Chapter 106: Arrest
Feng Tong hissed and quickly said, "How dare a servant presume to guess the Crown Prince's intentions?" He paused and whispered, "It's still about the selection of concubines."
Officials from the Ministry of Rites requested to hold a beauty pageant, and they were also following the rules. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince's intentions were unpredictable, and his request was rejected several times.
The two were whispering to each other when the eunuch passed on the news of the audience. Half a minute later, the carved wooden door opened again.
"Master Xuanfeng, please."
Xuanfeng walked into the hall on the soft carpet. There was a charcoal brazier burning in the hall. Crossing the threshold felt like stepping from the dead of winter into warm spring.
"Your humble servant pays respect to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Behind the huge ebony desk, Xiao Mingyi was concentrating on reviewing memorials. He took the time to look up at him and said, "No need to be so polite."
"Your Highness, I have an important matter to report, which involves the Duke of Jin's Mansion." Xuanfeng nodded.
Hearing this, Xiao Mingyi paused his writing hand, and his dark gaze slowly turned to the person standing in front of the desk, "What's the matter?"
Xuanfeng stood with his sleeves gathered, methodically reporting on the matter of the incense. "...Xun incense is a forbidden incense, but it involves the Duke's Mansion and the Chu family. I feel this matter is difficult to resolve, so I have come to ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for a decision."
Xiao Mingyi narrowed his black eyes slightly, and rubbed the eagle-head jade ring with his fingertips.
After a moment's contemplation, he asked, "Have you asked someone to identify the spices?"
"Your Highness, Yu Niang is a master at making incense. This incense was discovered by her, so it shouldn't be fake. I have already ordered people to go to Chufang Pavilion to intercept the goods, and we will have results soon." Xuanfeng said.
Xiao Mingyi raised his eyes, looked at the dark and cloudy sky outside the window, and gave the order directly.
"The court has banned the use of Xian incense for many years. If they knowingly violated the rules and circulated the banned incense in large quantities, how could I protect them? I will leave this matter to you to investigate. Once you confirm that the banned incense is in Chufang Pavilion, arrest them immediately."
Xuan Feng's expression changed slightly, and he said solemnly: "Your humble servant accepts the order!"
…
The drizzle in the city has just stopped.
Ever since she had a fight with the three girls at the engagement banquet, the nanny had been pulling Song Lingyi to teach her etiquette every day, without slacking off for a single day.
Today, Song Lingyi had some free time, so she went with Lu Yu to the shop to settle the accounts. She hadn't been out for a long time and was so excited that she let out a long breath of hot air as soon as she got out of the car.
As the breath from the mouth and nose touched the cold air, it instantly turned into white mist, which made the girl in red clothes look even more like an immortal with her red lips and white teeth.
The shop owner warmly welcomed the two girls in, cleared out a private room, and took out last month's account book for Lu Yu to check.
Song Lingyi sat by the charcoal basin with a cup of hot tea for a while. She was really bored, so she informed Lu Yu and took Hongju to the market for a walk.
The streets are bustling with people in the afternoon.
As the master and servant walked out of the shop, they saw a group of Jinyiwei riding horses passing by the Drum Tower, and the leader was Xuanfeng.
The Jinyiwei's iron hooves trod on the uneven bluestone slabs, splashing puddles of mud and water, and the people all hurriedly avoided them. After watching the team disappear around the corner of the long street, the master and servant continued their journey to the market.
Jinzun Tower.
The private room is filled with warm fragrance and bright light.
There was a 'bang' sound and the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
Chu Yizhou's face was pale as he rushed in in a panic, muttering, "Oh no, oh no..."
The laughter and conversation stopped abruptly. The musician, caught off guard, played several wrong notes in succession. He looked up in panic to see the young master's face, only to be met with a pair of deep and gloomy eyes.
Suddenly disturbed, Lu Qian's face darkened. "Why are you so flustered? What happened?"
"Chufangguan was inspected, and the newly arrived goods were stopped by the Jinyiwei!" Chu Yizhou said, breathing heavily.
All the young men from the noble families present were silent. As it involved the Pacification Division, it should be the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Lu Qian was slightly startled and raised his eyes: "They didn't do what they were supposed to do, but they had nothing better to do than to investigate Chu Fang Pavilion! Are you doing something behind my back without telling me?"
"How dare I!" Chu Yizhou sat down in the armchair and clapped his hands on his knees. "You didn't see it. Those Jinyiwei entered the Chufang Pavilion like wolves and tigers. They rummaged through the boxes and cabinets everywhere, and took away all the spices."
Lu Qian's eyes were gloomy, and he was thinking to himself when he suddenly heard a man sitting by the window shout in surprise, "The Jinyiwei are here."
Chu Yizhou jumped up from the armchair like a frightened bird, and quickly walked to the window to look down.
A dozen black horses were parked in front of the Jinzun Tower, blocking most of the street and attracting many onlookers. The owner of the Jinzun Tower, with a forced smile, tried to mediate with the Jinyiwei. No one could hear what he said, but it was clear that the situation wouldn't last long.
"A Qian, let's run quickly!" Chu Yizhou turned around and pulled Lu Qian up.
In any case, let's go back to the Duke's Mansion first. If the Jinyiwei wants to enter the Duke's Mansion to arrest people, at least the Duke will come forward to stop them.
Lu Qian shook off the hand that was grabbing his arm, his expression extremely cold and stern: "Why are you running? I didn't kill anyone or set any fire, and I didn't commit any crime. The Duke's Mansion is still standing. Who dares to arrest me?"
"..." Chu Yizhou scratched his head in annoyance.
Why is this person so stubborn? !
The Jinyiwei were clearly here to arrest them, but they refused to run away. Once they were put in the imperial prison, the Jinyiwei would have plenty of ways to torture them into confessing. By the time the Duke's Mansion pulled them out, they would be so exhausted!
While the two were silent, the door of the elegant room was violently opened by external force.
Xuanfeng was wearing brocade clothes and carrying a sword, standing at the door of the elegant room with a solemn expression. The corridor behind him was full of brocade guards, with an imposing manner.
The young men in the room looked frightened and dared not breathe.
Lu Qian was very calm. He slowly stood up and said in a cold voice, "Master Xuanfeng, what brings you here?"
Xuanfeng walked into the elegant room with a relaxed smile on his face.
"Why are you here? The young master should have received the news."
"I don't have time to play guessing games with you. Just say what you want to say." Lu Qian's face suddenly turned cold, and his tone was a little sarcastic.
"After investigation by the Pacification Office, it was found that the spices in Chufang Pavilion were mixed with the banned Xiongnu incense by the imperial court. This is a serious matter. Please cooperate with us to return to the Pacification Office for investigation." Xuanfeng said meticulously.
Xiongxiang?
Lu Qian's thick eyebrows knitted slightly, and his gaze turned to Chu Yizhou beside him, as if asking, "Did you do it?"
"What is Xunxiang?" Chu Yizhou was also confused. He had never even heard of the name Xunxiang.
When the other young masters heard that the Pacification Office was going to arrest people, they lowered their heads one by one, fearing that they would be implicated.
"I'm sorry."
Xuanfeng took a few steps back and waved his hand.
The Jinyiwei waiting in the corridor strode into the elegant room, pretending to arrest the two. Facing the strong Jinyiwei, Chu Yizhou did not dare to resist, but Lu Qian would not allow himself to be slandered. He broke free from the grip of a small flag officer.
"I don't know anything about Xiongxiang. You Jinyiwei, don't even think about blaming me for this mess!"
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