bestfiction Chapter 103 Seals
Chapter 103 Seals
Gu Changyi has fallen into a coma and is unconscious. Shanyuan Temple has become a place of trouble and can no longer be guarded.
Helpless, Shen Jingshu had no choice but to order Sikong to carry him onto the carriage and send him back to the Jiang residence for temporary accommodation before making further plans.
The sound of rain splashed on the bluestone of the official road. Shen Jingshu held a blood-stained handkerchief and wiped Gu Changyi's forehead.
“Sister-in-law…” Gu Changyi suddenly murmured, “Under the threshold of the Buddhist hall, there’s a peace charm that Wen Yin prayed for…” He opened his eyes, his unfocused pupils reflecting the swaying tassels on the car roof, “Please… retrieve it for me…”
Suddenly, the carriage curtain was lifted halfway by the wind. Shen Jingshu was about to call Sikong when she saw Jiang Jin'an riding a horse close to the carriage window, saying to her, "I'll have Wuchen circle back to the manor a few more times."
Shen Jingshu was taken aback, then nodded, and Jiang Jin'an rode away.
When the spy was dragged into the imperial prison bound hand and foot, he was barely clinging to life.
Jiang Jin'an strode into the prison, casually tossing his soaked cloak to Lin Yu behind him. His python robe was also damp and clung to his back.
"Sir, this grandson is incredibly stubborn. He's been subjected to three rounds of torture, but he still won't utter a single word!"
A captain, sweating profusely, reported this, the iron chain he was holding rattling loudly.
Lin Yu held up a tinderbox and shone it on the wall. The spy who had been eavesdropping the other day was chained to a rack, his body covered in blood and gore. He occasionally let out a few suppressed cries of pain, which sent chills down one's spine.
"Has the collarbone been pierced?" Jiang Jin'an asked coldly.
"Reporting to you, sir, it has already been nailed with the cold iron hook!" the captain said, and then tugged hard on the iron chain again. There was a loud "crack" followed by the scout's heart-wrenching screams. The sound of flesh tearing was clearly audible and chilling.
"Look at this blood froth, it's much tougher than the ones from a few days ago!"
Beside him, the spy being held by Tong Qingyun suddenly convulsed, his bare neck covered with spiderweb-like blue lines, and black blood spilled from his rolled-up eyes.
This sudden anomaly startled everyone, and even the screams from the rack abruptly ceased.
Even those being tortured are barely clinging to life, so why did the guards die first?
"What is he..." Before Lin Yu could finish speaking, the spy's head slumped down limply, and he was completely lifeless. "...Dead?"
“There’s no need to call a coroner.” Jiang Jin’an stepped forward, carefully examined the spy’s corpse, and after a long while spoke, “Take two buckets of well water to suppress the body, and send an order to the Commandery to summon Chu Xiangling to come and identify the medicine.”
Tong Qingyun accepted the order and left.
Lin Yu kicked the corpse on the ground, his boot tip stained with black blood. "The timing of this attack was perfect. The mastermind behind it is quite shrewd."
Before long, Chu Xiangling, wearing a veil and chained, was brought in by Tong Qingyun.
Lin Yu twirled his blood-stained dagger and laughed, "The beauty has arrived at just the right time; this beast has just breathed his last."
Chu Xiangling glanced at the corpse on the ground but said nothing.
At the same time, in the imperial study.
Emperor Hui held his pen above the memorial, which was presented by the Imperial Observatory. The memorial accused Prince Jing of cutting corners during the construction of the dikes, resulting in multiple breaches and widespread suffering among the people.
"Prince Jing... how dare you!" Emperor Hui felt a tightness in his chest, a mouthful of blood rising to his throat, and he could no longer hold the imperial brush in his hand. With a "crack," it snapped in the dragon-patterned inkstone.
The sound of coughing mixed with blood splattered on the memorial. Li Delu hurriedly wiped it with his sleeve, only to find that there was a private seal on the back of the memorial. The ink had spread, and the seal became brighter and brighter as he wiped it. It was actually the seal of Prince Qi!
"Good...good brotherly love..." Emperor Hui was so angry that he trembled all over and suddenly overturned the imperial desk in front of him, scattering the memorials all over the ground.
Li Delu was terrified, his face drained of color. He knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf. He heard the emperor's voice grow weaker with rage: "Go! Bring Jiang Jin'an... cough cough... to me!"
Li Delu quickly agreed and scrambled out of the room.
Inside the imperial prison, Chu Xiangling was squatting on the ground looking at the corpse when a guard led in an eunuch.
"Commander, His Majesty has summoned you urgently, demanding an immediate audience!"
Jiang Jin'an frowned, glanced at the situation inside the prison, and instructed Lin Yu, "Keep an eye on Chu Xiangling, and wait for me to return."
Li Delu paced anxiously below the steps, nearly kneeling in a puddle when he caught a glimpse of the dragon-patterned hem of his robe: "His Majesty is coughing up blood, please hurry..."
Jiang Jin was startled and, without thinking, quickly stepped into the imperial study.
Emperor Hui was leaning on the soft couch with his eyes closed. He knew it was Jiang Jin'an who had arrived just by hearing footsteps.
"Jin'an is here. Sit down and let's talk." Emperor Hui's voice sounded somewhat tired.
Jiang Jin'an did not comply this time.
"Your Majesty, I am acting on imperial orders to thoroughly investigate Prince Jing." He knelt on one knee on the blood-stained dragon-patterned carpet, his python robe and jade belt reeking of the imperial prison. "Sulfur was mixed in with the rotting wood of the riverbank, along with the northern border's military equipment—"
"I heard that the second son of the Gu family has gone mad?" Emperor Hui suddenly interrupted, his fingers tracing the edge of the memorial, his gaze dark and unfathomable. "Speaking of which, this downpour reminds me of the day your father died in battle in the northern border; the weather was just like this."
Jiang Jin'an's back was taut like a bowstring: "Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance."
"Those old fellows at the Imperial Observatory said that the Ziwei Enclosure star, Bo, is in conflict with the Dipper, a sign of great misfortune... cough cough..." Emperor Hui coughed again, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Jin'an. "Tell me, which princely mansion should be cursed by this bad luck?"
Jiang Jin'an lowered his head: "Your subject does not understand celestial phenomena."
"Is it because you don't understand, or because you dare not speak?" Emperor Hui suddenly perked up and beckoned to him, "Get up and come to me."
Jiang Jin'an got up as instructed and walked to the Emperor's presence.
"Take a look at this." Emperor Hui handed him the blood-stained memorial.
Jiang Jin'an took it with both hands and examined it carefully. When he turned it over, his eyes narrowed and the private seal of Prince Qi came into view.
He placed the memorial back on his desk and remained silent.
"That cripple, the third son, has certainly improved." Emperor Hui grabbed Jiang Jin'an's shoulder with such force that the golden python pattern seemed about to snap. "Just a few days ago, he came to pay his respects to me, and today he's learned how to use others to do his dirty work!"
Jiang Jin'an lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on the memorial, his tone calm and unwavering: "Your Majesty, I have discovered that Prince Jing and the Ministry of Revenue have embezzled funds—"
"I'll ask you again!" Emperor Hui suddenly roared, "Two months ago, when you went to the Yuelai Inn to examine the body, did you see this seal? Answer me honestly!"
"I dare not make a hasty conclusion."
"Dare not?" Emperor Hui laughed in anger, suddenly grabbing his wrist and pressing it against the dragon-patterned inkstone.
Ink splattered on the memorial, and Prince Qi's seal even showed an indigo hue amidst the ink. "The indigo clay specially supplied from the Northern Territory—he personally approved last year's tribute list!"
"Your Majesty!" Li Delu exclaimed, staggering forward.
Jiang Jin'an caught the unconscious emperor, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the words he hadn't finished. A sticky sensation came from his palm; the emperor's robes were soaked with cold sweat—the chilling poison seeping into his lungs was clearly…
Jiang Jin'an shouted sternly, "Summon the imperial physician!"