Chapter 178: Hearing
Upon waking from the dream, her face was already wet with tears.
Lan Wu sat up, stifling her sobs in her throat.
No wonder, no wonder Chu Mingheng had styled his hair in a woman’s bun—he had already gone mad. In his confusion, he always thought he saw her, and he never regained clarity until the golden hairpin fell to the ground.
Had he lived like that for the past five years?
A crown prince appointed from birth, possessing a dignity and pride others lacked, yet after those five years, he became disoriented and confused, to the point where even eunuchs could secretly speak ill of him.
Indulging in his own delusions was painful, but clarity was also painful.
Five years… How had Chu Mingheng endured those five years?
Lan Wu buried her face in her knees, unable to hold back her sobs.
The dream had ended too quickly, but it was just as well. Otherwise, she didn’t know if she would have had the courage to continue watching.
Although Lan Wu’s crying was soft, Mujin, who was on duty outside, still heard a faint sound. Hesitantly, she gently knocked on the door and whispered, “Your Majesty, is there something you need?”
Today, Her Majesty had gone fishing with the princess and seemed to be in better spirits. Could it be that she was still unwell?
Hearing her voice, Lan Wu called her in.
It was almost the end of the Yin hour, but this was still too early for Her Majesty. Normally, she would sleep for another two hours before rising.
Mujin entered the hall and asked Lan Wu if she wanted the candles lit.
Lan Wu hummed in agreement, instructing her not to make it too bright, and asked her to have someone prepare some sobering tea, as her head was aching.
“Please wait a moment, Your Majesty.”
Soon, Mujin returned with hot sobering tea.
After taking a few sips, Lan Wu’s tear-reddened eyes slowly turned to Mujin and asked, “Was it you who wrote to His Majesty saying I haven’t been well lately?”
Under her gaze, Mujin felt ashamed. It was said that a servant should not serve two masters, yet she indeed served two.
Meeting Lan Wu’s eyes, Mujin knelt abruptly and confessed that she had written the letter, also telling Lan Wu everything His Majesty had instructed her before coming to Changyong Mountain.
Lan Wu had no intention of making things difficult for her, knowing it wasn’t easy to work under Chu Mingheng, and told her to rise first.
“But don’t write these letters to him anymore…” Lan Wu thought for a moment. If she truly stopped writing, Chu Mingheng might go to great lengths to find out about her situation. She added, “You can still write, but when you do, tell me first. I’ll teach you how to write them.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Mujin relaxed slightly and rose from the floor.
After finishing the sobering tea, Lan Wu lay back down, turning away and instructing Mujin to extinguish the candles in the hall.
When dawn broke, Lan Wu rose with a heavy head, perhaps due to last night’s wine or waking up once in the morning and being unable to fall back asleep. Her complexion looked particularly poor.
From that day on, she began dreaming every night.
These dreams included times when Chu Mingheng was delusional and times when he was lucid. Lan Wu was like a spectator, unable to do anything but watch him sink into madness or regain clarity in the dreams.
Until he went to see Master Huifan again—or perhaps it was Master Huifan who invited him over.
Seeing Huifan again, Chu Mingheng’s expression was noticeably displeased.
“You’d better have something important to tell me,” he said, his tone filled with irritation.
Ever since hearing Huifan’s words, a sliver of hope had taken root in his heart. But five years had passed, and that so-called hope had long since dissipated with the passage of time. He even began to suspect that this hope had been false from the very start.
Now, looking at Huifan, he found everything about him grating.
Huifan, however, seemed completely unfazed by Chu Mingheng’s piercing gaze. He simply bowed and slowly spoke, “This humble monk observes that Your Majesty appears weary. I pray Your Majesty takes care of your health.”
Before Chu Mingheng could sneer in contempt, Huifan quickly continued, “Otherwise, Her Majesty the Empress would be deeply worried and anxious upon seeing you.”
Lan Wu, standing nearby, suddenly heard herself mentioned and instinctively straightened her posture, looking at Huifan with confusion.
Then, a loud crash echoed beside her—all the teacups on the table had been swept to the ground, shattering completely.
Chu Mingheng’s expression darkened, his entire demeanor radiating fury. He grabbed Huifan by the collar, lifting him off the ground, and spoke word by word, “If you dare deceive me again using my Empress, I will drain your blood before your gods and buddhas.”
Startled by the sound of the shattering teacups, Lan Wu instinctively covered her ears. When she regained her composure, she saw Chu Mingheng had already lifted Master Huifan and uttered such a threat. She hurried forward, intending to stop him.
But as she reached out, she remembered her efforts were futile—she couldn’t intervene.
Huifan, however, did not appear flustered. He merely turned his gaze to their right, precisely where Lan Wu stood.
Caught off guard, Lan Wu met his eyes. Her own eyes widened in disbelief as she waved her hand in front of Huifan’s face.
Was it an illusion?
Did Master Huifan actually see her?
But Huifan withdrew his gaze, as if that brief glance had been nothing more than Lan Wu’s imagination.
Chu Mingheng released his grip and pushed Huifan away.
Huifan bowed to him once more and repeated, “This humble monk has not deceived Your Majesty. Her Majesty the Empress is indeed concerned for you.”
A vein throbbed at Chu Mingheng’s temple, and this time, murderous intent surged within him.
He raised his eyes, his sharp gaze like icy blades, piercing straight through Huifan.
Seeing him so enraged that the veins on his forehead bulged, Lan Wu rushed forward to block him. Unable to touch anything, she grew even more frantic, fearing Chu Mingheng might truly kill Master Huifan in his fury. Desperate, she shouted his name loudly.
Chu Mingheng passed right through her, unseen and untouched, and this time, he directly reached out to choke Huifan’s neck.
Lan Wu stomped her feet in frustration, having done all she could. Watching as Master Huifan’s face turned red from the choking, she turned away and slapped Chu Mingheng across the face. “Chu Mingheng, I told you to stop! Are you deaf?!”
Her shout was so loud it felt almost heart-wrenching to her own ears. Expecting no one to hear her, she was stunned to see Chu Mingheng’s expression falter. His grip suddenly loosened, and he stood there dazed, looking ahead, then left and right, before finally reaching up to touch his left cheek.
Released, Huifan stumbled back a few steps. As he steadied himself, he saw Chu Mingheng standing motionless, looking utterly bewildered.
Lan Wu froze as well. Watching him touch his cheek, an absurd thought crossed her mind. She reached out and placed her hand on Chu Mingheng’s face.
To her disappointment, she still couldn’t feel anything.
But why had Chu Mingheng suddenly touched his face? Could he really not have sensed her?
Cautiously, she watched him and called out softly, “…Your Majesty?”
Chu Mingheng’s pupils contracted sharply. His other hand reached forward, only to grasp at empty air, finding nothing.
He couldn’t help but redden his eyes, his voice hoarse as he spoke: “Have I fallen ill again… or what… why do I hear A’Wu’s voice once more…”
“Your Majesty! It’s me—you heard right!” Lan Wu was even more astonished than he was. All those previous times, she had been completely imperceptible to Chu Mingheng, but today, he had truly heard her voice.
“A’Wu?” Chu Mingheng called out again uncertainly, his tone frantic and anxious, “A’Wu, where are you? Let me see you—just one look, please?”
Lan Wu reached out to grab Chu Mingheng’s hand but failed to grasp it. At the same time, white mist gradually began to rise around them once more.
The dream was about to end.
She only had time to hurriedly leave behind one sentence before watching Chu Mingheng’s figure vanish completely, and then the dream ended.