Chapter 56 - Limbo (1/2)

Doctor Lou was making his way out of the palace, with Ah Jin as his guide.

”You're still going the wrong way.” Ah Jin advised beside Doctor Lou. They had been walking about randomly for a long while now and were not getting any closer to the gates. She tried to advise him but he declined and insisted he knew the way.

”I know where I'm going.” Doctor Lou swiftly responded.

”But -”

”Shh.” Doctor Lou responded putting a finger to his lips and then he smiled and continued walking. Then spotted Prince Yi who happened to be coming towards his direction and squinted at him Yi, staring straight at him as they closed the distance. Prince Yi noticed Doctor Lou's stare and slightly knit his brows and then faced forward ignoring the old man's behavior.

As they passed by each other, Ah Jin stopped and bowed, while Doctor Lou went, ”Hmph!” put his nose up in the air and kept walking.

Prince Yi frowned as he did that and stopped in his tracks, ”Stop.”

Doctor Lou seemed not to hear and kept walking.

Prince Yi narrowed his eyes and flatly said, ”I'm talking to you, old man.”

Doctor Lou then stopped and turned with a hand holding his beard, ”What do you want?”

Prince Yi raised an eyebrow, ”Don't you know to show respect?”

...How disrespectful!...

”Tch, all these little children keep getting on my nerves lately...you'd think they'd at least respect the beard...” Doctor Lou quietly grumbled while stroking his beard and looking off to the side.

Prince Yi frowned and then said, ”Are you blind? Can't you see t-”

”Ahhh yes, you see, my eyes have gotten really bad with age so one can conclude me blind.” Doctor Lou interjected yawning and nodding in the process.

”Do you not know who you're talking to?” Prince Yi asked in a stern voice.

”We've already established that I'm blind, are you trying to make fun of me by asking that?” Doctor Lou grumbled while massaging his ear.

”Are you playing with me?”, Prince Yi's frown deepened.

Doctor Lou sighed and then said, ”You're the one who stopped me here. So if someone is playing...” He paused, glanced at Prince Yi and shrugged.

Prince Yi glared at him. Doctor Lou saw that he was being glared at, and so took a step back then cleared his throat, ”Ah, I should mention, I have friends in high places...” Then he started counting his fingers, ”There's those two drunkards and that brooding brat...I guess that bothersome brat can also be counted toooo...” He dragged out the last word as he looked at Prince Yi from head to toe, ”...I guess. Ah, there's that adorably- well, that's complicated ...Hmm, maybe that joykill can be counted too - but our relationship has been quite tense lately, we're sort of opposing parties, you know different visions and clashes, like rivals, a very annoying one too, always, always getting in my way...” Doctor Lou rambled on, going off track, then took a deep breath and returned to his friend count, ” ...Ah, there's also a Noble consort and yes, even the Emperor...by default, but yes I am friends with the Emperor. I'm just letting you know.” Doctor Lou finished straightening his back and stroking his beard.

Prince Yi listened to Doctor Lou's rambling with increasing irritation. When he heard the last sentence, he was taken aback. Then he glanced towards Ah Jin and then looked back at Doctor Lou with a raised eyebrow.

...So that's what he was getting at? No wonder I felt he was somewhat familiar...Friend?... Even the ”Emperor”? Is this some sort of joke...

Prince Yi fisted his hands, Doctor Lou looked at him warily and then sighed, ”Okay, okay I concede...” Then he lightly nodded his head in greeting and then looked up to see Prince Yi's deepening frowning and then he explained, ”Ah you see, I'm very old...so my back...but if you insist, I can get on my knees. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ahhh...” He loudly exclaimed as he slowly lowered a knee, while shooting Prince Yi an exaggerated aggrieved pained look.

The guards stationed at a distance, who were observing the scene were lowering their heads or looking away in disagreement. From a distance, it looked like Prince Yi was bullying this poor, white-haired old man by demanding he gets on his knees. Prince Yi's eyes darted around and then he faced forward and angrily stormed off.

Doctor Lou stopped as soon as Prince Yi turned, ”Tch, stupid children...” Then he waved towards Ah Jin, ”Hurry, come help me up. I'm stuck, oh my poor back.”

Ah Jin sighed and went to help straighten him. Doctor Lou squinted at her, ”Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?”

Ah Jin shook her head in response, then Doctor Lou raised his head, ”Better! Let's go, I've lost a lot of daylight being here...How tiring.” He said, yawning again and then resumed walking.

When they finally arrived at the palace gates after Doctor Lou's meandering, Doctor Lou turned to Ah Jin, ”Tell Xing Xing that I will be going away for a while. Not to worry, it won't be for too long. I'll send her a message when I return. I'm going.” After saying this, he sauntered out the gates.

***

The palace was in an uproar because of the Empress dowager's illness. After her initial hysteria, she ended up passing out. It has been two days and she still has not regained consciousness, the doctors who have not able to figure out any cause for this illness. What was even more perplexing for the doctors was that she seems to be sleeping peacefully, but on checking her pulse, it is extremely irregular and seems to be going through phases of extreme highs and lows at different intervals. With her strange condition, they suspected that it may be poison and so investigations about were started.

The entire palace was searched for anything suspicious. Of course, the imperial wives were also searched as well. One concubine was actually found with some poisonous materials in her possession, to her detriment, so she was dragged off to be interrogated. Even though it is unlikely that she would have had the opportunity to poison the Empress dowager, just being caught with that in your possession on its own is normally enough for a great deal of trouble. With all this going on,th atmosphere in the palace has been very tense and everyone has been on high alert and on their best behavior.

Since she left the Empress dowager's palace that day, Lei Xing has been biting her nails waiting for her turn to be interrogated or maybe even arrested, considering she was right there when it all happened. There's also the fact that she was the one who sort of led to Doctor Lou's job offer....but nothing happened to her and two days went by with no trouble. Other than the inspectors coming to search her palace, as they did the others, nothing else happened to her surprise. This state of limbo was even more nerve-racking for her. Even though she knew she was innocent in this matter, she couldn't help feeling like they were busy amassing evidence to choke her with.

...It's weird that no one's asking me anything...Well, maybe they don't need to? I mean, I wasn't the only one in the room...True, so it's really not necessary...Yes, let's be positive...But I was the one who mentioned the doc....POSITIVE THINKING!!... Even though I mentioned him first, did I ask her to invite him? No...Good! Then it has absolutely nothing to do with me, Problem solved!...