Eagle-eyed and wolf-watching

Chapter 1683 A lone rider in the dust, the emperor laughs; no one knows it's a prawn arriving!

One hundred miles south of Yijing, Zhao Family Town

As Yijing gradually developed into the most important economic and political center in the north, more and more people from Shandong, Hebei, and Henan flocked to Yijing. Zhaojia Town, a small town with only a little over a hundred households, also became an important transportation hub for people heading to Yijing.

At this moment, in the lobby of Xinglong Inn, the largest inn in Zhao Family Town...
Ye Mingsheng, dressed in casual clothes, was having a meal with Jing Ren, Zhang Hu, and more than ten other guards who were also dressed in casual clothes.

Two days ago, Ye Mingsheng officially began his inspection. Although Ye Mingsheng planned to bring only a few hundred people, traveling light and saving a lot of expenses, An Miaoyi believed that since the country had just been settled, it was still necessary to be cautious.

So, under An Miaoyi's strong persuasion, Ye Mingsheng finally brought five hundred Imperial Guards and three thousand elite soldiers from Liangzhen Camp.

While bringing so many people ensured safety, it also made them too conspicuous and unsuitable for Ye Mingsheng's inspection. Therefore, Ye Mingsheng ordered the commander in charge, Wei Qiaoshan, to lead the main force behind, while Ye Mingsheng himself led Jing Ren, Zhang Hu, and other personal guards ahead.

Because they had stayed in the wild the night before and ate only dry rations, the group still enjoyed the simple food offered by the inn, which consisted of boiled mutton and some stewed vegetables.

Just as Ye Mingsheng finished eating and sat down watching his son wolf down his food, finding it somewhat amusing, the conversation of several scholars at the next table caught his attention…

"Do you know what it means for a rider to gallop through the dust and the emperor to laugh, when no one knows it's just a prawn arriving!"

"What emperor's smile, prawns arrive! It's a concubine's smile as a rider raises dust, but no one knows it's lychees that have arrived! That's a line from a poem by Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Of course I know the story of 'A rider gallops through the dust, the imperial concubine smiles, but no one knows it's lychees that have arrived!' But that was the Tang Dynasty. We are now in the Great Qian Dynasty. In the Great Qian Dynasty, it's 'A rider gallops through the dust, the emperor smiles, but no one knows it's prawns that have arrived!'"

"What is this statement?"

"You don't know, our Emperor loves to eat shrimp, especially fresh, big shrimp. Do you see this palm of mine? It's as long as my hand. His Majesty can eat a dozen or twenty shrimp in one sitting. He likes boiled, braised, and sweet and sour shrimp!"

"It is said that the Inner Court spent a lot of money to have a fleet of ships in Tianjin to catch prawns for His Majesty, and they would go out to sea as long as the weather permits to catch the freshest prawns for His Majesty!"

"In order to keep the shrimp fresh, they would have a special team of horses transport the shrimp from Tianjin to Yijing at top speed after they were caught, without daring to stop for a moment!"

“We have to queue up properly to enter Yijing City, and it takes at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before we can get in. But these prawns are different!”

"Once the caravan carrying the prawns arrives, as long as they show their sign, the patrol battalion won't dare to stop them, for fear that if they do, our Emperor won't be able to enjoy those fresh prawns!"

"Hahaha! Hahaha..."

The people at the next table were laughing happily, but everyone at Ye Mingsheng's table stopped what they were doing without prior arrangement. Zhang Hu and the other guards looked at each other and then lowered their heads cautiously, not daring to make any move.

Jing Ren looked at Ye Mingsheng, whose expression was somewhat subtle. The young people at the next table were unaware that the person they were talking about was sitting right next to them, and continued to chat amongst themselves.

"I've heard that besides prawns, His Majesty is also very particular about his daily water supply. It's said that there are seventy-two wells in the palace, enough to meet the daily needs of thousands of people, but His Majesty has never drunk a single drop of water from the palace!"

"Brother, why is that?"

"Hehe, although the palace may seem unapproachable and peaceful, it is actually a place of fierce competition and deceit, even more so than the imperial court!"

"Within this deep palace, murder can be committed without shedding blood!"

"Killing without shedding blood? So all of them are suicides?"

"Suicide by hanging is one of them. There are basically three ways to kill people in the palace: first, suicide by hanging; second, poisoning; and third, falling into a well!"

"Who knows how many people have lain in the wells of this palace? How can Your Majesty, a person of noble birth, drink water from there?"

"In fact, not only His Majesty doesn't drink the palace well water, but neither does the Empress Dowager, the Empress, or the various concubines. Only the palace maids and eunuchs drink the palace well water!"

"I see, I see. That does sound creepy. I've seen people who have fallen into wells, and they look absolutely terrifying. After seeing that, I couldn't eat for days..."

Upon hearing these words, Jingren quietly asked his father beside him:
"Father, has anyone really died in the well in the palace?"

Faced with this question, Ye Mingsheng hesitated. To be honest, An Miaoyi managed the palace very well, so Ye Mingsheng basically didn't care about or pay attention to the daily life of the palace.

Therefore, Ye Mingsheng was not entirely sure whether anyone had died in the palace well!
Although Ye Mingsheng was not clear about the issue, based on his experience, he felt that the young man who had just said that was probably right!

People must have died in these wells in the palace, but Ye Mingsheng felt that there weren't too many problematic wells!
After all, An Miaoyi managed the palace in a relatively orderly manner. Even when punishing palace maids and eunuchs, she mainly used the Inner Court to carry out the punishments and rarely punished them in private. Moreover, compared to pushing people into wells, An Miaoyi preferred to use poison, just like when she poisoned Jiang Cong!
Previously, the inner guards had reported to Ye Mingsheng that An Miaoyi had secretly recruited a poison master nicknamed "Hundred Poisons Scholar." This person's methods were said to be extremely skillful, and the poisons he used were colorless and odorless, sending you to your death without you even realizing it.

Thinking of this, Ye Mingsheng patted Jingren's head and explained:
"It's just a few wells; accidents like this are rare..."

Hearing his father say this, Jingren seemed somewhat relieved. Just then, one of the scholars at the next table asked again:
"If these nobles in the palace don't drink the well water in the palace, where do they drink the water? They can't just stop drinking water altogether, can they?"

"Of course, we need to drink water, but it's spring water from Xuanqing Mountain outside the city. The well water from Xuanqing Mountain is the sweetest and clearest, and can be said to be the best water. Every day, dozens of water carts travel back and forth between Yijing City and Xuanqing Mountain to transport water for these high-ranking officials and nobles!"

"The Empress Dowager, the Empress, all the princes, princesses, and even the various concubines all drink and use water from the wells of Xuanqing Mountain on a daily basis."

"From what you're saying, His Majesty isn't drinking or using well water from Xuanqing Mountain?"

"Hehe, the spring water of Xuanqing Mountain is good, but it's only a good quality water, not the best quality water!"

"Oh? If the spring water in Xuanqing Mountain isn't top-quality, then where is the best water?"

"Have any of you heard of Baitou Mountain in Liaoyang?" "Baitou Mountain? I've heard of that place. It's located on the border between my Great Qian and the capital. I've heard that it's a very primitive place, and there's a Heavenly Pool on the mountaintop. It's said that there are dragons in that Heavenly Pool!"

"You're right. Our Emperor started his rebellion in Liaoyang, which is the place where His Majesty rose to power. I've heard that the reason His Majesty was able to become so wise and powerful in just a few years, leading the Fengwu Army to seize the country and sweep across the world, is because he has been drinking the spring water from Baitou Mountain for a long time!"

"The spring water from Mount Baekdu is absolutely the finest water; long-term consumption can make one immune to all poisons, prevent all diseases, and prolong life..."

Perhaps the young man had exaggerated a bit, because his classmates exchanged bewildered glances, unsure whether to believe him. After a few seconds of silence, someone spoke up again:
"Brother Zhang, how do you know so much?"

When asked by those around him, Mr. Zhang did not answer immediately, but instead pretended to take a sip of his wine glass.

Upon seeing this, someone urged:
"Brother Zhang, now that we've reached a crucial point, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly how you know so many secrets of the imperial palace?"

"Yes! Brother Zhang, please tell us quickly, we're all itching to know!"

Urged on by the crowd, the young man addressed as Brother Zhang spoke somewhat mysteriously:

“I have a friend who has a younger sister. His family is not well-off, so a few years ago they sent his sister to work in the palace. She happens to be in charge of connecting with the spring water from Baekdu Mountain!”

"According to him, our Emperor drinks tea brewed with spring water from Mount Paektu every day. For this reason, just like the shrimp, there is a special caravan that travels between Liaoyang and Yijing every day to transport water for His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this revelation, the scholars next door also began to discuss it enthusiastically.

Jingren looked at Ye Mingsheng with curiosity once again.

Seeing his expression, Ye Mingsheng knew what his son was thinking without even asking, and simply said:

"When we return to the palace after our inspection, Jingren, if you'd like some, you can have a taste!"

Ye Mingsheng thought his answer was enough for Jingren to understand the truth, but Jingren still couldn't help but ask:

"Father, can the spring water of Mount Baekdu really make people immune to all poisons, prevent all diseases, and prolong their lives?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng shook his head and asked in return:
"Jingren, that's just spring water. Do you think it's Laozi's elixir of immortality?"

"Then why did you specifically transport water from Liaoyang to drink? The spring water from Xuanqing Mountain is also very delicious!"

Hearing his son's question, Ye Mingsheng replied with some helplessness:

"Back in Liaoyang, there was Xuanqing Mountain, so I drank water from Baitou Mountain. I got used to drinking Baitou Mountain spring water and kept drinking it. The idea that it made me immune to all poisons, prevented all diseases, and prolonged my life is pure nonsense..."

Hearing Ye Mingsheng say this, Jingren looked very disappointed, but he quickly thought of a new question and asked:

"Father, what's the difference between the spring water of Xuanqing Mountain and Baitou Mountain?"

Jingren's question stumped Ye Mingsheng. To be honest, Ye Mingsheng had drunk from both springs, but he had never really distinguished the difference between them.

After thinking it over carefully, Ye Mingsheng said:

"The spring water from Baekdu Mountain might be a bit clearer. If you're interested, Jingren, you can taste it carefully when we get back!"

Hearing his father say this, Jingren nodded, his expression seemingly expectant.

Just then, a worried voice came from the next table.

"Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was a wise ruler in his early years, with many great achievements, creating the Kaiyuan era of prosperity in the Tang Dynasty. However, he later trusted treacherous ministers such as Yang Guozhong and An Lushan, who single-handedly destroyed the prosperous era he had created!"

"The saying 'A rider gallops through the dust, bringing smiles to the imperial concubine's face; none know it's lychees arriving' originates from this story. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, spared no expense in wasting manpower and resources just to enjoy fresh lychees with Yang Guifei. Such extravagance is truly regrettable..."

"Our current Emperor Qianlong, although not born into nobility like Li Longji, is even somewhat unorthodox, disregarding the words of sages and instead advocating those strange and ingenious skills!"

"But with the help of ministers like Minister Cui and Governor Murong, who are good at consolidating power, the country has gradually stabilized, and the people have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I'm really afraid that His Majesty will act recklessly like Li Longji in the future!"

These words immediately resonated with those around him.

"Brother, you're right. The current emperor blindly promotes those strange and ingenious skills, ignoring the wise teachings of the sages. Even if he achieves some success in the short term, it's nothing more than losing the watermelon to pick up a sesame seed!"

Upon hearing this person's words, Ye Mingsheng couldn't help but chuckle.

Upon hearing Ye Mingsheng's laughter, the scholars at the next table immediately turned to look at him. The one in the lead was a tall, imposing man who seemed to want to say something to Ye Mingsheng.

However, before this person could speak, Zhang Hu and the others all looked at him. Under their gazes, the man looked somewhat fearful. At this moment, his companions realized that Ye Mingsheng and his group were not to be trifled with, and they immediately tugged at the tall man.

With his companion offering a way out, the tall man immediately accepted and sat back down. A moment later, they paid the bill and left.

Seeing this, Zhang Hu also looked at Ye Mingsheng, seemingly asking if Ye Mingsheng wanted to teach them a lesson. Ye Mingsheng smiled and waved his hand.

At this moment, Jingren couldn't help but say:
"Your father and his ilk spoke of you like that, even comparing you to Li Longji. Why don't you punish them...?"