Court Schemes
As dusk fell, after Sui Chengyu fell asleep, Sui Zhixu quietly left her room and returned to Jianjia Pavilion.
The twinkling lights in the night sky intertwined and reflected each other, small yet dazzling.
Through a window lattice, I could see Xu Zixu sketching at his desk, his handwriting now flowing smoothly and effortlessly.
"Not bad, your handwriting has improved. At least it's not so bad that you can't continue." Yueling picked up what she had written and sat casually on the tatami mat not far away.
Upon seeing the words on the Xuan paper, her expression froze for a moment. "How did this involve Empress Wenzhao?"
"Tao Li was originally a palace maid in Consort Zhou's palace, and she just casually wrote this down."
Sui Zhixu stepped forward to take back the Xuan paper, slightly dissatisfied, "I haven't finished writing yet."
The Xuan paper slipped from her hand, and Yueling lay back on the couch, completely unconcerned. "Tch."
Knowing that Xu ignored her, she continued writing.
Xuzhou was the fiefdom of King Xun, and Yang Siqing, the governor of Luozhou, was a native of Xuzhou and was appointed by King Xun.
Xun Wang learned of news from Chang'an and the palace through Lu Siqing, and on the way, he robbed the disaster relief funds in Jiangnan with the intention of amassing troops.
In order to mislead the officials sent by the imperial court to investigate the disaster relief funds, Xun Wang transported the disaster relief funds to Luozhou, where Yang Siqing took over.
As for why they ended up in Hedong, the account books were lost halfway through the journey, and they were about to make a mistake. Minister Lu had a long-standing grudge against the Pei family, so he decided to frame them and use torture to force them to confess.
In this way, Sima Xian was able to remove all the blame.
Lu Siqing has already told him everything about his affair with Xun Wang, without mentioning Sima Xian. It seems that Sima Xian did not have direct contact with him, but rather with Xun Wang.
Sui Zhixu put the pen on the shelf, sighed, and rubbed his forehead; he was always so cautious.
He Miao had no way to directly connect with Sima Xian, so he used his identity as a Taoist priest to deceive the people of Yungang Village, and no one knew that he was related to Sima Xian.
"Don't rush, what's the panic? Back then, the Sui family was also in a bad situation. They had been living in seclusion for many years, and the world had long forgotten about them. When your mother took over as the head of the family, the Sui family had nothing but an empty shell. They had no money and no connections, so she had to go to Chang'an to find an opportunity to revive the family."
"As the head of the family who brought the Sui family into the secular world, every choice she makes is extremely important. So there's a reason why she's so composed."
Yueling picked up a peach and munched on it with gusto, one leg crossed over the other, which was perched on its back, looking quite dashing.
"Speaking of which, let me organize the information about the system."
Name: Male Protagonist System
The first method of acquisition is to deprive the other party of their life.
The second method involves long-term absorption through bloodlines. A small note in red ink nearby further speculates that this is why Sima Xian kept Lu Kou at twenty-one.
The benefits include a good reputation among the people and smooth progress in endeavors.
Transferability, yes.
Limitation: It cannot be used to detect gases with low atmospheric pressure.
The cost: It's unclear; perhaps it lay with Sima Xian himself.
I, also identified as Lu Kou in small print, first "died of illness" in the twenty-fourth year of Jianwu, the same year as the turmoil in the imperial court.
In the twenty-fifth year of Jianwu, a painted boat was abandoned.
He died in the twenty-seventh year of Jianwu, but was saved by Yueling.
Yueling looked up slowly, nodding occasionally, "Not bad, not bad, you have the demeanor of a teacher."
Sui Zhixu: "..."
Do you eat, drink, play, and have fun like me?
Sui Zhixu shifted her position, found herself a spot, and then slumped onto the couch.
"I wonder how the system determines the level of fortune?"
"That's not important," Yueling said casually, shifting her position and waving her hand.
"Cut him down, destroy his power, and then everything will be fine."
Yue Ling made it sound so easy, but Sui Zhixu stared straight at her, and the next second she climbed on top of her, saying, "You make it sound so easy, but I'm the one who does all the work every time, while you're out having fun somewhere."
"I can't hear you, I'm old and my hearing isn't good, what did you say?!"
Sui Zhixu said coldly, "I want you dead."
"ah!"
As soon as Xu pounced on Yueling, the two started playing around. Yueling tickled her, which made her cry.
The next morning
The Dali Temple reopened the case and held a court session.
Xu received news early in the morning that Yang Siqing, a key witness and pivotal figure in the case, had died.
He committed suicide, leaving behind a blood-written letter that overturned his previous testimony accusing Xun Wang and instead pointed directly at Duke Pei.
Rumors have already circulated that the Princess tortured Minister Lu into confessing, and that the Dali Temple used severe torture to extract a confession.
Last night, Yueling refused to leave and insisted on sharing a bed with her. She's tall and big, and doesn't sleep well. I suffered terribly all night.
Receiving this message so early in the morning only added to my frustration.
"Will the court be open today?" Sui Zhixu asked Dan Hong, rubbing his temples.
Dan Hong shook her head. "It can't be held. Minister Lu is in prison, and the Court of Judicial Review is currently being managed by Minister Ning and Minister Wang, the two Vice Ministers, in addition to the Censorate. According to my servants, the Pei family's case will be postponed."
"A dying man's words are often good." Some in the Censorate agree with this. However, several officials believe that Yang Siqing has changed his testimony multiple times and cannot be entirely trusted.
The sun's rays throbbed, my head felt like it was being violently shaken from side to side, and everything went blurry before my eyes.
"I see."
Her intuition told her that it was definitely related to Sima Xian and his group. She took a deep breath; it seemed they were determined to bring down the Pei family.
"Come and let me know after Father finishes court." Sui Zhixu felt extremely dizzy, and her vision blurred in waves.
Danhong noticed that her wife was not feeling well and quickly helped her lie down on the bed.
"My lady, you must have caught a chill last night," Dan Hong said, reaching out to check her pulse, but found nothing amiss.
"My lady, please rest for a while. Perhaps you've been too busy with the Pei family's case lately." Danhong told her to rest well and agreed to Sui Zhixu's request, promising to inform her when Conglan returned.
Sui Zhixu nodded, reached out and placed his hand on his temple to suppress its throbbing.
"Wait a minute, when is Mother planning to leave?" she called to Danhong, something she had forgotten to ask yesterday.
"Pack your things, we might leave tomorrow. The patriarch originally wanted to wait for the Pei family to hold their court session today, but something went wrong. There's no time to go to Jingzhou, so the patriarch must leave tomorrow. We can't wait to see the Pei family come out."
As Xu Zhixu's eyelashes fluttered, she also longed for the Pei family to come out quickly. Minister Lu was very stubborn, and after pestering him for so long, it was only the Princess who tricked him into coming to the capital by citing the Emperor's decree from the court.
—
The pavilion of Prince Xuanping's Mansion has slightly upturned corners that are light and delicate, and the smooth and natural roof appears soft and elegant. The thin gauze decorations on all four sides flutter in the wind on the water.
"Madam Gu, the matter you arranged has been completed."
Gu Qingyi was playing chess when her subordinates silently withdrew. She blocked the white pieces with black pieces and then captured one more piece.
With the situation at a standstill, Gu Qingyi smiled. The new generation of Daqi was truly full of talent, and it had taken her several days to deal with the mess in Xuzhou.
That young lady named Ning Yan is quite capable of investigating cases. She intercepted a lot of fabricated evidence, otherwise she wouldn't have directly targeted Yang Siqing.
After all, they are still searching for the king.
Gu Qingyi shook her head. It was a pity; she was a member of the Emperor's faction and difficult to win over.
"And what about in the imperial court?"
She placed another piece, and the situation before her was subtly changing, causing a smile to appear on her lips.
"The court is deadlocked, and the people searching for the king have stepped in. However, with that palace maid around, he probably can't protect the Lu family. But it has nothing to do with us; all the pawns in Chang'an this time are his people."
He laughed out loud, and Gu Qingyi's smile became much more genuine.
"Wait a little longer and see what they're up to." Gu Qingyi didn't get carried away; Cong Lan's side wasn't so easy to deal with.
"May Lady Gu be well."
Gu Qingyi looked up, and a pale blue figure came into her view. She was a little dazed, and the scene from back then suddenly appeared before her eyes. However, that young lady would not call her Lady Gu peacefully.
"Why is Lady Xi here?" Her tone was cold, and even though Xi Yuzhen was used to her indifferent demeanor, it was still somewhat frightening to hear.
She took a deep breath, her lips moved, and her voice trembled slightly, "I came to ask about Master Fan. Does Master Fan truly love Lady Lu?"
Gu Qingyi put down the chess piece in her hand, waved for the subordinate who had reported to leave, and looked Xi Yuzhen up and down, her expression uncertain. "No wonder Anniang is so angry."
"Ha." How could she have mistaken someone for someone else?
She suddenly felt a headache coming on. How could a face that was nine-tenths similar look so different?
I feel disgusted just looking at it.
If even she is like this, how could Fan Lingzhang, her husband who has been with her day and night for two years, admit his mistake? What is Sima Xian thinking?
She did not believe that Sima Xian truly thought Xi Yuzhen resembled Lu Kou.
Upon hearing this, Xi Yuzhen's face turned pale, and she instinctively clutched her dress.
"Where is the courage you had when you pushed Sui Zhixu off the cliff that day? How can you achieve great things if you are timid and cowardly?" Gu Qingyi closed her eyes to rest, but when she opened them again, her eyes were as cold as if they had been tempered with snow.
"Go down and learn some manners from the old women in the Prince's mansion. You shouldn't have come while I was having a casual conversation with someone."
The Xi family is a fairly large family in Jiannan, so how could they raise their wife to be so unruly and lacking in manners?
Xi Yushao is much better than her.
Gu Qingyi got up and left the waterside pavilion, leaving Xi Yuzhen hesitant.
She bit her lip. Was she trying to impersonate someone she'd never met before? Was she trying to seduce Fan Lingzhang?!
They, on the other hand, acted superior and openly criticized her.
Fan Lingzhang never crossed the line; he was truly a devoted lover!
Xi Yuzhen sneered, then lowered her head and bit her hand. Her brother was right. The Prince of Xuanping needed her, and her brother himself was also valuable. They wouldn't give up on her for the time being.
That damned royal palace, they used her and looked down on her.
With their older brother around, they'll make something of themselves sooner or later.
Xi Yuzhen took a breath, lifted her shoulders, and left the waterside pavilion.
—
Cong Lan returned and brought back news from the court to Sui Zhixu; the situation was alarming.
The Emperor has no son, and the Prince Xun is still in his prime. Many people in the court secretly support him. Over the years, the Pei family has acted as the Emperor's henchmen, causing much dissatisfaction by suppressing aristocratic families and promoting commoners. Now that they are gone, many people want to kick them while they're down.
The most urgent task now is to resolve the blood-written letter left by Yang Siqing before his death.
"Has his handwriting been verified?" She hadn't asked Danhong that morning.
Cong Lan nodded, his expression unfriendly, and said in a low voice, "Ah Hui is investigating Yang Siqing's relatives."
Xu remained silent. If someone threatened him with Yang Siqing's blood relatives, he might actually recant his testimony.
Can a coroner determine whether a death is suicide or homicide?
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, a multitude of thoughts flashed through Yang Siqing's youthful eyes. The fact that someone behind him had instigated his suicide meant that Yang Siqing did not have any further evidence to support the Pei family's suspicions in court, and that he was more likely to expose himself.
There is no way to verify the truth after death, especially since a blood-written letter written before death, as Dan Hong said, is often a good word spoken by a dying person, which can deceive some people.
"I'm so angry! Ugh, I'm going to kill them all! Damn it, they died the day before the trial, causing us so much trouble."
"Say something, you silent type."
...
Sui Zhixu and Cong Lan looked up together, and Cheng Zhijie and the noisy Sui Chuke came in.
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