The tent curtain was lifted, and a "beauty" walked in. She had a fair face and handsome eyebrows, and every move she made was dashing and debonair, just like a romantic figure who played around in the world.
"What's wrong?" Wen Xin asked in surprise when he saw his friend looking worried, as he inquired about the departure time.
Su Lie unfolded the letter and handed it to him, asking with a puzzled expression:
"Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, how could you start seeking immortality and getting so badly deceived?"
The letter said that the so-called deceased daughter of Emperor Taizu had been sent to the underworld and made the Goddess of Mount Tai. The emperor trusted her so much that he even bestowed upon her the title of Grand Princess.
Many people in Kyoto were thus misled and began to worship the statue of that swindler!
"Brother-in-law shouldn't have done that..." After reading the letter, Wenxin swallowed the foolish words and continued, "Didn't even Prime Minister Wang and the others try to stop him?"
There are several pillars in the court, all of whom are shrewd and virtuous ministers. They should not have watched as a wise and capable ruler sought immortality and was completely deceived.
"It wasn't mentioned in the letter, so I wonder if they were also deceived. If it is, this swindler's tricks seem quite sophisticated."
Su Lie frowned deeply. As someone who had read history books, he knew that many emperors in the past had done such absurd things, treating swindlers as honored guests and bestowing upon them high-ranking positions and generous salaries.
But who would mistake a con artist for a royal princess!
If the swindlers are exposed, the royal family's reputation will be trampled underfoot, and they will have no prestige left in the eyes of the world.
The powerful clans are eyeing us covetously. Although the barbarian tribes have been defeated, some have escaped and are preparing to make a comeback, not to mention the natives to the south and the various countries of the Western Regions.
Wenxin put down the letter and sighed, "If I hadn't learned about it from the letter and gone there in person, I might have been deceived too."
Turning to his friend, he said, "What kind of scheme is this? Using nets to bind people, extracting their lifespan to make longevity pills, and even sending them on a journey to the underworld? That's quite a grand scheme!"
As he spoke, a hint of longing appeared on his face, as if he wanted to see it for himself.
Su Lie gave a light snort, his tone extremely contemptuous:
"The hair forming a net might be a result of inside collusion. The darkness of the night helped them get away with it. As for the talk of alchemy and lifespan-stripping, that's utter nonsense. Do you remember the tricks we exposed before?"
The two were young and impetuous, fond of fighting for justice, and mingled in the streets, where they witnessed many street scams and tricks, including alchemy.
They were nothing more than lead and mercury, and some even used aphrodisiacs and potent drugs to concoct elixirs to deceive buyers. They would make you look radiant after taking them, but they were just temporary effects that drained your body.
"So, those who traveled to the underworld said that there were more than a dozen people from high-ranking sects who went together this time, and their accounts were all very similar."
"That's why I said this conman's trickery is superb!"
Wenxin casually retorted, but inwardly he agreed with his friend's statement: no matter how convincing a scammer's act may be, a fake is a fake.
From ancient times to the present, there has never been a true immortal or god who has been passed down through generations, so this person must be a fraud!
After discussing it for a while, the two decided not to act rashly.
"I think those who were deceived in the past refused to believe it even when the deception was exposed face to face. His Majesty trusts this swindler deeply, so simply submitting memorials will probably be of little use."
In any case, let's get back to the capital as soon as possible.
Su Lie is a smart soldier, but he's a complete novice when it comes to politics. He's not good at advising the emperor!
Wenxin's head ached from thinking about it. He was even more worried about his sister, Empress Wen. The swindler was a woman living in the inner palace. What if his sister was also bewitched? So he agreed to speed up the march.
…………
Three days later, as Li Yue was working to speed up the dissemination of his experiences in the underworld, the question arose: "How's the travelogue coming along?"
Kyoto had already firmly grasped the concepts of the underworld dynasty and accumulating good deeds, but the news was slow to spread in the local areas due to poor communication.
The day before yesterday, the Marquis of Pingxi reported that his daughter had begun writing a travelogue about the underworld, and he read a few chapters and found the writing to be quite good.
Most importantly, cough cough, he was portrayed as quite noble, so Wang's daughter was allowed to continue writing.
Yan Pei respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Miss Wang has written nearly half of it. She says it will be completed in three to five days at most."
Seeing the emperor nod, he tentatively began, "Last night, the Crown Prince of Chu sent a message—"
"The King of Chu will probably be here in the next couple of days."
After saying that, he lowered his head and shut his mouth, not showing any remorse for accepting the prince's gold adventure.
Sure enough, the message above simply read, "Understood."
Yan Pei knew that the Chu Prince's Mansion had lost the Emperor's favor. In principle, when a prince passed away, not only would the court bestow gifts, but His Majesty should also grant condolences, and close relatives should personally go to offer their condolences.
Now, the King of Chu could only say "I know," and the Emperor's attitude was clear. Before long, the news of the King of Chu's fall from favor would be known to everyone.
Yan Pei sighed inwardly, emphasizing the importance of the goddess above all else.
With a loud bang, the fine mahogany palace door was violently kicked open, and a young eunuch rushed in in a panic.
Li Yue frowned, and Yan Pei hurriedly stepped forward to reprimand him. He then realized the young eunuch was actually his apprentice, who, though usually clever, never dared to cross the line. What was going on now…?
"It's terrible, Your Majesty! Her Highness the Goddess is trying to kill Consort Xian in the garden!"
"What!"
The emperor suddenly stood up in shock, wondering how his favorite concubine had gotten involved with the goddess aunt.
Is Consort Xian just being nosy? The Empress has been avoiding her these past few days!
Yan Pei was also dumbfounded. Considering the money that Consort Xian had given him before, he decided not to add fuel to the fire later.
……………………
At this time, the autumn heat was at its peak, and the scorching sun relentlessly poured down on the woman in front of him, who looked like a lotus emerging from the water.
The virtuous concubine's delicate body swayed precariously, and a little girl at her feet was crying bitterly. The mother and daughter looked pitiful, which made people feel sorry for them.
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