The Ninth Year of Shenchu
Runing’s Winds and Clouds (Part 6)
While burning, Zhen Wenjun suddenly caught a peculiar scent. This scent, thin as a cicada’s wing, was extremely difficult to detect. However, Jiang Daochang’s rigorous training had planted a seed of sensitivity in Zhen Wenjun’s body. Because this scent was so unique, even a faint whiff made her shudder.
It was the fragrance of the deadly poison “Yi Zhi Song.” Jiang Daochang had spent three entire days explaining the uniqueness of Yi Zhi Song to her. The production of this poison is extremely complex, extracted from the venom of the most poisonous snakes and scorpions in the heart of the desert, then used to water-cultivate the Yi Zhi Song flower. When the flower reaches its most vivid bloom, it is plucked, mashed into juice, and used to feed a deadly red spider. A single red spider requires three years of cultivation, and after three years, it produces a small, needle-tip-sized poison tumor. Not all red spiders can grow this tumor; it only develops under perfect climatic conditions. Although these tumors are difficult to cultivate, the poison contained within one can kill ten people instantly. It is colorless and odorless, making it very hard to detect.
“The world has such miraculous things; isn’t it impossible to guard against them?”
“No,” Zhen Wenjun recalls Jiang Daochang pulling a face, disdainful of her ignorance. “There is nothing invincible in the world; everything has its weakness. With careful observation, you can always find a flaw. Just like the Yi Zhi Song; its weakness is fire. Once it encounters fire, its true form is revealed, producing a special scent. This scent is extremely similar to the smell of human flesh and bones being burned.”
At that time, Zhen Wenjun didn’t understand what burning human flesh and bones smelled like, so Jiang Daochang went to the graveyard, stole a fresh corpse, and burned it for her to smell. The scent of a burning human body, once experienced, is unforgettable, and the memory of smell is better than other senses, so Zhen Wenjun always remembers it vividly.
Focusing her senses, she concentrated all her attention on the smell, completely forgetting all the annoying little troubles. She used a stick to lift the unburned part of Wei Tingxu’s letter, and soon the last part was also consumed by the flames. It shouldn’t be that Wei Tingxu’s letter was smeared with poison, as Yi Zhi Song is extremely fast-acting when ingested orally, and if only touched, it would have almost no effect. If Wei Tingxu wanted to poison her, she wouldn’t use such a foolish method.
If it’s not Wei Tingxu’s letter, then it must be this copper basin.
Where was the copper basin taken from? The kitchen.
Once she clarified this connection, Zhen Wenjun immediately extinguished the fire in the basin, dumped out all the ashes, folded a piece of cloth as insulation, and holding the copper basin, rushed back to the kitchen to ask: “What is this copper basin used for?”
Uncle Ke, in charge of the kitchen, replied: “Isn’t this my dish-holding basin? How did it get burned like this?”
“Serving dishes? Where are the dishes?”
“They’ve already been taken out. Today, the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Junior Minister are visiting the residence as guests, and Her Highness is entertaining them in Suhai Garden.”
Lin Quan and Zhangsun Yao are here? Oh no!
Zhen Wenjun didn’t even realize she was still holding a basin and dashed off running. The Huaichen Mansion is quite large, and she had only been there a few days, not enough time to walk around properly, so she had no idea where Suhai Garden was. Ah Zhu couldn’t find it either, so she grabbed a servant to ask, and the servant said:
“That Suhai Garden isn’t within the mansion; you need to go through the back gate of Huaichen Mansion, head east, and walk three miles to Xu Spring Pond. Suhai Garden is Her Highness’s traveling palace retreat, with mountains and water, elegant and extraordinary… hey, young lady, why push me, slow down!”
Zhen Wenjun had no time to listen to him finish speaking. Using him as a pivot, she swung around in a circle and flew out, sprinting madly towards the east.
Her feet seemed to create wind, and her heart was pounding wildly. If Zhen Wenjun guessed correctly, someone had put Yi Zhi Song into the meals served to Lin Quan and Zhangsun Yao, and Li Yanyi might have even ingested it. The identity of the poisoner was unknown, but Zhen Wenjun knew that if all three of them were poisoned, Li Yanyi’s faction would be finished. With Li Yanyi’s death, how would Wei Lun’s family survive?
Zhen Wenjun sprinted the entire three miles to the end. As Xu Spring Pond came into view, she saw an elegant seat set atop a ten-foot-high huge green bamboo, positioned on a circular terrace in the center of the pond. Two hundred steps away from her, the entrance to the pond’s center was blocked by Huben Guards.
“I have an urgent matter to tell Her Highness!” Zhen Wenjun said as she tried to pass between the two Huben Guards, but two steel blades crossed and blocked her way. If not for her quick reflexes, her nose would have been mercilessly chopped off.
“What matter can wait until Her Highness has finished entertaining the honored guests,” the two Huben Guards said, showing no mercy. Tall and strong, they looked down at Zhen Wenjun with disdain. “Her Highness ordered that, except for Wei Situ, no other idle people are allowed to disturb.”
“Are the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Junior Minister being entertained?” Zhen Wenjun asked urgently.
The Huben soldiers ignored her.
“Go and report it! The food is poisoned! They absolutely cannot eat them! Hurry!” Zhen Wenjun was so anxious, sweating profusely, wishing she could squeeze through their solid barrier. The Huben soldiers exchanged a glance, and Zhen Wenjun overheard their whispering.
“She seems to be someone from the Wei family.”
“I will go and inform Her Highness.”
One remained in place, while the other quickly ran towards Suhai Garden.
With one Huben soldier gone, Zhen Wenjun’s view became clearer. She could see Lin Quan, as small as a fingernail, with his back to her. On the left side was Zhangsun Yao, raising a cup, and directly opposite, completely blocked with only a bit of clothing visible, was probably Li Yanyi.
Zhangsun Yao was about to drink the wine when Zhen Wenjun urgently shouted, “Don’t drink—!”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Having never practiced internal energy techniques, Zhen Wenjun relied entirely on her throat to forcefully shout these words. Her voice did carry out, causing Zhangsun Yao to pause in his drinking action and look in her direction with surprise.
After shouting, Zhen Wenjun’s throat felt as if it were torn, causing a momentary dizziness, and the copper basin in her hand fell to the ground, rendering her unable to make another sound.
“Who?” Li Yanyi put down her chopsticks and looked in the direction of the person shouting, “Zhen Wenjun?”
Zhangsun Yao also turned to look at Zhen Wenjun. Lin Quan, about to turn around, suddenly paused and covered his throat. Zhangsun Yao noticed something was wrong and thought he might have choked on a fishbone. Unexpectedly, Lin Quan’s face quickly turned purple, and he grabbed Zhangsun Yao’s arm.
“Lin Jun! What’s wrong with you?” Zhangsun Yao hurriedly tried to support him. Lin Quan tried to speak, but as he opened his mouth, no words came out, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto Zhangsun Yao’s face. Instinctively, Zhangsun Yao raised his wide sleeve to deflect the blood. He looked down and saw his sleeve covered in bloodstains.
Zhangsun Yao was stunned by the spray. Lin Quan slid down from the edge of the table, and when he hit the ground, blood was still pouring from his mouth and nose. Li Yanyi rushed to his side, calling to him, but he was already breathless.
Zhangsun Yao and Li Yanyi were extremely shocked by the sudden incident. Huben soldiers ran over to report to Li Yanyi that the young lady at the entrance said the food was poisoned.
“Poisoned?” Li Yanyi said, “Impossible! All the food was tested with a silver needle right in front of me, and the needle did not turn black! How can there be poison? Quickly call the imperial doctor!”
“Yes!” The Huben soldiers swiftly left, and Li Yanyi pinched Lin Quan’s philtrum, trying to wake him, but no matter how she pinched, Lin Quan did not respond.
“He is dead.” Li Yanyi’s sweat dripped down as she looked at Lin Quan’s eyes, wide open and almost falling out. The sudden death left him in extreme shock and terror, his face turned purple and swollen by poison, distorting his features, leaving him in a wretched state.
Li Yanyi’s heart ached immensely, and her palm passed over Lin Quan’s face, trying to close his eyes. Unexpectedly, just as her palm touched him, she heard Zhen Wenjun running wildly and shouting again, “Your Highness, quickly step aside! Don’t touch him!”
Li Yanyi was startled and immediately withdrew her hand.
“Your Highness, look!” Zhangsun Yao pointed to Lin Quan’s face. Li Yanyi watched as Lin Quan’s face continued to swell until his head nearly doubled in size, and his lips gradually parted. A powerful black gas forced his mouth open, rushing out from his mouth and nose.
“Your Highness, be careful!” Zhangsun Yao immediately shielded Li Yanyi behind him. Lin Quan suddenly sat up, with a huge amount of black gas spewing wildly from his ears, nose, and mouth. Seeing that Zhangsun Yao and Li Yanyi were about to be engulfed by the black poisonous gas, Zhen Wenjun pushed them into the pool.
The three fell into the pool together, while the maidservants on the terrace, who hadn’t had time to jump into the water and inhaled the black gas, bled profusely from their mouths and noses like Lin Quan. In the blink of an eye, they were poisoned and fell dead. The process from inhalation to death was extremely rapid, happening in a mere instant.
In the pool, Zhen Wenjun gestured to Li Yanyi and Zhangsun Yao, signaling them to swim directly to the shore.
The remaining Huben soldier initially wanted to come over but quickly turned around upon seeing the scene. As Zhen Wenjun and the others emerged from the water, they reached the shore.
“Your Highness! Junior Minister! Did you eat those dishes?!” Zhen Wenjun, just catching her breath, asked urgently.
“I… I drank wine!” Zhangsun Yao coughed up water, his face looking very unwell. “I drank six cups! But I didn’t eat the dishes… I don’t like eating while drinking wine. Am I poisoned too?”
“It seems there is no poison in the wine. This poison is very potent; even one sip might have been fatal for Junior Minister Zhangsun, let alone six cups. The poison should be in the dishes. Your Highness, you didn’t eat or drink anything?” Zhen Wenjun had just seen Li Yanyi gaining favor and being extremely happy that day, fearing she might indulge in wine and meat, and if she feasted, it would be disastrous.
Li Yanyi shook her head: “I haven’t had a chance to eat anything yet.”
In the past few days, Li Yanyi’s mood was indeed good until yesterday when a spy following Ah Xin brought back news that Ah Xin’s addiction to Furong Powder had acted up again on the journey. She resisted relapsing and instead went to find her teacher. Since childhood, she was very close to this martial arts teaching teacher, and Li Yanyi had no good feelings toward this hypocritical teacher. Now, Ah Xin, at this critical moment, went to seek him, and Li Yanyi was very displeased. But the situation in Runing was quite turbulent, and with Xie Fuchen, the old villain, fighting his way back to Li Ju’s side, the situation was changing rapidly, and she couldn’t leave.
I don’t know if Ah Xin has reached her teacher’s side now, or how this teacher will help her overcome the addiction to Furong Powder. Thinking about this matter, Li Yanyi lost her appetite. Today, she called Zhangsun Yao and others to discuss strategies against Xie Fuchen. Wei Lun had family matters and couldn’t attend the banquet, and unexpectedly, her bad mood affecting her appetite ended up saving her life. Li Yanyi sighed deeply, vaguely feeling that this was Ah Xin secretly protecting her.
The summer wind over the pond quickly blew away the black gas, and Li Yanyi asked Zhen Wenjun what exactly this poison was, why the silver needle could not detect it but she knew, and whether she saw who poisoned the food. Zhen Wenjun told her about the process of discovering Yi Zhi Song, but she omitted the part about burning Wei Tingxu’s letter, casually saying that while burning useless items, she found traces of a strong poison.
“This Yi Zhi Song poison is not only colorless and tasteless but extremely dangerous. The silver needle also cannot detect its existence. Once ingested, it will quickly corrode the throat and enter the chest cavity. Upon contact with blood, it will produce a large amount of toxic gas, which will rapidly expand inside the corpse, even causing an explosion. Those who inhale the gas will also die quickly.”
Li Yanyi had seen many malicious methods, but this was the first time she heard of such a cruel poison as Yi Zhi Song.
“Are you very familiar with poisons?” Li Yanyi asked Zhen Wenjun.
Originally, Zhen Wenjun habitually wanted to modestly say, “I know a little,” but then changed her mind, remembering Ah Zhu’s reminder. With a steady expression, she said loudly:
“Wenjun is thoroughly familiar with the currently known 632 kinds of poisons!” Zhen Wenjun was not lying; Jiang Daochang had indeed taught her the methods to identify all poisons. Others might study for three years and still not finish, but Zhen Wenjun, relying on her extraordinary talent, memorized them all in just one year. She needed to make an impression in front of Li Yanyi, and this excellent opportunity could not be missed.
Li Yanyi stood up and looked towards Suhai Garden in the pool. Lin Quan’s corpse had already deflated, and the maidservants lay scattered in disarray. That terrifying black gas, seemingly from the underworld, still drifted in the air.
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
“Wenjun, Yanghui, follow me.” Li Yanyi, even without changing her clothes and with a heavy heart, called them both to quickly leave.
At the time of Lin Quan’s tragic death, the rain coming from the south gradually covered Pingcang and continued migrating north, about to approach the capital Runing.
The people of Pingcang were filled with joy and excitement. Although the spring plowing had already passed, the parched land that had been dry for many days finally welcomed rain. For the extremely thirsty disaster victims, nothing was more uplifting than a heavy downpour.
Countless disaster victims and farmers ran outside, singing and dancing in the rain. Meanwhile, the canal that had been excavated from the south all the way to the capital, after being stalled for ten years, was suddenly completed with incredible speed. It was said that Emperor Li Ju had all the slaves who were building his imperial tomb reassigned to construct the canal. To achieve the south-to-north water diversion and alleviate the disaster, the Emperor even paused the construction of his own tomb. The winding canal not only alleviated the southern flood situation but also nourished the cities along the way, working in tandem with the rain to sweep away the gloom that had hung over Dayu’s sky for many years.
At this time, another unbelievable event reached Li Yanyi’s ears.
After enduring forty-six days in the imperial prison, Hong Ai suddenly vomited blood and died, leaving behind a confession written in blood.
Besides admitting to embezzling disaster relief funds in Suichuan, the confession also unabashedly admitted to colluding with the enemy and selling out the country, stating directly that he had no face to meet the Emperor and could only escape the accountability of his conscience through death.
“What? Hong Ai is dead? When did this happen?”
“Just one hour ago.”
Li Yanyi was writing a secret letter to Wei Tingxu. Upon hearing the news reported by Zhen Wenjun, her phoenix eyes widened, and she snorted with a laugh, saying, “Does Li Ju really think that by forcing Hong Ai to death and having him take all the blame, this matter will die without evidence, and no one can convict Feng Kun? That’s too naive.”
She put down the pen in her hand and threw the bamboo slip she had just written into the nearby brazier to burn it completely. Hong Ai’s death seemed like a self-resolution when cornered, but considering that since Xie Fuchen returned to Runing, first poisoning Lin Quan to death, and then Hong Ai, who had held out for so long, also died, this matter became even more shrouded in mystery.
Back then, when the Empress Dowager was seriously ill, Xie Fuchen took the opportunity to have Li Ju imprison Li Yanyi’s uncle on charges of forming cliques for private interests and even investigated the Geng clan’s officials one by one, filling the vacant positions with Li Ju’s people. This move was ruthless and unexpected. If the Empress Dowager hadn’t been strong enough to survive and if Li Ju hadn’t been too young to make decisive moves, the whole Geng clan might not have escaped death.
Xie Fuchen, this old servant, always acts unexpectedly, even daring to strike the current Empress Dowager’s own brother. Who knows if there isn’t another scheme behind Hong Ai’s suicide? This matter is quite urgent and must first be mentioned to Zizhuo.
Li Yanyi took another new bamboo slip and wrote a few lines on it. After the ink dried and disappeared, she used light ink to inscribe a sentence: “The fragrance of rice dumplings, hoping for your return.”
“Wenjun.” Li Yanyi gestured for Zhen Wenjun to come forward and asked, “Can you change handwriting?”
Since Zhen Wenjun saved her and Zhangsun Yao, Li Yanyi truly noticed this young lady. After talking with her overnight, she discovered that this person is indeed a rare talent. Wei Tingxu back then did not boast, and was even a bit modest.
She knew that not only Lin Quan, but her capable ministers were also poisoned—out of ten, seven died, and the other three luckily escaped disaster. On the day when Lin Quan was poisoned, the kitchen also prepared lunch for the strategists, a total of eight hundred and sixty strategists. All who ate died, and the remaining over a hundred were either out on business or missed the meal time, luckily escaping disaster.
This is Xie Fuchen’s insane revenge. Wei Lun was right; once Xie Fuchen returned to Runing, even the most solid victories could potentially be reversed by him. It is said that Xie Fuchen somehow found a peerless expert, a wanderer who, in one night, broke into seven heavily guarded residences. The wives and concubines were still sleeping beside their husbands, and upon waking the next day, found their partner’s head missing. Not a single guard or servant in the residence saw anything, and the level of horror was like that of a ghost.
This time, Xie Fuchen’s return caused panic throughout the entire Runing court, or more specifically, unease among Li Yanyi’s supporters. They all feared Vice Minister Xie’s reckless attacks, unsure if they would be the next to die.
In recent days, there were noticeably fewer people in Li Yanyi’s residence, with many of her long-time retainers and strategists fleeing. At present, it is a time of need, and even though Zhen Wenjun is very young and many of her ideas are temporarily immature, Li Yanyi can only employ her to try.
This time, Zhen Wenjun truly came to Li Yanyi’s side, beginning to help her gather intelligence. And Hong Ai’s death was the first news she promptly investigated and reported back.
When asked if she could change handwriting, Zhen Wenjun felt slightly guilty, recalling the day she imitated Wei Tingxu’s handwriting.
Nodding in agreement, Li Yanyi smiled with satisfaction and said, “Very good. Take this letter and copy it ten times in different handwriting, then send them out in ten directions simultaneously. Send the real one out tomorrow night. Do you remember?”
Zhen Wenjun took the bamboo slip and replied, “Understood.”
“For the next few days, closely watch the Court of Judicial Office (Ministry of Justice) for me. Once Guan Xun leaves the Court of Judicial Office for the Forbidden Garden, report back to me immediately. Also, send someone to the Geng Mansion and invite my uncle to come over.”
“Understood!”
While Li Yanyi’s secret letter flew out like a migratory bird under the cover of night, on the other side, the Court of Judicial Office’s Guan Xun hurriedly carried the blood letter to meet the Emperor. As Guan Xun’s carriage reached the palace gate, countless pairs of eyes that had been watching him silently dispersed, disappearing into the night of Runing.
Li Yanyi’s uncle, Geng Bai, was already fifty-seven years old. A few years ago, he retired from the court and simply stayed at home, planting flowers, tending plants, teasing cats, and raising birds.
A few days ago, someone sent him two peacocks, one blue and one green, which he raised alongside a white crane, creating a very pleasing sight. These days, with nothing else to do, he remained in the Fengniao Courtyard, feeding these two peacocks. When he heard a servant report that the Eldest Princess’s carriage was waiting at the door, he scattered a handful of bean cakes he was using to feed the birds, wiped his hands, and walked out slowly.
According to regulations, the Eldest Princess’s carriage should be drawn by four uniformly colored red horses, with the carriage width not exceeding one zhang, and the canopy and banners using red and white colors. The carriage shaft and flagpole should be carved with peacocks. However, at this moment, the carriage Li Yanyi sent used six glossy, well-proportioned imperial horses that were entirely black without a single stray hair. The carriage’s width exceeded one zhang, and the carriage shaft and flagpole had the peacock changed to a qilin. The canopy and banners used black and red colors, which only the Emperor could use. Geng Bai glanced at the carriage with the large “Li” character prominently displayed, did not get on, and instructed his servant to prepare his own carriage. He hung a larger wooden plaque in the most conspicuous place, with the character “Geng” written in gold paint.
The servant, puzzled, asked, “Master Geng, why not ride the carriage arranged by the Eldest Princess? Isn’t it disrespectful?”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Geng Bai got on his own carriage, closed his eyes to rest, and did not speak.
Upon arriving at Huaichen Mansion, Li Yanyi personally came out to greet him and saw that Geng Bai did not take the carriage she had arranged. She asked, “Uncle, why did you drive yourself here?”
Geng Bai said, “Your Highness brought me here for the matter of Hong Ai’s suicide, correct? Come, let’s go inside and talk.”
Once inside the study, Li Yanyi dismissed the attendants and said, “Uncle, in your opinion, is there a trap in this matter?”
Geng Bai said, “Your Highness, did you send someone to investigate whether Hong Ai left anything before his death?”
Li Yanyi shook her head: “The group at the Court of Judicial Office keeps their mouths shut tight, only saying what can be said and not a word more. I only found out that Hong Ai saw Xie Fuchen before his death, and I guess it was to abandon the small to protect the big. I fear that with Lin Quan just dead and Zuo Xu not yet rescued, if Hong Ai bites us again before his death, it could be troublesome. Just now, the guards reported that Guan Xun went to meet Li Ju. I think Hong Ai must have left something crucial.”
Geng Bai, stroking his gray beard, said: “With Zuo Xu imprisoned, the position of Shangshu Ling is vacant, and the Emperor has already appointed Xie Fuchen as Grand Marshal. Now, Xie Fuchen holds two key positions: Grand Marshal and Imperial Censor Vice Minister. The position of Shangshu Ling might be handed to Xie Fuchen’s old subordinate, Yan Zhen. Based on my understanding of Xie Fuchen, giving up their hard-protected Hong Ai at this time must be for a significant reason; biting back… is not impossible.”
Geng Bai’s words sent a chill through Li Yanyi’s heart.
“Moreover, heavy rain is about to fall in Runing. In a famine year, sudden heavy rain symbolizes an auspicious sign, which is very beneficial to Li Ju and represents a great opportunity for him to strike back. Your Highness should immediately infiltrate the Forbidden Garden. I fear that tomorrow’s morning court may change, and besides Your Highness, no one can stop the alliance of Xie Fuchen and Li Ju. Your Highness needs to prepare in advance; otherwise, once the situation changes, there may no longer be an opportunity to enter.”
Li Yanyi suddenly understood: “No wonder uncle wasn’t willing to ride my carriage, so that’s it.”
Li Yanyi called someone to change her clothes, donned a servant’s attire, and together with Geng Bai, got on the Geng family’s carriage, taking advantage of the night to head to the Forbidden Garden.