Speculations on the Events of That Year

Simon Yu’s heart skipped a beat as he listened. He knew just how deep and tangled the truth behind this incident was. If Master hadn’t stumbled upon Uncle’s diary by chance, they would never have learned any of this.

Dr. Rowan Lin handed Simon Yu the last entry in the diary. It mentioned that the Empress went to the South Hill Imperial Temple before giving birth because the temple was renowned as the 'Peace Temple.' It was said that if expectant mothers prayed there, their children would be blessed with lifelong safety.

The diary also noted that before Master left, Marquis Weiyuan—who was a favorite of the late emperor—came to visit and asked Master to check the pulse of Madam Lou, who was also praying at the South Hill Imperial Temple and about to give birth.

"That day was probably the last day the South Hill Imperial Temple ever existed. A huge fire broke out, and according to the official report, it started because a pilgrim secretly roasted wild chicken in the back hills, sparking a forest fire that engulfed the temple. Every monk and visitor inside perished—no survivors at all." Dr. Rowan Lin’s eyes flashed coldly. "The official records don’t even mention that the Empress visited the temple that day."

Simon Yu shivered as he listened, suddenly feeling as if the shadowy forest around him was crowded with the souls of those burned in the fire, countless dark eyes staring at him.

"Master, are you saying that both the late Empress and Madam Lou were about to give birth, and both were caught in the fire at the South Hill Imperial Temple?" Simon Yu seized on the crucial point, murmuring, "And Uncle was there too... Lucy Lou had Uncle’s secret False Death Elixir in her body—the elixir was given to her as a newborn... So Lucy Lou was actually born at the temple, and Uncle fed her the elixir right after birth!? But the Marquis Weiyuan family always claimed Lucy Lou was a cousin, only sixteen years old. No wonder the Marquis and Madam Lou are so secretive about her real age, insisting she’s sixteen and denying she’s twenty."

Dr. Rowan Lin glanced at Simon Yu. "Exactly. Lucy Lou was most likely born at South Hill Imperial Temple. But at that time, there were only two pregnant women in the temple—one was the Former Empress, the other was Madam Lou. One of them gave birth to Lucy Lou, and the other gave birth to... Based on Master’s diary and the surviving pulse records, the Empress was pregnant with a crown prince..."

"The crown prince... the crown prince..." Simon Yu felt his mind was in a tangle, the truth flickering just out of reach. He scratched his head, recalling the strange empty coffin they’d unearthed earlier, and suddenly said, "Master, I think I’ve figured out the mystery of the False Death Elixir in Lucy Lou’s body! Years ago, for some reason, Uncle gave newborn Lucy Lou the False Death Elixir, making everyone believe she had died, and then buried her in a coffin. Later, they dug up the coffin, took Lucy Lou away, and reburied the coffin!"

"Ha, now I understand why Uncle gave a baby the False Death Elixir—it was to make everyone think the child had died, even burying her underground!"

Dr. Rowan Lin nodded, agreeing with Simon Yu’s deduction. His gaze grew deep as he looked into the distance. "Because Lucy Lou took the medicine as a child, her appearance and development are different from ordinary people—she looks odd. But if you look closely, her features really do resemble Marquis Weiyuan and Madam Lou. We always thought it was because she was their niece, but now, tsk, most likely Lucy Lou is Madam Lou’s biological daughter, born at South Hill Imperial Temple twenty years ago."