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Chapter 600: Broken muscles and bones
On their way back, the two almost ran into the soldiers on night patrol. Luckily, they reacted quickly enough to slip into a side alley and hide behind a vendor's cart, thus avoiding being seen.

Upon returning to Yunyin Pavilion, Lu Qing immediately instructed Fu Lu to boil water so that Zhu Yu could bathe and change first.

Thanks to the nasal plugs that Lu Qing had bought earlier, Zhu Yu wasn't bothered much in that cramped little house. It wasn't until the two of them left the courtyard and she took out the nasal plugs that she realized she was covered in the stench of a rotting corpse.

Such a furtive inspection couldn't immediately involve burning angelica and atractylodes to remove the stench and filth, so they could only endure the unpleasant, putrid smell all the way back.

Fortunately, they had bought a lot of medicinal herbs and other similar items beforehand. Zhu Yu gathered some of them and soaked them in the bathtub. Soon, a faint medicinal fragrance rose from the water along with the steam.

Zhu Yu happily soaked in the tub and took a comfortable bath. After changing into dry and comfortable clothes, she called Lu Qing, who was waiting outside, in and asked him to take a bath behind the screen.

Hearing the sound of someone entering the bathtub, Zhu Yu said to Lu Qing, "Then you take a bath, I'll wait for you outside..."

Before she could finish speaking, she heard a splash of water from behind the screen, and Lu Qing stood up from the bathtub.

The screen used to cover the bathtub was rather low; if Zhu Yu stood next to it, it would barely cover her shoulders. Now that the person on the other side was Lu Qing, once she stood up, her chest and above were completely exposed.

Although thanks to Zhu Yu's meticulous care and careful dressing changes, her back, which had been ripped open by Emperor Jin's orders, had hardly left any new scars, she was powerless to do anything about the old ones.

At this moment, on Lu Qing's firm and broad chest, the clear water slowly flowed down his wheat-colored skin. When it encountered the obstruction of the slightly raised old scars, it spread horizontally, as if it had seeped out.

The scene, enveloped in the misty vapor, took on an inexplicable atmosphere. Before Zhu Yu could even process what was happening, his throat tightened, and he swallowed hard.

“Madam, it’s late at night and the night wind is chilly. You’ve just taken a bath, so you shouldn’t go out.” Lu Qing noticed the gaze Zhu Yu was giving him and a smug smile appeared on his lips. He didn’t even bother to hide his smugness.

"Weren't you waiting outside just now?" Zhu Yu asked.

“I’m different from you.” Lu Qing shook his head seriously. “I don’t have enough self-control.”

Zhu Yu guessed what kind of answer he might give, but she never expected it to be like this. She almost choked on her own saliva, her face turned red, and she glared at Lu Qing with feigned ferocity.

After the two confessed their feelings to each other, Lu Qing solemnly told Zhu Yu that it was precisely because he cared about her and longed to have a home that truly belonged to them that he could not overstep any boundaries before the overall situation was settled. Otherwise, if he accidentally caused a "life-threatening" incident, it would be tantamount to playing with Zhu Yu's life.

During those many nights, Zhu Yu, as a not-so-confused adult woman, was able to clearly perceive Lu Qing's fervent desires, and naturally knew how hard he tried to restrain himself, prioritizing the greater good.

So for a long time now, I haven't been unkind enough to tease him intentionally.

As a result, this guy actually turned around and made fun of her. She originally wanted to "fight fire with fire," but the image of Gu Lingyun's face covered with bruises flashed through her mind for a moment, and all her romantic thoughts vanished instantly.

Zhu Yu sat down at a small table not far away on the other side of the screen. After Lu Qing sat back in the bathtub, he couldn't help but sigh: "The mastermind we're facing is really ruthless."

Based on the information we have, Zelifang has made significant contributions, both overtly and covertly, over the years.

Whether it was Chang'e's Drunkenness or the others, the fact that it entered the palace and was eagerly purchased by the female relatives of officials in the capital must have been largely due to Gu Lingyun's efforts.

From the quiet planning at the beginning to the stroke of genius that directly pushed the Duke of Yan's family into the limelight, Gu Lingyun's contribution was truly indispensable.

I thought that someone who played such a big role should at least be hidden away, and that she could live a life of leisure and wealth in anonymity elsewhere.

Unexpectedly… it's not that the cunning rabbit dies and the hunting dog is cooked, but rather that the cunning rabbit isn't even dead yet, and the hunting dog is already in the pot!

"A person who wants to leave himself a way out should never kick away the bridge after crossing the river. However, if he has already gone all in and there is no turning back regardless of success or failure, even if he dismantles the bridge behind him as soon as he crosses the river, it will not affect the road ahead."

Lu Qing's voice came from behind the screen, sounding calm and showing no surprise at Gu Lingyun's tragic death.

"So, Gu Lingyun's broken bones... was that the last time she, as a pawn, was 'used to its fullest potential'?"

Zhu Yu rubbed her temples. Although she hated Gu Lingyun and the people behind them for using all sorts of strange things to make poisonous incense, and even for dragging many innocent people into the mess to achieve their goals, she felt that serving as a lackey for such a ruthless and unscrupulous master meant that she should have a good idea of ​​her own fate, so there was nothing to sympathize with.

However, touching a corpse that appears intact on the surface but is actually fragmented can still feel eerie and cruel, making one feel uneasy.

"Regarding the Phoenix Robe incident, Duke Yan said he was framed. If he is telling the truth, then the person in this world who most wants Gu Lingyun and the others from Zelufang to live well is probably Zhao Bi."

After all, as long as the person can be found, there are plenty of experts in the palace who can use their methods to make Gu Lingyun and the others tell the truth, and completely clear Zhao Bi of any suspicion of plotting a rebellion.

If Gu Lingyun were to live, hiding her away would not be a safe course of action; if she were discovered, all efforts would be in vain.

Even if Gu Lingyun were a well-trained assassin, and she were to prepare a statement beforehand insisting that Zhao Bi was in charge of everything, it would be feasible, but there was no guarantee that some unexpected situation would cause Gu Lingyun to defect or accidentally reveal a flaw.

In contrast, it is clear that the dead are the ones whose stances are least likely to waver.

Furthermore, if a death could be linked to Zhao Bi, not only would the person's stance remain unchanged, but it would also contribute to making the charges against Zhao Bi even more solid.