Chapter 74 Rumors
"No need." Li Siyu immediately stopped him and climbed up from the ground with the help of Du Huaizhi. He patted the dust off his robe. Apart from the wound on his face, he looked fine.
But he still pretended to be indifferent. He moved closer to Du Huaizhi and wanted to put his arm around her shoulders. "Why bother the imperial physician? Having Madam take care of you personally is more effective than any panacea."
Du Huaizhi turned sideways to avoid his touch, and showed undisguised disgust in front of his astonished gaze, "You're dirty, stay away from me." She had just changed her clothes after taking a shower, and now she had to change them again.
Li Siyu froze, the grievance and weakness on his face frozen in an instant. He looked down at his robe, which was stained with dust and blood. It seemed a little dirty.
He lowered his head and said nothing. Du Huaizhi ignored him. After finally getting away, he moved calmly and walked out the door.
When Li Siyu came to her senses and her eyes fell behind her, she ran away without any hesitation.
Li Siyu looked at her almost fleeing back, but he was not angry, and laughed softly. The laughter was particularly clear in the empty and messy study, and it was also a bit joyful.
He did not chase after him immediately, but just walked to the door and watched the figure quickly disappear around the corner of the corridor.
Wangduan appeared silently beside him, head lowered, waiting for orders.
"Is the hot water ready?" Li Siyu asked.
"It's ready. It's in the bathroom next to your bedroom."
"Yeah." Li Siyu nodded slightly and walked towards the bedroom. "Have someone clean this place up thoroughly. And..."
He paused slightly and said, "Go check who Xie Sui has been interacting with recently besides investigating old cases."
"yes."
…
The next day, a rumor suddenly broke out in the capital, a rumor about Li Siyu's biological mother.
When Li Cunjiu was young, he was a top-tier figure in both status and appearance. However, he had no interest in sex and never had a maid to serve him. He was either fighting or on his way to fight.
In recent years, the emperor had been uninterested in state affairs. Only with the strong support of a number of ministers was Li Cunjiu able to return from the battlefield and devote himself to state affairs.
A while ago, Li Cunjiu, who had always been chaste and had no love affairs with women, suddenly had a son. The son was recognized and kept in the mansion, which caused quite a stir.
Several ministers even jointly submitted a memorial, saying that someone had deliberately framed Li Cunjiu and wanted to destroy his innocence. However, after seeing the father and son, they returned home and tore the memorial into pieces.
They look so similar that they could not be so alike even if they were carved from the same mold. No one would believe that they are not biological children.
The rumors of frame-up were thus refuted, and the capital city accepted this sudden upstart.
And just today, the rumors about Li Siyu's biological mother have become the biggest topic of conversation.
Some people say that Li Siyu's biological mother was a military prostitute or came from a brothel, and was the product of Li Cunjiu's drunken and promiscuous behavior and loss of control.
Some say he was born in the countryside. During his years fighting outside, Li Cunjiu met a woman from the countryside and fell in love with her. However, due to his social status, he did not bring her back to the capital. Only when his son grew up did he come back to recognize her as his father.
Some even linked the incident to the eldest princess Li Anyun who passed away twenty years ago. As soon as this statement came out, it was immediately refuted by many people.
Speaking of Li Anyun, we have to trace it back to the time when the late queen was still alive.
The emperor and empress at that time were the envy of many people. They were young couples, middle-aged emperors and empresses, and the harem was useless. The emperor only favored the empress.
The two of them treated their only daughter as the apple of their eye, doting on her from birth. The emperor once promised, in front of the entire court, that he would find the best marriage for her and ensure she lived a life without worries.
But no one expected that Li Anyun suddenly disappeared in the year she was about to get married. The emperor mobilized almost the entire country to search for her, but found nothing.
It was not until a year later that Li Anyun, who had disappeared without a trace, suddenly reappeared. Unfortunately, she was emaciated and seriously ill. She died within a few days of returning to the palace.
The queen could not bear the blow and died soon after.
After losing his beloved, the emperor suffered a mental breakdown and his hair turned white overnight. He never recovered from the loss and lost interest in state affairs, spending all his time in the harem.
If one must link Li Anyun to Li Cunjiu, most people's first reaction would be that it is impossible, and after careful consideration it would become even more impossible.
What is this called, **, treason, not to mention that Li Anyun is the emperor's reverse scale, and anyone who touches it will die.
Strangely, the rumor didn't die down, but instead grew even more intense. Many of the stories were well-reasoned and well-founded, and the news even reached the ears of the emperor, who had been confined to his harem and had not attended court for a long time.
"What nonsense!!" The emperor, whose body had long been drained by alcohol and sex, staggered to his feet and swept away all the ornaments within his reach.
Wine glasses and precious fruits rolled all over the floor. The palace maids standing in the hall were so frightened that they fell to their knees, trembling and bowing their heads deeply to the ground, not daring to make a sound.
The emperor's gaunt body trembled violently with rage, his cloudy eyes bloodshot. "Investigate! Investigate for me!" His voice was hoarse, and every word was filled with terrifying hostility. "Who... who dared to speak ill of Yun'er?! Find him out! I will... cut him into pieces! Kill all nine generations of his family!"
The old eunuch who was serving him crawled forward and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please calm down! I will go and investigate right away. Please take care of yourself."
The old emperor suddenly began to cough, a cough that was heartbreaking. He slumped back onto the dragon throne, his chest heaving violently, but his eyes remained ferocious and terrifying. He muttered to himself, "Yun'er... My poor Yun'er..."
At this time in Prince Cheng's Mansion, Li Siyu changed into a clean white brocade robe and was sitting by the window drinking tea leisurely.
Wangduan walked to his side and reported with his head bowed, "Sir, the rumors in the capital have spread. His Majesty is furious and has ordered a thorough investigation of the source."
Li Siyu paused holding the teacup, his fingertips stroking the rim, his eyes expressionless. "Oh? Such a big reaction?"
"Yes." Wangduan whispered, "Also, regarding Xie Sui's whereabouts, he recently not only investigated old cases but also met with the Crown Prince privately."
"Meet in private?" Li Siyu curled her lips. "Isn't Xie Sui the prince's mistress? Why does he have to meet in private?"
"It wasn't in the Eastern Palace, nor in one of the several villas the Crown Prince frequented. It was in the backyard of a very inconspicuous calligraphy and painting shop in the west of the city. It took only an incense stick of time, and the operation was extremely secretive."
Li Siyu put down his teacup and tapped his fingertips on the table, making a rhythmic sound. "Li Zixian... Xie Sui... one is anxious to consolidate his position, while the other is desperately trying to get to the bottom of those cases. What do you think they're so anxious to plan?"
He stopped making random judgments and his eyes fell on Li Siyu.
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