Chapter 479 Counterattack
With the plan set, Consort Li acted accordingly.
She put on a replica of the jade bracelet that Jiang Huan had ordered the Imperial Household Department to make overnight, and a few days later she "coincidentally" met the deputy envoy of the Southern Frontier.
"Your Majesty looks very well today; this jade bracelet truly complements your beauty."
The deputy envoy from the southern border glanced at the pink blush on Consort Li's wrist, a smile spreading across his face, but a hint of smugness flashed in his eyes.
Consort Li sneered inwardly, cursing the fool in her heart, but on her face, she showed the pleasure of being flattered and gently stroked the bracelet.
"I must thank the envoy for the generous gift. This jade bracelet is warm to the touch, and I have been sleeping more soundly these days after wearing it."
She sighed as she spoke, seemingly complaining casually, "But there are so many rules in the palace, and everything we need for daily life is set in stone. The incense we use is mostly the same few kinds, and it gets stuffy after a while. On the other hand, my cousin sent some of the spices from the southern border that the envoy gave him. They have a unique scent and are quite calming."
Upon hearing this, the deputy envoy from the southern border lit up and immediately followed up, saying, "If Your Majesty likes it, I have something even better here. It is a calming incense made by our royal family. The ingredients are extremely particular, and some of the main ingredients are rare. They need to be stored in a special way to preserve their efficacy."
Consort Li's heart tightened. Remembering the strange fragrance she had smelled earlier, she knew the key had arrived.
She feigned a conflicted expression of both longing and apprehension, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the handkerchief.
"But I don't know exactly what the incense looks like, or what the proper way to store it is. What if my servants don't know and ruin this precious item..."
"Your Majesty, rest assured!" The Deputy Envoy of Southern Xinjiang, eager to receive confirmation, hurriedly said, "This incense only needs to be sealed in an earthenware jar and stored in a cool, dry place. Some of the incense I brought with me this time is stored in the same way at my residence. If it is convenient for Your Majesty, you may come with me to retrieve it."
Consort Li, having obtained the information she sought, smiled and said, "I see. It's not difficult to explain. Thank you for informing me, envoy. I will remember it."
Upon returning to the palace, Consort Li immediately reported to Jiang Huan verbatim what she had gleaned, and Jiang Huan promptly relayed it to Huo Lin.
"The base..." Huo Lin sat behind his desk, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the tabletop.
[Tsk, they've got some nerve, actually setting up a den of thieves and a poison jar right under my nose.]
[What's in that earthenware jar probably isn't calming incense, but rather a death warrant.]
He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword, and looked at the guards standing in the corner: "It seems it's time to 'pay a visit' to our distinguished guests from the Southern Frontier."
That night, thick clouds obscured the stars and moon, making it the perfect time to act.
Several dark figures, like ghosts, silently infiltrated the Southern Frontier Mission's residence.
These figures moved swiftly and lightly, landing silently, clearly indicating that they were all top-tier experts, handpicked from among thousands and highly trained.
Although the Southern Frontier delegation had guards, they were rendered useless in the face of Huo Lin's meticulously trained elite bodyguards, whether they were visible sentries or hidden agents.
After a series of efficient searches, the guards discovered a clue in a side room in a courtyard where miscellaneous items were stored.
A heavy, old wooden cabinet was cleverly moved aside, revealing a hidden door behind it.
Opening the hidden door revealed a small, secret room filled with a somber smell of earth and strange medicinal herbs.
On the shelf in the center of the secret room, several pottery jars were neatly arranged.
However, the secret guards' mission did not end there. They quickly searched the entire room and finally found a long, flat iron box sealed with sealing wax in a hidden compartment. Inside the box were several secret letters.
The guards then quickly took the secret letter and the pottery jar away, leaving without anyone noticing.
Inside the imperial study, candlelight shone brightly.
Huo Lin, Jiang Huan, Shen Yi, and several trusted ministers who had been urgently summoned were all present.
Huo Lin read through the secret letters expressionlessly, the chill emanating from him almost freezing the air.
[Very well, very well indeed. A small state dares to dream of swallowing an elephant.]
[That old hag, the Empress Dowager, even in her final days, didn't forget to leave me such a 'generous gift'.]
He handed the letter to the prime minister sitting below him: "You should all take a look."
The prime minister took it, glanced at it a few times, and his face changed drastically, his beard trembling: "Outrageous! How dare these barbarians of the southern border do such a thing!"
The letter contained a secret correspondence between the King of Southern Xinjiang and the remnants of the Empress Dowager's faction, with the language gradually becoming more explicit, progressing from probing to conspiracy.
The letter not only mentioned using Gu to gradually control the Emperor of Liang, but also explicitly stated: "Once the Emperor's mind is controlled, we will support obedient members of the imperial clan as puppets. At that time, Liang will have to cede the three cities of Yin, Liang, and Su to the southern border in return for their assistance."
"What a clever scheme to control the emperor with poison, install a puppet, and cede three cities!" Huo Lin sneered, sending a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall. "The King of Southern Frontier has truly made a brilliant plan, treating my Great Liang as fish on his chopping board!"
Jiang Huan, listening from the side, was also burning with anger, but at the same time, she was also somewhat frightened.
If it weren't for this bug in the system that allowed them to discover the oddities of the jade carving and bracelet in time, their conspiracy would have truly succeeded...
Ugh, I can't believe it. Luckily, we found out early.
Huo Lin took a deep breath, suppressing his surging killing intent, and looked at Shen Yi.
"Is the person under control?"
Shen Yi put away his nonchalant expression and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, the envoys of the Southern Frontier and their core entourage have all been secretly taken into custody and are being held separately. A tight net has been laid around their encampment, so that not even a fly can escape."
"Very good." Huo Lin nodded and said to the Minister of Justice, "You will personally investigate this matter."
The Minister of Justice received the order and went to the prison to begin the trial that very night.
The deputy envoy from the southern border initially tried to deny his innocence and cry foul, but under the skillful interrogation techniques of the Liang Dynasty's experts and with irrefutable evidence, his psychological defenses quickly crumbled.
His face was ashen, and he was sweating profusely. In order to save his life, he revealed more details.
It turns out that the struggle for the throne within the Southern Frontier was extremely fierce, a matter of life and death.
The current King of Southern Xinjiang has ascended to the throne illegitimately. His brothers hold some tribal power and are eyeing him covetously, outwardly complying but inwardly defying him.
The Southern King's power base was unstable, and he was eager to establish his authority and consolidate his throne. He also coveted the wealth of the Great Liang Dynasty. Thus, with the help of the remnants of the Empress Dowager's faction, the two sides hit it off and took a risk to devise this insidious plan.
Having obtained a complete confession with his signature, Huo Lin no longer hesitated.
He ordered his men to carefully copy the contents of the secret letters and confessions between the Southern Xinjiang King and the remnants of the Empress Dowager's faction, along with the several jars of incense as physical evidence, and send them to the Southern Xinjiang King's court by express courier at a speed of 600 li.
At the same time, he issued an edict to the border, ordering the generals stationed there to immediately muster their troops and deploy them along the border, making it appear as if war was imminent and exerting military pressure.
The letter, written by Huo Lin himself and sent to the southern border along with the evidence book, contained only one concise sentence.
"King of Southern Frontier, you must give me and the Great Liang an explanation for this matter."
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