After successfully quelling the rumors and imparting a new understanding of medicine to the common people, Lin Yue had hoped for a relatively peaceful period. However, the imperial court and the palace of the Tang Dynasty were never at peace for long.
One day, Li Yi returned from the morning court with an extremely gloomy expression. Sensing his distress, Lin Yue asked with concern, "Your Majesty, has something happened in the imperial court?" Li Yi let out a heavy sigh and said, "Yao'er, I've just received a secret report. Although the border war has subsided for now, neighboring countries are secretly amassing troops. It seems they intend to invade again. Moreover, some ministers in the court are proposing to seek peace with the neighboring countries by ceding some territory to buy temporary tranquility."
Lin Yue's delicate eyebrows knitted tightly. "Your Majesty, ceding territory for peace is far from a good strategy. It would not only humiliate the Tang Dynasty but also embolden the neighboring countries. In the long run, where would the dignity of the Tang Dynasty lie? And what would become of the safety of the people?" Li Yi nodded in agreement. "I'm well aware of that. However, these ministers hold significant influence in the court. Rejecting their proposal forcefully might trigger unrest in the imperial court."
Lin Yue pondered for a moment. "Your Majesty, perhaps we should first understand the self - interests of these ministers and then find countermeasures." Li Yi looked at Lin Yue with admiration. "Yao'er, you're absolutely right. I'll order an investigation immediately."
Meanwhile, a mysterious woman quietly emerged in the palace. Her name was Liu Ruyan, and she claimed to be a talented woman from the south, well - versed in poetry, lyrics, and songs. With her outstanding talent and beauty, Liu Ruyan quickly caught the attention of everyone in the palace. Even many concubines treated her with special regard and often invited her to compose poems together.
While busy at the Imperial Medical Office, Lin Yue overheard about Liu Ruyan. She felt a faint sense of unease. The sudden appearance of this woman seemed too suspicious, and there seemed to be a hidden secret behind it. So, she instructed her trusted maid to keep a close eye on Liu Ruyan's every move.
A few days later, after investigation, Li Yi discovered that most of the ministers who proposed seeking peace had close connections with a wealthy merchant in the court. The merchant, Qian Wanguan, ostensibly ran a silk business but secretly colluded with neighboring countries. He aimed to gain more commercial benefits through the cession of territory and seeking peace.
Upon learning this, Li Yi flew into a rage and immediately ordered the arrest of Qian Wanguan. However, Qian Wanguan was well - prepared. After getting wind of the news, he attempted to flee to avoid punishment. Fortunately, Li Yi had made prior arrangements and successfully intercepted him at the city gate.
After being imprisoned, Qian Wanguan initially tried to deny everything. But faced with irrefutable evidence, he finally confessed to colluding with neighboring countries. It turned out that the neighboring countries had promised him a large amount of wealth and land if the Tang Dynasty ceded territory for peace. In return, he was responsible for wooing ministers in the court to advocate for peace - seeking.
Based on Qian Wanguan's confession, Li Yi traced the connections and investigated and punished one by one the ministers who had accepted bribes and supported seeking peace. This caused a huge stir in the imperial court. Seeing this, other ministers expressed their firm support for Li Yi in
resisting foreign invaders.
On the palace side, after days of observation, Lin Yue's trusted maid found that Liu Ruyan often had secret contacts with people outside the palace. Late one night, the maid secretly followed Liu Ruyan and saw her meeting with a man in black in a remote corner. Hiding in the shadows, the maid faintly heard them mention words like "plan" and "Lin Yue."
The maid didn't dare to delay and immediately reported this to Lin Yue. Lin Yue was shocked. She realized that Liu Ruyan was likely targeting her. To avoid alerting the enemy, Lin Yue decided to act as if nothing had happened. She continued to have the maid monitor Liu Ruyan's every move and strengthened her own security measures.
A few days later, Liu Ruyan came to the Imperial Medical Office on her own initiative, saying that she had heard of Lin Yue's excellent medical skills and had come to consult her on some medical issues. Lin Yue sneered inwardly but warmly received her on the surface. Liu Ruyan asked some questions about health preservation, and Lin Yue patiently answered each one.
During the conversation, Lin Yue noticed that Liu Ruyan's eyes flickered constantly, as if she was looking for an opportunity. Suddenly, when Lin Yue wasn't paying attention, Liu Ruyan quietly took out a small bottle from her sleeve and was about to pour its contents into Lin Yue's teacup. However, Lin Yue saw her every move.
Lin Yue calmly held the teacup. "Miss Liu, I'll handle the tea myself." Liu Ruyan's face changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. "Miss Su, I was being presumptuous." Lin Yue looked at her coldly. "Miss Liu, what on earth is your purpose? Why are you trying to poison my tea?"
Realizing that her plan had been exposed, Liu Ruyan's face turned extremely ugly. She said viciously, "Su Linyue, you're indeed clever. But now that you know my purpose, you won't leave here alive." With that, she suddenly drew a dagger from her waist and stabbed at Lin Yue.
Lin Yue was well - prepared. She sidestepped and easily avoided Liu Ruyan's attack. Then, she quickly picked up a medicine bottle on the table and threw it at Liu Ruyan. Liu Ruyan couldn't dodge in time and was hit by the bottle, falling to the ground.
At this time, Lin Yue's guards rushed in upon hearing the commotion. They surrounded Liu Ruyan. Realizing that the situation was hopeless, Liu Ruyan had no choice but to surrender.
Lin Yue interrogated Liu Ruyan and learned that she was a spy sent by a neighboring country. The neighboring country knew that Lin Yue was deeply loved by the people of the Tang Dynasty and had a significant influence on Li Yi's decisions. So, they came up with this plan to disrupt the situation in the Tang Dynasty by poisoning Lin Yue.
Lin Yue told Li Yi about this. After hearing it, Li Yi was both angry and fear. He hugged Lin Yue tightly. "Yao'er, thank goodness you're okay. I'll strengthen your protection from now on and never let you get hurt again."
Through this series of events, Lin Yue and Li Yi became more aware that the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty did not come easily. There were always various crises lurking in the imperial court and the palace. However, they were fearless and determined to work together to safeguard the land and people of the Tang Dynasty. During this process, Lin Yue gradually grew into an indispensable figure in the Tang Dynasty. Her wisdom and courage would continue to contribute to the development of the Tang Dynasty in the days to come.