it. But Tan Rou found Ina’s preference curious. As a member of the Dawn Society, shouldn’t they think that the morning sun was the most beautiful?
Ina, why would she think the evening sun was the most beautiful? And also the way Ina described the color of the sun, it felt unusual for anyone to describe the sunset that way.
“Pretty big sister, do you like good people or bad people?” Ina seemed to have endless questions.
Tan Rou found this question even stranger. Why would anyone like bad people? Oh, unless the person being asked was also a bad person.
“I like good people,” Tan Rou said. “Normal people would like good people.”
“What if you, Sister Tan Rou, meet a bad person?” Ina asked, seeming eager for the answer. “Big sister, I want to hear your most genuine thoughts.”
Tan Rou felt Ina was a bit different. She was asking questions beyond her age. But for Ina’s question, Tan Rou still responded.
“If I meet bad people, I’ll call the police to catch them. If that doesn’t work, I’ll take other measures to teach them a lesson.”
“This morning, I read a fairy tale. The story had a very very bad person who kept causing trouble and even killed many people, but he never directly participated in the killings, so in the end, the police couldn’t catch him.” Ina expressed unhappily, “Ina is very angry, Ina wants to punish him!”
Tan Rou didn’t know why Gand would buy such a violent fairy tale book for Ina, “Then go and teach him a lesson. If the police can’t punish the bad person, then let Ina punish them in her own way.”
She just said it casually, but Ina took it to heart and nodded, “Thank you, big sister, I now know the answer.”
Tan Rou felt she hadn’t really said anything yet, so how did Ina know the answer?
Ina linked arms with Tan Rou, happily saying, “Big sister, Ina wants to eat sweet candy~”
Tan Rou agreed, “Okay, I’ll take you to buy some.”
Chapter 1577: 1576 I am very happy Chapter 1577: 1576 I am very happy Tan Rou had not expected that she would actually end up shopping with Ina all day today. Ina was curious about everything, constantly asking Tan Rou what this was and what that was.
Although Tan Rou had told herself not to get too involved with this girl last time, seeing her cute face and happy smile made it hard for her to resist being kind to her.
For now, she decided to forget what she had seen before and just treat Ina as a simple little girl.
“Pretty big sister, can Ina eat this?” Ina pointed at a cluster of colorful cotton candy and said to Tan Rou, “It looks so pretty, Ina really likes it.”
Tan Rou felt that she couldn’t let this little girl pay, so she readily took out her wallet to pay, “Shopkeeper, give us the most expensive cotton candy.”
The shopkeeper did not understand how to sell the most expensive cotton candy. He said, “We can only make cotton candy as per your request and charge based on what is made, so I don’t know what the most expensive cotton candy would be.”
Tan Rou found this approach quite humane. So she asked Ina, “Ina, what kind of cotton candy would you like? You can ask the shopkeeper to make it for you.”
“I like cotton candy that looks like Sister.” Ina looked at Tan Rou, “Very pretty cotton candy.”
“The shopkeeper probably can’t make cotton candy that looks like me,” Tan Rou misunderstood, but she said to Ina, “In my country, there is something called ‘sugar painting’ that can be made into various shapes. When you visit our country, I will treat you to one.”
Ina seemed very happy, saying to Tan Rou with a laugh, “Sister, thank you! I’ll definitely visit your country when I have the chance. Sister will treat me to sugar paintings, cotton candy, and cotton candy as big as the sky.”
Tan Rou laughed at her words, saying, “Sure, I’ll have a dozen cotton candy makers make it for you.”
Ina beamed brilliantly, like the spring sun, warm and comforting.
For the first time, Tan Rou saw Ina as just a little girl who liked pretty things, sweet food, and happy activities. If only she hadn’t lost her parents, if only she hadn’t been adopted by the Dawn Society, Ina might have been a very normal girl.
After buying the cotton candy Ina wanted, Tan Rou took her to buy clothes. She didn’t take her to a shop selling traditional J-country attire but to a foreign-owned store that sold only dresses.
Upon entering the shop, Ina joyously darted among the piles of dresses, exclaiming, “Pretty big sister, Ina likes the clothes here!”
Tan Rou said, “Don’t call me pretty big sister anymore, call me Sister Tan Rou instead.”
Ina practiced the pronunciation before saying, “Sister Tan Rou!”
Tan Rou also loved cute kids. If she had a daughter, she would definitely dress her up very prettily. Although she didn’t have a daughter now, she could still enjoy the happiness of having one in advance.
The two of them wandered the streets for a long time; Tan Rou bought Ina clothes and shoes, and a great deal of snacks. Finally, she gave her a bouquet of sunflowers symbolizing hope.
Ina’s bags were stuffed, and her hands were full of items. Tan Rou wanted to help carry some of it, but recalling Ina’s strength, she decided not to offer.
Ina easily carried all her items and started heading back. Tan Rou, not comfortable with her going alone, accompanied her. Subconsciously, Tan Rou still thought of Ina as a little girl.
“Sister Tan Rou, I’ve been very happy today,” Ina said with an unmistakable smile. “I’ve never been this happy since I was born—beautiful dresses, delicious snacks, and sunflowers. I’ve never bought these things before.”
Tan Rou replied, “If you ever want to go shopping, just let me know in advance. Don’t worry, Sister Tan Rou has a lot of money. You can buy whatever you want.”
“That’s enough,” Ina smiled with squinting eyes. “Sister Tan Rou, can you hug me?”
Tan Rou granted her request and held her tightly in her arms.
After a while, Ina said, “I have to go now. See you next time.”
“Mhm,” Tan Rou watched her leave and said, “Be safe.”
Chapter 1578: The Flute Sound of 1577 Nights Chapter 1578: The Flute Sound of 1577 Nights After seeing off Ina, Tan Rou finally had the chance to respond to Samiyi’s message. She called Samiyi to say everything was fine on her end and also mentioned that she wouldn’t be returning to the palace that night.
Samiyi told her to be careful and to call the palace if she encountered any danger, as she would help Tan Rou handle the situation. Tan Rou urged Samiyi to rest early, but Samiyi probably wouldn’t be able to rest soon, as she still had many matters to deal with.
Tan Rou met up with Zhuang Liu at the hotel. The receptionist at the hotel looked somewhat unfamiliar, likely a new hire by the owner.
“Here you are.” Zhuang Liu had prepared dinner. “Let’s eat a bit together; we’ll be leaving soon.”
Tan Rou, however, suggested, “Let’s go out a bit later today, wait till it’s past 8:30 before heading out so we don’t have to keep waiting outside—there are quite a few mosquitoes.”
Zhuang Liu had no objections and asked, “What if we still don’t catch anyone tonight?”
Tan Rou shrugged helplessly and replied, “Then there’s nothing we can do; I’ll just have to face the people from the Dawn Society.”
Zhuang Liu suggested, “Let me come with you.”
“Okay,” Tan Rou agreed. “Take some mosquito repellent pouches, then wait outside for me. If I run into trouble inside, you can back me up from out there.”
Zhuang Liu listened to Tan Rou’s arrangement. “Xiao Mo went back this afternoon. I’ve positioned the remaining people around the royal city; they’ll act immediately if you need them.”
“Good,” Tan Rou responded. “By the way, a major incident happened in the palace today.”
Zhuang Liu questioned, “What incident? Did His Majesty the King pass away?”
Tan Rou chuckled and said, “With me around, His Majesty the King won’t die.”
Zhuang Liu responded, “Indeed, if someone couldn’t survive under your care, I bet you’d wake up in the middle of the night annoyed.” Tan Rou could save those close to death; what couldn’t she do?
“No, not the King, it was the princess,” Tan Rou said. “Samiyi was assassinated on the streets using poison derived from a plant peculiar to our country.”
Zhuang Liu was somewhat shocked, “You mean to say that someone from our country is involved in the inner conflicts of J-country?”
Tan Rou shook her head. “The higher leadership of our country would never do such a thing because there is no need; they are after peace and development, not chaos.”
“Then it must have been done privately.” Zhuang Liu analyzed. “Someone must have realized that J-country’s royalty is about to change and decided to join in the battle for the throne ahead of time.”
“There’s another detail I haven’t mentioned,” Tan Rou added. “The person who persuaded Samiyi to leave the palace alone was actually her own uncle, who promised to give her something and asked her to collect it today. However, the uncle’s neighbor mentioned that he left last night and said he would be away for a while.”
Zhuang Liu tapped on the table and smiled, “It seems that this uncle is also ambitious.”
“This person had severed ties with the royal family many years ago and deeply despises the aristocracy,” Tan Rou said. “I don’t think he desires to become the king at all.”
“That’s strange then,” Zhuang Liu asked perplexedly. “If he doesn’t want to be king, why would he assassinate a candidate for the throne?”
“That’s what I can’t figure out,” Tan Rou responded.
The two continued their conversation as they ate, chatting until the curfew approached.
Just as they were clearing up to leave, they suddenly heard a melodious flute sound.
In the calm of the night, the flute sound seemed bizarre.
“Why is there a flute playing?” Tan Rou opened the small window a bit, and the flute sound grew louder, “Can you tell where the flute sound is coming from?”
Zhuang Liu listened intently for a moment but regretfully said, “It seems like the sound is coming from all directions.”
“The flute initially sounded quite pleasant, but the more I listen, the dizzier I feel,” Tan Rou patted her head.
“I feel the same,” Zhuang Liu said. “We wouldn’t have eaten something wrong, would we? Maybe we ate poisonous mushrooms?”
“Don’t be ridiculous; if we had eaten poisonous mushrooms, we would be dancing with the flute sound right now,” Tan Rou shook her head, trying to drive away the sound of the flute, “Let’s go find the source of this flute sound; it’s a bit eerie.”
Chapter 1579: 1578 ‘zombie Chapter 1579: 1578 ‘zombie After they had become accustomed to the flute music, the two of them changed into clothes that were convenient for nighttime travel, and then, while the front desk wasn’t paying attention, they sneaked out the main entrance.
The streets were very quiet at night. Tonight, apart from the eerie flute music, there was no other sound, not even the footsteps of patrol soldiers.
“It’s strange, it’s too quiet tonight, isn’t it?” Tan Rou looked around but didn’t see any patrol soldiers with guns. “Where have all the patrol soldiers gone?”
“Let’s walk up ahead,” Zhuang Liu said, “Maybe the patrol soldiers haven’t come by here yet.”
Tan Rou thought it was improbable, for the patrol soldiers would arrive well in advance. They would hide inside trucks, waiting for the appointed time to come out.
At some point, the eerie flute music stopped. Without the noisy flute music, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu finally heard the footsteps of the patrol soldiers. It wasn’t that the soldiers hadn’t come; rather, they had gone somewhere else, and Zhuang Liu and Tan Rou just hadn’t heard their footsteps.
“Let’s hide first!” Zhuang Liu pulled Tan Rou into the shadows, where they could see outside but couldn’t be seen from outside.
The patrol soldiers walked past them, and just then, that strange burst of flute music sounded again. Upon hearing the flute music, the walking pace of the soldiers slowed down.
Tan Rou heard one patrol soldier say, “Strange, why do I feel a bit dizzy in my head?”
Another patrol soldier said, “It must be this damn flute music that’s annoying us. Tomorrow I’m going to make a complaint to the higher-ups, no more allowing residents to play the flute after eight o’clock at night, it’s just too noisy!”
Some patrol soldiers thought that wasn’t appropriate, “Hey, not letting people go out and not letting them play the flute, what are they supposed to do at night? Go to bed every night at eight-thirty? That’s too early, isn’t it?”
The patrol soldiers talked as they walked, and soon passed by where Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were hiding. Just when Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were planning to leave their hiding place and move somewhere else, something unexpected happened.
Several people suddenly charged from somewhere, each holding a sharp cleaver that looked like it was for slicing roast meat, each blade gleaming silver under the streetlights.
“What’s going on?” the Patrol Captain asked, “What are you people doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”
Those with the cleavers paid no attention to the speaker; they just kept charging forward, swinging their cleavers at anyone they saw in front of them.
Though the patrol soldiers’ marksmanship was imprecise, they were at least former soldiers and wouldn’t easily be chopped by these few people. Besides, they outnumbered the attackers with cleavers, so they still had the advantage.
“Open fire!” the Captain ordered, “Damn it, where did these lunatics come from?”
“Bang, bang, bang—”
After several gunshots, one man fell, but the rest kept charging forward with their cleavers as if they hadn’t heard the gunshots.
“Fuck! Are these people really crazy?” The patrol soldiers cursed while shooting, and those without guns backed away with shields. A large group of patrol soldiers was actually frightened into retreating by a few men with cleavers.
However, something even more eerie took place; one of the attackers who had already fallen to the ground staggered to his feet. He could no longer hold onto his knife, but he still charged forward.
“Zombies?” Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu said from the darkness, “If I’m not mistaken, he was just shot by a gun.”
Zhuang Liu’s brows were tightly knitted as he held Tan Rou close in his arms, “Don’t make a noise, lest we be discovered by those people.” Whether it was the patrol soldiers or the suspected “zombies” who found them, it would be bad news.
The flute music changed to a different tune, and this time Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu could tell where it was coming from.
Then, several more people emerged from the direction of the flute music, but unlike the ones with cleavers, these held guns, and they were clad in black robes with masks on their faces, completely enveloped.
These people’s marksmanship was much better than the patrol soldiers. They hit their mark with each shot, and many patrol soldiers fell to the ground. However, they didn’t pursue the victory; after firing a round, they quickly fled the scene.
Chapter 1580: 1579 Men in Black Chapter 1580: 1579 Men in Black But those “zombies” didn’t run, they continued to fight the patrolling soldiers, who fired their bullets recklessly. However, these “zombies” didn’t know fear nor pain, they just kept attacking.
“Retreat! Everyone, take the injured and leave, shield bearers cover the rear!” The captain, seeing bullets were ineffective, had no choice but to order a withdrawal. If they continued, his squad would be wiped out.
The shield bearers quickly positioned themselves in front of the “zombies,” letting the “zombies'” large swords strike their shields, the intense impact indicating their great strength.
Once all the soldiers had left, the shield group swiftly departed the area. The street was left with only the hacking “zombies” and completely crushed bodies.
The “zombies” looked around and eventually disappeared after a short blast of a whistle.
Long afterward, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu emerged from where they were hiding. There were no living people around, only a body lying in the middle of the road with many wounds; his bones were almost completely shattered, which is why he couldn’t move.
“Be careful,” Zhuang Liu warned as he picked up two knives dropped by the soldiers. “Don’t touch him with bare hands; he might be poisoned.”
Tan Rou took a knife from Zhuang Liu, “You be careful too, always pay attention to the surroundings. If we encounter danger, we’ll retreat quickly.”
Zhuang Liu acted as the lookout, “Okay.”
Tan Rou cautiously approached the “person” and turned on the mini flashlight on her watch. The ground was covered in blood. Anyone else might have vomited from revulsion, but Tan Rou remained calm; it was just blood, nothing to be afraid of.
The person on the ground was thoroughly dead. Tan Rou used the tip of her knife to scrape off the clothes stuck to his body. After cleaning off the blood, she noticed the unnatural color of his skin; it was slightly purplish. Although it wasn’t very obvious, Tan Rou, being a Court Physician, could tell the difference at a glance.
“Zhuang Liu, come take a look,” Tan Rou called. “His body seems to be purple.”
Zhuang Liu cautiously looked around to ensure there was no danger before squatting down to examine the body. “Yes, his skin is indeed a bit purplish.”
“His blood hasn’t dried up yet. It still flows out when cut, which means he was alive until very recently,” Tan Rou felt a chill, “He was alive just moments ago.”
“It seems he died from a gunshot,” Zhuang Liu remarked. “Just now we thought he was a zombie, but that’s not the case. He was alive when he turned into that, not controlled after death.”
Tan Rou said, “We can’t leave this person here. We need to take him away and then inform Samiyi there’s something unclean in this royal city.”
Just a while ago there were about five or six people, now only one is dead and the rest have fled. If they come out to attack the common folks, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Zhuang Liu took off his coat and said, “Let’s wrap him up first…”
Before he finished speaking, a gunshot suddenly rang out. Tan Rou reacted swiftly, grabbing Zhuang Liu’s hand and pulling him back before the bullet could reach them.
A dark figure emerged from the shadows, holding a glossy black gun without a silencer. Thankfully, it didn’t have a silencer; otherwise, Tan Rou might not have heard the gunshot.
“Quick reaction,” the stranger’s eerie voice came, seemingly altered by a voice changer, “You’re very skilled, and very dangerous!”
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu stepped back, “We mean no offense to you, nor do we know why you are shooting at us. So, before you kill us, you should tell us your reason.”
“I told you, you’re skilled and dangerous,” the man in black said.
“Sorry, but if that’s the reason you’re going to kill me, I can’t accept that,” Tan Rou stopped walking.
The man in black still pointed the gun at them, “This is mine, you can’t touch it.”
“Oh?” Zhuang Liu spoke, “It seems you are the piper hiding in the darkness just now.”
The man in black didn’t respond, “I can’t let you go.”