Chapter 234: Spreading Rumors
Returning to the Eastern Palace, Mei Ruhui was already waiting in the warm pavilion of the side hall.
Li Zhao handed him Wang Bo’an’s prescription, “Give this to Zhang Huaicheng and have him investigate…”
Mei Ruhui nodded and took it, “If Wang Bo’an cares about his two grandchildren, he won’t dare to act rashly…”
Li Zhao’s gaze swept lightly over his face, and he slowly turned away, hands clasped behind his back.
The candlelight flickered gently, casting his tall shadow onto the wall, onto that map of Shangjing’s terrain, appearing somewhat somber and heavy.
“What about Chen Gui’s side?”
“It’s all settled,” Mei Ruhui lowered his voice. “Chen Gui is quite sensible and efficient. Taking advantage of the patrol rotation, we’ve placed our people in Bing Zi Prison.”
Li Zhao grunted, “Keep your hands clean.”
Mei Ruhui said, “The coroner has also been taken care of.”
Li Zhao lightly twirled the jade thumb ring on his left hand, his face so cold it could scrape off frost.
Mei Ruhui stepped forward again and spread out the structural diagram of the Ministry of Justice prison on the desk.
“Your Highness, please look, Bing Zi Prison is in this position…”
His fingertip pointed at the yellowed mulberry paper, the ink seeping with a faint cinnabar red—
“Every night at the third watch, an ox cart carrying slop water will pass by outside the west wall. The hidden compartment at the bottom of the cart can accommodate a seven-foot man.”
Mei Ruhui then took out a paper packet from his sleeve, which smelled of sulfur powder.
“This is Persian fireworks sold by a Hu merchant. They can burst into green sparks three zhang high. The patrolling soldiers will definitely chase in the direction of Yongxing Ward when they see them…”
“The reception will be a grain transport boat disguised as a coffin transport. It will be waiting at this location. As soon as the person boards, they can drift downstream…”
He paused and looked up at Li Zhao.
“However, regarding Sixth Miss Xue, should we inform her? If she knows the plan in advance, she can also prepare for contingencies, so as not to panic when the time comes…”
Li Zhao’s expression was stern, “You don’t need to worry about this. I have already made arrangements.”
Mei Ruhui understood somewhat.
The words “remain calm” still echoed in his ears.
Once told, that equally opinionated Sixth Miss Xue would not want the Crown Prince to take risks, and it might cause further complications.
He pondered for a moment and coughed lightly, “I have repeatedly analyzed the plan. If we proceed as planned, we will definitely be able to evade all eyes and ears and rescue the person safely. However… why must Your Highness risk your life and gamble everything to save someone? Is it worth it…”
Li Zhao raised his hand and broke a cloud slice cake on the table in half.
“Compared to life, what is risk…”
Mei Ruhui was silent.
The Love Silk Gu caused one life to be tied to another; if one died, the other had no chance of survival.
But the talk of witchcraft was ethereal. Was it truly worth taking such a risk for it?
—
Half of the carved window lattice of Tianxiang Pavilion west of the city was pushed open. Yaoguang, with his elegant demeanor, leaned against the vermilion railing, holding two fennel seeds between his fingers, watching the commotion below with great interest.
A fortune teller set up his stall under a locust tree in the West Market, specifically choosing a spot near the stable, and threw a handful of aged mugwort into the brazier under the table.
“Old man, take a look at my fortune for the year.”
A man carrying night soil buckets put down his wooden bucket and approached the fortune-telling stall.
“How much will it cost?”
The fortune teller lowered his eyelids, “If I predict accurately, the customer can reward me as they see fit. If there is any mistake, I will not charge a single coin.”
“Good!” The man became interested, moved his night soil buckets aside, and rubbed his rough hands on his clothes. “Quickly tell me my fortune…”
The fortune teller calmly placed the tortoise shell in the brazier, muttering incantations.
Suddenly, the green smoke in the brazier surged, and with a “boom,” accompanied by a burnt smell, it spread out.
The horses tied to the posts were startled, bucking incessantly and neighing, kicking the night soil bucket beside them—
The night soil bucket overturned with a crash, spilling its contents, splashing the night soil carrier’s trouser legs with foul-smelling stains, startling him into jumping and cursing.
Looking at the fortune teller, his face also changed greatly.
“Not good! The heavenly pattern is fracturing, the earthly malevolent stars are clashing with the celestial formations. Shangjing City is being disturbed by dark spirits, and a great disaster will befall…”
Before the man could react, the fortune teller frantically packed up his stall.
“Quick, quick, I’m not setting up this stall anymore. If I continue to divine, I will reveal heavenly secrets and surely incur divine retribution…”
In an instant, the crowd on the street became agitated. Startled horses reared and stomped, night soil spilled all over the ground, and screams, curses, and horse neighs merged into a cacophony.
Yaoguang, by the second-floor window, couldn’t help but chuckle.
He sat down and leisurely took a sip of tea, called the waiter, and a smile curved his lips. He slid a piece of silver fragment from his sleeve onto the waiter’s tray, startling the latter into almost dropping his teacup.
“Sir, would you like more tea?”
Yaoguang raised his eyebrows and chuckled lightly, “The heavenly pattern is fracturing, the earthly malevolent stars are clashing with the celestial formations. Shangjing City is being disturbed by dark spirits. The world is about to change, so why bother drinking tea…”
The waiter was completely bewildered.
After he left, he went downstairs and learned about the commotion at the fortune-telling stall.
Old Man Wang, who sold cooked wheat cakes on the street, muttered to someone while kneading dough.
“That gentleman said the heavenly pattern is fracturing and the earthly malevolent stars are clashing. I fear there is something unclean in the Imperial City, and a great disaster is about to occur…”
Aunt Zhang from the tofu shop next door also nervously spread gossip.
“Oh my, I heard that the two male corpses in the moat were struck by a malevolent star, and their deaths were horrific, their souls even being dragged away… We common folk should stay far away!”
“Last night, my window kept making noises in the middle of the night. Could it be that thing causing trouble! What should we do?!”
In less than half a day, the rumors spread like a plague.
From tea houses and wine shops to grand mansions, everyone was discussing it, and the matter escalated.
Even more curious individuals linked this incident to Prince Wei Li Yan’s disturbance at the Ministry of Justice…
With the Empress Dowager’s protection, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices did not trouble Li Yan, but the rumor that Prince Wei and Xue Yueying had an illegitimate child raised in Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion suddenly spread like wildfire, becoming rampant—
When the news reached the palace, Empress Dowager Cheng Qing was furious.
To protect the royal family’s dignity, she denied the child’s bloodline and ordered a thorough investigation.
“How dare such a sordid matter be used to implicate imperial nobles! Investigate and see who exactly uttered these words…”
With the court suppressing the matter, the discussions on the streets temporarily subsided. However, in Shangjing City, everyone knew that Gu Jie had not only married an impure woman but was also raising a child for Prince Wei. Not only had he lost all face, but Marquis Jingyuan and Madam Chun were also unable to show their faces.
Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion was in chaos.
In the West Wing Room, the celadon plum vase lay shattered on the floor.
Xue Yueying was sitting at her dressing table removing her hairpin. Seeing Gu Jie throwing a tantrum, she turned back and sneered.
“What kind of madness is Lord Gu throwing? You come to throw a tantrum at me after hearing a few nonsensical words?”
“You dare mention it?” Gu Jie kicked over the embroidery stool, rushed over in three steps, and roughly pulled her up from the dressing stool.
“The entire capital knows that my Gu family is raising an illegitimate child. You’ve completely disgraced the Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, yet you act as if nothing happened?”
“What do I have to fear? More lice means less itching, more debts mean less worry.” Xue Yueying flung his hand away, looking at him with a half-smile, her expression as if she were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
“Don’t try to pressure me with your chastity archway. What kind of good person are you, Gu Wulang? Haven’t you worn down the threshold of the Princess’s Mansion?”
“Bitch!” Gu Jie, enraged, grabbed the rouge box from the dressing table and hurled it at her.
“Gu Wulang, are you crazy!”
Xue Yueying did not dodge. Angrily, she grabbed the comb on the table and, with a scream, lunged at Gu Jie.
They began to wrestle, and porcelain items on the display shelf fell to the ground with clattering sounds.
“What a sin!” The old nanny in Madam Chun’s room heard the commotion and sighed.
“They’re fighting again. How can we live like this…”
Madam Chun silently shed tears. Unable to bear it any longer, she put on her clothes and rushed over.
Gu Jie’s neck was crisscrossed with scratches, and Xue Yueying’s face was also red and swollen, her hair disheveled, with cosmetics spilled all over the floor.
“Are you not embarrassed enough? Stop fighting!”
Seeing his mother trembling with anger, Gu Jie threw off the frenzied Xue Yueying and stumbled back to the doorstep. He haphazardly tidied his clothes and suddenly saw the child in the cradle kicking its legs and crying loudly—
The longevity lock hanging around its neck was a gift from the Empress Dowager.
In the candlelight, it seemed to mock his foolishness.
“Mother, your son is unfilial!”
He knelt down with a “thump,” kowtowed three times to Madam Chun, then wiped the blood from his forehead, pushed open the carved wooden door, and rushed out of the mansion.
He wandered aimlessly on the street in the cold wind until the clapper struck three times. Then, wrapped in a blue cloth cloak, he stumbled and knocked on the corner gate of Princess Ping Le’s Mansion—
The servant, knowing the protocol, opened the door and led him inside.
The night lamp was dim, casting his disheveled shadow long.
Princess Ping Le, half-asleep, draped in a crimson gauze nightgown, leaned against a gilded carved soft couch, slowly stroking her ink-black silk hair. The arc of her raised eyes was like a poisoned hook.
“Lord Gu’s disheveled appearance truly disgraces the face of a noble son. Anyone who didn’t know would think you were some mad dog from who knows where?”
Her voice carried a lazy mockery, undisguised ridicule.
“What’s wrong? The scandal couldn’t be contained, and your good wife kicked you out?”
“Your Highness the Princess…” Gu Jie, in his disheveled state, prostrated himself on the ground, his hands trembling as he sobbed, “This subordinate has come to pledge loyalty to you.”
Princess Ping Le looked down at him and sneered.
“You say it so nicely. Tell me, what do you have to offer as proof of your loyalty?”
The fortune teller packed up: “Gotta go!”
The man jumped: “You owe me pants!”
Xue Sui: “…Watching a show!”
Reader: “Gu Jie goes home, neck scratched. Princess reclines, what’s her plan?”
