Chapter 142 [VIP]
"ah--"
The Prince of Jin, who was having breakfast, suddenly stood up. His movements were so sudden and forceful that the bowls and plates on the Eight Immortals Table rattled and crashed.
"Your Highness, please calm down."
The maids who were serving the dishes knelt down in a panic, wondering if they had done something wrong.
The Prince of Jin waved his hand. His neck and back were soaked, and even his undergarment was stuck to his body.
For some reason, I suddenly felt a wave of panic just now, and I couldn't suppress it.
Looking at the delicious food on the table, he didn't even want to touch his chopsticks.
The Prince of Jin pushed aside the bowl, intending to go outside for some fresh air.
I wonder if it's because Yun'er hasn't returned yet. These past few days, Prince Jin has been restless and full of worry. Logically, she should have arrived in the capital by now, since she set off from the Western Frontier. Why is there no news at all?
The Prince of Jin stepped over the spilled porridge and water on the ground and went out the door.
It was only Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Since the emperor was "seriously ill," he no longer needed to hold morning court. A maid lifted the bamboo curtain, and a gust of stuffy wind rushed in, making him even more anxious.
The Prince of Jin hesitated, wondering whether to go to the palace or visit his advisors in his study.
Two days ago, after meeting with the Third Prince and the Duke of Wei, he has now officially joined the Third Prince's camp.
He is there.
There was the Duke of Wei.
This means they controlled 70% of the power in the imperial court.
The Prince of Jin planned to first remove Xie Yingchen from his position as regent.
Xie Yingchen was merely the emperor's nephew, a member of the imperial clan; how could he possibly overstep the bounds of the princes to oversee the country?
Once we get the third prince on the throne as regent, everything else will be much easier...
"Go and call Mr. Wen here."
Wen Su was his most important advisor.
"yes."
boom!
Just as the Prince of Jin was about to step into his study, a loud bang suddenly erupted, making his ears ring.
The sound came from the southeast side of the Prince's Palace.
The Prince of Jin's anxious heart skipped a beat. He sent someone to check on the situation while he himself ran towards the location.
Halfway there, the servant who had gone to inquire returned in a hurry.
"Your Highness, it's Master Changfeng who's caused the furnace to explode."
What! ?
The King of Jin was greatly alarmed.
He invited Changfeng to stay at the Prince's residence, and according to Changfeng's preference, he was placed in the courtyard in the southeast corner. After meeting with the Third Prince, Changfeng suddenly said he wanted to go into seclusion to refine elixirs, and the Prince of Jin even specially found him an alchemy furnace. How could the furnace have exploded?
The Prince of Jin asked anxiously, "Is he alright?"
"The person in question is fine."
"That's good, that's good."
The Prince of Jin patted his chest and quickened his pace.
As soon as Prince Jin stepped into the courtyard, he saw Changfeng standing with his back to the sunlight, his tall figure casting a long shadow on the ground. For a moment, Prince Jin felt that there was something sinister about his face.
Prince Jin shook his head, dismissing the thought, and quickly went over to comfort him, saying, "Master, the alchemy furnace has exploded. I will find you another one."
Changfeng remained silent, his expressionless face making Prince Jin somewhat uneasy. He smiled ingratiatingly, "...Taiqing Temple is skilled in alchemy; I will go and fetch the abbot's alchemy furnace."
"wrong."
Changfeng finally spoke, "Something's not right."
The Prince of Jin did not understand, and he said, "Please speak frankly, Master."
“It shouldn’t explode.” Changfeng pondered for a moment, “unless…”
The Prince of Jin still didn't understand.
Seeing that Changfeng looked terrible, he wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
Changfeng strode toward the study, which was now a complete mess, with Prince Jin following behind.
The thick smoke had mostly dissipated, and two servants lay on the ground, their fates unknown, blood trickling from their chests. Not far away was a large, heavy chunk of bronze, clearly struck by the exploding alchemy furnace.
Changfeng walked past them without looking to the side.
The enormous alchemy furnace was reduced to half its original size, and inside it was pitch black, containing unformed elixirs.
Ignoring the heat, Changfeng scooped it out; the brown, muddy substance was sticky on his fingers.
Standing at the door, the Prince of Jin felt that something was off about Changfeng's demeanor.
He had known Changfeng in Yongzhou for over ten years, and this was the first time he had ever looked so pale.
Even back in Blackwater Fortress...
"Your Highness!"
The sudden shout interrupted the Prince of Jin's thoughts. He saw his chief secretary running over, panting heavily. As he ran, he kept shouting, which made Changfeng turn around to look.
"No manners whatsoever," the Prince of Jin scolded. "What is it?"
"It's the young master..."
The Prince of Jin was overjoyed: "Is it Yun'er who has returned?"
Chief Secretary Wang presented a letter with both hands. "The young master sent a letter back from the post station. He requests that you find him a few imperial physicians. He will be in Yihe County soon and will be waiting for you there."
Chief Secretary Wang was in charge of organizing the correspondence between the Prince's residence and the Prince. He read the Prince's letter first, even though it wasn't addressed to the Prince himself.
"Is Yun'er sick?" Prince Jin asked anxiously. "What happened?"
He snatched the letter away and looked at the post station's stamp date, which was six days ago.
He asked repeatedly, "Why did it take you so long to report this?"
Wang Changshi hurriedly replied, "There are refugees near Yihe County, so the letter may have been delayed on the way."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin also remembered that the court had indeed received military reports of refugees besieging Yihe County.
The Prince of Jin disliked Xie Yingchen's soft and yielding attitude towards the refugees of Qingzhou. He felt that if the methods were not firm enough, these lowly people would take advantage of the situation.
Xie Yingchen was one, as was the deposed crown prince.
Prince Jin's original plan was to wait for Xie Yingchen to propose mobilizing the Imperial Guards. Since Xie Yingchen did not have the military tally for the Imperial Guards, Prince Jin could force him to agree to some conditions if he wanted to use them. However, Xie Yingchen did not mobilize the Imperial Guards but instead sent Miss Gu with the troops.
Tsk.
Xie Yingchen didn't feel ashamed at all that his fiancée spent her days with a group of thugs.
"It's nothing. Miss Gu won't openly try to kill Yun'er," Prince Jin mocked. "The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, huh, is the most upright and honorable."
As he spoke, he quickly tore open the letter, glanced at it, and then squeezed the edges of the letter so hard that they became crumpled.
"Master," he said urgently to Changfeng, "Yun'er said he has contracted a strange illness, like he's been skinned alive by a ghost..."
He wanted Changfeng to go to Yihe County with him, but before he could say anything, Changfeng sighed, "I know... this batch of pills was made for the young master, what a pity."
He shook his head slightly, his face full of regret.
What does this mean? The Prince of Jin was filled with doubt and uncertainty.
"Your Highness, the young master's illness is a backlash caused by the matter of the Duke of Zhenguo." Changfeng spoke with a touch of compassion. "Your Highness, as I told you before, if this curse is broken, there will definitely be a backlash."
When the Prince of Jin sent Changfeng to the capital, he only said that the talisman pasted in the wooden box had been discovered by the Gu family.
It wasn't until Changfeng witnessed Gu Zhizhuo using the incantation technique and discovered that she was a Taoist, that he guessed the incantation he left behind might have been broken.
The Prince of Jin felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart, and he hurriedly asked, "What will happen to Yun'er?"
Changfeng shook his head: "The will of Heaven cannot be defied."
The Prince of Jin's throat was dry. He staggered back a few steps and slammed his back heavily against the door frame.
"Master, you must save Yun'er."
The Prince of Jin grasped Changfeng's hands, his breathing rapid.
"This batch of pills exploded, but we can refine another batch, and another batch! Huh?"
He said urgently, "Just tell me what medicinal herbs you need, and I will go find them immediately. Whatever they are, I will find them for you."
"Your Highness."
Changfeng silently withdrew his hands; more than the prince, he was now concerned about something else.
He raised his whisk, gesturing for the Prince of Jin to look at the exploded alchemical furnace.
"I used Miss Ji's blood as the medicinal ingredient for this batch of pills."
“Miss Ji is a woman blessed by heaven. Her blood can ensure the success of this batch of pills, and the life of the young master can also be saved.”
This was the outcome Changfeng had anticipated; however, the alchemy furnace exploded.
"The way of Heaven has changed."
When Changfeng first met Ji Nanke, he noticed that her luck was not as vigorous as he had imagined.
It couldn't even save a single batch of pills.
“The fortune of the blessed woman is too weak. It will affect destiny, and even…” Changfeng asserted, “the dragon fortune of the Third Prince.”
In terms of destiny, the Third Prince and Ji Nanke are bound together; one rises while the other falls.
"Master, please save Yun'er first."
The Prince of Jin has no time to spare for Xie Jing now.
Qiyun was his eldest son and only legitimate son.
The founding emperor strictly forbade sons born of concubines from inheriting titles; if only a son of a concubine inherited a title, the rank would be demoted three grades. What would happen to the Prince of Jin's mansion if Qi Yun were gone? Wouldn't all his striving and plotting throughout his life have been a waste of time?!
Changfeng shook his head: "There's no way to reverse the situation."
“There must be a way.” Prince Jin paced back and forth, a fierce glint in his eyes. “Then let’s borrow a life, borrow a life for Yun’er.”
"Master, you must save Yun'er. He is still young and has no children yet."
The Prince of Jin was on the verge of tears: "Our royal line cannot end!"
Changfeng hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Seeing this, the Prince of Jin dismissed the chief secretary and the other servants.
Changfeng asked, "Your Highness, do you still remember Blackwater Fortress?"
The mention of Blackwater Fortress sent a shiver down the spine of the Prince of Jin.
He didn't answer.
The surroundings were silent, with only the gentle sound of the wind: "Back then, the array was incomplete, and the ritual was flawed. If it could be repaired, the young master might still have a glimmer of hope."
The Prince of Jin's breathing quickened.
Blackwater Fortress was a place he would never forget, even in death.
Nightmares and...opportunities.
Within Blackwater Fortress, the daughter of the Yin family, whose birth chart shows a perfect balance of Yin and Yang and excellent fortune, is an ideal focal point for the formation.
But later...
Prince of Jin: "..."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"If we can restore destiny to its rightful place, reclaim it for Miss Ji, and use her blood as a medicinal ingredient, I can refine a life-extending elixir for the young master."
"This requires finding the daughter of the Yin family from back then and offering her soul. But whether she is alive or dead, where she is, or whether her remains are still there, we have no idea."
"Why."
"Your Highness, this is fate."
Changfeng waved his whisk, passing him by, and walked straight out.
The silver threads brushed against the Prince of Jin, who stood there, as if he had lost his soul.
The chief clerk stood at a distance in the courtyard until Changfeng left. Seeing that the Prince of Jin was in a daze, he cautiously walked over and asked, "Your Highness, the heir is still trapped in Yihe County. Should we bring him back first?"
Yes, yes!
The Prince of Jin snapped out of his troubled thoughts and nodded repeatedly.
Master Changfeng said it was a backlash that was incurable, but maybe he was wrong?
Or perhaps there are other ways, whether it's borrowing someone else's life or transferring the backlash to someone else, we have to get Yun'er back first.
Even if we take a step back and say...
If Yun'er really can't make it, we must hurry up and get him married so that the Prince of Jin's mansion can have a legitimate heir to inherit the title.
"Chief Secretary Wang, dispatch men to Yihe County and bring Yun'er back." Prince Jin, a member of the imperial family, was not allowed to leave the capital without an imperial edict. He ordered, "Go now!"
Chief Secretary Wang quickly agreed, and seeing that the prince was in a hurry, he also ran off in a rush.
Prince Jin immediately returned to the backyard and instructed his wife to prepare for the wedding.
Xie Qiyun's marriage was arranged three years ago, but it was delayed because the bride was observing mourning. This time, Xie Qiyun returned to the capital, and the princess originally intended to have him get married as soon as possible, so she asked a matchmaker to go and set a date. After the date was set, the people that Prince Jin sent to Yihe County did not return.
The Prince of Jin thought Xie Qiyun was too ill and was very anxious, so he quickly sent another group of people, this time including several imperial physicians and doctors.
Even after the princess had finalized the engagement gifts, there was still no news from Xie Qiyun.
The people who were sent out disappeared one after another, as if they had sunk into a swamp, and not a single one of them showed up.
Chief Secretary Wang was also anxious and guessed, "Your Highness, could it be that the refugees are too fierce and the young master cannot leave?"
The Prince of Jin had also considered the refugees, so he allowed them to take half of the guards from the palace with them. At the very least, surely not a single person would return to report.
Could it be that Miss Gu is deliberately making things difficult for me?
He was so anxious that he couldn't wait any longer and hurriedly went to the palace to see Xie Yingchen.
Xie Yingchen is also in Wenyuan Pavilion now, occupying the east side of Wenyuan Pavilion.
After the Prince of Jin requested an audience, he was granted one very quickly.
Faced with the Prince of Jin's questioning attitude, Xie Yingchen put down the memorial and said calmly, "Your Highness, an epidemic has broken out in Yihe County. No one in Yihe County, from the magistrate to the refugees, is allowed to leave."
"Epidemic!?"
The Prince of Jin slammed his hands on Xie Yingchen's desk: "When did this happen?"
"Why didn't you send someone to rescue them immediately?"
"What does the epidemic among refugees have to do with Yun'er? Why must Yun'er be detained?"
He looked anxious and asked three questions in a row, as if he wanted to flip over the desk and force Xie Yingchen to answer.
"Four days ago, I mentioned that an epidemic had broken out among the refugees and that the Ministry of Revenue needed to allocate funds to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs to be sent to Qingzhou. Didn't Your Highness disagree?"
Xie Yingchen spoke slowly and deliberately, “The prince said that the disaster relief has already used up most of the national treasury’s reserves, and we cannot fill all the taxes in Qingzhou, this bottomless pit.”
"I……"
The King of Jin was speechless for a moment.
Xie Yingchen knew, and he knew, that these were just him deliberately making things difficult for them.
Isn't that what court infighting is all about? Fighting for a share of the profits in one's own little corner of the world.
"I don't care," the Prince of Jin said shamelessly. "I'm going out of the capital to fetch Yun'er."
“If Your Highness wishes to leave the capital, that is fine,” Xie Yingchen said calmly. “But whether you can return or not is up to Miss Gu.”
"you!"
Prince Jin straightened up, furious. He even suspected that Xie Yingchen had secretly instructed Miss Gu to detain Yun'er in Yihe County in order to negotiate with him.
He paced back and forth twice, suppressing his anger as he asked, "What exactly do you want to bring Yun'er back? Just tell me."
"Your Highness," Xie Yingchen closed the memorial in his hand, "Xie Qiyun is not allowed to return to the capital."
“I said, no one is allowed to leave Yihe County before Miss Gu gives her permission.”
His lips held a faint smile, as if he were very approachable.
Over the years, Prince Jin had become accustomed to the power struggles in the court. After Xie Yingchen took over as regent, he initially remained the same. However, before he could launch a full-scale attack, Xie Yingchen would subdue him with ease.
Sometimes, the Prince of Jin thought he had won, but upon reflection after returning home, he realized that he had fallen into Xie Yingchen's trap from the very beginning.
The emperor had sat on the dragon throne for six years, and the Prince of Jin had never felt so uneasy.
"Your Highness, please return."
Prince Jin conceded another step: "After we return, I will have Yun'er stay at the manor on the outskirts of the capital and she will never be allowed to enter the capital."
"Your Highness, please return."
This nonchalant demeanor only fueled the anger rising within the Prince of Jin.
"Xie Yingchen." He couldn't help but slam his hand on the desk, gritting his teeth as he said, "You deliberately made things difficult for me and insisted on doing things your own way. If anything happens to Yun'er, I will never let you off the hook."
He grabbed the paperweight from the desk, his face contorted with rage.
"you……"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, a bowl of warm tea was poured over his head, the tea and tea leaves splashing all over his face.
Water dripped down.
Xie Yingchen placed his hands, fingers interlaced, on the desk, leaning back in his armchair, his narrow eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Why won't Your Highness let me go?"
"Is it a frame-up that I poisoned the Emperor, or a forged imperial edict to install a new emperor?"
"Your Highness is already very adept at these things."
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