Chapter 43 Antidote 11 "I might as well just carry you back."...
The carriage was shaking and Zhu Song began to feel drowsy again.
When he woke up, the carriage had not stopped yet, but Wen Fengxuan was no longer inside. Zhu Song looked around in surprise, then sat up, lifted the curtain and was about to ask something when he saw Wen Fengxuan riding on a horse, walking side by side with Zhu Lingye in the front.
In order to take care of Zhu Song, the entire team walked very slowly, but there was no problem riding a horse. Zhu Song lowered the curtain and lay down again.
Five days later, the group returned to the capital smoothly. Wen Fengxuan did not return to the carriage. Zhu Song slept all the way and was not in a good mood. He was rarely awake, but he was really bored when he was awake. So he picked up a copy of "Journey to the West" to read, but he did not finish it until he arrived in the capital.
After arriving in the capital, the three brothers of the Zhu family went to the palace to report without delay, while Wen Fengxuan returned to the Eastern Palace on his own.
Qinzheng Hall.
Zhu Song and the three bowed and saluted, "Long live the emperor. We, the Jizhou delegation, have fulfilled our mission and have fully investigated the facts."
Emperor Liang looked at the three men and nodded in appreciation, a smile on his face. "I have read your memorial, my dear minister. It is well done. I will reward you handsomely. Tell me, what do you want? I will grant it to you."
He praised the three people and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Song said, "Your Majesty, the details of this case have not been fully explained in my memorial."
Emperor Liang said, "Let's talk about it later."
Zhu Song presented the garment, "Your Majesty, I investigated this item at the Jizhou Governor's Office. Lord Song told me it was given to him by the Imperial Concubine, and he was absolutely certain of it. To be on the safe side, I wrote to the Imperial Concubine to confirm, but she replied that she had never seen it before."
Emperor Liang's face darkened. "This Song Shunran is truly audacious."
Zhu Song took out the letter and presented it to the emperor, "Your Majesty, this letter was found in Duan Zhenghong's mansion. Please review it."
Seeing Zhu Song hiding something, Emperor Liang gave him a serious look, then opened the letter and slammed the table, "How can this be possible."
Zhu Lingye said, "Your Majesty, we were ambushed on the way back to the capital. My brother was seriously injured and almost died. There's still a big hole in his chest."
Emperor Liang frowned and asked, "Have you found out who did this?"
Zhu Lingye said, "The assassins were masked and well-trained. They retreated immediately when they saw the situation was not favorable. We are tracking them down, but we have not found any results yet."
Emperor Liang was silent for a moment, his expression becoming increasingly grim. "Zhu Song will stay. The two of you will go back first. This matter must not be made public."
Zhu Lingye and Zhu Lingwang bowed in response and walked out.
Emperor Liang said, "Go and call Prince Su and the Crown Prince over."
The chief eunuch Qin Shidong responded and turned away.
Emperor Liang then looked at Zhu Song and said, "Sit down."
Zhusong sat down as he was told.
While waiting, Emperor Liang chatted with Zhu Song for a while, asking about the customs of Jizhou, and Zhu Song answered them one by one. Soon, Wen Yi and Wen Fengxuan arrived, accompanied by Song Shunran.
When Emperor Liang saw Song Shunran, he asked unhappily, "Why are you here?"
Song Shunran bowed and shouted back, "Your Majesty, I'm here to file a complaint. Zhu Song was tortured into confessing in the Jizhou Daxing prison. Several people who refused to give false testimony were beaten to death on the spot. Nothing he said is credible."
"We'll talk about this later." Emperor Liang stopped talking and looked at Wen Fengxuan with a look of surprise. "Why are you staying in Jizhou instead of going to Suzhou to recuperate?"
Wen Fengxuan bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I was passing through Jizhou when a flash flood occurred, blocking the road and making it impossible to travel. The government also closed the city gates and refused to let me in, so I was forced to stay outside the city. It happened that Lord Zhu was out inspecting the disaster victims and recognized me, so he took me into the governor's office."
Song Shunran had something to say about this matter. "Your Majesty, what the Crown Prince said is untrue. He is not just staying in Jizhou, he is also participating in the investigation and even ignoring the imperial order. He colluded with Zhu Song and arbitrarily used the stolen money."
Wen Yi also spoke at this time, "Father, the Crown Prince has no right to participate in politics. This is deceiving the emperor. Please understand clearly."
Zhu Song frowned upon hearing this, then stood up and said, "Your Highness Prince Su, the Crown Prince is the Master of the Eastern Palace, how could he not have power?"
Wen Yi said, "Then ask him if he has the prince's seal?"
Needless to say, since Wen Yi could expose this matter to his face, it must be true. Zhu Song was shocked and felt aggrieved for Wen Fengxuan. He had been in the Eastern Palace for two years and still did not have the seal of the crown prince.
Wen Yi continued, "He's just a nominal prince. He's allowed to temporarily live in the Eastern Palace. He really thinks he's the master of the Eastern Palace."
Wen Fengxuan lifted his clothes and knelt down, "Father, this is all my fault. Lord Zhu didn't know about this. I deliberately kept it from him."
"Your Majesty." Zhu Song knelt down next to Wen Fengxuan, "I have something to say."
Emperor Liang said, "Speak."
Zhu Song said, "I have always known that the Crown Prince was in poor health. When the disaster in Jizhou was temporarily alleviated, His Royal Highness wanted to leave, but I felt that there was not enough manpower, so I kept him. Later, His Royal Highness was not feeling well. I asked His Royal Highness to rest more, but His Royal Highness said, 'As a member of the royal family, I am supported by the people, and I also want to do my part for the people.'"
When he went to the village to investigate, His Highness coughed up blood several times, but he forced himself to hold it in and didn't say anything. If it weren't for the miracle doctor Su Li, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on until the end of the case.
When the dam was about to collapse, the government ordered villagers to use their own power to hold it in place, resulting in thousands of casualties. But my family was penniless, unable to afford even a coffin or a handful of paper money. I couldn't bear the suffering of the people, so I used the stolen funds. His Highness, long residing in the inner palace, didn't understand the complexities involved, and he passed away at my suggestion.
When we left Jizhou, the people came to see us off, expressing their reluctance to leave. At that time, I thought, if I don't serve the people, how can I talk about being an official?
I have broken the law, and I have no complaints about how Your Majesty punishes me. However, if the Crown Prince is punished for having no right to participate in politics, I will not accept it."
When Song Shunran saw Zhu Song kneeling down, he immediately became even more arrogant. "The law is above all else. Even if Master Zhu speaks eloquently, it's useless."
As Zhu Song moved, the wound on his chest opened and began to bleed again, quickly staining his clothes red and leaving a pool of crimson blood on the ground. Zhu Song's face turned pale from the blood loss, and he felt dizzy. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have no regrets in death, but please spare the Crown Prince."
Emperor Liang had not seen so much blood for a long time, and he was a little anxious. He shouted loudly: "Quickly call the imperial physician."
Seeing that Emperor Liang seemed moved, Song Shunran quickly said, "Your Majesty, this is stipulated in the law. If we make an exception because of one person, the consequences will be disastrous."
Zhu Song endured the pain, gritted his teeth, and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I request that you bestow the Crown Prince's seal upon the Crown Prince."
Emperor Liang's expression changed slightly, and he looked a little worried. He hated being forced the most, not to mention that he had always been reluctant to talk about the issue of appointing a crown prince.
Wen Yi added fuel to the fire, "Father, our fourth brother is weak and sickly. How can he support the Eastern Palace? It would be better to take this opportunity to let him leave the capital to recuperate."
Song Shunran echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is panting heavily with every step. If this gets out, it will damage the prestige of the Liang State."
Zhu Song held his breath and shouted, "Your Majesty, when I was young, I followed my mother into the palace. Your Majesty taught me to be a man of my word. Now that I have done so, I dare to ask, what about Your Majesty?"
Just as several people were arguing, the imperial physician hurried over.
Emperor Liang said, "We can discuss this later. Let's treat your injuries first."
This was the first time that Zhusong had been treated in the Qinzheng Hall. The imperial physician did not dare to be negligent. He took off Zhusong's clothes, and the hideous wounds were instantly exposed to everyone. Except for Wen Fengxuan, everyone else gasped.
After the imperial physician applied hemostatic medicine and bandaged the wound, he replied to Emperor Liang, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhu was seriously injured, nearly to the point of injuring his heart. Although he has been treated, he still needs rest to recover."
Emperor Liang nodded, and the imperial physician withdrew.
There was a moment of silence in the Qinzheng Hall before Wen Fengxuan spoke, "Father, I do not want the Crown Prince's seal. I only ask that you, Father, consider Master Zhu's dedication and spare him the punishment."
Zhu Song quickly said, "No, Your Majesty, I have broken the law and I deserve the punishment I deserve. Please grant the Crown Prince's seal to the Crown Prince."
Wen Yi said: "Father..."
"Alright." Emperor Liang put an end to their quarrel. "Song Shunran has been passive and lazy, and has lied to his superiors. You are to be punished with three months of solitary confinement and a year's salary deduction. You may leave."
This was already an extremely mild punishment. Song Shunran didn't dare to say anything more and just accepted the order and went back.
Zhu Song guessed Song Shunran's punishment would be light, but he hadn't expected it to be so light. Since the emperor had already spoken, there was no point in saying anything, so he lowered his eyes and said nothing. Then the Emperor Liang continued, "Zhu Song has made meritorious contributions to disaster relief. Although he made mistakes, his merits and mistakes offset each other, so he will not be punished. Also, for your meritorious service in investigating the case, I will still grant you one wish."
Wen Yi was dissatisfied when he heard this. It was obvious that he was going to give away the Crown Prince's seal, so he bowed and said, "Father, Zhu Song has committed a serious crime. I will not accept this light punishment or severe warning."
Emperor Liang gave Wen Yi a serious look and threw the letter on the table at him. "Look at what you have done."
Wen Yi didn't pick it up, but instead defended himself with his hands clasped, "Father, someone is framing me. I would never do such a thing."
Emperor Liang ignored him and looked at Zhu Song. "The Crown Prince has made great contributions to disaster relief. I grant him the seal of the Crown Prince."
Wen Yi was a little anxious, "Father..."
"Although someone framed Prince Su, if this matter were to spread, it would damage the reputation of the royal family." Emperor Liang said this and looked at Wen Fengxuan, "Let's just drop this matter and pretend these letters never appeared."
The favoritism was obvious, but it also gave Zhusong a sweet opportunity. Zhusong was not someone who didn't know when to advance or retreat, so he bowed and thanked him, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Wen Fengxuan also said, "Thank you, Father."
Emperor Liang softened his tone and said to Zhu Song, "Go back and recuperate."
Zhu Song said: "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you."
Emperor Liang said, "I have granted you one request. Tell me, what is it?"
Zhu Song said, "My wound is very serious. The doctor said it will leave a scar. I am not married yet, and the scar would be too ugly. I am also afraid it would scare my future wife. So I want to leave the capital to find the miracle doctor Su Li to heal my wound and remove the scar."
Emperor Liang said, "Why bother going there in person when you can just send someone to look for her?"
Zhu Song replied, "Su Li is a man of superb medical skills and unpredictable temperament. I know him from Jizhou and we have a good relationship. If anyone else goes there, he will probably just avoid us."
Emperor Liang nodded and said, "Alright, be careful on the road. The weather is clear and the air is bright, so it would be nice to go out for a walk."
He said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Prince Su stays here, you guys go back."
"yes."
Zhu Song and Wen Fengxuan left the Qinzheng Palace together. At the door, they heard the furious roar of Emperor Liang from inside the palace, "Asshole!"
Zhu Song wanted to listen, but the next moment Qin Shidong came over and chased him away with a smile, "Your Highness, Master Zhu, it's none of your business, so please leave quickly."
Qin Shidong was the confidant of Emperor Liang, so the two men did not dare to be arrogant. They just responded and left.
Zhu Song's injury caused him pain when he walked, and after walking a short distance, he was already sweating profusely. Wen Fengxuan took the initiative to approach him and said, "Let me help you, sir."
Zhu Song was almost fainting, and he didn't bother to be polite. He just said thank you and leaned on Wen Fengxuan. Wen Fengxuan staggered for a moment before he could steady him.
Qin Shidong, who was not far away, saw this scene and shook his head helplessly.
After walking a short distance, they met Zhu Lingye and Gu Huaiyu who were rushing over.
Gu Huaiyu looked at Zhu Song's exhausted appearance and couldn't help but worry. He asked quickly, "How do you feel?"
Zhu Song looked at him expressionlessly, shaking his head. Gu Huaiyu's worry grew even worse, and he reached out to help him. Zhu Song shifted to his side, leaning his entire body against him, and instructed him, "Be gentle."
Gu Huaiyu responded, "Why don't I just carry you back."
Zhu Song rejected him, "No, I can't afford to lose face like this."
Seeing that the two of them were chatting as if no one was around, Wen Fengxuan lowered his eyes and said, "Since your Excellency has a friend to pick you up, I won't see you off."
Zhu Song nodded. Only then did Gu Huaiyu look at Wen Fengxuan in surprise, "Is this His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Zhu Lingye replied: "Yes."
Gu Huaiyu said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, please don't blame me."
Wen Fengxuan said, "Master Gu, you are too polite." Then he left.
Seeing Zhu Song staring at Wen Fengxuan's departing figure, Gu Huaiyu teased him, "Still looking, your eyes are about to pop out."
Zhu Song retorted, "If you hold me up like this, my eyes will have to look that way. Then switch sides and I'll look the other way."
Gu Huaiyu smiled and said, "I apologize for my words. Let's go home."
The Zhu residence wasn't far away, but Zhu Song lay motionless on the bed, looking as if he had lost half his life. Gu Huaiyu sat beside him and chatted with him, "It's quiet now. Judging from your condition, you need to rest at home for at least half a year."
Zhu Song lay down for a while and felt better. "Oh, that won't happen. I have already asked the emperor for permission. I will go out of the capital to play in a few days."
"Are you kidding me?" Gu Huaiyu asked in disbelief. "How can you leave the capital when you're in this state?"
Zhu Song said, "So when I said a few days, I didn't mean I'd leave tomorrow."
Just now, while waiting for Zhu Song, Zhu Lingye had already told Gu Huaiyu everything that had happened during this period. Gu Huaiyu reasonably guessed, "Are you going to investigate the assassin?"
Zhu Song remained silent, so Gu Huaiyu assumed he had acquiesced and advised him, "In that situation, you wouldn't need to investigate to know who sent them. Why bother getting involved in this mess again? Look at you, you still haven't learned your lesson."
Zhu Song said, "Duan Zhenghong and Yi Kangning gave Prince Su at least three million taels of silver every year. The evidence is irrefutable, yet the Emperor has not punished them."
Gu Huaiyu was silent for a moment. "Although Prince Jin has been gaining momentum in recent years, Prince Su's position remains very stable. This is partly due to the Emperor's favoritism. Although most court officials appear neutral on the surface, they secretly lean towards Prince Su. A small amount of money alone cannot shake Prince Su's position. Even if you find out that the assassin was sent by Prince Su, it won't be of much use."
Zhu Song said, "I'm not going to investigate the assassin."
Gu Huaiyu doubted him, "Don't tell me you really want to leave Beijing to relax?"
"No." Zhu Song took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to him, "Take a look at this."
Gu Huaiyu took it over, and the first sentence made him frown, "Bedtime story?"
Zhu Song was tired from talking so much, so he asked Zhu Lingye to come and explain to Gu Huaiyu.
Zhu Lingye described the whole process before Zhu Song continued, "Of the fifty-six officials arrested in Jizhou, only Yi Kangning died."
Gu Huaiyu understood what he meant, "You think this thing is more important than the correspondence."
Zhu Song corrected him, "It's not the letter, it's the content reflected in the letter."
Gu Huaiyu naturally understood that if someone spent such a huge price to kill Yi Kangning, this thing must be extremely important. The problem lies in this extremely important thing.
"You're leaving the capital alone to investigate. If they dared to kill once, they'll surely do it again. Zhu Song, don't risk your life."
Zhu Song said: "Gu Er, you understand me, don't try to persuade me."
Gu Huaiyu looked at him and sighed heavily, "Why are you so stubborn? Isn't the Dali Temple challenging enough? We are all ants under the imperial power. Before we can have a clear conscience, we must first save our lives."
Zhu Song leaned against the headboard and looked at Zhu Lingye, "Take your brother Huai Yu out for a walk, my ears are hurting from listening to him."
Zhu Lingye echoed, "Actually, I think what Brother Huaiyu said makes sense. Brother, it won't do us any good to offend Prince Su."
Zhu Song retorted, "I have already offended you."
Zhu Lingye was speechless. This time he had really offended the person completely.
Gu Huaiyu said: "There are no enemies when there is interest. As long as you are willing to make friends with Prince Su, it will only take a few words."
Zhu Song rejected him without hesitation, "No."
As they were talking, Qu Zhoubai rushed in, "Brother Song, I heard that you almost died in Qinzheng Palace?"
Zhu Song looked at him and rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're still alive."
Qu Zhoubai saw his pale face and felt distressed. "This is too cruel. What a mess he made my brother Song."
Gu Huaiyu exposed his plan, "Don't look at him lying there unable to move, he is actually planning to leave the capital and fight to the death."
Qu Zhoubai asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
Gu Huaiyu looked at Zhu Song, who agreed, "Just tell me, we're all family."
Gu Huaiyu handed the note back to Qu Zhoubai. Qu Zhoubai frowned when he saw the beginning of the note. "What's this? Are you not investigating the case but writing a book instead?"
Zhu Lingye then recounted the whole story. After listening, Qu Zhoubai slapped his thigh and said, "Go ahead! Oh, I've long disliked Prince Su and his people. It would be best if we could kill him."
Gu Huaiyu didn't expect Qu Zhoubai to have this attitude. He turned around and glared at him, "What are you talking about? How can you go here?"
Qu Zhoubai's eyes widened even more than his own. "Why can't we go? We should go. If Lao Song can't go, I'll go. I'll go to the emperor right now and tell him I want to go back to visit my relatives."
Gu Huaiyu said, "You're sick! You were born and raised in Beijing. Which hometown are you going back to?"
Qu Zhoubai retorted, "Who doesn't have a few relatives? Can't I go back to visit my great-grandfather's family?"
Gu Huaiyu was speechless and wanted to curse, but he held himself back.
Qu Zhoubai carefully read the contents of the note five or six times, looking a little embarrassed. "So what does this mean?"
Gu Huaiyu said: "That's right, you don't know. That thing on your neck is useless."
Qu Zhoubai said: "You are useful, you know?"
Gu Huaiyu said: "I won't tell you even if I know."
Zhu Song's head hurt when he argued, and it hurt even more when he heard others arguing. "Alright, alright, let's all go back. The patient needs to rest. Even if you two stay with me for ten days or half a month, I won't get any better."
Seeing that he was indeed in a bad mood, Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai did not stay any longer. "Okay, I'll come to see you tomorrow."
Zhu Song waved his hand and the two of them left. Zhu Lingye said he was going to make medicine for Zhu Song himself and followed him.
Zhu Song slept for half a day and felt much better. The medicine prescribed by the imperial physician was indeed extraordinary.
It was dinner time when Zhu Lingye walked in. "Brother, Mom has hosted a welcoming banquet for you. Let me help you out."
Zhu Song was incredulous, "Is this welcoming banquet really necessary?"
Zhu Lingye said, "Anyway, Mom said we have to do it. This trip is too unlucky, so we have to hold a welcoming banquet to get rid of the bad luck. Brother Huaiyu and Brother Zhoubai have been staying at our house all afternoon."
Zhu Song was very surprised, "Why would you stay here for an entire afternoon?"
Zhu Lingye stretched out his palm to show him, with some ink on his fingertips, "Now, all of them are copied from Buddhist scriptures in the temple to pray for you."
"They do it too?"
Zhu Lingye nodded. "Why not? Especially Brother Huaiyu, he copies so fast. He's already finished three copies before I've even finished one."
Zhu Song was speechless and was eventually supported by Zhu Lingye to attend his welcoming banquet.
Although it was called a banquet, in fact, the table was not full with only the five members of the Zhu family plus Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai. However, because Zhu Song was ill and could not sit for a long time, a recliner was arranged for him, so the table was considered full.
During the meal, Meng Xiaohe first praised the children for their excellent copying of Buddhist scriptures, and then commented on the trip to Jizhou. "This trip was too hasty, and we weren't well prepared. We should have gone to Xiangguo Temple to bathe and fast for three days, and asked for more amulets to keep with us."
The younger generations all nodded in agreement, but Zhu Jingchen couldn't stand it any longer. "Letting the eldest brother have a good rest is more effective than praying for a hundred amulets."
Meng Xiaohe retorted, "I was talking about before we left. If you have the ability, why didn't you swoop down from the sky to protect the boss when he was assassinated?"
This one sentence made Zhu Jingchen speechless, "Okay, okay, next time I'll pray for a peace amulet and see if the Buddha can descend from the sky."
Meng Xiaohe turned her face away and said, "Pfft, pfft, pfft, can you please say something auspicious? There won't be a next time. There definitely won't be a next time."
Gu Huaiyu took the opportunity to say, "Aunt Meng, to be honest, Yafeng has already asked for leave from the Emperor and will be leaving the capital in a few days."
Meng Xiaohe almost jumped up when she heard this and asked Zhu Song, "What are you going to do outside the capital?"
Zhu Song also repeated the same excuse he used to deceive Emperor Liang.
When Meng Xiaohe heard that it was about getting married, she calmed down again, "Getting married is indeed a big deal, let me tell you..."
Before he could finish his words, a servant came hurriedly to report, "Master, it's bad, the Crown Prince is here."
Everyone at the table except Zhu Jingchen looked puzzled. Zhu Jingchen stood up and asked, "Where is the person?"
The servant replied, "At the door."
"Oh my." Zhu Jingchen hurried out to greet him, scolding the servants beside him, "Why don't you just welcome the prince in directly when he arrives? Why are you having people waiting at the door?"
The servant explained, "I told you that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince insisted on informing us first."
"Oh." Zhu Jingchen couldn't curse any more and could only quicken his pace.
At the other table, Meng Xiaohe asked in surprise, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has never had any contact with us. Why would he suddenly come to our house?"
Everyone looked at Zhu Song. Seeing this, Meng Xiaohe asked in surprise, "You've become friends with the Crown Prince so quickly?"
Zhu Lingye replied, "We met the Crown Prince in Jizhou. He is completely different from the rumors. He is a very nice person."
Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai both raised their eyebrows and looked at Zhu Song.
Meng Xiaohe breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as he's a good person."
Zhu Song met Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai's gaze and explained, "I came here to say thank you."
"What did he thank you for?"
Zhu Song said: "Today I proposed to the emperor to give him the seal of the crown prince, and the emperor agreed."
Their eyes widened in unison. "The Crown Prince's seal is something so important, and he hasn't given it to you for two years. And you gave it to him just after you made a suggestion?"
Zhu Song explained, "Perhaps the Crown Prince's performance in Jizhou impressed the Emperor."
No one believed it except Zhu Lingye, who echoed, "Yes, the prince is really dedicated in Jizhou, and the people really like him."
As they were talking, footsteps were heard at the door, and they all fell silent in tacit agreement.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
