◇ Chapter 77 (77) Everyone loves him, everyone hates him
He had never been familiar with General Xue, a rare loyal minister. Whenever he came to court to see him, he would give him long lectures. Lianzhi didn't dislike his honest advice, but in front of the Queen Mother, she always pretended to be unable to bear it.
General Xue also always mentioned his mother, saying that if the Empress Dowager were still alive, she would definitely be saddened that her son had grown up like this. But he didn't know what kind of person his mother was. When the Empress Dowager was away, he asked General Xue if he could tell him about her.
But General Xue was stunned for a moment before replying, "I only met Her Majesty once before she entered the palace."
That was the only time he was alone with General Xue.
The pain on her lips returned, and tears welled up in Lianzhi's eyes. She looked up and glared at Bai Kang. Bai Kang looked at him intently and reminded him, "Baby, pay attention."
"Stop kissing me, it hurts. Are you born in the year of the dog?" A soft palm landed on Bo Kang's chest, like a kitten kneading milk. Lianzhi panted and said, "Do you think everyone is like you? General Xue's son is older than me."
"I'm born in the Year of the Horse. And you know I don't get along with him," Bai Kang replied seriously. His relationship with General Xue wasn't hostile within the court, but it wasn't close either. Lianzhi wanted to say that he disliked many people in the court, not just General Xue, but Bai Kang pinched her cheek again.
Bai Kang rubbed his nose against Lian Zhi's nose: "Baby, I see you like it very much."
He leaned too close, and in his clear black eyes flashed the image of Lianzhi at this moment, with red at the corners of his eyes and a trembling smile. He finally understood why Bai Kang said he liked her very much, and his face inexplicably flushed. "Shut up, I have something serious to ask you. Did you know that the wine was poisoned a long time ago?"
Another bite on the cheek, Bai Kang pretended not to hear. Lian Zhi hurriedly urged him several times, and he said proudly: "Guess. If you can't guess, kiss me and I'll tell you."
"You definitely know. If you didn't, you would have apologized long ago," Lianzhi said firmly. He wouldn't kiss Bai Kang on his own initiative, and he didn't know what he was trying to trick him into doing.
Although the Ministry of Rites was not responsible for palace banquets, the fact that the envoys from Mobei had hidden poisoned wine and the Ministry of Rites was completely unaware of it clearly told everyone that the Ministry of Rites was incompetent.
Unless Bo Kang already knew a way to escape successfully, or in other words, he knew that the poisoned wine had nothing to do with the Mobei envoy.
Several possibilities flashed through his mind, and Lianzhi muttered to himself, "Could it be you who poisoned me?" He quickly suppressed the thought. Bai Kang wouldn't do that. He wasn't that bold, and he wouldn't do something he considered disloyal or unjust.
Bai Kang chuckled, and Lian Zhi, held in his arms, couldn't tell whether it was the vibration in Bai Kang's chest or the jolting of the carriage. Knowing that this matter wouldn't involve Bai Kang, Lian Zhi was no longer anxious—no, he hadn't been worried about Bai Kang in the first place!
The carriage avoided the official road, leaving behind the other carriages and horses, and slowly returned to the posthouse via a side road. Lianzhi only got off after confirming that no one was nearby. The Helan envoys had just returned to the posthouse and were getting off the carriage one after another. Bai Kang stood at the door with his arms folded. Lianzhi watched him, but ultimately didn't send Bai Kang back.
After dismissing the servants who had followed him, he returned to his room when he heard a heated argument downstairs. Lianzhi opened the window and looked down to see several Helan envoys gathered together. The people of the North Sea Territory weren't good at arguing. After just a few words, their faces flushed and their ears slurred, their mouths babbling in the North Sea dialect. Bo Kang had recently been brushing up on the Helan dialect and could tell who they were calling a persistent pest.
After a few more words, the men started fighting, pushing and shoving the person in the middle of the crowd. After a while, they moved aside slightly, and Lianzhi discovered that the person they were arguing with was actually General Xue.
General Xue, a clumsy and tongue-tied general, could surprisingly outwit a crowd of scholars, even if he were to stand alone against a hundred. He hurriedly hid his jade tablet. The clamor made it hard to hear what he was saying, but judging by his lip movements, he could clearly hear, "I request an audience with the prince of the Helan tribe."
I don't know what he said next, but the men let him go, and General Xue entered the inn. Not long after, there was a knock on the door.
"Hide quickly!" Lianzhi whispered.
"Am I afraid of him?" Bai Kang raised an eyebrow, and was grabbed by Lianzhi's sleeve and shoved into the bed. "Who said that? Go to bed!"
Bai Kang knew it was inappropriate for others to see him being close to the prince of the Helan tribe, but he was unwilling to accept it. He sat on the bed and pulled down the bed curtains. Seeing that he was hidden, Lian Zhi opened the door.
Thankfully, General Xue was the only one outside the door. He was dressed in casual clothes and looked at first glance like an ordinary, sturdy old man. General Xue looked at him intently and saluted. "It's you, indeed."
"You recognize me?" Lianzhi was surprised.
"The princess's token is you..." He didn't finish his words when a cough came from the bed. Lianzhi closed the door and said, "There's a cat in the room, don't worry about it."
His familiar attitude made General Xue confirm his guess - he did not reveal his identity, but the prince obviously recognized him.
Lianzhi asked him to find a place to sit down. General Xue did not refuse and sat at the table with a slightly anxious expression. Lianzhi saw it but did not ask.
He played with the empty porcelain cup and asked deliberately, "General, what do you want to see me about? If you don't mind, I'll ask the attendant to come in."
"You asked my son to deliver it to me," General Xue finished. "Excuse me, old minister, but may I borrow your token of gratitude?"
Lianzhi was about to ask if he was getting senile. Hadn't he given the token to Xue Nan? Why was he still looking at it? He thought for a moment before realizing that General Xue was referring to the token that could prove his identity.
He took off the jade token and handed it over. General Xue looked at it carefully and suddenly became excited: "Yes... this is it."
"If you still need me to contact the princess, please tell me." General Xue stood up and bowed deeply. Lianzhi said nothing and accepted his greeting calmly.
Before arriving, General Xue had already prepared himself for the ill-tempered nature of this "princess's subordinate." After all, his son had told him that the man looked almost identical to the late emperor, and his words and actions were also very similar, as if they were cast from the same mold. Unexpectedly, upon meeting him, he was completely different from his imagination.
I don’t know what kind of cat I have, but it makes too much noise, making frequent noises and being very noisy.
General Xue subconsciously ignored the fact that a cat couldn't possibly make a human cough, and he coughed several times. After he left, Lianzhi lifted the bed curtains and saw Bai Kang lying there leisurely with his legs crossed, looking surprisingly comfortable.
"Brother Kang." Lianzhi poked his chest with her index finger, "Aren't you angry?"
"Hmm, hm?" Bo Kang opened his eyes. He had just dozed off. "What?"
Lianzhi blinked her watery eyes at him, and Bai Kang slowly said, "You've lied to me about many things, and this one is not the worst."
"Brother Kang, you are so nice." Lianzhi kissed him on the cheek twice.
He had wanted to ask about what happened at the banquet at Baikang Palace, but General Xue's arrival caught him off guard. He felt a little guilty and didn't want to bring it up for a while.
For the next few days, nothing circulated within the palace, and Bai Kang didn't visit him again. Lianzhi sent people to inquire privately several times, and they were told that Lord Bai had been busy with government affairs and was residing at the Ministry of Rites. Chunyu Ying and Da Xi Mi were also summoned to the palace to investigate the poisoned wine. Emperor Jianguang ordered that all envoys, except these two, remain in the posthouse and are not allowed to leave unless necessary. They didn't want to cause trouble, so no one ventured out.
Yu Yao sneered at him and said, "Want to go see him?"
"No." Lianzhi curled her lips and was about to retort her when she suddenly heard a chaotic sound of footsteps and voices outside, as if the person outside was right outside their door.
The maid went forward to open the door, and Gezhier rushed in in a panic: "Oh no! Prince, Princess, the palace has sent a message saying... that the people in Daning found the poison in the wine and it is related to our Beihai Territory!"
"Why are you so anxious?" Yu Yao frowned. "Do you think this matter is really related to us? There's no need to rush about irrelevant matters. Besides, since Daning wants to form an alliance with us, do they dare to touch us?"
Lianzhi and Geril, after all, weren't pure Northern Sea Territory people, and they both knew how serious this matter would be if it got dragged into a fight. Lianzhi sighed, "Did anyone tell me how the Queen Mother is doing?"
Ge Ri Er: "Master Bai said that the Queen Mother hasn't woken up yet."
According to the news from the palace—the same information that Bo Kang had relayed to him—the palace had conducted a thorough investigation for several days. Although the wine was a tribute from the Mobei envoys, it had been tested by eunuchs before being delivered to the throne room and was found to be non-toxic. The Imperial Household Department wasn't paid for nothing; how could they possibly send anything to His Majesty?
At the palace banquet, the only people who touched the wine jug were the eunuchs from the imperial kitchen and Madam Xuemei, who served the empress dowager. After several days of interrogation, one of the palace servants finally confessed, saying he had seen the envoys from the Helan tribe meet with the eunuchs from the imperial kitchen.
It was almost like saying openly that the poison was actually from Helan's subordinates. After all, the Helan tribe was not completely without reason to poison.
After hearing Geer's report, Lianzhi immediately stood up and asked, "Where is Da Ximi?"
"Lord Daxi insisted that no one from the Helan tribe left the palace that day, and that they only had contact with the eunuch who carried out the ceremony. But Mobei is demanding a thorough re-investigation of the matter, and someone in the imperial kitchen has pledged his life to have met with the Helan envoy." Geerer was extremely anxious. "They are right in the Golden Palace!"
Compared to him, Lianzhi was not so anxious. He had no way... No, there was still a way.
"Follow me into the palace." Lianzhi stood up and said.
On the way, Lianzhi stared out the window, silent. Geerer still looked worried, not for Da Ximi, but for Lianzhi: "Prince, you told me to pass the message to Lord Bai, so why did you have to come to the palace in person? His Majesty saw you today, and..."
"So if I go, it'll be more effective, right?" Lianzhi said calmly. "Bai Kang has nothing to do with this matter, so how can he have any say?"
Outside the west gate of the imperial palace, a simple black carriage without any signs was quietly parked under the palace wall. The golden bells and pendants on the carriage had been removed, and even the sound of the horse's hooves stepping on the ground was silent. Almost no patrolling guards noticed that the carriage had bypassed the official road and arrived here.
The driver lifted a corner of the curtain, revealing a beautiful face with alien features. As Lianzhi stepped off the carriage, the guards at the west gate approached, "This is a very important area of the imperial palace. You..."
Seeing that very familiar face, they all lowered their heads and watched Lianzhi take off all the ornaments on her body. After she saw that there was no possibility of hiding any hidden weapons, she said, "Prince Zhulan, please come with us. His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."
Inside the Golden Palace, Emperor Jianguang sat upright on the dragon throne. Below, the envoys from Mobei knelt, cursing the Helan tribe in official language, their voices echoing throughout the empty hall. Da Ximi knelt on one knee beside them, glaring at them coldly.
The atmosphere was tense, and the two envoys were about to come to blows. Emperor Jianguang dared not speak out—his anger was directed at the Mobei envoys, and his reticence was directed at the Helan tribe. Eunuch Lu stepped forward just in time and whispered a few words to Emperor Jianguang, who suddenly brightened up with tired eyes: "Please come in."
Then, the red figure slowly entered the hall. Lianzhi didn't kneel, not even performing the proper Helan salute. She stood upright beside Da Ximi and said, "Your Majesty."
After a moment of silence, Emperor Jianguang actually laughed.
Lianzhi ignored his reaction and continued, "My Helan tribe came here with sincerity, hoping to establish friendly relations with Daning. How could we possibly commit poisoning? Emperor Daning, please allow us to investigate this matter together. I promise Your Majesty that we will uncover the truth."
"Your Majesty, this is not right!" Bahar kowtowed hurriedly. "This is unfair. The Helan tribe is inherently ambitious and disrespectful to you. Who knows if they'll cover up evidence and sow discord between you and us in Mobei?"
"The Helan tribe has never harbored any ambitions, only a sincere desire to forge a friendly alliance with Daning. For years, the Helan tribe has remained aloof from the world. If it weren't for Mobei's excessive bullying, why would they have sent troops?" Lianzhi interrupted him, saying calmly, "If you're talking about wolfish ambitions, I never realized Mobei was so loyal to Daning before."
Bahar didn't care that he was in the Golden Palace and cursed loudly: "You are slandering me! It was clearly you who attacked us in Mobei first, and yet you still claim to be at peace with the world!"
"Enough." Emperor Jianguang knocked on the armrest of the dragon throne.
"Bahar, this matter has not yet been concluded, and there is no evidence of guilt. Didn't I also not convict you and even give you the opportunity to appeal?" Emperor Jianguang said, then looked at Lianzhi with interest and suddenly asked, "Prince Zhulan speaks the official language of Da Ning very well."
"Not as good as the Bahar envoy." Lianzhi grinned and said with a forced smile.
From above came the sound of jade beads sliding. The jade ring on Emperor Jianguang's finger gently rubbed against the dragon throne. After a long pause, he smiled and said, "I can promise you."
Bahar's face was filled with shock, but Lianzhi said nothing, looking directly at Emperor Jianguang. Emperor Jianguang continued, "While I can agree to the prince's request, I'm afraid Lord Bahar won't. I can't help you."
It's really... intentional.
"Your Majesty must be aware of the strangeness of this matter, otherwise you wouldn't have given us the opportunity to confront each other." Lianzhi raised her eyes and looked directly at the emperor. "I beg Your Majesty to apprehend the culprit within three days. If that fails, I am willing to be thrown into prison and be dealt with by Your Majesty and the Bahar envoy."
Da Xi Mi tugged at his robe.
"If Messenger Bahar does not believe me, please come and help me." Lianzhi said softly.
Bahar's frown finally relaxed a little, but he still looked at him with confusion. Emperor Jianguang nodded and agreed, "Yes. Then I will give Prince Zhulan three days."
Three days. Not too long, but enough.
Lianzhi then gave a perfunctory bow. Eunuch Lu, standing beside her, grimaced in anger, which made Lianzhi laugh inwardly. Unfortunately, Emperor Jianguang was not angered by him.
In the palace, Emperor Jianguang had already promised Lianzhi that he would allow Bahar to join them in the investigation, so Bahar followed them out of the throne room. He looked at Lianzhi with mixed feelings, "Why are you speaking for us?"
"Someone was slandering the reputation of the Helan tribe and mentioned you in passing." After Lianzhi finished speaking, she walked past him without even glancing at him.
Bahar was completely unaware of the reason the Helan tribe had sent troops to Mobei. He knew it, and so did Da Ximi. Therefore, after arriving in Daning, Da Ximi never mocked Bahar. As the young eunuch led them to the imperial kitchen, Da Ximi asked him in Beihai dialect, "Why did you say that? Do you think the real culprit is from Daning?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Lianzhi smiled. Da Xi Mi still couldn't figure it out. "Why would the people of Daning attack their own queen mother? I think Bahar might be framing us. He's always hated us, and he's setting this up to make things worse. Or maybe he's just plotting to do something big."
"Maybe, but that wine was a tribute from Mobei after all. Even if he succeeds in framing us, there's no guarantee that Emperor Daning won't vent his anger on us. I wouldn't do such a risky thing." Lianzhi replied softly.
But one sentence in Da Xi Mi's words reminded him.
People from Daning, why would you attack your own empress dowager?
Even if it was done by officials from Emperor Jianguang's faction, they had hated the Empress Dowager for a long time, and choosing to take action at this time was obviously not a wise move.
The young eunuch didn't take them to the imperial kitchen, but instead to the Ministry of Punishment. Even during the day, the Ministry of Punishment was utterly dim, its red walls stained with blood, its iron gates heavy with chains, and the cries of the palace maids and eunuchs pleading for mercy echoed endlessly. The young eunuch handed over a token and said tremblingly, "This is it. Prince Zhulan, His Majesty has instructed you to take this. If you need to enter the Ministry of Punishment within the next three days, present this token. I will be at your disposal."
After all, the envoys were distinguished guests, so the eunuch did not lead them in. Instead, he moved some soft chairs and asked them to sit in the outer room.
The two jugs of wine were still on the table. The weather was cold, and the smell of the wine mixed with the cool breeze was not unpleasant, but rather had a rich aroma. Lianzhi stepped forward to sniff the scent at the spout of the jug, but was suddenly pulled back and stumbled.
He turned around and was surprised to find that the person who pulled him was Bahar.
"Don't smell it, it's poisonous!" Bahar said nervously.
Didn't he still think that the Helan tribe was slandering Mobei? Why were you reminding him now? Lianzhi glanced at him and said to Da Ximi, "Come and smell it."
Da Xi Mi stepped forward and sniffed, his eyebrows knitted together. The young eunuch saw this and became even more frightened. Da Xi Mi took another deep breath and said to Bahar, "Messenger Bahar, come and smell it."
What was going on? The young eunuch was stunned. Bahar glared at her and stepped forward to sniff. In a split second, he too frowned, and the two of them stared at each other.
"Has the imperial physician checked the wine jug?" Lianzhi looked at the young eunuch.
The young eunuch nodded. "The entire Imperial Hospital has examined this wine. The silver needle turned black, so it's indeed poisonous. However... the judge said they can't identify the poison, so it's probably not produced in Daning."
Lianzhi reached out, fanned the spout of the pot, and suddenly smiled.
"If someone really is slandering us... then we can be cleared of our charges." Lianzhi sighed, "This is definitely not Daning's poison."
"What do you mean, Prince Zhulan?" Bahar was puzzled. "Are you saying it's Mobei's poison?"
"Of course not. How would I know what poison there is in Mobei?" Lianzhi gave him a puzzled look. "It's not Mobei's poison, nor is it the Helan tribe's poison... We Helan people don't like this smell. As for Mobei, Lord Bahar can explain it himself. After all, you should have permanent caravan members stationed in Fanfang, right?"
Lianzhi was not proficient in spices, but he was familiar with the fragrance, and after smelling it many times, he could easily remember the smell.
He wasn't familiar with this smell, but he had smelled something similar to it before—
Spices sold by Qiang caravans.
This is a poison prepared by the Qiang people.
The Helan tribe had no connection to the Qiang caravans, and the Mobei envoys had been staying in the palace since arriving in the capital, so it seemed impossible for them to have come into contact with the Qiang. Proof that the Helan and Mobei envoys had no recent contact, or sent anyone to contact the Qiang caravans, would clear both parties of the charges.
As for who poisoned the Queen Mother... Fanfang is located in a busy city, and there are too many people who can come into contact with foreign merchants. We also need to investigate the Qiang caravan. And the person who has the best access to them...
Lianzhi sighed.
He still had to ask Bai Kang for help. Originally, he hadn't planned to tell Bai Kang about this.
Lianzhi put away the token and had the young eunuch lead them out of the palace. After the previous discussion, Bahar's hostility towards him was no longer as strong, but the look he gave Da Ximi was still far from friendly. At the west gate of the palace, their simple black carriage was still parked, but a familiar figure in red official robes stood beside it.
Speak of the devil and he will appear.
The west gate was quite far from the six ministries, so Bo Kang made no effort to hide his presence. He simply stood beside the carriage, like a trained imperial guard. Upon seeing Lianzhi and Da Ximi, he saluted Da Ximi, then smiled at Lianzhi. "I heard that Prince Zhulan requested Your Majesty's permission to thoroughly investigate the Queen Mother's poisoning. Is there anything I can do to assist you? Prince Zhulan, please don't hesitate."
The first few sentences were quite polite, but at the end, his tone couldn't help but rise, and he could no longer pretend.
Lianzhi looked at him silently.
"Since the Minister has volunteered, let's go together." Lianzhi also smiled along with him.
Everyone can play dumb.
Bai Kang saluted him again in a pretentious manner. Lianzhi glanced at him and turned to get on the carriage. Bai Kang also climbed up and sat next to him.
The curtains were lowered, blocking out any sight from the outside world. With Da Xi Mi gone, Bo Kang finally couldn't help himself and pinched Lian Zhi's face with two fingers: "Why did you sneak into the palace without sending a message?"
"What's the point of sending a message? You can't get involved in the affairs of the Helan tribe and Mobei." Lianzhi snorted, "I didn't do it secretly. Don't you know now? I didn't lie to you this time."
So, that's progress? Bo Kang raised an eyebrow. He wasn't worried about Lianzhi entering the palace, but about Lianzhi meeting someone she shouldn't be meeting: "His Majesty..."
"Anyway, he has seen me once, so he doesn't care about the second time." Lianzhi said indifferently.
On the way here, Geerer said that there was no need for him to enter the palace, not only to avoid involving Bai Kang, but also because it would be most useful for him to go to the palace to meet the emperor.
It's possible that Da Xi Mi wouldn't ask to investigate the matter herself, and she wasn't stupid enough to deny any involvement. However, his face before Emperor Jianguang was the most convincing.
For the sake of his familiar face, Emperor Jianguang would definitely agree to his request.
This is his purpose.
Just thinking about herself standing beneath Emperor Jianguang, and even though she didn't bow down to him, she still called him "Your Majesty," made Lianzhi feel bad, and her face even darkened considerably. Bai Kang saw his expression, which flickered between bright and dark, as if he had swallowed a fly, and he knew what was going on. He comforted him with a distressed look, "I told you not to come to the palace to see the emperor, and it wasn't for any other reason. It must be hard for you to call him "Your Majesty."
It would be strange if he could be in a good mood if Lianzhi bowed down to someone who had hurt him and was not in a good position. Although Bai Kang felt that his idea was not what a loyal minister should think, he could not help but think so when he saw Lianzhi was unhappy.
Lianzhi just glanced at him strangely: "So what? Winners are kings and losers are bandits. I haven't been angry about that matter, but I am too petty."
"Are you serious?" Bo Kang expressed his disbelief.
Lianzhi hummed twice.
In fact, as long as he saw Emperor Jianguang, the person he hated, he would be disgusted. As for who was in that position...
He never cared before, and now he doesn't care.
The carriage reached Fanfang. Three days was a tight deadline, and they had no time to return to the posthouse for rest. They had to continue their investigation today. Bai Kang got off the carriage first, looking at the area outside, and a clear understanding came to his mind.
He had some guesses in his mind, probably because Lianzhi had guessed where the poison in the wine came from. Seeing Lianzhi about to get off the car, he hurriedly said, "Fanfang is dirty and messy, I'll carry you."
If it were any other time, he might have acted like a spoiled brat, complaining about how he, a precious treasure, could have ended up in such a place. But now, Lianzhi just waved her hand: "It's okay. Let's go."
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