In an instant, the quiet courtyard turned into chaos.
The servants scattered in terror, screaming, "Help! Someone's breaking in!"
The maids and servants were even more timid; some of them fainted upon seeing the menacing soldiers.
In the backyard, the host couple had just gotten up and were about to eat when they heard the commotion and didn't know what had happened.
The patriarch, barely thirty years old, with dark circles under his eyes, walked to the door. Before he could speak, he was blocked by soldiers who loudly asked, "Are you Xiao Yuanqing from the Ministry of War's Grain and Provisions Department?"
The old man paused, a hint of fear in his eyes, and mustered his courage to ask, "It is indeed I, the official. Why are you forcing your way in at this early morning...?"
The soldiers didn't have the patience to wait for him to finish speaking. Hearing that they had found the right person, they went straight up, pinned him down, tied him up in a few quick moves, dislocated his jaw, and carried him out.
The young woman, who had chased after him to the door, desperately pursued him, demanding, "Who are you? Why are you arresting my husband?"
The soldiers dodged her pull and shouted, "We are from the Northern Expeditionary Army. Xiao Yuanqing is involved in the case of Yaochi's use of Hibiscus Cream. We are now ordered to arrest him and bring him to prison to await trial!"
"Anyone who resists or obstructs will be killed without mercy!"
Whether the young woman was frightened by the phrase "no mercy" or realized the crime had finally occurred upon hearing the words "Jade Pool," it's unclear.
Her face was pale, and she didn't pull any further, letting the soldiers carry her husband out.
Liu Yuanqing was terrified, like a quail, and he begged his wife to save him.
Unfortunately, aside from drooling the whole way, he couldn't utter a single word...
At the same time, in Xinduli, more than thirty businesses experienced such a terrifying arrest.
In some families, the male head of the household was kidnapped.
But for many more families, it was the eldest son or grandson who lost their support and affection.
Because the family was reluctant to part with the money, they spent a great deal of grain, silver, and supplies to keep the legitimate son and grandson while sending away the unfavored illegitimate son and grandson.
As a result, this became the thing that everyone regretted most in the second half of their lives.
Who would have thought that enlisting in the army wouldn't be a time of suffering, but rather a safe haven and a furnace for forging talent?
Those who stayed at home were coveted and seen as a treasure trove by Yaochi, who dragged them down and turned them into useless people!
Some families knew that their children had ties to Yaochi, but they didn't take it seriously.
After all, with a wealthy family, it doesn't make much difference whether the child spends money on drinking and listening to music at a brothel or on fireworks at a fancy hotel.
But some families are already troubled by their ever-growing financial hole and have secretly made trouble several times...
When the sun was high in the sky, Marquis Xinting, carrying several boxes and escorting about a hundred people, arrived directly at the palace gate.
This time, none of the criminals involved were sent to the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review. Instead, they were directly imprisoned in an empty row of houses outside the palace. The thirty-odd rooms were enough.
A thousand Northern Expeditionary Army soldiers personally guarded the area, to prevent collusion and to guard against any attempt to silence witnesses.
Upon hearing the report from the Marquis of Xinting, the Emperor immediately summoned him.
Half an hour later, the golden bell hanging at the highest point of the palace was rung, and all officials of the fifth rank and above hurriedly put on their official robes and rushed to the palace.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, saying nothing, waiting for his court officials to arrive one after another.
Whether or not the court officials knew the inside story, they all lowered their heads at this moment, not daring to raise them easily.
Because anyone with eyes can see that the emperor is furious. At this moment, anyone who dares to offend him will definitely die in eighteen different ways!
Soon, all the officials arrived, including Li Lao Er, Mr. Wen, and Liu Zhiheng.
Having received prior warning, the three remained relatively calm, but kept their heads down, giving no one a chance to discern anything from their expressions.
Steward Yi looked around and shouted, "Kneel!"
All the officials immediately knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
However, the emperor did not call out as usual.
A deathly silence filled the hall. After a long while, the emperor finally spoke: "Since I ascended the throne, I have failed to protect the Tianwu Empire and retreated to Jiangnan. I feel ashamed before my ancestors and constantly reflect on my actions and strive to improve myself."
"I wouldn't say I poured my heart and soul into it, but I did my best to fulfill the duties of an emperor."
"I hope that one day our country will be prosperous and strong, we will drive out the barbarians and recover our lost territories."
“I do not expect you to be like me, but you are all paid by the emperor, so you should at least do your duty to be loyal to him.”
"But some people take my benevolence as a joke. They cannot use it for me or for the benefit of the world. Instead, for their own selfish interests and pleasure, they intend to corrupt the backbone of Tianwu and ruin the current excellent situation!"
"I am furious! Today, I will show you what really happened and what you did wrong!"
The emperor, his face ashen, slammed his hand on the table and ordered, "Marquis Xinting, tell these fools everything from beginning to end, let them see what good deeds their sons and grandsons have done!"
The officials rose and carefully retreated to one side, leaving only the Marquis of Xinting standing in the middle.
Marquis Xinting took out a small jade box and said, "Before the New Year, Chen He, a soldier in the Northern Expeditionary Army, died suddenly. In his luggage, we found a strangely shaped pipe and a jade box."
"After examination by the doctor, it was found that Chen He died from an overdose of a drug similar to Wushi San, which depleted his vital energy."
"After a long investigation, I found a courtyard called Yaochi, which was ostensibly a place for drinking and having fun, but in reality it was a place to lure young officials and scions of noble families into consuming a kind of hibiscus paste."
"Hibiscus ointment, in small quantities, can be used as medicine, but when heated and the smoke is inhaled, it can make people excited, mentally active, and even fall into daydreams and become addicted to pleasure."
"But long-term use can be addictive, and if you don't continue, you'll feel like you're living a life worse than death."
"After Yaochi successfully lures the so-called customers, the price will be raised. A box of Hibiscus Cream is worth more than a hundred taels of gold. Many customers sell their possessions just to continue taking it."
"But Yaochi was not greedy enough, because most of the young men from noble families joined the army and entered the Northern Expeditionary Army's camp, leaving them with no customers."
"Therefore, Yaochi, through the son of the eldest princess who was the most addicted to opium, collaborated with the princess, and had her daughter Bao Lei, under the guise of private gatherings and flower-viewing banquets, to lure young noble ladies from various families into consuming the Hibiscus Cream..."
"Thump!" Before Marquis Xinting could finish speaking, an official standing not far away was so shocked that he collapsed.
Everyone glanced at each other and understood.
This official was over fifty years old. He had a daughter when he was almost forty, and he loved her dearly.
I heard that his daughter is getting very close to the granddaughter of the eldest princess...
Without pausing, Marquis Xinting continued, "After receiving the news, I reported it to the Emperor."
"To prevent more people from being harmed, His Majesty, disregarding the fact that the person behind the scenes has not been found, ordered me to seal off Yaochi last night and arrest more than a hundred managers and staff members of Yaochi, as well as more than forty guests who were consuming Hibiscus Cream."
"Then, based on the list of people seized from Yaochi, more than thirty people who did not enter or leave Yaochi last night were arrested. The Princess's residence was also thoroughly searched and all of them were brought to justice."
After saying this, he looked at the emperor on the dragon throne and saw the emperor nod.
He continued, "Perhaps you gentlemen have only heard me mention it and are not yet aware of the dangers of the Hibiscus Ointment. It just so happens that a few of you are craving it and are making a fuss. Let me show you with your own eyes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com