Luminous Pearl 7

"Your Majesty's actions, one after another, are truly beyond my comprehension."

Sun Rang is playing chess with Lin Shuo.

Lin Shuo: "Why are you still guessing?"

"You tell me, why did His Majesty agree to the selection of candidates?"

Lin Shuo sighed: "Let me ask you this: even if you discover the Emperor's heart, what can you do? Just manage your Ministry of Justice."

Sun Rang remained silent for a while, played chess for a bit, and then sighed repeatedly.

Lin Shuo also lost interest, pushed away the chessboard, and said, "We've known each other for years, so just say what's on your mind."

Sun Rang: "In recent years, although the Jiang family has reduced taxes for the people, they have also used the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to amass wealth. The problems have become apparent in the last two years, and the lives of people outside Yidu are not as good as before."

As the Minister of Justice, Sun Rang had cases sent from various local government offices on his desk. He could clearly feel that in the past two years, the number of cases, large and small, had increased, the society was unstable, and the people were not living well.

Lin Shuo wasn't completely unaware; otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to test his imperial nephew over the past few years?

Sun Rang continued, "I never thought of assisting Your Majesty in ruling, to gain merit by following the emperor, and to be ennobled and appointed as a high-ranking official. To be frank, whether it is the Jiang family or the current emperor, it doesn't matter to me, but what have the people done wrong?"

No wonder you've been thinking so deeply lately.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is of pure character and kind mind. I...I wish to assist him in ruling personally to change the current laws. Perhaps His Majesty has the makings of a wise ruler."

Lin Shuo patted Sun Rang's hand to calm him down for a moment, then lowered his head to think.

After a long pause, Lin Shuo said, "Your Majesty, I cannot see through him. Do you really think he has a pure heart?"

Sun hesitated; he had thought so before, but now he wasn't so sure.

Lin Shuo: "Since his ascension to the throne, the current emperor has shown no interest in politics. Over the years, he has never expressed any opinions in court and spends his days immersed in martial arts manuals. He also likes to sneak out of the palace to teahouses to listen to stories of the martial arts world."

Sun Rang sighed: "This humble official knows that whenever His Majesty leaves the palace and does not attend court, the Empress Dowager says that he is ill, which leads the people to say that His Majesty is weak."

“During this period, storytellers in teahouses have been telling fewer stories of the martial arts world, but more stories about the current emperor. After all, this year marks the current emperor’s coming of age, and it is time for him to assume personal rule.”

"Does Your Highness mean that His Majesty's actions are merely influenced by the people's opinions, and that he has no real intention of managing the court?" Sun Rang was somewhat disappointed. If the current emperor only wanted to display his imperial power, then even if he were to assume personal rule in the future, his heart would not be in the court.

“This is only one possibility. But you know, I grew up with His Majesty. Although my childhood memories are blurry, I always felt that he was not that kind of person. His change in recent times seems extremely abrupt to me.”

Sun Rang frowned; he felt it was perfectly logical and reasonable.

Lin Shuo continued, "I can't quite explain this feeling, but in short, I felt something was off, so I went to investigate again some time ago, and ended up getting myself involved in the case of the fourth son of the Xia Emperor."

"Did Your Highness find out anything?" Sun Rang asked cautiously.

Lin Shuo shook his head: "I can only say that if you asked me to describe it, I would say that rather than pure of mind, it is unfathomable."

"Then... does His Majesty perhaps have his own plans?"

"It's hard to say, it could just be that his nature is unpredictable."

“This…” Sun Rang was even more troubled.

Lin Shuo: "I am well aware that the people suffer in this court where the emperor and his subjects are not acting like emperors or subjects. But Lord Sun, you must think carefully. The emperor is not someone you can test. If you go straight to him, you will be handing him a knife."

Sun Rang naturally understood Lin Shuo's meaning. The two of them controlled the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites, respectively. As long as they didn't make mistakes, no matter what kind of person the emperor was, or how turbulent the court was that year, it wouldn't affect them. But if they were to blindfold themselves and expose everything to the emperor…

As they were talking, a man suddenly rushed in, covered in sweat and looking anxious.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! There's been an incident in the palace!!"

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Luo Yi. Lin Shuo quickly helped him up and wanted to ask what was wrong, but Luo Yi was extremely anxious and disregarded etiquette, pulling Lin Shuo away.

Sun Rang looked bewildered, but he followed along.

On the way to the palace, Luo Yi explained the situation clearly.

Earlier today, Xiao Congzhi had ordered Shen Zhuo to bring the luminous pearl to Xuanhe Palace, saying he wanted to admire it.

Not long after, the male favorite in Xuanhe Palace screamed. When Ge Yun went in again, the emperor had already fainted. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital were all mobilized, but they couldn't even find the cause of the illness.

Lin Shuo: "When the incident happened, only His Majesty and that male concubine were in the room?"

"Yes. Chief Steward Ge is serving outside the hall."

“In broad daylight, isn’t this against the rules?” Sun Rang asked.

"This..." Luo Yi hesitated for a moment, but still admitted, "I've already asked Steward Ge, and he said that His Majesty and his male favorites often... often do things that are not so... not..."

"Alright, I understand. Where is that male favorite now?"

"Xuanhe Palace has been temporarily placed under house arrest. This is mainly because Commander Yan was also present when the incident occurred, and upon seeing the situation, he immediately went to arrest the Xiongnu royal family members."

"What?!" Lin Shuo felt a little dizzy.

"When the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister found out, they placed Commander Yan under house arrest and sent Commander Shen to release him. But the Xiongnu royal family was very unhappy about this back and forth."

"What did Qi Wuxuan say?"

"Crown Prince Xuan claimed that the luminous pearl was a treasure and that nothing would happen to it. He said... His Majesty's coma might be related to his male favorite."

Where is the luminous pearl now?

"The Prime Minister ordered it to be returned to the treasure pavilion."

"..." Lin Shuo felt like he might be working himself to death.

With envoys from the outer court present, the news of the emperor's coma should have been immediately suppressed; there's no reason for the Xiongnu to know so quickly. And that male favorite, whose identity is already unclear, is merely under house arrest? Has no one taken him to the Ministry of Justice for imprisonment?

Furthermore, since the Xiongnu had already captured them, why would they release them?

As for that luminous pearl, hasn't anyone studied it at all?

Sun Rang noticed that Prince Rong was having trouble breathing, so he immediately patted him on the back.

"Alright, alright, lead the way!"

When Lin Shuo entered the Zichen Palace, he felt that it was full of people.

The imperial physicians were surrounded by a circle of people, while the Empress Dowager sat with her concubines. The Prime Minister and the Marquis of Anguo also sat nearby, and Shen Zhuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stood at the door.

Lin Shuo was worried that his imperial nephew would get sick from being bored.

"How is the situation?" Lin Shuo forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward.

The head physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, Xu, said, "There is nothing seriously wrong with his pulse, but he is indeed unconscious."

Lin Shuo nodded, then asked Prime Minister Jiang, "Prime Minister, I heard you've placed Commander Yan under house arrest?"

"Commander Yan acted too rashly and damaged diplomatic relations. The Ministry of Personnel will handle this."

"Yan Hong is the Right Commander of the Imperial Guards, but his official position is not listed in the Ministry of Personnel. We should wait until His Majesty wakes up before discussing this matter."

Prime Minister Jiang was not one to be treated with such disrespect, and his expression darkened upon hearing this. However, given Prince Rong's extremely high status, he could not say much more.

Lin Shuo then added, "Since His Majesty fell into a coma after admiring the luminous pearl, the Xiongnu royal family is highly suspected. Now that the Prime Minister has released them, it is only right that they be placed under house arrest at the embassy until His Majesty wakes up."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Jiang said with a touch of authority, "The Xiongnu royal family has come to Yidu this time to sue for peace. Is this inappropriate?"

"The situation is unclear, we cannot be complacent." Lin Shuo seemed determined not to back down.

Prime Minister Jiang and Empress Dowager Jiang exchanged a glance, neither wanting to offend Qi Wuxuan, and said, "I think that male favorite is the one who is involved in this matter."

Lin Shuo nodded: "That man's origins are indeed unknown and his identity is a mystery. I have already asked Sun Rang to take him to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation."

Lin Shuo was unyielding, and Jiang Shi had no choice but to order Shen Zhuo to surround the embassy.

Seeing this, Lin Shuo said, "I think everyone should stop crowding here and let the air circulate."

Empress Dowager: "What Prince Rong said is very true. I can't help you here, so I'll return to the palace first."

At this moment, Prime Minister Jiang also stood up and said, "Then I will take my leave as well. Speaking of Prince Rong..."

"?"

"The matter of the fourth son of the Xia Emperor has not yet been resolved, and now there is another matter. It is truly a trouble for Your Highness."

"It's my duty."

Lin Shuo stared at Prime Minister Jiang's departing figure, a cold smile playing on his lips. Who was this old scoundrel threatening?

After the Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Jiang left Zichen Palace one after the other, Lin Shuo dismissed the palace concubines and all the servants, leaving only Physician Xu behind.

With fewer people around, Lin Shuo immediately felt much easier to breathe.

Physician Xu was a senior physician in the Imperial Medical Academy, and Lin Shuo trusted him quite a bit.

"Imperial Physician Xu, I noticed you hesitated just now. Is there something inappropriate you wanted to say?"

"this…"

"It's alright, it's just the two of us here."

"His Majesty's pulse is indeed fine, but he is somewhat deficient in both qi and blood, which seems to be caused by frequent sexual activity, but it is not enough to cause him to fall into a coma."

"..." Lin Shuo felt slightly annoyed and didn't want to listen anymore.

"But...but...in my humble opinion, Your Majesty seems to be...practicing the male-male sexual intercourse, which is a sign of inferiority."

"???"

Physician Xu took a deep breath and suddenly spoke fluently: "I observe that Your Majesty is not skilled in this art and did not take any medicine to regulate your body afterward, so you are now somewhat deficient."

Lin Shuo realized he knew something he shouldn't have and hurriedly said, "Doctor Xu, this matter must not be revealed."

"Of course, of course, I am not actually sure either, but if it is true, Your Majesty should take some medicine."

"I...I understand. When His Majesty wakes up, I will...I will test him a little."

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

The two spoke very quickly, completely unaware that Xiao Congzhi, who was lying on the bed, secretly twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Lin Shuo had just stepped out of the Zichen Palace for some fresh air when Sun Rang came running over, lifting the hem of his robe.

"What happened now?"

"That male concubine is not in Xuanhe Palace; the palace is empty."

"You mean he ran away?!"

"It seems so."

Lin Shuo had a terrible headache.

The fourth son of the Xia emperor is still under house arrest in the embassy, ​​and he needs to draft a plan to deal with the situation.

The Xiongnu royal family had just been placed under house arrest by him, and he needed to find out the truth behind the emperor's coma before either punishing or appeasing them.

Physician Xu's words were startling, and Lin Shuo still had to think about how to subtly probe the matter once the Emperor woke up.

Now, Xuanhe Palace's male favorite has disappeared again, and this man was someone he brought into the palace...

"This matter must not be leaked, especially not to the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister."

"yes."

"Then a city-wide secret search for this person would be conducted, and if he escaped, he would be highly suspicious."

"yes."

"Alright, you go ahead and do it. I need to calm down."

“When I arrived, I saw that your royal uncle was very anxious.”

Inside the Zichen Palace, Xie Mowen climbed in through the window and sat down next to Xiao Congzhi.

Xiao Congzhi got up from the bed and silently went to the wardrobe to rummage through it.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Congzhi was speechless. He never expected that Physician Xu was so capable that he could tell him whether he had risen or fallen in rank.

Xie Mowen stepped forward and hugged Xiao Congzhi curiously, then asked again, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Xiao Congzhi tossed a piece of clothing onto Xie Mowen.

Xie Mowen blinked in confusion and turned to change his clothes.

Last night, Yun Shaocheng finally arrived in Yidu, and Xie Mowen brought the purple luminous pearl out of the palace to show him.

In the dead of night, the purple luminous pearl emitted an eerie light.

After studying it for a long time, Yun Shaocheng concluded that it was not a luminous pearl, and the purple light was caused by the Gu worm inside the pearl.

As for what kind of Gu worm it was, Yun Shaocheng said it was a puppet silk Gu that could control the mind.

The Puppet Silk Gu has a faint scent of grass after rain and glows with a purple light at night. When it enters the human body, it can erode part of the brain, causing the person to fall into a brief coma. There will be no abnormalities in the pulse. After the person wakes up, the Gu master can manipulate the thoughts of the person who has been afflicted.

When Xiao Congzhi found out, he decided to put on a play, which led to the current situation.

As night deepened, Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen donned night clothes and left the palace, while inside the Zichen Palace, members of the Shadow Division impersonated Xiao Congzhi and lay down.

Throughout the journey, Xiao Congzhi remained silent, while Xie Mowen was completely bewildered.

They first went to the courtyard where the Xiongnu royal family was staying at the embassy. At this time, Shen Zhuo had already sent people to guard the entrances and exits of the courtyard.

Xiao Congzhi held his breath and squatted outside a brightly lit room, while Xie Mowen silently squatted down next to him.

The sound came from inside the house.

"Your Highness, could this Emperor of the Sheng Dynasty be...?"

Qi Wuxuan answered him: "Logically speaking, no, the Gu needs to be activated by the Gu Master to enter the body."

"But the symptoms match up one by one."

"I heard that when the emperor was in a coma, there was a male favorite in the room. I have seen that male favorite before, and he does not seem to be of ordinary status."

"Does Your Highness mean that the Emperor's coma might also be due to that male favorite?"

"It's hard to say."

"If we've been poisoned by a curse, will the Sheng Dynasty cause us trouble?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Not to mention that they are unlikely to be able to detect the poison, even if they find out that we used poison, the emperor who was poisoned is exactly what Jiang Yangze wants. We can still fool them then."

"But if we do this, our cooperation with the Jin Kingdom will be affected..."

"Ha, that cooperation is long gone. Bai Luoan is a mad dog. We agreed that he would send someone to test the emperor's strength, but he sent an assassin instead, which broke the alliance. And then he even dared to implicate me. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have lost that waterway that leads directly to Yidu."

"The fourth son of the Xia Emperor actually stole the luminous pearl."

"He probably wants to keep something for himself; he's an untrustworthy piece of trash."

"So what are our plans now?"

"Let's wait for the emperor to wake up, then push this black water out, and return to the desert to find a Gu master to test whether the emperor has been poisoned. As for that old fox Jiang Yangze, let's leave him alone for now. He wants to see how things go. If things are good, he'll maintain the status quo; if things are bad, he'll have us use Gu to kill the emperor and replace him with a puppet. We'll be his tools? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"But Prime Minister Jiang's sincerity is shown in the twelve border counties."

"Whether he's willing to take it or not depends on whether the General of the Western Garrison can grant it."

"This year marks the 12th birthday of the Emperor of the Sheng Dynasty; we should plan for ourselves."

"That emperor really put on a show; I was almost scared that day. But it was all an empty shell. These past few days, he's been suppressed by Jiang Yangze, so he can only try to make a show of himself in the harem."

"The purpose of cooperating with the Crown Prince of Jin was to let them test our strength and weaknesses. Now that Your Highness has made a judgment, we can proceed according to the original plan."

“That’s right. If he’s already been afflicted by the Gu, it will save us some trouble. If not, we can try to find a solution later with Jiang Yangze. After all, it’s just a puppet; we don’t need to control it through Jiang Yangze.”

Hearing this, Xiao Congzhi had almost gotten everything he wanted to know. He nodded to Xie Mowen, and the two of them tacitly left the embassy.

Night had fallen, and the streets were deserted. The two walked in a dark alley, talking quietly.

“They were almost exactly as you guessed,” Xie Mowen said.

Xiao Congzhi's face was grim: "I just didn't expect Jiang Yangze to dare to promise twelve counties on the border."

"Greed knows no bounds! What have the people done to deserve this!" Xie Mowen exclaimed indignantly, then asked, "But what do you plan to do about the Gu worms?"

"They won't know if I'm under a curse or not, please do me a favor."

"Um?"

"Help me kill that Gu master."

"Okay." Xie Mowen readily agreed and immediately came up with several plans. Xiao Congzhi had sent him to kill to make a name for himself in the Jianghu, and his men were more suitable than Xiao Congzhi's men.

As they talked, they wandered into a small courtyard. The entrance was small, and inside was a long corridor that twisted and turned several times before reaching the entrance hall.

In the center was a long-abandoned pool, with white paper curtains fluttering on both sides of the corridor.

This house looks like it has been abandoned for a long time.

Xiao Congzhi stood at the entrance, no longer moving forward, and spoke: "Since you invited me, why didn't you come to greet me?"

A moment later, a smiling, apologetic voice came from afar: "My apologies, my apologies, it took me a while to tidy up the tables and chairs."

The newcomer was none other than Bai Luoan, the crown prince of the Jin Kingdom.

Xie Mowen stood half a step behind Xiao Congzhi and was invited into the inner courtyard by Bai Luoan.

"The house has been abandoned for too long, and it's full of dust mites. The moonlight is beautiful tonight, so why don't we chat in the courtyard?"

Xiao Congzhi didn't say anything, but walked to the place Bai Luoan pointed to, lifted his robe and sat down.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince An."

"I wouldn't dare."

The main reason why Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen would leave the palace tonight was that they received a letter from Bai Luoan, which had been passed through many hands and delivered to Xiao Congzhi in Xuanhe Palace.

"I wonder what His Highness the Crown Prince has to say? He hopes I will come alone."

"His Majesty didn't come alone either?"

Xiao Congzhi smiled and readily admitted, "I am afraid of my wife, so I cannot let her stay in the palace and secretly meet with men on her own."

"Pfft..." Bai Luoan really didn't expect this. He sprayed the water he had just drunk all over the ground. Luckily, he ducked in time and didn't spray it on Xiao Congzhi.

Xiao Congzhi pretended not to see it and said, "Crown Prince An is quite capable, managing to arrange for people to send messages even within the palace."

Bai Luoan wiped the water from his mouth and hurriedly said, "It's not unusual for a vassal state to have some people stationed in the capital, Yidu. This is also my way of surrendering to Your Majesty."

"Is he guilty of conspiring with the Xiongnu?" Xiao Congzhi glanced at Bai Luoan.

"..." Bai Luoan didn't know that the emperor, who was usually so kind and gentle, was actually so difficult to talk to.

"It was because I was momentarily bewitched."

"Fine, now that you've come to your senses, I'm not one to hold grudges."

"yes."

The atmosphere quieted down, and Xiao Congzhi showed no intention of speaking. Instead, he and Xie Mowen exchanged glances.

Bai Luoan had no choice but to take the initiative and say, "Your Majesty, I am willing to dedicate myself to Your Majesty's grand plan, and I only ask that Your Majesty assist me after the matter is accomplished."

After Bai Luoan finished speaking, Xiao Congzhi still didn't say anything. The moonlight was bright tonight, enough to highlight Xiao Congzhi's smile.

After a moment, Xiao Congzhi said, "I have no grand plan."

Bai Luoan was speechless for a moment, thinking to herself, "If you don't have a grand plan, then who does? Why do you have to pretend like that all the time?"

But he dared not say it so directly. Bai Luoan tried his best to respond, "What I mean is, if Your Majesty has any needs, please give the order, and I will certainly do it."

"Jin was a vassal state of the prosperous dynasty, and that was how it should be."

"..."

"Bai Luoan, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

It seemed that if Bai Luoan didn't say the right thing, Xiao Congzhi was going to just leave.

Bai Luoan took a few deep breaths and finally spoke frankly: "Although I am the Crown Prince of Jin, my position as heir apparent is not secure. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and help me."

“You are indeed neither the eldest son nor the heir apparent. The reason for the establishment of the heir a few years ago was because the old emperor was seriously ill. But now, I have heard that he has recovered and is in good health. It will probably be a long time before it is your turn. Why ask me for help now?”

Bai Luoan moved his lips, not wanting to answer, but he didn't speak, and Xiao Congzhi didn't speak either. They waited like this for a long time before Bai Luoan gave in and stammered, "Your subject wants my father to abdicate so that the people of Jin can live better lives."

The current emperor of the Jin Dynasty is licentious and tyrannical, and Bai Luoan's words are tantamount to saying that he intends to rebel and usurp the throne.

But Xiao Congzhi still didn't respond.

Bai Luoan was anxious. "Your Majesty, if Your Majesty agrees, I, Bai Luoan, swear on the people of Jin that I will assist Your Majesty in ruling personally. Otherwise, I believe that Prime Minister Jiang will be happy to know your plans."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled softly for a moment before saying, "I don't need you to go through fire and water, or swear an oath. You hold most of the military power in the Jin Kingdom, so hand over the Tiger Tally to me."

Bai Luoan reacted strongly: "How is this possible? This is my Jin Kingdom's military power!"

Xiao Congzhi stared intently at Bai Luoan and asked, "I am very curious as to why you are here alone."

Bai Luoan didn't understand why Xiao Congzhi said that.

"Do you think that since I'm scheming in the court and the country, everything else is fake, like my unparalleled martial arts skills?"

"Your Majesty means..." Bai Luoan was not quite sure if he understood what was being said, but he did realize that the emperor of the Sheng Dynasty had some schemes in mind, and thus he tacitly accepted that those claims of advocating the martial arts world were just a facade.

"What I mean is, either leave behind the tiger tally, or leave your life."

Bai Luoan was also skilled in martial arts and was not easily intimidated. Fearing it might be a ruse, he tried to say something to struggle.

The next moment, Xiao Congzhi's black iron folding fan was already pressed against Bai Luoan's throat.

Bai Luoan's pupils dilated immediately. He hadn't noticed anything at all; the speed was too fast.

Just as a bead of cold sweat was about to drip from Bai Luoan's head, Xiao Congzhi closed his fan, sat back down, and his smile remained unchanged under the moonlight.

Bai Luoan knew that he had been too arrogant and had too much faith in his own judgment.

At this moment, he had no choice but to take out the tiger tally he always carried with him from his sleeve and hand it to Xiao Congzhi.

Xiao Congzhi took the tiger tally and did not linger. He got up and told Xie Mowen to leave. He walked forward and said to Bai Luoan, "Prince An, you can inform Prime Minister Jiang about this matter tomorrow. Use the lives of all the people of your Jin Kingdom as the price."

After Xiao Congzhi left, Bai Luoan remained in a daze for a long time. He finally realized that the unassuming puppet emperor had wanted him to say that threat about Prime Minister Jiang from the very beginning, because Xiao Congzhi wanted him to know that the Jiang family had never been his weakness.

The evidence of usurpation and the tiger tally were secondary. Xiao Congzhi was willing to make a deal with him simply because he cared about the people of the Jin Dynasty, who were his Achilles' heel.