Chapter 321 Going to Xiancheng in Person
"What did you do yesterday that made His Majesty so angry that he punished you to do these?" In the imperial kitchen, Zhou Yuande stood beside Chu Liuzheng, looking at her with sidelong eyes, his nostrils filled with the smell of beans.
Chu Liuzheng said truthfully, "The Grand Tutor hasn't sent any news back, and His Majesty is worried, so I gave him some advice."
[I didn't do anything else except pour a cup of hot water for the Tyrant. Who knows what the Tyrant was doing?]
With her left hand, she added soaked soybeans and water into the small stone mill, while her right hand turned the mill at a constant speed.
Thick white soy milk mixed with bean dregs flowed into the basin from the outlet at the bottom, already filling up half the basin.
Zhou Yuande asked in surprise: "Just a few words of advice?"
Chu Liuzheng nodded with an innocent expression. She really didn't have the courage to do anything else.
"Your Majesty is in a bad mood, so we servants have to be more careful." Zhou Yuande glanced at the remaining beans in the basin. It was estimated that Chu Liuzheng's arm would be broken if these twenty pounds of soybeans were ground.
He finally understood why His Majesty had asked him to come to the imperial kitchen.
If you knew how much it hurt, you shouldn't punish me so harshly. Now I have to find a way to make up for it.
"That's enough grinding. I'll go to His Majesty and plead for mercy on your behalf." He signaled Chu Liuzheng to stop, then called over two young eunuchs and instructed them, "Finish grinding all the beans in the basin."
Chu Liuzheng pinched his arm which was so sore that he could hardly lift it, and looked at him with tears in his eyes, “What a good man!”
Zhou Yuande sighed. Seeing that she couldn't do anything, he said, "Go back and rest for half a day, then serve in the Imperial Court in the afternoon. You should also reflect on yourself and think carefully about why His Majesty punished you. Never do it again."
Chu Liuzheng agreed casually and lay down on the bed as soon as he returned to the ear room, rubbing his sore arms and sighing in his heart.
[To be with the king is like being with a tiger. To be with the king is like being with a tiger. ]
Last time it was playing chess, this time it's grinding soy milk, what if next time it's a beheading? I only have one life left, so I must find an opportunity to make merit and leave the palace as soon as possible. I can't stay in the imperial court any longer.
[But how can I legitimately achieve merit?]
Chu Liuzheng closed his eyes and pondered, and gradually his mind drifted away, and he fell asleep unknowingly.
Grinding soy milk by hand is really tiring.
At the same time, Wenhua Hall.
"Your Majesty, may you be well." Lu Fei hurried into the hall and knelt down to pay his respects.
"Stand up." Xiao Jingfan looked at him, "Why are you so anxious?"
"There's news from Xiancheng." Lu Fei frowned, his tone anxious. "Five days ago, the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao disguised themselves and entered Sishui Town to investigate, staying at the Laifu Inn. That night, the inn caught fire, and a group of men in black raided the inn. The Jinwu Guards were defeated, and the Grand Tutor was injured."
"During the battle between the Jinwu Guards and the men in black, the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao were accidentally abducted. Their whereabouts remain unknown. Over half of the Jinwu Guards were killed or wounded, and they were forced to identify themselves at the county government office."
"Sishui Town is now under martial law. The remaining Jinwu Guards and yamen runners are searching house to house for the whereabouts of the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao."
Xiao Jingfan frowned when he heard this. The people he sent to protect the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao were all the best fighters in the Jinwu Guard. Their martial arts skills were only strong, so how could they be defeated by a group of men in black who suddenly appeared?
He asked, "Can you find out where those men in black came from?"
"No." Lu Fei shook his head. "Those men in black came and went quickly. Their martial arts skills weren't very high, but they seemed to be unfazed by pain. They could continue fighting even if their hands and feet were cut off.
Furthermore, the swords they used were all poisoned, and ordinary doctors were unable to cure them. Most of the Jinwu Guards who fought against them died from the poison."
Xiao Jingfan frowned. How could ordinary people not be afraid of pain? Could it be that this group of men in black were the "poison masters" that Chu Liuzheng mentioned in his heart?
But didn’t that woman say that Jiang Zhou had already killed all these Gu people?
Why are there so many?
He subconsciously glanced at his side, but it was empty.
He immediately remembered that the woman was still grinding beans in the imperial kitchen.
He couldn't help but feel annoyed, and a hint of it showed on his face.
Lu Fei thought he was just worried about the disappearance of the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao, so he consoled him, saying, "Those men in black didn't kill them outright but went to great lengths to abduct them. They probably wouldn't take the lives of the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao."
Xiao Jingfan thought that he was not killed, but was locked up in a water dungeon and had his beard and hair shaved off.
He asked, "Who is the magistrate of Sishui Town?"
Lu Fei said, "His surname is He. He's already fifty-nine this year and will be leaving office in a year. Upon learning that the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao were missing in Sishui Town, he was so frightened that he fainted twice, and the county government almost had to hold a funeral."
Xiao Jingfan really couldn't count on such an old man. He pinched his brows and asked, "Where is the prefect of Xiancheng?"
"It's said he's ill," Lu Fei said. "When the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wen Zhao went, they were afraid of alerting the enemy, so they didn't even enter the government office to investigate. They took their men directly to Sishui Town. After they disappeared, the Jinwu Guards went to the government office and only saw a legal advisor named Liu, who said the prefect was very ill and couldn't see guests."
Having said that, he glanced at Xiao Jingfan and said, "You gave instructions beforehand, and Marquis Wen Zhao also reminded us several times that the Jinwu Guards did not break in by force." It was really not that his men were not doing their job well.
After hearing a string of bad news, Xiao Jingfan asked without hope, "How is Taoran Temple?"
Lu Fei said, "The Jinwu Guards searched Taoran Temple inside and out several times, but found no trace of His Royal Highness Prince Rui."
Another step slower.
Xiao Jingfan pursed his lips in displeasure, his fingertips slowly stroking the Bodhi beads on his wrist, with a cold murderous intent in his eyes.
Why is Yin Lanci always able to know the court's movements first?
Lu Fei bowed and asked what to do next.
Xiao Jingfan said coldly, "Dispatch the nearby garrison to find him. Even if you have to turn the entire Sishui Town upside down, you must find him for me!"
"Yes, sir." Lu Fei took the order and retreated. When he went out, he met Zhou Yuande who had just returned.
Looking at Lu Fei's cold and hard expression, Zhou Yuande was startled and had a bad feeling.
As expected, he just stood there when he heard Xiao Jingfan say, "Get ready, I'm going to Xiancheng."
Zhou Yuande:!!!
He stared at the emperor with wide eyes and asked, "Do you remember that the palace examination is the day after tomorrow?"
What will happen if you fail the palace examination?
Who will review these memorials?
What to do at the morning court?
There are so many things going on, stop making a fuss!!
The eunuch was so anxious that he almost had a heart attack.
But there was no point in being anxious, Xiao Jingfan had made up his mind.
He quickly arranged the affairs of the court and left Beijing with his men in the middle of the night on the second day after the palace examination.
Everyone disguised themselves as wealthy young men on a spring outing, and rode their horses along the official road towards Xiancheng.
Chu Liuzheng, who had been shaken by the speeding carriage and vomited countless times, had stars in his eyes.
Why bring her along?
She is just a weak little palace maid, and is really not suitable for fighting and killing!
Can't she just stay in the palace for a long vacation? !
"You'll feel better if you drink some water." Everyone else was riding horses outside, only Chen Xing stayed in the carriage to take care of her. After all, Chu Liuzheng was the only one among all the people who couldn't ride a horse.
She passed the teacup to Chu Liuzheng's lips and said, "We'll be in Longkou Town in another hour. The young master has instructed us to stop and rest after entering the town."
Chu Liuzheng weakly took the teacup and took a sip of water, then lifted the swaying curtain and looked outside.
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