Chapter 101 Entering the Palace: Golden Silk Gu (Bug Fixes)
This is what it means to find a new path after a seemingly hopeless situation.
All the plans he had previously conceived in his mind—the prison break and rebellion, and the plan to ascend the throne with the young emperor and grant him a pardon—were overturned.
These plans all carried enormous risks; the former resulted in heavy casualties, while the latter was time-consuming and also involved helping to resolve the witchcraft case from years ago.
Otherwise, it would be even more difficult for Zhong Shen to ascend the throne. As the descendant of an unfilial son personally rebuked by Emperor Jianxing, there would inevitably be a lot of resistance from the imperial clan.
None of these are as quick as a fully grown, well-connected, and innocent crown prince ascending to the throne directly.
He Yiyun noticed that Xi Congshuang glanced at the half-written letter on the table, then looked at the letter in her hand, and surprisingly, she could see a hint of excitement in the usually unpredictable Xi Congshuang.
Curious, I asked, "Sect Master?"
Xi Congshuang snapped out of her daze and replied, "This is a letter from Medicine Valley, sent by my master, Valley Master Lu."
He Yiyun was shocked: "Ah?!"
Xi Congshuang didn't continue speaking. She lowered her eyes and reread the contents of the letter, memorizing the details.
It was difficult for Yao Gu, who lived in seclusion, to pay attention to the affairs of Yongdu because of her unfilial disciple. Seeing that the situation was beyond repair, she had no choice but to write a letter and tell him everything that had happened in the past.
When Consort Liang was pregnant, the late emperor passed away. Emperor Jianxing was worried that the truth would be exposed and affect him. He also couldn't bear to part with the beautiful Consort Liang, so he had her fake her death and secretly sent her to a villa to recuperate and have a safe pregnancy.
The Crown Prince, Emperor Jianxing, had promised Consort Liang that once the national mourning period ended, he would bring her into his residence and would also divide the double fish pendant that the Holy Ancestor had bestowed upon him at birth in two, giving one half to Consort Liang.
Consort Liang accepted the token and left the palace smoothly. Once the pregnancy was stable, she took the gold, silver and valuables from the villa and ran away.
Traveling alone with valuable items, Liang Niangzi was targeted and fled in panic, collapsing on the road where the disciples of Medicine Valley were returning from gathering herbs. She was then taken back to Medicine Valley.
But it was all too late. Liang Niangzi had exhausted herself giving birth to the child and died before the child was even two years old.
She was supposed to die after giving birth, but Yaogu used a lot of medicine to keep her alive, which only saved her two more years.
Because they didn't want their child to have any connection with Yongdu, they chose to have their mother's surname instead of their own.
She also left the fish-shaped pendant to the child, not wanting the child to have any further connection with Yongdu. That's why Valley Master Lu resolutely opposed Xi Congshuang's desire to take the imperial examination route.
Although Medicine Valley lives in seclusion, it acts as it pleases, not restricting its disciples from doing anything, only vowing not to reveal their identities.
Valley Master Lu did not agree to even reveal his identity, and even disagreed with Xi Congshuang leaving Medicine Valley. However, Xi Congshuang had the same temper as her mother, and insisted on doing the very thing she was told not to do.
Emperor Jianxing told her not to leave the villa and not to pay attention to anything she heard, but Lady Liang insisted on leaving.
Seeing that he could confine people but not their hearts, Master Lu had no choice but to have a serious talk about the matter.
Xi Congshuang ran away first.
The last line of the letter read: "[You left without saying goodbye and went around saying you were a discarded disciple of Medicine Valley and that your skills were inadequate. I am very displeased. When you return, you will be punished.]"
"..."
Xi Congshuang escaped from the Medicine Valley after many hardships. She was only a teenager at the time. It's never too late to take the imperial examination. Teenage years old is the perfect age.
She didn't go; instead, she ventured into the martial world and returned to Yongdu under a different identity.
Fortunately, she didn't take the imperial examination. Otherwise, even if she had passed, she would probably be a low-level scholar or an official sent to a remote area, facing many restrictions.
In some ways, it coincided with what Master Lu said about not being allowed to take the imperial examination. It's hard to say whether she was being obedient or taking advantage of a loophole.
“Only half of the swimming fish pendant…” Xi Congshuang took off the jade pendant from her waist.
This piece of white jade has a smooth texture and a warm feel. It has excellent translucency and is indeed a priceless gem.
The only flaw is that the joint of this jade piece is a bit strange. Over the years, it is impossible to see whether the mouth and tail of the fish have been polished or not, but at first glance, it always feels out of place, as if something is missing, making this jade pendant missing half of the moon.
After she opened her eyes on the carriage to Fuzhou, she always wore this jade pendant. Xi Congshuang never let the jade leave her body and always wore it.
Who knew that this piece of jade had such a history?
*
The person who had fallen asleep to the sound of rain woke up again. It was still pitch black outside, and they couldn't tell what time it was.
The Dali Temple prison was poorly located, situated in a place that rarely sees sunlight, making it dark, damp, and infested with rats.
The person on the bed didn't move, with the back of their head resting on their arm. She realized something was wrong.
A whole day has passed, why hasn't that talkative Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review come again?
Compared to the hardships Xun Suihuang had endured, a day or two in prison was nothing. She was sleeping soundly here and had figured out how to continue fooling the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and find out about Gu Daifang's situation.
Unfortunately, no one showed up, and even the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, with whom she had drunk heartily at the welcoming banquet, was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be... that something more serious has happened outside than the Marquis of Pingding and Commander-in-Chief of the Thirteen Battalions of Northern Yan committing the crime of deceiving the emperor?
At noon, Xun Suihuang finally heard a commotion coming from afar; it was the jailer bringing food.
The jailer, carrying a lunchbox in one hand and a bundle of new quilts in the other, cautiously opened the cell door, put the items inside, and immediately locked the door.
Xun Suihuang sat on the bed and watched the whole thing without saying a word.
The jailer didn't even dare to enter the door. Was he really that scary?
She had no idea how terrifying it could be. As the person was about to leave, she called out, "Wait! Why is no one here today? Yesterday, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review said that this case must be solved. Where is he?"
He was indeed a renowned general; who wouldn't respect him?
The jailer was no exception, and said a few more words to Xun Suihuang: "You don't know, a big thing happened in the palace. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Vice Minister have both gone to the palace."
Xun Suihuang asked curiously, "Going to the palace? Do you know what important matter it is?"
The jailer scratched his head: "This... I don't know."
Before the jailer could say anything more, someone rushed in from outside and shouted, "Wang Daniu, why are you still inside? Come out quickly! There are too many people in the Wu Prince's mansion. Come and help!"
"Okay, coming right away!" the jailer replied and walked away.
The cell fell silent again. Xun Suihuang asked, puzzled, "The Prince of Wu's residence?"
How could it be the Prince of Wu's residence?
Far away in the Imperial Palace outside the Dali Temple, a major incident had just occurred. The palace servants were all silent, fearing that they might incur His Majesty's wrath and lose their lives.
Two hours ago, the two attendants of Changsheng Palace requested an audience with the Emperor.
It was already time for the emperor to finish taking the elixir and begin his meditation, but they refused to see him.
However, the eunuchs around him reported that the two boys looked panicked and said that they had something important to report to His Majesty in person. It concerned their master and they dared not tell anyone else. They would not stop until they saw His Majesty.
The boy's clear voice entered the hall, and the emperor, who had been sleeping with his eyes closed in the smoke, opened them, a strange emotion flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"In that case, bring the person in."
That's how they let me in.
Two flustered and pale-faced young Taoists followed the eunuch into the room. Upon seeing Emperor Jianxing, they knelt down on the ground, trembling, and stammered, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
These two children are young, and they've met the emperor more than once or twice, so why are they so nervous?
The more unusual their behavior, the more suspicious they become.
Emperor Jianxing: "You're making a fuss about seeing me, so speak, what do you want to say?"
Of the two boys, the more composed one, the one in green, said, "Our master has imparted his teachings and knowledge to us. As his disciples, we should guard this secret to the death, but we truly do not know what to do. His Majesty is the Heaven of the Eternal Dynasty..."
The frightened child spoke incoherently. The chief eunuch frowned and was about to speak when he saw Emperor Jianxing's brows furrow even more tightly, and his face turn terrifying.
His mouth opened and closed, but in the end he closed it, a heavy boulder pressing on his heart.
Finally, the boy in red couldn't hold back any longer and cried, "Master made a doll for someone, and it has His Majesty's reign title and a string of birth dates written on it!"
"...!"
The stone stirred up a thousand waves; the steaming teacup was swept to the ground, and the shards cut Emperor Jianxing's hand.
But he didn't interfere, and no one dared to interfere at that time.
"presumptuous!"
The chief eunuch was startled and, along with the palace servants, knelt down and prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling with fear.
The two boys trembled in fright, lowered their heads, and buried the smiles on their lips deep in their wide sleeves.
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" Emperor Jianxing was completely enraged. He immediately attributed his recent cold to the curse, like an angry caged beast. "Tell me, who did he make the doll for?"
The small, thin figure didn't dare to look up, trembling as she said, "We don't know either. We only heard Master call him 'Your Highness,' and the Prince even sent someone to ask when he could come to the manor to perform a ritual so that... so that..."
Your Highness?
Yes, this Taoist Minzhen was recommended to the palace by the King of Wu; it turns out he was planning an inside-outside attack.
Now that their appetites have grown, they find their father an eyesore and are secretly engaging in these kinds of activities.
Emperor Jianxing pressed, "Give what?"
"Make this doll work."
"..."
The girl in red was the bravest of them all. With tears in her eyes, she looked up and said, "We risked our lives to come here. Our master accepted us and gave us medicine. If we had said anything wrong, he would have killed us..."
The boy in green added under the emperor's terrified gaze, "We beg Your Majesty to save us, at the risk of our lives."
Emperor Jianxing: "All of you, rise."
Just as the two were thinking about it, another voice came from outside. They didn't know what was going on today, but the two medicine boys were not in the Longevity Palace. They heard that they had come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
What are you doing at the Hall of Mental Cultivation for no reason?
Master Minzhen wanted to take the two children back to prevent them from talking nonsense in front of the emperor and revealing that he had no new ways to please the emperor.
The guards at the gate were about to raise their hands to stop the clueless Taoist Minzhen, but they heard the emperor's deep voice from inside: "Let him in."
The guards stopped, and since it wasn't Minzhen Daoist's first time meeting the Emperor, he entered with practiced ease.
In the vast palace, wisps of smoke curled upwards. The elderly emperor stood in the center, his robes wide and flowing. Many people knelt at his feet, including palace maids, eunuchs, and his two medicine boys.
"Could it be that His Majesty summoned the two of them to inquire about Zhong Shen's matter?" Daoist Minzhen didn't think Emperor Jianxing was any more merciful, but the emperor's heart was unpredictable, and who knew what he was up to?
So he stepped across the threshold, bowed his head, and walked inside, saying, "This humble Taoist greets Your Majesty."
The two boys kneeling on the ground suddenly changed their expressions drastically, losing all color and turning purplish-black, as if they had been poisoned.
"puff--"
"Ugh! Spare me..."
As Master Minzhen was walking inside, the two boys who were lying prostrate on the ground suddenly moved. One of them opened his eyes wide, coughed up blood, and fell to the ground, while the other tightly gripped his own neck, tearing his throat until it bled.
However, she was only struggling in her death throes, and soon followed suit and died.
Everything happened so fast that no one had time to react. Not to mention the eunuchs and palace maids, even Emperor Jianxing was startled and quickly moved away from the two gruesome dead children.
The chief eunuch mustered his courage and stepped forward to check their breaths one by one: "Your Majesty, they are all dead."
Suddenly, all eyes in the palace fell on the newcomer, the implication of which sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Taoist Minzhen: "..."
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
What exactly happened?
He was completely stunned, frozen in place for a long time, not knowing what had happened, and finding it difficult to make excuses.
This situation made the emperor think that he was guilty of something, so he ordered his men to arrest him. The guards rushed forward, gagged the Taoist priest, and dragged him away.
Not long after, the imperial guards filed out of the palace gates and stormed into the Wu King's residence. Amid the Wu King's angry shouts, a guard dug up a doll in a box in the corner, covered with silver needles.
"My lord! We've found something!"
After finishing his tirade, the King of Wu rushed over and was stunned when he saw what the guard was holding.
What is this?
The captain of the guards glanced at him and said coldly, "Why does Your Highness ask me? You should ask yourself the same question. The Taoist priest Minzhen in the palace has already been brought to justice. Your Highness, may you pray for your own good fortune!"
The King of Wu turned pale: "Minzhen? What happened to Minzhen?"
At this critical juncture, who would answer him? Apart from the King of Wu himself being led into the palace, the rest of the queen and her relatives were imprisoned in the mansion, and the servants and guests were all sent to the Dali Temple.
The case was investigated in three separate groups, but in the eyes of the commander of the guards, most of them would not escape death.
The last person to find a witchcraft doll in their home was the empress; even the first wife could not escape death, and her eldest son was implicated as well.
I wonder if the Jianxing Emperor, who is a few years older, will soften his heart.
Unfortunately, the prisoners from the Wu Prince's mansion were locked up on the other side, far from Xun Suihuang's cell, which made her very curious about what had happened to cause such a commotion.
The jailer spoke of something important in a cryptic manner, but no one knew what it was.
However, thanks to the King of Wu, Xun Suihuang was served two meals a day, and no one cared what she was doing in the prison.
Emperor Jianxing was so angry he was almost paralyzed, and he had no time to deal with the Marquis of Pingding in prison. He simply couldn't calm down.
No sooner had the King of Wu been brought to the palace than the palace servants told them that the imprisoned Taoist Minzhen had committed suicide out of fear of punishment. He was too afraid that he could not bear the emperor's wrath.
Having learned from past mistakes, he was terrified and, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, swallowed the poison hidden in his sleeve and died.
"Suicide by poison, what a fine suicide by poison! With no one to prove it, the emperor will only become more paranoid and won't trust anyone."
He Yiyun asked from under the eaves, "What do we do next?"
Xi Congshuang didn't even look up, contentedly warming herself by the fire: "You don't need to do anything, just wait. Min Shao and Min Yao haven't woken up yet?"
He Yiyun waved her hand and said, "They took the fake death medicine and left the palace. The sect leader also used acupuncture to remove the effects of the medicine, so they are fine now. They just got tired in the palace and need to sleep more."
Xi Congshuang: "Go straight back to Bingzhou when you wake up, don't stay in Yongdu."
"I know, we'll call them to set off as soon as they wake up." Speaking of returning to Bingzhou, He Yiyun asked, "The sect leader said that what we're about to do is dangerous, what about that little girl Hongdou..."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Lu Hongdou emerged from the doorway, lifting her skirt, and chased after him, shouting, "You want the sect leader to send me back again! I'm not going back!"
He Yiyun turned and ran away, pleading earnestly, "I was just worried about you. You're not allowed to throw the medicinal herbs at me. It's only a rare sunny day to dry them out!"
Lu Hongdou paused, thought for a moment, and then chased after Xi Congshuang empty-handed. The two chased each other around the drying racks for medicinal herbs, and finally squatted down in front of Xi Congshuang, panting heavily.
"..."
Xi Congshuang couldn't bear to watch any longer and got up to go inside.
The palace didn't keep Xi Congshuang waiting for long, but one unexpected piece of news came in.
Emperor Jianxing was devastated. When he interrogated the King of Wu, he was contradicted and vomited blood and fainted. When he woke up again, he found that his right side was stiff.
The imperial physician said that his anger had affected his heart and that he might suffer a stroke.
The most anxious person was Prince Xin, because the emperor couldn't move his right hand, so who could write the edict of succession for him?
Moreover, he is not even the crown prince now. What emperor in the world has never been the crown prince? Even Emperor Jianxing himself was the crown prince for more than ten days before ascending the throne after the death of the previous emperor.
That's the only legitimate reason.
However, if the ministers raise the issue of establishing an heir at this juncture, it will only enrage the already paralyzed Emperor Jianxing to the point of complete paralysis, and who knows what might happen when he gets too angry.
The King of Wu was secretly executed, and his crown prince was also expelled from the imperial genealogy...
Upon recalling this matter, Prince Xin, who was in high spirits, shuddered and felt a chill in his heart.
This is not because Prince Xin is unfilial, but because Emperor Jianxing is too terrifying.
He could even kill his wife of many years, and this was the second son he had killed. He didn't think Emperor Jianxing would show him any leniency because he was the only son left.
To justify his actions, he remembered that he had a retainer who could cure all diseases.
The letter sent by Prince Xin was delivered to Xi Congshuang immediately, and half an hour later, Xi Congshuang appeared in Prince Xin's mansion.
Prince Xin was already extremely anxious inside the house, and as soon as he saw Xi Congshuang, he wanted to ask her that question.
Fortunately, Xi Congshuang did not intend to fob him off this time, and said truthfully, "I do have a way to deal with the things that Your Highness is worried about in your letter, it just depends on whether Your Highness is willing."
"..."
Prince Xin felt as if an invisible guillotine was hanging over his neck, and he didn't know when it would fall. Since Xi Congshuang had asked this question, it must be something troublesome, and he hesitated for a moment.
"The throne is within reach, Your Highness, please reconsider." The cool voice was like a heavy hammer, severely shaking Prince Xin's reason.
He asked, "What's your idea?"
Xi Congshuang knew he would ask this, and took something out of her sleeve: "Golden Silk Gu, it can mend broken tendons and bones, and His Majesty's illness will also be cured, but..."
Prince Xin pressed further, "But what?"
Xi Congshuang: "After the Gu worm enters the body, someone needs to guide it with a golden needle, otherwise the disobedient golden silk Gu will burrow around randomly."
This is indeed true. The Golden Silk Gu has no eyes, but it has a keen sense of smell. It is something that Xi Congshuang has been cultivating for many years and has kept hidden away.
She originally intended to keep it to prolong her life, but now she's investing it in the throne.
Prince Xin: "That's it?"
Xi Congshuang shook her head: "It's gone. To be honest, I stole it from my master. She said I was an abandoned disciple of Medicine Valley in order to find this Golden Silk Gu."
Prince Xin breathed a sigh of relief: "I see. Don't worry, Sect Leader Xi. After I ascend the throne, you will be credited with the greatest contribution."
People with ulterior motives are always prone to suspecting their partners of doing something underhanded, but once they hear that their partners also obtained the treasure through shady means, they instantly feel much more at ease.
It seems that standing next to someone who is too clean makes them stand out too much and makes them feel uncomfortable.
After waiting for two days, Xi Congshuang packed her things, put on the white fish pendant, and followed Prince Xin into the palace.
Meanwhile, Xun Suihuang, who had sneaked out to take a bath and take a stroll around the Dali Temple prison, was completely bewildered. She came and went quickly and didn't even have time to step out of the Dali Temple gate.
I definitely won't go to the duty room for handling official business, lest I cause trouble and make everyone in the Dali Temple overly suspicious, and then I won't even have a chance to take a bath.
She exchanged a few words with Gu Daifang, but the stubborn girl still didn't realize she was Grand Tutor Fang's granddaughter because her handwriting was terrible and she had no literary talent whatsoever. How could she possibly be the descendant of a great Confucian scholar? Someone must have used her to frame the general.
Xun Suihuang did not refute. Her handwriting was indeed very ugly. Grand Tutor Fang once complained to her that there was a junior in the family whose handwriting was not beautiful no matter how he taught her. It was probably this ox in front of her.
That's fine, but Gu Daifang didn't know what had happened recently and couldn't get any information out of her.
When Xun Suihuang returned to her cell, she looked around at the other places. The people who were supposed to be imprisoned in the Wu Prince's mansion were now all empty.
If Xun Suihuang hadn't actually heard the faint cries, even she would have thought these people had never existed.
————————
Snowflake's score [+1][+1][+1][+1][+1][+1][+1][+1][+1][+1]...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com