Chapter 44, a superior work.
He showed her the secret letter before sending it out.
After reading it, Shimi was probably even more astonished than Emperor Shengyuan. Holding the Buddhist scripture, he stammered, "Are you crazy? You're exposing your own shortcomings. Do you want to die?"
He stood under the crabapple tree in the courtyard, a breeze ruffling the hem of his robe. He looked up at the sunset filtering through the leaves, his expression indifferent. "Sometimes, being alive isn't better than being dead."
This is utterly despairing. Putting aside the grand plan, Shimi feels he has truly harmed him. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to have Xiao Wu go directly into action, and simply kill him during the body swap.
But she still had to offer some advice, racking her brains to comfort her: "There is no problem that cannot be solved. If it concerns you personally... let me get through this busy period and then we'll think of a solution."
This is a sensitive topic that we've never openly discussed. Although Shimi is usually very frank, she still finds this kind of issue quite difficult to address.
Perhaps he had already understood, and instead of continuing on her words, he returned to the secret letter itself, “Don’t worry, the memorial impeaching the censor who is trying to frame me will arrive shortly. People, once they become curious, want to find out the truth. He won’t believe the censor’s words, nor will he believe mine. He will definitely summon me to the capital for a face-to-face confrontation…” He added with a smile, “Bring witnesses and evidence. I am a meritorious official who helped him establish his rule. Public suspicion would earn him the reputation of being ungrateful, so the investigation will only be conducted privately. If it’s done privately, there’s only one possibility: dismiss everyone and lock the doors and windows.”
Shi Mi realized that many things could happen quietly in a closed environment. The Grand Tutor was indeed the Grand Tutor, shrewd and calculating. Without his help, even if he had become Emperor Sheng Yuan's puppet, he probably wouldn't have been able to replace him smoothly.
"Sent today, by express courier, the secret letter and memorial will be on the Emperor's desk first thing tomorrow morning." He said slowly, "At most two more days later, an imperial edict will be issued from Longcheng, summoning me and the censor to the capital for an audience with the Emperor. Are you all ready?"
Shi Mi said, "Of course, everything must be in order before we go to the capital. The two sleight of hand are in the house in Liren Lane. Fifth Hai is teaching them conversation techniques. Come on, I'll take you to see them."
He nodded, and before leaving, he summoned the counselor and instructed him to send two secret letters to Shangdu.
It was nearly nightfall when he left. It was rare to see someone plotting to assassinate the emperor spending the entire day in the council hall dealing with the trivial matters of various prefectures and counties. Perhaps in his eyes, there was nothing urgent to prepare for, nor was there any need to anxiously await the other party's reaction. Everything was as he expected; the person he had served in the capital for fifteen years would not offer him any surprises.
The carriage was waiting at the steps. He gestured for her to board first. Ever since she had chased him away, the two had grown distant, not sleeping together for two or three months, let alone having any physical intimacy. Over time, an invisible wall had formed between them; even when sitting side by side, they tried to keep their distance, like complete strangers.
Shimi turned to look outside. The sun was sinking below the horizon, and the shops on the street were closing up shop, preparing for the curfew. This city was great in every way, except for the curfew. If it were like a city that never sleeps, where people could move freely day and night, it would be even more livable.
However, Lu Min's words at that moment aroused even greater resentment in her.
He said quietly, "The current curfew starts at nightfall, but it will be changed to midnight in a while. People and livestock are the same; they can be tamed. As long as the methods are right, we can get them to walk into the tomb passage on their own in the future..." Seeing that she was about to take action with a fierce look on her face, he quickly added, "That's what that person in Dragon City said, not me."
Shi Mi gritted his teeth, "Disregarding human life, he deserves to die! Fortunately, he shouldn't live to see the point of sacrificing people." As he spoke, he questioned him, "Do you Yan people really think you are superior? All you know is conquest. Baiyujing and Chong'an City have fooled you, so you abandoned your former capital and came to the capital of the Yu Dynasty to occupy the territory and become kings."
If she wants to curse, then let her curse. Is there any point in arguing?
He kept his head down and didn't speak, which made her even more annoyed. "What does it mean to stay silent? Is he harboring resentment?"
He then spoke, “Staying silent is tantamount to acquiescence, isn’t it? The Yan people have occupied the Yu Dynasty’s territory and capital; these are facts that cannot be denied.”
And then what? Argue with him and convince him that it's wrong? Suddenly, Shimi lost all interest. What's the point of arguing about who's right and wrong now? Everyone is acting from their own perspective, and no one can change the other's mind. It's better to remain silent and think about what to do next.
He turned away angrily and arrived at Liren Alley in silence. Still furious, he ignored the man's attempts to help him and got out of the car. As he entered, he saw Fifth Hai guiding two puppeteers to identify the flowers planted in the courtyard.
Lu Min stood in front of the door, scrutinizing them closely. The two puppeteers stood with their backs to the door, and from their backs and figures, they looked exactly the same. When Shi Mi clapped his hands, they turned around, and their faces were even more astonishing, as if they had been copied directly from the faces of the Emperor and Empress.
He exclaimed sincerely, "I can always trust your craftsmanship; to describe it as exquisite is not an exaggeration at all."
Shi Mi, unusually modest, said, "My skills are not as refined as my senior brother's, so compared to that, the Empress's mind is probably not as clever as the Emperor's."
Lu Min's gaze fell on Gu Jingguan, who came out of the hall. He knew that she did it on purpose. If she made Gu Jingguan create the Holy Emperor, then as long as this puppet was needed to replace him, Gu Jingguan would be safe.
Well, that's how checks and balances work; everyone is trying to protect themselves, which is understandable.
With a smile, he entered the hall to speak with Gu Jingguan, discussing their upcoming meeting in the capital in two days. Shi Mi, on the other hand, stayed in the courtyard to check on the two puppeteers and see how much Fifth Hai had met with them.
The Empress was very affectionate when she saw her, and leaned over to say, "Ami, I have learned to read and write, and I have also heard many profound truths about the rise and fall of nations."
Once the puppet is made, it must be brought to life immediately, and its voice must be adjusted to maintain its "living" energy—this is a necessary step. Therefore, the production process is very secretive. After all, if someone were to see the puppet with its arms, legs, and even head tilted to one side while it is still speaking normally, it might scare them to death.
The Empress's personal assistants were like this; Shimi had to be taught common sense from a young age, such as what sitting posture conformed to the Empress's standards and how to place one's hands to appear more dignified. She began to interact with Shimi when she was still innocent and naive, and after a month they had become quite familiar with each other. When she saw Shimi again, she was naturally very affectionate.
Shi Mi praised her repeatedly: "Very good, keep learning. But remember, the more people there are, the less you should speak." He turned to look at Emperor Sheng Yuan, "You too, if you really can't get around it, just say 'Please let the Grand Tutor decide.'"
The two men said that their words and actions were in perfect accordance with court regulations.
Fifth Hai stood aside and said with a smile, "I showed them the Imperial Instructions and the Empress's Precepts, and they learned them very quickly. Although they can't apply what they've learned yet, they will naturally gain insight over time."
Shi Mi was satisfied with what he heard and patted Fifth Hai on the shoulder, saying, "As long as you're here, my senior brother and I can rest assured. I was thinking, after they enter Dragon City, would you like to go in and help them for a while? It won't be long, a month or two will be enough."
Fifth Sea asked, "In what capacity shall I go in? As a palace attendant?"
Shi Mi chuckled awkwardly, "More or less. You said last time that you didn't want to get married."
In the eyes of the Yan people, all living beings are equal, and Fifth Hai did not refuse at all, saying, "I will follow the arrangements of my master and uncle."
Shi Mi praised him even more, patting him twice more forcefully. Unexpectedly, this action caught Lu Min's eye twice, naturally attracting endless veiled criticism on the way back.
"Does the sect rule forbid romantic relationships with puppeteers, or restrict the puppeteer to who created it? It doesn't mean you can just not make it yourself, right?"
Shimi immediately realized what was going on, "What are you trying to say?"
He crossed his arms and turned to look out of the car. "Fifth Hai is indeed different from ordinary Yanren. With him around, I feel at ease... Do you feel the same way?"
This is something that Shimi does not deny: "In my eyes, he is no different from a stranger, and even more reliable than a stranger."
He nodded defiantly, "Indeed, he's smart, loyal, and can share your burdens. If he were a stranger, he would be the best person in the world."
Even if Shi Mi was slow-witted, she could hear the sarcasm in his words and turned to ask him, "Why do you always pick on Fifth Hai?"
“Because I am a half-Yan.” He had a cold smile on his face. “If a Yan person is so capable, wouldn’t I, a half-Yan, be outdone?”
So he was genuinely unhappy. He had always hated mentioning that he was a half-Yan, as Yan people were considered inferior beings in his eyes. Revealing his weakness like this today sounded like suicide. Shimi blinked at him, but he refused to meet her gaze and resolutely turned his face away.
They didn't speak to each other again until they returned to Jiuzhang Prefecture. They sat side by side the whole way, and Lu Min was extremely restrained, keeping his hands tightly clasped on his knees without touching her.
Perhaps certain feelings are quietly growing, without one even understanding why. After getting off the bus, there was a long straight road to walk. Shimi glanced at the person walking with a lamp in hand. He stood straight, chin held high, his cold and aloof demeanor suddenly made her blurt out, "Are you jealous of Fifth Hai?"
Like a chisel breaking through an icicle, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and said calmly, "What is jealousy? There can be no future between us, so why should I be jealous? Besides, no matter how human-like Fifth Sea is, he is still just an object made of iron and wood. Am I crazy to be jealous of an object!"
Shimi let out an "Oh," her feelings a mix of relief and disappointment.
Under the flickering light of the lanterns, he escorted her to the outside of the secluded building, and before leaving, he instructed her: "Make preparations early, you will be going to Baiyujing in a few days."
His deduction was, of course, correct. Sure enough, three days later, he received an imperial edict from Emperor Shengyuan, ordering Li Qiaozhen to accompany him to the capital to meet the emperor. Given his contributions to the state, no military force would be used to escort him; instead, the prefect of Zhongdu was ordered to accompany him and observe him along the way.
Sometimes it must be said that Emperor Shengyuan was an emperor incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. He was good at fighting, but he was brave but lacked strategy. When it came to plotting and scheming, he often failed to make sense of the situation.
From the moment Lu Min took office as the Central Military Commissioner to oversee the construction of the imperial mausoleum, the prefect's power had already been undermined. How could an official whose power was in the hands of others possibly supervise and control the vital affairs of a superior official with a much higher rank? Moreover, Lu Min knew how to use both kindness and severity. It would take two days and one night to travel from Chong'an City to Baiyujing. During this time, he rode and sat with the prefect, drank tea, and treated him with utmost respect, showing him great courtesy and sincerity.
So much so that when Emperor Shengyuan first summoned the prefect to inquire about the Grand Tutor's current situation, the prefect was somewhat bewildered. After a long pause, he said decisively, "Purely a rumor, purely a rumor! I have traveled with the Grand Tutor the entire way, and his tone, expression, and insights into state affairs are all as excellent as ever! What puppeteer could create such a puppet? That's not a charlatan, but a goddess descended from heaven. Putting aside everything else, just give me two accountants, and I won't have to spend every night checking the accounts for the construction of Zhongdu, nor will I have to listen to the accountants below arguing endlessly."
The sunlight streaming through the window shone on Emperor Shengyuan's face, casting a hazy, uncertain light. "Isn't there even the slightest hint of something suspicious?"
The governor thought for a moment and said, "If we're talking about suspicious points, there are some..."
Emperor Shengyuan's expression hardened. "Explain in detail."
The governor said, "To think of your wife five or six times a day is too affected."
As expected, these words drew a glare from Emperor Shengyuan, who said, "It's normal for a newlywed to miss his wife."
The prefect tucked his hands behind his back and said, "Apart from that, I really can't see anything unusual about the Grand Tutor. Moreover, the day before he entered the capital, the Grand Tutor met with foreign merchants at the judicial office and bought large quantities of Sichuan pepper at extremely low prices in exchange for extending the time he could enter the market. If he were really a Yanren, would he have such thoughts and methods?"
As a result, Emperor Shengyuan's mind wavered, but he was still unwilling to give up and was determined to conduct a decisive verification of the Grand Tutor's authenticity without hurting feelings.
Meanwhile, Gu Jingguan had everything prepared. He and his entourage followed "Li Qiaozhen" into the capital and were settled in the Censorate. The Luo Jie mask that had been drawn was already placed on Emperor Shengyuan's face.
A secret confrontation, with few people present, would simply involve an imperial censor bringing so-called witnesses, who would join Lu Min in meeting the emperor. The thought of the Holy Emperor being the only living person in the room was rather frightening.
On the day of the audience with the Emperor, a carriage stopped under the willows on the opposite bank of the moat of Longcheng. The curtain of the carriage was half-lifted, and Shimi, hiding behind the curtain, watched the three figures step into the palace gate one after another. She couldn't help but feel uneasy and turned to ask Gu Jingguan, "Won't something go wrong?"
Gu Jingguan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Haven't you always been so confident in Lu Min's methods? Now that things are at a critical moment, you should have even more faith. He's been a seasoned politician for over a decade. The fact that he dared to enter Dragon City means everything is ready." He paused, then smiled again. "Don't be nervous. It's all or nothing. Whether it's Emperor Shengyuan or Lu Min, we won't lose out if either of them is killed. It'll just require a bit more effort, and we'll have to start all over again. With our previous experience, we don't need to linger on the outskirts this time. Let's go straight for Dragon City; our chances of victory are much greater."
Indeed, for Lu Min, this was a life-or-death gamble, but for them, they could simply observe with a playful attitude. Success or failure wouldn't be a big deal. Success would be great, but if it failed, they could start over. With this skill, they had countless avenues to success.
But it's hard to explain, and the confusion still lingers. After all, a lot of effort has been spent over the past two years, and I hope it wasn't all for nothing.
She strained to look towards Longcheng, but the palace walls were too high, and she couldn't see anything. She couldn't see Lu Min standing calmly in the hall, nor could she see "Li Qiaozhen" speaking with such certainty, demanding that His Majesty immediately verify the Grand Tutor's authenticity.
Emperor Shengyuan's face was filled with deliberate hesitation. "The Grand Tutor is a pillar of this dynasty, and his contributions to assisting me in governing the country are invaluable. If I were to investigate the Grand Tutor because of such a bizarre incident, I'm afraid it would hurt the Grand Tutor's feelings, as well as the feelings of many founding heroes."
The censor persisted, “On the day of the Ansan Festival in Zhongdu, a sorcerer disguised as a former general wandered the city. His chest was empty, and he collapsed upon touch. When the Marquis of Wu investigated, he found a man claiming to be the Grand Tutor’s uncle. This man was listless and stiff, which aroused the Marquis’s suspicion. However, out of respect for the Grand Tutor, he had to let the matter drop. I have discovered that the Grand Tutor’s uncle actually died of illness in Liyang last year. What exactly lives in the Lu residence in Lirenfang? There is clearly something fishy going on. Why did the Grand Tutor marry Lu Kongshan’s adopted daughter afterward? All these strange things are hard to explain. Although I have not captured Yanshi, I have found the strategist Luo Jie, who was almost silenced by the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor’s many dealings with Lirenfang were all arranged by Luo Jie. Although the witness’s voice was poisoned and he lost his voice, his hands are still intact and he can still write. I have presented the whole story to Your Majesty and beg Your Majesty to make a wise judgment.”
What he said made so much sense that it silenced Emperor Shengyuan.
Inside the small hall, Emperor Shengyuan exchanged glances with his Grand Tutor and Grand Protector, unable to make a decision.
The censor puffed out his chest and said in a loud voice, "The Grand Tutor is a loyal minister and a good general, and he should protect the stability of the country. It is just a matter of lifting his clothes to check. He has a clear conscience, so what is wrong with that? I am risking my life to testify against the Grand Tutor today. If I am right, I am only trying to prevent evil people from causing chaos in the court. If I am wrong, I am willing to die to clear the Grand Tutor's name."
Since that's the case...
Emperor Shengyuan remained silent, waiting for the Grand Tutor to express his opinion.
Lu Min sighed softly and said slowly, "If I wanted to kill him to silence him, Luo Jie would not have survived. So how could I have poisoned his voice and kept his hands? I have a clear conscience. Today, I am impeached by the censor. If I cannot prove my innocence, I will indeed have difficulty explaining myself to His Majesty. However, after serving as an official for fifteen years, to lose such composure before the emperor and father is truly shameful." As he spoke, he turned to look at the Grand Tutor and the Grand Protector, "Will you two recuse yourselves, or stay to witness this together?"
This gave them a choice between life and death; whether they were political enemies or allies, the outcome would be clear at this moment.
The Grand Tutor and the Grand Protector exchanged a glance, then bowed to Emperor Shengyuan with their hands clasped. “Your Majesty, it would be best if we excuse ourselves. The Grand Tutor is the Imperial Tutor, and to do so would already be a loss of face. If we stand by and watch, we fear we would be failing our colleagues.”
Lu Min smiled and said, "Why don't you two stay? In case I am a puppet and become a threat to Your Majesty, you can protect me immediately."
The more they said that, the more awkward it became for the emperor and his ministers. This test was already a farce, and having two more bystanders watching the show was a huge insult to the founding ministers who had made great contributions to the country.
Emperor Shengyuan finally spoke, “Please have the Grand Tutor and Grand Protector wait outside the palace. I trust the Grand Tutor, but since the censor has objections, then the Grand Tutor should prove his innocence and silence any objections.”
Lu Min breathed a sigh of relief, watching the Grand Tutor and Grand Protector bow deeply and leave the small hall.
Emperor Shengyuan's gaze fell on Lu Min, "Yue Lin, back then we went through life and death on the battlefield, and it was common for us to meet shirtless."
Lu Min smiled and raised his hand to untie the jade belt around his waist. "It is said that the red line on the chest of the Yanren is difficult to distinguish. In order to avoid any mistakes, Your Majesty, please come closer and take a look."
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