kingnovel Chapter 1356 The First Letter from Liuyang Prefecture
Chapter 1356 The First Letter from Liuyang Prefecture
Winter comes earlier in Beijing than in Tongan County.
It was early winter, and although there was no snow yet, the wind was already quite biting.
The door to the Imperial Study was half-closed, but it couldn't muffle the sounds coming from inside.
"Your Majesty, my greatest wish in this life is to read Xiaoyi's poems, but now that Xiaoyi has no teacher to guide him, he has difficulty even memorizing poems, let alone writing them! I am truly worried, and I cannot eat or sleep day after day..."
Today marks the third time Lan Youguang has come to harass the Emperor since returning to the capital.
His only goal was to ask the emperor to write a letter of recommendation so that Lan Qiyi could successfully become Shen Zheng's disciple.
The emperor looked down at the memorial and refused as before: "Minister Shen cannot teach your son."
Lan Youguang's nostrils twitched, and he finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been weighing on his mind for three days: "Why, Your Majesty? Although Xiao Yi is lively, he is not a bad person. Once he becomes Marquis Shen's apprentice, he will definitely not cause trouble for Marquis Shen!"
Furthermore, with the assistance of General Yunhui's mansion, wouldn't it be more convenient for Marquis Shen to carry out his duties after returning to the capital?
Lan Youguang couldn't understand why His Majesty wouldn't approve such a beneficial deal for Marquis Shen.
The emperor put down the memorial and slowly raised his head: "Writing poetry is not Shen Qing's forte."
Lan Youguang's expression stiffened: "I don't necessarily require Xiaoyi to compose a poem; prose is fine too..."
“Writing is not Shen Qing’s forte either.” The Emperor smiled faintly. “Besides, I can’t make decisions for Shen Qing. If you insist that Lan Qiyi become her disciple, then you should write to her yourself to discuss it. Alright, I have other matters to attend to. You may leave.”
"Your Majesty..."
Lan Youguang wanted to try and get something more done for his precious son, but Eunuch Hong came forward with a forced smile and said, "General Lan, please."
Under the escort of Eunuch Hong, Lan Youguang reluctantly left the Imperial Study.
A messenger brushed past him.
A moment later, the young eunuch entered the hall with an envelope and reported. Before the emperor could even look up, Eunuch Hong was already excited: "Is this a letter from Liuyang Prefecture?"
Looking throughout the court, only the secret letters that could reach the Emperor directly were delivered by Lord Shen!
The emperor suddenly looked up, his gaze falling on the letter.
The young eunuch respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this is a letter from Liuyang Prefecture."
Hong Gonggong secretly slapped his thigh.
He knows it!
Just as he was about to step forward to take the letter, the emperor stood up, reached the eunuch before him, and took the letter from the eunuch's hand.
The young eunuch bowed and left the hall, while the emperor squeezed the envelope.
Um......
It doesn't feel particularly thick, but it's a token of my appreciation.
"Prepare tea and burn incense." He returned to his desk with the letter in his hand, his voice filled with undisguised joy. "I want to read Minister Shen's letter."
"Yes, Your Majesty! This old servant obeys!" Eunuch Hong busied himself with preparations.
Half a moment later, wisps of smoke rose from the teacups on the imperial desk, mingling with the rising fragrance of incense and filling the entire hall.
The emperor slowly opened the envelope, his fingertips conveying a sense of ease and anticipation.
There were five sheets of paper in total. The emperor recognized Shen Zheng's handwriting after only glancing at the back of the paper.
The pages slowly unfurled, releasing a delicate fragrance of ink, and the emperor fixed his gaze upon them.
"Your Majesty, I, Shen Zheng, respectfully report: A strange poison, named 'Ling San,' has recently appeared in the prefectures of Liuyang and Yuanzhou..."
Strange poison?
The smile on the emperor's lips gradually faded.
The warmth in the imperial study seemed to cool down in an instant.
He read quickly, his fingers clenching tighter and tighter as he went on, and even his breathing became heavy.
"Its harm is more severe than arsenic and more ferocious than plague... If it is allowed to run rampant, it may shake the foundation of the country and bring disaster to the world."
"Your subject dares not remain silent, nor dares to speak lightly or slowly."
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict listing 'spiritual powder' as a prohibited item to prevent its further spread, and that officials from the Ministry of Justice be dispatched to thoroughly investigate its source."
Every word and phrase pierced the emperor's eyes like sharp needles.
"Snapped--"
A palm landed on the imperial desk, causing the teacup to tremble and the newly gathered heat to dissipate instantly.
Eunuch Hong was terrified and immediately knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
The emperor closed his eyes, took two deep breaths, and said in a deep voice, "Summon Luo Bizhi to the palace and tell him to come see me immediately."
At that moment, he was both shocked and angry, both relieved and fearful.
He was shocked—someone actually dared to concoct such a poison within the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
He was furious—this poison had secretly seeped into the marketplace, bewitching scholars and infringing upon the rights of the wealthy and powerful.
He was relieved—Shen Qing was incredibly perceptive and immediately saw through the danger, sending a message back before he could.
He was filled with lingering fear—if it weren't for Shen Qing, in another year or two, the poison would have taken deep root in the world, making it impossible to salvage the situation...
Half an hour later, Luo Bizhi entered the palace.
The emperor did not give him the letter directly, but asked, "Lord Luo, have you ever heard of 'Spirit Powder'?"
“Spirit Powder?” Luo Bizhi lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then shook his head: “Your Majesty, I have never heard of it.”
The emperor then asked, "What about the 'Miraculous Condensation Pill'?"
Luo Bizhi shook his head again: "I have never heard of it either."
The emperor's brows furrowed.
The "spiritual powder" had already secretly infiltrated local gentry, yet the Ministry of Justice hadn't received a single tip-off...
What does this tell us?
—The person behind this poison is very likely to wield great power, and may even be able to control the local area!
The emperor's expression grew increasingly somber.
Luo Bizhi held the letter in both hands, his gaze shifting, his expression no longer as indifferent as before.
He flipped through the last two pages of the letter several times, and finally, his gaze fell on a single sentence.
"This poison can corrode bones and disturb the mind. Those who are exposed to it for a long time will inevitably go insane and die suddenly."
Madness.
He died suddenly.
These two words surprisingly overlapped with a case he had recently learned about.
Is it a coincidence?
Luo Bizhi's expression gradually hardened.
The Emperor asked, "Minister Luo, what do you think of this poison? Does your Ministry of Justice truly have no clue whatsoever?"
Luo Bizhi dared not speak rashly about matters that had not yet been decided.
But since it concerned the stability of the nation, even though it was just speculation at the moment, he dared not hide anything from the emperor.
He immediately bowed and lowered his voice to a whisper: “Your Majesty, seven days ago, the Jingzhou government sent us files for September, including a closed case. I believe... there are still some doubts about it.”
The emperor frowned slightly: "Speak."
"The deceased in this case were the sons of two wealthy merchants in Jingzhou. The two had known each other since childhood and were close friends. They studied together at the Jingzhou Prefectural School."
Luo Bizhi spoke slowly and deliberately: "These two were originally of mediocre talent, merely average, and had repeatedly failed the prefectural examinations in previous years. However, this year, during the prefectural examination, their writing skills suddenly improved dramatically, and they both passed, obtaining the title of Xiucai..."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes flickered, and he sensed that something was amiss.
"continue."
Luo Bizhi said, "Since passing the exam, these two have gradually become irritable, easily angered, and prone to arguing with others. Everyone says it's because they've achieved academic success and their true nature has been revealed. But their families say they've always been mild-mannered and kind to others, and even with academic success, their personalities wouldn't necessarily change so drastically..."
Upon hearing this, the emperor was almost certain that these two were the victims of the 'spirit-dispersing' poison.
"What was the cause of death?" the emperor asked.
"The case file states that the death was caused by a fight after drinking." Luo Bizhi raised his eyes, his tone grave: "Your Majesty, I believe this case is highly suspicious and far more complex than the case file suggests. I request that this case be reopened for investigation. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request!"