Chapter 6, Mission 1: Shen Hegui's Scheme

Unlike the first time, this time the feast was lavish, with steaming hot dishes in every bowl and plate.

The meat dishes include steamed fresh fish, roasted pork, fragrant chicken, and roasted mutton, while the vegetarian dishes include Yunnan matsutake mushrooms, green leeks, steamed cakes, and some fruit. Served with desserts are silver thread candy and crispy cheese, as well as four servings of soup.

Lu Wensheng kept hypnotizing himself that he was having afternoon tea at home and that he was only eating dry food, not wet food.

As the sun sets and dusk falls, the darkness gradually washes over the palace.

The play on stage had changed again at some point. Lu Wensheng wasn't interested in opera; the babbling hymns sounded like a lullaby to her. She tried to keep her eyelids open to avoid falling asleep.

As the sun sets and the night wind rises suddenly, the chill pierces the skin like fine needles.

Lu Wensheng was instantly sobered up by the cold.

Seated high on his throne, Shen Hegui remained calm and composed, sharing the cool banquet with the assembled civil and military officials, and enduring the chill of the wind. He remained silent, and no one dared to be the one to speak up and say they wanted to go home.

As per custom, the palace banquet should end no later than 5 PM. Like everyone else, Lu Wensheng could only hope to get through 5 PM and return home safely.

As darkness fell completely, an official finally couldn't help but ask to relieve himself. Shen Hegui, unhurried, scooped up a spoonful of cheese, put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and then calmly gestured to the soldier to lead the official to the outhouse.

Once the first person couldn't hold it in, a group of others quickly followed suit, and some even urinated on themselves upon hearing the word "urinate."

The smell of urine wafted intermittently, and Lu Wensheng pushed the cold soup beside him further away. Four servings were really too much; it was quite something that they could hold it in until now.

Shen Hegui paused in his eating of the cheese, the jade cup containing the cheese clattering against the table with a dull thud. A sense of oppression surged into every corner with his words: "Anyone who has behaved improperly in front of the palace shall be dragged away and given twenty strokes of the cane!"

An official had barely uttered the first word in an attempt to plead for himself when he was silenced, only able to whimper.

The water stains on the ground were quickly cleaned up.

As dusk fell and visibility was obscured, Lu Wensheng was only an arm's length away from Shen Hegui, so he could see clearly. A slight smile appeared on his lips, a triumphant look on his face.

When the dishes were served, she noticed that the soup bowls were much larger than before, and there was an extra portion.

So Shen Hegui did it on purpose; he had been waiting for this moment. But what could happen if he went to the outhouse?

She felt like her brain had been turned to mush by the wind, and she wasn't working as well as before. Another gust of west wind blew by, and she couldn't help but cough twice.

Shen Hegui turned his head slightly and saw that Lu Wensheng's cheeks were flushed with an abnormal blush. He whispered to Lin Shoubai, "Go and get a bowl of ginger soup for Editor Lu."

Tsk! The score hasn't been settled yet, but the person can't be allowed to fall.

Lin Shoubai personally urged them to hurry, and the ginger soup arrived faster than the officials went to the outhouse.

She really needed this bowl of ginger soup to warm her up. In the feudal dynasty, medical care was backward, and a simple cold could kill a young person.

Lu Wensheng said, "Your Highness, I thank you for your consideration!"

After expressing her gratitude, Lu Wensheng lifted the lid of the bowl, and a warm mist carrying the pungent aroma of old ginger, the sweetness of red dates, and the fragrance of goji berries wafted towards her, making her nose slightly stuffy and seemingly dispelling some of the chill in her body.

She was about to drink from the bowl when her movements suddenly froze in mid-air, because a small, bright yellow turtle was lying in the reddish-brown soup, its four short legs still moving.

If I remember correctly, she had previously instructed Yingniang to throw the turtle into the public latrine to drown it.

Lu Wensheng: "..." Why would she be so foolish as to want to drown a turtle in sewage?

The yellow turtle in the soup opened and closed its small mouth, its voice childish: [Male lead detected. First main quest triggered. Host, please sit next to the Crown Prince, flirt with him, and express your physical attraction. Limited to twenty-four hours.]

Lu Wensheng: "..." Is this supposed to be a task? There are clearly three people involved: sitting next to him, flirting with him as a man, and finally expressing their feelings. Shen Hegui could easily sue her for sexual harassment. Doesn't this task seem strange?!

[The system is only responsible for issuing tasks and maintaining the final ending of the female supporting character's storyline. It is not responsible for anything else. Please complete the tasks diligently and do not abandon your system again. Friendly reminder: Shen Hegui's current favorability is -100 points.]

Lu Wensheng placed the ginger soup back on the table.

Noticing her movement, Shen Hegui asked, "Why aren't you drinking?"

Lu Wensheng lied with a blank face: "It's a bit hot and the ginger flavor is a bit strong, let's wait a bit longer."

Shen Hegui chuckled and ignored Lu Wensheng.

If you don't want to drink, just say so. Civil officials are always roundabout and unpleasant.

A childlike system notification drifted from the white porcelain bowl: [Detection indicates Shen Hegui's favorability has decreased by -200 points.]

Lu Wensheng: "..." You still have the nerve to say it out loud? Isn't it all because of you, you little bastard who's been smeared with filth! If Shen Hegui harbors any murderous intent towards her later, she'll definitely drag this damn system down with her!

"Waaaaah, the system doesn't want to die..."

The series of cries made Lu Wensheng's temples throb, but then she realized: You little yellow turtle, you can read my mind?

The system sobbed, "[Yes, the system can sense the host's thoughts and intentions when the host is off guard.]"

Lu Wensheng silently pushed the ginger soup further away.

After realizing it could no longer hear what Lu Wensheng was thinking, the system howled even louder.

Lu Wensheng shouted fiercely in his mind, "Shut up!"

The system hiccuped and fell silent.

She couldn't do any of the tasks, and she didn't want the system at all, so she just let it soak in the soup.

At this moment, two officials, soaking wet, were carried up.

A young general, over eight feet tall, hurried forward and reported: "Your Highness, Lord Pei of the Wenyuan Pavilion and Lord Song of the Zhongji Hall accidentally fell into the drainage ditch. Both of them landed headfirst on the ground and are unconscious. The Imperial Physician said that it is probably time to prepare for their funerals."

Before they could catch their breath, another soldier rushed forward and reported, "Your Highness, the Minister of War slipped and fell into the latrine. The Minister of Personnel tried to pull him out, but was pulled in as well."

Shen Hegui rubbed his temples, feigning a headache, his brows furrowed with worry, and sighed, "How could going to the outhouse lead to so many unexpected events?"

The young general was named Luo Jiangsheng, one of Shen Hegui's confidants. The soldier was Luo Jiangsheng's man, which meant he was also Shen Hegui's man.

Luo Jiangsheng bowed respectfully and replied, "Many officials left the meeting, causing overcrowding in front of the latrines. Since everyone was in a hurry, some arguments and disputes arose. The two cabinet ministers were not in a great hurry to relieve themselves, so they thought they would go to a more distant place." He paused and added, "A more distant place would be less crowded and cleaner."

Lu Wensheng had been an official for four years, and she knew the habits of these officials very well. Even under normal circumstances, they could urinate off-center while holding their own genitals, let alone when they had to urinate urgently, at which point their latrines would probably be in a terrible state.

As for those two ministers, they don't get along in daily life. The word "pull" is most likely used to whitewash the situation; "push" would probably be more appropriate.

Shen Hegui waved his hand, his expression a mixture of helplessness and heartache: "It's all my fault, I didn't think things through. Take him away and let the Imperial Physician try the best medicine again. As for the quarrel that happened in front of the latrine, which led to the two Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet being in deep danger... Lin Shoubai!"

"Your subject is here!"

Shen Hegui changed his tone: "Take your men and let the troublemaking officials experience the treatment of the ministers. After they finish, each of them will be given ten strokes of the cane."

After a brief pause, Shen Hegui looked up at the assembled officials and announced wearily, "Tomorrow's morning court session is postponed. It's getting late, so the rest of you may all go home to avoid worrying your families."

If Lu Wensheng hadn't been involved, he would have applauded. A banquet, four bowls of soup that could be used to tamper with people's hands and feet, had silently and ruthlessly wiped out half of the court.

Regardless of whether the two cabinet ministers and the minister truly fell into the ditch and the latrine by accident, the wounds that were contaminated with excrement were practically incurable in the days before antibiotics.

It is estimated that in a few days, news will spread that the officials' sores from the beatings have become infected and the poison has invaded their bodies, beyond the reach of medicine. Of course, it is more likely that the news will not spread, since the sudden appearance of multiple officials dying from similar illnesses could easily lead to people with impure motives using this to smear Shen Hegui's rare good reputation.

Shen Hegui's move was more deadly than swords and knives, and the whole process was humiliating and painful.

Having grasped the key, Lu Wensheng slowly rose, nodded to Shen Hegui, and walked downstairs. Only after she had completely passed the stiffened corpse of the Minister of Revenue did she slowly exhale the breath that had been stuck in her throat, and her tense shoulders and back relaxed.

However, before she could finish exhaling, a cool voice rang out from behind her, piercing through the night: "Lord Lu, please wait. I have some matters I would like to ask you."

Shen Hegui stood on the high steps, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his tone gentle.

But to Lu Wensheng, this gentle tone sounded like a male ghost coming to claim her life while walking at night; if she turned around, she would lose her life in the thick darkness.

Ahead, the officials had all left, the palace gates were closed, and the night was deep. She had nowhere to turn for help and was completely isolated and helpless!

Lu Wensheng took a deep breath to relieve the sudden pressure on his body.

She had only experienced this feeling once before, when her brother went missing; it was extremely depressing and made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Good heavens! If she had known that Prince Su would fall after the New Year, she should have resigned. In the end, she was just greedy, wanting to take advantage of Prince Su and the Emperor's power to make more money in this prosperous capital.

...

Shen He went to bathe and change clothes, and Lu Wensheng was led to the West Warm Pavilion by the eunuch.

"Lord Lu is waiting in the West Warm Pavilion. I'll go and serve you a cup of tea."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Feng," she said politely.

Feng Gou's appearance just now really startled her. As Emperor Qinghe's trusted eunuch, Lu Wensheng originally thought that he had met his end on the night Shen Hegui launched the palace coup.

The fact that he appeared in good health and could lead her freely through the palace indicates that he had long ago pledged allegiance to Shen Hegui.

It's absolutely terrifying to think about!

She had been to the West Warm Pavilion once before, to help Emperor Qinghe draft imperial edicts. She had no recollection of whether Feng Gou was present that day.

"Please enjoy your tea, Lord Lu!" Feng Gou personally served the tea as before, without asking anyone else to do it.

"Thank you, my esteemed companion!" Lu Wensheng rose from his seat and bowed in gratitude.

"You're too kind, sir. I've prepared some hawthorn cake for you to aid digestion." He had always had a strange fondness for this editor, Lu. He couldn't quite put his finger on it; he just felt that Lu had a kind face and was likable.