Chapter 7: Looking Back on an Old Friend – It's No Longer About How He Listened to Cui Fuyu…
Inside Prince Gong's Mansion, the lights were on, but the place was quiet. The study in the southeast corner was located in the very back.
Zhao Jinghuan, his face grim, was writing a letter with his head down. He was sending the letter to the divine physician, urging him to bring the necessary items to the capital as soon as possible.
The Cui family has already sent a visiting card; his aunt will be coming with her whole family to visit the day after tomorrow.
Zhao Jinghuan was also anxious. If the divine doctor couldn't arrive in time to deliver the items, it would be much harder to find another opportunity to make a move.
He stopped, placed the brush on the jade unicorn brush holder, picked up the letter and waved it a few times to make the ink dry faster. Then he rolled up the letter, put it on the pigeon's leg, went to the window, and released the pigeon with one hand. The pigeon cooed and flew away.
Zhao Jinghuan stood with his hands behind his back by the window, looking up at the crescent moon under the dark night sky, reminiscing about his childhood.
That happened in the thirty-ninth year of Yongping.
At that time, he and Cui Fuyu were both still young.
He often went to the Cui residence to play with Cui Fuyu. At that time, he was short and fat, and none of the princesses and princes wanted to take him with them. Only Cui Fuyu was close to him.
Thus, the only son of the dignified Prince Gong became the little follower of the eldest daughter of the Cui family.
One day, Cui Fuyu mysteriously brought over her mother's red veil, wine cup, and embroidered handkerchief and ball, saying that she wanted to play house and worship heaven and earth!
Cui Fuyu covered his head with a red veil. She was only a few years old at the time and not even as tall as herself. She said fiercely, "Kneel down, I'm going to put a veil on your head."
Zhao Jinghuan found it amusing; how could he have been so obedient to Cui Fuyu back then?!
They took advantage of the absence of others to perform the wedding ceremony together in the Cui family garden. They bowed to the largest tree in the garden, and when she handed them the embroidered ball with her small hand, the two of them knelt on the ground at the same time, bowing to the tree while reciting wedding chants.
Little and innocent: "First bow to heaven and earth, second bow to parents, husband and wife bow to each other..."
They toasted together, drinking from their empty glasses.
Cui Fuyu, though young, was quick-witted and mischievous. She chuckled, seemingly hiding some wicked intentions, and said, "You're the wife now, and I'm the husband. Now you have to kneel down and pay homage to your husband, and we'll play house together!"
He couldn't really remember what happened after that.
He seemed to have fallen asleep on the grass, but he vividly remembered the beatings he had received, which were very painful.
He and Cui Fuyu were both beaten until their skin was torn and bleeding!
Zhao Jinghuan stopped looking at the moon, his expression indifferent, and turned back into the house, withdrawing his thoughts.
My old friend often looks back at the moon and talks about the past. But when he wants to speak, he realizes that my old friend is long gone, leaving me alone in sorrow.
——
The next morning, when the streets were deserted, a group of people silently slipped into Prince Gong's Mansion through the back door.
After entering Prince Gong's Mansion, they went straight to pay their respects to Zhao Jinghuan.
Zhao Jinghuan was still washing and dressing under the care of his maids. The maids bowed their heads and respectfully dressed him. After he was dressed, the group of people came to his room.
The group knelt down in unison, clasping their hands in greeting, and said in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Zhao Jinghuan nodded casually, gesturing for them to stand up. "Sit down."
He lifted his robe and sat down first, waiting for someone to bring him the things.
The leading physician, Dr. Li, sat down and took out a flat box from his robes, handing it to Zhao Jinghuan. "Young master, this is what you wanted."
Zhao Jinghuan quickly took the box, eagerly opened it, and looked at the two dark insects, one large and one small, lying inside, his eyes revealing excitement.
He's finally got what he's been waiting for!
Doctor Li explained the uses of the insects to him, pointing to the mother insect and the offspring insects, and said with a smile: "Young master, this is the love gu. The large insect is the mother gu, used to control people who have taken the offspring gu. People who have taken the offspring gu will fall in love with the first person they see when they open their eyes. So young master, you must make sure there is no one around before you can use it."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan became even more satisfied with the love potion he had painstakingly found, and examined the worm, which looked extremely disgusting.
Doctor Li hesitated and said, "The Love Gu is not without its flaws. Its drawback is that the mother and child Gu are twins. If the child Gu dies, the mother Gu will also die and suffer a backlash. Whether or not to use it is up to you, young master."
Zhao Jinghuan, however, was concerned with the usage: "How is the love potion used?"
The divine doctor Li explained the usage he had learned from the people of southern Xinjiang: the mother Gu must be swallowed by a human.
The Zi Gu is much simpler. As long as it is placed on a person's body, the Zi Gu will burrow into the skin on its own, just like being bitten by an ant.
The love potion was found by Doctor Li in the southern border region. After receiving the young master's letter last night, he originally planned to rest for one night before leaving, but he immediately set off overnight and arrived in the capital this morning.
He intended to use the love potion on Cui Fuyu.
Zhao Jinghuan understood the drawbacks of the Love Gu and fell into deep thought, his expression unreadable. Originally, he had planned to use the Love Gu as a backup plan.
But now Cui Fuyu seems to be focused on that kid surnamed Chi, so this love potion must be used!
Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles.
Zhao Jinghuan's eyes were fierce. He raised his hand, picked up the mother Gu, and with a determined heart, put it into his mouth, closed his eyes, and swallowed it.
Everyone watched in astonishment as the young master ate the insect, and they were also impressed by his determination.
He felt nauseous the moment he swallowed it and almost vomited it up again.
Zhao Jinghuan calmed down and, finding his body to be normal, felt relieved.
After he put away the worm, he had his servants take Doctor Li and his party to their room to rest.
Meanwhile, inside the palace.
The sage Zhao Hanhong, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat upright on the dragon table. As someone who had always held a high position, he exuded an aura of authority without even trying to be angry.
At this moment, he coldly looked at the group of officials kneeling below and angrily said, "The Enforcement Department is becoming more and more useless. They can't even handle a simple case of smuggled salt. They take the court's money but do nothing of substance. What use are you to me?"
The investigation into the smuggled salt case has been going on for over a month. Now they've told him that the trail has gone cold, and Li Sibu is taking all the blame. What he wants is for the smuggled salt to stop circulating in the market!
It was cut off at the root!
However, someone wrote to him, telling him that the smuggling of salt not only affected salt merchants and salt administration, but also involved salt mines!
The money obtained from smuggling salt was enormous. Where did such a large sum of money go?
How could he not be angry?
Zhao Hanhong grabbed the teacup in a fit of rage and threw it. The teacup, reserved for emperors, shattered into pieces upon impact.
Those kneeling on the ground dared not speak.
No one can withstand the wrath of a saint.
It was Wang Fei who sensed something was wrong and boldly asked, "Did the Sage notice something amiss?"
Zhao Hanhong calmed down before speaking: "Yesterday, I sent people to secretly investigate the salt mines, and we unexpectedly discovered that the salt mines in Hunan did not match the numbers reported to the court. There must be something fishy going on! Wang Fei, you will personally lead a team to investigate. If this case is like the salt smuggling case, bring your head to me!"
Zhao Hanhong narrowed his eyes, staring at the person kneeling in the middle.
The person referred to as Wang Fei is the chief of the Enforcement Division.
The Enforcement Division consists of a Chief Executive Officer, four Deputy Chief Executive Officers, and the rest of their subordinates.
It represents the highest law enforcement authority in Yongping!
Wang Fei immediately accepted the order: "Your Majesty, I understand and will certainly not fail your trust. But what if I encounter someone who does not cooperate with my work during the investigation?"
Zhao Hanhong was unaware of his true nature; he simply wanted a favor.
"I hereby bestow upon you a sword, and grant you the right to execute first and report later!"
Wang Fei replied earnestly, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Hanhong has always trusted Wang Fei. Given their childhood friendship, he was willing to delegate authority to Wang Fei because he believed that Wang Fei would not easily betray him.
The Emperor secretly dispatched Wang Fei to investigate the salt mines. To avoid suspicion, all the actions were carried out by secret agents, and apart from a few people in the court who knew the truth, no one else was aware of it.
The court is in turmoil, and things are likely to get unstable again.
Prince Gong's Mansion.
Princess Consort Yan Jingshan was by the bedside feeding Prince Gong Zhao Hantian medicine, while Zhao Jinghuan was also waiting nearby.
Zhao Hantian lay on the bed, his face sallow, his eyes lifeless, as if covered with a layer of gray, and his bloodless lips as the princess wiped away the remaining medicine with a handkerchief.
He doesn't look like someone who will live a long life!
Zhao Hantian asked listlessly, "Has the news that Jinghuan is going to marry...the Crown Princess...spread out yet?"
He would pause after saying just a few words to catch his breath, and it took him a long time to finish speaking.
"They've all been sent away." Yan Jingshan gently stroked his chest with his hand. "Don't worry, we'll definitely choose a good Crown Prince's wife and concubine for Jinghuan!"
"That's good. Remember, the Crown Princess can only be Cui Fuyu!"
Zhao Hantian suddenly grabbed Yan Jingshan's hand tightly, staring intently at her.
Yan Jingshan patted his chest to reassure him: "Don't worry, everything is going according to plan. The two things the divine physician was looking for have been found; the news of Jinghuan's engagement to the Cui family has also spread, and I'm sure all the prominent families in the capital know about it by now. When the Cui family comes to visit tomorrow, I will discuss this matter with Cui Ying."
Zhao Hantian then closed his eyes and lay down to rest, relieved. When Yan Jingshan saw that he was resting, he took Zhao Jinghuan out and instructed no one to disturb him.
The mother and son walked along the winding corridor, talking heart to heart: "Jinghuan, I know it's unfair to you to marry Cui Fuyu. I've heard about her reputation in the capital. Just bear with it for a while, and I'll find you a better wife after it's all over."
When Yan Jingshan spoke of Cui Fuyu, a look of disgust appeared in her eyes. In her eyes, no matter how noble Cui Fuyu's background was, her reputation was not worthy of being her daughter-in-law, let alone her handsome son.
Zhao Jinghuan remained silent, tacitly agreeing with what his mother had said!
“My son knows.”
She only needs Cui Fuyu for now. Once the great cause is accomplished, she will arrange for her son to divorce Cui Fuyu!
——
The next day, the appointed time for the Cui family to visit Prince Gong's residence arrived.
The Cui family's carriages were parked at the gate, and the servants were carrying the gifts to be delivered to Prince Gong's Mansion in an orderly manner.
Cui Shihai, Zhao Ying, and Cui Fuyu stood in front of the carriage they were to ride in.
Cui Fuyu looked at her mother helplessly. She didn't want to go to Prince Gong's Mansion; she'd rather stay at home.
"Mother, can't I not go?" Cui Fuyu clung to her mother's arm and pleaded, a tactic that usually worked very well.
However, today's situation is special, and Zhao Ying will not allow her to be absent.
Zhao Ying coaxed him, "Your uncle and aunt have just returned to the capital. You should visit them, Yu Li. If you can't stay there, you can stroll around the Prince's Mansion with Jing Huan."
Zhao Ying pushed Cui Fuyu into the carriage and told her to sit obediently inside.
After the servants finished loading their belongings, Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying, husband and wife, helped each other into the carriage and set off for Prince Gong's Mansion.
Cui Fuyu was leaning listlessly against her mother. Her eyelids had been twitching before she left the house. She didn't want to go in the first place, but now that her eyelids were twitching so badly, she didn't want to go at all. However, she couldn't persuade her mother otherwise, and she had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.
A note from the author:
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This chapter was a bit boring, just a transition to get through the plot, hehe [laughs] Thanks everyone for liking it.
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