Chapter 273: Chapter 113: Flickering Light, Old Dreams_3

Yin Zheng looked over in surprise and asked, "What is this?"

Lu Tong had only taken the Golden Needle and medicine bottle from her medical box; this was the first time Yin Zheng had seen the hidden compartment in the medical box.

Lu Tong answered, "A keepsake."

Years ago, Pei Yunmeng had given her the Silver Ring as a deposit for his medical fee, asking her to find him in Shengjing someday to exchange it for a sugar gourd. Lu Tong hadn’t cared much then, but in some respects, it was the first payment she had received, so she had carefully kept it for many years.

She had never thought that she would actually go to Shangjing after all these years.

Whether the joking promise could really be honored was still in question, and perhaps Pei Yunmeng himself had already forgotten about the old incident. What exactly the Silver Ring could be exchanged for—silver, status, or something even greater—nobody could say for certain.

To someone who values promises, a keepsake can weigh more than a thousand pounds; to someone who makes them lightly, it is worthless as grass and chaff.

And the Pei Yunmeng of today didn’t seem like a gentleman at all.

Yin Zheng’s voice sounded beside her, filled with sudden realization, "Could it be... this is the keepsake left by that ’fiancé’?"

As if she had glimpsed just the tip of an iceberg, Yin Zheng’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

When Du Changqing had asked Lu Tong why she had come to the capital, she had simply said that she entered Shangjing to practice medicine at Renxin Medical Hall in search of a lover, a lover who gave her the keepsake after she had helped him on the road.

At the time, Yin Zheng thought it was just Lu Tong giving Du Changqing the runaround, but now, looking at the jade pendant and Silver Ring in the hidden compartment, she felt there was something subtle about them.

Lu Tong looked at the Silver Ring in her hand, her gaze somewhat distant.

Now was not the time for recognition; until then, this was just an inanimate object.

Seeing her silent, Yin Zheng became even more certain of her own hypothesis, staring wide-eyed at Lu Tong: "So, you really do have a lover in Shengjing!"

Lu Tong paused.

A lover?

A chance rescue on the road, a keepsake left behind, a fateful reunion after many years—as if it were a destined romance that fell from the sky in one of those sentimental plays.

But...

But let’s not even mention a lover, with the deeds she intended to carry out from now on, not fighting Pei Yunmeng to the death would already be a mercy, let alone whether this thing might become Pei Yunmeng’s relic.

Better to put it away.

She placed the Silver Ring back into the compartment, closed the medical box, and shook her head slightly.

"It might as well be an enemy."

...

Winter was biting; ten thousand households in the city closed their doors and gathered around the warm hearth as the snow continued without pause deep into the night.

In the snowy night of Shengjing, a figure in black was making his way through the dark alleys.

The snow covered everything in layers upon layers, and the flakes landing on the man’s shoulders soon melted, leaving tiny spots of icy wetness.

At the quiet end of the alley, a shadow appeared silently beneath the snow-covered wall.

"Master," Chi Jian whispered, "Deputy Envoy Xiao has just sent a message: there is great chaos in the palace, the whole city is under martial law, and the emperor has ordered all the Palace Front Office troops to enter the palace and accompany him."

Pei Yunmeng nodded: "Understood."

"You are...?"

"I’m not scheduled for palace duty today, so naturally, I’m changing clothes and returning to the palace to answer the summons."

Chi Jian remained silent for a moment, looking at the person in front of him.

The young man was dressed in dark archer’s attire, his expression unchanged, and the place on his shoulder where the fabric had been torn was wrapped in layers of white cloth.

"Your wound..."

"It’s nothing," said Pei Yunmeng. "It’s been taken care of. Let’s go."

Chi Jian made no sound.

The young man paused in his steps, turned his head, and looked at the tall guard beside him: "Is there something else?"

Chi Jian hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he mustered the courage to speak, "Master, you stayed at Renxin Medical Hall tonight, and that Doctor Lu must have guessed the truth after seeing your injuries. At a time like this, when so much is at stake, if she secretly reports and leaks information, it could bring significant trouble for you..." His hand tightened around the hilt of his saber, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Should we...?"

To Chi Jian, Lu Tong of Renxin Medical Hall was not free from suspicion. Whether it was the previous case of the imperial examination or the subsequent incident of the body at Mount Wangchun, Lu Tong’s cunning and tactics were clear to see. Her involvement in the downfall of the Fan Family at the Trial Court and even the rumors about the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion might not be without her instigation.

A mysterious woman with an unknown past, whose allegiance was difficult to discern, capable of thrusting a knife into others, would surely dare to do the same to Pei Yunmeng.

"There’s no need," Pei Yunmeng cut Chi Jian off.

Chi Jian was taken aback.

Pei Yunmeng turned his head and gazed into the distance, towards the lights of the streets which seemed so far away.

The silent rustling of myriad snowflakes, the tranquility of West Street, the single lamp shining through the fluttering snow—it was as though he could peer through the solitary plum tree in front of the door and see the obscured sign of the medical hall and the red lantern hanging below the eaves, emanating a warm glow.

He said, "She won’t speak out."

Chi Jian looked puzzled, "Why so?"

Lu Tong didn’t seem like a kind-hearted person, deserving of such firm trust.

Pei Yunmeng turned his gaze away, lowered his head and chuckled.

"Because," he replied, "I’ve paid the medical fee."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read