After Lin Yue emerged victorious in the thrilling medical competition with Sun He, her fame spread like wildfire throughout the land. Every day, the threshold of her medical hall was almost worn down by the countless patients seeking her treatment. From dawn till dusk, Lin Yue remained engrossed in diagnosing and treating patients, patiently inquiring about their conditions, carefully feeling their pulses, and writing prescriptions. She was so busy that she didn't even have a moment to take a sip of water.
One day, night fell like a vast black silk curtain, enveloping the earth. Inside the medical hall, the hustle and bustle of the day gradually faded away, leaving only the candles flickering gently in the breeze. The dappled light and shadows seemed to tell the stories of the day.
After seeing the last patient, Lin Yue dragged her exhausted body, feeling as if all her strength had been drained. Every step was heavy and slow. She remembered that she hadn't sorted through the medical books left by her grandfather for a long time. Those precious ancient books were stored in a rarely - visited secret chamber deep within the medical hall. Usually, few people touched them. Now, she hoped to find an ancient book from them to study a rare disease, perhaps bringing hope to more patients.
Lin Yue slowly walked to the door of the secret chamber. The thick wooden door seemed to isolate time and space, bearing the marks of time. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door. A stale and somewhat mysterious smell rushed out, as if the long - sealed history was being quietly awakened at this moment.
Holding a candlestick, the faint yellow candlelight flickered unsteadily in the darkness, illuminating the towering piles of books around. These books were stacked layer upon layer, like a labyrinth of knowledge. Lin Yue's gaze slowly swept across the rows of bookshelves, and her fingers gently caressed the dusty spines. Each book was like a silent old friend, carrying countless stories.
Suddenly, an inexplicable cold wind blew through, making the candle flicker violently, almost going out. Lin Yue couldn't help but shiver, and a chill ran down her spine. She instinctively tightened her grip on the candlestick and warily looked around, only to find that besides the sound of her own breathing, the secret chamber was deathly silent.
Just then, she noticed that in a corner of the bookshelf, several thick medical books seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible force, slowly parting with a soft "creak," as if voicing the resentment hidden for many years. This strange sight made Lin Yue's eyes widen, and she felt both nervous and curious.
After those medical books separated, a plain, dark - yellow book was revealed behind them. It was hidden extremely cleverly. There was no title on the cover, only some strange patterns, like ancient symbols, shimmering with an eerie light in the flickering candlelight, as if beckoning to Lin Yue.
Lin Yue's heart suddenly started pounding rapidly, as if it would jump out of her throat. A strong sense of curiosity drove her to step forward involuntarily. Her steps were hesitant, and she moved cautiously, afraid of disturbing this secret. She slowly extended her hand, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled out the book. When she opened the first page, a faint sandalwood fragrance wafted out, lingering around her nose, as if carrying the weight and mystery of time.
On the page were the four large characters "Secrets of the Imperial Palace," written in an ancient
and vigorous script, with a sense of vicissitude between the strokes. Lin Yue was shocked. The secrets of the imperial palace had always been closely guarded royal secrets, like the most hidden taboos in the deep palace. How could such a book be among her grandfather's belongings? And the way it was discovered was so strange. Her palms began to sweat slightly, and a sense of unease spread in her heart.
With a nervous heart, she continued to flip through the pages, and the content of the book made her heart race even faster, as if she had been thrown into a thrilling adventure. It turned out that the book recorded some long - buried palace stories, and every word was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.
Among them, a clue about Li Yi's origin made her eyes widen in disbelief. According to the secret history, Li Yi was not born to an ordinary palace maid. His biological mother was actually a princess of the previous dynasty. Back then, when the previous dynasty fell amidst the chaos of war, the princess was desperately rescued by a loyal minister. She lived in hiding and led an ordinary life among the people. Later, the princess fell in love with a wealthy merchant and gave birth to Li Yi. However, the royal family had always been wary of the remnants of the previous dynasty and secretly dispatched numerous spies to track down the princess's whereabouts. In order to protect his wife and child, Li Yi's father concealed Li Yi's true identity and silently guarded this secret over the years.
Lin Yue's hands trembled slightly. She knew that if this clue was made public, it would set off a huge storm in both the jianghu (the martial arts world) and the imperial court, and the fates of countless people might be changed as a result. Li Yi was her beloved and a wise monarch, and she never expected him to have such a complex background.
Lin Yue knew that this matter could not be delayed. That night, she began to plan carefully. First, she wrapped the "Secrets of the Imperial Palace" layer by layer with oil - paper, as if wrapping a precious treasure. Each layer of oil - paper carried her caution. She hid the wrapped book in a more secluded compartment in the secret chamber of the medical hall, which was hidden behind the bookshelf and could not be found without careful search.
After hiding the book, she set up some simple but hard - to - notice traps around it. She found some silk threads as thin as hair and skillfully arranged them around the compartment. If anyone touched them, the threads would make a slight sound and trigger a simple bell device, allowing her to detect the intrusion in time.
Unable to contain her anxiety, Lin Yue immediately rushed to the palace on horseback and asked to be announced to see Li Yi. Li Yi's personal guard told her, "His Majesty is currently reviewing memorials in the Imperial Study. Please go in."
Finally, after Li Yi finished reviewing the memorials, Lin Yue picked up a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Her expression was solemn, as if carrying a heavy burden. She took a deep breath and revealed the secret about Li Yi's origin from the "Secrets of the Imperial Palace." Every word was like a heavy stone crashing into Li Yi's heart. Upon hearing this, Li Yi stood there in shock, his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly agape, unable to speak for a long time, as if frozen in place.
Lin Yue gently patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Your Majesty, now that this has happened, we must come up with a solution as soon as possible. I think we can first find the descendants of the loyal minister who saved your mother back then. Perhaps they can provide some useful clues and assistance."
Li Yi slowly came back to his senses, his eyes filled with gratitude. He tightly held Lin Yue's hand
and nodded, "Yue'er, I'm so lucky to have you. If it weren't for you discovering this secret, I'd still be in the dark. I'll follow your lead, and we'll figure this out together."
After some discussion, they decided to start by investigating the business partners of Li Yi's father during his lifetime to find the whereabouts of the loyal minister's descendants. They knew that they had to be extremely cautious during this process. One small mistake could lead to death. Each clue was like a glimmer of light in the darkness, which they had to grasp tightly while remaining vigilant against the hidden dangers.
However, what they didn't know was that after his defeat in the competition, Sun He had been consumed by resentment. He lost his appetite and couldn't sleep, constantly replaying the scene of his defeat in his mind. It was the most humiliating experience in his medical career. He secretly investigated Lin Yue, leaving no detail overlooked, trying to find something to use against her and restore his dignity. Finally, by chance, he learned from an apprentice in the medical hall that Lin Yue had discovered a mysterious book. Since Sun He had connections with a certain powerful official in the palace, he vaguely felt that this matter might help him regain face, so he informed the official.
When the powerful official heard that the secrets of the imperial palace had emerged and that there might be secrets harmful to the royal family in it, he was greatly shocked. His expression instantly turned gloomy, as if a storm was approaching. He immediately ordered Sun He to retrieve the secret history at all costs, his tone brooking no argument.
Upon receiving the order, Sun He quickly gathered a group of men in black. These were his personal assassins, each highly skilled. They secretly lurked near the medical hall late at night, waiting for the right moment. Sun He led the group himself, a sinister smile on his face and a flame of vengeance in his eyes.
He whispered to the men in black, "When we charge in, seize Lin Yue. We must get our hands on that 'Secrets of the Imperial Palace.' Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot!"
When it was dead of night and Lin Yue and Li Yi were still secretly discussing their countermeasures, Sun He waved his hand, and the men in black silently scaled the walls and entered the medical hall like ghosts. They moved nimbly and quietly approached the secret chamber.
However, the traps set by Lin Yue worked. The bell suddenly rang out clearly. Hearing the sound, Lin Yue and Li Yi's faces turned pale. They immediately drew their weapons and warily scanned their surroundings.
Realizing that their cover was blown, Sun He no longer held back and charged into the secret chamber with the men in black. When he saw Lin Yue, he said viciously, "Lin Yue, this is your doom. Hand over the 'Secrets of the Imperial Palace,' and I might spare your life!"
Lin Yue gripped her sword tightly and stood in front of the compartment hiding the secret history, glaring at Sun He. "Sun He, don't go too far. Do you think you can just take the secret history like this?"
After a moment of confrontation, Sun He made the first move. He drew his long sword and stabbed at Lin Yue. Lin Yue deftly sidestepped the attack and then counterattacked with her sword.
Li Yi also joined the battle, fighting side by side with Lin Yue. The secret chamber was immediately filled with flashing sword lights and shouts of battle. The men in black, relying on
their superior numbers, surrounded Lin Yue and Li Yi. But Lin Yue and Li Yi were fearless. They have a great understanding. and their swordplay was fierce, making it difficult for the men in black to get close.
Seeing that they couldn't break through, Sun He became even more enraged. He attacked Lin Yue wildly, disregarding all rules. Lin Yue defended herself while looking for an opportunity. Suddenly, she spotted a flaw in Sun He's defense and thrust her sword forward. Sun He couldn't dodge in time, and his arm was slashed, bleeding profusely. But Sun He didn't back down; instead, he became even more frenzied. He shouted, "All of you, attack! No one leaves here alive until we get the book!"
Just when the battle reached a stalemate, Lin Yue had an idea. She deliberately revealed a false weakness to lure Sun He in. Sun He fell for it. He pounced on Lin Yue, but she sidestepped and kicked him in the back. Sun He fell forward. Taking this opportunity, Lin Yue rushed to the compartment, retrieved the "Secrets of the Imperial Palace," and then fought her way out with Li Yi.
Seeing this, Sun He was beside himself with anger. He led the men in black in hot pursuit. Lin Yue and Li Yi knew they couldn't stay there. Under the cover of night, they fled towards the outskirts of the city.
Sun He was determined not to let them escape and chased them relentlessly. A thrilling chase unfolded in the night, and their fates became even more uncertain with this pursuit.