Bone Painting Coroner

Jing Rong thanked Mu Jin after she finished treating his wound.

Mu Jin looked worried as she told Jing Rong, “Prince, please make sure to keep your wound dry, as well as take care to avoid food that would exacerbate your injury.”

“Sure.”

She gulped, “Prince will stay in Anfu for a few more days?”

“Yes. There are things that have yet to be settled.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Jin bit her lower lip and summoned her courage, asking in a soft voice, “Then, can I visit Prince frequently?”

…Of course not! 

Jing Rong’s eyes filled with chilliness as he said directly, “Miss Mu Jin, this Prince appreciates your kindness. However, there are a lot of things happening in the yamen recently. With all these cases, this Prince has no time to tend to you.”

She quickly lifted her head. “Mu Jin does not need anyone to tend to me. To be honest with Prince, this one only dares to make this bold proposal because Mu Jin thinks that we are on the same wavelength, causing me to admire Prince’s talent even more. If Prince is busy, Mu Jin can stay quietly by your side. There are only men in the yamen; they are naturally not as adept in taking care of Prince. In addition, I have heard of another Young Master who is also injured and will need to be tended to. I promise that I will assist you without disturbing you.” Mu Jin’s eyes gleamed in anticipation of Jing Rong’s response

Jing Rong, however, was not to be deterred. “That’s not necessary. This is just a minor injury, and Miss Mu Jin should take care of your own affairs. I don’t want anyone to misunderstand our relationship.”

He’s afraid that someone will misunderstand our relationship? Mu Jin felt a chill in her heart. What else could she say if Jing Rong had made things clear? She could only nod. Nonetheless, she visited the yamen in the following days and stayed by Jing Rong’s side at all times. She was an expert in dealing with men.

On the other hand, Ji Yunshu had not visited Jing Rong’s residence ever since. She instead chose to stay with the unconscious Wei Yi. Occasionally, she would overhear the maids talking about Mu Jin. Comments like, ‘Miss Mu Jin is here again’ and ‘Miss Mu Jin is so talented’ were heard constantly from the maids. She always listened to the news about Mu Jin attentively, even though the words weighed on her chest like a giant rock.

Strangely, Jing Rong never once visited Wei Yi; only bothering to receive updates on his condition from Mo Ruo. Is this man heartless? Or does he have another agenda?

Ji Yunshu could not be bothered to guess what Jing Rong’s real intention was. She chose to shut her ears and not listen to unnecessary gossip.

Regarding Tang Si, she was still shamelessly lingering at the yamen, spending her days nagging at either Ji Yunshu or Mo Ruo, clinging to them like sticky candy.

……

…

The June rains fell from the sky in a fine drizzle, creating a faint mist as it bounced off the tall red walls and the green tiles. From afar, the palace seemed to be shrouded by fog, resembling a mystical fairyland; mysterious and yet, intriguing. Inside the old and torn Tongren Palace Hall, the neglected courtyard was overgrown with weeds. Battered by the rain, dried and wilted tree branches scattered the floor, accompanied dead leaves whirling in the wind, creating a gloomy and spiritless atmosphere.

…

In the palace hall

Jing Xian came out from the Inner Chamber in thin clothes and walked to his couch. His picked up some agarwood incense and lightly tossed it into the incense burner beside him. He picked up “The Ode of Confucius” and leaned back in the couch to begin reading it. The gentle flap of pages turning could be heard as the light scent musky smell of books lingered in the air.

Jing Xian had always liked the smell of books. He frequently read from sunrise to sunset and would have a book beside him even when he was tired and weary, as if the books would make him sleep better.

The broken window creaked open as it was blown open by the wind, allowing a pigeon that was sitting on the windowsill to enter. Jing Xian frowned but immediately relaxed his brows again. He dragged his lethargic body and walked to the window before reaching out his hand and stroking the shiny feathers of the pigeon. The pigeon was not frightened and even rubbed its head against Jing Xian’s palm.

“You’re so tame and obedient!” Jing Xian smiled and slowly untied the string on the pigeon’s leg. He removed the small bamboo tube and held it in his hand. He did not rush to open the bamboo tube, instead taking some rice from a cup and sprinkling it on the windowsill.

“Little fella, don’t worry. There is plenty of rice,” he rewarded the pigeon.

“Coo…coo…” It was as if the pigeon could understand human language. Jing Xian was thrilled.

Slowly, Jing Xian opened his palm, tugged out a small piece of paper from the bamboo tube, and unrolled it. There were two lines written on it. After reading, Jing Xian remained quiet for a few seconds. His initially soulless eyes focused as he raised his gaze and looked at the big tree outside the window, a grin appearing on his face. Later, he crumpled up the paper, threw it into the furnace, and burned it to ashes. At this time, Bi Lu walked in with a bowl of medicine. “Your Highness, you’re awake?”

“Yes.”

“This humble servant has prepared the medicine. Your Highness should drink it while it’s warm.” Bi Lu put the bowl down as he exclaimed, “It’s raining outside and the weather is very cold. It’s better for your Highness to close the window.”

Jing Xian ignored Bi Lu’s words as he stood motionless, only closing the broken window when the pigeon had finished eating the rice on the windowsill and had flown away. Jing Xian asked, “When is the repairman coming over?”

Bi Lu replied, “This humble one has urged them to visit as soon as possible. I was told that there were leak at the North and South region of the palace. The repairman can only visit after he has settled the leak over there.”

“All of them are there?”

“I heard so.”

Both of them knew that with so many eunuchs in the palace, it was not possible for all of them to be gathered at one place to fix a leak. However, most of the people in the palace thought that Tongren Palace was an ill-fated place. A rumour only made worse by the fact that a sick and unfavoured prince living there. Therefore, unless the situation had deteriorated to a point where it could not be delayed any further, the eunuchs would find any excuse not visit Tongren Palace. Even then, they would only send over a few who had made mistakes to do a cursory job. However, Bi Lu was curious! His master had never bothered with the repair of Tongren Palace before now. Why did he ask out of the blue today?

As Bi Lu was thinking to himself, Jing Xian turned around and asked, “The palace at the North and South regions are having leakage? Was it where Concubine Zhao stayed before she passed away?”

“Exactly.”

Jing Xian was startled! Concubine Zhao was Jing Rong’s biological mother. Ever since she was banished to the cold palace, her residence had been abandoned. The usual maids and eunuchs would take a detour to avoid passing through the Concubine Zhao’s residence, much less rush there to fix a leak. Concubine Zhao’s residence was as inauspicious as Tongren Palace.

“Is it Imperial Father’s order?” He asked.

“No. It is Concubine Xiao’s order. According to her, even though Concubine Zhao made mistakes when she was alive, it was not necessary to let her residence turn into a wasteland after her passing. Hence, she sent people there to repair the place. It was said the plan was approved by the Emperor too.”

“Oh?” Weird! 

He dwelled in his thoughts as he rested on his couch, mumbling to himself, “What does Concubine Xiao have in mind?”

Bi Lu did not hear Jing Xian’s words. Instead, he spoke worriedly, “Your Highness, it’s better for you to drink the medicine now. Young Master Mo sent his boy to deliver this medicine here before he left the Capital. You have to consume it continuously, please hurry up and finish this.”

Jing Xian took a glimpse at the bowl of medicine and said, “Leave it here. You can go now.”

“Your Highness…”

“Leave.”

Bi Lu could not argue further, and he left the chamber. To avoid the wind from blowing into the chamber, he shut the door behind him.

The moment the door was closed, Jing Xian raised the bowl and shook it gently. He focused his eyes and poured the medicine into the flower pot beside him. The soil covering the Baolan Tree was initially a dark yellow. With bowl after bowl of the medicine disposed of in the pot, the yellowish soil had turned red, appearing as if it was bleeding. However, the weird thing was, the Baolan Tree had grown bigger and bigger. There were even tiny fruits grown all over the tree.

Jing Xian placed the bowl back in its original place with a heavy thud.

……

“Soon, very soon!”