Keep your promises
A-Qiu suddenly realized.
Since Qianji San was a unique poison secretly passed down in the Southern Dynasty court, the cultivation and production process of its raw materials must have been extremely confidential, and it could not have been made by just anyone.
According to Gu Yi, there has been no use for the "Tethering Powder" in the palace for the past ten years. A Qiu could also imagine that both Emperor Xie Lang and Consort Chen were busy with the various tasks that needed to be rebuilt and had no time to think about copying this.
So, where did this suddenly appearing Qianji Powder come from?
If the "Qianji San" only appeared in the Southern Dynasties, then the Gongye family, who, as Gu Yi said, had unparalleled knowledge of various poisons and was closest to the court, would undoubtedly be the primary suspects.
Ah Qiu finally understood Gu Yi's intention in sending Gongye Fusu to visit him.
Gongye Fusu met Gu Yi's gaze without yielding for a moment.
After a moment, he finally gave in, cold sweat beading on his pale forehead.
His face, as smooth as jade, was ashen. He said with a sour tone, "Now it's impossible to hide it from the Junior Tutor. Indeed, the Han family has been the ones who have made the 'Tethering Powder' for the palace for generations."
A Qiu's heart was filled with turmoil, yet she also felt it was entirely reasonable. The Gongye family possessed a highly secretive cultivation base, and their facilities and skills for extracting and refining spices were perfectly suited for making poisons. Moreover, the quantity used by the royal family would certainly be extremely limited. Making it as a rare, limited-edition fragrance was a convenient and discreet act.
It's better than setting aside a special plot of land in the palace for planting, and then having to send people to guard it. Too many people would be watching, and besides, it's not exactly a respectable thing to do.
Gu Yi remained silent, waiting for Gongye Fusu to continue.
Seeing that Gu Yi did not immediately lash out, Gongye Fusu seemed relieved and said, "But as the Grand Tutor said, no one in the palace has approached me in the past ten years, asking us to make Qianji Powder. Therefore, whether the Grand Tutor believes it or not, the truth is that the Gongye family has not made Qianji Powder for ten years. This is also a secret agreement between us and the royal family of past generations. If we could make such a prohibited and highly toxic drug whenever we wanted, the Gongye family would no longer exist in this world."
The Gongye family, known as the "Kingdom of Ten Thousand Fragrances," was an extremely wealthy and influential family. When dealing with various countries, they naturally valued integrity and could not easily break the rules. Furthermore, matters involving royal secrets were even more inviolable. However, given the political turmoil and the transition between old and new regimes in the Southern Dynasties, it was uncertain whether the Gongye family could uphold their promises and refrain from producing the "Tethering Powder" for others.
The air inside seemed to freeze, so quiet that even the rustling of the wind outside the window could be clearly heard.
After a moment, Gu Yi looked up and said, "I believe you."
In fact, A Qiu also felt that the Gongye family was unlikely to break their promise. If the Qi-binding powder fell into the wrong hands, its only use would be to frame the royal court, just like it is now. But once this happened, the Gongye family would be the first to be investigated.
This is also one of the reasons why Gongye Fusu's first reaction after discovering "Qianji San" was to delay and not make it public.
Upon hearing Gu Yi's words, Gongye Fusu breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed with a sense of relief. He said, "Another reason why I tried to delay is that I am certain that Young Master does not have Qianji Powder. This matter could not have been done by Young Master's men, because our family has not made Qianji Powder for ten years. Even if Young Master wanted it now, he could not obtain this poison."
A Qiu said, "Then where did the Qianji Powder that poisoned Madam Chu come from? According to what you said, only the Gongye family can make Qianji Powder. Therefore, the source of this poison must be traced back to your family. Otherwise, it can only be explained that someone else can also make Qianji Powder."
Gongye Fusu broke out in a cold sweat again, but still insisted, "Although saying this will only bring more suspicion to the Han family, I still have to say that no one else in the world can make Qianji Powder, because the medicinal materials are only grown in a secret garden of the Han family, and the method of making it can only be mastered by the heads of the family in successive generations."
He reluctantly said, "If you say that the poison that killed Madam Chu must have come from the Han family, that's not impossible. The only contradiction is that... the Gongye family has never made it in recent years, and I know this for sure. Because in this generation, if it is to be made, it must be me who makes it."
Gu Yi stared at Gongye Fusu without yielding an inch and said, "Everyone in the world knows that Young Master Fusu took over the Gongye family five years ago. How can Young Master Fusu guarantee that the previous head of the family did not make Qianji Powder for anyone?"
For the first time, Gongye Fusu smiled and said confidently, "Five years ago, although I was not the head of the family, I had already risen to become the top incense maker in the family, and I had a small reputation both at home and abroad. No important matter in the family is kept from me." Especially the important matter of refining Qianji San, which often carries the risk of annihilation of the entire clan, would never be something that one person in the family could just decide to do on their own and start refining.
Gu Yi knew that what Gongye Fusu said was true, because Gongye Fusu's reputation as the "Master of Incense" had indeed spread five years ago, and recently he had become the most prominent person in the dynasty.
Currently, from Gongye Fusu's perspective, the possibility of Qianji San flowing out of the Gongye family has been eliminated.
Therefore, there is only one possibility.
Gu Yi said in a deep voice: "Then, when was the last time in history that the Gongye family made Qianji San for the royal family, and to whom was Qianji San given at that time?"
Upon hearing this question, Gongye Fusu broke out in a cold sweat once again.
This was a secret of the previous royal family, and should not have been told to anyone. But Gu Yi's question left him no choice but to answer.
Gongye Fusu weighed the pros and cons and sighed, "Fortunately, I knew beforehand that the Grand Tutor would ask this question, and I had also checked the family records beforehand. The last time the Han family was commissioned to refine the Qianji Powder for the Great Huan imperial family was in the thirteenth year of the Xiyuan era. As for who received it,"
He paused, then said solemnly, "I cannot reveal it, and I believe the Junior Tutor will understand. In theory, the Gongye family should not even know."
Historically, the bestowal of poison was a royal secret, because it was inevitably the darkest and most unspeakable aspect of palace intrigue and political struggle.
The royal family had no need to inform the Gongye family of their purpose in using the Qianji San; they were merely craftsmen who refined medicine.
However, the Gongye family was incredibly wealthy and influential, so their claim of ignorance was merely a matter of maintaining their position. Gongye Fusu stated frankly, "However, the records show that the bottle of 'Qianji San' was ultimately received by an important figure in the imperial court, and most importantly, this person is still in power."
A chill ran down A Qiu's spine. The number of officials who had served two dynasties was not small, but most held no important positions. Her senior brother, Gongyi Xiu, was able to rise to prominence precisely because he was a complete newcomer, lacking a strong foundation, making him easy to utilize. Those currently holding important positions in the court, such as Shangguan You and Pei Yuanli, were mostly inexperienced newcomers in the previous dynasty.
This person was already an important figure in the previous dynasty, and is still able to remain in power. With her limited understanding of politics, she really couldn't figure out who it was. She could only imagine that this person must be extremely shrewd and keep a low profile.
Gu Yi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, as if he had already figured something out.
Seeing his expression, Gongye Fusu knew that he had already guessed most of it, so he cupped his hands and said, "If you really want to find out the whereabouts of that bottle of 'Temptation Powder' from back then, you can ask this person. This is a matter from the previous dynasty, so I think that person has nothing to hide and will tell you the truth."
Gu Yi nodded silently, clearly agreeing with Gongye Fusu's statement.
Gongye Fusu added, "If you were to ask the Junior Tutor, it's not just that one bottle; in fact, this person has been the recipient of all the Qianji Powder over the years. Even if the whereabouts of that one bottle are clear, the Junior Tutor can also ask him about the ones before that."
This is understandable. Given that the royal family trusted and relied on such a person so much, it's clear that this person was responsible for handling and storing the poison over the years. Gongye Fusu's meaning is quite clear: since the poison that killed Lady Chu was not made in recent years, nor did it originate from the Gongye family, it must have come from the palace ten years ago.
No matter how much, this person must know some clues.
Gu Yi nodded. Gongye Fusu, seeing that Gu Yi had no doubts about him, finally relaxed completely and cupped his hands, saying, "That's all I can say. If the Junior Tutor needs to ask anything else, I'm at your service."
After Gongye Fusu took his leave, Aqiu asked, "Master, why are you so certain that Young Master Fusu's family has nothing to do with this matter?"
Gu Yi said calmly, "This can also be considered a kind of mutual understanding. He knows that I would disdain such a thing, and I also know that he would disdain such a thing."
Those who could afford to bribe the Gongye family to break their oath would probably have no interest in targeting a mere military officer's wife. At the very least, they would need to poison one or two important figures like Pei Yuanli or Shangguan You to achieve the effect of framing someone and alienating the people.
At this moment, A Qiu's thoughts were entirely focused on the person Gongye Fusu had mentioned before leaving. She continued, "Having served two dynasties, and already holding a high position in the previous one, I have never heard of such a person. Even the current Consort Chen, who is the most prominent person in the harem, was only a General in the previous dynasty, and Lord Zhao Lingying, the Director of the Imperial Library, was just a minor Director of the Weaving Bureau in the previous dynasty."
Gu Yi said with a bit of a laugh, "There are hundreds of civil and military officials in the court now, how many of them can you recognize?"
A Qiu retorted, unconvinced, "There are many officials, but only a few with real names. The civil officials are headed by Shangguan You, the cousin of Miss Shangguan, followed by my eldest brother, Gongyi Xiu. The military officials are headed by Grand Marshal and General Pei Yuanli, and then there is my master who oversees the government. Am I wrong? The rest are just echoes; there's not much point in remembering them."
Gu Yi chuckled and said, "Shut up! If they hear you say that, they'll definitely impeach me for failing to properly follow the teachings tomorrow."
In the past, he had never had anything to criticize. Firstly, he always kept a low profile and carefully considered every action he took. Secondly, he strictly adhered to etiquette and never made any mistakes in his conduct.
But now that he has a lively disciple like A-Qiu, he may also have a weakness. Fortunately, although A-Qiu is sometimes mischievous and willful in front of him, he is also discreet and meticulous in his dealings with others, which makes his master very gratified.
A-Qiu stuck out her tongue and said, "Then Master must know who that person is."
Gu Yi let out a soft sigh and said, "Yes. Actually, you've met this person before."
A Qiu was extremely surprised. She racked her brains to recall everyone she had seen since entering the palace, and finally shook her head and said, "I don't remember such a mysterious and important person."
Gu Yi said, "Do you still remember the night before the Mid-Autumn Festival, in front of the Jinshui Tower, after I was injured in a duel with your master Wan Qiqing, someone rushed over to take my Tiger Tally to mobilize the city's defenses?"
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