Chapter 164 The Fourth Prince
The emperor accepted all offers.
Every day, he took the elixir made by different immortal masters, and felt more and more excited. It seemed as if he had endless energy to handle government affairs. He was very pleased with the contributions of Qin Xiu and He Ning, and rewarded them continuously.
The two seemed to be at odds with each other and vying for flattery in the court, but in fact, in the eyes of the emperor, they had become two powerful medicine shovels in his pursuit of immortality.
After He Ning presented the Longevity Purple Gold Pill once again, Lu Bing was in high spirits and casually asked, "My dear Lord He, you have done a great service in presenting the pill. Do you have anything to ask for?"
He Ning immediately seized the opportunity and bowed again to plead, "Your Majesty, I have received your kindness and dare not ask for anything more. I only hope that Your Majesty will sympathize with my selfish desires and allow Jiang Wei and his son from Lingnan to return to the capital to report on their work."
"My wedding to Jiang Qingning is approaching. If my father and brother could witness it, it would be a lifelong blessing for me and Qingning, and would also demonstrate that Your Majesty's benevolence and virtue extend far and wide."
The smile on Lu Bin's face faded a little, and his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne.
It’s the Jiang family father and son again… His eyes swept over Qin Xiu, who was standing solemnly with his hands hanging down and an expressionless face.
Ever since Qin Xiu was promoted after offering the elixir, he seemed completely indifferent to the affairs of the Jiang family and never said a word about them.
It seems that He Ning's move did not get Qin Xiu's tacit approval, and the rift between the two has indeed deepened.
Thinking about how the father and son of the Jiang family had been in Lingnan for eight years, their military power had long been dismembered and digested by him, and their influence in the capital was completely gone, they would be nothing more than two toothless tigers if they returned.
In addition, He Ning has made great contributions by offering the elixir, and simply refusing it may discourage the loyal ministers.
Lu Bing pondered for a moment. Although he did not agree immediately, his tone was much more relaxed: "He Qing's filial piety is commendable. I will consider this matter for a while."
He changed the subject and said soothingly, "However, my dear minister, you have done a great service in offering the elixir. I will reward you with ten hu of South China Sea pearls, one hundred pieces of Shu brocade, and one thousand taels of gold!"
"Your Majesty, I bow to thank you for your grace!" He Ning thanked him loudly, but his heart was cold.
The emperor was still procrastinating, but he knew that the seeds had been planted again and would soon sprout.
After leaving court, He Ning went straight to Ning Pavilion.
"Although His Majesty has not yet agreed, his attitude has softened."
"It seems that the power of this elixir can indeed captivate the Holy Heart."
He Ning told Jiang Qingning what happened in the court with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
Jiang Qingning sat by the window, his fingertips stroking a warm black jade chess piece. Hearing this, his expression remained calm and unperturbed: "As expected, a dog will only obey orders when it is well fed."
"But we don't have much time. The emperor's body relies on these powerful drugs to support it. It's strong on the outside but weak on the inside and could collapse at any time. We must obtain the most deadly thing before he becomes completely obsessed with the pursuit of immortality and the government is completely thrown into chaos."
She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Zi Su, how is the progress on An Yi's side?"
Zi Su, who was standing by, immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Miss, An Yi is back and has made a major discovery."
Before he finished speaking, a dark shadow appeared silently in the hall. It was An Yi, the leader of the secret guards who had been secretly trained by Jiang Qingning for three years and was skilled in tracking and spying.
He knelt on one knee and presented a sealed copper tube in both hands. "Master, I have fulfilled your mission and have uncovered all the connections between Xun Chen and the guards of the Yunze Water Stronghold in Jiangnan. In addition to the letters we intercepted earlier, we have even more direct evidence!"
Jiang Qingning took the copper tube and took out a roll of secret paper as thin as a cicada's wing and several confessions with fingerprints on them.
She glanced through it quickly, and a layer of frost gradually formed on her cold face.
The secret note recorded in detail how Xun Chen got through Fu Boqian and contacted Wei Zhai, who was entrenched in Yunze Water Fort.
Xun Chen used the loopholes in the capital's defense that he had in his hands as a bargaining chip, and promised to provide internal support when Wei Zhai started the rebellion in exchange for future meritorious service and prominent status.
The confessions came from Fu Boqian's confidant who was secretly arrested by An Yi, and a manager in Xun Chen's mansion who was responsible for secretly transmitting information.
The confessions corroborated each other, describing in detail how Xun Chen became jealous when he saw Qin Xiu and He Ning receiving generous rewards for presenting the Taoist priest.
He actually conspired with Wei Zhai, who provided a Taoist priest proficient in a special elixir formula, and Xun Chen presented it to the emperor in his personal capacity.
What they wanted was to make the emperor suffer from chronic poisoning under the illusion of elixir and accelerate his death.
The special ingredients mentioned in the conspiracy were the highly poisonous cinnabar and the Five Stones Powder, which was highly addictive and would eventually destroy the mind!
"What a Xun Chen, what a Wei Zhai, they killed the king and usurped the throne, what wolfish ambitions!" After reading it, He Ning's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Jiang Qingning closed the secret letter, his fingertips were cold, but his eyes were burning with icy flames.
She looked at An Yi, her voice as cold as a knife: "Well done, immediately arrange our people to replace the Taoist priest before Xun Chen finds him. Make sure the Taoist priest sent to the palace is ours, and the elixir must be 'safe'."
"Yes!" An Yi accepted the order, his figure flashed, and he disappeared into the shadows again.
A few days later, Xun Chen, who was full of ambition, happened to find a Taoist priest named Changchunzi who lived in seclusion in the mountains and was proficient in alchemy. He couldn't wait to present him to Emperor Lu Bin, who was obsessed with elixirs and accepted all offers.
After Lu Bing took the elixir made by Changchunzi, he felt as if he was floating in the air and full of energy, as if he had returned to his prime at the age of thirty.
In ecstasy, the emperor was extremely pleased and immediately promoted Xun Chen from the fourth rank of Censor-in-Chief to the third rank of Deputy Censor-in-Chief.
Xun Chen was extremely popular at the time and became the newest celebrity in front of the emperor after Qin Xiu and He Ning.
The fire in the alchemy room in the inner courtyard of the palace was burning day and night, and purple smoke was curling up.
Lu Bin was immersed in the illusion brought by the elixir, and became increasingly lazy about state affairs. Memorials piled up like a mountain, and he was only interested in the elixir that was sent to him continuously.
In the Imperial Garden.
Qin Xiu was wearing a crimson official uniform and walking side by side with a young man who was as tall as his shoulders.
"Your Highness, how is His Majesty's health these days?" Qin Xiu asked in a low voice.
"Uncle, don't worry. Father is in good health. He has become a hundred times stronger in recent days. He is even stronger and more robust than when Yong'er was young."
At the age of thirteen, Lu Yong had already learned from the deposed Crown Prince Lu Cheng how to hide his shortcomings and be a good son who worshipped his father and was well-behaved and sensible.
"Don't worry, uncle. Yong'er has kept your and mother's words in mind from beginning to end and will never forget them for a moment."
Lu Yong was dressed in bright yellow clothes, and his majesty was evident in his eyes and brows, which made people feel shocked when they saw him.
Qin Xiu nodded. "Your Highness is the person that the Imperial Concubine and I fear the most. Only when the Fourth Prince is safe can the Imperial Concubine, me, and the entire Duke Qin's Mansion rest in peace. If Your Highness has anything you don't understand, please listen more and speak less. Go back and ask the Imperial Concubine, or ask me, a humble servant."
Lu Yong bowed and said, "Uncle is not only Yong'er's uncle, but also the teacher appointed by the emperor. Respecting teachers and loving elders is human nature. Yong'er will never forget it."
"Well, go back and review your studies. I still have to test Your Highness later."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Lu Yong bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
Qing Ming stepped forward: "Sir?"
Qin Xiu raised his hand: "Be careful with your words."
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