“Do you mean the music score for the green stringed instrument?”
Lin Mengya’s statement shook the three of them simultaneously and each of them started to fall into their own thoughts.
However, no one could tell from the surface.
Lin Mengya’s thoughts made a quick turn. Even if she were dim-witted, she would also know that the music score for the green stringed instrument was not merely a simple medical manual.
“Let me be honest with you. I’ve indeed found the music score for the green stringed instrument. However, it’s been destroyed.”
Actually what Lin Mengya said was not total nonsense.
After all, given the condition of the music score for the green stringed instrument, it would be extremely difficult for anyone without the help from the Shen Nung system to discern the characters in it.
Moreover, it might not be good for the three of them if they reveal the matter regarding the music score for the green stringed instrument.
“Destroyed…”
Zuo Qiuyu, of the three, had the most drastic reaction.
The expression on his face showed that he had been shocked and he continued mumbling.
“Isn’t this music score for the green stringed instrument just a medical manual? Is it necessary to be so upset over the fact that it’s destroyed?”
After hearing what she said, Zuo Qiuyu’s reaction was magnified further.
He looked as if he was going to die of heartache. It was as if Lin Mengya was some wastrel.
Zuo Qiuchen immediately tried to stop Zuo Qiuyu. Being an ambitious emperor, Zuo Qiuchen simply hesitated for a moment before his face broke out into a gentle smile.
“No worries. It’s also good that the music score had been destroyed. At least you can save you many troubles.”
“But, my brother, without the music score for the green stringed instrument, those people in the Pavilion of Herbs…”
“Let’s stop here.”
Zuo Qiuyu’s anxious reaction was determinedly interrupted and cut off by Zuo Qiuchen.
He gazed at Zuo Qiuyu with an authoritative look in his eyes. No one was able to waver his decision once it was made.
“Mengya, you take a rest first. Qiuyu, you come with me. I’ve something to discuss with you.”
With reluctance, Zuo Qiuyu trailed behind Zuo Qiuchen as he exited the room.
Long Tianyu helped Lin Mengya up and began feeding her some water little by little.
Despite Zuo Qiuyu’s hesitant mannerism towards Zuo Qiuchen and his stammering when spoke, Lin Mengya was able to guess the truth.
This music score for the green stringed instrument had to do with something of great importance. Perhaps her mother was not simply the eldest princess of the Nation of Lintian.
She was starting to feel bad. Although Zuo Qiuchen and Zuo Qiuyu treated her very well, she had not fully recovered from her injuries at this moment. She did not think it was a good idea for her to be implicated or involved in such turmoil.
“Tell me, Long Tianyu, should I help them?”
Long Tianyu’s eyes moved a little, but other than this little reaction, he did not reveal any other emotions.
As Lin Mengya gazed at Long Tianyu expectantly, he could vaguely see the trust she had in him through her clear, bright eyes.
In that instant, a sense of guilt flashed across his mind.
The deeper Long Tianyu’s understanding of Lin Menyga, the more he was sure that if Lin Mengya found out about it…
All of a sudden, a chill ran up his spine.
No, Lin Mengya must not know anything about it!
“What’s happened? You’re finding this difficult to do, right?”
Lin Mengya asked doubtfully. After Long Tianyu recovered from his absent-mindedness, he suppressed the anxiety in his heart, pretended to smile casually and said, “No matter what, they are your cousin brothers. You’ve not fully recovered from your injury right now. If new problems arise and complicated the matter further, I’m afraid you won’t be able to achieve what you set out to do.”
Leaning back on the bed board, Lin Mengya nodded in agreement.
In the last few days, she could sense that there were some special reasons as to why Zuo Qiuchen and Zuo Qiuyu were treating her so well.
However, she could not deny the feeling that they were somewhat sincere towards her too.
If this matter was truly important and crucial, she should not just be a bystander and not help at all.
“Oh yes, if I didn’t remember wrongly, you have meant this trip to be an inspection of the spring plowing. Now that you’ve gone into a foreign country, wouldn’t the Crown Prince try to find fault with you?”
Long Tianyu tucked her into the blanket and smiled as if he could not be bothered about the Crown Prince.
“He wouldn’t be able to deal with me. Come to think of it, you and Zuo Qiuyu are really something. Not long after you left, my father the emperor woke up. Someone secretly told my father about your quest in search of the medicine. At that time, I was on the way back from Qian Province when I received father’s secret edict. The Crown Prince is now working hard to cover up all the bad things he and his men did while father laid unconscious. How would he have time to deal with me?”
Things had turned out unexpectedly in this way.
Lin Mengya made a mental calculation. She had thought that the emperor would not simply announce the news of him waking up from coma to the general public.
After all, was the emperor not worried that he would alert the enemy if this was made known to the Crown Prince?
However, after further consideration, she was well aware of who Long Tianyu’s father was like. He must have his reasons for doing so.
Anyhow, treacherous people like the Crown Prince and the queen could forget about trying to deceive the emperor of Dajin.
“You take a rest first, I’m going to ask Baishao about something.”
Long Tianyu forced an excuse to get away from Lin Mengya for now.
Once Lin Mengya nodded, Long Tianyu left her with quiet steps.
It was only when he was outside that he finally let out a deep breath.
On one hand, he desired to spend time alone with her, yet on the other, he was afraid to do so.
She was sharp, quick-witted, and very intelligent. He had to be very cautious these few days, lest Lin Mengya should become suspicious of him.
Once Baishao and the rest arrived at the mansion, Lin Mengya would be distracted by her best buddies.
At this thought, he could not help but smile bitterly.
He had never expected that in this life, there would be a day that he would experience the anxiety that came about because he was trying to deceive another person.
Nevertheless, because it was Lin Mengya, he would do this willingly.
Alas, this was a fulfillment of the old man’s words that he would meet with someone who could deal with him.
The days spent nursing Lin Mengya’s wound was more or less starting to be boring.
Apart from eating, Lin Mengya would be sleeping. Because she had to drink very bitter medicine often, she had lost her appetite as a result.
After living a life like the pig for some time, she had unexpectantly lost some weight and became skinnier.
As a result, Long Tianyu and the Zuo Brothers took turns boiling soup for her. They claimed that she was too skinny and therefore needed to drink and eat a lot of tonics to nurse her back to health.
Soon, Long Tianyu bore the good news that Baishao and the rest would be arriving in the Wangtian City in three days’ time.
However, apart from Xiu, Hongyu and Sumei had come along too. To her surprise, there was also Xiu’s uncle who was with them.
Lin Mengya did not make any comments. Dongfang Xu was after a straight forward and brave hero.
She and Xiu hit it off well right from the start and they had been through quite a lot together, so it would be like that she and Dongfang Xu had known each from further back.
However, there was one precaution she had to make. She had asked Long Tianyu and Zuo Qiuyu not to expose her identity.
She especially did not want Master Guo to know her identity, so she had asked Long Tianyu to just reveal the fact that she was his wife.
However, given the protection and help rendered to her and Zuo Qiuyu by Master Guo and Dongfang Xu, Zuo Qiuchen had given the order that the two groups of businessmen would be permitted to enter and leave the Nation of Lintian whenever they liked. On top of that, they were given the same treatment as the local businessmen in terms of their status and applicable policies.
Since these benefits offered were genuine, Master Guo was smart enough not to question the offer.
Fortunately, Lin Mengya was able to pull herself up and take a few steps by the time Baishao and the rest arrived.
She had become weak and strengthless because the injury on her right shoulder was too serious and she had lost too much blood.
In the past few days, she had been both eating and sleeping well. In addition, she had taken a lot of tonics to build her blood and qi. Her health had finally picked up somewhat and her strength returned a little.
Some weakness was still to be expected and she would be panting after taking a few steps.
Nevertheless, Lin Mengya knew very well that the sun would do her health good.
With Long Tianyu’s help and support, Lin Mengya was able to stand in the courtyard to enjoy the flowers in full bloom.
“This is a treasure which Prince Shen specially prepared for you as if it were the white snow in early spring. This flower is very valuable. Only elegant ladies like Princess deserves such expensive flowers,” commented the maidservants.
They were keenly aware that this beautiful guest in the courtyard was the national treasure of the Nation of Lintian.
They could not help but fawn on Lin Mengya.
Lin Mengya gazed at the large, white flowers and remembered hearing that in order for these flowers to bloom, they needed to be watered with cow milk and goat milk.
On top of that, the flowers should never be subjected to rain, wind, and sunlight before they bloom. They needed to be patiently and carefully cultivated before they could go into full bloom.
Moreover, each stalk would only produce one flower. If there were more than one flower on one stalk, they would be competing for nutrients and ultimately, both flowers would wither.
Nevertheless, once these precious flowers went into full bloom, neither wind nor rain would damage it. No matter how scorching the sun was or how bitter the cold, they would continue in full bloom for eight to ten days.
Lin Mengya could not help but smile at Zuo Qiuchen’s effort to bring these flowers here for her.
These flowers were like the Lin Mengya of the past, growing so cautiously with the possibility of withering any time.
However, once in full bloom, no one would be able to break her.
The emperor of Lintian was really something to have used flowers as an analogy to her. It was indeed apt.
“Let’s go there to take a rest, lest you become exhausted.”
Long Tianyu spoke with a tender voice as he helped Lin Mengya over to the long corridor where she could sit down on a chair cushioned with a layer of fleece.
Long Tianyu stood by her at all times and took special note that she really fancied this flower likened to the snow in early spring.
He was resolved to plant a large patch of these flowers back in their mansion in the future to make her happy.
“I’m in no way so delicate and fragile. Apart from my right arm, I’m almost fully recovered. Don’t worry about me. You may go ahead to attend to your business.”
Lin Mengya patted Long Tianyu’s hand to assure him. In reality, she was starting to feel dizzy and faint.
In fact, she had decided to come out for a stroll because she did not want to worry Baishao, so she pretended that nothing had happened to her.
Baishao might appear to be shrewish, but she could be more naggy and motherly than the other sisterly girls.
Furthermore, Lin Mengya had given instructions to conceal the cause of her injury. She had revealed to the general public that she had fallen from a horse. This way, the people eyeing the music score for the green stringed instrument would continue to lie dormant and not strike so easily.
Since she did not have full confidence in this matter, she did not wish to alarm the enemies.
“Alright, Baishao and the rest will be here any minute now. I’m going to go off for just a little while.”
