Chapter 83 083 Chuzhou
In Kyoto, all was calm and peaceful.
The second prince wrote to Emperor Mingkang, expressing his self-reflection and introspection. Emperor Mingkang agreed, and the second prince has been staying in his residence these days. The eldest prince has been kept by Emperor Mingkang's side, and he personally guides the handling of state affairs.
Amidst the undercurrents of unrest in the court, many people switched sides.
The second prince gave a cold laugh and instructed his men to remember these people's names, saying it wouldn't be too late to settle scores later.
Migratory birds are heading south, the new moon is gradually rising, and the sound of horses' hooves echoes on the official road.
The autumn midday sun was intense, and beads of sweat glistened on Qingli's fair face. She gritted her teeth, trying her best not to fall behind. After riding for three days, they were about to enter the territory of Chuzhou, where they had to be even more careful.
The horse was a fine steed, strong and agile, and belonged to Meng Qingshan. Six days ago, Meng Qingshan sent people who were searching for Song Zhang to bring news that Song Zhang should be in Chuzhou.
Finding only a few clues is barely enough to be considered a success.
Upon hearing this, Qingli couldn't sit still. Back then, when she had no way out, she relied entirely on Song Zhang to turn the tide. Song Zhang meant something extraordinary to her, so how could she remain calm upon hearing the news?
Meng Qingshan refused to let her go to Chuzhou in person. Qingli could not argue with him, so she fell silent but would not listen to him. She privately made arrangements for the trip. He offered to teach her to ride a horse and kept her in the horse farm under his watchful eye. She acted normally in front of him, but she was anxious inside.
Finally, on the fourth day, he received an imperial edict to enter the palace. With this opportunity, she left the city gate, where Yun Xiu led ten men to wait on the official road. He bowed and reported, "Miss, the lord has ordered us to escort you."
So, he knew all along.
These three days have also been spent making preparations.
Qingli's eyes welled up with tears. The autumn wind rustled her clothes. She dismounted, mounted the horse Meng Qingshan had prepared for her, glanced at the city gate behind her, and spurred her horse to gallop towards Chuzhou.
Yun Li waited in the suburbs, exchanging secret signals with Yun Xiu. Yun Li stepped forward and looked at the woman in front of him. She was dressed in a silver-gray riding outfit, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin. She was slightly covered in dust, but her eyes were calm and powerful. In less than a year, when they met again, her circumstances had changed drastically. She had gone from a woman in the inner quarters to a noble lady in the capital, and was about to become the mistress of the house.
Yun Li bowed her head and replied with the respect due to an official, "Miss, I have searched all over the Nine Provinces following the clues, and only found the hidden mark in Chu Province. Although it was partially obscured, I estimate that it should be here."
"Did you see anyone?"
Yun Li replied with shame, "No, the kiln is strictly inspected and guarded by soldiers. People coming and going need to have three gate passes. Outsiders can only be sent to the first checkpoint."
"A piece of porcelain, can it be treasured like this?"
One of the guards behind them scoffed.
Yun Xiu glared at him and scolded, "Shut up."
These people were all Meng Qingshan's personal guards. They all knew that Qingli was the master's fiancée. At first, they were all cautious. But in the past three days, they watched as the young lady made arrangements with great care and clarity, showing no trace of the delicate nature of a noble lady. She covered a thousand miles in three days, which even they, the guards, found exhausting. Yet, they never heard her complain. They all admired the young lady.
Qingli asked, "Is there anything unusual in the city?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it. They seem so ordinary, the people live in peace and contentment, but..."
Yun Li was tongue-tied and couldn't describe the strange feeling in his heart. After a couple of breaths of hesitation, Yun Xiu, worried that Qing Li would be dissatisfied with Yun Li, took over and said, "Chuzhou is a porcelain city that has stood for a hundred years. With constant trade between the north and south, it must be bustling with people."
Yun Li muttered, "There aren't many people."
The city was full of demons and monsters; once inside, they would know what was going on. Qingli changed carriages, and all the guards were dressed as merchants' servants. The group entered Chuzhou after the city gates were locked.
The streets were deserted, the autumn wind howled, and withered yellow leaves tumbled between heaven and earth, carrying dust as they flew, creating a hazy, yellowish scene.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, finally understanding what that strange feeling meant.
The city gates slammed shut behind us, and a crow shrieked twice from a withered tree, sending chills down our spines. The long street stretched into the distance, its end shrouded in twilight, and a sense of desolation and sorrow seeped into our very bones.
Yun Li whispered to Yun Xiu, "Now you know my unspeakable secret, right?"
Yun Xiu glanced at him and lowered his voice, saying, "Be careful, don't let someone who doesn't know any better offend Miss."
When the group arrived at the inn, the innkeeper looked up from behind his table, sized them up and down, and then calmly lowered his eyes again.
Yun Li stepped forward with a smile, "Manager Zhu, this is my master. He is waiting for the caravan behind him to catch up in Chuzhou before leaving."
The shopkeeper, Zhu, casually tossed the keys to Yun Li and warned, "Don't cause trouble."
"Yes, yes! Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth."
Yun Li bowed again, but Manager Zhu waved his hand arrogantly.
Yun Li closed the door, still wearing a fawning smile. He turned around and saw everyone staring at him in confusion. His face flushed, and he explained, "In Chuzhou, any establishment, whether it's an inn, a restaurant, or a place for visiting relatives, must report to the authorities and have a guarantor if they enter the city."
"Then how did you get into Chuzhou?"
Yun Li chuckled, "Where there are rules, there are also broken rules. In Chuzhou, there are people who can act as guarantors as long as you pay money."
"Who would be so bold?"
"There are many people, including elderly people, toddlers, and people from all walks of life. As long as you pay enough money, you can find all kinds of suitable identities for them."
"Aren't they afraid that the people coming into the city will cause trouble?"
"They all seemed eager to vouch for me, not like they were afraid."
There are always people who take crooked paths, but for even the old and young to scramble for them, the people of Chuzhou might not have a good life. Qingli's alarm bells rang, and she asked, "Who did you find to vouch for us?"
"The person my subordinate found in the porcelain shop is named Liao Ziqing. The reason given is that he is going from Hangzhou to Yunzhou and needs to pass through Chuzhou."
Yun Xiu asked, "Miss, is there anything wrong?"
"Chuzhou City is so big, yet they still have to report even the faces of strangers. But when we stayed at the inn, the innkeeper was so lax. I'm afraid Chuzhou City is already an impregnable fortress, and we are nothing to them. We can't cause any trouble."
Yun Xiu felt unwell ever since entering Chuzhou City and hurriedly said, "We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"It's too late to leave now."
As soon as Qingli finished speaking, a battle erupted outside, and the guards instantly drew their swords and surrounded her.
In a short while, the battle on the street had become clear. One side was hacking and slashing, each move taking a life, while the other side was desperately defending themselves, retreating step by step. Then all the lights went out, leaving only the cold moonlight to envelop people, which made the splattered blood less red.
There was a soft knock on the door.
"who?"
"Shopkeeper."
"We apologize for disturbing our distinguished guest. It was just a soldier who bothered the Yaksha. Please don't make a fuss and cause trouble."
Yun Li replied, "We understand."
The shopkeeper chuckled softly, but had no intention of leaving. He leaned against the door, silent, waiting for the commotion outside to subside before disappearing from sight.
“Miss, the 'Youzu' refers to outsiders, and the 'Yaksha' is the guard who patrols the city at night.”
Yun Xiu jumped in through the window, his face solemn. "They headed out of the city. One of them escaped. I saw from afar that those people were skilled in martial arts and were no ordinary people. However, they were outnumbered."
Things are probably not that simple. Qingli weighed the situation carefully and thought that it was fortunate that the guards Meng Qingshan gave her were all highly skilled, otherwise she would not have been able to deal with the complexities of Chuzhou.
Kyoto, August 17th, an auspicious day for travel and weddings. The second princess's wedding sedan chair departed from the palace gates, the dowry stretching as far as the eye could see. The people crowded around the procession, saying auspicious words, and followed the crowd toward the princess's residence in the midst of the festivities.
Dressed in red, Lu Yunye's flamboyant features made him even more dashing and spirited. He tightened his grip on the red silk in his hand, looked at the Second Princess beside him, and said gently, "Watch your step."
The fourth prince, having been ordered to escort the second princess to her wedding, sat at the head of the table, watched the two bow to heaven and earth, the emperor and their parents, and saw them enter the bridal chamber. A smile crept onto his lips as he turned and went to the side courtyard.
The second princess loved flowers and trees, so a courtyard was specially set aside in the princess's residence and planted with them. A broken petal swayed down in the wind, carrying the fragrance of flowers and trees.
The fourth prince patted his shoulder, a slight movement that drew Meng Qingshan's attention. His brows were lowered, his gaze sharp and menacing, and he held a broadsword in his hand, its patterns clearly visible in the light.
The fourth prince stepped forward and asked, "Have you found a way?"
Meng Qingshan nodded. The message had arrived, and his frustration made him want to destroy everything. He didn't want to say much, simply saying, "Swastika pattern."
The fourth prince examined it closely under the light. The swastikas were connected at the ends, small and dense. At first glance, they looked like the ladder pattern on an ordinary sword, but the swastika pattern is more commonly seen on porcelain and not engraved on weapons.
"The process of privately manufacturing weapons, iron ore, and forging is complicated and requires precise control of the heat."
The fourth prince stared intently at Meng Qingshan, his anger and fear mixed together. He didn't want to think any further, but he blurted out instinctively, "Porcelain kiln!"
With all the feudal lords eliminated, there are very few who can achieve this level of success now.
"The people have already been sent out, just wait a little longer."
Meng Qingshan said he would wait quietly, but he got up impatiently. The withered flowers under his feet were crushed into the ground, showing the panic of the person walking.
As night fell, chaos erupted at the Second Prince's residence. The Second Prince hurriedly entered the house, where the physician had applied wound medicine, but it was quickly soaked with blood, leaving his body covered in bloody stains.
Luo Ming lay on the bed, his chest heaving rapidly as he gasped for breath. A dark shadow fell before his eyes; he blinked hard before he could make out the person in front of him, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness, virginity..."
hiss...
Another spurt of blood gushed out, and the two physicians were in a flurry of activity. Luo Mingzhi could only manage to breathe through his open mouth.
The second prince looked at the imperial physician with a cold expression and displeasure. The physician's hand trembled, and medicinal powder fell all over his chest. He reported tremblingly, "Your Highness, Lord Yi was stabbed three times in the back, each stab deep into the bone. It is a miracle that he was able to run back to the capital after three days of running, only able to keep up with the strength of the potent medicine."
The second prince pondered for a moment, then beckoned the steward to come forward, saying, "Take my token and invite Physician Fu here."
The steward accepted the order and left.
The Second Prince sat on a round stool, looking at Luo Mingzhi's chest, which was now so weak it was almost unrecognizable. After lying there for a while, the Second Prince's breath stopped for a moment, and then he gently lifted his head and let out a soft breath.
Taking a deep breath is extremely difficult.
Luo Mingzhi was his capable general, leading a large number of men, all of whom were lost. Only he escaped from a thousand miles away, which must be because he had a shocking secret. He was going to fight Yama to save him. The Second Prince would also try his best.
The candlelight in the room burned all night and gradually went out. As dawn broke, Physician Fu emerged from the room, covered in blood. He stood two steps away, his hands folded in front of his abdomen, and reported, "Your Highness, Lord Luo's life has been saved. I have inserted two acupuncture needles, and he can now give his report."
The second prince instructed his steward to escort the child out properly.
The room was a pale gray. Luo Mingzhi was too weak to move. Hearing the noise around him, he turned his eyes to the Second Prince and slowly said, "Chuzhou, weapons."
The words are few, but the matter is important; there is no room for doubt.
"Saw it with your own eyes?"
Luo Ming shook his head, feeling dizzy again. He took a breath and said, "I only made it to the second level before I was chased out. All I could see were iron mines and furnaces, and the sound of hammering could be heard. I'm willing to give my head as collateral."
The second prince glared and cursed, "How dare they! Do they think they can turn the world upside down?!"
“There is no doubt that he intends to rebel, but Your Highness, we know about this matter, but we must pretend not to know.”
Why?
"Your Highness, the Empress enjoys the Emperor's deep trust, which is an insurmountable obstacle for you. To break this deadlock, you will incur the wrath of both Heaven and the people."
The second prince thought about it and agreed.
“Your Highness, Chuzhou is under unbreakable control. The people are afraid and have submitted, but extreme suppression leads to rebellion. What Your Highness needs to do is add fuel to the fire and let the people of Chuzhou rebel first.”
The second prince also thought of this, "Don't worry, you can rest and recuperate. We'll work together to build a great cause later."
Luo Ming opened his mouth, thinking that the Second Prince was meticulous in his work, but prone to focusing on minor details while neglecting the important ones. However, a dull pain shot through his head, and before he could react, his vision went black, and he fell into a deep sleep.
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