An hour passed before the emperor threw down his chess piece, stretched, and asked the marquis.
"Cousin, is this Hibiscus Ointment really that effective? Aren't you being too nervous?"
"You should know that there has been a type of Five-Stone Powder since ancient times, which should be similar to this Hibiscus Cream, except that it has some hallucinogenic effects."
The Marquis shook his head. "Your Majesty, Five-Stone Powder can also drive people mad, not just causing hallucinations, but it will be fine once you stop taking it!"
"This hibiscus ointment is addictive!"
"Last night I received the news, so I led people to Yaochi to investigate. I personally saw no less than a hundred young noblemen and young officials coming and going from Yaochi, and judging from their appearance, they did this almost every day."
"One person may not have brought enough silver, so Yaochi refused to let him in. The man immediately knelt down and eventually even offered to pawn his seal."
"It can be said that, in order to enter the Jade Pool and to consume this Hibiscus Cream, those people have abandoned all dignity and reason..."
The Emperor frowned, about to say something, when Chief Steward Yi suddenly announced, "Your Majesty, Lord Marquis, it has begun!"
The Emperor and the Marquis immediately got off their beds and went to the front of the mechanism.
It's called a "mechanism," but it's really just a small, dark window that allows you to see into the house opposite, while the people in the house opposite won't easily notice that someone is there.
At this moment, Master Bao, who had been sitting upright and waiting, began to yawn one after another, with snot and tears streaming down his face, which he couldn't even wipe away with his handkerchief.
His servant was anxious. Seeing that there was no one else in the room, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Master, please hold on. This is the palace. It's not good for others to see us."
Master Bao clearly wanted to persevere, but his body wouldn't obey him, and soon he slumped down and slid off the chair to the ground.
"Quick, go light a pipe and give me a puff!" He forced the servant's clothes shut, his voice trembling and convulsing.
The servant was terrified and hesitated before looking towards the door.
This is the imperial palace; people can come and go at any time.
If the master is caught smoking here and punished, he will not survive if he returns to the princess's residence.
But Master Bao could no longer hold on; he lay on the ground curled up in a ball, trembling even more violently.
"Quickly, please, let me take a puff, just one!"
A master actually begs his servant like a dog.
The servant was terrified and knelt down beside his master, whispering, "Master, this is the palace! What if we're discovered? The Emperor is in the room next door! That's the Emperor!"
"Give me a puff!" Master Bao seemed to have gone mad, tearing at his clothes and trying to slam his head against the sandalwood chair beside him, hissing in a low voice, "Forget about the Emperor, hurry, give me a puff, give me a puff! I'm going to die, hurry!"
Having no other choice, the servant quickly took out a small lamp and a tinderbox from his robes, and then pulled out a long pipe and a jade box from his sleeve. He deftly scooped out the ointment and heated it over the fire...
A moment later, the pipe was finally delivered to Master Bao.
He desperately tried to control his trembling hands, brought the pipe to his lips, took a deep drag, and then fell silent, his eyes rolling back, his mouth agape, and a strange smile playing on his lips.
A few breaths later, he took another deep breath, and this time his expression had calmed down considerably...
In the next room, the emperor silently withdrew.
Chief Steward Yi carefully pushed the dark window shut, keeping his head down and not daring to look at the Emperor's ashen face.
After a long silence, the Emperor removed the gold medal from his waist and said, "Cousin, I entrust this matter to you to investigate thoroughly. Anyone involved should be dismissed from office, have their property confiscated, and be exiled. No one should be let off the hook."
"We must eradicate this vile creature from Tianwu!"
The Marquis knelt on one knee, accepted the gold medal, and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost."
The Emperor helped the Marquis up and sat him back on the low couch, still somewhat dazed.
“Cousin, the decision to recruit scions of aristocratic families into the army was a stroke of genius, but if things had continued this way, the men of Tianwu would have been ruined.”
"That lackey next door, knowing full well that this is the palace and that I could summon him at any time, still couldn't resist the temptation of that cigarette. It truly terrifies me."
"If the generals at the borders were to become addicted to opium, and if high-ranking officials in the court were to become addicted... the consequences would be unimaginable!"
The Marquis nodded, but still advised, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and not many people have become addicted to this kind of smoking yet!"
"We will keep a close watch on Yaochi, obtain the list of those who enter and leave, find the person behind them, and eliminate the problem at its source."
"Of course, if it involves barbarians, there may be more conspiracies behind it, which cannot be investigated in a day or two. We need more patience."
The Emperor frowned, truly unwilling to believe that Tianwu was about to be attacked from both sides...
"If you need manpower, feel free to mobilize your secret guards. Make sure you find out the truth."
The Marquis agreed, said a few more words, and then secretly left the palace.
Subsequently, Master Bao in the next room finally met the Emperor.
He racked his brains to perfect the golden birdcage, praising it highly, and finally received some gifts from the emperor. He then returned to the princess's residence with his head held high.
The eldest princess wished she could stay at the door, just waiting for her son to come back.
She had been eagerly awaiting her son's arrival home, and the sight of him with his chin raised and a beaming smile instantly put her heart at ease.
Lord Bao described in great detail how the Emperor praised him and bestowed upon him.
The eldest princess was also pleased with what she heard and felt honored.
Finally, Lord Bao picked out a jade pendant from the rewards, gave the rest to his mother, and prepared to go back to rest.
The eldest princess hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "You haven't had a relapse while you were in the palace, have you?"
Master Bao understood, but dared not tell the truth, and immediately replied, "Mother, don't worry, I dare not delay when the Emperor summons me."
"Everything went smoothly. The Emperor said he would summon me to appraise treasures again next time."
The princess was completely relieved and finally let her son go home, then happily rummaged through the rewards...
In the Li family courtyard in Suijintan, Li Laosi was suspended from his job and stayed at home to reflect on his actions, awaiting news of the investigation results.
With Li Laosi returning home, everyone learned about this incident.
Li Laosi felt very guilty. He knelt down in front of his mother and kowtowed, saying, "Mother, I've made you worry again. Your son is unfilial!"
Old Mrs. Li pulled her son up and asked, "Fourth son, tell me, did that soldier's death have anything to do with you? Did you kill him?"
"No, Mother! It has nothing to do with me!" Li Laosi quickly replied.
Grandma Li breathed a sigh of relief and bent down to brush the dust off her son's knees. "Then why are you kneeling! My son has been wronged and wronged. I can only help him vent his anger. How could I possibly blame him!"
"Just remember, as long as you haven't done anything wrong and as long as you have a clear conscience, you don't have to bow down to anyone!"
"Mother, I'll listen to you!" Li Laosi choked up and nodded heavily.
From the moment Chen He died suddenly, whether in the military camp or in front of outsiders, he never offered a word of explanation, which did not mean that he was not aggrieved.
His grievances, he only wanted, and could only be, seen by his mother!
In front of his wife and daughters, he was a towering mountain.
To his elder brother, he was a comrade-in-arms.
Only in front of his mother could he be a wronged child!
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