Chapter 26 The afterglow lingered as the young, wolf-like guard head was served!
He handed over the flower shears, pouring out the last of Fengze's strength.
There is now complete chaos in front of Ying Xi.
He first saw the blood-soaked man surrounded by a forest of swords and halberds, then his guards flew far away, and then the blood-soaked man blocked his way.
Ying Xi looked straight at Xie Qianli's shoulder.
Xie Qianli was thrown backward by the force of Feng Ze's body, and Ying Xi staggered a few steps after him.
When Ying Xi stood still, he saw blood right in front of Xie Qianli's toes!
He turned slightly to the side and saw that the scissors had pierced Xie Qianli's tiger's mouth directly, the sharp metal embedded in Xie Qianli's flesh.
The strings of blood droplets continued to flow, splashing onto the smooth white marble floor, like ink stains on red plum blossoms.
Ying Xi felt the light stinging her eyes, and her features contorted for a moment.
Fengze had completely lost his strength. He was slashed by guards who rushed in from all directions and vomited his last mouthful of blood!
"..." Feng Ze was soaked in blood, and blood seeped from between his teeth.
Despite the unimaginable pain, he didn't utter a single word, not even a shout.
Feng Ze did not mention the reason for the assassination.
It didn't mention whether there was a mastermind behind it.
Naturally, no one could see that when Fengze fell, the expression on his face was not one of pain, but rather one of relief and liberation.
***
The study in Weiyang Palace.
The air was filled with the bitter scent of herbs.
The pale blue smoke from the calming incense slowly emerged from the bronze incense burner.
Ying Xi leaned back on the dragon throne, having just finished a bowl of medicine. The medicine was sour and bitter, and he couldn't even taste it.
Yu Jing carefully served the emperor, taking the medicine bowl he had finished drinking. Her brows and eyes showed fatigue, and the corners of her eyes were still slightly red.
Since Cheng Shun's death, Weiyang Palace, which had just begun to regain some vitality, felt as if it had been doused with cold water, and was now cold and desolate everywhere.
No one could have predicted that the death of a mere eunuch would have such an impact on the emperor's heart.
But that was indeed the case. The lanterns were changed every night as usual, but since the murder, the emperor had no mood to look at them. Yingxi fell ill for two days in a row, and whenever she left the study in Weiyang Palace, she would walk straight to her bedchamber without raising her head.
—It turns out that the emperor really cared about his subordinates.
Yu Jing was secretly moved, but dared not mention Cheng Shun again.
That respectful thought turned into concern for the emperor's health. Yu Jing said gently, "Your Majesty, how about we have some desserts for you to try? You haven't been eating much lately, and the Imperial Kitchen has been preparing the 'Awakening Spleen Cake' for a long time."
Ying Xi shook her head. It was just that her body was useless. It was nothing serious—just a breeze, a run, and an assassination attempt at Shanglin Garden—yet she still fell ill for two days.
He couldn't eat anymore, and Yujing wanted to persuade him again.
Ying Xi then ordered him to take the Xingpi cake out and distribute it to the guards on duty, and only then did she get a moment of peace.
More than the meal, the flower-viewing banquet left him with many unanswered questions. During the days when his fever was at its worst, he was in a daze. Now that his condition has stabilized, he finally has time to think about things.
First, what were Feng Ze's motives for assassinating him?
If Feng Ze still wanted revenge for Xie Ji's death, then he should at least have cursed himself before he died.
But he neither cursed the tyrannical emperor nor offered any explanation. He showed no satisfaction in seeking revenge; instead, he seemed somewhat resentful and hiding his true intentions.
It doesn't seem like revenge!
Secondly, was Xie Qianli the one who instigated this?
When Ying Xi saw Feng Ze as the murderer beneath the walls of Shanglin Garden, she had a strong suspicion about it.
But subsequent developments made Yingxi waver.
Feng Ze's final blow was saved by Xie Qianli.
He witnessed Xie Qianli break through the encirclement in an instant, knocking his chief guard far away. If he had tried to make a move, he would have been dead for sure!
But the result was that Xie Qianli was stabbed hard by Feng Ze's scissors.
Furthermore, the analysis of Yingzhou Island into the body of the deceased was insightful. Xie Qianli's words hit the nail on the head. If Fengze was truly his subordinate, why would he sell Fengze out?
They don't seem to be accomplices!
Yingxi couldn't understand either of the two points.
The call for an audience at the door interrupted Ying Xi's thoughts. The visitor was a rare individual—his chief guard. He remembered his chief guard as the eldest son of the Lang family, a long-established noble clan in Qin. He had been recommended to the palace by his family, and was considered to be of above-average ability and diligent in his work.
As for other things, his previous life was short, and he had not spent enough time governing the country, so he did not have a deep impression of the guard.
What is he doing here?
"Your Majesty, I have come to beg for forgiveness!"
The head guard said loudly, "Your Majesty's duty is to protect you, but I neither discovered the crossbows on Yingzhou Island nor stopped Fengze. I was even scrambled to protect Your Majesty by the Duke of Yingguo and was thrown several feet away in a sorry state."
"His Majesty was ill a few days ago and did not hold me accountable."
"Your Majesty's condition has improved, yet you still bestowed upon me the 'Awakening Spleen Cake.' I am deeply ashamed and beg Your Majesty's punishment!"
The head guard knelt on one knee in front of Ying Xi.
He was dark-skinned and tall, with long, narrow eyebrows and eyes. He looked up earnestly, awaiting judgment, his eyes shining brightly. But in a fleeting moment when Ying Xi wasn't looking, his gaze on her intensified. The guard quickly lowered his head.
Ying Xi hadn't expected that casually sending out a plate of "qi-qi" cake would lead the head guard to connect it to the assassination attempt at the flower viewing banquet. This rekindled Ying Xi's confusion about Feng Ze's actions, and he offered a gentle reassurance:
"Xie Qianli joined the army at the age of twelve, led a light cavalry to capture a city at the age of seventeen, and inherited Xie Ji's military rank and title at the age of twenty-two. He was a talented commander and a fierce general. It is not shameful to lose to him."
The head of the guards was indeed secretly relieved that he hadn't been held accountable.
But if you hear the same thing twice, what young man can tolerate feeling inferior to others?
The head guard, with a mixture of frustration and stubbornness, said, "From now on, I will strive to improve myself and become even more capable! I will not allow a situation like Fengze's to happen again!"
After the head guard finished speaking, he stared intently at Ying Xi, trying his best to convince the emperor. His dark face was already flushed.
But the emperor's thoughts drifted away again when Fengze was mentioned.
Abundant resources are like a poisonous thorn.
Who wants to kill me? Is there a mastermind behind it all?
The more Ying Xi thought about it, the more she felt like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.
He then tapped the table lightly with his knuckles and instructed, "Go and secretly find out all the information about Feng Ze and bring it to me, paying particular attention to his unusual behavior. You are all military men, and you have just fought against them, so it is not unreasonable for you to pay more attention to him."
The head guard looked up blankly.
Each time the emperor issued an order, he could only understand half of it and couldn't figure it out. He wondered if this had anything to do with being held accountable, but he firmly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
"—Your Majesty, this little wolfhound likes you~"
"Cough, cough cough cough..."
***
For the past two days, Ying Xi has been in poor spirits and hasn't heard Tian Tong speak.
Now that her body has recovered a little, Tian Tong appears and starts talking nonsense.
Ying Xi coughed, choking: "You're here again, what are you doing, randomly knocking on things?"
"I wasn't just randomly shipping people. I was saying the other day that His Majesty has a little wolf-dog fanboy. He must be that little wolf-dog."
Ying Xi corrected: "My chief bodyguard is named Lang Xun."
“Oh dear, they’re all pretty much the same.” Tian Tong said dismissively, still explaining the definition of a “little wolf dog” to Ying Xi. “Do you remember how fierce he was in front of General Xie, how arrogant he usually was, but he would blush after saying just a few words to you?”
Ying Xi had no time to analyze Lang Xun's sudden change in mentality.
After all, his previous life was short and he was immersed in official duties, so Lang Xun didn't communicate with him much.
Ying Xi frowned slightly, unable to describe her feelings: "I can't let him misunderstand. If Guard Lang has any intentions, I must control these feelings."
Sweet Tong couldn't understand at all: "Last time His Majesty said that we can't be close to anyone because of official business. The little wolf dog's liking for you is purely personal, and you don't get close to him either."
Yingxi said, "I don't like him."
"We'll only know after it develops a bit more, give it a chance!"
Ying Xi was unaware that Tian Tong was now resembling a matchmaker active in the park's matchmaking corner, and even had the potential to rapidly expand into a pyramid scheme.
Sweetheart kept encouraging her: "You have to believe in yourself! You have confidence! You have charm! You are the best Your Majesty!"
"I am." In this life, Ying Xi has never denied herself, nor has she ever confused her concepts. "But I don't date."
Sweetie failed: "Waaaaah!"
Meanwhile, the host was still bickering with the system as usual.
The calming incense smoke in the study of Weiyang Palace trembled slightly, and Yu Jing announced: "Prime Minister Su requests an audience."
Ying Xi raised an eyebrow slightly and realized that Su Xueyi had just finished her official duties at the Ministry of Personnel and was coming to see him. Perfect timing, as he also had many questions for this person after the flower viewing banquet.
Ying Xi: "Pass it on."
After the message was delivered, Su Xueyi went to pay her respects.
The dignified and imposing official robes of the Prime Minister of Qin could not conceal Su Xueyi's extraordinary demeanor. With his sleeves billowing in the wind and his steps brisk, his fair hands holding a scroll, he displayed such an elegant bearing that the Emperor respectfully bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Sweetie whispered, "The scumbag is here."
Ying Xi frowned.
Little did he know that Ying Xi's expression, influenced by Tian Tong, was interpreted by Su Xueyi as the beauty being dissatisfied and critical of him.
Su Xueyi couldn't resist the urge to speak, and her lips curled up in a sharp smile. The emperor, who was able to solve the assassination case in Shanglin Garden by observation alone, was certainly qualified to comment on her.
Su Xueyi immediately replied, "I have compiled the results of this campaign, which I have been in charge of, focusing on investigating the conduct of officials and promoting clean governance. I originally intended to report this to Your Majesty after the flower-viewing banquet, but if it weren't for the assassination attempt in Fengze..."
He paused, then unfurled the scroll, which was densely covered with the names of fallen officials, sorted by the amount of money they had embezzled, and preliminarily classified according to the severity of their crimes.
Su Xueyi: "I have already drafted a punishment plan, and I beg Your Majesty to make the final decision."
Su Xueyi's serious attitude towards work is indeed different from before. Although Ying Xi still doesn't have a good impression of Su Xueyi, he will never reduce the number of times he summons her just because he is annoyed. Public and private matters should be kept separate.
Su Xueyi reported, "Your Majesty, please look. This scroll contains a case involving someone whose case is related to military affairs. The circumstances are unusual, so I have circled his name."
Military affairs touched a raw nerve in Ying Xi's heart.
The emperor raised an eyebrow: "Tell me the details."
Su Xueyi: "The censor discovered that this minor official, though of low rank, was in charge of the final link in the distribution of military funds."
"In theory, the approved funds are a fixed amount that can be traced, leaving no room for manipulation."
"But this person always makes excuses to delay for a few days."
“Don’t underestimate these few days,” Su Xueyi said. “They could stir up the emotions of tens of thousands of people. He can get rich without any investment by using this method, and the officers below him are all bribing him.”
Ying Xi was stunned.
Although I knew from my previous life that the Qin Dynasty was a mess.
But he did want to establish the army first in both his lives. Back then, he was so frugal that he didn't even eat or dress properly or indulge in entertainment to save money for the army.
But he still couldn't completely guard against these vermin!
They don't even know how many of these are still hidden in the gutter.
Ying Xi: "Kill him."
“Make a drum out of his skin and hang it in the main hall of the government office so that his successor can beat it before each term begins.”
"If I see anyone still harboring greed, that will be the next drum."
Ying Xi continued, "And the people on this list, select the most representative ones, choose a date, and publicly execute them in the West Market. Allow everyone to watch the execution; even if these bastards die, they must die for me with value."
The desk lamp, its metallic surface reflecting Ying Xi's exquisitely handsome face, revealed his perfectly proportioned features: a straight nose, long eyelashes, and everything about him was impeccably groomed. Anyone with such features would be an outstanding beauty.
But the other party was the Emperor of Qin. His imposing presence was enveloped in a layer of icy coldness.
Su Xueyi admired Yun Jianyue more and more, wanting to be the one who could catch the moon. She secretly licked her palate, took the scroll handed back by the emperor, and rubbed the silk that Ying Xi had touched hard with her fingertips. The lingering fragrance seemed not to have dissipated.
Su Xueyi: "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
