Chapter 30 Dispute: "As a guard, I caught the assassin. Was I wrong?"

Yao Ruyi slept until the sun was high in the sky, then lay in bed rubbing his eyes. He figured the emperor had already finished his morning court session and was handling state affairs in the imperial study.

He tidied himself up and went out the door, only to bump into his husband, Wang Qianshan.

It was Gu Huizhou who found him a tutor, and he was the only one who taught him.

Wang Qianshan is just over forty years old, but he looks like an old gentleman. Yao Ruyi always felt that he was like Mr. Li Wenjing, indifferent to worldly affairs and himself.

He only sought to diligently study poetry, books, and the principles of the world.

The old man paced back and forth in the courtyard. When Yao Ruyi pushed open the door and came out, he could still see the old man glancing at the sun with a displeased expression, probably complaining that he had woken up late again.

But this was the Emperor's Cloud Palace, and apart from those few people, who dared to go in and wake him up? Wang Qianshan could only suppress his anger and wait outside the palace.

Seeing that Yao Ruyi had finally come out, he strode forward and quickly grabbed her.

"Why does the young master wake up so late every time it's my turn to teach?" The old gentleman looked at the other party as if he were beyond redemption.

"I accidentally got the date wrong a few days ago, and I saw His Majesty had just finished court when the young master got up to practice his sword. His spirit and energy were something I had never seen before."

Yao Ruyi was taken aback.

Seeing Yao Ruyi's bewildered expression, Wang Qianshan's anger subsided somewhat. He earnestly advised, "If you have any complaints about me, young master, you can tell me, and I will correct them. Why gamble with your future?"

"Sir, I didn't..."

It just so happens that I had something to do the day before class.

"Fine! I'll believe you this once."

Fortunately, Yao Ruyi has a well-behaved appearance. Once he shows that innocent and naive look, no one can do anything about him.

"Come, today I will tell you what benevolent governance is."

Yao Ruyi nodded quickly.

As they spoke, the two entered a side hall, a temporary school that Cui Xiangzhu had prepared for Yao Ruyi. The side hall was small but fully equipped, and to make things more convenient for him during this time, they had even moved many books into it.

The ancient books that Yao Ruyi used to look for medicinal herbs are now kept here.

Cui Xiangzhu said eloquently, "If the Nineteenth Prince needs them in the future, he will not need to go to the library to look for them anymore. When the Nineteenth Prince passes the imperial examination and enters officialdom, I will take all these books back."

Yao Ruyi fell silent. He rubbed his earlobe. If he were to wait until Yao Ruyi passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom, he would have to wait until Yao Ruyi finished serving as a guard in the palace for seven years.

"Tell me first, what do you think benevolent governance is?"

Benevolent governance—

Yao Ruyi thought for a while, then put down the small notebook in his hand. "The emperor should show compassion to the common people, reduce taxes and conscription, and ensure that everyone can have enough to eat?"

Wang Qianshan suddenly laughed, his gray robe making him look like a Taoist priest. "Then do you think the things the late emperor did were benevolent governance?"

"The late emperor?"

Wang Qianshan was taken aback by his tone. "You don't know?"

He sighed helplessly. These days, he felt that his young master was like a reclusive eccentric, knowing more about some things than he did about others.

"The late emperor reigned for thirty years and was praised by the world as a 'benevolent emperor.' During his reign, he reduced taxes and conscription, and never mistreated the people. He was often sung about by the world, and even after his death, many officials erected monuments and built shrines for him. Can this be considered benevolent governance?"

"Can."

Wang Qianshan nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this answer, then changed the subject, "But when powerful nations invaded, the late emperor decisively ceded nine border cities, and even gladly accepted the grain sent by the Xiao Kingdom, distributing it to the people. Could this be considered benevolent governance?"

Yao Ruyi retorted, "Aren't the people on the frontier also people of Yun Kingdom?"

Morning light streamed in through the window cracks, illuminating Yao Ruyi's little notebook. Part of the light originally shone on his hand, but he moved it away because he felt it was too hot.

"When the late emperor was alive, he vigorously promoted benevolent governance and loved the people. He believed that as long as the people were happy, his policies and laws were correct."

Wang Qianshan continued, "The people on the frontier were divided up by powerful countries without any war, and they themselves were not injured or killed. It was just a change of country and a change of emperor, but they still lived their own lives."

"Now tell me, young master, was the late emperor a benevolent ruler?"

"This is not benevolent governance."

Why?

Mushroom held a pen in his hand and left a black mark on the notebook, which was quickly dried by the sun. He met the teacher's gaze with a stern face.

"The late emperor was narrow-minded. He only saw the people in the capital, and as long as the people within his jurisdiction were at peace and without worry, he considered it to be the result of his good governance."

"But the people on the frontier are also the people of Yun Kingdom. Every blade of grass and every law and regulation in Yun Kingdom is related to them, not to mention whether Xiao Kingdom will treat them equally."

The political and legal systems of the two countries are quite different; a sudden change from one way of life to another can cause chaos and confusion in every household.

Wang Qianshan looked at him with a smile, and Yao Ruyi continued.

"Furthermore, it's unlikely that Xiao Kingdom acquired the land solely for territorial expansion. These nine cities will be disposed of by Xiao Kingdom in various ways. The houses and land of the people in these nine cities will not remain in their own hands, and even their lives will be in question."

Therefore, the actions of the late emperor were seen as incompetence by the people of these nine cities.

Yao Ruyi thought about it, and that was all he could think of for the time being.

Wang Qianshan felt quite gratified. He put down the book in his hand and swayed back and forth, saying, "That's too idealistic."

Yao Ruyi looked bewildered. An ideal?

"The differences in living conditions are nothing compared to the oppression we suffer in reality."

"The people of the Nine Cities have suffered greatly in the Kingdom of Xiao. The people of Xiao can tell who is from the Kingdom of Yun just by hearing their voices. The noble families of the border cities of Xiao have ridden their horses through the city, marking out their territories to torment the people for their own amusement. The people are miserable and living in misery!"

Wang Qianshan spoke with hatred in his voice. Although he had restrained himself somewhat in the palace, his true feelings could not be hidden.

Yao Ruyi's beautiful brows furrowed. "Since you are already a citizen of the Xiao Kingdom, why are you still like this?"

"The people on the border of Xiao Kingdom are considered the lowest class in Xiao Kingdom, but once the people of Yun Kingdom are grouped with them, the difference in social status becomes immediately apparent. In just one year, the population of the nine cities has drastically decreased."

When will the Nine Cities be accepted by the Xiao Kingdom?

"Accept?" Wang Qianshan scoffed. "The population of the nine cities has decreased sharply in the past five years."

"Among them, some people gradually formed marriage alliances, and street vendors traded with each other. However, the people of Yun and Xiao still could not settle down. If they were to be accepted, it would probably have to wait until this generation or the people of Yun were all dead before these nine cities would truly belong to Xiao territory."

Yao Ruyi remained silent for a long time, unable to hide the shock in his eyes. After hearing Wang Qianshan's words, he understood why the gentleman had just said that he was "too idealistic."

He asked, "You think that's all?"

Yao Ruyi: "Isn't it over yet?"

Wang Qianshan let out a long breath, "General Han has recaptured eleven cities of the Yun Kingdom."

"Five years after the cession of the nine cities, the Xiao Kingdom went even further. They tried to get the late emperor to cede five more cities, including a major city in the south of the Yun Kingdom. If they were to give it up, the southern half of the Yun Kingdom would have to be surrendered as well."

Therefore, the late emperor did not agree, and Yao Ruyi knew this.

"The late emperor refused, and the two countries went to war."

"After more than a decade of reducing troops and taxes, how could the Yun Kingdom possibly defeat the Xiao Kingdom? In just a few months, they defeated two cities in succession. The court was in a state of panic, and the officials offered many suggestions to the late emperor. Some even said that it would be better to just cede the territory directly."

"The late emperor was reluctant to let go, so he ordered another expedition." He said quietly, "This time, the person who led the expedition was Han Dahai, who was just a minor official under the Ministry of War back then, and is now the Minister of War. In three years, he trained the soldiers into brave and skilled warriors, but he could only barely hold the border and dispel the Xiao Kingdom's thoughts."

"Countless soldiers died in battle, and countless generals perished without a complete corpse. How much more so the civilians who suffered the ravages of war?"

"How can this be called benevolent governance?!"

Yao Ruyi was also furious, "The people in the capital still remember the good deeds of the late emperor."

"Hmph! Reducing troops and taxes doesn't necessarily mean the soldiers will have a few more steamed buns. Who knows where that money ends up? It's difficult for the court officials to govern the Yun Kingdom well, but it's far too easy to just manage the capital under the emperor's watchful eye."

Yao Ruyi hadn't thought of it this way at all. If that were the case, the late emperor was just trying to put his mind at ease; he might well know what was going on outside.

Whether the late emperor knew or not, no one knows, but these ministers knew very well.

"Young master, please tell me again, is this a benevolent policy?"

"Of course not!"

Wang Qianshan chuckled, leisurely swaying a book in his hand. "So-called benevolent governance is not about how the people are doing. A ruler must have a long-term vision when governing."

The two fell silent for a moment.

Wang Qianshan glanced around calmly, "So, what does the young master think of His Majesty?"

"People believe that Your Majesty is unworthy to be the late emperor's son, as you are ruthless and decisive in your actions, and not the kind of person to be a benevolent ruler."

Yao Ruyi fiddled with the small notebook in her hand. "What does the master want to say?"

Wang Qianshan was taken aback. "Since the young master is someone His Majesty asked me to teach, I must teach him well. If the young master's ears are tainted by the nonsense of the world, then it is certainly my fault."

"This morning at court, His Majesty asked his officials how to resolve the people's reluctance to plant mulberry trees and alfalfa. The officials unanimously suggested that increasing taxes or using force could be used to suppress them, but His Majesty rejected both suggestions outright."

"Then the official pointed out that a method of rewarding grain could be used. If the people planted seeds in their fields and after a few days the seeds took root and sprouted, they could ask the government officials to take a look and then they could receive grain."

Wang Qianshan then asked, "What does the young master think of this method?"

Yao Ruyi thought about what Granny Li had said yesterday and shook his head. "Doesn't that confirm that His Majesty wants to use the people to grow medicinal herbs in order to make it easier for him to refine elixirs and obtain medicine?"

"Hahahaha," Wang Qianshan said excitedly, getting carried away, "Young Master is insightful! His Majesty probably thinks the same way."

"The fact that planting alfalfa and mulberry trees could improve the land was not explicitly told to the people, which is the fundamental reason why they were unwilling to plant them."

Therefore, as long as they know that planting these crops will lead to a bountiful harvest when they plant grains again, people will naturally be willing to do it.

"His Majesty issued a decree ordering officials to find a plot of land on their own land to cultivate the crops, and to take the people to see them every now and then, so that they can see for themselves."

This method is good, but...

"Wouldn't that waste even more time?"

“There is absolutely no reason to achieve success overnight,” he said, looking at Yao Ruyi with admiration. “Your Majesty uses benevolence to assist the law. Only when you see things clearly can the people see them for who they truly are.”

Yao Ruyi smiled and nodded. He now understood that the gentleman must greatly admire His Majesty's governance.

Mushroom moved its hand to the side again.

“Sir,” Yao Ruyi called softly, “I have heard that His Majesty executed countless ministers within three days of his ascension to the throne. Is this true?”

This person's eyes were clear, unlike the murky ones in the eyes of others. Wang Qianshan shook his head.

He looked around again. "In the late emperor's court, almost everyone agreed that the cities should be ceded. While countless people in the nine cities were dying, they were still busy trying to blind the late emperor."

He asked, "Should he be killed?"

"He deserves to die."

This means that the matter is true, and Yao Ruyi remained silent.

"If Your Majesty hadn't killed them, the court would likely be even more chaotic now. Moreover, those people leave no trace, making it a long time to gather evidence. I admire Your Majesty's decisiveness back then!"

"It is because of this one matter that I have come to believe that Your Majesty is a wise ruler."

Yao Ruyi could hear her heart pounding. "Then the rumors of His Majesty's tyranny must be because of this..."

"Tyranny? That's utterly absurd!"

"The people of the capital have become so accustomed to a good life that they can no longer distinguish right from wrong! Their lives are now many times better than those in the original nine cities or other cities, yet they still spread rumors about His Majesty!"

Wang Qianshan was instantly enraged, and it took him a long time to calm down.

"Alright. Since you are His Majesty's man, you are certainly not an incompetent person. Let me tell you, a monarch governs without regard to the laws of the land. Let's see if the world can move in a better direction after the laws are implemented."

Watching Yao Ruyi slowly digest the information, Wang Qianshan chuckled to himself, "I thought this place was complete because there were so many books here, but it turns out it's not quite complete. Young master, think about it yourself first, and I'll find a eunuch to lead the way to the library."

"Sir, I know where it is."

Wang Qianshan had already left. "I don't need you. Think about it yourself."

Mushroom nodded in his seat. He had overheard the palace maids and eunuchs talking, but hearing it confirmed by his teacher gave him a different feeling.

Others only see him as decisive and ruthless, but it is also quite remarkable that he can keep his reputation at bay.

He painstakingly wrote two words, "benevolent governance," in his notebook.

Even if it's not referring to His Majesty, it certainly isn't the late Emperor.

Yao Ruyi put down his notebook, picked up the book beside him, and began to read. His teacher had just talked to him for so long about benevolent governance. He was afraid that his teacher would test his writing skills again soon, and since he wasn't very proficient yet, he needed to review more.

However, just as he turned to the first page, a noise came from outside the hall. It was the sound of tree branches hitting the roof. Yao Ruyi frowned immediately. Had his other brothers returned?

Thirteen and Fourteen walked with light steps, and if the two of them were to return to the Cloud Palace, they would not need to walk on the roof.

The door hadn't been closed properly, leaving a small gap. Inside, the eunuchs were going about their business in the courtyard, and everything was peaceful.

He probably misheard.

However, just as he was about to close the door, another sound reached his ears. Yao Ruyi turned his head sharply, his gaze fixed on a corner of the roof opposite.

Only a corner of a black-clad figure was visible.

Judging from the robes, they shouldn't belong to any of the other brothers.

Yao Ruyi, who always carried his sword, changed his expression and rushed into the courtyard, ordering several eunuchs, "There might be assassins. Go find Thirteen and Fourteen!"

"yes!"

The eunuchs scattered, and Yao Ruyi's eyes followed the direction he heard. Suddenly, he moved quickly, his body nimbly weaving through the covered bridge.

The two figures, dressed in dark gray robes, were equally agile, landing one after the other.

In a courtyard near the Imperial Garden, the two looked at each other.

The man was dressed in a eunuch's robe, his face covered by a brown cloth strip, leaving only his eyes exposed. He looked at Yao Ruyi with annoyance and bloodlust, "You'd better not delay my business!"

"No way!"

The fake eunuch sneered, "Then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The fake eunuch moved like a ghost, rushing straight towards Yao Ruyi in an instant. He tightly gripped two daggers in his hands, which he twisted like small snakes. His movements were unpredictable, and he quickly engaged Yao Ruyi in a fierce battle.

The longsword was drawn from its sheath, gleaming coldly, with a clang—

"Clang—"

Frost Moon clashed with the dagger, neither giving an inch. Yao Ruyi's originally handsome face was now tinged with a fierce expression; this was the first time he had faced someone like this.

His lips were taut, and his eyes remained calm without a trace of panic.

During the recent entanglement, every strike revealed the opponent's ruthlessness, a stark contrast to his duel with Thirteen.

"hiss--"

The dagger tore a rift in Yao Ruyi's robe, and the two were separated in the next instant. A bloodstain slowly seeped from the fake eunuch's neck, and his chest heaved rapidly. "Are you also one of Gu Huizhou's bodyguards?"

"Nineteen, huh? You look like a pretty boy, I really underestimated you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward again, his body shifting with a suppleness that no ordinary person could achieve. A dagger appeared on Yao Ruyi's side without her noticing. "Prepare to die!"

The fake eunuch laughed arrogantly, but unexpectedly, the white-robed guard was faster than him. He bent his knees slightly and slid backward quickly, stopping steadily on the side of the pavilion. The fake eunuch's face was serious. He flipped in the air and landed on the ground. The veins on his wrists bulged. He was breathing heavily and stared at Yao Ruyi.

Frosty Moon was gripped tightly, and amidst the whooshing sound of wind, it collided with the iron dagger.

"Clang—"

"Clang—"

The two fought fiercely for over a hundred rounds, neither gaining the upper hand. Yao Ruyi felt her collar was soaked with sweat, and her wrist, gripping the hilt of her sword, was trembling.

She pulled her other wrist behind her back, and under Yao Ruyi's long sleeves, the shadow of her hand disappeared, replaced by a milky white mycelium.

Mushroom looked up and met the man's gaze; each of them had a calculating look in their eyes.

The fake eunuch noticed Yao Ruyi's struggle and arrogantly raised his lips again, "He's still a young master after all, take this!"

Yao Ruyi stood still, dodging the dagger with a ghostly and alluring figure as it came towards her, and then used her other hand to forcefully attack the other side.

The mycelium turned orange-red just before it touched the person's skin, like the orange cap of an orange-capped mushroom.

"nineteen--"

My breathing faltered.

Yao Ruyi's eyes widened as he saw a sharp sword light coming from behind the fake eunuch. Thirteen had appeared beside them at some point.

The hand instantly transformed, only to be bitten hard.

"Um--"

"Hmm—"

The fake eunuch was pierced in the chest by a long sword, and black blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes widened as he fell to the ground.

There was no sound at all.

"Nineteen! Is something wrong?!"

Thirteen hurriedly moved to Yao Ruyi's side and caught him. The two of them looked at the teeth marks on Yao Ruyi's hand, and deep purple blood was oozing from the wound.

The fake eunuch bit off the poison in his mouth at the last moment!

"Imperial Physician! Quickly, summon the Imperial Physician!"

Cloud Palace.

Several imperial physicians paced outside the Cloud Palace, their faces beaded with cold sweat. "How is it?"

"This... I can't tell what kind of poison it is either! Physician Wang, you also..."

The other person also shook their head, "I feel like there's more than one kind of poison, different from what was found on the dead assassin. This... I can't figure it out."

"That's what I mean, it's a complete mess."

...

Gu Huizhou looked coldly at the kneeling imperial physicians. The dark purple blood on Yao Ruyi's wrist had stopped flowing and was now bound with bandages. Thirteen and Cui Xiangzhu stood anxiously to one side, and even Wang Qianshan, who had just gone to the library, rushed back.

He is now pacing anxiously outside the hall.

"Get out!"

The imperial physicians rushed out, and even Cui Xiangzhu pulled Thirteen away, saying, "Let's go, Your Majesty!"

Thirteen wanted to step forward, but then he thought that His Majesty might have a solution, so he clenched his fists and turned away.

Even if the assassin is dead, they will still try to find something out!

Before long, only Yao Ruyi and Gu Huizhou remained in the hall.

It was not yet lunchtime, and although the sun was shining brightly outside the window, the atmosphere inside the hall felt oppressive.

"Your Majesty, I'm fine." Mushroom tugged at the emperor's sleeve with her other hand, but stopped when the man turned to look at her.

"fine?"

The emperor snorted coldly, "Then what did I see?"

Both of them looked at Yao Ruyi's hand, which was wrapped in bandages and so swollen that it was unrecognizable.

"I'm really alright!"

Mushroom sat up in a hurry. He had been lying on his soft couch, and now that he was sitting up, he even found a comfortable position to lean against the side. He reached out and haphazardly tore at the bandages on his hands, revealing the injuries on his hands to the two of them.

The black blood from the wound has drained away, and the remaining orange-red wound is visibly turning back to the person's original skin color.

The toxicity of the orange-capped mushroom has now completely neutralized another type of poison.

But the wound didn't tear open at all, and after a while, streams of bright red blood gushed out.

"Hmm—"

Yao Ruyi groaned involuntarily. He frantically reached his hand to the edge of the couch, and the next moment, blood dripped onto the ground. He collapsed onto the soft couch, panting heavily. "Luckily, I didn't get the bed dirty."

Gu Huizhou's expression shifted slightly. "Get up."

He had just gotten up, but now sat back down on the couch, holding two porcelain bottles in his hands. He poured a pill from one of the bottles, and the bitter smell of Chinese medicine immediately filled the air between them. Gu Huizhou said to Yao Ruyi in a low voice, "Eat it."

"I won't get poisoned."

The man persisted, "Eat."

Why scold him? Just let him eat.

The medicine smelled bad, but the taste upon entering the mouth was even more unbearable than the odor. Yao Ruyi's face crumpled up, and tears streamed down her face as she swallowed the pill.

He didn't cry when he injured his hand, but now he's crying because of the bitterness of a medicine.

Without even bothering to put on her shoes, Yao Ruyi rushed to the table at the other end of the hall, picked up the cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

Even though both are bitter, cold tea is several times better than that pill.

The complaint in his voice intensified, "Your Majesty, do you even know how to make medicine?"

The medicine powder for treating wounds can heal them, but it hurts terribly. The antidote pills can neutralize the poison, but they are extremely bitter.

"hiss--"

This was Yao Ruyi's third time using this medicine, but she was still in so much pain that she couldn't help but shudder.

"alright."

After wrapping the bandage around his wrist again, Yao Ruyi watched as the emperor took his pulse on his other wrist and asked, "Am I cured?"

"Um."

Gu Huizhou's dark eyes showed no warmth. "Why did you rush in yourself?"

“I am a guard, and I have already sent people to look for Thirteen and Fourteen.”

He explained earnestly, even managing a smile occasionally. He hadn't done anything wrong, but seeing the emperor's expression made him inexplicably guilty.

"You should be in the side hall."

“I was originally discussing philosophy with you, sir. You went to the library to find books, and I accidentally saw the assassin and chased after him.”

Mushroom spoke with great pride, as it was his duty as a guard by the emperor's side to catch assassins.

"Your Majesty, this is the first time I've caught an assassin. Would you be willing to reward me?" His eyes sparkled, and he waited for Gu Huizhou to pull out a bag of loose silver from some unknown corner and give it to him.

"Wang Qianshan, twenty strokes of the cane."

Yao Ruyi was taken aback, and the smile on his face vanished instantly. "Why was the gentleman punished with a cane?"

"If he hadn't left without permission, how could this have happened?"

"So that's how it is?" What now? Yao Ruyi's initial elation was gone. He asked, "As a guard, I captured the assassin. Was I wrong?"

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[Blue Heart][Blue Heart][Blue Heart]

Mushroom: Did I do something wrong?!

The emperor, unaware of his own distress, ordered: Twenty strokes of the cane!