Chapter 653: Chapter 223 Journey_3
Upon hearing such a staggering piece of news, the medical officers were all somewhat unsettled, gathering to whisper amongst themselves. Lu Tong set down her medicine bowl and walked towards Chang Jin.
Chang Jin was standing outside. Seeing her approach, he turned around.
"Chief Physician," she paused, her voice softer, "have the messages from the courier station mentioned any recent developments from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion?"
Chang Jin glanced at her in surprise, quickly realized, and looked at the medical officers warming themselves in the distant teahouse before leaning in and whispering, "They have."
He said, "In the case of the Third Prince committing regicide, the investigation has implicated many court officials. The Qi Family also exerted their efforts for the Third Prince, and all marquises who had contact with the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion are wanted; their associates and families have been exterminated. The Qi Family was executed down to the third degree."
Lu Tong was stunned for a moment.
On the surface, the Qi Family was clearly aligned with the Crown Prince, but political struggles in court once lost lead to widespread implications, and it’s all too easy to frame someone for a crime.
From her return to Changwu County from Su Nan, then from Changwu County heading to Shengjing, she meticulously strategized every step, removing Ke Chengxing, killing Liu Kun, bringing down Fan Zhenglian, and in the end, orchestrating Qi Yutai’s death at his own father’s hands.
Now, with Qi Qing also dead, her last enemy had vanished from the world.
Her deep-seated revenge was thoroughly avenged, and after everything she had done, she ought to feel gratified, yet beyond that gratification loomed a winding river covered in thin ice, vast and endless, with no clear direction in sight.
Seeing her silent, Chang Jin consoled in a low voice: "Doctor Lu, when you return to Shengjing this time, you won’t need to worry about the Qi Family seeking vengeance against you."
The Qi Family was defeated; no one would come forward on their behalf anymore.
Lu Tong nodded but did not walk away immediately.
Seeing this, Chang Jin asked, "Is there anything else, Doctor Lu?"
Without the brazier, the cold outside was biting. Lu Tong hesitated, then spoke softly.
"Chief Physician, have you heard any news about Marshal Pei?"
Chang Jin blinked in surprise.
The rumors about Lu Tong and Pei Yunmeng were widespread throughout the Medical Officer Institute. Lu Tong had always been indifferent towards him, but her inquiring after Pei Yunmeng’s news suggested that there might be feelings between them.
"He went to Qi Shui."
"Qi Shui?"
"Qi Shui is in chaos. His Majesty sent General Zhenwei to suppress the turmoil, and with the Third Prince having committed such a crime, the entire line of the Duke of Chen was implicated. His Majesty revoked the military authority and ordered Marshal Pei to rush to Qi Shui; he has set off a few days ago."
"They travel swiftly. Qi Shui is not far from Su Nan; perhaps they will reach their destination even before us."
Lu Tong fell silent, and Chang Jin watched her, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
With Prince Ning ascending the throne, the Third Prince’s lineage was implicated extensively, yet Pei Yunmeng seemed to be unaffected to a great extent. His Majesty even confidently sent an ailing Pei Yunmeng to Qi Shui, clearly intending to rely on him heavily.
The young Commander had always had promising prospects, and this event further boosted his potential. However, Lu Tong was of commoner status.
The difference in their social positions was sometimes greater than everything else.
He said no more and sighed softly. Turning around, he went to speak with the teahouse owner.
Lu Tong returned to the tea house.
Inside, the brazier was warm. Lin Danqing, seeing her return, handed Lu Tong a warm hand brazier and, turning to her side, asked, "What did you and Chief Physician Chang talk about?"
"I inquired about the epidemic relief."
Lu Tong bowed her head, holding the hand brazier. The warmth gradually spread through her fingers, and the sensation of cold and heat alternating made her feel momentarily dazed.
Pei Yunmeng had actually gone to Qi Shui.
He was a man of Prince Ning, having plotted in secret just for a moment like this. Now with the situation settled and Prince Ning on the throne, things should proceed as usual for him, which was a good thing.
He was more capable of doing what he wanted to do, of protecting those he wished to protect.
Lin Danqing’s voice sounded beside her: "The weather is truly getting colder; I thought the south would be warmer than Shengjing, but I find the winter here even harder to endure."
She rubbed her hands, gazing at the harsh north wind outside and murmured softly, "I wonder if it will snow in Su Nan?"
Lu Tong looked up.
The sky was overcast. It seldom snowed in the southern regions during winter; the last heavy snowfall in Su Nan was six years ago.
Six years prior, during the severe cold, she had met Pei Yunmeng for the first time.
Lu Tong lowered her gaze, reaching to touch her chest, where a residual pain lingered faintly.
She had always thought she would die in Shengjing, yet it turned out to be Su Nan in the end.
The place where the story began was where it would finally end.
Perhaps, dying there wouldn’t be so bad.
...
Time flowed like water, and before long, it was the beginning of winter.
In the early morning, fog rose on the streets.
The thick fog was also a dismal gray, settling on people with a bone-chilling cold.
The doors of every household lining the streets were tightly shut. The usually noisy and bustling morning market was deathly silent, with not a soul in sight. In the distance, thick smoke began to rise, carrying the acrid scent of burning flesh, and the billowing gray smoke drifted towards the sky, casting a heavy haze over it.