Man-eating birds 2

"Sir, would you like a meal or a room at the inn?"

Xie Mowen waved his hand, "I'll have both a meal and a place to stay." After saying that, he found a seat, lifted his robe and sat down, "Bring three or four dishes, and a pot of tea."

"Okay."

After parting ways with Yan Hong, Xie Mowen brought Xiao Sizhao to the banquet hall. Due to the epidemic in the city, there were far fewer diners than usual, but as one of the top restaurants in Yidu, there were still a few people sitting in the hall. There were advantages to having fewer people; at least the conversations between the diners could be heard more clearly.

"Have you heard? The rumors about the Emperor?"

"What?"

"It is said that this epidemic is a warning from Heaven that the current emperor is not yet ready to assume personal rule."

"This...isn't that utter nonsense?"

"But the timing is really coincidental. The emperor will be crowned next month, and this month the epidemic has spread, especially in Yidu. We haven't heard of it in other places."

"Yes, and this epidemic is strange, never seen before, and its source is unknown. It is said to be terrifying when it spreads."

"Leaving aside the epidemic, even looking at the current emperor, he is not yet ready to inherit the throne."

"What makes you say that?"

"Alas... It's one thing that the current emperor is weak and warlike, but how can he shoulder the responsibility of governing the country when he spends all his time indulging in pleasure?"

"Speaking of this, wasn't there a rumor just a month ago that the current emperor was a homosexual, spending a hundred days indulging in debauchery with courtesans and neglecting state affairs?"

"Then it is only reasonable for Heaven to send down a warning."

"Why drag the common people into this premonition? What have they done wrong?"

"If you ask me, I would say that the government is well managed by Prime Minister Jiang. He has never made a mistake. Things were already in chaos this year, and they are getting even more chaotic by the end of the year."

"That's right. A few days ago I was thinking that His Majesty was old enough to take charge of the government, but now that things have changed, I think it's better to maintain the status quo."

Xiao Sizhao grew angrier as he listened, his brows furrowed with anger as he tried his best to suppress it, but his fists trembled slightly as he gripped the table.

Xie Mowen tapped Xiao Sizhao's fist with his teacup and said with a light laugh, "Public opinion is easily swayed, and this time we've followed it."

What do you mean?

"You think he left Yidu entirely to accompany me to Anling?"

Xiao Sizhao glanced at Xie Mowen, indicating, "Isn't that right?"

Xie Mowen lowered his voice, "It's to clear out Yidu and lure Prime Minister Jiang into making a move. The more the rumors spread now, the stronger the counterattack will be later, allowing him to take advantage of the situation and win the people's respect."

"I am sorry for the expectations of the people, and I cannot bear the responsibility of the nation." Xiao Congzhi pondered for a moment, then looked up at the darkening sky and laughed self-deprecatingly, "I have allowed the people to speak so freely, and Prime Minister Jiang will eventually reap what he sows."

He pondered: "Yes, it's good that Your Majesty has a plan for this matter."

"Yes. I know some things about the epidemic from Ge Yun. Tell me in detail."

"The epidemic started half a month ago. At first, it was thought to be just a common cold, but the doctors' prescriptions were ineffective, and the patients all died after three to five days, which finally drew attention. After paying attention, we realized that the disease was very contagious, and eight or nine out of ten people who cared for the sick would be infected. The government immediately issued a notice to isolate the sick and for the people to reduce their travel. However, the epidemic continued to worsen, so Prime Minister Jiang suggested that the imperial physician take a look. When Physician Liu went, his mouth and nose were wrapped in cotton cloth, but he still contracted the disease a few days after returning."

"Did Physician Liu say anything?"

"The pulse condition is no different from that of wind-cold, but no matter which prescription for wind-cold is used, it is ineffective."

Xiao Congzhi pondered in silence for a moment, then asked, "Did you investigate the initial patient?"

Shen Zhuo nodded. "The first five to fall ill, around the same time, should be the first batch of infected people. But they are not entirely connected."

Xiao Congzhi gestured for him to continue drinking.

"Two of them are friends who run a breakfast stall in the city and usually only operate in the west of the city. The other two are sheltered young women, one in the east and one in the west, who said they had never left their homes before they fell ill. The last one is a street performer under the South Bridge. Prime Minister Jiang also asked me to investigate, and these five people have no connection, have never visited the same place, and eat different things."

Did the coroner perform an autopsy?

"Without exception, they all died of suffocation. The coroner speculated that the high fever damaged their lungs."

"Are the coroners all well?"

"They are all fine; corpses cannot transmit this disease."

“That’s strange…” Xiao Congzhi pondered to himself. “Ordinary epidemics should always have a source. The five people initially had no contact with each other, so there must be four sources, spread throughout Yidu. They could even be encountered in the inner courtyards of women’s quarters. What could it be…? Furthermore, the corpses of those who died from plague or smallpox are contagious, but this one ends with death… Moreover, the mortality rate of this epidemic is far too high.”

"Your Majesty means...?"

"This doesn't seem like a natural epidemic."

"You suspect Prime Minister Jiang?"

Xiao Congzhi shook his head. "Jiang Xiang believed me 90% that he had no intention of taking power. He was just trying to create public opinion, and he wouldn't take such a risky move."

"If it is another force, I will have to go outside Yidu to investigate."

"Not for now. Where are the original five bodies? I'll go check."

Shen Zhuo suddenly looked up and blurted out, "Absolutely not."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled, "Wasn't the corpse unharmed?"

"Your Majesty!" Shen Zhuo exclaimed in alarm, "After you leave the palace and examine the corpse, you will surely visit other places, such as that breakfast shop or the South City Bridge. What if something goes wrong? Once you contract this disease, there is no cure!"

After speaking, Chen Zhuo was about to kneel down when Xiao Congzhi stopped him, holding a folding fan, and teased, "You really know me."

Shen Zhuo stared intently at Xiao Congzhi, his expression revealing a determination to keep the emperor within the palace.

Xiao Congzhi suppressed his smile and looked at Chen Zhuo with a stern expression. "Looking directly at the Emperor's face and offending the Emperor's majesty, have I been giving you too much courage lately?" His tone was not harsh, but the true nature of an emperor was imposing without anger.

Shen Zhuo quickly lowered his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his knees buckling slightly, but he dared not kneel. Deeply worried, he managed to stammer, "But...but..."

“I must think this through. If the epidemic is not resolved, how can I assume personal rule in a month?”

"It is my incompetence." Shen Zhuo knelt down this time. "I beg to go."

Xiao Congzhi stared at Shen Zhuo for a long time, then said, "Alright."

After careful consideration, Xiao Congzhi and Shen Zhuo changed into night clothes and used their lightness skills to leave the imperial city and head towards the outskirts of the city.

The body, which had been buried half a month ago, was laid to rest. The purpose of this trip was to first visit the cemetery in the suburbs. The street performer under the South City Bridge was not from Yidu; he was an outsider seeking a living. His family situation could not be found. His body had been left unclaimed at the mortuary for more than ten days, so it was buried in the cemetery in the suburbs in accordance with the law.

Upon arriving at the cemetery, they unexpectedly encountered Xie Mowen at that person's grave. Xiao Congzhi greeted him with a smile, "What a coincidence!"

Xie Mowen had intended to embrace him, and had even raised his hand, but then noticed Shen Zhuo behind Xiao Congzhi and reluctantly lowered it. Although Shen Zhuo was a confidant, he was still a subject, Xiao Congzhi's subject, and Xie Mowen had to maintain proper decorum. So, Xie Mowen raised his hand and gave a slight bow, saying, "It's a coincidence." He then looked at Shen Zhuo, "Lord Shen."

Shen Zhuo squinted and scrutinized Xie Mowen for a while. He now knew the man's identity: the leader of the Demonic Sect, who had just made a grand show of force in Anling to intimidate the martial world and relocated to the Central Plains a month ago. His relationship with his own monarch was... well, that kind of relationship. Hmph, just a bewitching devil who deceives the emperor.

Xie Mowen didn't care about Shen Zhuo's gaze and asked Xiao Congzhi with a light smile, "Why did you come here?" Taking advantage of the blind spot, his subordinate secretly tugged at Xiao Congzhi's sleeve.

Xiao Congzhi's eyes were filled with a hidden smile, the moonlight shining through them, as beautiful as a starry river. "I wanted to take a look at the corpse. I feel something is amiss."

"Me too. Shall we lift the coffin?"

Xiao Congzhi nodded, walked to the grave, and said sincerely, "Although there was a reason for it, I have still disturbed you. I apologize."

After saying this, he gestured for Shen Zhuo to step forward and lift the coffin.

Shen Zhuo and Xie Mowen opened the grave together, pushed open the coffin lid, and revealed the corpse inside.

Because it was winter and the weather was very cold, the corpse had not yet decomposed, but it smelled terrible, with maggots crawling around, making one want to vomit.

Xiao Congzhi remained relatively calm, leaning over to carefully examine the corpse from head to toe, occasionally pressing on it. Xie Mowen frowned and did the same.

Chen Zhuo couldn't understand, so he just stood aside and waited for the monarch to finish.

A moment later, Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen straightened up together and exchanged a glance.

“It’s true that he died of suffocation, but it certainly doesn’t sound like an illness,” Xie Mowen said.

Xiao Congzhi nodded in agreement, "It's like poison, but more like an internal injury."

Shen Zhuo frowned and looked over. "What does this mean?"

Xiao Congzhi: "Judging from the corpse, the lungs were injured first, which caused the high fever. The lung injury looks like it was slapped by someone with concentrated internal force."

Xie Mowen: "But some people who are infected with the disease are kept in seclusion and cannot be slapped, so it may be a kind of poison."

"But how does the poison spread like this?" Shen Zhuo asked again.

Xiao Congzhi shook his head. He had a guess in his mind, but it was only 30% certain. He looked at Xie Mowen, who nodded at him, indicating that he was thinking about it as well.

Xiao Congzhi: "Assuming it is poison, then the next thing to investigate is how the poison was initially spread and who did it."

After all, poison is not like disease; it must be a man-made disaster.

Xie Mowen looked into the distance. It was a winter night, with moonlight, tree shadows, and a cold wind. It was the outskirts of the city, and there was a sense of desolation. He slowly spoke, "List all the people who have fallen ill in the past half month online. Not all of them were infected by these five people."

Xiao Congzhi frowned.

"There were over twenty people, none of whom were infected. Their identities, whereabouts, and eating habits were all different. The only things they could come into contact with on a daily basis... were the wind, sunlight, moonlight, and flowing water..."

“Birds.” Xiao Congzhi received the reply with a deep gaze.

Xie Mowen turned his head to look at Xiao Congzhi and nodded, saying, "Birds are not plentiful in winter. If there are special species, then it's pretty much the same."

Xiao Congzhi hummed in agreement and lowered his head to continue thinking.

They had recovered a body, making more progress than in the past two weeks. While admiring his lord, Chen Zhuo suggested they return home.

Xiao Congzhi then raised his head and casually said, "I won't go back to the palace tonight."

Shen Zhuo paused for a moment, digesting what he had just said, then looked at Xie Mowen with a sharp glint in his eyes. Xie Mowen returned the gaze innocently.

Unable to do anything else, Chen Zhuo could only leave on his own.

"I hadn't heard you leave the palace tonight."

Xie Mowen brought Xiao Congzhi back to the banquet hall.

"I hadn't planned on this, but since I'm already here, there's something else I need to do."

Xie Mowen opened the door and led Xiao Congzhi into the room. He poured a cup of tea before smiling and teasing, "I thought you were missing me and wanted me to spend the night with you."

The next moment, Xiao Congzhi hugged Xie Mowen from behind, resting his chin on Xie Mowen's shoulder, holding him tightly, "I missed you."

Xie Mowen didn't hold the teacup properly, and quite a bit of tea spilled. He didn't bother to wipe it up. He put the cup down, turned around, and hugged Xiao Congzhi, pulling him into his arms. He stroked Xiao Congzhi's disheveled hair and asked in a low, husky voice, "Why do you think that way?"

Xiao Congzhi hummed in agreement.

Xie Mowen took a deep breath, his hands moving uncontrollably...

Xiao Congzhi leaned quietly against Xie Mowen's chest, slowly calming his breathing.

"Call me at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."

"Okay," Xie Mowen replied gently.

They had been traveling for days, and upon returning to Yidu, one thing after another came up, leaving them utterly exhausted. However, due to the tense situation and not being by Xie Mowen's side, Xiao Congzhi found it difficult to sleep peacefully.

Xie Mowen understood. Once the person in his arms was breathing more gently, he carefully picked up Xiao Congzhi and carried him to the bed. He then lay down fully clothed, put his arm around Xiao Congzhi's waist, pulled him into his arms, and they both fell asleep.

Xie Mowen didn't know what Xiao Congzhi was going to do at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). The imperial court would not be held until the hour of Si (9-11 AM), so there was no need to rush. However, he was still sleeping lightly and paying attention to the time. Just after the hour of Mao, he gently patted Xiao Congzhi's back to wake him up.

"Hmm, thank you, Mowen..."

"Hmm. It's just past dawn, shall we get up?"

Xiao Congzhi suddenly shrank into Xie Mowen's arms, rubbing against his chest. Xie Mowen thought he was just being coquettish and wanted to stay in bed, so he raised his hand to pat Xiao Congzhi's head. But before he could say anything, Xiao Congzhi got up very quickly, his eyes clear.

Xie Mowen sighed helplessly: "After this matter is settled..."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled and patted Xie Mowen's arm: "You can continue sleeping. I'm going to Lin Shuo's place. You don't need to come with me."

Xie Mowen shook his head and sat up: "I'm not going to sleep anymore, I'm going to report to Yan Hong."

"Um."

Xie Mowen helped Xiao Congzhi get a clean set of clothes, since he was going to see Lin Shuo, he needed to tidy himself up.

Unfortunately, he bumped into Xiao Sizhao as soon as he stepped out.

Because she was worried about Xie Mowen's investigation results the previous night, Xiao Sizhao didn't sleep all night. As soon as the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) passed, she wandered around in front of Xie Mowen's room with dark eyes. When the door opened, she was so frightened that she woke up.

Xiao Sizhao stared blankly ahead, his lips slightly parted, about to utter a rebellious word.

Xiao Congzhi was also troubled by this. He reached out and patted Xie Mowen on the shoulder, leaving the mess behind, and strode away.

Poor Xie Mowen and Xiao Sizhao stared at each other for a long time before finally uttering, "Pack your things and go to the Imperial Guard camp."

Xiao Sizhao took two steps forward after Xie Mowen's retreating figure, sighing regretfully, "Do you really not want to be apart from each other for even a few days?"

Xie Mowen slowed his pace, suddenly recalling the words Xiao Congzhi had spoken to him the night before when he held him. Compared to Xiao Congzhi, although he was reluctant to part with him, he wasn't as inseparable. He and Xiao Congzhi were ultimately different. He had grown up in love and care for the first eighteen years of his life, and even when he experienced setbacks, he always had friends who were like family by his side. His far-reaching plans only involved moving a few dozen miles eastward. But Xiao Congzhi… his Congzhi, from birth, had faced countless hardships. After the late emperor passed away, he looked around and found no relatives. The distinction between ruler and subject was clear, and even someone as loyal as Chen Zhuo dared not be without boundaries.

Until I met him…

What merit or ability does Xie Mowen possess?

But Xie Mowen would not say this to Xiao Sizhao. He waved his hand and brushed the matter aside.

Lin Shuo received a message the night before, informing him that the emperor would visit after 5 a.m. He was so nervous that he couldn't sleep well all night, waking up repeatedly. He got up at 4 a.m., got ready, and waited in the hall.

During this period, he and Sun Rang repeatedly discussed and analyzed the situation, pondering deeply. They were always apprehensive about the bold ideas that had come up with, fearing that they would be punished by the emperor in the future. Their days were filled with torment.

"Royal Uncle".

Xiao Congzhi's voice suddenly appeared. When Lin Shuo looked up, Xiao Congzhi was already standing in front of the hall. It was still dark when dawn broke. Xiao Congzhi was silent, making it hard to tell whether it was an illusion or a real person.

Xiao Congzhi stepped into the hall. Lin Shuo's dazed expression made him chuckle. He called out again in a good-natured manner, "Royal Uncle."

Lin Shuo seemed to wake from a dream, and suddenly stood up and knelt on the ground, "I am sorry for not being able to greet Your Majesty properly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Xiao Congzhi raised his folding fan and tapped it against his palm. He then turned and sat down at the head of the table. "You don't want me to forgive you for this crime, do you?"

Lin Shuo trembled and dared not respond.

"You don't look like you slept last night, so I really haven't failed to greet you properly. Get up."

Lin Shuo breathed softly, thanked him, and then slowly stood up.

Xiao Congzhi tapped the tip of his fan, "Sit down."

Lin Shuo hesitated, but ultimately dared not let the emperor repeat himself, and slowly sat down at the lower seat.

After Xiao Congzhi saw the man sit down, he didn't beat around the bush and asked, "What's the progress at the Ministry of Personnel?"

"The evidence is not difficult to find. The Minister of Personnel is guilty of buying and selling official positions by abusing his power, which is a capital offense according to the law. However, neither Sun Rang nor I can bring this matter to light."

Xiao Congzhi naturally understood the implications. Lin Shuo and Sun Rang were currently neutral on the surface, but if they stepped forward to impeach the Minister of Personnel, it would be tantamount to siding with the emperor, further exposing Xiao Congzhi's scheming nature.

The Censorate is staffed entirely by Jiang Xiang's students, so anonymous impeachments are ineffective; all memorials will be suppressed by the Prime Minister.

However, it would be necessary to consolidate the power of one of the six ministers.

Currently, the civil officials in the country are led by Prime Minister Jiang. If Xiao Congzhi were to reshape the court in the future, it would be impossible for him to punish all officials of Prime Minister Jiang's faction. The first priority is to gain the trust of the people from top to bottom. Otherwise, if the civil officials are not convinced and the court is unstable, even if he were to rebuild after destruction, Xiao Congzhi would never allow the court to be depleted of its talents.

Therefore, only when the Six Ministries control four of them can the court transition smoothly and avoid a sudden break in leadership, resulting in a disconnect between the old and the new.

"Is there anyone in the Ministry of Personnel who can loosen the soil?"

Lin Shuo pondered, "The Ministry of Personnel is a den of snakes and rats, except for the Vice Minister of Personnel, who is relatively clean."

"Jiang Zeyan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"

Lin Shuo nodded.

Xiao Congzhi frowned slightly. If he wasn't mistaken, Jiang Zeyan was the only official in the court to receive a positive evaluation from his mother in her twelve letters home. Twenty years ago, he was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and twenty years later, he remained so…

"Yu Anzhu is getting old and has been reluctant to retire. He must be reluctant to give up his money. As long as he is around, Jiang Zeyan can't get promoted. But why won't he be transferred to a lateral position?"

Lin Shuo said, "It's hard to say. The Ministry of Personnel is very powerful, and he probably wouldn't look favorably upon the Ministry of Rites. The Ministry of War has always been on good terms with the Qi family, but there's always been a rift between the Qi family and the Prime Minister. It wouldn't be suitable for him, a protégé of Prime Minister Jiang, to go to the Ministry of War. Tao Ran of the Ministry of Works and Feng Jue of the Ministry of Revenue are both in stable positions, and Jiang Zeyan was also a Vice Minister in the past. But the Ministry of Justice..."

"If he had gone to the Ministry of Justice years ago, Sun Rang wouldn't be in this situation now."

"That's right." Lin Shuo chuckled.

The Minister of Justice has long since retired from official duties and has not yet relinquished power. It is only because Sun Rang is young that the Prime Minister has been holding him back from promotion. If it were Jiang Zeyan, he would probably have been the Minister of Justice long ago.

Xiao Congzhi rubbed his thumb in thought.

Lin Shuo asked, "Should I go and scout it out?"

“If the timing is not right, it will alert the enemy. If I remember correctly, Jiang Zeyan was Jiang Xiang’s advisor twenty years ago.”

"Yes, this man was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination back then. After passing the examination, he became a disciple of Prime Minister Jiang and was promoted by Prime Minister Jiang."

"What has Minister Sun been busy with lately?" Xiao Congzhi suddenly asked.

Lin Shuo was taken aback and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Xiao Congzhi smiled and asked again, "Busy and anxious?"

Lin Shuo couldn't finish his sentence and lowered his head, unable to answer.

"Tell him to stop being so anxious and to find the right opportunity to try Jiang Zeyan. He's more suitable than you."

"Yes." Lin Shuo lowered his head even further.

“By next spring, I’ve even found him a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.” Xiao Congzhi walked up to Lin Shuo and patted him on the shoulder with the handle of his fan. “It’s not worth getting anxious over a single sentence. I said I wouldn’t pursue it, and that’s final.”

Lin Shuo's lower lip trembled, then slid to the ground. He knelt down and whispered, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

It is an act of great grace, after all, Sun Rang's words were treasonous.