At that moment, below the cliff where Qi Guze had fallen, a mangled figure lay in a thicket of bushes, his fingers suddenly twitching slightly.
Inside the palace, the Emperor was discussing matters with the Minister of War and the Minister of Justice.
"Your Majesty, given the current situation, it is better to remain still than to act rashly. The Regent's fate is uncertain, and there are undercurrents in the court. Many people with ulterior motives have taken action. I think we should remain unchanged in the face of all changes, meet challenges head-on, and wait for the right opportunity to act," the Minister of Justice said after some consideration.
The Minister of War scoffed, saying, "Is it better to remain still than to act? Wouldn't that mean we'd be too late? Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should take the initiative and secretly keep an eye on the civil and military officials in the court. Let's see who dares to commit a crime at this critical juncture, and then make an example of them to prevent future troubles."
The two men had conflicting opinions and neither could convince the other, so they both said in unison, "Please let Your Majesty decide."
The Emperor sighed and smiled wryly. Both of them made sense, but he didn't know whose advice to take. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: since they were Qi Guze's backup plan, they must have a solution for every possibility.
Thinking of this, the Emperor asked, "I wonder, when the two of you disagree, whose opinion will the Regent choose to follow?"
The Minister of War and the Minister of Justice looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for words. The Emperor asked in bewilderment, "Is this question so difficult to answer?"
“In the past, when opinions differed, the Regent would always say to ask His Majesty,” the Minister of War said with a strange expression.
"Qi Guze, Qi Guze, you actually anticipated this? You didn't let me find a single loophole," the Emperor thought to himself.
After sighing, the Emperor analyzed the current situation in his mind. The Regent's fate was uncertain, and the people in the city were in a state of panic. Those who had not fared well under the Regent in the past would definitely be eager to make trouble.
If the accusation of defecting to the enemy is confirmed, then it would be a logical step to bring down Qi Guze.
If it turns out that the defection was a false alarm, they will take the opportunity to destroy all of the Regent's foundations and then plot to overthrow him.
After the emperor viewed the issue from the enemy's perspective, many things became much clearer.
He pointed and said, "The Regent's Palace must be full of spies now. Minister of War, you should secretly investigate who planted them. Don't alert them. Once you find the mastermind, keep a close eye on them and report any suspicious activity to me immediately."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured." The Minister of War accepted the order and began to make arrangements.
"Minister of Justice, as for you, keep a close eye on Tianxiang Restaurant. Everyone in that restaurant is the Regent's Achilles' heel. Anyone who tries to touch them should ask me first if I'll allow it."
"Your Majesty, rest assured." The Minister of Justice also accepted the order and left.
After everyone left, the Emperor couldn't help but worry. Six hours had passed since Qi Guze's accident, and nearly two thousand people had been sent out to search for him. Imperial edicts had been posted all over the streets and alleys, but no news had come.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the mountain where Qi Guze fell off the cliff, Old Zhang was stopping his beloved daughter, saying, "No, I absolutely cannot agree to this. What time is it? You still want to go up to gather herbs. What if something happens to you? How will I face your deceased mother?"
"Dad, I'm not a child anymore. I could walk back and forth across that mountain with my eyes closed. Don't worry about it," a young woman comforted him as she packed food and water into her basket.
"Tingting, you're not getting any younger. Finding a good husband should be your priority right now. Look at you, always reading that lousy medical book. You're practically obsessed with it." Old Zhang, though tough on the outside, was soft on the inside. He stood up and put two more apples into his daughter's basket.
Zhang Ting was most afraid of her father bringing up her marriage, so she quickly changed the subject and said, "How can it be a tattered medical book, Dad? I cured your leg when you fell off the mountain back then, as well as Brother Wang's arm, Aunt Liu's nose, and Little Yellow in the yard."
"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you, but you must be careful and come back soon. I'm waiting for you to find a husband so I can have a grandson." Old Zhang started pressuring you to get married again.
Zhang Ting covered her ears and ran out quickly, saying, "I'll bring you a man right now, let's see how you nag me then!"
Old Zhang, instead of getting angry, chuckled and stroked his beard, saying, "This kid's gone mad from reading too much. Do you think all men grow out of the ground like Chinese medicine?"
Zhang Ting walked quickly to the village entrance, found the location of the mountain opposite, and headed towards it.
This mountain has been known by an ancient name: Chessboard Peak. Why is it called Chessboard? Because some parts of it are very steep, forming a large, vertical plane. From a distance, it looks like a chessboard standing there, hence the name.
Don't be fooled by the danger of this mountain; it's teeming with rare medicinal herbs. This is mainly because the mountain is extremely difficult to climb, and many herb gatherers have lost their lives here. That's how the herbs have been able to mature; otherwise, they would have been picked as soon as they sprouted.
Zhang Ting was heading to the Ganoderma lucidum halfway up the mountain. That Ganoderma lucidum had been growing for at least a hundred years. According to the village elders, such things would become intelligent after a hundred years. If you went during the day and it saw the herb gatherer coming from afar, it would use an illusion to make you unable to see it even if you passed by it. However, if you went at night after it fell asleep, it would be helpless and at your mercy.
That's why Zhang Ting specifically chose to come one evening.
She determined the location and found the marker she had used to scout the spot last time. She could probably see the Ganoderma lucidum by climbing uphill from there for about half an incense stick's time.
Once she found her bearings, she began to climb. Because it was dark, she didn't notice a few drops of black blood on the ground.
After climbing for about half an incense stick's time, she could already see the Ganoderma lucidum by the moonlight. Suppressing her joy, Zhang Ting slowly approached the Ganoderma lucidum. She held her breath and touched it little by little until she held it in her hand, and then she let out a long breath.
Suddenly, she felt a drop of water fall on her face. She put the Ganoderma lucidum into her basket, then looked up at the sky, thinking it was raining. But what she saw almost scared her to death. By the moonlight, she could vaguely see a person in the bushes above her head.
Fortunately, she was a medical student and didn't believe in superstitious things, so she mustered up her courage and went to take a look.
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