Chapter 495: Chapter 178 Privy Council
Inside the Youyi Gate on the south wall of the imperial city, heading east to the back corridor is the Privy Council.
Lu Tong followed a man in a green official’s robe and stopped under the corridor.
The man said, "Doctor Lu, we’ve arrived."
Lu Tong looked up.
This was a very imposing government residence, with two majestic lions flanking the main gate, symbolizing a formidable presence. It was meant for the officials of the Privy Council who entered the palace through the Youyi Gate to attend official duties or court, positioned opposite the central government offices.
The man in the green official’s robe showed his token to the guard at the gate, and after a brief exchange, the guard stepped aside, allowing Lu Tong to follow the man inside.
The official residence was vast, not as ornate as the Board of Rites Office, yet more spacious than the Palace Marshal’s Mansion. The man led Lu Tong through the long corridor, around the inner rooms, and into a large house that astonishingly had stone steps descending partially into the ground. Lu Tong followed the man down the steps, and as they passed through the narrow staircase, the area suddenly brightened.
The torches hanging on the wall cast a dim, gloomy light; there were no windows on any side, a long corridor led to the limit of sight, shrouded by deeper darkness ahead, with no glimpse of what lay within.
It seemed like a secret chamber.
There was a scrapping sound, as if heavy objects were being dragged, accompanied by an overwhelmingly strong scent of blood.
The man before her took an extinguished torch from the wall, sparked a flint, and the area where Lu Tong stood was abruptly illuminated. In the next moment, Lu Tong’s pupils constricted.
Not far from her feet, five or six corpses lay neatly, each covered with a white cloth soaked with spreading bloodstains, hinting at the broken, contorted human forms beneath, emitting an aura of silent death.
In the quiet, a voice suddenly sounded from behind: "You’ve come?"
This voice, in the chamber where only breathing could be heard, was like a ghostly chant, cold and eerie. Lu Tong swiftly turned around.
Without her noticing, a person had quietly appeared behind her.
It was a middle-aged man in black, lean and somber, with deep, cold eyes fixated on her.
Lu Tong gazed at the man.
This was the Privy Councilor, Yan Xu.
She had seen him before at the Huangmao Hill hunting grounds. He was standing under the shade of a tree-lined path, engaging fiercely with Pei Yunmeng. Many had witnessed it at the time.
About Yan Xu, besides his past with the former Lady Zhao Ning, Lu Tong knew very little, and Miao Liangfang was not familiar with him either. All she knew was there was discord between the Privy Council and the Palace Front Office, and that Yan Xu and Pei Yunmeng regarded each other as thorns in their sides, each eager to get rid of the other.
She gave a slight nod: "My lord."
An appraising gaze landed on her.
Lu Tong calmly allowed him to scrutinize her while she took the opportunity to observe him as well.
Last time at Huangmao Hill it had been a fleeting glance, but now she finally had the opportunity to clearly see his face. The man’s features were average, and his physique was not strong but rather lean, with eyes that shone keenly, fierce and ruthless like a hawk’s, carrying a thirst for blood.
Between his brows was a scar, an inch long, trailing over the corner of his eye. Under the dim light of the chamber, it appeared even more ferocious and intimidating.
For some reason, an absurd thought crossed Lu Tong’s mind. She had heard from Lin Danqing that the Palace Marshal’s Mansion selected people based on their appearance. Seeing the looks of the Privy Councilor, she assumed the Privy Council had no such rule.
No wonder Lady Zhao Ning had refused the marriage proposal.
While her mind wandered to these irrelevant thoughts, the tension she had felt earlier dissipated somewhat.
Yan Xu noticed the change in her expression.
After a moment, he said in a grim voice, "Doctor Lu has quite the courage, not flinching at the sight of dead bodies."
Lu Tong responded, "When those who have died were alive, they too were patients."
She looked up at Yan Xu, "May I inquire, my lord, where is the patient now?"
Yan Xu seemed slightly surprised, but quickly, he glanced at the green-robed official beside her. Understanding, the official nodded and walked into the corridor. Soon, he returned, dragging a body with him.
To call it a body was not entirely accurate, for the person was still alive, yet only half of it remained; everything below the waist had been neatly severed, and it had not received proper medical treatment, looking like it had been fished out of a bloodbath, without a patch of unmarred flesh in sight.
As the body was dragged along in silence, a "rustling" sound could be heard, made by the severed legs grating against the ground, sending chills down the spine. Illuminated by the flickering torchlight, a long trail of blood followed, winding its way to a stop in front of Lu Tong.
As the man let go, the mutilated body thudded down at Lu Tong’s feet, causing her heart to skip a beat, and she involuntarily looked down.
The person’s eyes were dilated, clearly beyond saving.
"It is said that Doctor Lu’s skill surpasses that of the mythical physicians, bringing flesh to bone," Yan Xu said, watching Lu Tong’s face closely, then slowly uttered three words.
"Save him."