Liu Yuantao struggled internally, weighing the pros and cons.
As a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, he began to believe that the man in front of him was not lying to him and that what he had swallowed was indeed poison.
He looked up at the clouds and asked, "His Majesty will not pursue the affairs of the previous dynasty. Do you take what you said to heart?"
"Absolutely true."
Cang Yun remained expressionless, while Liu Yuantao's expression twisted in pain as the pain in his abdomen intensified and the feeling of heaviness in his lower abdomen worsened.
He stretched out his hand, "Sir, please give me the antidote, and I will immediately write down what happened."
With lightning speed, Cangyun pressed Liu Yuantao's Shenque acupoint. "Alright, Lord Liu, please proceed."
Liu Yuantao's discomfort vanished instantly, and he rubbed his abdomen in disbelief.
It really doesn't hurt anymore!
Liu Yuantao shakily got up from the ground, and heard a man's voice in his ear.
"Don't try to fool me, the poison in your body hasn't been eliminated yet."
"No, I will tell you the truth."
Cangyun followed Liu Yuantao to the study, and in less than a quarter of an hour, a confession was written.
Cangyun drew his sword with a swift motion.
Liu Yuantao trembled with fear and begged, "My lord, spare my life! Everything I wrote is true. I was just jealous of Lord Su's talent and deliberately framed him. That's all."
Cangyun ignored Liu Yuantao's wails and grabbed his hand.
"hiss!"
A flash of cold light, and the tip of the sword sliced through Liu Yuantao's thumb.
Cangyun pinched his fingers and pressed down.
Cangyun sheathed his sword again, folded the petition, and carefully placed it in his bosom.
Liu Yuantao only felt a blur before his eyes, and the person in the room vanished without a trace.
"Why!"
"Don't go, my antidote!"
Before Liu Yuantao could finish speaking, a sharp pain struck his lower abdomen, his stomach churning violently, and a foul aura surged out of his body like a raging torrent.
"puff!"
"ah!"
The room reeked.
...
Jiang Mansion.
Jiang Shuyue smiled and her eyes crinkled as she finished reading the confession in her hand.
"Cangyun, you're amazing! You've already gotten your hands on the evidence in less than ten days."
"Thank you for your praise, Miss. The fact that things have progressed so quickly is all thanks to the list provided by His Majesty. I was merely following the clues on the list and dare not claim all the credit."
Cangyun clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the direction of the imperial palace.
"Miss, should this evidence be handed over directly to the Emperor or sent to the Dali Temple?"
Jiang Shuyue thought for a moment and said, "If we want to take a shortcut, handing it over to the Emperor is the fastest. It seems inappropriate to bypass the government and hand it over to the Dali Temple. I will make a copy and keep it. I will put my fingerprint on this copy and have Ajin hand it over to the government personally."
Jiang Shuyue wasn't the type to exploit connections for no reason, and she was grateful that Du Yutong was willing to help.
If A-Jin were to bypass the yamen and go directly to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Prefect Lu would feel that A-Jin was underestimating him and would deliberately avoid him.
With the auspicious day of Qiuju just around the corner, Jiang Shuyue copied the two indictments and put them away.
...
The winter sun is most comfortable in the afternoon, when sunlight shines through the branches and leaves dappled shadows on the ground.
In the Imperial Garden, two tall figures strolled side by side in the sunlight.
Xiao Jingzhao was dressed in a bright yellow casual outfit, with one hand behind his back.
Lin Xiangzhi, standing to the side, had his hands tucked into his sleeves, as if he were afraid of the cold.
"Your Majesty, the winter in the capital is truly damn cold. The sun is high in the sky, but I can't feel the slightest bit of warmth."
Lin Xiangzhi turned his head and said, "How about I accompany you back to the Imperial Study?"
Xiao Jingzhao looked up at the blue sky and white clouds. "I don't feel cold. It's because you're too weak. How about I return the box of tonics you gave me?"
"Your Majesty, you are slapping this humble subject in the face. How can one take back something that has been given away?"
Lin Xiangzhi wanted to curse inwardly. How could someone who had practiced martial arts for many years and had profound internal strength compare to his small frame?
Even if he takes so much medicine that he gets nosebleeds, it won't help.
Unaware that Lin Xiangzhi was secretly cursing him again, Xiao Jingzhao continued, "What do you think of Bai Zhou?"
"Bai Zhou is a good person. He is polite, courteous, and has excellent literary talent. He is well-liked by his colleagues."
"With your words, I am relieved."
Xiao Jingzhao's words completely confused Lin Xiangzhi.
He asked in bewilderment, "Your Majesty, he has only recently entered the Hanlin Academy. Are you going to promote him?"
"No, it's because the Empress Dowager asked about the character of this year's third-ranked scholar. I thought you were close to Bai Zhou and Zhen Jingxiu, so I specially called you over to ask."
No, wait!
Lin Xiangzhi was startled. The Empress Dowager inquired, could it be that the Empress Dowager was going to betroth Princess Yonghe to Bai Zhou?
Once upon a time...
Were the things the Empress and Mother used to say just for fun?
Thinking of this, Lin Xiangzhi continued, "I've heard that several officials are interested in marrying their daughters to him. The Bai Zhou family isn't from the capital, so he might be happy to be a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family."
"Have you already started looking at potential partners?"
"It seems so."
After finishing speaking, Lin Xiangzhi breathed a sigh of relief. Based on his understanding of the Empress Dowager, she would not do something like competing with a minister for a son-in-law.
Xiao Jingzhao hummed in agreement and stopped in front of a blooming wintersweet.
A subtle fragrance wafts towards you, refreshing and delightful.
As Lin Xiangzhi grew anxious, his blood circulation quickened, and the chilly feeling throughout his body disappeared without a trace.
Before Lin Xiangzhi could calm down, Xiao Jingzhao asked again, "What is Zhen Jingxiu's personality like?"
Lin Xiangzhi shook his head, "Not so good, not as reliable as me."
After saying that, the little devil in my heart felt extremely guilty.
Brother Zhen, please forgive me. It's better for me to die than for my friend. I'll treat you to a good meal and wine at Juxian Pavilion another day to make amends.
Xiao Jingzhao pressed his thin lips into a straight line, forcefully suppressing the corners of his lips that were about to turn upwards.
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