Chapter 1086
Yang Chi Enters the Palace Overnight
Chapter 1086 Yang Chi Enters the Palace Overnight
Marquis Luoyun's residence,
Inside Dongyun Tower,
Zhang Jinyu dined with his mother, Madam Wang, along with Qin Keqing, Yue Shu, and Yang Hanyu in the flower hall. He ate almost the entire table of food, while the other women only ate one bowl of rice before putting down their chopsticks and remaining silent.
After eating,
The group returned to the warm pavilion on the second floor, where tea and snacks were laid out. They sat around in the east room, Zhang Jinyu lounging in a chair, letting out a satisfied burp. Opposite her sat Qin Keqing, dressed in black brocade, her fair skin and gentle, serene demeanor possessing a unique charm.
Wang, dressed in white, sat in the main seat, occasionally glancing at Yue'er. She knew much of what she needed to know, and harbored many doubts about her senior sister. The favorable situation had vanished in an instant, clearly intentionally.
Lu Chuanjiang, a subordinate of the Northern Leader, had also heard of this. They were all old members of the sect, and they surrendered without hesitation. What rules did they have?
“Jinyu has been unable to stay at home these past few days since she returned. Your wives have been coming here to serve me every day. How can this be? I also heard that after you went to Xihe County, you didn’t fight a single battle with the White Lotus Sect?”
Hearing her mother's question, Zhang Jinyu, thinking about what was happening in the south, was extremely troubled. She picked up the teacup on the side table beside her, took a sip to soothe her mouth, as she had just eaten a rather full meal.
“Mother is right. These past few days, the court in the capital has been quite busy. We've offended those princes, and with the case in Jiangnan, we really can't get away. As for Xihe County, those vixens from the White Lotus Sect are strange. They clearly had the advantage, but for some reason, they were defeated by Prince Bei Jing in one blow, leaving only the garrison commander and soldiers of Runan to surrender to the court.”
Speaking of this, Zhang Jinyu thought of the women guarding the city and continued;
"Also, I don't know who came up with the idea of having those women guard the city. Although they surrendered, my son plans to send them to the border. It just so happens that the newly built estate needs a lot of manpower to plant mulberry trees. After they return, they can go directly by boat and have the Beijing garrison send people to escort them."
With idle troops and warships, there was no harm in using them; after all, the palace hadn't said anything about resigning from their posts. However, Zhang Jinyu was so engrossed in his own words that he didn't notice the strange expressions on Wang Shi and Yue Shu's faces. Weren't there three of those White Lotus Sect vixens?
"They surrendered, so what's so strange about it? It's possible that the White Lotus Sect has long lost its edge, but in the capital, many rumors are about the Taiping Sect. If you hadn't led the army to suppress them, they might have been even more ferocious than the White Lotus Sect back then."
These words were filled with many emotions. Qin Keqing didn't think much of the people in the room; they were just a bunch of bandits who wouldn't cause trouble in the capital. Only Yang Hanyu was a little surprised, feeling that there was something more to the old lady's words.
"That's true. If the imperial reinforcements had been any slower, and if Daliang City had fallen, the roles of attack and defense would have been reversed, and the disaster would have spread to Jiangnan. I'm afraid the imperial court wouldn't have been able to hold on. Fortunately, the chaos in Jiangnan hasn't broken out yet."
Zhang Jinyu also sighed and shook his head. If the White Lotus Sect had acted faster and sent its main force to cause trouble in Jiangnan, it would have severely weakened the imperial court. Unfortunately, one step too late meant falling behind at every step.
"Alright, let's not talk about such unpleasant things. You read the letter I gave you the other day, didn't you? It's about that student of yours who might not be simple; we need to be careful in our dealings with him."
"I understand, son. Tomorrow is the court assembly, son."
I haven't finished speaking yet,
Then a maidservant went up to the attic and reported from outside the east room;
"Reporting to Your Excellency, General Ning is downstairs delivering a message that a letter has arrived from the palace, requesting Your Excellency to enter the palace immediately."
Hear this,
Zhang Jinyu swallowed back the words that were about to come out. He glanced out the window; it was already dark. If he entered the palace at this time, it must be because His Majesty had summoned him.
He had no choice but to get up and bow to Madam Wang.
"Mother, your son has gone to the palace first."
He glanced at Qin Keqing, nodded, and strode out of the house. As soon as he left, Shu'er was clearly unhappy and pouted.
"I don't know what they're busy with. It's already night, and it's really noisy."
Only Yue'er covered her mouth and laughed, while Madam Wang turned around and glared at her.
"Don't be so talkative. You should all go back and rest. He might be back any minute, so there's no need to leave the door open."
"Yes, Mother, I'll take my leave now."
Qin Keqing and Yang Hanyu stood up, bowed slightly, and were each helped back downstairs.
"Miss, the Left Protector reports that the Sect Leader has returned to the capital,"
"What? Senior Sister arrived so quickly?"
Beijing,
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Imperial Palace,
Empress Wu sat in the center of the main hall of the East Warm Pavilion, her face expressionless. She held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, slowly turning them. Dai Quan stood to her side as always. Outside the curtain, a dozen eunuchs stood guard.
suddenly,
A eunuch came in to announce the news, and the person knelt down.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Yun reports that Eunuch Yang has been bathed, changed, and brought back clean. Shall we bring him here now?"
"Oh, the person has been packed up. Do you know if Yang Chi is conscious or not?"
Empress Wu half-closed her eyes, seemingly dozing. Was Yang Chi truly insane, or had he been manipulated into madness? Tomorrow was the joint trial by the three judicial departments; she wondered what case Song Zhen would uncover. As for Chang Le Palace, it wasn't the right time yet.
Thinking of the Imperial Guards, the Marquis of Baoning had only just begun to organize his troops. If he were to advance further, unless the Marquis of Luoyun led his army into the city, could he really be completely safe?
"Your Majesty, this old servant specially sent someone to follow Yang Chi, from bathing and changing clothes to feeding him. He was covered in liquid food, his eyes were lifeless, he was talking nonsense, and sometimes he couldn't control himself from masturbating. This servant thinks he must have gone mad."
Dai Quan carefully served him. This matter had already given him a lot of headaches. Although Xiao Yunzi had been sent to follow him the whole time, she might not have been able to find out the truth, or rather, she might not have been able to find out through any means.
"Yes, you all think he's gone mad, but I think some things shouldn't be rushed to conclusions. Has Marquis Luoyun informed him? Where is the imperial physician?"
The Martial Emperor was also somewhat exhausted, but if the true situation of this person was not clarified and mistakes were made during the trial, then the contingency plans would be difficult to arrange. Alternatively, he could call upon Marquis Luoyun's ten thousand elite troops to enter the city.
"Your Majesty, the three imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy are waiting in the outer hall. The Marquis has also been notified, and they should be arriving soon."
"That's good. Bring Yang Chi here. I want to see what kind of gods and monsters he can bring."
"It's Your Majesty."
Upon hearing the response, Dai Quan's expression immediately changed. He went outside the screen and shouted loudly.
"Hush, Yang Chi is here to pay his respects."
"Hush, Yang Chi is here to pay his respects."
The shouts of welcome echoed outwards. First, three imperial physicians were led in by eunuchs and stood kneeling to one side. On the other side, someone had laid out a thick blanket on the ground.
It was at this moment that Zhang Jinyu, accompanied by Ning Bian alone, hurriedly entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Led by a eunuch, he entered the hall alone.
At this moment, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, wisps of green smoke rose from the gilded beast-shaped incense burner, mingling with the scent of ambergris and some unknown medicinal aroma.
Upon reaching the East Warm Pavilion, I saw three elderly men kneeling on the ground, each carrying a medicine chest on their back. They were presumably imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau. I wondered what brought them there, and obediently kowtowed in respect.
"Your subject Zhang Jinyu kowtows to Your Majesty. Long live the Empress Wu! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"
"Rise, all of you. Leave a seat for Marquis Luo Yun on the west side. You three, get ready."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing the Emperor's impatience, Zhang Jinyu was puzzled. What was the Emperor in such a hurry? But Dai Quan had already personally brought a stool and placed it at the head of the table to the west of the Emperor. Zhang Jinyu had no choice but to kowtow and rise. At this moment, the Emperor was wearing a bright yellow Taoist robe. His fingertips gently caressed the jade thumb ring on his hand, his gaze piercing through the misty air, staring straight ahead.
He walked to the Emperor's side and said softly;
"Thank you, Your Majesty,"
He turned back, lifted the hem of his shirt, and sat down. His bottom had barely touched the chair, and he hadn't even settled in properly, when he heard footsteps approaching from outside the screen. Judging from the sound, there were quite a few people coming. Looking closer, he saw a group of eunuchs carrying someone in on bamboo slips. Upon closer inspection, he saw a bright red eunuch's robe with a handprint on it—it was Yang Chi! What was he doing here?
After the person entered, someone brought over a bamboo chair and placed it on the newly laid carpet. Then, using hemp rope, they tied Yang Chi, who had been carried in, to the bamboo chair, securing him three times inside and three times outside. Around the jar, they set up a jade yin-yang symbol formation, the meaning of which was unclear.
But Zhang Jinyu instantly understood the Emperor's intention. He wanted to interrogate Yang Chi first, both to question him and to ward off evil spirits. But what was the purpose of summoning him here? His body, which had been somewhat relaxed, now appeared tense. His attention naturally fell on Yang Chi, who was sitting below the steps. This once shrewd and capable eunuch in charge of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau was now disheveled, drooling, and muttering to himself. He had completely lost his former prestige and was so obediently tied to the stool.
Zhang Jinyu looked on in disbelief, and even Dai Quan, Xiao Yunzi, and the other eunuchs were somewhat incredulous. Once upon a time, Eunuch Yang was quite awe-inspiring.
"Yang Chi, do you know your crime?"
The Emperor's deep voice, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coldness, broke the suffocating silence in the hall.
Inside the hall, Yang Chi's eyes trembled, but he didn't raise his head. Instead, he lowered it even further, muttering incomprehensible words, seemingly unresponsive and oblivious. The Grand Eunuch Dai Quan, standing nearby, felt a chill run down his spine. He stole a glance at the Emperor on the main throne, only to see His Majesty's brows furrowed, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. Clearly, His Majesty had doubts. But could a person truly go mad? His gaze then fell upon Yang Chi's godson, Xiao Mingzi, who had been kneeling on the ground for some time.
"Someone come here! Summon the imperial physician to take a look. Is it phlegm-related ailment, or has he gone mad?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Emperor remained expressionless and suddenly spoke. Although his voice was not loud, it startled everyone in the hall.
Before long, the three imperial physicians who had been waiting there hurried over with their gilded medicine boxes. The leading physician was Wu Heling, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. He was over fifty years old, with a gray beard, and held his ancestral silver pulse pillow in his hand. His eyes revealed the caution of a physician.
Behind him was another imperial physician of similar age, Chen Qingyuan, who also carried a vermilion lacquered needle box, while the third imperial physician carried a rattan box filled with mugwort and medicinal herbs.
As the three knelt and kowtowed, Wu Heling caught a glimpse of Yang Gonggong's folded fingers—although his hands were clean, dirt still lingered in the crevices of his fingernails, yet they remained slightly curled inwards. This detail sent a shiver down his spine.
"Get up, go and see if they can be treated."
The Empress lightly flicked her sleeve, causing the jade thumb ring to clink against the chair handle, producing a crisp sound. Even Zhang Jinyu felt a surge of tension, her mind racing. It seemed the Emperor and Dai Quan were unaware of Yang Chi's madness. Who knew first? Thinking back to her cooperation with Yang Chi in Jiangnan, a pang of pity welled up within her.
"Your Majesty, since we are going to treat him, why tie him up? His blood and qi are rushing upwards; even acupuncture wouldn't be effective."
Zhang Jinyu's sudden voice caused everyone in the hall to pause. Not to mention the others, all the eunuchs present were surprised and grateful. Among all the civil and military officials in the court, who could speak up for a eunuch?
The Martial Emperor flicked his Taoist robe, the wide sleeves obscuring his face.
"Hmm, something's not right. Why are they tied up? Let them go."
"Yes, Your Majesty. It was because this servant was afraid that Yang Chi would offend His Majesty that I tied him up. You lot, untie the ropes."
Dai Quan nodded and instructed Xiao Yunzi and the others to untie the ropes, but he didn't take them all off; he just loosened the bonds.
Even if Yang Chi went mad, he wouldn't be able to move.
Seeing that everyone was in place, Dai Quan gave the three imperial physicians a meaningful look.
Wu Heling understood, and took the lead in stepping forward. He took out a plain white silk handkerchief from his medicine box, placed it on Yang Jinshui's wrist, and put three fingers together on the cun-kou pulse. The essence of Chinese medicine lies in pulse diagnosis.
Relying on his family's unique skills, Wu Heling lowered his eyes and focused his mind, feeling the rise and fall of the pulse with his fingertips. His brows furrowed more and more tightly. The pulse seemed like tangled threads at first glance, sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, but at a certain moment, he caught a slight pause caused by deliberately holding his breath. This was the residual pulse of an internal strength expert.
Just then, another imperial physician, Chen Qingyuan, came over and took the pulse on his other hand. He took the pulse on both hands at the same time. Zhang Jinyu watched this medical skill intently. Good heavens, it seems that he has used his family's secret technique. I wonder if Yang Chi is real or fake.
While taking his pulse, Dai Quan turned his gaze to the young eunuch, Xiao Mingzi, who was still kneeling on the ground, and asked;
"You come and tell him, when Eunuch Yang returned to the capital, were you by his side?"
Xiao Mingzi trembled and replied in a shaking voice.
"Your Excellency, this servant has been by Eunuch Yang's side the whole time,"
"Good, that's good. Since you've been by my side all this time, how did Eunuch Yang go mad, where and when did he go mad?"
This question drew everyone's attention. After all, someone had been by his side, observing every little change; they couldn't possibly be unaware. The question was veiled in gloom, and Xiao Mingzi's reply was tinged with tears.
"Your Excellency, I'm not entirely sure either. I only felt that when we boarded the ship, my godfather—no, Eunuch Yang—was acting normally. However, when Ning Jian, the Imperial City Commander, invited Eunuch Yang to drink in the cabin, Eunuch Yang started speaking incoherently. Then, before we finished our meal, Eunuch Yang's expression changed drastically, and he started talking nonsense and went mad."
I remember it was like this back then, watching my godfather go mad.
But who could believe these words? Either they were truly insane and had foreseen it all along, or they were murdered on the ship—something Dai Quan had long suspected.
"He went crazy while eating. What a coincidence! Did that Ning Jian say anything?"
"Reporting to the Governor, he didn't say anything, only that he was escorting Eunuch Yang back to the capital. Eunuch Yang asked who else had gone back, and Ning Jianshi said that the Provincial Treasurer and the Inspector General were also there. Who knew that after drinking a cup of wine, they went mad."
Perhaps, perhaps, there was something wrong with that glass of wine.
Where is Ning Kai?
Dai Quan reacted quickly and asked immediately, while Xiao Yunzi behind him hurriedly replied.
"Reporting to the Governor, he is being held in the Northern Garrison Command's office."
"Send someone over to interrogate him."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The previous questions and answers went unanswered by the Empress and Zhang Jinyu. Whether these matters were investigated or not, it was too late. Only by looking at the people in front of them could they determine their next course of action.
In the center of the hall,
The three imperial physicians took turns feeling the pulse, and they had already done so three times. On the last occasion, the three physicians stopped, their faces showing some trepidation.
"Judge Wu, this pulse..."
As Chen Qingyuan shifted his position, he leaned closer and whispered.
"Don't worry."
Wu Heling raised his hand to stop him. Some things should never be said carelessly. The way of medicine is to ask questions, but you can't ask questions. You can only look at the treasures. So, he took out a small bronze mirror from his sleeve, brought it close to Yang Jinshui's half-open pupils, and looked at them.
The mirror reflected those cloudy eyes, and in the flickering candlelight, I could keenly detect a very slight tremor at the edge of the iris. This was caused by maintaining the same expression for a long time, and it didn't seem to be an act.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Yang's pulse is erratic, seemingly indicating madness, but..."
Before Wu Heling could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Empress.
"But what? Please speak frankly."
"But I am also a little uncertain. Could it be that the phlegm has clouded his mind? Perhaps, using silver needles to clear his meridians can bring him back to his senses."
As soon as Wu Heling finished speaking, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop suddenly. Dai Quan unconsciously tightened his grip on the whisk in his hand, while Yang Chi suddenly looked up and let out a sharp laugh, startling the owl perched on the eaves. Accompanied by the palace lanterns in the hall, it seemed somewhat eerie.
The Empress's fingers, which were caressing the prayer beads, suddenly tightened, and she asked;
“In that case, let’s try acupuncture. What do you think, Marquis Luo Yun?”
Having come this far, there was nothing they could do but try. Zhang Jinyu didn't understand these medical matters; if any member of the Gu family were here, he could ask them. Unfortunately, at this point, he couldn't completely trust the three imperial physicians before him.
"Your Majesty, tomorrow is the joint trial by the three judicial departments. We can't afford to waste any more time; we have no choice but to give it a try."
"Give it a try."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The three imperial physicians responded, exchanged glances, and decided on acupuncture. They had initially thought Wu Heling would go, but then he spoke up…
"Qingyuan, you go,"
"This"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingyuan's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. Suddenly, he felt as if the eunuch Yang in front of him was an untouchable figure. He panicked, wondering how he could possibly hold that needle.
(End of this chapter)