Chapter 45 Secrets: Itching Powder, Poop Powder, Aphrodisiac Powder
Layers of clouds obscured the starlight, and the candlelight inside the palace cast flickering shadows on the paper windows. The Imperial Concubine broke down in tears, and the palace maids who were walking back and forth in the courtyard stopped in their tracks and knelt down.
Menghenabur emerged from the palace, and Feng Tan pulled him by the arm to the corridor, asking, "Uncle Meng, the princess...?"
“She’s dead,” Menghenabur’s stiff features were indistinct in the dim light of the corridor, his narration as calm as ever, “Consort Su refused to be treated, so she was beyond saving, but she instructed us not to tell anyone.”
Feng Tan was surprised. Why would the usually gentle and kind Consort refuse to treat him?
Feng Qinghuang remained calm. She turned to look at the silhouette on the window paper, who was weeping sadly. The smile on her lips was sarcastic. "A-Tan, you said that all the royal children wear masks, but their masks are not as well hidden as this one."
Feng Tan's eyes sharpened, and she asked, "What have you found out?"
Feng Qinghuang said, "Give me some more time, and I will find out the truth about Empress Xiaoxian's case. You are busy with official duties these days, so you don't need to worry about these things."
Feng Qinghuang had trained in Lingnan for eight years, and her intelligence-gathering skills were second to none. Feng Tan trusted her to handle matters. As night deepened, and Meng Henabul's duties were complete, she could not linger in the palace. Thus, led by a palace eunuch, she stepped out of the palace gates.
Night fell, all was quiet, and stars twinkled in the distant sky. Feng Tan and Meng Henabuer walked on the bluestone slabs, their minds filled with complicated thoughts.
Both the murder of the princess and the theft of the national treasury cases need to be tried. The murder of the princess will definitely be transferred to the Dali Temple, while the officials involved in the theft of the national treasury are imprisoned in the Futu Prison. Emperor Chongming has assigned this task to her. As for the murder of the princess, because it involves Gao Yu, in order to avoid suspicion, officials in the Ministry of Justice cannot directly participate.
Seeing Feng Tan's furrowed brow, Meng Henabuer reached out and touched her brow with his finger, his two fingers sliding slightly in a relaxed gesture, and said, "A-Tan, everything will be resolved. Don't worry too much; it will harm your health."
Feng Tan chuckled as she watched the cold-faced uncle earnestly trying to comfort her. No matter how many times Meng Henabul made a tender gesture, she couldn't help but laugh whenever she saw his face, which was as hard as steel.
She grinned without any restraint. Meng Henabuer didn't know what he had done to make her happy again, but seeing her smile, he also gently tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Feng Tan looked at the shadow that was two feet taller than her in front of her and said softly, "Uncle Meng, after things are settled next year, I'll find you a wife, okay?"
Menghenabul shook his head and said, "I don't like it. Women from the Central Plains are too weak."
"Hey? Uncle Meng, you can't generalize like that! We women of the Central Plains may not be as physically imposing as you nomadic tribes, but we're still very capable fighters, okay!" Feng Tan began to refute logically. "Just look at the ones you know. Ren Pingsheng, known as 'Oil-Splashed Hot Pepper,' no one in the Red Sleeve Pavilion under her jurisdiction dares to cause trouble. And then there's Yu Ruxi, with her cute face and seventh-rank martial arts skills, her red dress and riding a horse captivated the hearts of countless men in the capital... Speaking of which, where is Yu Ruxi's 'Sha Po Lang' now?!"
Menghenabul said, "Don't worry, we'll take care of it."
Feng Tan replied leisurely, "That's good, then..."
Her voice stopped abruptly. Menghenabul turned to look at her, and Feng Tan gestured for him to be quiet before pulling Menghenabul into the shadows in the corner.
They had just come out of the palace. There was no pass prohibiting passage on this imperial road at night. Just as they were talking, a dark figure flew past them. Judging from the direction he came from, it was the Court of State Ceremonial.
The Court of State Ceremonial is currently housing an envoy from the Kingdom of Hua. That man is quite skilled, and he managed to evade the palace's eyes and ears and the surveillance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the dead of night. Where is he headed? Judging from the direction he's running, it seems he's heading towards the Gao residence? Does Gao Yu also have connections with the Kingdom of Hua?
Feng Tan also put on a black veil, revealing only his eyes, and looked up at Meng Henabul, saying, "I'll go and see, Uncle, don't worry."
Before Menghenabul could utter a single word, Feng Tan had already swept away like the wind, his figure as light as smoke, disappearing from sight.
Feng Tan carefully followed behind the masked man, watching him leap over high walls and enter alleys. She followed silently until the masked man stopped in front of a mansion.
The Gao residence was located on Lingdong Street, but this particular mansion was not situated on the Lingdong and Lingxi streets, where the imperial capital's powerful and wealthy gathered; rather, it was located a little further east. Unlike the Gao residence's vermilion gates and gold ornaments, this mansion had a low-key brown-black nanmu wood gate, and there were no servants guarding the entrance.
It seemed there was no gain. Feng Tan sighed inwardly and turned to leave, but just then, the gates of the mansion opened.
In the dim light, Xiao Yinshi, dressed in casual clothes, stood at the end of the alley, his gaze shifting as he addressed the masked man: "General Chen."
Shen Shiyi removed his black veil, revealing a dashing face, and spoke without any hesitation, "Your Highness, congratulations on entering the cabinet. Have you obtained the defense map?"
Shen Shiyi comes from the Shen family of Longxi, whose members have been generals for generations. After her brother Shen Ze was captured, she took over his position as the garrison commander of Longxi in Huachao. A large part of the reason she volunteered to escort the princess to the marriage alliance was to come to Huangguo to try to rescue her brother.
Xiao Yinshi is a key pawn that His Majesty has placed in Dahuang. Now that he has entered the cabinet, he has the right to access the core secrets of the Huang Dynasty. Obtaining the Huang Kingdom's defense map is a piece of cake. Moreover, he once served as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he must also have the defense map of the Imperial Prison in his mind.
Since Xiao Yinshi was willing to make a deal with her, it meant that he had something to gain from her. Shen Shiyi despised the intrigue and backstabbing among civil officials. She was good at leading troops and fighting battles, but she found it too much trouble to even think about political intrigue.
Xiao Yinshi nodded, his expression indifferent. "General Shen, the Huangchao defense map is already as easy as taking candy from a baby. I accepted your invitation tonight to discuss a business deal with you."
Shen Shiyi stared at Xiao Yinshi, a wary glint in his eyes, and asked, "What kind of business?"
“I will help you rescue Shen Ze,” Xiao Yinshi said, his words carrying immense weight, each one clear and distinct, “and your Shen family will be at my disposal.”
Shen Shiyi was taken aback upon hearing this, then sneered, "Your Highness, you really know how to do business. Rescuing Shen Ze from the imperial prison is nothing more than a trivial matter for you, yet you want to use it to exchange for the loyalty of my entire Shen family. What kind of deal in the world is so worthwhile?"
As the clouds drifted by, the moonlight shone through, illuminating the man's cold and sharp eyes. His voice, like a chilling arrow, pierced Shen Shiyi's defenses. "On the day Prince Xuan rebelled, the capital was massacred. All the Shen family soldiers stationed in the capital loyally protected their lord, but they were no match for him and were captured and killed in an instant. Their deaths were gruesome, and their remains were never allowed to return home. Emperor Jingde abandoned them in a mass grave as rebels. Few people know that the commander of this Shen family army was the Second Prince of the Shen family, and the deputy commanders were the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince of the Shen family."
As Xiao Yinshi finished speaking, Shen Shiyi's grip on the longsword tightened, while Xiao Yinshi continued, "The three sons of the Shen family perished in an instant, and treacherous officials usurped the throne. Your father was filled with grief and indignation. Upon hearing of the upheaval in the capital, he suffered a stroke and died bleeding from all seven orifices. Of the vast Shen family, only you and your eldest brother remain."
Xiao Yinshi swiftly exposed the scar that Shen Shiyi least wanted to show. Her eyes blazed with fury as she gritted her teeth and asked, "What does Your Highness mean?"
Xiao Yinshi stood upright and calmly said, "You and I have a common enemy. From now on, the Shen family will obey my orders, and I will kill our old enemy for the Shen family."
"Ha," Shen Shiyi sneered, "Your Highness, to put it bluntly, you are nothing but a stray dog. How dare you call yourself emperor?"
Xiao Yinshi spoke calmly, his commanding demeanor causing the unwavering resolve in Shen Shiyi's eyes to crumble. "After more than ten years of enduring hardship and biding his time, his former subordinates now control half the country. The collapse of Emperor Jingde is imminent."
Shen Shiyi said, "Speaking frankly sounds nice. If you want my Shen family to work for you, then give me real benefits."
"Rescue Shen Ze, exonerate Shen Sanlang, grant the Shen family the hereditary title of Loyal and Brave King, settle them in Longxi, and for the next three generations, none of them shall arbitrarily mobilize the Shen family army. The Shen family army shall have full autonomy," Xiao Yinshi said slowly.
Shen Shiyi wavered. These conditions were too tempting, and Emperor Jingde had highly centralized imperial power, suppressing the Shen family, who held military power, at every turn... After thinking for a moment, she quickly made a decision and said, "Alright, as long as Your Highness rescues my brother, the Shen family will serve Your Highness from now on... This humble servant... swears to be loyal to you to the death."
Feng Tan was terrified. Hearing such a shocking secret, she even began to breathe cautiously.
Moonlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows. Shen Shiyi had been out of the Court of State Ceremonial for some time, and she had to be wary of the Embroidered Uniform Guard spies, so she said, "This humble servant takes her leave."
Xiao Yinshi stopped her and said, "Go and deal with the tails that followed us."
"What?" Shen Shiyi was taken aback by what he said, then understood. He drew his long sword and looked around warily before slowly walking toward Feng Tan's hiding place.
Feng Tan's heart raced. Martial artists of the eighth rank or higher could sense the aura of others. Shen Shiyi's skill was comparable to Yu Ruxi's, both at the seventh or eighth rank. But Xiao Yinshi was different; he was a ninth-rank master, only one step away from becoming a top-tier martial artist.
Feng Tan slowly retreated into the back alley, and flew into the air before Shen Shiyi could turn around and arrive. Shen Shiyi's eyes turned fierce, and he chased after Feng Tan.
Feng Tan leaped and bounded across the rooftops with lightning speed, but Shen Shiyi's lightness skill was not weak either. So Feng Tan shouted as she jumped, "Help! There's an assassin!"
Feng Tan leaped towards the palace, where the imperial guards were most numerous; once there, Shen Shiyi would surely dare not pursue him further. Shen Shiyi saw through Feng Tan's intentions, and his longsword, imbued with seven layers of power, shot forth like lightning!
Upon hearing the sound of the wind, Feng Tan dodged to the side, but the injury on her left shoulder from the Linzhang sea area had not yet healed, causing her to move a little slower, and the longsword cut her arm.
A sharp pain struck, and Feng Tan stopped in her tracks. Shen Shiyi was already closing in. Feng Tan turned around, took out three medicine bottles with her good arm, and threw them in front of Shen Shiyi!
Shen Shiyi quickly dodged, but some of the substance inevitably got into her nose and onto her body. Anger flashed in her eyes, and she swiftly struck Feng Tan in the chest. Feng Tan wasn't particularly strong, and was struck hard, barely managing to avoid a humiliating fall by touching the wall with her toes as she plummeted.
Shen Shiyi swung his longsword back, the tip pointing outwards, and looked at the masked man in front of him, then ripped off Feng Tan's mask.
Shen Shiyi raised an eyebrow and said, "It was you?"
She recognized the man; he was the seventh-rank official who had provoked her during the negotiations between the two countries that day.
Shen Shiyi's face turned ashen. Without saying a word, he tied Feng Tan up and threw her back in front of Xiao Yinshi's residence. He sighed and said, "What a big problem."
She looked at Feng Tan and asked, "What did you spill on me? Why do I feel so unwell?"
Feng Tan paused for a moment, then said, "Probably itching powder, poop powder, and... aphrodisiac powder?"
A surge of anger welled up in Shen Shiyi's chest. She grabbed Feng Tan's shirt fiercely and said, "Give me the antidote!"
Feng Tan shook his head and said, "None of these have an antidote."
The pale moon tilted, and under its shimmering light, Xiao Yinshi's expression was inscrutable. He walked towards Feng Tan with an aura of coldness and indifference. Although he was enveloped in a layer of light, he gave the impression of a ghost lingering in the darkness.
"Leave the man to me. Zhu Qi, bring him to the underground torture chamber," he said to Shen Shiyi and Zhu Qi, but his eyes were fixed on Feng Tan. "Conceal all traces of him tonight and arrest Meng, who was with him."
Author's Note: Lord Feng: It's better not to hear this secret!
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