The Fourth Prince looked at Li Xue with a complicated expression and said:
"Xue'er, why are you only telling me now about something so important?"
“Father, you may not know this, but only a few people know about Naspa’s affairs in Narcissus Village. If this matter were to spread in the capital, someone might tip Naspa off.”
If the matter is exposed, Nashi Bai will resort to desperate measures, which would put Zhao Shaofu in danger.
In the capital, someone might try to claim the credit and send men to Nashibai's village. This would disrupt Prefect Shen's carefully laid plans and make things worse.
What we need to do now is to arrest Ma Sibei discreetly, interrogate him, first find out that he was an undercover agent for the imperial court, and then investigate whether he has any connection with Nashibai.”
"Xue'er is right, so what do we do now?" the Fourth Prince asked.
"Go to the palace immediately, meet with the Emperor, and present these two important matters together for the Emperor to decide."
"Yes, this matter cannot be discussed in the imperial court. It can only be handled secretly by meeting with the emperor."
The three left the Prince's residence and headed to the Imperial Palace.
At this time, the Emperor had already eaten dinner and was resting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation when a eunuch came to report that the Fourth Prince, along with Lord Yao and the Princess, were requesting an audience.
The Emperor was taken aback. At this time, the Fourth Prince had brought people to meet with him, so there must be something important to discuss.
Thinking of this, the emperor dared not delay and immediately let the men in.
Upon seeing the emperor, the group immediately knelt and bowed.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"My beloved ministers, rise. Is there something important that you wish to discuss with me at this time?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, we do indeed have something to report to you. This matter is of great importance, and we cannot present it in court, so we must speak to Your Majesty in person," the Fourth Prince said.
In the Emperor's view, the country was relatively peaceful during this period, and the borders were also very stable, so there should be no major incidents.
Judging from the serious expression on the Fourth Prince's face, and the fact that Lord Yao, who had just recovered from his illness, had also arrived, the matter they were about to report must be of great importance.
"Since this is a major event, tell me quickly," the Emperor ordered.
Next, the group recounted in detail the two events: the 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' teahouse and the discovery of Nash White.
The Emperor was greatly surprised. These two events were indeed major events, especially the teahouse in the western suburbs of the capital, which was actually a spy agency set up by foreign forces in the Great Northern Dynasty.
This spy agency, right under his nose, had gone undetected for so many years, and the very people providing it with information were his own court officials.
The emperor was furious; he wished he could arrest Ma Sibei right now and get to the bottom of things.
But the emperor was not confused. He knew that this matter could not be handled lightly and had to be carried out in secret to avoid leaks.
Next, the emperor and his ministers discussed the matter seriously until very late, before they reached a consensus.
When the three left the palace, it was already very late, and they felt hungry, only to realize that they hadn't eaten dinner yet.
The next morning, after the court session, the emperor kept Lord Liu of the Court of State Ceremonial behind, while the rest of the court members left.
Lord Liu was a second-rank official who had served in the Court of State Ceremonial for many years with mediocre performance. He found it strange that the Emperor had kept him behind alone today.
In the past, after court sessions, the emperor would leave some ministers behind to discuss important matters. This time, however, he left him behind alone. I wonder what it was about.
After the Emperor finished telling him about the tea party, Lord Liu was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately knelt down.
"This old minister deserves to die. I never imagined that Ma Sibei was actually a spy lurking in the court. I am guilty of negligence."
But one thing I can assure you, I have never been to that teahouse.
"Lord Liu, please get up. Of course I know your character and conduct; otherwise, I would have thrown you into prison immediately."
"Since I have spared you, I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself. You must seize this opportunity."
The Emperor's words put Lord Liu at ease; this Ma Sibei had almost killed him.
"Lord Liu, I have already devised a plan to deal with this matter. You should go back and handle it immediately."
After giving his instructions, the emperor dismissed Lord Liu.
After returning to the Court of State Ceremonial, Lord Liu first locked himself in the inner hall. Only after he had completely calmed down did he come out and summon all the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial for a meeting.
The Court of State Ceremonial was the agency in the Northern Dynasty that managed foreign affairs. There were not many officials there, less than ten in total.
This department has many young officials, and they are not high-ranking officials, mostly at the sixth or seventh rank.
Although Ma Sibei was only a sixth-rank official, his qualifications were by no means low. He had been working in the Court of State Ceremonial for more than ten years and his abilities were quite good.
However, Ma Sibei has not been promoted in more than ten years, while his colleagues in the same court have long since risen to the rank of third or fourth grade officials.
But Ma Sibei didn't care and continued to work quietly. He still had a good reputation in the Court of State Ceremonial.
Seeing that all the officials had arrived, Lord Liu finally spoke.
"Colleagues, this morning at court, the Emperor kept me behind and gave me a book to look at."
This is a foreign language book. Although I serve in the Court of State Ceremonial and have gained the Emperor's favor.
However, I am completely unfamiliar with some foreign languages; I don't recognize a single word in this book.
After Lord Liu finished speaking, he gave an awkward laugh, and the other officials laughed along with him.
Lord Liu took a sip of tea and continued:
"The Emperor told me that this is a book presented as tribute by the Kingdom of Xiuluo, called 'The Secret of Nourishing Life,' which is a book used exclusively by their royal family."
The book introduces various health preservation methods, and it is said that the members of the Hughes royal family have very long lifespans, which is related to their health preservation methods.
The emperor was very interested in the book, but it was written entirely in the language of the Kingdom of Huluo, which he could not understand at all.
So the Emperor assigned the task of translating this book to the Court of State Ceremonial, and ordered us to translate it within half a month.
I wonder which colleague at the Court of State Ceremonial was proficient in the language of the Kingdom of Shura and translated this book.
This is an interpretation task for the Emperor, so there can be absolutely no mistakes.
If things go well, the Emperor will be pleased, and my future will be limitless; if things go wrong, even I will be in trouble.
As soon as Lord Liu finished speaking, everyone looked up at Ma Sibei.
Ma Sibei is efficient and fluent in multiple languages, making the translation of the Shura language a piece of cake for him.
Lord Liu looked at Ma Sibei and said:
"It seems that no one but Ma Yiguan is qualified to translate the 'Secrets of Nourishing Life' for the Emperor this time."
Translator Ma has served diligently for many years; it's time for him to be promoted. Once this matter is completed, I will recommend him for commendation.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Liu. I will certainly handle this matter well and live up to His Majesty's trust."
After Ma Sibei finished speaking, he immediately stood up and bowed to Lord Liu.
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