Chapter 97 – You come and go in honor of me

Shen Qi ventured into the palace at night to face the saint. Unexpectedly, the Holy Driver is not in the Harem Yangxin Hall or the Royal Study Hall, nor in the Fengtian Hall of the former dynasty, but on the east road of the outer court, in front of the Wenhua Hall of the Duanben Palace where the Crown Prince resides.

Mandarin Palace is the East Palace listening to the reading place, but also successive generations of the Prince before the registry of the throne, and the end of the Palace, separated from an imperial pharmacy, smoked the Hall also dyed a faint fragrance of medicine.

Emperor Jinglong’s face, then in this medicinal fragrance as if the night clouds cover the mountains, heavy and lofty.

In the face of Shen Qi kneeling to kowtow, he scrutinized and plotted, and only spoke after a long time: “In the Longde Hall of the East Garden, can you still remember the answer you gave me?”

Shen Qi said, “I won’t dare to forget it.”

–

That night, the emperor asked him why he had to give the head of Feng to go to the evil? Shen Qi said because he was disloyal to the king and because he was greedy and poisonous and harmed the country, but the emperor expressed his dissatisfaction with both answers with a cold look.

“I’m going to ask you one last time, why do you want to out head Feng to evil?”

Shen Qi knew that if he answered wrongly again this time, not only would Feng Daoyu’s head fall, but also his own fame and future.

“To …… live.”

“Yes, that’s the truth.” The emperor nodded slightly, “the late emperor loved to listen to the theater, singing. He said that under the courtyard is the theater, raw Dan clean end ugly, each ink on the stage, long sleeves between the dance, the most fascinating ears and eyes. And the son of heaven sitting in the nine heavens, the most important thing is to have a pair of burning rhinoceros eyes, can see the lungs under the face.”

Shen Qi sniffed austere: “I’m loyal to the king and the country, can be shown to the heavens, the emperor Mingjian.”

“You have loyalty and selfishness, at this moment the two hearts are the same, does not mean that in the future will not rebel against loyalty because of selfishness. I do not want to have that day, after all, talent is rare.”

–

The Emperor’s admonition that night was still ringing in his ears, mixing with the thin fragrance of medicine in the hall to form a prophetic and bitter odor. Shen Qi knew in his heart that even if he listened to this, it would not change his fate – since he met at the Clarification Bridge under the moonlit night, he was destined to live and fight for a person, and perhaps also die for that person.

In the moment he drifted off, Emperor Jinglong continued, “Since you still remember, then show it to me – there is an extremely important errand that I want you to do, and I will only allow success, not failure.”

The muscles in Shen Qi’s back couldn’t help but tighten, waiting in a vague stale pain, allowing him to run to the side of his beloved’s heavenly voice.

“At the beginning of the eleventh hour today, the Crown Prince was assassinated in a dark alley in the inner city’s Dashiyongfang, and was severely poisoned.”

Shen Qi: “?”

“Fortunately, he was decisive, managed to get away from the poison, was sent back to the East Palace, after the doctor has no serious harm. I order you to investigate this case, uncover the murderer behind the scenes, but not allowed to publicize, so as to avoid turbulence in the former Palace.”

Shen Qi: “!!!”

“Why, surprised? The Northern Township Division is responsible for detecting assassins and traitors, and specializes in handling major cases decided by the Emperor, so it’s not only right that you should be allowed to investigate this matter. Or is it that you actually have another idea?”

Shen Qi: “…… I just didn’t expect that with the stupidity of the minister, I could get the Royal Master’s grace and trust, handing over such an important case to me to investigate. I am grateful and vow to find out the truth, catch the murderer who plotted to assassinate the Eastern Palace, and be at the disposal of His Majesty.”

Emperor Jinglong walked up to him without a hitch and patted his shoulder, “Get up, I grant you that you don’t have to kneel and work on things in the future.”

Shen Qi thanked the grace and got up.

This matter is indeed unexpected, so that his hidden wish completely failed, but also let the painstaking planning of an accident to do no good. But he can’t ask more questions, can’t even show a little bit of unwillingness or disappointment, can only beat his teeth and swallow blood.

In all fairness, the emperor can give him the opportunity to investigate the assassination of the East Palace case, not only is the affirmation of his ability, but also to the group of ministers to sit down, the green clouds straight up the JinYiWei new noble saint favor is thick, the future is good.

If there was no Su Yan under the sky, Shen Qi would probably feel something in his heart and try his best to work for the emperor – anyway, it was the same as his goal to climb up the ladder, so why not do it?

However, now that he is facing this vast imperial favor, his heart only has a silent sneer, without the slightest intention.

The Emperor dusted off a wrinkle on his sleeve and left a sentence as he brushed past Shen Qi:

“Xin Zhenhai is nominally your superior officer after all, take some time to visit and send him some good medicine.”

“I obey the decree.” Shen Qi responded woodenly. He no longer cared to think about whether this was another plausible admonition or a false knock.

After walking out of the Mandarin Palace, he looked up at the moonlit and starry night sky and felt that Emperor Jinglong was this boundless dome of heaven, vast and majestic pressing down on everyone’s head words, King Yu was a little bit surprised, but he did a good job of hiding the excess look and asked in a concerned tone, ”The Imperial Hospital side said that it was a poisonous snake bite. There are snakes in the palace? Was it in the palace, or in the imperial garden?”

Zhu Hailin didn’t want to tell him the reason why he left the palace, and replied perfunctorily, “The imperial garden is full of grass and trees, so it’s normal for there to be snakes.”

“There are a lot of snakes in summer, it’s time to take Xiong Huang and smoke it inside and outside this palace.” Yu Wang said, “The doctor also praised your highness for handling the situation properly, cutting open the wound in time to squeeze out most of the poisonous blood. Otherwise, according to the intensity of this poison, I’m afraid that less than half an hour will flow all over the body. By the way, does the crown prince know what kind of snake bit you?”

Zhu Hailin thought, this is which big-mouthed eunuch, how everything and Yu Wang said, by the little master to find out, to make him look good. Mouth answer: “did not see, after biting a bit and leaped away.”

King Yu added: “When marching in the field, soldiers are often bitten by snakes, I have seen many teeth marks and can roughly identify what kind of poisonous snake it is. If the crown prince doesn’t mind, can you let me take a look at the wound?”

Zhu Hailin is no exception, and the bandage is too thick, his hands are hot, so he unraveled the gauze, wiped the semi-transparent ointment applied, and showed the two holes with bruises and teeth marks to the King of Yu.

King Yu owed over and held his right hand, looking down to scrutinize it, and after a moment asked, “Does it hurt after being bitten?”

“It doesn’t hurt, it’s a little numb and it tickles a little.”

“Looking at the distance between the teeth, this snake is about a finger thick, but the toxicity is very strong. This size, can still have such toxicity, after biting and not painful, think it is silver ring.”

He suddenly looked up at the Crown Prince, his eyes full of unspeakable deep meaning.

Zhu Hailin felt something strange in his heart and frowned, “Fourth Wang Shu might as well speak directly if he has something to say.”

King Yu picked up the ointment that was placed on the surface of the cabinet next to the bed and reapplied it, not slowing down as he wrapped the gauze back around it, ”In the area of the capital, there is only one type of venomous snake, the pit viper. But no matter whether it’s a short-tailed pit viper or a white-browed pit viper, if you want to achieve this kind of toxicity, the distance between the teeth has to be much larger. The snake that bit the Crown Prince, I’m afraid it’s not a local wild, but an exotic species that’s been bred.”

“–The crown prince was assassinated last night, I believe.” King Yu said with certainty, “And it was outside the palace. Otherwise, early this morning, the palace should have begun smoking xionghuang to drive away the snakes.”

Zhu Hailin looked at him in surprise.

Ginger is still old and hot. He had almost forgotten that this Fourth King’s Uncle had been a feudal lord and general who had garrisoned the border. When he was still a toddler learning to speak, the other party was already famous in the borderlands.

After he was slightly stunned, he asked, “What does Uncle Fourth King think about my assassination?”

King Yu lightly: “‘How do you see’? This accent of yours is like that of your royal brother, it’s really a lineage.

“It doesn’t matter what the Lone King thinks, it’s not like I’m in charge of this case. At the moment I am collecting my mind and nourishing myself, and I am focused on building the academy. As for those who have been ordered to investigate this case, I guess it’s either the Da Lisi or the Northern Zhenfu Si. Well, if your brother doesn’t want to publicize it, it’s more likely that the North Township Office will be the one to do it. Do you know who the chief official of the Northern Township Administration is today?”

A seemingly tame, but actually cunning silhouette surfaced in front of Zhu Hailin’s eyes, grinding his back teeth, “Shen Qi?”

King Yu smiled, not smiled: ”It is exactly this person. By the way, I have heard that the Crown Prince values him quite a bit, two months ago he was at home recuperating from his injuries, and the Crown Prince rewarded him with a number of children and maidservants for his merit in citing evil. If this case is handed over to him, the Crown Prince can rest assured.”

Zhu Helin glanced at him without moving, his heart secretly alert, ”Father has said that he is a capable one, if the Holy Intent is entrusted to him to handle the case, I will naturally follow my father’s orders and try my best to cooperate with the investigation.

“However, I have also heard that although the one who came to Qinghe’s rescue in the Little South Courtyard was the Fourth Prince’s uncle, Qinghe got closer to Shen Qi, who secretly led Feng to go to the evil, and called him a brother, and even stayed overnight to take care of him when he was injured. Fourth Wang Shu, why do you think this situation is not quite the same as the books I’ve read? Shouldn’t it be the kindness of saving a life when a blade is added to the neck that makes people more grateful? Not to mention that the Fourth Prince’s uncle is a nobleman, so condescending, shouldn’t he be even more grateful, why does he seem to be avoiding you all the time.”

The muscles at the corners of King Yu’s mouth twisted unexpectedly, twisting the relevant smile raw into a twitch that had been poked into a sore spot.

It took him a few breaths to adjust from the insinuation that caught him off guard, and he said with a leathery smile, “Qinghe is just avoiding suspicion. As a courtier, he is in the way of my status as a vassal king, so naturally it’s not good for him to get close in the open.”

Does that mean you’re close in private? How close? The crown prince began to grind his back teeth again, also like him to put up a fake smile, “Since the fourth king’s uncle consciously close to Qinghe, how come when he left the capital, do not see you for him to send off? That day, not only I went, father also went. Father gave him a Shangfang sword, listening to Eunuch Lan said, moved him to cry on the spot. I didn’t give any gift, but it lightened the friendship between the two of us. Qinghe promised me that he would wait for me to grow up, and then we knocked our mouths out again–“

King Yu’s fists clenched tightly in the sleeves of his robe, his eyelids twitching, squeezing out a sentence through his teeth, “Seeing that the Crown Prince is alive and well, and thinking that ten more poisonous snakes won’t be able to bite him to death, the Lone King is relieved. I won’t disturb the prince to recuperate, I will take my leave.” Words struck and whisked his sleeve away.

Zhu Hailin deliberately laughed out loud with his uninjured left hand pounding on the bedpan just after he had left the temple door.

Outside the hall waiting for the order of the chamberlain and the palace maid to see the Yu Wang face cage frosty out, clearly and the Prince upset, have bowed their heads to send not dare to make a sound.

After leaving the Duanben Palace, King Yu’s complexion suddenly slowed down, the haze dispersed, and he slightly sneered, “Driving wolves and swallowing tigers, you make this trick is still tender, little kid.”

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and frowned: Qinghe stayed overnight to take care of Shen Qi when he was injured? The Prince intentionally stated “stayed overnight”, was it a matter of course, or was he really caught in the act? In that case, giving him twenty servant girls was not only a demonstration, but also a humiliation.

Shen Qi …… Yu Wang s finger in his sleeve circled around the hilt of the hooked fish intestines, and for the first time, he looked squarely at this new Jinyiwei elite who had emerged in and out of the imperial court.