Chapter 75 The Carrier Pigeon Who Betrayed His Family and Betrayed His Righteousness in the Imperial Prison

After nightfall, apart from the occasional barking of dogs and the footsteps of night patrol soldiers, there was no other sound on the street, so the sound of wheels rolling over the stone road was particularly clear.

After eating a large bunch of cherries, Lu Wensheng couldn't help but inhale the aroma of Chen Hegui.

Then she began to waver, thinking, "Why don't I sleep with Shen Hegui tonight? He smells so good."

Just as she was about to make her move quietly, she heard the cooing of pigeons outside the carriage. Then the carriage slowed down, and a small bamboo tube containing a letter was brought in: "Your Highness, a carrier pigeon from the Imperial Prison."

At the same time, Zhang Chanyi's complaining voice came from outside the car: "They didn't even give me time to put on my shoes. Look, they even picked the wrong ones. One is satin, and the other is cloth, and they're all for the left foot. How am I supposed to put them on? Do they expect me to walk barefoot?"

Lu Wensheng blinked a few times and sat up on his own.

Long, well-defined fingers took the bamboo tube, and then Zhang Chanyi, wearing plain white stockings, was stuffed inside.

In ancient times, there was little nighttime entertainment to pass the time, so people went to bed early. Zhang Chanyi was getting old, so he would only go to bed even earlier.

Lu Wensheng smoothed the stubble of hair that fell in front of his eyes and greeted him, "Good evening, Dr. Zhang!"

Upon seeing Lu Wensheng, Zhang Chanyi's expression turned serious, and he quickly pulled back his stray hairs.

Zhang Chanyi, holding a medicine box, asked, "Which of you is sick?"

Holding a small roll of slightly yellowed letter between his fingers, Shen Hegui glanced sideways and said, "Let's see how Lu Wensheng is doing. Is it serious? Is it treatable?"

Lu Wensheng readily extended his right hand.

Zhang Chanyi practiced medicine in the palace for decades, and when he took a pulse, he always had a blank expression, so you couldn't tell anything from his face.

But this time he frowned, glanced at Shen Hegui, and then at Lu Wensheng, looking very troubled.

It was no secret in the official circles of Yanjing that Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui were a couple. Those who didn't know the truth would say it was a homosexual relationship, but Zhang Chanyi knew the truth, and he knew that Lu Wensheng was a woman.

The problem is that he knows more about things than the person involved, so at this moment, Zhang Chanyi has no idea how to start the conversation.

Shen Hegui inquired, "How is it?"

Zhang Chanyi's mind raced, and a sudden idea struck him: "I need to check the pulse in the left hand."

Lu Wensheng then extended his arms to the left and right.

Zhang Chanyi slightly adjusted his posture and winked at Lu Wensheng.

Lu Wensheng was slightly taken aback, but then she realized what was going on. She looked up at the letter between Shen Hegui's fingers and advised, "Your Highness, the carrier pigeons from the Zhaoyu Prison have been sending messages all night. It must be something important. Why don't you take a look and deal with it first? With Judge Zhang here, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Shen Hegui hesitated for a moment, then unfolded the letter:

Lu Yun stated that he possesses incriminating evidence that could ruin Lu Wensheng's reputation.

Shen Hegui's expression changed slightly, and he lifted the curtain and got off the carriage.

Through the gap in the carriage curtain, Lu Wensheng saw that Shen Hegui had walked several dozen steps away. She quickly said to Zhang Chanyi, "His Highness has gone to instruct the guards. Speak quickly if you have anything to say."

Zhang Chanyi remained in the same position and asked bluntly, "Are you planning to be honest with His Highness, or find another man to resolve this?"

Lu Wensheng withdrew half of his gaze and asked in return, "Can't taking medicine solve the problem? Or acupuncture would also work!"

Zhang Chanyi: "Your pulse is very strange. You have been poisoned, but the poison did not harm your body. In addition to the poison, you also have a kind of love poison that is more powerful than love incense. It is somewhat like a Gu, but you cannot detect the Gu pulse. If it were someone else, they would have already lost their mind by now, but you are still clear-headed."

He stroked his gray beard a few times: "I bet you've eaten something really good. This stuff is not only very nourishing, but it can also cure all kinds of poisons. Unfortunately, the love poison is like a poison that isn't quite a poison, so it can't be completely cured. Once the effects of this good stuff wear off, it will come back with a vengeance. The love poison that is suppressed to the extreme and then rebounds can't be cured by medicine, so you can only find a man."

Thinking of the mission, Lu Wensheng curled his fingertips: "So how much longer can we drag this out?" Love Poison, what kind of weird stuff is that?

Zhang Chanyi stared intently at Lu Wensheng: "Seven days is the limit. Any longer and it will harm your health. There aren't many loyal members of the royal family. If you don't want to choose His Highness, you need to make plans early."

"Seven days is enough." She looked at the cherries on the table and said softly, "I choose Your Highness. I still have some things to do. I will be honest with Your Highness after I finish them."

"I understand." Zhang Chanyi opened his medicine box and took out the silver needles that Lu Wensheng was familiar with. "All medicines have some toxicity, so it's best to avoid them if possible. I'll give you a few acupuncture needles to help your limbs regain their strength. I said it will take seven days, but don't push it too far. After all, life is full of unexpected events..."

Seeing that Shen Hegui was walking back, Lu Wensheng quickly interrupted, "Your Highness is going back!"

Zhang Chanyi stopped talking and quickly gave Lu Wensheng three acupuncture needles.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and two ears of golden, fragrant corn were handed to her. Then, Shen Hegui's deep voice sounded from above her head: "How is Lu Wensheng?"

The roasted corn was wrapped in a white cloth and wasn't hot.

After Zhang Chanyi finished administering the last needle, he said, "After the acupuncture, there is no immediate danger. As for other matters, let Lord Lu speak with His Highness personally."

Shen Hegui asked anxiously, "How can he be alright? Just now in the courtyard, I checked Lu Wensheng's moonlight, and he showed no reaction at all!"

Zhang Chanyi was speechless for a moment.

Lu Wensheng held the fragrant roasted corn, looking embarrassed.

An eerie silence fell over the carriage.

Shen Hegui frowned, looking back and forth between Lu Wensheng and Zhang Chanyi, his eyes full of seriousness: "What's with those expressions on your faces?"

Lu Wensheng bit her lower lip, glanced at Zhang Chanyi, and then said hesitantly, "I'm really fine. It's all a misunderstanding, Your Highness. It's normal that you didn't touch it just now. The reason is..."

She paused slightly, organizing her thoughts, "I will definitely inform Your Highness tomorrow. Could Your Highness please refrain from asking and allow me to think about how to explain this to you?"

She couldn't predict whether Shen Hegui would be angry or delighted after learning her gender. If he was furious, it would definitely implicate Judge Zhang. Although the timing was perfect, she couldn't say anything.

After listening to Lu Wensheng's explanation, Shen Hegui remained silent for a long time, not believing a single word. He thought Lu Wensheng was trying to cover up the truth. His Adam's apple bobbed, and Shen Hegui said with difficulty, "I understand. It's all my fault."

Zhang Chanyi silently withdrew the silver needles from Lu Wensheng's body.

This is a huge misunderstanding; he should pack up and go home as soon as possible.

"I must go to the Zhaoyu Prison. The Jinyiwei guards in the shadows will stay to protect you." Shen Hegui looked up at Zhang Chanyi and ordered, "At all costs, you must cure Lu Wensheng. Until he is cured, you will stay in the west wing of the Zhaowu Palace."

Zhang Chanyi: "..."

As the broad figure disappeared from sight, Lu Wensheng sat there in a daze. After a long while, she realized that Shen Hegui actually thought she was crippled.

Zhang Chanyi shook his head: "This is a huge misunderstanding! You're finished!"

Lu Wensheng was stunned: "If I didn't touch it, does that mean it can't be small?"

Zhang Chanyi gestured: "Even if it's as thin as a needle, it'll still prick your hand when it stands up!"

Lu Wensheng: "..." That makes a lot of sense.

She placed the corn she was holding next to the cherry, then looked at Zhang Chanyi's medicine box, and a sudden idea flashed in her mind.

The matter should not be delayed any longer. Let's do it tonight, without waiting until tomorrow night. Have the Imperial Guards tie up Prince Su and take him to the grove. If Prince Su shows any intention to use his gender to blackmail her, then tie him up and take him to my second uncle's ship, and send him to the island with Lu Yunzhi to be imprisoned.

There can only be one throne. If Prince Su stays in Yanjing, he will only bring trouble in the end.

Moreover, with Zhang Chanyi around, there would be someone to give her acupuncture if anything unexpected happened.

Thinking of this, Lu Wensheng stretched his limbs, put on Shen Hegui's outer robe, and jumped off the carriage as usual. Before getting off, he praised, "Judge Zhang, your acupuncture skills are quite good."

The Imperial Guards, who were about to urge their horses and carriages on, were somewhat surprised to see Lu Wensheng emerge: "Lord Lu, why did you get out of the carriage?"

"I have some matters to attend to overnight. His Highness said that the Embroidered Uniform Guards will protect me. Could you please summon them all?"

"Please wait a moment, sir."

After a short while, a dozen or so burly men gathered in front of Lu Wensheng. They were dressed in coarse black clothes, had ordinary appearances, and some of them even smelled of roasted corn.

After giving a brief explanation, Lu Wensheng changed course and headed out of the city.

Let's rewind to an hour earlier.

Zhaoyu (a prison).

The night was lonely, and the jailers sat facing each other at a wooden table, chatting about gossip to pass the time.

"Hey, have you heard? Yesterday, we received good news that General Luo won a great victory over the Japanese pirates, routing them and making them run for their lives. The coastal prefectures and counties will be able to live a good life this year."

"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince is still the best." One person looked around and lowered his voice, "To put it bluntly, important matters should be handled by young people. The older people get, the less drive they have."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man who had started the conversation looked with considerable disgust at Lu Yunzhi, who was disheveled and dirty, in the opposite cell.

He spat and said, "Have you heard about the Qian family being raided for colluding with pirates? There were chests of gold and silver; the entire main hall couldn't hold them all!"

“I know more than you do. It’s not just the gold and silver in the central hall, but also countless properties, estates, shops, restaurants, antiques, and paintings. It’s all been taken in one fell swoop. As for the exact figure, I guess only His Highness knows. I admire two people the most right now: His Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Lu.”

"What does this matter have to do with Lord Lu?"

"Lord Lu reviewed the Qian family's account books, uncovered the shady dealings within them, and reportedly obtained crucial evidence from his friends along the coast. To maintain secrecy, Lord Lu stayed right under the Crown Prince's nose while reviewing the account books."

He pointed at Lu Yunzhi: "Fortunately, His Highness is wise and did not punish Lord Lu because his biological father married into the Qian family."

“Every family has its own troubles. If my son grows up to be as capable as Lord Lu, I’ll be laughing in my sleep.” He paused slightly, then continued, “I heard that in late last month, several members of the Lu family came to Yanjing to look for their relatives. They waited outside Lord Lu’s house for seven whole days, crying and making a scene, and were finally driven away by the Imperial Guards.”

"I know about this. Lord Lu asked Commander Lin to handle it for him. I heard those guys are no pushovers..."

The incessant chatter reached Lu Yunzhi's ears. Just as he was recovering from the devastating news of the Qian family's property being confiscated, he heard the news that the Lu family members had been driven away.

The chains rattled with his movements. Lu Yunzhi clung to the cell door, demanding, "Say it again, who looked at the ledgers?"

The jailer glanced at Lu Yunzhi, then stopped talking and ignored him.

"Besides Lu Wensheng, there must be other officials with the surname Lu in the court!" Lu Yunzhi pressed on, unwilling to give up.

"Tch! What do you think the imperial court in Yanjing is!" the tall jailer scoffed.

Lu Yunzhi trembled as he loosened the reins and collapsed to the ground.

Gone, all gone, nothing left! Lu Wensheng audited the accounts, leaving no room for compromise, like plucking feathers from a passing goose or locusts swarming across the land.

All his years of scheming have come to nothing! If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have let Lu Wensheng learn to read and write, and shouldn't have kept the girl from marrying...

Yes, she's a woman! The Lu family dares not reveal it, so should he also choose to cover it up? A lie is a lie, and the truth will always come out eventually. The family may be one, but life is what you make of it.

Moreover, even though the Lu family members had all arrived in Yanjing, they didn't come to see him, nor did they even send him their greetings.

He didn't want to be locked up here any longer, nor could he live the rest of his life in poverty. Among the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—it's said that merchants are the least successful, but in fact, farmers are. He didn't want to farm, didn't want to depend on the weather for his livelihood, and didn't want to spend the rest of his life toiling in the fields!

Lu Yunzhi pounded on the prison door and shouted, "I have incriminating evidence that can ruin Lu Wensheng's reputation! I want to see His Highness the Crown Prince! I want to see His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He shouted several times, each shout louder and higher than the last, as if he had suddenly fallen into a state of frenzy, determined not to give up until he achieved his goal.

...

The night was quiet, the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.

Shen Hegui followed the lantern-carrying garrison commander and stepped through the black iron gate of the Zhaoyu Prison.

Descending the stone steps and passing through the damp passageway, the garrison commander bowed and moved a bundle of dry grass blocking the way, explaining, "Zhaoyu Prison is damp, so this dry grass is for Lu Yunzhi."

He glanced up and saw Shen Hegui walking calmly with an expressionless face, so he quickly continued, "The people below misspoke and talked about the Qian family, which provoked Lu Yunzhi and caused this incident. Since it concerns Lord Lu, I thought it would be better to be cautious, so I sent a carrier pigeon."

"Hmm." Shen Hegui was sparing with his words.

Upon reaching the corner of the cell where Lu Yunzhi was imprisoned, Shen Hegui waved everyone away and ordered, "Have your men retreat to the courtyard in front of the Xuan Tie gate. No one is allowed to enter."

"yes."

Shen Hegui lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "That includes you too."

The garrison commander nodded.

Almost as soon as Shen Hegui finished speaking, the clanging of iron chains followed.

After watching the garrison commander walk away, Shen Hegui walked out of the corner. His tall shadow fell on the wall, blocking most of the candlelight from the side.

Because he was to see Shen Hegui, the jailer specially tidied up Lu Yunzhi. He changed into clean clothes, and his disheveled hair was combed.

With indifferent phoenix eyes meeting Lu Yunzhi's bloodshot eyes, Shen Hegui coldly said, "I only have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to give you."

"Enough!" Lu Yunzhi gripped the pillar tightly with both hands and said greedily, "Give me a thousand taels of gold, and I will tell His Highness."

Shen Hegui chuckled and said calmly, "One thousand taels of gold, the total annual salary of two hundred county magistrates, the expenses of an ordinary family for three hundred years, or the monthly food rations of tens of thousands of people—no matter what information you want to exchange, it's not worth that price."

Lu Yunzhi's chapped lips trembled, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "I heard everything. Your Highness confiscated the Qian family's property. A mere thousand taels of gold is nothing but a drop in the ocean for a family as wealthy as the Qian family. I watched Lu Wensheng grow up. She is unruly and acts only according to her own will, never willing to be controlled by others. A thousand taels in exchange for a handle that can firmly hold her in her grasp, Your Highness is not at a loss in this deal."

"Ha!" Shen Hegui suddenly laughed as his gaze swept over Lu Yunzhi's face, which was twisted by greed.

Birds of a feather flock together; he and Lu Wensheng share such a similar father, both despicable as beasts.

Lu Yunzhi was taken aback: "What is Your Highness laughing at?"

Although Shen Hegui was smiling, his eyes were extremely cold. He suddenly changed his mind, his tone gentle yet chilling: "Fine, I agree. If what you're saying is useless information, I'll twist your head off right now!"

Overjoyed, Lu Yunzhi's voice was hoarse with excitement: "Your Highness's words are law! What I want to say is that Lu Wensheng's name is not Lu Wensheng, but Lu Nianzhi. She committed the crime of deceiving the emperor by disguising herself as a man to participate in the imperial examination. She is a woman, a woman! Gold, Your Highness, give me gold!"

The moment Lu Yunzhi finished speaking, the smile on Shen Hegui's lips vanished, and his pupils dilated instantly.

The candlelight in the distance suddenly went out, hiding the frozen figure in the dim shadows.

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Author's note: For my next book, I will definitely save the entire manuscript, or at least most of it. I always get so engrossed in writing that it's time for bed.