Chapter 175 The Skynet: He Will Return to Rongdu
Outside the Imperial Study
Tonight is the Lunar New Year's Eve palace banquet. The Imperial Household Department has been preparing for it for half a month. Mu You has few concubines and only a handful of children; they can't even fill a single table for the banquet, making it more like a family gathering. Logically, there's no need to be too anxious. However, Chang Lu reminded the Imperial Household Department that this year's banquet is different from previous years, and they should pay close attention. A meddlesome eunuch quietly inquired, "How is it different?"
Chang Lu blinked his old eyes, unable to articulate exactly how things had changed. He only knew that ever since that swordsman named Ajiu appeared, everything seemed to have become different.
For example... Chang Lu turned his head and glanced at the tightly closed door of the Imperial Study. The palace banquet was to be held at night. Since entering the palace, Cui Guoshi had attended the banquet every year. He could have met the emperor that night, but he didn't know what urgent matter it was. He came to see the emperor early in the morning. The two of them were inside for more than an hour. Even the maid who was adding water could not get in. It was almost the New Year. What important matter could not wait until next year?
Furthermore, why would the Emperor invite Ajiu and Guan Ye to a palace banquet? Chang Lu had been working in the inner palace for decades and possessed a more acute sense than others. He had a feeling that something big was about to happen tonight.
"—Ma Lin is missing?" Mu Youcang's eyes widened. "When did this happen?"
“It must have been the day before yesterday,” Cui Jin said.
"The day before yesterday?" Mu You's face showed displeasure. "Then why are you only reporting this today?"
Cui Jin, with his single eye calm, said, "Ma Lin is cunning. He stayed in Xingguo Ward for several days without leaving. The Shadow Guards thought he was still in the ward. It wasn't until yesterday when I went to Xingguo Ward that I realized... Ma Lin had already slipped away."
Mu You gasped softly, "He knew the Shadow Guards were watching him? What a bunch of useless trash. Can he even catch up?"
Cui Jin pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Lingnan and Canglang Island are places he can't go back to. The world is vast, and it's indeed hard to predict where Ma Lin will go, but we're not without options. Why not take a gamble?"
"What are we betting on?"
"I'm betting he'll come back to Rongdu." Cui Jin's lips curled into a smile.
Mu You immediately understood, "He has already escaped, why would he come back to walk right into our trap?"
“I bet he’ll come back,” Cui Jin said confidently.
Mu You paced back and forth, half-believing and half-doubting. "He's just a young boy. Would he really value gratitude more than his own life? I remember the Blood Crossbow Case back then. Guan Xiaotian, the top blacksmith of Tianhu Workshop, fled with his wife. Guan Xiaotian was also known for his loyalty in the weapons industry. Even though the entire Tianhu Workshop was executed, he still escaped without a trace. Is the Grand Preceptor going to use the entire Xingguo Workshop to lure Ma Lin back to the capital?" Mu You scoffed. "I don't believe he will come back."
Hearing Mu You calmly mention the Blood Crossbow case, Cui Jin's heart churned, but his expression remained resolute. "Of course, we can't force Guan Xiaotian to return after the execution of the entire Tianhufang family, because he would still die if he returned, it would only add a few more lives. But... if we can clear the name of the Blood Crossbow case, Guan Xiaotian will definitely return to the capital once he gets the news. Nobody wants to spend their life hiding and never seeing the light of day. Even if there is only a slight possibility, he will definitely sneak back to Rongdu."
—If the Blood Crossbow Case can be overturned, Guan Xiaotian will definitely come back once he receives the news.
Mu You's heart stirred. "Does the Grand Preceptor mean to use the Ma family's old case... to lure Ma Lin back? How to overturn the case of the counterfeit copper coins?" Mu You seemed to understand something. His sunken eyes slowly moved to look at the tattoos on Cui Jin's face. They were runes that he had never been able to understand. Cui Jin in front of him was also someone he could not see through.
“Brass. The extra brass…” Cui Jin said with a sly look, “I have another matter to report to Your Majesty today. I have received news that the swords of the Imperial Guards have been forged by Xingguo Workshop, and the amount of brass is much more than the Salt and Iron Bureau expected.”
"Oh?" Mu You stared at Cui Jin's one eye, waiting with interest for him to continue. Or perhaps, he was also curious about how much this immortal from Cangshan could see with his only remaining eye, and whether he could truly see into his heart.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Cui Jin continued, “the extra brass in the weapons of the Imperial Guard is the batch that disappeared from the Ma family’s mint. A rough estimate is that it should be no less than 500 catties, which happens to be from one lost furnace.”
"How could the missing brass from the Ma family end up in the weapons of the tomb guards?" Mu You wondered. "The case of the counterfeit coins is already shrouded in mystery, how did it get involved in other cases? I'm afraid that before we can even exonerate the Ma family, we'll only add to their crimes..."
“What if it can be proven that… the Ma family was framed by someone else’s scheme?” Cui Jin slowly lured him, “Ma Lin sneaked back to Rongdu and risked spreading the fake copper coins from years ago, all to clear his family’s name? As long as there is a glimmer of hope, he will definitely return to Rongdu.”
"How do we lure him?" Mu You pressed.
"The missing brass has been found. The Ma family was tricked into minting counterfeit coins. Ma Yi has atoned with his death, and his sins are atoned for. His family will not be implicated. The rest of the Ma family have been summoned to return to the capital, and the court will return the Ma family's ancestral property..." Cui Jin said slowly. "What does Your Majesty think?"
"What should we do with the people from Xingguo Ward?" Mu You asked in a low voice.
Cui Jin's expression remained almost impassive as he said, "One thing at a time. The Emperor may pardon the Ma family, but the evidence of human smuggling in Xingguo Ward is irrefutable. And then there's..." Cui Jin paused, "...the Meteor Sword..."
—Meteor Sword? Mu You seemed to guess what Cui Jin was about to say. He stared in shock at the Meteor Sword hanging on the wall, a hint of fear in his eyes.
“The Meteor Sword is shrouded in blood and shadow. I felt something was strange about it a long time ago, but I had no evidence…” Cui Jin took a breath. “I heard from Lou Cangyu, a swordsman from Xingguo Workshop, that the Meteor Sword… is probably really… made by sacrificing a living person to the furnace.”
Mu You took several steps back in shock. "Flesh and Blood Sword? Meteorite was forged using living people as sacrifices? Ridiculous! How could flesh and blood be melted into meteorite? I don't believe it!"
"Does Your Majesty truly believe that the Heavenly Furnace of Xingguo Ward can melt meteorites?" Cui Jin retorted. "If the Pei family had such ability, how could they have been defeated back then? I do not believe that they can accomplish what no other ward in history has been able to do."
Mu You shook his head heavily. With just one glance, the blood-red shadow hidden within the Meteor Sword seemed to leap from its sheath, aimed directly at his stumbling body, making him suddenly gasp for breath. "If... the weapon workshop was almost finished? Just a little bit more, just a little bit more... the meteorite could have been melted down. If Tianhu Workshop had been given a little more time back then, the meteorite... would have already been melted down..."
"Tianhu Workshop?" Cui Jin finally heard the name Tianhu Workshop from Mu You's mouth. The miasma in front of him seemed to be dissipating little by little. "Tianhu Workshop also uses ancient methods? Human sacrifice in the furnace?"
"No!" Mu You angrily waved his dragon robe. "How could Chaoge use such an inhuman ancient method? She has a secret technique; she has already researched a way to melt meteorites. White flames are born, all things are melted, white flames... Tianhu Workshop has produced them!"
“Chaoge? Tianhufang…” Cui Jin repeated Mu You’s words as if chanting a spell, “The entire Tianhufang family is wiped out, and the white flames have also disappeared. How could the Pei family, far away on Canglang Island, possibly know about it?”
Blood-red shadows flickered before Mu You's eyes, like serpents drawing at his mind. In an instant, the serpent flicked its red tongue and lunged at his throat. Mu You cried out and dodged, scattering the memorials on the table to the ground with a wave of his hand.
"Your Majesty?" Cui Jin whispered, "You saw it again?"
Mu You's vision blurred, and in a daze, he seemed to have climbed to the top of the Heavenly Furnace again. White smoke filled the air, and sparks scorched his exposed flesh, causing him to cry out in pain. Mu You looked around and smelled the familiar scent again—the acrid smell of burning flesh. Accompanied by the hissing sound of burning, the low moans of the dead echoed again.
Mu You saw it. He saw the clusters of white flames that Lu Chaoge had mentioned, the ghostly figure that flickered within the white flames, reaching out to him.
“Xingguo Ward is utterly inhumane! They dared to use living people to bewitch the Emperor! Their intentions are despicable and they cannot be allowed to live any longer!” Cui Jin shouted. “Your Majesty, with these multiple crimes punished, Xingguo Ward cannot be allowed to remain.”
Mu You waved his arms to drive away the unseen phantom. He suddenly walked to the wall, reached out and angrily drew the Meteor Sword. The trailing blood shadow flickered like a flame, gliding across the blade and into the tip, then disappearing into the iron and stone. Mu You's wrist went limp, and the Meteor Sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound, startling Mu You from his nightmare. Mu You's face was pale, and his legs went weak, so he slumped into the nanmu chair.
"Your Majesty, Xingguo Workshop has committed several crimes, including producing an extra 500 catties of brass without reporting it. We request Your Majesty to issue an order to send all the workers in the workshop to the Imperial Prison to await their punishment."
Mu Youshen gasped for breath and remained silent for a long time. “Ajiu… my Ajiu is still in Xingguo Ward.”
Cui Jin smiled slightly, “Ajiu will also be attending the palace banquet tonight. If Your Majesty is worried about frightening him, just wait until the banquet and send someone to raid Xingguo Ward. Then you can slowly explain it to Ajiu. Ajiu will understand Your Majesty’s good intentions.”
Mu You exhaled a breath of stale air and weakly dusted off his withered hands. "Leave everything to the Grand Preceptor. Don't hurt Ajiu, don't hurt him."
Cui Jin blinked his single eye. "Guan Ye is also on the banquet list. Guan Ye knew about it but did not report it, which is also a serious crime. She should be arrested along with the others from Xingguo Ward..." Seeing Mu You's conflicted expression, Cui Jin suppressed his excitement and said in a deep voice, "In order not to alarm A Jiu, I will wait until the banquet is over before arresting Guan Ye. Your Majesty can rest assured."
Mu You had no energy left to explain anything more to Cui Jin. He raised his eyelids slightly to signal Cui Jin to leave. Cui Jin bowed, shook off his heavy black robe, and turned away without giving Mu You another glance.
Xingguofang outside
Just past Shenshi (3-5 PM), the palace carriage was already waiting outside the ward. Guan Ye changed into her newly made clothes and walked out of the quiet room. Ajiu, who had been leaning against a tree trunk, had been waiting for a while. Hearing the noise, she turned around and their eyes met. The affection in their eyes could not be concealed. Ajiu was stunned for a moment and then reached out her hand to Guan Ye.
"What are you two dawdling about? Don't keep the Emperor waiting." Pei Bi strode in, urging him on. He suddenly bumped into the two holding hands. The young man and woman had been together day and night, and Pei Bi had long sensed that there seemed to be something strange between them, but seeing it with his own eyes, his rough face still showed embarrassment.
Guan Ye tried to pull her hand away, but A Jiu held on tightly and wouldn't let go. Guan Ye simply stopped pulling and looked up at Pei Bi, a smile spreading across her lips.
“You two…” Pei Bi pointed a finger at their foreheads, then glanced behind him, “Do they know?”
Ajiu pulled Guan Ye closer and said, "Would you believe me if I told you you were the first person to know this?"
Pei Bi chuckled softly, “They’re quite tight-lipped. It takes a hundred years to share a boat ride, but you two have a thousand years of good fortune. At least the benefits are still flowing into your own fields.”
Guan Ye chuckled along, then suddenly understood something. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she glared at him angrily, saying, "Manager Pei, who are you calling... a swindler? How can you talk like that?"
Pei Bi waved his hand, then suddenly said, "Speaking of which, why haven't we seen Xiao Ma these past few days? The shopkeeper asked about him early this morning, where is Xiao Ma?"
“Xiao Ma…” Guan Ye avoided Pei Bi’s gaze and scratched A Jiu’s palm. A Jiu calmly replied, “We haven’t seen Xiao Ma either, just like you. Could it be… that he ran away?”
"He ran away?" Pei Bi was taken aback. "Where could he have gone after leaving Xingguo Ward?"
Guan Ye glanced at the sky and said, "You just said we shouldn't keep the Emperor waiting, but now you're the one making the Emperor wait for us."
Pei Bi had no time to worry about where Xiao Ma was. He waved to Guan Ye and A Jiu to hurry up and leave. He watched the young man leave hand in hand and felt gratified. Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly called out to them, "The palace banquet is no small matter. You two should look after each other and not cause any trouble."
"I know, I know." Guan Ye raised her arm without turning her head, her steps as light as a wild deer. "Steward Pei really talks a lot."
Just as Ajiu was about to leap onto the carriage, she suddenly stopped, lifted the curtain, and gestured for Guan Ye to enter. She raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I remember once when I was riding back in a carriage, someone saw me. I wanted to ride with her, but she was too proud to get on. Today... do you still want to run away?"
Guan Ye leaned over and glanced at the satin cushions in the carriage. She put her hands behind her back and clicked her tongue, saying, "Does anyone care about this? How about this, you go to the palace banquet by yourself. I see that the workshop has also prepared quite a few dishes, which may not be inferior to those in the palace."
Ajiu chuckled and gently pinched Guan Ye's nose. "I know you don't care about anything, but I do care about you, okay? If you don't go, it's disobeying the imperial decree. The emperor can't punish you, so the blame will fall on me. Just think of it as..." Ajiu leaned down to look closely at Guan Ye's face, "...just think of it as helping me."
Guan Ye turned her face away and shook off A Jiu's hand. She leaped into the carriage. A Jiu lowered her eyes and smiled, then followed her into the carriage. The curtain fell, and the two sat side by side, their bodies pressed tightly together.
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