Luminous Pearl 5
After taking a bath, it was too late for breakfast, and even lunchtime had passed. Xiao Congzhi's back was so weak that he forced himself to sit up and ordered Ge Yunduan to bring some snacks. After everyone left, he slowly sat down on the soft couch and ate slowly.
Xie Mowen leaned in for a kiss, like a satiated wolf. Xiao Congzhi smiled and kissed Xie Mowen back, then said, "After the Empress Dowager gave me a warning, I outwardly agreed readily, but then I turned around and started having sex with my male favorites in broad daylight. I was truly full of complaints but powerless to do anything about it."
"Why talk about such boring things at such a wonderful time?"
“There’s something even more boring: you’ll pack your bags and move to the harem in a little while.”
Xie Mowen complained, "What luggage do I have?"
Xiao Congzhi responded coldly: "Then tidy yourself up, there's no time to lose."
"...Who are the women in your harem who might make things difficult for me?" Xie Mowen said, then turned over and lay down on Xiao Congzhi's lap, hugging Xiao Congzhi's waist and rubbing his face against him.
Looking at Xie Mowen's appearance, Xiao Congzhi felt that if someone were to make things difficult for him, this person could cause chaos in the harem.
"In recent years, the Empress Dowager has wanted to send people to my side, but martial arts practitioners cannot deplete their vital energy too early, so there are not many people in the harem."
"Oh, how many people are there?"
"..." Xiao Congzhi realized that he couldn't fool them anymore, so he confessed, "There are two Jieyu in Changlin Palace and one Zhaoyi in Changchun Palace. I plan to arrange for you to be in Xuanhe Palace, which is the farthest away from them. Are you satisfied?"
“Satisfied…” Xie Mowen buried his head in Xiao Congzhi’s waist and abdomen, his voice muffled, “As a male concubine who serves others with his looks, he doesn’t even have a rank. What do I have to be dissatisfied with?”
Xiao Congzhi: ...
After arranging for his male favorites to be placed in the Xuanhe Palace, the emperor finally appeared in the court.
Shen Zhuo, leading the Imperial Guards, had yet to uncover any clues. Sun Rang had been unusually quiet these past few days due to his guilty conscience. Lin Shuo was exhausted from comforting the envoys at the embassy. Qi Ming was on leave due to a bad mood. Therefore, the court was rather quiet.
Except when the court was about to end, the Jiang family proposed that the emperor select candidates to produce offspring for the royal family.
The suggestion was immediately echoed by everyone, as Xiao Congzhi's "debauchery and neglect of state affairs" in recent days had caused great concern throughout the court and the country.
Xiao Congzhi simply frowned, remaining silent as he listened to the people below stepping forward one after another to echo his sentiments.
They are all from the Jiang clan, and their influence has even extended to their relatives.
Jiang Yangze truly wielded immense power.
The leader among the clan members was an old marquis. Marquis Anguo had been traveling around in recent years. A few years ago, he stirred up trouble between Lin Shuo, and now he had gotten involved with the Jiang family.
"I understand what you all mean. We will discuss this matter later." After saying that, Xiao Congzhi gestured to Ge Yun that the court could adjourn.
Marquis Anguo stepped forward anxiously and shouted, "Your Majesty!"
Xiao Congzhi had already stood up. Upon hearing this, he turned his head, looked at the civil and military officials, and sighed: "The national treasury is empty now, and we should not waste any more silver on this."
After Xiao Congzhi left, Sun Rang approached Lin Shuo and whispered, "Your Highness, what was His Majesty's final intention?"
Lin Shuo glanced at Marquis Anguo, his eyes flashing, and pulled Sun Rang outside, asking, "How much of what you've figured out?"
"Firstly, His Majesty previously wanted to attack the Xiongnu, but was persuaded to turn back due to the empty treasury. This is the first time in over a decade that His Majesty has shown such decisiveness, especially now that he should be assuming personal rule. Although it may not have been a mature and thoughtful decision, the Prime Minister's faction is too powerful. Are these words perhaps a warning to the Prime Minister?"
Secondly, Your Majesty used the word "wasteful," which, considering the male favorites brought back from the brothel a few days ago, might be an implication that Your Majesty has no interest in women.
Furthermore, His Majesty said that silver should not be wasted, which may mean that he does not want the selection of candidates to be extravagant, but rather wants to send people directly into the palace. He just doesn't know whether to send women or men.
Your Majesty glanced at all the officials one last time, then sighed again. I have a feeling that Your Majesty is dissatisfied with the excessive influence exerted by the Jiang family line.
Lin Shuo patted Sun Rang on the shoulder with satisfaction and said, "The mind of a ruler is hard to fathom. It all depends on what these people interpret and what they will do."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the palace gate, and Luo Yi, the Vice Minister of Rites, rushed over.
"Your Highness, there's a conflict between the Jin and Xiongnu people at the embassy."
Lin Shuo: "Minister Luo, I really want to rest for two days. They've been making a fuss every day. There's no need to bother me with this anymore."
"No, Your Highness, this time it was them who started the conflict, and I fear there will be more deaths."
"..." Lin Shuo sighed and walked towards the embassy with a resigned air. Before leaving, he seemed to remember something and instructed Vice Minister Luo, "Go to the palace and tell His Majesty about this."
Minister Luo didn't understand why he had to report such a trivial matter to the Emperor, but he still accepted the order and entered the palace. When he arrived at the Imperial Study, he heard the head eunuch Ge Yun say that His Majesty had returned to the inner palace after court and was currently in the Xuanhe Palace.
Vice Minister Luo: ...
Foreign officials were not allowed to enter the inner palace, so Luo Yi had to trouble Ge Yun to make a trip to the inner palace while he waited outside the Imperial Study.
"They said it was an important matter and asked His Majesty to come."
Ge Yun left reluctantly, inwardly wondering, "What important matter could possibly require me to see His Majesty?"
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Xiao Congzhi arrived, but he wasn't alone; Xie Mowen was with him.
Seeing the anxious-looking Vice Minister Luo outside the Imperial Study, Xiao Congzhi smiled and said, "Minister Luo, no need for formalities. What is it?"
He then walked into the Imperial Study.
Luo Yi glanced at Xie Mowen following behind, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Even after entering the imperial study, the male favorite remained by Xiao Congzhi's side. Luo Yi spoke up, "Your Majesty, I have some important matters to discuss."
Xiao Congzhi waved his hand and said, "Speak freely."
Luo Yi had no choice but to say, "The Jin envoys and the Xiongnu envoys had a conflict at the embassy. The prince went to handle it, but the matter is of great importance..."
Xiao Congzhi took the tea handed to him by Ge Yun, took a slow sip, and then spoke: "Since Prince Rong has gone to handle this matter..."
"Your Majesty!" Xie Mowen interrupted, completely oblivious to the situation, "I want to go to the embassy."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ge Yun, who was standing to the side, immediately reached out and tugged at him, scolding, "His Majesty is in the middle of a meeting, what are you doing interrupting?"
"It's alright." Xiao Congzhi smiled, reached out and pulled Xie Mowen to his side, teasingly asking, "Why do you want to go to the embassy?"
Xie Mowen nestled in Xiao Congzhi's arms, his waist softening as he murmured, "I've always been a wanderer in the martial world, I'm so naive and curious~"
"Hahaha! Very well, then I will take you to see it. Minister Luo, lead the way."
Luo Yi's eyebrows twitched repeatedly, and he bowed and replied with a "okay".
Ge Yun was supposed to follow, but he ran into Shen Zhuo on the way, so he took his leave and hurriedly went to the Empress Dowager's palace to inform her.
On the way, Luo Yi and Shen Zhuo walked ahead, exchanging information about the progress of the Night Pearl case.
Xie Mowen leaned close to Xiao Congzhi's ear and whispered, "This Ge Yun is everywhere. No wonder you had to try to get rid of him before."
"He was ordered by the Empress Dowager to keep a close eye on my every move. He's probably on his way to report how incompetent I am, and how you persuaded me to go to the embassy."
"Was my acting just now natural enough? Did I leave any flaws?"
"It's really exaggerated, but it doesn't matter. If I were in the mood, I would have joined in the fun anyway. I should just tone it down these next few days. Whether your gimmick is real or fake doesn't matter."
Xie Mowen paused for a moment, then said in a strange, sarcastic tone, "I never expected His Majesty to be so cunning."
"Likewise, thank you, Master." Xiao Congzhi replied calmly.
"..."
At this moment, Shen Zhuo turned around and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, according to Lord Luo, today it was Prince Bai Luoan of the Jin Kingdom who took the initiative to cause trouble because he suspected that the Xiongnu killed the dancers they presented to them."
"Have you found anything out these past few days?"
"These past few days I have been focusing on the case of the luminous pearl, and I have become even more suspicious of the Xia Kingdom."
"How so?"
"The fourth prince of the Xia Kingdom is highly skilled in martial arts. After returning to the embassy after the palace banquet that night, he has remained secluded ever since."
"It is indeed suspicious, but if the murder of the dancer and the theft of the luminous pearl were committed by two different parties, then the palace is far too lax in its defenses."
"It is my fault."
“If we’re going to discuss this, it should be Commander Yan,” Xiao Congzhi said gently, then turned to Luo Yi, “Minister Luo, do you have any thoughts?”
Luo Yi pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "In my opinion, the Crown Prince of Jin is more likely going to test the relationship between the Xiongnu and the Xia Kingdom."
"So, Bai Luoan suspects that the dancer's death was a conspiracy between the Xiongnu and the Xia Kingdom. Interesting!" Xiao Congzhi unfolded his folding fan, looking quite interested, and his steps became much lighter.
Xie Mowen chuckled. He had always thought he was an expert in hiding his true abilities in acting, but he hadn't expected Xiao Congzhi to be even better.
When the group arrived at the embassy, the courtyard where the Xiongnu royal family had been entertained was extremely noisy.
Lin Shuo was still wearing his heavy official robes from court, his forehead was covered in sweat, and he looked extremely distressed.
Standing opposite him was Bai Luoan, a handsome young man dressed in the bright yellow brocade robes symbolizing the Jin dynasty's royal family. He was frowning and shouting at Qi Wuxuan, the crown prince of the Xiongnu: "I'll say it again, my men saw it clearly. You personally gave the fourth son of the Xia emperor a piece of jade, saying it was a token of gratitude. What did you have him do?"
"Then I'll say it again!" Qi Wuxuan's brows furrowed with barely suppressed anger. "I have nothing to say about this matter, but it has absolutely nothing to do with what happened in the palace."
Lin Shuo gently advised, "Crown Prince Xuan, why don't we invite His Highness the Fourth Prince of Xia here and explain the matter clearly?"
Qi Wuxuan was still polite to Lin Shuo, but he still coldly refused.
Xiao Congzhi watched with amusement, tapped Luo Yi with the handle of his fan, and whispered, "Go and invite the fourth son of the Xia Emperor over."
After saying that, Xiao Congzhi walked over to the noisy crowd, laughing as he went: "Why is it so lively?"
"His Majesty!?"
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Everyone immediately straightened up and bowed. Xiao Congzhi glanced around casually before saying, "No need for formalities."
Lin Shuo stepped forward and asked, "Why did His Majesty come in person?"
"Oh~" Xiao Congzhi reached behind him, put his arm around Xie Mowen's waist and pushed him to his side, pretending to be troubled, "He's never seen the world before and kept pestering me to come and see, but I didn't expect to stumble upon something funny. What were you all arguing about just now?"
Lin Shuo glanced at Xie Mowen, who seemed to have no bones, and suddenly felt a headache and a chill in his heart, and was unwilling to speak for a moment.
Bai Luoan, however, was curious. He glanced at Xie Mowen several times and then took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, I suspect that the Xiongnu colluded with the Xia Kingdom to assassinate the dancer I presented to them."
"Nonsense!" Qi Wuxuan almost cursed. He did have some dealings with the fourth prince of Xia Kingdom, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the two cases in the palace.
“It’s alright, Crown Prince Xuan, there’s no need to rush.” Xiao Congzhi said slowly, with an understanding smile on his face. “I just sent someone to invite the fourth son of Emperor Xia. We can talk about it together and everything will be clear.”
Qi Wuxuan's expression immediately changed, and he avoided eye contact.
Bai Luoan seemed lost in thought, his gaze drifting between Qi Wuxuan and Xiao Congzhi.
Lin Shuo hurriedly lowered his head, concealing the surprise in his eyes.
While waiting for Xia Nanrui to arrive, Xiao Congzhi ignored the strange expressions on everyone's faces and asked again, "However, Crown Prince An, it's not enough to suspect that Crown Prince Xuan and the fourth son of Emperor Xia are the culprits who murdered the palace concubines, is it?"
"This is merely my guess," Bai Luoan replied dryly. He hadn't expected to run into the Emperor of the Sheng Dynasty here. Regardless of the Emperor's intentions, his status was far too high…
"Oh~" Xiao Congzhi smiled in Bai Luoan's direction, a smile that was quite meaningful, which made Bai Luoan inexplicably break out in a cold sweat.
Isn't it rumored that the emperor of the Sheng Dynasty is a puppet of the Jiang family? Bai Luoan clenched his fists, trying his best to suppress his inner anxiety.
"Crown Prince Xuan."
"Your Majesty the Emperor."
The Xiongnu were not a vassal state of the Sheng Dynasty, and Qi Wuxuan was more at ease than Bai Luoan.
"According to the laws of the Sheng Dynasty, vassal states are not allowed to establish diplomatic relations with foreign countries without the permission of the Sheng Dynasty, nor are they allowed to have private relations with foreign countries."
Qi Wuxuan: ...
Qi Wuxuan didn't understand. The emperor in front of him looked very relaxed, smiled warmly, and spoke objectively, as if he were just explaining the law. But he couldn't see through his intentions and didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Xia Nanrui didn't keep them waiting too long, appearing in everyone's sight during this silent moment.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Xia Nanrui, unaware of what had transpired, simply bowed and paid his respects.
"No need for formalities, rise." Xiao Congzhi explained, "I summoned you because the Crown Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince of Xiongnu had a quarrel, which involves you."
Xia Nanrui glanced at Qi Wuxuan's position out of the corner of his eye, looking puzzled: "Your Majesty, I am somewhat unaware."
"Crown Prince An?"
Bai Luoan took a deep breath, but remained calm on the surface: "My men saw with their own eyes that Crown Prince Xuan gave you a piece of jade as a token of gratitude. You are highly skilled in martial arts, so I suspect that you sneaked into the palace at night to kill the dancer I presented to you!"
Xia Nanrui's eyes widened immediately, and he retorted loudly, "An undeserved disaster! Your Majesty, a commoner is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. You cannot pin this on me simply because I am skilled in martial arts."
Xiao Congzhi pondered for a moment and then asked, "Then why did Crown Prince Xuan give you the jade?"
Xia Nanrui then took off the jade pendant from his waist, presented it with both hands, and said, "This jade is not valuable. This is the first time the Xiongnu royal family has come to Yidu. They are unfamiliar with the place and the people. I recommended two or three restaurants to them, and the Crown Prince Xuan was very kind and gave them a gift as a token of his gratitude."
"I see." Xiao Congzhi laughed, seemingly pleased to have received an explanation. "But what's so hard about telling me?"
Xiao Congzhi turned to look at Qi Wuxuan, seemingly not quite understanding.
Qi Wuxuan hurriedly said, "I just don't want to talk about these things with the Crown Prince of Xia."
"Hmm~" Xiao Congzhi was satisfied and asked Bai Luoan, "Crown Prince An, are your doubts resolved now?"
Bai Luoan didn't believe Xia Nanrui's lies at all. His doubts remained unresolved, and he had even more questions that he couldn't understand. But he said, "I understand. It was my oversight."
"It's alright, these are minor matters. You are all concerned about the two cases that occurred in the palace, and I am also very concerned. Commander Shen will take full responsibility for this matter."
Seeing that the emperor had put it this way, everyone expressed their understanding.
"Speaking of which, Minister Shen told me on his way here that he suspected the fourth son of the Xia Emperor was involved in the theft of the luminous pearl. I naturally do not believe it, so let's resolve this matter together today."
"Your Majesty..." Xia Nanrui hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
"Don't be nervous," Xiao Congzhi reassured him. "Commander Shen just finds it suspicious that you've stayed indoors since you returned from the palace. In that case, let's search your courtyard. If we find nothing, I will punish Commander Shen."
“This… Your Majesty.”
Xiao Congzhi gave Xia Nanrui no room for further rebuttal. He stood up with great interest, patting the handle of his fan, seemingly about to lead his group to search Xia Nanrui's courtyard.
Xia Nanrui and Xia Nanchi lived in the same courtyard, so when Xiao Congzhi and his entourage arrived in a large group, it naturally alerted Xia Nanchi.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Xia Nanchi came out of the house, and upon recognizing the person who had come, he quickly bowed.
"No need for formalities, rise."
"Second Prince of Xia, there is no need to be nervous. My Imperial Guard Commander intends to search the room of the Fourth Prince to clear him of suspicion."
Xia Nanchi frowned and glanced at Xia Nanrui, his tone displeased: "What suspicion do you have?"
Lin Shuo didn't want Xiao Congzhi to keep fighting on the front lines, so he stepped forward and offered an explanation.
After Lin Shuo finished speaking, Xiao Congzhi called Shen Zhuo into the house to search.
Shen Zhuo accepted the order and summoned a contingent of Imperial Guards, and Yan Hong also arrived. A group of about ten men then searched Xia Nanchi's room.
The Imperial Guards searched inside, while a group of people waited outside.
The atmosphere became unusually quiet for a moment.
"Your Majesty, my back hurts~" Xie Mowen's coquettishness was extremely obvious in the quiet.
Everyone present was shrewd; how could they not know why the male concubine was suffering from back pain? Immediately, someone with quick hands and feet brought over a chair.
Xiao Congzhi smiled helplessly at everyone, and without refusing, he sat down in a chair with Xie Mowen in his arms.
Xie Mowenren sat down, but his mouth was still not behaving properly: "Your Majesty, if nothing is found, are you really going to punish Commander Shen?"
After he finished speaking, Lin Shuo and Luo Yi, who were standing to the side, both had subtle expressions.
Even Bai Luoan couldn't help but think that this male concubine was tactless. The emperor of the Sheng Dynasty had not ruled in person and had no real power. How could he possibly touch the Left Commander of the Imperial Guard, who was backed by the Jiang family? Those words were just empty words for the Xia Kingdom to hear.
Xiao Congzhi smiled subtly, stroking Xie Mowen's hair, without responding, his expression not as lighthearted as before.
The atmosphere became quieter, and a bit more awkward.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chen Zhuo came out, his face solemn. He approached and knelt down before Xiao Congzhi, stammering, "Your Majesty, this humble subject is... is..."
Xiao Congzhi impatiently called out, "Speak your mind."
"Your Majesty, I did indeed find a luminous pearl in the room of the fourth son of Emperor Xia." As he spoke, Shen Zhuo's subordinates presented him with a brocade box.
"What? This is impossible!" Xia Nanrui was extremely excited when he saw the brocade box.
Bai Luoan raised an eyebrow, looking on with amusement.
Qi Wuxuan was somewhat surprised, and hurriedly composed himself, stepping forward to examine the contents of the brocade box.
"Crown Prince, look at this..."
"It is indeed a treasure of my desert."
As things became clearer, Xiao Congzhi began to waver. He stood up and instructed Lin Shuo, "Uncle, this matter is of great importance, so I entrust it to you."
He then turned to Shen Zhuo and said, "Commander Shen has rendered meritorious service, and I will certainly reward him handsomely in the future."
After saying that, leaving behind a mess, Xiao Congzhi put his arm around Xie Mowen and left.
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