Chapter 92 Hidden Scales
Yan Dibai picked up a bit of the medicinal powder with her fingertips. It was dark in color with a hint of metallic luster, but its texture was exceptionally delicate.
A pungent stench, a mixture of sulfur and realgar, assaulted his nostrils. He washed his hands. "Sit down and we'll talk in detail."
"Your subject obeys."
"Please have some tea to refresh yourselves." Before getting down to business, Qingqing promptly stepped forward to pour tea for the three of them and, following old custom, sat down beside Yan Dibai, keeping a half-person distance between them.
As soon as she sat down, the person beside her moved the futon half a foot closer, his knee firmly against hers.
"..." Qingqing glanced at him, her lips moving silently, without looking away.
"Her Majesty the Empress's tea is so refreshing!" Li Si and the others accepted the tea with profuse thanks, and then recounted their investigations in front of the warehouse over the past few days.
Even though Qingqing was mentally prepared, she still couldn't quite stand being addressed as "Empress." Because of the atmosphere, she remained silent and listened quietly to their conversation.
"Xiangdong Garden has several layers. This time we reached the innermost part. It looks like an ordinary garden, but inside there are guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps, with patrols constantly moving around. If Cui Xun hadn't left the garden recently, we probably would have needed another half a month to sneak into the core warehouse."
Li Si clicked his tongue, his dark face full of solemnity: "With such defenses, it's almost like the Forbidden City."
"I lay in wait for four days before finally finding this batch of medicinal powder in the treasury of the third courtyard." The one who spoke was the usually taciturn Wang Wu, his tone unusually resolute:
"This item was locked in a camphor wood box. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but I noticed that its color was dark with a hint of gold, and it felt stiff and difficult to handle, which made me suspicious. So I divided it into three parts and disposed of them separately."
“Firstly, when dissolved in water, gold dust settles after half a day, and the water color remains unchanged—this is not a characteristic of ordinary minerals.” He paused and looked at Yan Dibai.
Yan Dibai tapped his knee lightly with his fingertips, signaling to continue.
"Secondly, when heated over a low flame, the fishy smell transforms into a pungent stench, which is confirmed by the fact that realgar reacts with fire." Wang Wu's voice grew increasingly solemn. "Your Majesty, realgar is poisonous. If a person smells it for a long time, initially they will feel uneasy, but over time it will damage their five senses, cloud their mind, and cause them to become emaciated..."
The room fell silent at those words. Qingqing instinctively clenched her sleeves and looked at the boy beside her. She could feel Yan Dibai's muscles tense up like iron in an instant.
"To ensure complete safety, I secretly visited several craftsmen in Cangqian with this item. An eighty-year-old blind lacquer craftsman, simply by touching it with his fingers and smelling it, determined that this item was used for making lacquer. This powder is mainly composed of realgar, ochre, and calcite, supplemented with cinnabar and quartz. It is repeatedly ground into a fine powder using the water-milling method and then mixed into lacquer. The finished product is impervious to insects and ants, and its color will last for a thousand years."
This was also something that Wang Wu felt was very wrong.
"Your Majesty, realgar is inherently poisonous, and its ability to generate miasma upon contact with fire is undeniable. I am not knowledgeable in pharmacology, so Li Si and I separately consulted other pharmacists and discovered that realgar is potent, cinnabar is heavy, quartz is hard and can stabilize the medicinal properties, and ochre is dark in color and can counteract its dryness. However, when these poisons are mixed, they ultimately create a miasma of metals and minerals. If a person smells it for many years, initially they will feel uneasy, but over time it will damage their five senses, cloud their mind, make them irritable and easily angered, and cause them to become emaciated."
This conclusion also explains why only cinnabar and quartz were initially discovered. The key was realgar and ochre.
The three of them were already in a very heavy mood, and now they dared not look at Yan Dibai.
The boy frowned slightly for a moment before accepting the information, and then pondered:
"These are essential ingredients for lacquer making. If it's meant to cause harm or death, then the dosage of one of the ingredients must be increased... Lacquer making, where is this lacquer used?"
Twenty years ago, Emperor Chengde ordered the renovation of Xianning Hall, dispatching a thousand craftsmen to the capital, and naturally, the best materials were used. This undertaking was a waste of manpower and resources, and was criticized by prominent Confucian scholars such as Lin Xiangru in a joint memorial, which was recorded in history books, along with the expenses incurred.
Cypress wood from Zizhou, green stone from Xiaoshan, rhinoceros hide from Yizhou... vermilion lacquer from Jingzhou.
Lacquerware from Jingzhou was of the finest quality, and the realgar and cinnabar produced there were unparalleled in both the north and south. At that time, three consecutive governors of Jingzhou... all came from the Cui family of Qinghe.
The last governor resigned due to illness less than two years after taking office and returned to the capital. Ten years later, he moved to Jiangzuo and lived a secluded life.
This person's name is Cui Xun.
The young emperor suddenly chuckled very softly, “The Cui family of Qinghe has been a prominent family for generations, enjoying a life of luxury and wealth. The Yan family has treated them well. If there were no great benefit to them, why would they resort to such a risky move as implicating nine generations of their family?”
Unless what they want is never just a position of power, but the merit of supporting the emperor, the merit of changing the world, the merit of supporting the emperor for the next hundred years.
He paused, his voice lowering, yet becoming even more oppressive.
"The Cui clan migrated south after the Wang clan had established itself. One family operated openly, the other covertly. One held power, the other controlled the financial resources. Wang Du purged old clans like the Lu family in Jiangzuo for the sake of money, grain, and profits from iron smelting. Meanwhile, Cui Shenxiu and his nephew Cui Xun continuously supplied him with refined iron from Jizhou..."
He traded the Lu family's salt for iron from Ji Province. The coarse iron was used to forge farm tools and make regular soldiers, pacifying the local area and filling the treasury. The truly high-quality iron, however, was quietly used to forge Wang Du's Xuanjia cavalry, thanks to the skills brought by the immigrants. The fact that the Lu family was spared was largely due to the policy of controlling rice production.
"The cavalry, infantry, and archers are all ready. Money, provisions, and armor are all in place. At that time, all that is needed is a banner to restore order,"
Since he could remember, Yan Qi had often been manic and out of control. When he died, his face was contorted in a grotesque manner, and everyone said that he had died suddenly... Yan Dibai tapped his knuckles on the smooth brick surface, making a crisp sound.
"What banner could be more justifiable than 'All the emperors of Yan are mad and tyrannical rulers, and we have no choice but to purge the court of corrupt officials'?"
Zhang San and Wang Wu spoke in unison, their voices trembling: "Wang Du, in league with the Cui family, used the 'White Wall and Red Lacquer' scheme to usurp the throne!"
Everything connected. Li Si broke out in a cold sweat: "This move was truly long-term, subtle, and ruthless!"
Qingqing's hair stood on end.
It impairs the five senses, damages the nerves, and causes irritability and anger. Aren't these exactly the symptoms that Yan Dibai experienced?
Could it be that he wasn't born with a mental illness, but rather developed it later due to trauma?
Could the beauty powder of that time also have been the work of the Cui and Wang families?
She couldn't help but tremble slightly: "Since Xianning Palace is the source of the poison, then what Yan Xifang made you eat..."
Yan Dibai glanced sideways. The girl looked worried, but he felt relieved. He remained calm on the surface. "It's not pure Five-Stone Powder. If my blindness in childhood was due to lacquer poisoning, with this kind of toxicity, I should have met Yama like Yan Qi long ago."
Qingqing frowned deeply: "So, there were two groups of people who poisoned you. One group used a slow-acting, metallic poison to destroy the reputation and foundation of the entire Yan royal family. The other group..." She paused, her confusion deepening, "...Yan Xifang's medicinal effects are almost identical to this lacquer poison. Could it be... that you were manipulated by someone else?"
A cold glint flashed in Yan Di's white eyes: "She and Li are nothing but pawns. My elder sister's methods are ruthless, but they are far less insidious and patient than this plan of 'whitewashed walls and lacquer'."
The two fell silent. Then another question arose: If the imperial physician's prescription was ineffective, why was his blindness cured? Why can he still run and jump?
What caused the poison in his body to be repeatedly delayed in being relieved?
Qingqing suddenly remembered something, "During the gathering, Cui Xun gave me some calming incense pills to relieve headaches! Today, Madam Cui gave me several more bottles!"
A sudden buzzing sound filled Yan Dibai's mind, "Give it to me!"
Qingqing hurriedly gathered up the bottles and jars outside the pavilion and poured out a few shiny black pills. A rich floral fragrance wafted over, so sweet it was unpleasant.
After examining it closely, Li Si and the other two were certain: "This medicine uses floral fragrance to mask its true taste; it is definitely not an ordinary calming substance."
Yan Dibai held the incense pill in his hand: "When Cui Xun heard that I had a headache, he sent me this medicine, as if he was certain that it would cure me. It seems that the prescription that Prime Minister Lin found for Yan Qi back then was similar to this, but it was not as good."
“Cui Xun.” He crushed the incense pill. “He followed us all the way to Yangzhou, but he hid himself and dared not show his face. Was he feeling guilty?”
Zhang San bowed and asked, "Shall I wait a moment for him?"
"No need," Yan Di said with a forced smile. "They outnumber us and are allied with Wang Du. Making a move now would only alert them and be counterproductive."
He hesitated for a moment, then glanced at his three trusted confidants:
"Zhang San, Wang Wu, Li Si."
The three men immediately bowed and clasped their hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, we are here!"
"When I was young, I once perused the secret archives of the palace. When Emperor Taizu founded the dynasty, in addition to the tens of thousands of troops on the surface, there was also a personal guard of the Imperial Guard. It was composed of warriors from tribes such as the Helan and Duan clans who had followed him from humble beginnings, as well as powerful Han families. Before I left the capital, I wanted to emulate Emperor Taizu and establish a hidden guard, to lie low in the countryside. But the time was not right, and I only built an empty shell. Now, the Northern Expedition is just around the corner, and it is time for the scales to emerge from the water."
Yan Dibai's eyes shone brightly. "You have followed me since the North, never abandoning me through hardship and adversity, risking your lives amidst swords and shadows. Today, in the case of the Jinshi poison, it is thanks to your loyalty and service to the King that the clouds have parted and the sun has shone through."
His voice suddenly turned deep, carrying an unquestionable air of authority:
"From this day forth, I bestow upon you all titles and ranks—"
"Li Si, you are exceptionally brave and strong, loyal and reliable. I hereby appoint you as 'Imperial Guard General' to serve by my side, commanding close guards and assisting the Hidden Scale Guard in capturing and killing."
"Zhang San, you are meticulous and capable of undertaking important tasks. I hereby appoint you as the 'Commander of the Hidden Scale Guard,' in charge of all intelligence gathering, defection, and covert protection. All secret agents will be under your command."
"Wang Wu, skilled in construction and insightful ingenuity, is hereby appointed as 'Master Craftsman,' working behind the scenes to oversee machinery, secret passages, and mechanisms, and to assist the Qianlin Guard in preparing the necessary items."
"The three of you, together with Yi Fu, the commander of the Hidden Scale Guard, will form the Four Pillars of the Hidden Scale Guard. Follow me to restore order to the world!"
A flush instantly rose to color across the faces of the three people.
From a forgotten mountain brute to a general personally appointed by the emperor, the hardships he endured are beyond description.
They all knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, we thank you for your great kindness! We will do our utmost, even unto death!"
"Good!" Yan Dibai's lips curled up slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Jinkou Maritime Trade Office, have you noticed if there are any old items from Xianning Palace among them?"
A glint of light flashed in Zhang San's eyes, and he immediately understood: "Your Majesty is wise! We will go and purchase the fragments of the mural immediately."
"Go." Yan Dibai nodded. "Buy back all the old materials from Xianning Palace that you can find, whether gold or silver. Before the Xuan Tie Armor is completed, I want to present this irrefutable evidence to Governor Wang. Also, take a bottle of these incense pills and see what they are."
Without further hesitation, the three of them dived into the waterway one by one. Only then did Qingqing, who had been forcing herself to remain calm, seem to regain her composure, her expression dazed:
"You just said, Yi Fu?"
"Commander Yi Fu of the Imperial Guards." Yan Dibai squatted by the water, casually picking up a few fallen leaves of various shapes, his fingertips lingering subtly on a few red leaves. "Have you forgotten him?"
Qingqing clutched her chest; she hadn't misheard.
"I didn't see him when I was in the palace; I thought he had disappeared long ago."
She knelt beside him, staring intently at Yan Dibai with a look of lingering fear.
"Don't tell me you planned all along that Yi Fu would work outside the palace? And what exactly is this Qianlin Guard?"
"You... just how many things are you hiding, Yan Dibai?!"
Yan Dibai glanced at her aggrieved face and laughed heartily in a great mood.
"Yang Liuqing, do you really think of me as some kind of stupid fool who just sits and waits to die?" Ripples spread across the pond, and the young man's eyes shone brightly. "It's just that I was not yet fully developed at that time and had no choice but to be controlled by others."
"Have you heard of it?" He sat down close to her and began to talk about the ancestor whose grave had been dug up, as if they were old friends.
"The founding emperor of Yan and Jin rose from humble beginnings to establish his rule over the world. In addition to the support of the Han people, he relied on the unwavering loyalty of several key Xianbei tribes and powerful clans in the north."
Although these people followed Emperor Taizu in conquering the country, they did not covet wealth and honor, and were content to guard the frontier for Emperor Taizu like the three tomb keepers, Zhang, Wang, and Li. Their families or branches dispersed into smaller groups, scattered throughout the northern prefectures, counties, border areas, and even the wilderness. More than two hundred years have passed since then.
For Yan Dibai in the past, it was nothing more than a vague legend recorded in the secrets of the founding emperor.
He didn't place a bet, but decided to take the gamble anyway. He kept it a secret until it was done.
Yan Dibai picked up one of the red leaves with particularly gnarled veins, held it up to the sunlight, and said excitedly, "I made the right bet."
The boy's left arm was outstretched, and Qingqing, still in shock, unconsciously leaned against his chest.
She looked up from Yan Dibai's arms and her heart skipped a beat—beneath the crisscrossing veins of the leaves were several lines of writing engraved with the finest needle tip.
[I have successfully completed my mission. The legacy of the Great Ancestor has not yet been extinguished. I have contacted all the descendants of the Helan tribe, and we have obtained two hundred archers. The former Han cavalry of the Duan family, hiding in Longxi, have one hundred men willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty. In addition, there are seven powerful Han families scattered across three prefectures. Although they outwardly submit to the false emperor or Xiao Yuanjing, their core members are all willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty. These are all former troops, and we have now begun to reorganize them. Fifty men have been dispatched to Jiangzuo, awaiting Your Majesty's orders.]
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