Chapter 61 Japanese Pirates and Pirates: Suspicion

The slender silver needles were precisely inserted into the acupoints, bringing an indescribable soreness and distension. Lu Wensheng dared not look directly at himself being pricked and could only bury his head in Chen Hegui's arms.

This was the first time in her life she had ever been pricked by a needle, and it was such a long needle! Longer than the one Rong Momo used!

Sensing Lu Wensheng's fear, Shen Hegui patted her back reassuringly, his actions conveying undisguised affection.

Everyone present was shrewd, but they lacked medical knowledge.

Whispers of whispering between each other could be heard.

What is excessive Yang heat and disordered Qi and blood?

"It probably means unsatisfied desires and disordered blood circulation. Eighteen years old is an age of vigorous blood and energy!"

"I must say, I was quite moved watching it. Lord Lu was so fast just now!"

"Yes! He just nibbled on His Highness's finger, and he got this excited! It's true love!"

The gossip and whispers created a buzzing sound, but Lu Wensheng couldn't hear it clearly; her attention was entirely focused on the silver needles.

Zhang Chanyi tugged at his beard, took the pulse, and looked puzzled: "That's strange, why isn't it working? Could it be that the needle wasn't inserted deep enough?"

Lu Wensheng: "?!?!" Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.

Zhang Chanyi said solemnly, "Your Highness, please hold Lady Lu even tighter and make sure she doesn't move an inch. I'm afraid the acupuncture needles were applied too shallowly!"

"Okay." The deep response caused his chest to vibrate, and Shen Hegui's arms tightened in response, leaving no room for maneuver.

Lu Wensheng blinked repeatedly, trying to struggle and escape but unable to move.

She's not good! She doesn't want to! If she had known this would happen, she would have definitely arranged to meet Shen He on the street for a mission! And hired two fake assassins to help her!

Another wave of sensation as the silver needles pierced her flesh washed over her. Lu Wensheng was utterly despondent and could only console herself with excuses: getting acupuncture is better than drinking bitter medicine. It must be that heaven is taking pity on her and knows that she drank bitter medicine last night!

After a short while, Zhang Chanyi removed the needles and checked the pulse again: "It's normal now. Lord Lu, try to see if you can move."

Shen Hegui was freed from his shackles.

Lu Wensheng felt a soreness and fatigue in the place where she had been pricked. She didn't want to move and wanted to play dumb, so she pretended not to hear. But She Hegui spoke up: "Get up. You still have questions to answer me."

Lu Wensheng: "..." Can't you just let her go?!

Seeing that he couldn't keep up the act any longer, Lu Wensheng had no choice but to help Shen Hegui to his feet and shamelessly asked, "What was the question again? I can't remember for a moment."

Shen Hegui's eyes softened: "What are your thoughts on the matter of increasing troop deployment along the coast?"

Lu Wensheng was startled: "Is it the sea to the south or the sea to the east?"

Shen Hegui slightly raised the corner of his eye, a question arising in his mind: "Is there a difference between the south and the east?"

Despite feeling guilty, Lu Wensheng spoke with conviction: "Of course there's a difference! The south is pirates, we can leave them for now, no need to rush. The east is Japanese pirates. Pirates roam the world, while Japanese pirates are from a small island nation. Island nations are poor in resources and have limited supplies. They are full of a sense of crisis and a desire for expansion. They envy us and are jealous of us. When we become so strong that they can only look up to us, they will choose to befriend us. But once we fall into crisis and our national strength is not what it used to be, they will turn their backs on us faster than flipping through a book."

Immediately after he finished speaking, someone objected to Lu Wensheng's favoritism towards the pirates, retorting: "But when pirates plunder the wealthy coastal counties, they are no different from Japanese pirates, burning, killing, raping, and committing all sorts of atrocities!"

“There are differences, and we can’t generalize!” Lu Wensheng bit his lower lip, holding back for a while before speaking: “Has this gentleman been familiar with the composition of pirates along the southeast coast?”

"Traitors and rebels, what's there to study about that!"

Lu Wensheng looked at Shen Hegui with a complicated expression, his meaning clear: Quickly replace him with someone else; as the court's think tank, their vision is far too short-sighted.

Shen Hegui curled his lips and personally offered a way out: "I am quite curious, what kind of people are the pirates along the southeast coast?"

Lu Wensheng: "Before discussing the composition of the class, I would like to first talk about our dynasty's maritime prohibition policy. The maritime prohibition prohibits private individuals from going overseas for trade, restricts the export of goods, and controls the people along the coast. The original intention was to prevent Japanese pirates and their remaining forces, and the starting point was good."

She changed the subject: "I once heard an old saying, 'Those who live by the mountains live off the mountains, and those who live by the water live off the water.' But coastal land is mostly sandy beaches and sandy land, which has a very poor ability to retain water and fertilizer, and is high in salinity. Not to mention, there are hurricanes every summer and autumn, so it is not suitable for planting at all. Ordinary people do not want to leave their homeland, but they also want to support their families. The best choice is to go to sea to become fishermen or engage in overseas trade."

Lu Wensheng looked around, his gaze settling on Shen Hegui's chest: "Farming is out of the question, fishing is out of the question with the sea ban in place, and trade is out of the question. They can't even read, what else can they do?"

Shen Hegui's eyes flickered slightly: "Falling into the sea to become a pirate."

Lu Wensheng's eyes crinkled into a smile, and he secretly scratched the spot where he had just been pricked a few times. He then praised, "Your Highness is truly exceptional. You are knowledgeable, quick-witted, and understand things immediately!"

The Minister of War stepped forward with a stern face and said, "But I have seen brown-haired, blue-eyed foreigners among the pirates. How do you explain that?"

Lu Wensheng shrugged: "It's a very simple principle: do business with pirates. Anything that's illegal under the imperial laws is considered exorbitantly profitable..."

"Lord Lu! Don't be so presumptuous!"

Shen Hegui raised his hand and said solemnly, "Let Lu Wensheng speak! I want to hear it."

Turning to glance at the unfamiliar old man who had called her presumptuous, Lu Wensheng moved closer to Shen Hegui to bolster her courage, and continued, "I won't go into how lucrative smuggling is, but you gentlemen all have connections and resources; you can investigate yourselves. Before coming to Yanjing, I was fortunate enough to know a few..."

Lu Wensheng paused, then said tactfully, "I've met a few overseas merchants, and they told me that their emperors are encouraging the development of maritime trade and actively seeking new trade routes to the East. Right now, they have cannons, while we only have small muskets. You gentlemen are standing here in this grand hall, arguing fiercely over a million taels of silver. Why don't you go and see the world that has already undergone earth-shaking changes overseas? Don't stick to old ways and only care about short-term gains."

Lu Wensheng steered the conversation back on track: "Among the pirates, most were fishermen and farmers who could not survive and were forced to take risks. A small number were powerful gentry who cooperated in selling stolen goods, officials who accepted bribes, greedy Japanese pirates, and Western barbarians who came from afar with ulterior motives and intended to colonize our dynasty."

Lu Wensheng bowed respectfully and said firmly, "Your Highness, you asked me for my opinion. I would say that we must increase our troops and vigorously develop our navy. Moreover, it is better to guide than to prohibit! We must defeat the small Japanese pirates, otherwise the consequences will be endless! Cowardly retreat will never solve the problem, and closing ourselves off will only lead to being attacked in the future! Although pirates are thieves, they are no different from mountain bandits. In essence, most of them are Your Highness's subjects. I do not object to severely punishing pirates who have taken lives, but if they have no lives, I hope Your Highness can offer them amnesty."

Shen Hegui stared at Lu Wensheng without blinking, his eyes dark and deep, without uttering a single word.

Some officials did argue with Lu Wensheng because she was trying to overturn ancestral rules.

But how could they possibly argue with Lu Wensheng, who stood on the shoulders of giants and looked back? They were defeated after only a few words and left speechless.

Shen Hegui silently memorized every word Lu Wensheng had said, pondering and reflecting upon it repeatedly.

The sun grew stronger, shining directly on the roof ridge. Lu Wensheng, having single-handedly addressed the assembled civil and military officials, was hoarse from speaking. Amidst the silence of the entire hall, Lu Wensheng's outstanding performance earned him a private audience with Shen Hegui.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, a table was laden with steamed perch, steamed eggs with silverfish, bamboo shoots and ham, and mutton with scallions and peppers, all accompanied by seasonal vegetables.

Lu Wensheng gulped down two large bowls of warm tea and finally recovered and came back to life.

She was dying of thirst! Hindsight is always 20/20! Going to court was more tiring than running the 800 meters twice!

The last dessert, rose milk pudding, was quietly served to the table by Feng Gou.

Feng Gou bowed and said, "The dishes are all ready."

Shen Hegui said calmly, "All of you, step back, close the palace doors, and do not leave anyone inside the Wenhua Hall."

"Here you go!"

Feng Gou bowed his head and accepted the order. He led the attendants in the hall away silently, and the heavy hall doors slowly closed, blocking out the bright sunlight.

Lu Wensheng had just brought the porcelain spoon containing rose milk soup to her lips when she met Shen Hegui's gazing gaze and could only awkwardly put it down.

She wiped her face: "Is there something dirty on my face?"

Why was Shen Hegui staring at her with those dark, menacing eyes? It was quite frightening.

Shen Hegui asked in a solemn voice, "Are you hiding something from me?"

He carefully considered Lu Wensheng's remarks in court several times, and had to admit that those insights were incisive and profound. Such insightful observations could only come from firsthand experience. Lu Wensheng must have connections with pirates or Japanese pirates, and these connections must be extremely close!

Lu Wensheng was carefree and the kind of person who wouldn't give up until she saw evidence. She smiled and said, "No! What could I possibly be hiding from Your Highness!"

Shen Hegui pursed his lips and patiently said, "Here, there is only you and me, not ruler and subject. Even if you have committed serious acts of treason in the past, I can forgive you and grant you no guilt."

Lu Wensheng opened his mouth, forcibly suppressing a slight surge of excitement, and denied it again: "Really not, Your Highness, if you don't believe me, I can swear!"

Some bastard has been badmouthing Shen Hegui to her? And the accusation is quite sophisticated—treason, tsk! They stumbled upon the truth by sheer luck, too bad, they'll definitely find no evidence!

Lu Wensheng leisurely placed a piece of fish on Shen Hegui's plate: "When things are done well, slander arises; when virtue is high, defamation comes. Not only am I young and good-looking, but thanks to Your Highness, I also hold a high position. There must be someone trying to sow discord between Your Highness and me. Your Highness, don't believe their gossip."

She spoke frankly and without a trace of guilt: "Anyone can lie, I could say I'm a woman! Your Highness, the fish won't taste good if it gets cold."

Shen Hegui's eyes dimmed slightly.

Lu Wensheng didn't believe him! Fine, he'd better investigate himself. If things get really messy, he could cover for him. Given Lu Wensheng's greedy nature, he probably just did some smuggling.

Shen Hegui said, “After dinner, I will have the Imperial Guards escort you to the Ministry of Rites, and then send someone to fetch you to the palace in the evening. Those officials in the court are not to be trifled with. Your reckless remarks have surely brought you to your death.”

Lu Wensheng's silver chopsticks, holding meat, hung in mid-air, incredulous: "No way! Weren't they all promoted by His Highness? Shouldn't they be on the same boat?"

Shen Hegui instructed, "Among all the officials in the court, trust no one except yourself. I have my reasons for promoting them, but I cannot explain them to you in detail right now."

Lu Wensheng choked up: "..."

Why didn't you say so sooner! Isn't it too late to mend the situation now? She should have endured some hardship and learned martial arts back then; she regrets it so much!

When her life was safe, Lu Wensheng could live carefree, but once she knew for certain that someone wanted to kill her, she became suspicious and paranoid.

After looking out the window at the swaying tree branches for the tenth time, Lu Wensheng couldn't bear it any longer. She grabbed her pillow and blanket and went to the main hall.

Tonight, it was Feng Gou's turn to keep watch. He was so surprised when he saw Lu Wensheng, who could go to court after changing his clothes, that he was leaning against a pillar. He was speechless with astonishment.

Feng Gou whispered, "Lord Lu, the moon is already in the center of the sky. What are you doing looking like that?"

Lu Wensheng quietly counted the imperial guards in front of the palace gate, spread out a quilt and a pillow, sat down on the ground, and said something surprising: "I'm going to sleep with my master."

Meeting Lu Wensheng's smiling eyes, Feng Gou shuddered: "Lord Lu, please be careful with your words! This old servant is too old to be frightened." If he had shared a bed with Lord Lu, he probably wouldn't even have a bone fragment left by tomorrow morning, let alone a whole corpse.

Lu Wensheng's original intention was to have someone accompany her, not to actually want to sleep in the same bed with someone. So after hearing Feng Gou's refusal, she planned to lie down and go to sleep.

Suddenly, the palace door was pulled open by a long, strong hand. Shen Hegui, wearing the same undergarment as that morning, stood behind the door and said softly, "Go sleep in the palace, the floor is cold."

Lu Wensheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately got up to roll up the quilt and grab a pillow, saying politely, "How could I accept this! I won't stand on ceremony with Your Highness."

The safest place in the entire capital of Yanjing should be Shen Hegui's bedroom. She's determined to sleep on the carpet until it's worn bare before going home!

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The author says: "When deeds are accomplished, slander arises; when virtue is high, defamation follows." — Han Yu, "On Defamation"