Chapter Eighty-Six: Is the Empress Dowager Truly Ill or Simply Stirring Trouble?

With a thud, Lin Wanwan collapsed onto the ground, clutching the small bundle of silver in her arms as her jewelry scattered around her. This was all she owned, and she had given it all up for the sake of her face, without a hint of reservation.

"Wanwan." Xiao Jingxuan looked at the scattered private savings on the ground and then at Lin Wanwan, who was sitting there, gasping for breath.

"What should I do, what should I do? How could this happen? This isn't what the Empress promised..." Lin Wanwan sobbed in despair, holding her face in her hands.

Just as Xiao Jingxuan was at a loss for words, several figures emerged from the darkness, neither near nor far, lurking in the shadows and peering in their direction. Zhuo Yue'an hurried over and whispered a few words to them, and moments later, the shadows vanished. He returned, his expression grave.

"My lord," Zhuo Yue'an said, his face tense. Xiao Jingxuan immediately understood and walked a short distance away with him.

"The Empress's condition in the palace is dire, and the Empress Dowager is critically ill. Suddenly, our informants have disappeared. Several eunuchs are making their way to our residence," Zhuo Yue'an reported, his tone tight with anxiety.

"No need to panic. Let’s see what the palace intends. If anything changes, notify our undercover agents," Xiao Jingxuan replied, glancing back at Lin Wanwan, whose eyes were pleading. How should he deal with her? She, too, was one of the Empress’s eyes and ears—he absolutely could not allow her to remain in the manor. But what to do with her now?

"Wanwan, you should return. Jingluo truly cannot see patients at the moment." The palace envoys were about to arrive, yet Lin Wanwan stubbornly lingered at the entrance of Jingluo’s courtyard. Was it unintentional, or was there purpose behind her persistence? With her pitiful demeanor and the miseries they had shared in their youth, Xiao Jingxuan’s compassion wavered. If it had been anyone else, with his temperament, he would have had her killed, sent away, or thrown out without hesitation.

"Cousin, are you abandoning me as well? I gave up my future for your sake, and now..." Lin Wanwan began again. Some people always tie their fate to others, forcing them to bear all their misfortunes.

Xiao Jingxuan frowned. He had heard this line so often lately that his ears were practically sparking. The first time moved him, the second left him regretful, but by the third and fourth, he wondered if she was here to collect a debt.

"Zhuo Yue'an, see her out," Xiao Jingxuan said coldly, shaking off Lin Wanwan’s grip on his sleeve and turning away with icy indifference.

Zhuo Yue'an immediately seized Lin Wanwan, saying nothing more, dragging her out of the courtyard like a lifeless dog.

"Cousin, are you truly so heartless? Truly so heartless?" Lin Wanwan wailed like a vengeful spirit.

Xiao Jingxuan closed his eyes against the sound, unable to bear it. He had no idea what news the palace envoys would bring. If Lin Wanwan proved troublesome, she would only be a distraction. And if she were innocent, why drag her into this turmoil at all?

As expected, not long after, the eunuch bearing the imperial edict arrived. Without preamble, he announced that the Empress Dowager was gravely ill and summoned the Princess and the heir apparent to the palace to attend her.

"Sir, that's not possible. Please inform His Majesty that if the Empress Dowager is ill, the imperial concubines and physicians in the palace can tend to her. What need is there for my wife and son? If it’s truly necessary, I will accompany you myself," Xiao Jingxuan replied at once, his tone resolute. What did this mean, summoning his wife and child? Was this a ploy to take them hostage and turn against him? That, he could not allow.

"My lord, it is not as you think. The imperial physicians are already attending the Empress Dowager, but she shows no improvement. His Majesty recalled the Princess’s exceptional medical skills and believes she may succeed where others have failed. Please do not misunderstand," the head eunuch hurriedly explained, his voice servile.

"And my son? If the Princess fails to cure the Empress Dowager, will you use my child to threaten her? No reason will suffice—my wife will not go," Xiao Jingxuan declared, unwavering in his refusal to let Su Jingluo leave.