Chapter 49 Answer 1 "Does he have someone he likes?"...
At night, when Zhu Song was about to go to bed, there was another knock on the door. When he opened the door, it was Li Qiuting again.
Li Qiutong held a package in her hand. Zhu Song asked, "What is this?"
Li Qiutong said, "The young master asked me to bring you the medicine."
Zhu Song stepped aside, and Li Qiutong walked into the room and opened the package. Inside were bottles and jars with labels on them. Zhu Song looked over and saw that they were all things like Qi-tonifying pills and muscle-growing ointments.
Li Qiutong picked up the jars and explained each one to him, "Take two Qi-boosting pills daily, preferably one in the morning and one in the evening. After the wound scabs over, apply the muscle-growing ointment before bed. Don't get dressed afterward. For the other blood-boosting pills, just take one daily."
"Don't want to wear clothes?"
“So apply it before going to bed.”
Zhu Song nodded, and Li Qiutong gave him some other instructions, which Zhu Song wrote down one by one.
Li Qiuting left after she finished speaking. Zhu Song felt relieved as he looked at the table full of bottles and jars.
The consequence of the ironing was that Zhu Song suffered from rare insomnia. He did not sleep the whole night and said goodbye to Wen Fengxuan the next morning with dark circles under his eyes.
Wen Fengxuan left Beijing this time to go to Suzhou for recuperation, and he certainly could not return to Beijing with Zhu Song.
Zhu Song asked, "How long will it take for you to return to Beijing after your trip to Suzhou?"
Wen Fengxuan replied, "At least a month, at most half a year."
Half a year? Zhu Song immediately thought, what should I do when the poison takes effect? But he couldn't say it now, and he was extremely anxious.
Wen Fengxuan looked at him puzzledly, "What's wrong?"
Zhu Song tried to make amends, saying, "Yi Kangning's case isn't over yet. I feel a little regretful that you won't be able to help me solve the case in the future."
Wen Fengxuan smiled slightly. "Yafeng is so quick-witted and will surely solve the mystery quickly."
If he heard praise during a normal congratulation, he would definitely be proud of it, but now he had no intention of doing so. He only asked carefully, "Your Highness, can you return to the capital as soon as possible?"
Although Wen Fengxuan looked doubtful, he nodded and said, "I'll do it as soon as possible."
The two talked about something else, but as the sun was getting higher, they had no choice but to stop talking and went their separate ways.
Zhu Song's hands were injured and he couldn't ride a horse, so he took the same carriage as when he came.
Wen Fengxuan and the other two stood in the corridor and watched Zhu Song's carriage go farther and farther away until it left the city.
Xie Ningyuan asked, "Sir, when will we return to the capital?"
Wen Fengxuan replied, "We'll leave at night."
Li Qiutong looked at Xie Ningyuan and said, "Go and arrange for a few people to pretend to be us and go to Suzhou."
Xie Ningyuan nodded and left.
The two stood there for a while, then turned and went back into the house.
When the door was opened, a gust of wind blew in, blowing the papers on the table into the air and landing in front of Wen Fengxuan. Wen Fengxuan reached out to catch it. On it was a copy of Yi Kangning's bedtime story.
Li Qiutong looked at Wen Fengxuan's expression and asked, "Sir, do you have any ideas?"
Wen Fengxuan stared at the contents on the paper, as if thinking of something, his eyes gradually turned cold, "Sometimes being unfavored has its advantages."
After five days of walking, Zhu Song finally arrived in the capital. After a near-death experience, he was quite moved by the familiar scenery before him.
Zhu Song sighed with deep emotion, "Even if there were endless beautiful scenery across the vast expanse of mountains and rivers, it couldn't compare to home."
"Yes, yes." Zhu Lingye agreed. In order to let his elder brother who missed home get home faster, Zhu Lingye silently increased the frequency of pumping the horse. The wheels turned quickly and they arrived at the Zhu Mansion in a short while.
As Zhu Song entered the house, the servants looked at him with great joy, "Master, you are back." "Master, you are back."
People were telling each other the news and the scene was very lively.
Zhu Lingye was extremely unhappy when he saw this. "We came back together, why is there no one to welcome me?"
Zhu Song smiled and said, "You stay and enjoy the excitement. I'll go lie down for a while."
Zhu Song returned to his room, washed up briefly, and was about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door. The servant's voice rang out from outside, "Master, Master Zhang is here."
Zhu Song was surprised, "Which Lord Zhang?"
The servant replied, "Master Zhang Wanping."
Zhu Song frowned. What was he doing here?
Zhu Song opened the door, and the servant continued, "Madam Zhang and Miss Zhang are here too. Do you want to send a message to Madam?"
As soon as he got home, Zhu Song learned that Meng Xiaohe had gone to Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings again two days ago. Zhu Song quickly stopped him, "Don't."
The servant responded, and Zhu Song asked again, "Why are they here?"
The servant replied, "I came to visit you, Master."
Zhu Song didn't understand, "Why did you come to visit me for no reason?"
The servant replied, "Isn't the master injured? They are here to visit him."
Zhu Song was even more confused after hearing this. "How did they know I was injured?"
The servant replied, "It has spread all over the capital."
Zhu Song's heart trembled, and then he asked, "Has everything spread?"
The servant explained, "Two days ago, the Governor of Suzhou sent a letter saying that Master had discovered a tribe of barbarians in Ganning Township and had been captured and nearly sacrificed alive. Madam was deeply concerned when she heard about this, so she went to Xiangguo Temple to pray for Master."
Although what Zhu Song worried about did not happen, the person had actually been gone for a while. How could such an embarrassing thing spread throughout the capital?
Even though he was extremely reluctant, Zhu Song still accepted the guest.
As soon as Zhu Song entered the room, Zhang Wanping and his family stood up and asked, "My dear nephew, are you feeling well?"
Zhu Song forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, uncle. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
Zhang Wanping said, "I'm glad you're okay. I brought some deer antlers and ginseng to replenish your qi and blood."
Zhu Song thought, is this rumor so specific? Even those who have lost too much blood know about it?
While they were chatting, Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai arrived one after another.
The few of them exchanged greetings, and Gu Huaiyu looked at Zhu Song with concern, "How are you? The memorial from Suzhou said you were hanging on by a thread."
Zhu Song quickly defended himself, "No, those Kusha people were playing dirty tricks. They drugged the area within a three-mile radius. I just got caught by accident."
Zhu Lingye echoed from the side, "That's right, if they hadn't used drugs, we wouldn't have been caught."
Zhang Wanping asked curiously, "How did my nephew end up in the Savage Forest when he went out to look for Divine Doctor Su?"
Zhu Song explained calmly, "When I was passing through Gan Ning, I heard about the wild men. I was curious and wanted to go see what they looked like."
Zhu Lingye agreed, "Yes, yes. I didn't expect those savages to be so vigilant and set up the sleeping pills from a distance."
Zhang Wanping asked again, "Has my nephew found Divine Doctor Su?"
Zhu Song replied, "No, after escaping from the Kusha tribe, I felt relieved. Life and death are all trivial matters. Whether I have scars or not is up to fate."
They chatted for a while longer, then heard a clear and urgent voice coming from outside the hall, "After all the hassle, we finally caught up."
When Zhu Song heard the voice, he was puzzled. Didn’t he ask anyone to notify her?
Meng Xiaohe walked into the hall, accompanied by a noble lady who looked to be in her twenties and was very beautiful, but with a layer of worry between her brows, she looked very melancholy and beautiful.
Meng Xiaohe introduced: "This is Princess Jin."
Prince Jin loved Princess Jin very much. Princess Jin was quiet and aloof by nature, so he never allowed her to go out for social events, nor did he allow anyone to disturb her. Therefore, very few people in the capital had seen Princess Jin.
At least in this room, before today, no one except Meng Xiaohe had seen him.
When they heard it was Princess Jin, everyone stood up and saluted. Princess Jin was not as cold as rumored. She nodded in response, but looked a little embarrassed, as if she was not used to such a scene.
Meng Xiaohe asked the maid to change the tea and pulled Princess Jin to sit next to Madam Zhang. Meng Xiaohe was talkative and made Princess Jin smile with just a few words.
After sitting for a while, Meng Xiaohe suddenly stood up and introduced Zhu Song, "This is your sister from the Zhang family, her name is Zhang Qiyun."
Zhu Song nodded, "Sister Zhang."
Zhang Qiyun also politely called out, "Brother Zhu."
Meng Xiaohe introduced them one by one, "This is Gu Huaiyu, Qu Zhoubai."
Zhang Qiyun greeted them one by one, "Brother Gu." "Brother Qu."
His gaze paused slightly when it swept over Qu Zhoubai, then he lowered his eyes, sat back, quietly, and looked very well-behaved.
Meng Xiaohe smiled and said, "We'll get to know each other better if we move around more often. Don't leave tonight, stay for dinner."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the voice of King Jin coming in, "It seems that I have come at the right time, otherwise I would have to eat dinner alone."
Everyone stood up and saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Prince Jin raised his hand casually and said, "No need to be so polite, just sit down." As he said that, he strode towards Princess Jin. Princess Jin stood up but did not come forward, but held Prince Jin's hand affectionately.
"Why are you here?"
Prince Jin smiled and said, "You are here, how can I not come?"
Everyone was looking at them. Princess Jin felt embarrassed and her cheeks turned slightly red. Seeing this, Prince Jin coughed lightly and swept his eyes over everyone present. Everyone quickly looked away and started chatting.
Prince Jin asked Princess Jin in a low voice, "Do you want to stay for dinner or go home for dinner?"
Princess Jin's voice was also low, "I want to stay."
Prince Jin nodded, "Okay, then stay."
The two of them sat down, and Prince Jin looked at Zhu Song, "How is Yafeng's injury?"
Although everyone said that Zhu Song had offended Prince Jin because of the Lin family incident, it now seems that Prince Jin is not that petty.
Zhu Song smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It's just a superficial wound. After a few days of rest, it's almost healed now."
Prince Jin said, "You don't know, the whole capital has been talking about this these past two days. You are quite brave, daring enough to venture into such a desolate and uninhabited forest."
Meng Xiaohe continued, "That's right. When I heard about this, I was so scared that I couldn't sleep the whole night."
At this time, Princess Jin patted Meng Xiaohe's hand, as if to comfort her. This made Zhu Song very confused. When did his mother become so close to Princess Jin?
Gu Huaiyu said casually, "You should have listened to me and sent people out to look for him. You wouldn't have to suffer so much."
Qu Zhoubai echoed, "That's right."
Zhu Song smiled helplessly and said nothing.
"Oh, it's so lively."
Prince Su's frivolous voice rang out. Behind him was the servant who hadn't outrun him, staring at Zhu Song with grievance. Zhu Song gave him a look, and the servant retreated.
Everyone stood up and saluted again. Prince Su waved his hand casually, as if he were at home. "Please sit down."
Zhu Song and Meng Xiaohe looked at each other, both with confusion in their eyes. What was he doing here?
Prince Su glanced at everyone in the room and said, "Young Master Zhu is truly a man of great reputation. Even the Second Imperial Sister-in-law, who usually stays out of the house, came to visit him just because he was injured."
Prince Jin mercilessly stabbed him, "I haven't seen Third Brother for a long time. I heard that Third Brother was scolded by Father a few days ago, which made Father so angry that he smashed all the glass cups that were tributed from the Western Regions."
Prince Su said angrily, "This is a fabricated story. I don't know where Second Prince got this rumor from to ruin my reputation."
Prince Jin smiled calmly and said, "Third brother, if you say it's a false accusation, then it's a false accusation. I guess I misheard that day. Perhaps the emperor was scolding someone else."
Prince Su said, "If your ears are not good, go get them treated. Didn't Zhu Shaoqing go out of the capital to find a miracle doctor? He can be a good help to my second brother."
Prince Jin said, "I wonder if the miracle doctor can cure my thick skin. Let my third brother take a look."
Seeing that the two were about to start cursing in public, Meng Xiaohe quickly tried to smooth things over and change the subject, "It's hot, so I made some iced bayberry soup in the kitchen. Let's try it and see how it tastes."
After saying this, he ordered the maid to bring up the bayberry soup. Everyone tasted it and said it was good, except Prince Su, who commented, "It's too sour and astringent, and not cold enough. It's not tasty enough."
Prince Jin glanced at him and said, "Third brother, since you are so picky, you should just stay home and not go out."
Prince Su said: "You did not do well, I have to say a few words, Second Brother, there is no need to be so sarcastic."
Prince Jin laughed and said, "Whether I am sarcastic or not is another matter. Third brother, you are so rude as a guest at the Zhu family. If the emperor knew about this, I am afraid that you will be scolded again."
Prince Su said: "You are not a child. Why do you have to report such a small matter to your father?"
Prince Jin refused to give in, "Even children know how to be polite."
Prince Su said: "Being polite doesn't mean telling lies."
Prince Su and Prince Jin had been at odds for a long time and often argued, but this was the first time they had been so awkward. Meng Xiaohe and Zhu Song winked at each other, and in the end, it was Zhu Song who spoke up to end their quarrel.
"Thank you, Prince Su, for coming to visit. I am very grateful. Please forgive me for the poor hospitality."
Prince Su looked at him and laughed, "No problem, no problem. I heard you were hung up by some wild men and bled, and even tied to a cliff to feed eagles. You're still fine, you're really lucky."
This was a harsh statement, but Zhu Song still replied with a smile: "Those who survive a great disaster will surely have good fortune in the future."
Gu Huaiyu continued, "A man of noble character and good fortune is blessed by heaven, and even in times of adversity he can turn misfortune into fortune."
Qu Zhoubai also echoed: "Yes, I was so scared when I heard about this that I broke out in a sweat. Fortunately, I returned safely."
Prince Jin also said: "I wish you to be cautious in your words and deeds, be kind to others, and you will naturally be blessed with great fortune."
As they were talking, the servant came to report, "Madam, Master Song, the king's uncle is here."
"Please come in." Meng Xiaohe was almost annoyed, but she still had to smile on her face.
Zhu Song became upset when he heard this and looked at Meng Xiaohe. Seeing that Meng Xiaohe also looked confused, he looked at Gu Huaiyu. Gu Huaiyu shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't know either.
Soon a large group of people came in, and the whole hall suddenly became more lively, as if a banquet was being held.
Everyone claimed that they were here to visit Zhu Song, but before they could even exchange a few words of courtesy, it turned into a war of words between Prince Su's faction and Prince Jin's faction.
Zhu Song and the other neutral people didn't know how to respond. They were clearly the hosts, but they seemed like guests. Prince Su would occasionally make a sarcastic remark or two about Zhu Song, but Zhu Song would just smile and not respond.
This farce lasted until the hour of Hai. Because so many people came at short notice, the kitchen was not well prepared and the food was served a little slowly. Prince Su found fault with this and started to quarrel with Prince Jin for a while.
When they finally sent the people away, Zhu Song and a few others almost set off firecrackers to celebrate.
Zhu Song could finally breathe a sigh of relief, "What on earth is going on? This is unbelievable."
Gu Huaiyu said, "You offended Prince Su before, and he came here specifically to pick a fight with you. Fortunately, Prince Jin is here today and can suppress him."
Although what Gu Huaiyu said was correct, Zhu Song really didn't like to hear it. What did he mean by he had offended Prince Su? He was just doing his job. If Prince Su himself hadn't been corrupt and accepted bribes, how could he have found evidence? Now he was acting as if he was wrong.
Gu Huaiyu knew what Zhu Song was thinking as soon as he saw his expression, and said to him, "It's not just you. Prince Su has been in a bad mood recently. Everyone who isn't his confidant is looking for trouble, and the emperor doesn't care. He turns a blind eye. The court is in a state of chaos these days."
The rest are all our own people, and we speak with sincerity.
Qu Zhoubai also complained, "That's right, I've had quite a few white hairs lately, and my dad keeps saying that Prince Su is about to take the throne. Shouldn't we also do something? Otherwise, when Prince Su really takes the throne, with his petty mindset, we're definitely doomed."
Zhu Song understood what he meant, but said, "Once he takes the throne, I will resign. If I am asked to be in cahoots with him now, I would rather die."
Gu Huaiyu comforted him, "Alright, alright, there's no need to rush. Prince Jin is quite powerful right now, and it's still uncertain who will win in the end."
Zhu Song thought, if only Wen Fengxuan was in good health, there wouldn't be so many troubles. However, if Wen Fengxuan was in good health, he probably wouldn't be the crown prince.
Gu Huaiyu gave him a slight turn and asked, "What are you daydreaming about?"
Zhu Song casually replied, "It's terrible, let's empty our minds for a while."
Gu Huaiyu smiled and said, "Don't worry, at least you can have a good rest at home in the near future."
"Don't rest." Zhu Song was traumatized by what happened today. "I will definitely go to the Dali Temple on time tomorrow."
"Why go to Dali Temple?" Meng Xiaohe came over with snacks. "Miss Zhang, what do you think of what you saw today? If you are not satisfied, I will arrange something else for you tomorrow. Take advantage of this free time to quickly finalize the marriage. If you delay any further, who knows when it will be delayed."
Zhu Song rejected her without hesitation, "I have no interest in getting married right now, so please stop trying to match me up with someone else."
"What kind of interest do you need to have in getting married?" Meng Xiaohe placed the osmanthus cake on the table. "You'll naturally become interested when you meet someone you like."
Zhu Song said: "No."
Meng Xiaohe stared at Zhu Song suspiciously, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhu Song didn't want to talk about it any more, so he said perfunctorily, "I don't want to talk about it, so what's the matter? It's so late, I'm going back to sleep."
Zhu Song left after he finished speaking. Gu Huaiyu called out to him, "Zhu Song."
Zhu Song stood at the door and looked back at him. Gu Huaiyu asked, "Are you really going to work tomorrow?"
Zhu Song replied: "When have I ever lied to you?"
Gu Huaiyu smiled and said, "Okay, let's talk about it tomorrow."
Zhu Song left, and Gu Huaiyu and Qu Zhoubai also stood up to say goodbye. Zhu Lingye yawned and was about to go back to his room to sleep, but Meng Xiaohe stopped him and said, "Tell mom, what happened to your brother?"
Zhu Lingye didn't understand what she meant, "What's going on?"
Meng Xiaohe's eyes were sharp. "Although he wasn't willing to go on blind dates before, he never objected to marriage. What happened between you two?"
"Ah?" Zhu Lingye frowned, not understanding Meng Xiaohe's meaning at all. "Really? Isn't my brother always like this?"
"Absolutely not. He didn't think so before." Meng Xiaohe was very sure, "Does he have someone he likes?"
"Huh?" Zhu Lingye exclaimed in surprise, "Who is it?"
"I'm asking you." Meng Xiaohe was speechless and almost hit someone.
Zhu Lingye said: "I didn't notice it."
Meng Xiaohe said, "Absolutely impossible. Think carefully about it. Who has your brother treated differently during this period?"
"Especially different?" Zhu Lingye recalled what happened during this period. The only thing that could be called different was probably the Crown Prince. However, he approached the Crown Prince in order to exchange the fake tribute back from the East Palace.
Zhu Song likes Wen Fengxuan?
Zhu Lingye felt a tingling sensation on his back and a chill when he thought of this scene. If his brother liked the prince, he would eat up Taiji Palace.
"No, I've been busy as a dog lately. How could I have the time? Mom, don't think too much about it. My brother is probably just in a bad mood today. He will be fine in a few days."
They had not told Meng Xiaohe their true intention of leaving the capital, and Zhu Lingye could not say now that they had been with the prince all the time.
Meng Xiaohe still didn't quite believe it, but after hearing what Zhu Lingye said, she felt it made sense, so she didn't ask any more questions. "Okay, go to bed."
"Mom, go to bed early too."
The Ministry of Rites has been very busy preparing for the Autumn Examination recently. Zhu Jingchen didn't get home until midnight. When he got home and heard what happened today, he scolded Prince Su harshly, but Meng Xiaohe was disgusted by his loud voice and silenced him.
The next morning, Zhu Song went to the Dali Temple. He arrived too early, and there was no one else there except the night watchman. Zhu Song planned to have breakfast and then take a nap.
The night watchman was also eating breakfast at this time. He was very surprised to see Zhu Song, "Sir, why are you here? Are you healed?"
Even the head chef came out to see Zhu Song when he heard he was coming, "Master Zhu."
Zhu Song waved his hand and said, "Don't look at it. He was just captured by savages, not turned into a savage."
The yamen runners chuckled and said, "We're just a little curious that there really are wild men."
"Just do what you need to do." Zhu Song didn't want to talk about these things anymore. He took two buns and left.
He slept until noon. Gu Huaiyu had been very busy recently, going to Jingzhao Prefecture every day to check files, and he was not seen all day. But this afternoon, Gu Huaiyu came back. Zhu Song thought he had something to say, but it turned out that he was asking about the results of his trip out of the capital.
Zhu Song told him the result, but there were too few clues and Gu Huaiyu was unable to figure out the meaning, so the matter was temporarily shelved.
Zhu Song had been out early and back late for five days, and finally, the storm had passed. After so long, the wound on his wrist had completely healed. After using Li Qiutong's medicine, there wasn't even a scar left.
It wasn't until the sixth day that the Dali Temple came to life.
This was a case of stolen silver and money transferred from Jingzhao Prefecture.
A case was reported by Xia Zhi, a girl from Xuanyin Pavilion, that her two silver ingots and forty taels of silver had gone missing. The case was referred to the Dali Temple because the Jingzhao Prefecture discovered that the missing silver was not ordinary silver, but official silver.
As we all know, official silver cannot be circulated and used among the people. Using official silver is illegal and is a serious crime punishable by death.
Anyone who had access to official silver must be a court official, so the matter was transferred to the Dali Temple.
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