Chapter 194: A Cunning Woman
Prince Duan’s Mansion.
Inside the Lanzhi Courtyard, the heavy medicinal smell mixed with Sukhothai Incense, making one dizzy.
Li Huan sat on an embroidered stool in front of the wooden couch, his gaze deep as he looked at Consort Zhang’s scarlet rash spreading from her neck.
The Imperial Physician knelt before the footstool, silver needles slowly inserted into acupoints, the veins on his forehead twitching slightly with each breath.
“Reporting to Your Highness, this condition is fierce, it seems like…”
The Imperial Physician swallowed, then continued, “It seems like ingesting something unclean, causing heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach, and the toxic evil manifesting on the skin…”
The maidservant Cui Zhi’s hand holding the medicine trembled, and she fell to her knees with a thud.
“Reporting to Your Highness, the Consort’s diet has always been refined. I personally inspect it every day, and there have never been any oversights…”
Zhang Shi curled up in the brocade quilt, her makeup smudged by tears, looking pitifully at Li Huan.
“Your Highness… could someone be trying to harm this concubine…”
Li Huan glanced at Cui Zhi, gently raised his right arm, not blaming the maid, but calmly addressing the Imperial Physician.
“Just write a prescription and tend to her well…”
Seeing his distant attitude and lack of particular concern, Zhang Shi’s body itched even more, and she began to cry again…
“Your Highness, save this concubine, I’m so itchy, so itchy…”
Li Huan showed a pained expression and was about to comfort her when a guard reported.
“Reporting to Your Highness, Minister Xue requests an audience.”
Li Huan pushed himself up from the desk, suddenly feeling an itch on his body.
He abruptly pulled up his sleeve cuff, revealing a layer of fine red rash subtly appearing on his forearm, like licking flames spreading across his skin, the itch spreading through his blood to his limbs and bones…
The Imperial Physician’s face changed.
“Your Highness, this, this… what is happening?”
Li Huan’s gaze slowly shifted to Zhang Shi.
She craned her neck, revealing equally horrifying red rashes, and looked at Li Huan’s arm, panicked like a startled rabbit.
“Your Highness, have mercy, this concubine doesn’t know, doesn’t know what unclean thing she touched… this concubine did not intentionally harm Your Highness…”
When Li Huan entered the room earlier, he hadn’t touched anything else, only when Zhang Shi rushed to hug him was there brief contact…
Li Huan looked at Zhang Shi’s flustered and helpless expression, and remained silent for a moment.
“Investigate the food thoroughly. The clothes, bedding, and all personal items should be fumigated with medicine water…”
He then instructed the Imperial Physician, “Once the medicinal soup is brewed, give me a bowl as well.”
With that, he quickly returned to the main house, changed into clean clothes, bathed thoroughly, applied some ointment, and then went to the main hall to meet his guest.
In the main hall, Xue Qingzhi was already pacing restlessly.
Seeing Li Huan emerge in casual clothes, he quickly rose and bowed.
“This subordinate greets Your Highness.”
“Please dispense with the formalities, Duke Xue.” Li Huan forced a smile, his expression polite, “I felt unwell just now and was delayed. I apologize for making Duke Xue wait.”
Xue Qingzhi caught a glimpse of the faint red rash under his sleeve cuff and saw that he had just bathed, and hesitated to speak.
“Has Your Highness summoned an Imperial Physician for diagnosis?”
“The Imperial Physician has prescribed a remedy. It’s nothing, just a minor ailment.”
As Li Huan spoke, his brow furrowed. The itch was like a spiderweb tightly wound, growing wildly under his skin, making him grip the rosewood armrest so hard his knuckles turned pale.
“Duke Xue, what brings you here today? Please speak frankly.”
For a dignified and upright person to restrain the itch, to endure not scratching, was truly agonizing and unbearable, like sitting on pins and needles.
Xue Qingzhi saw his impatience and discomfort, the evidence in his sleeve feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.
“A few days ago, this subordinate received intelligence that Xizi death warriors had broken into the Zhang Residence at night…”
He spoke tentatively, and seeing Li Huan not respond, he pressed on, “Two scouts have been captured, and upon interrogation… they were not there to steal…”
“Oh?” Li Huan raised an eyebrow, “Then why were they there?”
“To secretly meet with the Riverway Inspector, Master Zhang Huaiyi.” Xue Qingzhi’s hands trembled as he produced the confession, his palms already slick with sweat.
“During the interrogation, one of them committed suicide. This is the confession of the other. Please examine it, Your Highness.”
Li Huan took it and scanned it quickly.
He wanted to examine it carefully, but the intense itch on his body made it impossible for him to calm down. So, after a cursory glance, he folded it and placed it on the desk.
“I understand. Minister Xue, please return to your mansion. I will handle this matter.”
“Yes.” Xue Qingzhi heard the implied dismissal.
Since Li Huan wanted to protect Zhang Huaiyi, he had nothing more to say…
Xue Qingzhi’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he rose to bow and take his leave.
After taking a few steps, he seemed to remember something, turned back, and cupped his hands.
“Your Highness, my mother fell ill recently, and Madam Ping’an invited a folk physician who was quite skilled. He even treated the old madam’s long-standing headaches to a great extent… If Your Highness doesn’t mind, perhaps Madam Ping’an could invite him to take a look?”
“A folk physician?” Li Huan’s eyes flickered, and he slowly rubbed his itchy wrist, smiling leisurely.
“Then I would be interested in meeting him.”
Before he finished speaking, his personal guard Xiang Yang rushed in.
“Reporting to Your Highness! Urgent report from the Yongding River!”
His face was anxious, “The Crown Prince, leading the Eastern Palace Guards, intercepted a Xizi merchant caravan. The caravan resisted arrest, leading to a fierce battle with the Eastern Palace soldiers. The Crown Prince went on a killing spree, and, and… sent people to detain the Riverway Inspector, Master Zhang…”
Li Huan pushed himself up, his throat bobbing.
“Prepare the horse!”
–
By the Yongding River, the autumn scenery was bleak.
Li Zhao reined in his horse at the bank, his dark cloak billowing, carrying the river’s scent, revealing the jade belt at his waist, gleaming coldly.
“Your Highness, the bandits are trying to escape!”
Li Zhao placed his hand on his sword hilt, “Thirty paces to the southeast, flank them on both sides, with archers providing cover.”
Before he finished speaking, the reeds on the riverbank suddenly rustled, and over a dozen dark figures burst out from the reeds. They were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, identical to the Xizi death warriors who had assassinated court officials before.
“Kill!”
“Whoever takes the dog Crown Prince’s life will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!”
“Kill!”
The shouts of killing echoed through the sky.
The leader in front, his curved saber reflecting the sun, charged directly at Li Zhao.
“Hmph!” The Crown Prince on his horse didn’t move an inch. The sword light that flashed out was instantaneous, like a cold star sweeping across…
The saber and sword clashed.
Clang! Sparks flew onto the coldness between Li Zhao’s brows, making his handsome eyes even more striking.
“I’m only worth a thousand taels? Die!”
The Xizi death warrior staggered back, blood flowing from his wrist down his curved saber…
A group of Eastern Palace Imperial Guards surrounded them. With their superior numbers, the fight lasted less than half a cup of tea. Several groaning wounded soldiers lay scattered on the ground. The Xizi death warriors, wielding their curved sabers, charged left and right, resisting desperately, but ultimately could not overcome them…
“Retreat!”
As a death warrior was about to bite the poison sac in his teeth, Li Zhao’s sword tip flicked. A stone accurately hit his jaw, and he fell to the ground with a cry of despair…
The others exchanged glances, cut the carriage shafts and reins, mounted their horses, and fled.
Li Zhao squeezed his horse’s belly, flicked the blood off his sword, and galloped in pursuit…
“Don’t let a single one escape.”
Hooves crushed the shallow water, startling egrets into flight—
Hakmu was about to order a breakthrough when he saw the horses of the fleeing merchant caravan neighing. The fine horse beneath him also suddenly whinnied, its front hooves kneeling, blood seeping from its hooves…
“What’s happening?”
“Leader, the horses… the horses are failing!”
The followers were in a panic.
“There’s a problem with the newly replaced horseshoes!”
Hakmu suddenly thought of the honest young blacksmith in the blacksmith shop, and his solicitous smile when they parted…
“That brat is deceiving me! Brothers, it’s a trap…”
Before his voice fell, a figure flashed past the startled horses. He didn’t have time to react when he felt a sharp pain in his waist, and he fell headfirst from his horse.
Li Zhao reined in his horse, his eyes cold, as if surging with killing intent…
“Leave a live one!”
He was the first to charge into the enemy formation, followed by a black torrent of Eastern Palace Guards. The bloody afterglow of swords and sabers reflected the fearful faces of the distant onlookers.
“Your Highness, one escaped…”
Li Zhao narrowed his eyes and looked at the retreating figure disappearing into the reeds. He raised his hand slightly, and his dark gold bracer gleamed coldly in the autumn sun.
“Let him go.”
The cargo was confiscated by the Imperial Guards and inventoried one by one.
Li Zhao walked ahead, with two rows of Guards standing at attention on either side, the atmosphere low and solemn—
However, when Li Zhao’s sword tip lifted the oiled paper, he saw a barrel of fine yellow sand. With a slight shake, the sand grains rustled and slid down…
Everyone’s expression froze.
Beneath layers of spices, there was not gunpowder, but yellow sand.
Guan Ya leaned in to examine it, his face filled with confusion.
“Why transport yellow sand?”
Li Zhao remained silent, his brow furrowed with frost.
His gaze swept over the stacked cargo and he raised his hand.
The covers of oiled paper were peeled back, and the soldiers’ pupils widened.
“Your Highness, it’s sand!”
“It’s all sand!”
“Damn scoundrels, so cunning!”
“The Xizi people transported yellow sand all the way here, could it be to perform witchcraft?” Yuan Cang stared at the sand barrels, scratching his head in confusion.
Guan Ya guessed again, “Could it be a diversion, and the real gunpowder has already been secretly transported?”
Li Zhao bent down and picked up a handful of sand, letting it slip through his fingers.
“Interesting.”
Guan Ya cupped his fist and asked for instructions, “Your Highness, what should we do next?”
Li Zhao shook the sand from his hand and mounted his horse.
“The gunpowder is fake, but the Xizi death warriors are real…”
With that, he glanced at the death warrior leader who was in agony and unconscious, and coldly ordered.
“Pull out his teeth and bring him back for further interrogation…”
“Yes!” The Xizi death warriors’ teeth contained deadly poison, ready to commit suicide at any moment. They had suffered losses before and would not give them another chance to evade interrogation…
On the banks of the Yongding River, a crowd of onlookers gathered, dense like ants.
A group of dozens of people, escorting bound Xizi death warriors and carts of goods, passed through the crowd.
Li Zhao gazed at the cold, gleaming river water, thinking of Xue Sui’s bright eyes, the maiden’s laughter weaving into a net in his mind…
The fishy and sweet river wind suddenly rushed into his throat.
He suddenly felt the Love Silk Gu in his chest grow hot…
He let out a light laugh, turned his head, spat out blood foam from his mouth, and his canine teeth unconsciously ground against his molars, like a wild beast licking its wounds, his eyes gradually tinged with three parts of peach blossom…
Xue Liu.
Xue Ping’an.
What a cunning and changeable woman…
Li Zhao: Xue Liu harmed me, and got half a city of yellow sand!
Xue Sui: A mere small gift, nothing to be proud of. I hope the Crown Prince can savor its taste?
Li Zhao: I have savored it, the taste of longing, you must love me deeply…
Xue Sui: …
