Seeing that Ji Rong was involved again, Emperor Jingyuan specially ordered someone to summon Physician Jin.
Since the fright he suffered at the alley entrance, Physician Jin has been recuperating at home.
Upon hearing the announcement from the palace that it was the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet again, Imperial Physician Jin immediately thought of the words of the assassin in black that day.
He sent someone to the Ji residence to bring Meixiang here, and then went to the palace first.
Upon entering the hall, he saw the elder's wife kneeling on the ground, which further confirmed his suspicions.
Physician Jin took a deep breath.
Seeing the current situation, he was almost certain that everything was the work of the Yuan family, including the assassination attempt at the alley entrance that day.
He had no grudge against the Song family, yet the Yuan family cruelly tried to take his life.
They pretend to be kind and humble on ordinary days, but they commit such heinous acts behind people's backs!
That's truly ruthless.
The more Physician Jin thought about it, the angrier he became, and he glared fiercely at Madam Yuan.
The elder's wife was puzzled.
She had never even met Physician Jin, let alone offended him, so why was he so hostile towards her?
The matter was of great importance, so Emperor Jingyuan dismissed all the officials attending the banquet, leaving only a few people from the General's Mansion to wait for the Imperial Guards' report.
Night was falling outside the palace.
A bright moon, perfectly round like a jade plate, hangs in the sky, gleaming with a soft white light.
It was Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon was shining brightly, but no one was in the mood to appreciate it.
Especially the matriarch of the elders kneeling on the ground.
She frowned and went through the events of the past few days, but still couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.
Ji Rong's bizarre behavior, in particular, became the biggest variable in her plan.
She learned Miao witchcraft from a young age, using golden silkworms to control people.
The art of controlling people with Gu worms is extremely dangerous. Although people in Miao areas are generally skilled in Gu, very few have the talent to learn this art. She has raised this golden silkworm for many years, feeding it with her own flesh and blood.
That day in the back hall of the Ministry of Justice, she took advantage of Ji Rong's unpreparedness and planted the Gu worm into his body.
Then Ji Rong indeed obeyed her own control and pinned the blame for losing the Tiger Seal on Jiang Wan. At that moment, she knew that she had successfully planted the Gu poison.
Although Ji Rong lost control twice, it did not cause serious consequences, and she did not think much about it at the time.
Now that I think about it... could it be that there was something wrong with her golden silkworm?
The elder lady's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly raised her head.
Jiang Wan stood in the crowd, her head slightly lowered. Her face was beautiful, her eyes were cold, and her gaze towards her was full of mockery.
The elder lady held her breath.
The only person in the general's mansion she could be wary of was this granddaughter-in-law.
He speaks and laughs amiably, yet remains unfathomable.
But soon, the matriarch denied the idea.
Jiang Wan is too young to know about the Miao region's history from decades ago.
Besides, she spends all her time in the inner quarters. No matter how intelligent she is, she can only be confined to the internal strife within the household. She only has a few maids and servants under her command. What threat can they pose to her?
More importantly, the golden silkworm and its owner can sense each other. She can feel that the golden silkworm is not injured or dead, but is still alive and well.
There are very few people in the capital who know the art of Gu poison.
She didn't believe that anyone could break her Gu technique and temporarily paralyze the Golden Silkworm so that she wouldn't notice.
As for Ji Rong entering the palace tonight, it might be an accident.
Those afflicted by the Gu poison undergo drastic personality changes and may experience mental instability at times. Ji Rong may have been exploited by the Illusion Moon Cult because of this.
Even if His Majesty is furious, he will only suspect that he is colluding with the Illusion Moon Sect. In any case, this matter will not involve her.
Thinking of this, the matriarch felt even more at ease.
She was a first-rank imperial consort and the widow of a veteran general of the Great Yong Dynasty. As long as her use of witchcraft was not discovered, no one could bring her down.
The matriarch calmed herself and gave Song Ziyu a reassuring look.
The hall was completely silent; no one dared to even breathe loudly.
About half an hour later, the leader of the Imperial Guards returned to the palace.
"Your Majesty."
He knelt on the ground, his face calm.
"I followed Lord Ji into the Bluestone Alley and found him in a courtyard. He was acting suspiciously and secretly lit some dry firewood in the courtyard."
Seeing the surprised look on Emperor Jingyuan's face, he continued.
"That's right. Lord Ji attempted arson but was apprehended on the spot by the Imperial Guards. They also found flint, grease, and other items on him, which clearly indicates that he had planned this in advance."
Why did Ji Rong set the fire?
Emperor Jingyuan's expression deepened.
"Are they trying to destroy evidence?"
He asked.
"What kind of place is that courtyard?"
The Imperial Guard leader replied, "The courtyard has been abandoned for a long time. Last month, it was bought anonymously by a man using an alias. I have already sent people to investigate his true identity."
"However, according to the neighbors, several dancers have been staying in that courtyard recently. Bai Rili plays music and practices dancing, and the whole neighborhood can hear it."
Emperor Jingyuan's face darkened.
It seems that this courtyard is the secret hideout of the Illusion Moon Sect in the capital.
"As expected, these rebels have an inside accomplice in the capital!"
That's how he was able to sneak into the capital a month in advance and infiltrate the palace on Mid-Autumn Festival night.
How could those bandit leaders possibly have accomplished that?
"His Majesty."
The Imperial Guard leader paused for a moment, then handed over a stack of items.
"Please take a look at this item. It was found during my search of the courtyard. Lord Ji rushed over and set the fire, probably to destroy these things."
The eunuch presented a handful of items, including paintings and jade ornaments.
When Emperor Jingyuan took a look, he saw that the paintings were full of intricate patterns, and the carvings on the jade artifacts were also strange, unlike the styles commonly seen in the capital.
He didn't recognize these things, but he sensed something was amiss.
Physician Jin, who was standing nearby, caught a glimpse of the image and his face lit up with excitement.
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