Fish Meat – Chapter 83
by Little PandaThe Ninth Year of Shenchu
Runing’s Winds and Clouds (Part 9)
The matter of the water demon caused Runing and even the whole of Da Yu, which had not been lively for a few days, to fall into panic once again. Rumors of “an emperor without virtue cannot suppress demon beasts” secretly spread throughout the towns. Upon hearing this, Li Ju was furious and ordered the Jinwu Guard to patrol the city, arresting anyone daring to speak such disrespectful words, exterminating their entire clan.
Stopping endless public gossip is not easy, especially since the relentless torrential rains at Nanya had already formed surging floods, rushing down the canals moving north from the South Water. Even though Xie Fuchen had urgently deployed manpower to the disaster-hit counties, he still couldn’t stop rumors from spreading. People said that the violent mountain opening and canal digging angered the mountain god, and that the actions of those in power without considering consequences brought the mountain god’s wrath upon the innocent common people.
Even if the common people were silenced by tyranny and could not speak openly, they used many other words as metaphors. Even when metaphors could not be spoken, everyone understood in their hearts. Li Ju’s uncontrollable rage only confirmed the truth of the rumors. Xie Fuchen suggested that Li Ju should not forcefully suppress the common people at this time, as doing so would fall into Li Yanyi’s scheme.
“But if we do not suppress forcefully, should we allow them to spread rumors? Allow the hard-won people’s trust to be divided again?” Wei Lun was pressed into the imperial prison, while Lin Quan and Zuo Xu were killed one after another, seemingly returning the initiative to Li Ju’s hands. However, Li Ju did not feel any happiness. Empress Dowager Geng’s silent eyes, which made him feel like a thorn in his back, finally opened. She walked out from behind the thin curtain, indulging Li Yanyi to rashly break into the court, even pointing at his country and commanding his ministers! Li Ju could not be happy; he did not know how long he would be suppressed by Empress Dowager Geng. Empress Dowager Geng was like a sword hanging over his heart, a needle that could be stepped on at any time, and a nightmare that even Xie Fuchen could not remove. Li Yanyi was precisely the extension of this nightmare.
Having crossed paths with Li Yanyi for so long, several times gaining the upper hand and already driving her to the cliff’s edge, only needing one more push to send her into an abyss of no return, but every time at the most critical moment, Empress Dowager Geng would appear to further obstruct, and Li Yanyi would always manage to gather diverse groups to devise plans and escape from death.
“Xie Zhongcheng! When exactly can Li Yanyi be eradicated? This time, with Zuo Xu and others dead, it is the best opportunity! Do not miss it again!” Li Ju was extremely anxious.
“Your Majesty must not act impulsively. The most important thing now is to determine the candidate for Shangshu Ling, remove Wei Lun, uproot the Wei family, and punish that Wei Clan’s witch together. Once the Wei family is destroyed, Li Yanyi will have no one to use. By then, this old minister has full confidence that Li Yanyi will be toppled. When Li Yanyi falls, the country will be firmly back in Your Majesty’s hands, and at that time, the people’s hearts will be nothing more than playthings, at Your Majesty’s disposal. However…”
“What concerns does Xie Zhongcheng have?”
“Only that Li Yanyi seems to have gained a treacherous strategist by her side. This time, the water demon rumors were stirred up by this person in the shadows. Moreover, the old minister’s assassin reports that Li Yanyi somehow captured a batch of insects and is raising them in her residence; once poison is used, they emit a blue light, making it impossible to act. This person’s methods are quite unfamiliar and not consistent with Li Yanyi’s usual tactics.”
“Who is this person!”
“The old minister is currently investigating.”
“Li Yanyi’s fate is already exhausted, yet there are still people jumping into the fire pit. What kind of fools are they! Xie Zhongcheng… no, Xie Sima, who do you think is suitable for the position of Shangshu Ling?”
“The old minister believes that Yan Zhen, the Minister of Personnel, is suitable for this position.”
“Good, then Yan Zhen it is! This matter cannot be publicized. I will send the appointment edict to the Yan residence, and during the next early court session, I will announce the appointments of the Grand Sima and Shangshu Ling together. Hmm… Xie Sima, I heard that Yan Lingjun is skilled in managing women and has altogether fathered sixteen sons. Is this true?”
Xie Fuchen replied: “In response to Your Majesty, Yan Lingjun indeed has sixteen sons, among them four legitimate and twelve born of concubines.”
“He actually hasn’t had a daughter?” Li Ju asked with slight interest, “Does he have any special methods?”
Xie Fuchen did not answer promptly, making Li Ju feel somewhat embarrassed.
Li Ju had known and loved Feng Xiyi since he was still Prince Chehuan. They had weathered many storms together until now, finally conceiving an imperial son with much difficulty, hoping to birth a crown prince to stabilize the country during turbulent political times. Unexpectedly, the highly anticipated imperial son died young just after being born, and it was a daughter… This matter reminded Li Ju of how many daughters were born in Feng Xiyi’s clan. Currently, Feng Xiyi’s health had not been good since childbirth, and Li Ju heeded Xie Fuchen’s advice to let the newly appointed imperial physicians fully help her recover. Three days ago, they were already able to have intercourse. But even if they conceived again with hardship, there was fear it would still be a princess, and by then, Empress Dowager Geng would have many things to say, which really made Li Ju endlessly annoyed. He wanted to quickly have a son to make the crown prince, as having a crown prince in hand would be a significant victory. And Li Yanyi? If she became emperor, her claim wouldn’t be legitimate; not to mention she has no son, Li Yanyi has not married until now, so even if she seized the country, to whom would she pass it?
Thinking of this matter made Li Ju even more anxious. Someone suggested he favor other concubines in the harem, but Feng Kun was still present, and the majority of Feng family’s male members held important positions in court or repeatedly established battle achievements on the northern front. The Feng family’s power remained enormous, and if he sought other concubines to bear a son or daughter, he feared losing the Feng family’s support. More importantly, he truly loved his Zitong and, unlike other emperors with thousands in their harem, he only wanted his Zitong alone.
He had long heard that the Yan family possessed an ancestral secret technique specializing in bearing sons. Being noble as an emperor, Li Ju found it somewhat difficult to broach this matter with his ministers.
Xie Fuchen understood as soon as he heard him speak this way. Without smiling or showing any other expression, and with a calm tone not intentionally lowered, he sounded as if discussing a matter of common human experience: “Your Majesty has been laboring recently; during conjugal relations, is there a lack of strength?”
Xie Fuchen asked so directly that Li Ju coughed and sighed, “Correct, every time before the Empress is fully satisfied, I just…”
“Your Highness deals with myriad affairs daily and lacks energy; anyone would have times of insufficient energy. However, Yan Zhen’s secret formula might not be suitable for the emperor.”
“Oh?”
“Yan Zhen has always been consuming Furong Powder, using its effects to enhance virility and increase energy, battling several nights without knowing fatigue.”
“Furong Powder?” Li Ju slightly frowned upon hearing these three words. He certainly knew the consequences of consuming Furong Powder; strong dependency would make people want to use it continuously, and once deeply addicted, they could never quit in this lifetime. Currently, all the nobles and scholars of Da Yu are consuming Furong Powder. Li Ju had once been tempted to try it but ultimately resisted the temptation. Now, hearing Xie Fuchen speak this way made his heart greatly tempted, “Xie Sima, is this true? Does Furong Powder really have such miraculous effects?”
“This old minister only heard Yan Zhen mention it, and has not personally tried it.”
Xie Fuchen’s expression was somewhat stiff, and Li Ju suddenly recalled that Feng Kun had previously kidnapped Ah Xin and forcibly fed her Furong Powder to try to alienate Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu. Although Xie Fuchen hadn’t mentioned it, he certainly already knew, making it inappropriate to continue this conversation. Therefore, Li Ju said to Xie Fuchen, “Summon Yan Zhen to see me tomorrow; I want to chat with him personally.”
“Yes.”
“Regarding the Ministry of Justice Office, I have long wanted to abolish it. Once Yan Zhen takes office, you and he should impeach Guan Xun together. I do not believe this small Ministry of Justice Office can continue to act arrogantly.”
“By decree.”
Xie Fuchen sat in the carriage, left the Forbidden Garden, and returned to the Xie residence. While walking in the garden, he idly touched a cherry blossom as if talking to himself: “She has already reached Li Yanyi’s side, which is indeed unexpected. Originally, I only wanted to leave a chess piece by Wei Tingxu’s side to gather information, but I didn’t expect this chess piece to reach a ‘checkmate’ level now.”
A plain-clothed young man emerged silently from behind the rockery, with almost no sound of footsteps, like a ghost. This person was Yan Ye, a flexible hidden weapon concealed in Xie Fuchen’s sleeve. Yan Ye said, “The water demon rumors these days have spread from her, as her pretending to be ghosts and demons was very successful, and she has already become a favored person by Li Yanyi’s side.”
“Oh? I wondered who came up with such a poor idea, and it turns out to be her.” Xie Fuchen smiled and, with forceful fingers, broke a fresh, tender cherry blossom on the spot.
Xie Fuchen’s long, thick eyelashes lowered as he tenderly looked at the brightly blooming flower, inhaling its fragrance: “It’s time for her to play her true role. Go.” Xie Fuchen clasped his hand and crushed the delicate flower into pieces.
Zhen Wenjun indeed became the most favored strategist by Li Yanyi’s side. Besides Lin Yue, she also had a group of young men following her daily, handing her handkerchiefs and giving jewelry. Zhen Wenjun knew that young gentlemen in Da Yu had the habit of giving handkerchiefs to their beloved, often making a statement with the material to show family wealth. Not to mention the beautifully colored, translucent gems worth a thousand gold each.
But Zhen Wenjun did not like these things; it was very strange. At the age when emotions first awaken, she was actually not interested in these noble young men. If it were another low-born girl who suddenly received the adoration of many sons from Runing aristocratic families, she would likely be overjoyed, with happiness blooming across her face. Deep in her heart, Zhen Wenjun also felt a kind of vanity-induced satisfaction, but why couldn’t she muster any interest?
“You seem not very happy.”
Zhen Wenjun did not like to sit in a carriage when going out; she was accustomed to riding Yunzhong Feixue herself to control the path forward. Lin Yue, being just a scholar, could not ride a horse, so he drove a carriage beside her, loaded with water and food inside. Whenever Zhen Wenjun was thirsty or hungry, he could feed her immediately. Lin Yue could see she didn’t like cheesy love letters and was instead more interested in wine and meat. Lin Yue sighed, thinking she truly was a genuine, extraordinary woman, and thus changed his method to pursue her. But with many suitors recently, and her achievements at the Eldest Princess’s place, she still seemed to force a smile. Even if others couldn’t see it, Lin Yue felt he could read Zhen Wenjun’s melancholy when she was alone.
After Lin Yue tossed out this sentence, Zhen Wenjun didn’t pay attention to him, still swaying on the horse, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Lin Yue told ancient jokes to amuse her, but Zhen Wenjun let them go in one ear and out the other. She arrived at a broken temple outside the city, stopped at the entrance, looked around, saw no one, and then told Lin Yue to wait for her there.
“I’ll go in with you,” Lin Yue said. “The Eldest Princess has many political enemies, and you have now become a popular figure. There are many eyes watching you, so going alone might be dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go by myself,” Zhen Wenjun replied with a forced smile. “As you said, it’s best not to follow me. If I really encounter danger, I would have to divert my attention to save you.”
Lin Yue: “…”
“Go home and have dinner with your mother.”
Zhen Wenjun tied Yunzhong Feixue at the temple entrance and walked in alone. Lin Yue, afraid she might get angry, did not follow and sat in the carriage waiting.
Inside the temple, five children wearing brown linen clothes had already been waiting for a long time. Zhen Wenjun, carrying a money bag, walked up and asked them, “Can you sing the song I taught you last time?”
The five children said in unison, “Yes!”
“Good! Sing it once for me to hear.”
“Heavy rain arrives, river embankment destroyed, mountain god angry, people in danger…” The five children began to sing the nursery rhyme, shaking their heads and swaying their bodies. After they finished singing, Zhen Wenjun, very satisfied, gave them money, squatted down, and told them, “First, go to the market and sing this song. Return here at this time in three days, and I will have a new song to teach you. Learn earnestly and sing earnestly, and you won’t lack silver.”
This group of children are members of Runing’s famous “Beggar Gang,” known for being able to infiltrate everywhere in Runing City, spreading very widely. As long as there is money to take, they are willing to do anything, and it is very difficult for the government to catch them. The water demon and mountain god rumors were spread using them.
The children ran off, and as Zhen Wenjun clapped her hands, preparing to leave, she suddenly felt a gust of strong wind and a sense of killing intent at the back of her head.
She turned around like lightning, instinctively lifting her arm. She heard two “clang clang” sounds simultaneously as a pair of black spikes struck her arm. These spikes came with extreme ferocity and without warning. When Zhen Wenjun entered the broken temple, she was not unaware of her surroundings; inside the temple, aside from the children, there were only piles of broken cloth, rotten grass, and a headless stone statue, with no sign of anyone else’s presence. Zhen Wenjun had practiced martial arts from a young age and had never been negligent, unless someone completely concealed their presence. This person could eliminate their presence like a shadow and strike with lethal force in an instant, which was truly terrifying.
Zhen Wenjun’s arm was struck squarely, causing her to lose balance and roll backward twice before she steadied herself on one knee. Under the severe pain, she thought her arm was pierced, but upon lifting it, she saw her sleeve had two puncture holes, revealing an iron wrist guard. This wrist guard was a self-defense item given to her by Lingbi, which she always wore when going out, knowing it would be useful someday, and today it indeed saved her life.
She raised her eyes to look at the assassin but only saw a black shadow diving into a pile of rotten grass. Knowing she was no match for this skilled opponent, she intended to run, but unexpectedly, the pile of rotten grass suddenly exploded, and countless pieces sprayed into her eyes, making her unable to open them. Unable to see, Zhen Wenjun became like a caged bird awaiting slaughter. In panic, she tightly gripped the golden cicada knife between her fingers and desperately slashed around.
The golden cicada knife did not strike anyone, and she was heavily kicked in the back, causing her to fall forward. Zhen Wenjun, extremely agile, supported herself with one hand, using the momentum to roll forward ten feet. Her tear-filled eyes finally managed to see a bit, realizing she was facing the temple entrance, and she shouted: “Assassin! Run quickly!”
Zhen Wenjun knew her martial skills were not refined, and being a thorn in everyone’s side, going out certainly carried risks. Li Yanyi assigned four shadow guards to protect her thoroughly. Originally, with such a big commotion, the shadow guards should have rushed out long ago, but she was almost dismantled by the assassin, and yet the shadow guards took no action, indicating they were possibly already eliminated early on. Even with the iron wrist guard and golden cicada knife, she might find it difficult to escape this calamity today. Since she might die here, she did not want to drag down other innocent people. Her shout was precisely for Lin Yue, who was foolishly waiting outside the broken temple, to escape quickly.
Upon hearing her shout, Lin Yue suddenly straightened his back and, understanding what she was shouting, immediately jumped down from the carriage.
Sister Wenjun is in trouble!
Lin Yue searched around the carriage but found no handy weapon. He had to laboriously lift a giant uncut preserved pig leg and also grabbed a stone. He loudly shouted to bolster his courage and rushed into the temple.
Zhen Wenjun was grabbed by the collar and pulled back, the assassin pressing her head with one hand, about to use a black spike to pierce her neck. Lin Yue, rushing into the temple, just saw this scene and let out a ghostly wail to attract the opponent’s attention, swinging the pig leg towards the opponent’s face. This tall and large assassin, dressed in black with only his eyes exposed, probably had never seen a pig leg used as a weapon in his long wanderings in the martial world. The black spike flicked the pig leg to the roof, missing the best chance to take Zhen Wenjun’s life. Lin Yue recklessly rushed up to grab the arm holding the weapon, shouting:
“Sister, run quickly!”
Lin Yue hadn’t even gotten close when he was kicked away by the assassin. Zhen Wenjun, with a reverse hand slash, cut the assassin’s thigh. The assassin, annoyed and enraged, raised both hands with the spike, aiming to stab down on her head. Her heart turned cold, feeling her life was about to end here inexplicably. Suddenly, the assassin let out a muffled groan and was knocked away, the black spike drawing a deep mark on the ground. When he stopped, a mouthful of blood seeped from behind his mask.
Zhen Wenjun was extremely surprised to see a tall, bare-handed woman standing behind her; it was she who had struck. Just one punch made the expert cough blood; truly impressive. This person had clear and elegant features, deep brows, and big eyes, delicate and pretty, resembling a Hu person.
The assassin, realizing the opponent’s leg skills were remarkable and perhaps not a match, fled like a gust of wind.
“Thank you, lady hero…” Zhen Wenjun, who had just escaped death, still felt lingering fear, her voice trembling as she thanked the woman. She could roughly guess who had sent someone to kill her but did not know who this life-saving benefactor was.
The life-saving benefactor gave her a faint glance, did not speak, and quietly walked away.
Zhen Wenjun shouted towards her back: “Lady hero, could you leave your name so that someday I can repay your life-saving grace?”
That person still did not stop her footsteps, as if she hadn’t heard her words.
Zhen Wenjun, with difficulty, pulled up Lin Yue, who was lying on the ground in pain with his vision blackened from being kicked: “How are you? Can you still walk? Why were you so foolish, not running and coming back to risk your life?”
Lin Yue grinned, his teeth all bloodied, and weakly said: “As long as sister is fine… I, I am unharmed.”
“Don’t pretend to be strong; look at you, you’re barely half alive. Next time, remember not to follow me, it’s too dangerous.”
“You, what do you want to do?”
“Carry you back, you simply can’t stand up.”
“But how can I, a dignified man, let a young lady like you carry me!”
Zhen Wenjun rolled her eyes and, ignoring what he said, forcibly carried him to the carriage. She held onto her consciousness to send him back to Huaichen Mansion and then fainted.
Upon waking up, she saw Ah Zhu holding a bowl of medicinal soup by the bedside, waiting. Seeing her awake, joy spread across her face: “Lady Zhen, you finally woke up. How did you get such severe injuries? Her Highness was worried to death. Come, drink the medicinal soup, and I’ll notify Her Highness.”
Zhen Wenjun obediently drank the medicine, a bowl so bitter it made her facial features wrinkle together. Just as she finished, Li Yanyi hurriedly pushed the door open, came in, and held her hand with concern, saying:
“Sister, being unexpectedly ambushed was really too dangerous. Li Ju is truly insane! Sister, for this period, temporarily don’t go out to prevent any unexpected events.”
However, Zhen Wenjun was doubtful in her heart. Were the people who attempted to assassinate her really Li Ju’s and Xie Fuchen’s? Xie Fuchen had placed her beside Wei Tingxu and Li Yanyi for a long time; would he kill her before she was truly fully utilized? That seems too contradictory. And the assassin, though skillful, was not considered a first-class peerless master, unlike the mysterious killer Xie Fuchen brought back from the Northern Frontier, who made the entire court tremble. If it were that person, he would have likely decapitated her at the first strike, not giving her or Lin Yue any chance to counterattack.
Who could it be? Is it Xie Fuchen’s other followers? That also seems contradictory.
Just as Zhen Wenjun was recovering from her injuries at Huaichen Mansion, she suddenly received a secret letter from the Xie family.
This secret letter made Zhen Wenjun shiver with unease.
That day, a maid delivered a box of rouge. When she opened the rouge box, she unexpectedly found a cinnabar stone inside. Beneath the cinnabar stone, a piece of aloeswood was pressed, and when she inexplicably picked up the aloeswood, she was surprised to find a human fingernail at the bottom of the box.
Zhen Wenjun very sensitively detected that this was a secret signal from the Xie family!
Zhen Wenjun immediately rushed out and called to the maid: “Who gave you the rouge box?”
That maid was a familiar face at Huaichen Mansion. She was greatly frightened by Zhen Wenjun’s sudden stern questioning: “Replying to the lady, this rouge box was entrusted to me early in the morning by Aunt Ah Zhu, who said it was sent by a sister named Zizhuo… Lady, what happened? Is there something wrong?”
The maid’s terrified appearance did not seem like she was lying, and mentioning Aunt Ah Zhu made it even more impossible to fake, otherwise, she would know with one question. Posing as an item from Wei Tingxu was precisely to smoothly send it into Huaichen Mansion and into her hands.
Yes, Zhen Wenjun could be very certain that this rouge box was indeed not from Wei Tingxu, but from the Xie family! Xie Fuchen!
Cinnabar and aloeswood signify “Zhu Chen,” meaning Xie Fuchen finally wants her to take action to kill Li Yanyi.
This is the instruction from Xie Fuchen, and this is the meaning of Xie Fuchen planting her as this chess piece. At the most intense moment of confrontation, to make the most dangerous move, a move to seal the throat. Now, she offers advice and strategies for Li Yanyi, who already has complete trust in her. Wanting to kill Li Yanyi is not a difficult task.
But Zhen Wenjun cannot kill Li Yanyi, yet she also must kill her. Xie Fuchen presented this fingernail exactly to threaten her; if she does not kill her, her mother will suffer a disastrous calamity!
This further confirms her previous suspicion—that the assassin who wanted to take her life at the ruined temple was not sent by Xie Fuchen.
Zhen Wenjun tightly held the fingernail in her hand.
Actually, she had long guessed there would be such a day.
Initially, she had a thought that if the Xie family wanted her to kill Wei Tingxu, perhaps she could not do it, but to kill Li Yanyi, she did not have such a big psychological barrier. That day’s small thought has now truly come true.
Kill or not kill?
Naturally, not kill.
She wants to tie up Li Yanyi to exchange for her mother!
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