Chapter 11 Mushroom in Prison: Mushroom: "Emperor, the emperor is very good."
The Imperial Guards searched the courtyard thoroughly, inside and out, but could only find these students.
Li Wenjing's eyes were cloudy. He stared silently at the snow on the ground, tears occasionally dripping onto the ground, looking utterly despondent. His shoulders were sunken, and his linen winter coat made him shiver on the ground.
All the students were taken away, leaving only Li Wenjing behind, escorted by two imperial guards. Xu Yi gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his voice heavy yet gentle, "Mr. Li."
Li Wenjing looked up in a daze and saw the person in front of him. After a moment, tears streamed down his face. "Lord Xu!" He was heartbroken and did not want to look at Xu Yi again. "I...I have no face to face you, my lord!"
Xu Yi gritted his teeth, "I met you by chance years ago. I asked you for advice on governing the country and managing state affairs. Your words and deeds have deeply influenced me and I still remember them to this day. I often ponder the philosophy you have gleaned from me at night. Even though I have entered officialdom today, I have never forgotten your kindness!"
"I still wish to address you as 'sir' today."
With each additional word he spoke, the old man's head drooped lower, until, after he finished speaking, Li Wenjing's head hung limply. The scene was starkly different from the festive atmosphere of the approaching New Year; her gray hair blended seamlessly with the snow.
Finally, Li Wenjing heard Xu Yi say in a muffled voice, "Take him away!"
-
Also in the outskirts of the capital, Gu Huizhou, having left his warm and cozy bedchamber, finally donned his outer robe. He sat leisurely on a black steed, strolling through the army camp. Red brocade was hung on the tents, and several large pots were bubbling and boiling.
Different tents were adorned with different flags, which fluttered upwards in the winter wind, occasionally whistling through the air when the wind was biting.
The emperor was surrounded by many people, among whom Han Jiqing rode on his horse beside him. The two large horses towered above everyone else, while the deep red steed was restrained by its master and had to take a step back.
The soldiers knelt down and saluted, their knees firmly planted on the ground. Hundreds of generals shouted in unison, and the birds flying overhead quickened their flapping.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, General!"
Gu Huizhou waved his hand, and Han Jiqing smiled, "His Majesty has come today to give the soldiers some rewards, there's no need for such formalities."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Having just observed the army for a long time, Gu Huizhou had no complaints about Han Jiqing's governance. Today was the pre-New Year's inspection and reward ceremony, so Gu Huizhou returned to his tent to rest. Soon, the imperial carriage would come directly here to pick up the emperor and take him back to the palace.
Yun Kingdom has a long-standing tradition of the emperor personally visiting military camps to reward officers and soldiers before the New Year. A year ago, Gu Huizhou had also visited the front lines, but due to the chaos of war at the time, he only stayed for half a day before setting off back to the capital.
"What does Your Majesty think?" Han Jiqing asked smugly. He sat in the lower seat of Gu Huizhou and looked up. The heavy armor made him sweat profusely, and the sweat dripping from his forehead diminished his general's imposing appearance.
“Every soldier in our Dayun is a hero. Don’t be fooled by their carefree attitude in the army. Once they’re on the battlefield, anyone who can’t take on two men will be too embarrassed to come back for dinner!”
Gu Huizhou nodded, "Yes, it's all thanks to the general."
"Your Majesty flatters me, you flatter me."
Gu Huizhou frowned. He looked at Han Jiqing for a moment without saying a word. The black and gold cloak he wore was noble and aloof. The hem was long enough to reach his ankles. Now that it was casually draped over a chair, the tent had a bit of a palace feel to it.
Han Jiqing glanced at the cloak, then at the armor he was wearing. It was time to change it. Yesterday, Han Jiwen had mentioned it to him, but he hadn't paid much attention. Now, looking at His Majesty, he feared he really wouldn't be able to find a wife.
"If I remember correctly, the tutors hired by the Han family are all famous teachers in the capital. If there is nothing else, General, you should go home and read more books."
The knife struck a sore spot, and Han Jiqing hurriedly scratched his head and swallowed hard. The wrist guard hit his shoulder armor with a "clink!" sound. "Your Majesty, as you know, I've always gotten sleepy when I was little."
Gu Huizhou sneered, "If you were willing to read more books, I would simply transfer Han Jiwen back to the capital."
Han Jiqing laughed again, "It's also because His Majesty is considerate. My brother is an excellent student. If it weren't for him helping me in the army, maybe..." He laughed after he finished speaking, otherwise he would have already beaten Liang He half to death.
Gu Huizhou slightly raised his gaze, his fingers tapping the table repeatedly, one tap after another...
"Your Majesty, Lord Xu requests an audience."
His finger stopped. "Come in."
Upon seeing this, Han Jiqing rose to take his leave, nodding to Xu Yi as he entered the tent.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
"how?"
Xu Yi took a deep breath. "It matches the findings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Institutes. It is indeed Mr. Li Wenjing who teaches in the suburbs, but the content of the book is inciting the scholar to antagonize His Majesty."
His robes were soaked with snow water, and he rubbed his fingers on the hem of his clothes for a moment, but ultimately remained silent.
Gu Huizhou nodded. He knew what the book contained without even reading it. The current emperor was cruel and incompetent, unable to judge people, which allowed eunuchs to hold power. Perhaps the emperor also had a fondness for men and was very passionate about love, so those who entered officialdom through the imperial examinations were all handsome men, like Xu Yi.
"Let's go take a look."
Those who were taken away were imprisoned. Xu Yi raised his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial carriage is almost here. Your Majesty should return to the palace."
"I want to see it."
Xu Yi gritted her teeth and said, "Yes."
Prison.
The carriage creaked and groaned as it pressed against the snow, a thick layer of snow clinging to the wooden wheels. The carriage frequently swerved to one side as it followed the uneven road. The young eunuch driving the carriage felt his heart pounding, swallowed repeatedly, and felt the sharp, piercing grip of the reins on his hands.
The imperial guards on both sides of the carriage were secretly trying to stabilize it, but the carriage was not the only one slipping.
The eunuch driving the carriage winked at the young eunuch accompanying him, and as the young eunuch trotted over, he whispered, "Have two more people go to the back of the carriage to support it. The road is slippery, and we don't want His Majesty to be jolted!"
Gu Huizhou's imperial carriage was on its way to the military camp. In comparison, this dilapidated wooden carriage was an eyesore. It was drafty and the creaking of the wooden planks could be heard from afar.
Xu Yi rode ahead on horseback, constantly glancing back, fearing something might happen to the carriage. This was a carriage General Han had cobbled together in the military camp, claiming it was something he'd put together himself to transport wounded soldiers. Otherwise, if the emperor were to parade around like this, he didn't know if he'd even have a proper burial.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived."
Xu Yi stood in front of the carriage and reported softly. The curtain of the carriage was the curtain of a tent that had just been taken down from the army. If you looked closely, you could still see a corner that had been charred by fire. He could smell the burnt ash as soon as he entered, but it was not so pungent on the bitterly cold winter day.
The carriage curtain opened and closed again, and the creaking sound of snow gradually turned into the sound of footsteps echoing in the empty dungeon.
"Thump, thump..."
The scholar looked timidly into the distance. He could tell from the sound of footsteps that the person was of high status and power. In such severe cold, only one or two young masters from noble families among these hundreds of people could afford to wear winter boots, but the sound of those few pairs of winter boots was chaotic and frivolous, quite different from this heavy sound.
Yao Ruyi shifted his gaze from his wrist, his mind blank as he listened to the faint mutterings. He recognized the footsteps.
"Has someone come to interrogate us again?"
"Sir! Official! We knew nothing at all, and we've told you everything we needed to say!"
"But I was out of my mind at the time. Now that I think about it, if someone had seen those notes, they would have been right to accuse us of treason."
"But we were being used too!"
"My friend, you should speak with a conscience! Mr. Li's lectures a few days ago were all very reasonable, and the note appeared out of nowhere today. If you ask me, Mr. Li has been slandered!"
"Even today you're still speaking up for that person!"
"you……"
"Shut up!"
The jailer used his long sword to knock on the iron gate, and two sharp, piercing sounds left the group of scholars speechless.
The four of them had been bound together by the Imperial Guards in the courtyard, and now they were tied up in a corner as well. Yao Ruyi didn't seem as dejected as the others. Xunyang had been trembling ever since he entered the prison, constantly muttering, "I'm finished, I'm finished, I'm finished... finished..."
"Xunyang, you..."
Gao Qi paused, licking his chapped lips. His lips twitched, but he ultimately remained silent. Turning to look at Yao Ruyi, he forced a smile, "Brother Yao, are you alright?"
Yao Ruyi nodded, "You're alright too."
They were all sitting on a pile of weeds, the dry grass directly touching their skin without any winter clothes to protect them.
Gao Qi shifted his legs. "The imperial examinations are probably over. There's no hope. If I'm still alive to go back, I want to go south and see if I can find a way out. I still have my younger brother at home." His eyes were fixed hopelessly on the ground as Gao Qi exhaled.
"Um."
"And you, are you going out to continue looking for your family?"
"I, actually—"
"Greetings, Lord Xu!"
The jailers all knelt down, having already sensed Xu Yi's gaze; their knees were directed only at that one person.
"Get up."
"Thank you, sir."
The black and gold fox fur coat provided excellent protection. The dungeon was damp and reeked of decay; the stench of blood from the rust grew stronger as the temperature dropped. The jailer looked down at the ankle-length fox fur coat with envy, watching as a corner of the coat nearly touched the muddy snowmelt with Gu Huizhou's movements. The jailer's breath caught in his throat—
"Thump".
The fox fur coat remained a finger's width away from the mud and water, and the jailer breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Yi raised his voice, "Gentlemen, are you all wronged?"
"My lord! My lord, we're innocent!"
"Your Honor, please see the truth! We are all students of the Great Yun Academy, only wishing to learn more about etiquette and morality, but we never expected to be framed by such treacherous people! Your Honor, please see the truth!"
"Please, Your Honor, do us justice! It's all...it's all Li Wenjing's fault! It's all that old scoundrel's fault!"
"We are all devoted to the Yun Kingdom, my lord—"
...
Gu Huizhou smiled. The prison was underground, with only a narrow window at the highest point, from which gusts of cold wind blew. It was nearly late afternoon, and the light that shone in had a reddish tinge. Gu Huizhou's eyes were long and narrow, and as his eyelashes fluttered, a shadow lingered at the corner of his eye. He looked up, the light shining directly into his eyes, but the man neither flinched nor looked away, letting the scene before him become dim and indistinct.
"You all claim to be innocent, so you probably don't agree with what's written on those notes. What do you all think of the Emperor?"
Xu Yi's heart sank. In the prison, after His Majesty uttered those words, not even the sound of a blade of grass could be heard.
The hundred scholars turned pale. Discuss the emperor? They were already guilty, how dare they?
"this……"
"I'm finished... I'm finished, I'm finished, everything's over..."
The muttering grew louder, and Gao Qi nudged him several times with his elbow to no avail. Turning around, he saw everyone around him looking in this direction, their gazes fixed on Xun Yang.
Yao Ruyi lowered his head. He was already on the side facing the wall, with Gao Qi to his left and Xun Yang to Gao Qi's left. As long as he lowered his head enough, no one could see him.
"you say."
Hundreds of people breathed a collective sigh of relief; thankfully, it wasn't them they were being talked about. At the same time, they held their breath, hoping that if the man was lucky enough to plead his case and be released, they would have hope.
The muttering gradually subsided, and Xunyang suddenly snapped back to reality. He looked at Gao Qi, who was pinching him, and said in a weak voice, "Brother Gao..."
Gao Qi suddenly gave him a meaningful look. Xun Yang looked up in surprise, following his gaze, and shrank back in fright. "M-Master!"
"No, I want to hear what the person next to you has to say."
Gao Qi's heart skipped a beat. When he looked up, he found that the man's gaze was not on him either. Cold sweat slid down his forehead. It was either him or Brother Yao. "Brother Yao."
Yao Ruyi touched the rope tied to his wrist with his fingers. He couldn't escape now. He slowly raised his head to meet the emperor's gaze.
"His Majesty."
This was the first time he had looked into the eyes of the emperor. He looked more handsome and vibrant than he had in the palace. For a moment, Yao Ruyi was momentarily stunned when their eyes met.
No, why would the emperor smile at him?
Facing hundreds of people, he showed no fear in his eyes, saying, "The Emperor, the Emperor is very good."
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Gu Huizhou: Hehe.
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