Mixed in the heavens, merits and virtues become immortals

Chapter 468 It's all for your benefit

Gu Qing arrived at the Ministry of Justice early in the morning, gathered his men, and dug up the body of Princess Pingyang on a desolate mountain at the border of Taikang County and Changle County. At the same time, they also unearthed the secrets of Princess Pingyang's elopement a year ago and the infighting among various forces.

The Sangbo case is now considered closed.

"So you persuaded Heng Hui?"

Wei Yuan already knew the cause of the matter from Xu Qi'an, but he didn't expect Gu Qing and Daoist Jinlian to catch up with him. In just one night, the case became clear.

Even Wei Yuan was surprised by how quickly Gu Qing solved the case.

"It was Heng Hui herself who had the will to resist that hand."

Gu Qing said briefly.

As Wei Yuan listened to Gu Qing's words, he basically filled in the details. Gu Qing's righteous spirit was too upright, while Heng Hui was originally a person with a conscience, but was blinded by hatred. When the two met, Heng Hui's rationality returned.

All this is taken for granted.

"Where is the other hand?"

Wei Yuan asked.

The most crucial element of the entire case is the hand that's suppressing the evil spirits inside the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple. What is its identity, and who released it...?

Perhaps a great disaster was approaching, Wei Yuan felt that more and more variables were appearing in the world, and of course, the biggest variable among them was Gu Qing.

"Ran."

Gu Qing answered directly.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuan nodded, guessing that the hand was at least of the second rank. It was normal that it was able to escape from Gu Qing's grasp, because Gu Qing, in addition to his special righteous energy, also had a pure heart. Most of his strength was in defense, so it was normal that he would be lacking in offense. Moreover, Gu Qing never killed anyone when he made a move.

"The emperor doesn't want to see you, so just wait and see what happens next."

Wei Yuan said.

“But Huaiqing said that if there’s a breakthrough in this case, we should go and talk to her about it.”

Gu Qing displayed Princess Lin'an's waist jade.

You took Princess Lin'an's jade pendant to see Huaiqing? You're really something!

Wei Yuan shook his head and rode in the same carriage with Gu Qing. When they arrived at the palace, the two parted ways. Wei Yuan went to the palace with the Minister of Justice to meet Emperor Yuanjing, while Gu Qing went to the inner palace to see Huaiqing.

Also entering the palace was Prince Yu, the elderly father of Princess Pingyang. After seeing Princess Pingyang's body, he aged more than ten years. He then entered the palace with a letter written in blood, announcing that the case had entered a new phase.

Inside the palace.

Emperor Yuanjing stood with his hands behind his back. After listening to Wei Yuan's report, he thought of Princess Huaiqing's theory on hawk training. He felt that Gu Qing was indeed like the hawk in his hand, accurately catching the rabbit with the same strength.

"Gu Qing is still quite capable."

Emperor Yuanjing said calmly, "Saving the Empress, healing the Consort, and solving the murder case are all extraordinary talents bestowed upon our Great Feng by Heaven. If used well, they can make our Great Feng flourish!" However, how to use these people and how to use them requires careful consideration.

"As for Pingyang..."

Emperor Yuanjing held Prince Yu's blood-written letter, his eyes cold and menacing.

Wei Yuan did not participate in the subsequent legal punishments, but instead headed towards the inner palace.

This place was not supposed to be entered without permission, but Wei Yuan was a eunuch with a high position and great power. After a brief announcement outside the palace, Wei Yuan was able to enter the inner palace and see the Empress, whom he had been longing for day and night.

The Empress was round and dignified, sitting upright. After Wei Yuan arrived, her smile was reserved, but her gaze was fixed on Wei Yuan. This face had been etched in her mind a thousand times, but now, upon closer inspection, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

"I heard that Gu Qing is treating the Empress in the inner palace."

Feeling the Empress's scrutiny, Wei Yuan, fearing he couldn't bear the weight of her affection, lowered his head first, avoiding her gaze.

"Already healed."

The Empress spoke, her mind drifting back to the time when Gu Qing shook her hand, and her soul seemed to soar to the heavens, traversing the past and present, merging with all things and detaching herself from them, appreciating the magnificence of the world and the coldness of time…

The Empress looked at Wei Yuan and suddenly asked, "Did you not know that I was ill, Lord Wei?"

Wei Yuan hesitated slightly. He had planted spies in the palace, but Emperor Yuanjing had eliminated them all. Wei Yuan did not want the Empress to know about this deep-seated struggle, so he said, "I have been busy with official duties lately and did not know that the Empress was ill."

Everyone's busy with official duties, it's good to be busy.

A hint of weariness flickered in the Empress's eyes, and she unusually inquired, "What have you been busy with?"

The empress is in a bad mood today.

Wei Yuan thought to himself, then considered recent events and said, "Regarding the Sangbo case, the night watchmen also need to assist in the investigation. Fortunately, Gu Qing has already solved the case, and Princess Huaiqing is currently summoning him. For details, Your Majesty can ask Princess Huaiqing." Wei Yuan did not want the conflict to disturb the Empress's peace.

Gu Qing?

The Empress glanced around and said, "I'll go see Huaiqing."

Wei Yuan nodded in agreement, knowing that the Empress was in a bad mood. He sighed silently, then saw the Empress off to her sedan chair. As he left the palace, Wei Yuan encountered Emperor Yuanjing again.

Emperor Yuanjing, dressed in imperial robes, possessed an otherworldly demeanor. This high-ranking emperor resembled a Taoist recluse. Upon seeing him, Wei Yuan gave a slight bow.

“Killing members of the royal family is punishable by the extermination of their entire clan.”

Emperor Yuanjing said in a cold voice, "The entire family of the Earl of Pingyuan has been wiped out, but three clans have not been killed. In addition, there is Zhang Feng of the Ministry of War and Sun Mingzhong, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. Since they have committed crimes, their three clans will not escape punishment."

Wei Yuan sighed inwardly: The Liang faction is finished.

There is factional strife in the imperial court, and the ultimate outcome of the Sangbo case is factional strife. The killing of the father's three clans, mother's three clans, and wife's three clans, with heads rolling, will also reshuffle the power structure in the imperial court.

After Emperor Yuanjing announced the results, he looked at Wei Yuan and suddenly asked, "How is the Empress?"

"The Empress is much better now."

Wei Yuan replied.

Emperor Yuanjing's eyes flickered slightly, and he said softly, "The Empress treats Gu Qing with special regard."

Wei Yuan nodded in agreement. It was common knowledge that Princess Huaiqing had feelings for Gu Qing, and Gu Qing was indeed special. If the two of them were together, it would be a good thing. As for the Empress, she had no problem keeping an eye on her son-in-law. Just now, the Empress went to see Gu Qing.

Wei Yuan personally escorted the Empress's sedan chair.

Princess Huaiqing's elegant garden.

Gu Qing sat here. To her left was Princess Huaiqing, dressed in a white palace dress, with a cool and beautiful demeanor. To her right was Princess Lin'an, dressed in a pink palace dress, with a charming and beautiful appearance. Her eyes were shallow, and after hearing about the murder of Princess Pingyang, she couldn't help but sob.

“Pingyang…”

Amidst Princess Lin'an's soft sobs, she leaned closer to Gu Qing's embrace. She could already smell Gu Qing's scent, but then she felt her head being lifted. She widened her eyes and turned to look, only to see Princess Huaiqing shamelessly snuggling into Gu Qing's arms and even pushing her away.

Go cry somewhere else.

Princess Huaiqing's eyes held a hidden sorrow, but she refused to yield an inch in Gu Qing's embrace. "Huaiqing!"

Princess Lin'an suddenly sprang to her senses, but was easily subdued by Huaiqing, who then slapped her buttocks several times.

Gu Qing sat quietly, letting the two princesses wrestle in his arms...

Just as they were feeling wronged and about to complain to their mother, the Empress arrived first and shooed both Princess Huaiqing and Princess Lin'an aside. This strange attitude made Lin'an and Huaiqing exchange puzzled glances. A moment later, Consort Chen also arrived and once again shooed Huaiqing and Lin'an aside.

"Gu Qing."

Consort Chen said in a soft voice, "I saw the painting you made for Lin'an, and I would like you to paint one for me as well."

"Gu Qing, I want to hear your story."

The Empress smiled gently and said, "Let's talk about it in private."

Consort Chen and the Empress exchanged glances. This harem, which had been lonely for many years, now seemed to be on the verge of war.

Princess Lin'an, being innocent and naive, saw this scene and angrily wrinkled her nose at Huaiqing, saying, "You dare to compete with me? Even my mother has intervened!"

Huaiqing looked around, but sensed something was amiss.

"Gu Qing!"

Huaiqing bypassed the Empress and Consort Chen, pulled Gu Qing up directly, and said, "You said before that you would take me to see Pingyang, don't forget." With that, he was about to take Gu Qing away.

"Huaiqing, don't even think about it!"

Princess Lin'an clung tightly to Gu Qing's sleeve, but Princess Huaiqing paid no heed and dragged both Gu Qing and Lin'an out of the palace.

After Princess Pingyang's body was identified and placed in a coffin, Huaiqing and Lin'an were naturally not allowed to see it. However, after walking around the mourning hall, the two thought of their relatives and friends of many years who had passed away in this way, and they still felt a pang of sadness.

"Why can't lovers in this world be together as a couple?"

Princess Lin'an sobbed, saying, "Pingyang has fallen in love with someone, why does she have to suffer like this?" Princess Lin'an was crying so hard that she couldn't be comforted for a while. Princess Huaiqing walked around the mourning hall, also feeling sad. When she saw Princess Lin'an rush into Gu Qing's arms, she let Gu Qing comfort Lin'an and stood quietly to the side.

Gu Qing gently patted Lin'an, looked into his stunningly beautiful eyes, and said, "How about we help a couple get married today?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Lin'an immediately became interested. Wiping away her tears, she looked at Gu Qing with delight and said, "Really?"

"real!"

Gu Qing nodded. "Since you're unhappy, I'll take you to find some happiness."

As for the person he was looking for amusement with, that would naturally be Xu Qi'an.

"But I need some money."

Gu Qing said to Huaiqing and Lin'an.

Jiaofang Division.

Xu Qi'an came to his loyal brothel again, but today he didn't go to see Fu Xiang, whom he knew best. Instead, he planned to play with other courtesans. However, after Fu Xiang got the news, she still came over.

"Mandarin ducks swim in pairs, butterflies fly in pairs, the garden is full of spring colors that intoxicate the heart. Quietly ask the holy monk, is the daughter beautiful? Is the daughter beautiful?"

"What do I care about royal power and wealth? What do I fear about rules and regulations? I only wish for eternity, to be with my beloved forever..."

Xu Qi'an drank a bit too much and thought about the conclusion of the Pingyang Princess case. Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn't help but hum softly. At the same time, he hugged and cuddled with Fu Xiang and the newly summoned Ming Yan. This atmosphere reminded him of when he sang in a karaoke bar in his previous life.

"Come on, have a drink!"

Mingyan served Xu Qi'an some wine.

Xu Qi'an happily downed his drink. At that moment, a chorus of voices rang out outside the reception hall as numerous courtesans rushed in, drawn by Xu Qi'an's poetic talent, hoping to get close to him and obtain a few lines of poetry.

"Good, good, good!"

Xu Qi'an welcomed all the courtesans, leading them in playing games. His hands were never idle; after drinking a little wine, his interest was already at its peak.

"Please stay here, female guests are not allowed in this place!"

"Shut up, I'm here to find someone!"

"The gentleman you're looking for isn't here. You've come to the wrong place..."

A shout came from outside the courtyard. Xu Qi'an was in high spirits when he heard the commotion outside. He listened carefully and thought it was a lady coming to catch her husband in the act of adultery. He even remarked on how beautiful the young lady's voice was. Suddenly, the reception hall door was opened with a bang.

"I told you Ning Yan was here!"

Gu Qing's voice came through, immediately throwing a bucket of cold water on Xu Qi'an. This voice was too intimidating for Xu Qi'an; as soon as he heard Gu Qing's voice, Xu Qi'an felt unlucky.

Surrounded by numerous courtesans, Xu Qi'an saw Gu Qing, and also saw two beautiful women standing beside Gu Qing. One was the eldest princess who had tried to curry favor with him at Yunlu Academy, and the other was Princess Lin'an who had once asked him to be her ghostwriter.

Both were stunningly beautiful, and now, as they stood around Gu Qing, their eyes held a hint of disdain when they looked at Xu Qi'an.

Surrounded by numerous courtesans, his unrestrained and dissolute side was witnessed by the princesses.

What should we do in this situation?

Xu Qi'an was racking his brains.

Let's recite a poem by Liu Yong, "Crane Soaring to the Sky: On the Golden List".

Gu Qing was full of anticipation, but Xu Qi'an's mind was focused on catching monsters. After thinking it over and over again, he finally kept his eyes on Gu Qing.

Ultimately, this whole thing was done without any sense of reason!
"What are you doing here?"

Xu Qi'an asked, explaining that he came to this place to catch monsters. He had previously noticed demonic energy in the area and discovered that the Sangbo case involved demons. Although the major case had been settled by Gu Qing, Xu Qi'an wanted to add something to prove that he wasn't just a passive recipient of victory.

"We've come to give you money."

Gu Qing took a bag of gold and handed it to Xu Qi'an in front of the many courtesans, saying, "Ning Yan, we have all heard about your story with Fu Xiang. As a man, the most important thing is to be responsible. We know you don't have much money, so we're giving you this money to redeem Fu Xiang."

The money was all handed over to Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an looked at the many courtesans around him, and then at Fu Xiang, who was already in tears, and felt that the "priceless treasure" in his hand was incredibly heavy.

"what do you mean?"

Xu Qi'an asked, "Isn't handing this money to me like treating me like a Japanese soldier?"

If he were to actually redeem a courtesan and marry her, wouldn't the time traveler have no shame?

"I'll grant your wish!"

Gu Qing patted Xu Qi'an on the shoulder.

(End of this chapter)