Chapter 159
Galdan knew that Helian Cheng's departure would inevitably implicate him, but he never expected that his father would give him a look that seemed to say, "I wish I could kill him."
When he entered the palace, he was dressed neatly and appeared calm. However, when he left the palace, he was pale and panicked. He almost took the wrong turn on the way home, which he had walked countless times before. He returned to his residence.
When Galdan saw the person who was staying at his mansion, whom he avoided like the plague and dared not let anyone else know about his presence, sitting openly and leisurely enjoying tea in the courtyard, his first reaction was not to blame, but to be pleasantly surprised.
When faced with a problem, the only people he could think of seeking help from were the very people who had been threatening him, with knives hanging over his head. How pathetic and laughable.
However, Galdan had no time to think about any of that. His will to survive drove him to rush over immediately, pouring out his fear and helplessness, begging for help: "What should I do? My father has murderous intent towards me. He really won't let me go. I don't want to die. Please save me, save me..."
Lu Bingzhu took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please don't be in a hurry. Sit down and let's talk."
"How could I not be anxious? I'm the one who's going to die!" Galdan clenched his fists, suppressing his inner guilt, and tried to put on a sincere face, saying, "I know you're definitely Xue Jin'an's man, and you know just how cunning he is—"
"Hmm?" Lu Bingzhu lifted his eyelids and glanced over. Seeing Galdan's suddenly stiff expression, he slowly said, "The word 'scheming' is inappropriate."
Galdan nearly choked on his breath. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forced a smile as he said, "...Yes, not scheming, but strategy. His strategy is unmatched and inexhaustible... He deserves the title of the best in the world."
Galdan, suppressing his nausea, racked his brains to praise his number one enemy. At first, his words were a little hesitant, but they became more and more fluent as he spoke, and he could even praise him with his eyes closed.
“Well said.” Lu Bingzhu saw Galdan’s resistance clearly. He lowered his eyes to drink tea and quickly concealed the cunning in his eyes. He nodded seriously and said, “Seeing how sincerely you admire His Highness the Seventh Prince, I allow you to write down these praises and make them into a book so that people can admire the demeanor of our Seventh Prince.”
Galdan's face stiffened, his smile completely vanishing. "No, that's not what I meant..."
"Hmm? Don't worry, I didn't mean to limit how many articles you could write when I asked you to compile them into a book. Even if you wrote an article praising the Seventh Prince every day, I would still be happy to listen." Lu Bingzhu said, smiling as he looked up at him, which startled Galdan so much that he immediately put away his disgusted expression.
"I think that's what His Highness the Crown Prince meant, isn't it?" Lu Bingzhu asked, his fingers gently applying pressure, turning the teacup he was holding into dust, the fine powder scattering across the table.
He gently twirled his fingertips and asked again, "Is that so?"
"Yes!" Galdan averted his gaze with difficulty and answered with unwavering determination, "My admiration for the Seventh Prince is like a surging river that never stops. If I don't write an article praising him every day, it will overflow and become a disaster."
"Seventh Prince, you are the wise and eternal God, the only true deity." The tone was so resolute and powerful, yet so sincere and moving.
From then on, Galdan truly wrote an article praising the seventh prince every day until his death. Some of these articles were taken back to the capital by Lu Bingzhu, some were lost, and some were buried with the short-lived crown prince in the cemetery as funerary objects, until they were unearthed thousands of years later during the search for ancient artifacts.
So much so that many years later, Galdan's encyclopedia entry still reads "a die-hard fan of Xue Jin'an," making his short life, which was submerged in the torrent of history, a more famous historical figure than his ancestor who established the Northern Desert Dynasty.
Whenever someone lists historical figures who made their mark on history books thanks to others, Wang Lun and Galdan always have a place.
If Galdan had a spirit after his death, he would surely weep with relief.
Galdan, completely unaware of the tragedy that would follow, was trying to persuade Lu Bingzhu: "I was personally chosen by the Seventh Prince. I must have something that others don't. If I die, all his plans will inevitably fail... and some changes will occur. I am his first choice, and he won't want me to die."
Galdan felt he had figured it out: whether it was the Northwest Army or this Governor Lu, they were all loyal to Xue Jin'an. As long as you praised Xue Jin'an and made them happy, things would be easy.
Galdan felt he had found a way to control these guys and was very confident.
Lu Bingzhu looked up at him, pretending not to see the expression on his face, and nodded, saying, "What you said does make some sense."
"Yes, so you must save me!" Galdan finally said, looking at Lu Bingzhu with pleading eyes.
Lu Bingzhu chuckled softly, "When I came here, I did receive a brilliant plan that could indeed save your life. However, I think the Crown Prince would not want to use this method, so I haven't revealed it yet."
The trials and tribulations of the past years have made Galdan see himself clearly. He has no great talent or ambition, nor does he have any literary or military achievements. He hates Weng Tianxin, but he also has to admit that without Weng Tianxin, he is a pitiful wretch who has no one to turn to when he encounters trouble.
He was at his wit's end. Even knowing that Lu Bingzhu's words meant there was no way out, he had no choice but to jump.
He asked eagerly, "What is it?"
"Strike first, strike hard." Lu Bingzhu's fingers landed on the fine powder on the table, gently tracing out five words.
Galdan initially didn't understand why his father wanted to kill him. How could he strike first? Rebel? He had neither military power nor the support of his family, and now he had even lost the hearts of the people. Rebellion was simply not an option.
If it's not about striking first against my father, then it can only be... striking first against myself.
Galdan's face turned pale and then flushed, his gaze towards Lu Bingzhu filled with complex emotions. "You... want me to kill myself?"
Lu Bingzhu shook his head and then nodded, saying, "Yes and no, you need to stage a self-inflicted injury."
The reason why Rongdi Khan wanted to kill Galdan was simply that Galdan's existence was an excuse for the Northwest Army to advance westward. At the same time, Galdan was a thorn in Rongdi's side, and he would never allow the Khanate to be usurped by the Great Qi. In addition, with the matter of Helian City, Rongdi Khan would think that Galdan's heart had turned to the Great Qi and would want to get rid of him.
For now, he only wants to get rid of him. Once the Rongdi Khan is convinced that Galdan has completely sided with the Great Qi, he will deal with Galdan as quietly as he dealt with Helian Cheng, so that even if everyone knows that he was the one who did it, no evidence can be found.
The difference between Galdan and Helian Cheng is that the latter has the ability to escape, while Galdan is just a fish on a chopping board, and anyone can come and cut him.
As Galdan listened to Lu Bingzhu's analysis, he felt as if he had fallen into quicksand, and could sink at any moment.
"What should I do?" Galdan asked, trembling.
Looking at Galdan, who had completely lost his mind and was utterly disoriented, Lu Bingzhu revealed his true intentions, "Do you know about the Gu worms of the Southern Frontier?"
Each region's Gu worms have their own unique characteristics, and the Gu worms cultivated by different Gu masters are also very different. Yunnan has a spring-like climate all year round, dense rainforests, and large insects and ants with high toxicity. Therefore, the Gu worms made by Zhou Yushu from Yunnan are very toxic. A specific example is the Soul-Separating Gu that caused Helian Yong to suffer and die.
Although Zhou Yushu received guidance from Zhang Jinghua when creating the Soul-Separating Gu, his guidance mainly focused on increasing the toxicity of the Gu and making it a Gu worm that needed to absorb sufficient blood and flesh from the human body to mature. Zhou Yushu studied Gu worms as a hobby and did not like to harm people, so the Soul-Separating Gu was still a semi-finished product even when it was given to Doctor Chang.
Zhang Jinghua is completely different from Zhou Yushu, which is closely related to his upbringing. Southern Xinjiang is a religious country, and also a country where faith is concentrated. As the holy master of the religion, Zhang Jinghua is a man enveloped by faith. He naturally disregards all living beings, as if he were a god, high above them, and treats the world as just a game. Therefore, the Gu worms he creates are not only highly lethal and have a certain degree of control, but are also often accompanied by extreme pain.
This is evident from the Gu worms that have ravaged the palace for years, claiming countless lives from Crown Prince Zhang and the Tenth Prince to assassins. Moreover, the Gu worms these people consumed were merely offspring Gu; the mother Gu, capable of directly manipulating the offspring Gu to madness, remains missing to this day.
The quickest way for Galdan to dispel the resentment of the Rongdi Khan is to take the Gu worm in front of him. Only when he becomes more extreme and insane will the Rongdi Khan restrain his hostility.
Galdan's face turned ashen, his lips trembling as he tried to refuse, but he could only say tactfully, "The Southern Frontier has long since changed its Holy Lord. They don't even have enough Gu worms for themselves, so they don't sell them to outsiders..."
“It seems Zhang Jinghua’s departure has had a significant impact on Southern Xinjiang.” Lu Bingzhu said this deliberately, observing Galdan without making a sound. The latter nodded haphazardly, still immersed in his own world.
In fact, Lu Bingzhu initially brought up this topic to inquire about Zhang Jinghua.
Before Lu Bingzhu left the capital, Xue Jin'an personally went to Cining Palace to explain the situation to the Empress Dowager. He also took the opportunity to explain the fifty-year peace treaty between Daqi and the Great Empire, and told her everything he could about Zhang Jinghua.
The Empress Dowager was furious. Even though Xue Jin'an didn't say much about the Gu worms, she was suspicious after learning about his identity as a Gu Doctor and immediately ordered Lu Bingzhu to investigate thoroughly.
Lu Bingzhu had no way to contact the Southern Frontier or the Great Empire, while Xue Jin'an did have contact with Irina. However, Irina was not Galdan. Irina loved her country very much, and she would not yield an inch when it came to the internal interests of her country. In other words, in the matter of Zhang Jinghua, Irina would choose to downplay the existence of the Great Empire, and she would absolutely not hand over what Zhang Jinghua left behind in the Great Empire.
But that's alright. Lu Bingzhu doesn't have the means to contact both sides, but Bileg, as the Prime Minister of the Rongdi Kingdom, certainly does. He doesn't necessarily need to obtain Zhang Jinghua's things; his main goal is to determine whether Zhang Jinghua is truly colluding with Lin Ruofu, thereby confirming the other party's connection to the affairs of the inner palace.
“Now that things have come to this, let me show you a way out,” Lu Bingzhu said. “Go find Bileg; he will be happy to help you.”
...
A few days later, Galdan and Bileg entered the palace together and met with the Rongdi Khan again. They stayed overnight in the palace before leaving to return home, claiming illness and not attending court.
During this meeting, the Rongdi Khan was unusually pleased and announced at the morning court that Galdan had been officially appointed as the crown prince, which surprised the entire court.
When the news reached the Third Prince's residence, the entire household was filled with joy, but Galdan, the person in question, looked as if he had lost his parents.
He sat by the frozen pool, gazing at his reflection on the ice, and suddenly burst into a silly laugh, looking quite happy.
Lu Bingzhu glanced at him upon hearing the sound.
"Do you know why I'm suddenly so happy? I've figured it out. I don't have much time left to live, but they'll all be buried with me." Galdan reached out and stroked his own outline on the ice, his voice soft. "I'm just a pawn to manipulate the situation, aren't I? Your Highness, the Seventh Prince, who is good at scheming, don't disappoint me."
Bang—the fist slammed down suddenly, and the ice surface, like glass, spread out like a spider web from the point of impact, instantly shattering the reflected face into pieces, twisted and grotesque.
...
When the Empress Dowager received the message from Lu Bingzhu, she remained calm and simply said, "Lin Ruofu deserves to die."
Xue Jin'an poured the Empress Dowager a cup of tea to cool her down, not surprised by the result.
Granny Su frowned and said with displeasure, "This Lord Lin is too audacious, daring to collude with foreigners in secret..."
“Lin Ruofu couldn’t make this decision alone,” Xue Jin’an said calmly, uttering words that sent chills down one’s spine.
If Lin Ruofu had such courage, he wouldn't have stayed in the Great Empire for so many years, even having children. Moreover, upon closer reflection, Lin Ruofu was originally just a minor official in the Ministry of Rites with little background. He was the one who took the initiative to step forward when everyone else had taken a step back, and was forced to go on a diplomatic mission to the Great Empire.
After returning, he was transferred to the Dali Temple and obtained a fourth-rank position. Although most of the cabinet members were promoted through the Hanlin Academy and the Six Ministries, his path to the cabinet was almost cut off. However, he was originally just a minor official. In the Ministry of Rites, a department where seniority was highly valued, he might not even be able to become a vice minister at best.
Indeed, he rose through the ranks to become the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review after years of hard work, while his former colleagues who had worked with him in the Ministry of Rites remained in their fifth-rank positions for ten years without moving.
"Lin Ruofu's promotion has been too smooth," the Empress Dowager's voice was slightly cold.
Granny Su seemed to be stung by the coldness in his words; her pupils contracted slightly. "You mean... this is... the late Emperor—"
"Heh." The Empress Dowager sneered, her voice low and somber, "They truly are father and son; each of them is hiding a great secret."
“Indeed.” Xue Jin’an nodded in agreement.
Granny Su lowered her head and remained silent, only reaching out to massage the Empress Dowager to help her breathe.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and wearily rubbed her temples. After a long silence in the hall, she finally spoke, "Investigate. Investigate everything thoroughly. Su Mama, investigate according to Xiao Qi's idea."
She said in a deep voice, "I want to see what exactly is going on that has dragged both the court and the harem of these two generations into such a mess!"
"It's probably not appropriate for the Seventh Prince to get involved in matters of the inner palace." Granny Su was a little worried that if word got out, Xue Jin'an would be ridiculed.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Xue Jin'an and said with a half-smile, "What are you worrying about? He probably knows far more than you or I do."
Today, she finally understood just how good Xue Jin'an was at keeping secrets.
The Empress Dowager said somewhat irritably, "You're all the same!"
Xue Jin'an refused to accept this assessment: "I am upright and kind, and I never harm anyone."
He's a cell phone that follows the orthodox path of cultivating immortality.
"Hmm, not bad, keep it up, and don't learn those bad things." The Empress Dowager also agreed with this and nodded in praise.
Granny Su's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but glance at the Seventh Prince, her eyes seeming to say: Are you sure? Do you want to hear what's going on in the palace about you? The Seventh Prince of the Underworld? The Seventh Prince of the Rakshasa?
She then looked at her own Empress Dowager: And you, when did your eyesight deteriorate? You can't even see people clearly anymore.
"I'll go to the Imperial Hospital tomorrow and get some cassia seed, chrysanthemum, and goji berry tea; it's good for the eyes," thought Granny Su.
Rong Di made all the arrangements clearly, and Xue Jin'an also gave Su Mama the direction to investigate, which was the medical records of Consort Hui when she was seriously ill.
Zhang Jinghua entered the palace initially for Consort Hui's sake, so the first thing to investigate was Consort Hui's illness. Xue Jin'an had already told Fulu to pay attention to this aspect when he learned of the connection between Zhang Jinghua and Consort Hui.
However, so much time has passed, and Hu Yuanzheng is almost retired. The little spy planted in the Imperial Hospital has even started learning how to diagnose and prescribe medicine. There is still no news about Consort Hui's medical records. After analyzing the situation, Xue Jin'an felt that even if he went in person, there might not be any good results.
Granny Su was right about one thing: matters in the inner palace are always kept out of the princes' sight. If you really want to investigate deeply, you have to be someone who has worked in the inner palace. There are many intricacies involved that Xue Jin'an may not be able to understand.
So they simply passed the task on to Granny Su.
The Rongdi and the harem were running in parallel, but Xue Jin'an did not expect that the first progress would be made on his side.
—The big gift Irina mentioned has arrived.
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