The easiest and most effective way for Wang Lishun to make her lose was to rig the horse.
The horse chosen by the crown prince this time was a tribute from Yunnan, and it was also the horse he usually rode. As long as this horse could not perform to its full potential, the Chagatai Khanate was destined to win no matter how the competition went.
Song Yue also reminded her that Wang Lishun came from a family of doctors; his grandfather had served as a physician in the Imperial Medical Academy, so he himself was well-versed in pharmacology. It was because of this that he was able to take such good care of the Crown Prince and gain his trust.
"When faced with matters of life and death, people tend to choose the method they are most skilled at and confident in."
Qingchen thought for a moment, then stood up and bowed. "Thank you for taking the time to teach me today, Your Excellency. I will take my leave now."
Song Yue raised her eyes slightly, thinking to herself that she was leaving so soon, it seemed that she already had a plan, and that she had probably thought of everything before coming to find him.
Meticulous, perceptive, and intelligent, he truly is the highly sought-after Lord Shen of the imperial court.
"Lord Shen, you are too kind. What you seek is also what I seek. As the Second Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, I naturally hope that the Ming Dynasty will prevail... I will not see you off further, and I wish you success."
Qingchen nodded, said no more, and left his office.
Song Yue watched her retreating figure. Her body, still slender in the green robe, was straight, her steps firm, and she walked quickly. She asked her questions and left immediately, saying nothing more; she was certainly… very efficient.
Such a silhouette, and the soft body that lay in his arms during her period, were all belonging to the same person.
After thinking about it for a while, Song Yue shook his head.
In the afternoon, Qingchen went to the East Palace to find Zhu Yuluo.
Zhu Yuluo had just returned from the Wenhua Hall. He had just changed into casual clothes and emerged from behind a screen. The lamplight shone on him, highlighting his youthful and handsome features. At twelve years old, he was already almost taller than her.
Upon seeing him, Qingchen bowed and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The young crown prince smiled and said, "Master Shen, you've arrived. I was just about to summon you. The horse race is tomorrow, and I'm a little nervous. Can Lan Tan really lead the way to victory?"
Tomorrow is the horse race, and Harutemur, confident in his unparalleled riding skills, wants to compete himself. However, Zhu Yuluo is only twelve years old and not tall enough, so someone needs to be chosen to compete in his place. Qingchen recommended Lan Tan to him.
As for the specifics of their victory, she didn't tell him the secret, fearing he might accidentally reveal it to Wang Lishun. However, Zhu Yuluo didn't press him. She could tell he had once considered asking, but ultimately didn't. He trusted her; the naive young man had said to himself, "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust," and he had adhered to that principle well.
Looking into Zhu Yuluo's clear eyes, Qingchen comforted him, "Your Highness, rest assured, Lan Tan was originally a centurion of Yongping Guard. He has practiced martial arts and horsemanship since childhood and has also accompanied the army on northern expeditions. He is a brave and skilled warrior. A few years ago, he even hunted a wolf alone, and the wolf's tooth is still hanging on his wrist. If he were to compete in place of the Crown Prince, he would surely be able to defeat Nahartemur."
In her plan, the key to victory wasn't horsemanship, but courage. Whether it was the Lan Tan recorded in history books or the Lan Tan she knew and heard about, he was a brave man. When she told Lan Tan her plan, he immediately patted his chest and agreed without hesitation.
Zhu Yulu was delighted to hear this, "I never expected Lan Tan to be such a brave man. If he wins, I will definitely reward him... and Master Shen as well."
As Zhu Yuluo spoke, he looked at his elegant teacher and thought to himself: Even a great victory for soldiers might not be enough to capture 20,000 warhorses. If he really helped the Ming Dynasty win 20,000 warhorses, that would be a great achievement, and ordinary rewards would probably not be enough.
Master Shen was promoted not long ago, and he's probably going to be promoted again. He just hopes that his father will keep him in the Eastern Palace. He... doesn't want him to go anywhere else.
Qingchen lowered his head. "Your Highness, there is one more thing to do."
"What's up?"
"Feed the horses."
Zhu Yulu asked, somewhat confused, "You mean, I have to feed the horses?"
“Exactly.” Qingchen nodded. “Since ancient times, before soldiers went to war, the king would send them off with wine to boost morale and encourage their troops. In this competition between the two countries, although the soldiers going to war are not from the Ming Dynasty, it is the horses of the Ming Dynasty, His Highness the Crown Prince’s horses. If His Highness the Crown Prince can personally feed them and comfort and encourage them before the competition, I believe they will certainly live up to expectations tomorrow.”
Zhu Yulu's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Master Shen is right. I have already had the horse brought to the East Palace. Let's go feed it now."
“Your Highness, there’s no rush.” Qingchen looked at him. “As the saying goes, a horse won’t get fat without night grass. It’s best to feed it at night. If Your Highness feeds it at night, it will surely be even stronger and more vigorous tomorrow, surpassing the ponies of the Chagatai Khanate.”
Since Wang Lishun was well-versed in pharmacology, the most likely method he would use was to drug the horse. And the best time to drug the horse would be when it was grazing at night.
“Master Shen is indeed very knowledgeable,” Zhu Yulu said. “Then let’s go again tonight.”
In January, the days in the capital were still short and the nights long. Soon, night fell.
When the time was almost right, Qingchen, carrying a lantern, accompanied Zhu Yuluo to the horse-breeding yard.
Before they even reached the stable, they saw a light in the darkness, and a person carrying a lantern was coming towards them. It was Wang Lishun.
Upon seeing Zhu Yuluo and Qingchen, Wang Lishun immediately tensed up, his face stiffening as if covered in glue. "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
"Master Wang, why are you here so late?" Zhu Yulu asked, somewhat surprised.
Wang Lishun glanced at Qingchen and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "I... Your Highness is going to have a horse race tomorrow, so I came to check if the horse is alright."
Zhu Yulu smiled and said, "Master Wang, you've gone to so much trouble. You're the one who cares about me the most. I was just about to feed the horses, why don't you come along? Come on."
Wang Lishun hesitated, but still followed behind Zhu Yulu. Qingchen could feel his gaze, but ignored him.
Inside the stable, the prince's mount was grazing, a tuft of white fur between its eyebrows making it look very spirited.
The feeding trough was stuffed full of hay.
Qingchen put down the lantern and saw that Wang Lishun kept looking into the feeding trough. When they met eyes, his gaze flickered.
The young crown prince walked up to the horse, stroked its mane, and whispered in its ear, "Good horse, you must help me win the race tomorrow."
After saying that, Zhu Yulu tucked in her sleeves, grabbed a handful of hay from the trough, and put it to its mouth. "I will personally feed you tonight, so eat more."
"Your Highness, these horses are already being fed by professionals. Why do you still need to feed them yourself?" Wang Lishun asked, puzzled.
“Master Wang, you may not know, but this horse will be competing for our Great Ming tomorrow. As the Crown Prince, I should naturally come to offer my condolences,” Zhu Yulu said while feeding the horse. “Master Shen told me this, and I think he makes a lot of sense.”
As expected, it was that person again. Upon hearing Shen Qingchen's name, Wang Lishun frowned, sensing something was amiss, and a sudden sense of unease crept into his heart.
Seeing that the situation was exactly as he had expected, Qingchen said, "Your Highness, when soldiers go to war, the king and soldiers will drink fine wine together. In my hometown, there is also a tradition where people burn the grass in the manger and mix it with water to drink in order to pray for victory in horse racing, as a sign of unity and invincibility. I wonder if Your Highness would like to try it as well?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lishun felt as if his very soul had been ripped from his spine, and he immediately shouted, "Absurd! This is utter nonsense! Your Highness, as the Crown Prince of a nation, how could you possibly consume such filthy dregs from a manger? Your Highness, please be discerning and do not listen to his utter rubbish!"
Zhu Yuluo looked at the grass in the manger, pondered for a moment, and finally turned his head and said, "Master Wang, back then, my grandfather personally led troops to conquer the Mongol kingdoms. Our Great Ming fought against the enemy for dozens of days, and when our food supplies were about to run out, heavy snow fell. But the late emperor still took the lead, fought bloody battles, and took the rich Hetao region before returning to the capital."
"Although this is not a direct battle between two armies, it is still a contest between our Great Ming and one of the four Great Khanates of Mongolia, with the stakes being 20,000 warhorses. As the Crown Prince, it is my duty to do everything in my power for the Great Ming. What difficulty is there in drinking a cup of water made from straw ash?!"
As Zhu Yuluo spoke, he ordered, "Someone, burn the grass in this trough and dilute it with water."
"Your Highness! Your Highness must not drink this!" Wang Lishun was completely flustered, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. "Your Highness is the Crown Prince of our Great Ming Dynasty. If you drink this unclean water and harm your health, how can we explain it to the Emperor and the world!"
“Master Wang, I know you care about me.” Zhu Yuluo seemed to have made up his mind, looking at him calmly. “But I am the Crown Prince. I am already twelve years old, yet I have never done anything for the Ming Dynasty. Now, faced with this trivial matter, how can I back down? Look, this is just some hay. The horse ate it and it was fine, so how could it be bad for me?”
As they spoke, an attendant had already taken some dry grass, put it in a large bowl and burned it, and then poured water into it from a jug. Wang Lishun tried to stop him, but Zhu Yulu ordered his men to pull him away.
“Your Highness, this water is not safe to drink… Shen Qingchen is new here and is talking nonsense, trying to bewitch Your Highness. Your Highness must not believe his one-sided story! I have been serving Your Highness for more than five years. Your Highness must listen to me!” As he watched the dry grass burn to ashes, Wang Lishun trembled, his voice shaking.
“My mind is made up, Master Wang, there’s no need to persuade me any further.” With that, Zhu Yuluo picked up the bowl and looked at Qingchen. The lamplight illuminated his handsome face, and the expression in his eyes remained resolute.
"Master Chen, is it alright to drink it like this?"
Looking at the boy's unwavering trust, Qingchen felt a pang of guilt. She didn't want to lie to him, but if she didn't, Wang Lishun wouldn't reveal himself. As long as his malicious intentions remained undiscovered, he would undoubtedly continue to find ways to make the Ming Dynasty lose.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "If Your Highness does not wish to drink it, I may drink it for you."
"No need." Zhu Yulu shook her head, picked up the bowl, and said, "I'll drink it myself."
Just as Zhu Yuluo brought the bowl to his lips, Wang Lishun cried out in alarm, "Your Highness, wait!"
"Master Wang?"
Wang Lishun glared at Qingchen with hatred, then lowered his head. "There's medicine in this water..."
Qingchen looked at him, and just as she had thought, he wouldn't harm Zhu Yuluo. However, she was also prepared; if he didn't reveal the truth at the last moment, she would stop Zhu Yuluo from drinking the water.
Zhu Yulu was taken aback. "Master Wang, what do you mean? How do you know there's medicine in this water?"
"...The medicine was given to me by my servant; I put it in the hay in the feeding trough." He knelt down, looking dejected. "Therefore, Your Highness, you cannot drink it."
"This horse is going to race for the Ming Dynasty tomorrow, why did you drug it?" Zhu Yulu thought for a moment, then realized what was going on. "You actually want me, the Crown Prince, to lose?! Why!"
Seeing Wang Lishun's hesitant expression, Qingchen spoke up: "Because of me. Because the horse racing strategy was presented to His Highness the Crown Prince by your subject."
Zhu Yulu was a precocious child, and after Qingchen's explanation, he immediately understood. Regardless of the imperial court or the harem, all the struggles were ultimately for the sake of "position."
Zhu Yulu frowned, looking at the man who had selflessly rescued him from the fire years ago, now kneeling dejectedly like a wilted eggplant. He said with heartache, "Master Wang… you taught me the *Great Learning*: 'Those who in ancient times wished to manifest their virtue to the world first ordered well their states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their personal lives. Wishing to cultivate their personal lives, they first rectified their hearts…' How can you now, for your own selfish desires, disregard the interests of our Great Ming? You have truly disappointed me…"
Wang Lishun lowered his head and remained silent. In the dim light, he let out a deep sigh after a long while.
“Master Shen.” Zhu Yulu seemed unsure what to do with him for a moment, glanced at Qingchen, and said, “Let’s go. You will accompany me back to the East Palace.”
"good."
Meanwhile, the Court of Judicial Review arrested an official, and the Criminal Division is interrogating him overnight.
Less than half an hour into the interrogation, the presiding judge locked the man in jail and ordered him to be tortured.
In the dimly lit prison, Shen Qian was stripped of his official robes and put in shackles and handcuffs.
His expression was calm, as if he had long expected this day to come.
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