Why help him?
Gu Jinghong scolded, "Don't interrupt," and then took out the notebook from her bosom and spread it out on the stone table.
The group sat together, flipping through the notes page by page, discussing them as they went, and even taking notes on the important parts.
The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the group on the wall, sometimes long, sometimes short.
Gu Jinghong carefully ran her fingertips over the frayed edges of the torn note, her eyes closed, completely focused.
“There are some remaining strokes here. It seems to be a… ‘ghost’ radical, or a ‘xiao’ radical? There are many strokes, and it’s very complicated.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Xuan's eyes flickered.
Once upon a time, when he first met Ru Shi, he had also seen a man who had once spoken with Ru Shi, whose fingertips had an amazing feel.
Xuanru, oblivious to anything amiss, immediately leaned closer upon hearing this. Based on her understanding of her mother's writing habits, she carefully examined the remaining clues: "If Mother uses such obscure characters to start the names of medicines, they are most likely rare and exotic herbs from the deep mountains of Nanzhao. The 'ghost' radical... Ghost Arrow Feather? Ghost Lantern? Or... Ghost Face Mushroom?"
Tan Xuan snapped out of his reverie, stroking his beard with a furrowed brow: "Ghost-faced mushroom? This thing is extremely rare, growing on rotten bones. It is extremely hot in nature and contains a slight poison, and is rarely used in ordinary medical prescriptions. As for the possibility of it causing a violent effect like 'Intestinal Piercing Curse'... it is not impossible, but it is difficult to be certain based on just one word."
For a moment, the hall fell into deep thought.
There are many kinds of herbs that start with the character "ghost" or similar complex characters, each with different effects. Without a more specific target, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Time slipped away quietly in the somber atmosphere, and before we knew it, it was late at night.
Outside the window, the cold wind howled, but inside, thanks to the fine red charcoal placed by Zhuxin, it was as warm as spring.
Zhu Xin carefully brought thick cloaks for the group and served them steaming hot snacks.
In the charcoal brazier, the red charcoal was burning brightly, making a slight crackling sound and emitting a unique warmth.
Gu Jinghong was deep in thought when suddenly his nostrils twitched. From the warm charcoal fire, he caught a faint but unique scent—a faint, earthy, and rotten medicinal smell.
"...Can you smell something strange?"
Xuan Ru frowned and took a deep breath: "There is some, it's hidden under the smell of medicine."
Tan Xuan also smelled it: "This smell, could it be..."
The three of them exclaimed in unison: "Ghost-faced mushroom!"
Tan Xuan was the first to be stunned: "But, but my residence has never purchased or cultivated any ghost mushrooms."
Gu Jinghong's gaze fell on the notebook, then she picked it up, smelled it carefully, and then her gaze settled.
"This smell... is coming from the torn edge of the journal."
Upon hearing this, Xuanru and Tanxuan immediately picked up the tattered pages of the manuscript and brought them close to the charcoal brazier.
The heat of the charcoal fire continuously stimulated the still yellowed pages of the handwritten note, slowly releasing a very faint, peculiar smell mixed with the stench of decaying soil and some kind of fungus.
Tan Xuan's expression hardened: "That's right!"
A look of realization and sorrow flashed in Xuanru's eyes: "That's it! The Ghost-Faced Mushroom! It is extremely hot in nature and has a strange and unpredictable poisoning effect. A small amount can cause people to go mad, while a large amount can corrode the internal organs. The symptoms are exactly the same as the 'Intestinal-Piercing Evil'!"
Gu Jinghong nodded, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Valley Master Xuan must have found out that someone bought or used a large quantity of Ghost Face Mushrooms, otherwise, given her strong-willed personality, she would never have left a mark on this note and then torn it up!"
Suddenly, the scene of their drinking contest that year flashed into Tan Xuan's mind... "fierce" and indeed, it was a fitting description.
“Buy in bulk…” Gu Jinghong murmured, as if savoring the extraordinary flavor of it all.
The image of an entry she had repeatedly pondered but never understood—from the secret ledger her senior brother Wen Linchuan had silently written down—instantly flashed into her mind: 【Purchased 800 catties of bloodwort from the Southern Frontier on the third day of the twelfth lunar month of the twenty-second year of Chengqian, unit price 120 taels, total price 96,000 taels.
At the time, she only felt something was amiss. Although dragon's blood was a precious hemostatic medicine, its market price was at most forty or fifty taels per catty, yet this bill was nearly three times higher! Moreover, although the "Southern Xinjiang dragon's blood" was of excellent quality, purchasing eight hundred catties at once was simply unreasonable. The account book noted that this amount was paid out in three separate transactions: "Afu took 50%, Guoda took 30%, and the remainder was principal."
She quickly mentally calculated the black market price of "ghost-faced mushrooms" to be approximately fifteen taels per catty.
The total price was 96,000 taels. Afu took 48,000 taels, Guoda took 28,800 taels, and the remaining principal was 19,200 taels.
Using this 19,200 taels of capital to buy 800 catties of "ghost face mushrooms" would cost exactly 24 taels per catty!
This price, slightly higher than the ordinary black market price of the Ghost Face Mushroom, perfectly explains the inflated price of "Blood Dragon" on the books—it is precisely to cover up the fact that they actually purchased the inexpensive but completely different poisonous herb, the "Ghost Face Mushroom"!
At this moment, all the clues seemed to be connected by an invisible thread.
The key that all the clues point to is Ah Fu, who took half of the profits according to the ledger!
However, she remained outwardly calm. This matter was too complicated. Dean Tan and Xuan Ru were only skilled in pharmacology. If they were to get involved in a power struggle, they would be as silent as before, powerless to resist.
Seeing Gu Jinghong's absent-minded look, Xuanru tugged at her hand: "Ah Hong, what's wrong? Did you think of something? Buying in bulk... so what?"
Gu Jinghong snapped out of her reverie: "Oh, it's nothing. I just felt that buying in bulk must cost a lot of money, so the person behind it must be quite powerful."
Upon hearing Gu Jinghong's words, Xuan Ru and Tan Xuan still felt that finding the person behind them would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
...
Xiao Chengyan was gone for three days after he left.
Although Gu Jinghong is a deputy minister of the Zhuangmu Pavilion, he is currently being targeted by the Pavilion Master and is no longer able to do so.
Moreover, even if a powerful intelligence agency has extensive connections, it is still hampered by the conversation between His Majesty and his own son, and cannot uncover such a secret.
She gradually came to her senses, suppressing the emptiness and longing surging in her heart, and instead lowered her eyes to look at the notes and the account books that Wen Linchuan had silently drawn.
She repeatedly stroked the edge of the tattered page. Both Guo Da and Xuan Ru's mother pointed to their involvement in the Southwest epidemic back then. Who was that big hand that neither of them could resist? And who was A Fu?
Xie Yan had already sent word that she would be returning to the capital in the next couple of days, so it was time for her to take action.
A thought gradually became clear and firm.
Currently, two of the other three Grand Secretaries are on her side. Even with the Grand Secretary's immense power, she will face difficulties within the Grand Secretariat. Senior Brother Wen and Xie Yan are already helpful allies. Although Lin Xiuyuan is shrewd, he is not without his weaknesses…
My thoughts raced through intrigue and scheming, yet my body inexplicably felt a surge of heat, making even my heavy cloak feel like a burden.
Just as she was going through her plan against Lin Xiuyuan for the third time in front of the desk—
"Squeak—"
The door opened, and Gu Jinghong looked in the direction of the sound to see Xiao Chengyan enter, his whole demeanor icy.
Stepping inside, the warm air instantly enveloped him, yet it couldn't dispel the faint weariness between his brows.
Gu Jinghong went to meet him, her fingertips touching his cold outer robe. The restless fire in her heart seemed to be stimulated by the coldness, burning even more fiercely.
"You're back?" Her voice was soft, without her even realizing it.
"Mmm." Xiao Chengyan responded softly, his gaze lingering on her figure, who was only wearing a single layer of clothing, for a moment before reaching out to take her hand.
"It's been three days, and you..." He paused, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately frowned, "Why are your hands so hot?"
Gu Jinghong didn't pull her hand away; instead, she gripped his cold fingertips tightly. "The chill has seeped into your body; take a bath to refresh yourself." She looked up at him. "I'll help you."
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Chengyan's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper tenderness and understanding.
He pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Okay."
The rising steam blurred Xiao Chengyan's sharp features. He closed his eyes and leaned against the edge of the bathtub, letting his guard down.
Gu Jinghong touched the soap shavings with her fingertips and ran them through his wet black hair, but her movements were somewhat stiff.
Water droplets accidentally splashed into his eyes. Xiao Chengyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he groaned, but he didn't open his eyes. He only said in a hoarse voice, "Is Commander Gu trying to murder her husband?"
Gu Jinghong's face flushed, and she tightened her grip with her fingertips: "Your Highness is so precious and noble, you can't even tolerate something as trivial as washing your hair?"
“I can endure it.” He suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist with his wet hand, his calloused thumb rubbing against her delicate skin. “I can even endure the poison you gave me.”
The sound of flowing water was soft and gentle, and a subtle fragrance wafted in the air.
Gu Jinghong broke free and continued to rub his hair, her tone feigning calmness: "How was the outcome of your audience with the Emperor today?"
Xiao Chengyan leaned back in enjoyment, the water rippling: "Consort Xian spoke up for the Fifth Prince, but Father Emperor reprimanded Shao Yin for stirring up trouble." He chuckled, "It seems that someone with bad intentions did something good at the hunting grounds, which made him think that I, his son... am somewhat useful."
Gu Jinghong paused.
The emperor's subtle shift in attitude meant that Xiao Chengyan's bargaining power in the court had increased—but the danger also escalated simultaneously.
At that moment, the emperor's face suddenly appeared in Xiao Chengyan's mind.
At that time, the Changji Hall was filled with the fragrance of ambergris.
The old emperor dismissed Xiao Chengming and Consort Xian, leaving only Xiao Chengyan.
He walked up to his son, his tone unusually gentle: "Yan'er, your grandmother has already told me about your request. You are not young anymore, and it is indeed time to consider your marriage. The Gu family of Yingchuan is of noble lineage, but it is now a thing of the past. Since you have been granted the title of prince, you should choose a daughter of a high-ranking family as your principal wife, which would be of great benefit to your future."
How could Xiao Chengyan not know what his father meant?
His mother was dead, and his maternal clan had no powerful relatives. He was all alone, and even though he was exceptionally talented, he still had shortcomings. If he could find a family to rely on through marriage, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
The emperor's expectations for him were clearly higher than those for Xiao Chengming, and there were even subtle hints of different intentions behind it.
But Xiao Chengyan simply lowered his eyes: "Regarding my marriage, I still want to..."
After all, they were father and son. Even though there had been some misunderstandings between them, the emperor, who was in a high position, still understood his son very well. He was decisive and capable, and in terms of political and military affairs, the emperor could not find fault with him in the slightest. There was only one thing... just like his mother, he was quite obsessed with personal feelings.
"I know what you're thinking," the emperor interrupted him, reaching out to pat Xiao Chengyan on the back.
Xiao Chengyan was very tall, but the old emperor was somewhat hunched over.
"That Gu Jinghong is indeed quite shrewd and resourceful. If you truly like her, you can take her as a concubine after the main wife enters the household. I will have no objection. You are the son who resembles me the most among my sons. Do not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small matter."
Xiao Chengyan remained silent, his eyes still lowered, but his tone was extremely firm: "Father, I only want her. The position of principal wife cannot be taken by anyone but her."
The emperor's gentle expression froze instantly, his face darkening: "I am giving you kind advice, Chengyan, do not be ungrateful."
These words still maintained the emperor's authority and carried a hint of coercion.
However, the emperor was old, and his temperament was no longer as hard as it had been in his youth; he had softened considerably. After a moment of stalemate, the emperor said again, "For the sake of a woman, are you willing to abandon the support of the entire court?"
Xiao Chengyan's lowered eyes remained unwavering: "Your subject is afraid he cannot comply."
"No progress whatsoever, get out!" The old emperor coughed a few times, and finally watched Xiao Chengyan leave with his back straight.
—Whoosh
Gu Jinghong picked up a water ladle to rinse the foam from Xiao Chengyan's hair. Water droplets rolled down the grooves of his back, pulling Xiao Chengyan back to reality.
Seeing no one in the misty air, he suddenly felt a pang of jealousy and grabbed Gu Jinghong's arm.
"Why did you help Xiao Chengming that day, hmm?"
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