Dugong

Chapter 30: Manipulating the Dragon Heir
Eunuch Sun raised his eyelids, and Li Ping'an understood and closed the door.

"If the person in Zhaoyang Palace knew what we did behind the scenes, we would die a hundred times and there would be no way out for us..."

Li Ping'an's heart tightened, and he wished he could cover his ears and run away using his lightness skills.

Secrets are both a bargaining chip for power and a deadly shackle.

The godfather's willingness to tell secrets was certainly a sign of trust and reliance, but once some things were known, it would cut off Li Ping'an's possibility of finding another way out.

"Back then, I was the head chef in the imperial kitchen. I was best at making a special Xuexia soup, which was highly praised by the nobles in the palace."

Eunuch Sun fell into reminiscence, his voice vague: "Later, Eunuch Liu gave me a prescription and asked me to mix it into the soup. After the success, he promised me to be his godson and to get promoted and make a fortune.

I have been guarding the stove for five years, how could I resist such temptation? So I mixed a few herbs into the Xuexia soup..."

Li Pingan could guess what happened next without having to listen to what happened next. His godfather was promoted to the head of the imperial kitchen, and eunuch Liu was promoted to the commander of the Imperial Kitchen.

"Godfather, what's the use of that recipe?"

Eunuch Sun was silent for a while, then said quietly, "After your Majesty consumes it, the favored woman will not give birth to a dragon heir."

Li Ping'an's face turned pale with horror. This crime was comparable to treason. If he was caught or found out, it would be a death sentence. But then he started to have doubts.

"No, there have been several princes and princesses added to the palace over the years. Could it be that the prescription is ineffective?"

Eunuch Sun shook his head and said, "That prescription is not for Your Majesty, but for Concubine Yuan. Your Majesty does not care if other palaces give birth to a dragon heir."

Li Ping'an suddenly realized that the Shangshenjian was in charge of all the meals in the palace. He only needed to use medicine when the Princess Yuan ate or when the meals were delivered to Zhaoyang Palace, and he could cut off the dragon's heir without anyone noticing.

Moreover, good news often comes from other palaces. Your Majesty will not suspect anything, but will only think that Concubine Yuan is infertile.

Li Pingan asked, "Godfather, is this really the Queen's trick?"

Eunuch Sun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who else in the harem besides the Empress dares to interfere with the Dragon Heir?"

Li Ping'an recalled the queen's kind-hearted appearance. When they occasionally met the phoenix carriage, the queen was not as domineering as other nobles. She would also care about whether the eunuchs and palace maids had enough food and warm clothes.

Unexpectedly, the means of palace fighting were exactly the same. It was not because Concubine Yuan suddenly became pregnant that the harem structure remained as stable as a rock.

Your Majesty doesn't have to do anything, just wait for the prince to ascend the throne and you can win everything.

At that time, she was the Empress Dowager, and she could easily deal with the mere Concubine Yuan. It would have been reasonable to be cruel and ask her to be buried with the late emperor.

Li Pingan frowned and said, "The Princess Yuan has been childless for many years, and now she is suddenly pregnant. Could it be that the prescription has lost its effect?"

"It's not that the prescription is ineffective, but rather that the imperial concubine has become suspicious and no longer uses the food provided by the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor."

Eunuch Sun said, "The Zhang family sent food directly to Zhaoyang Palace through the tribute department. We can't use drugs, so naturally we can't prevent Concubine Yuan from getting pregnant."

Li Pingan suddenly realized, "So Godfather executed Xiao Chengzi because he didn't keep a close eye on the Tribute Department."

Eunuch Sun said bitterly, "That fellow, who is always more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything, accepted several hundred taels of silver from the Zhang family and deliberately concealed it, ruining the Empress's plans!"

Li Ping'an was secretly amazed. Who could have thought that an insignificant eunuch could indirectly affect the harem struggles and the inheritance of the country.

"Godfather, what should we do now?"

Now that he knew the secret of killing nine clans, Li Ping'an had no choice but to stand completely on the Queen's side and go all the way.

Eunuch Sun said, "Little An, don't blame us for dragging you down with us. You got our ancestor's jade ring, but we won't accept your offer if you want to change your family status."

Li Ping'an secretly hated him but appeared respectful and obedient on the surface.

"I am where I am today thanks to my godfather's cultivation and promotion. Even if I die without a complete body, I will never betray my godfather or my queen!"

"Very good, our family was right about you."

Eunuch Sun clapped his hands in praise, then changed the subject: "Xiao Anzi, do you want to be an official?"

Of course!
Li Pingan almost blurted out that he dreamed of becoming an official. He even dreamed of replacing his ancestors and enjoying the worship of dozens of godchildren and grandchildren, including Eunuch Sun. However, he only dreamed secretly and did not dare to speak out his sleep talk.

Li Ping'an suppressed his desire to agree, not knowing whether his godfather was testing him, and spoke after careful consideration.

"Godfather, I am still young and don't know the ropes of being an official. I want to serve you for a few more years."

"You are such a sly fellow!"

Eunuch Sun could guess what his son was thinking and spoke directly.

"Leng has betrayed his loyalty and angered our ancestors, so we have to find an opportunity to strike back and suppress the arrogance of the Zhaoyang Palace. Our godfather has personally promised that whoever can gather evidence that Eunuch Lu must die and cut off the Zhang family's food supply will be able to replace him!"

Li Pingan asked, "Master Lu has taken refuge in Zhaoyang Palace?"

"I don't know."

Eunuch Sun said coldly, "That old fellow is occupying a position but doing his job poorly. If it were earlier, the old ancestor would have dragged him away and beaten him to death with just one word."

The fighting in the palace is fierce now, and the ancestor dare not act rashly, for fear of giving others a handle and losing control of the Shangshenjian.

The Shangshenjian's power was not great, but he could influence many things through food.

What's more, there is a secret of drugging and controlling the dragon heir. Once it is exposed, he can surrender. Not to mention that the ancestor will be sentenced to death, even the queen herself will be in danger.

Li Pingan couldn't help but feel moved: "Godfather, I am willing to share your worries."

Eunuch Sun nodded and said, "If you want to fight, you must investigate as soon as possible. Godfather can't say how many people he has approved."

Li Pingan worriedly asked, "Will someone else take the credit?"

"Other things may happen later. This is something our ancestor ordered personally. It's just an eighth-rank official position. Godfather, there's no need to be partial."

Eunuch Sun reminded him, "But you can't leave out your godfather's share of the money the Tribute Bureau makes!"

"Don't worry, Godfather, our family understands."

Li Pingan bowed and said, "If I can be promoted to the head of the tribute department, I will give 90% of the gold and silver I earn to my godfather."

"Ninety percent is too much. It would be better if we could have fifty percent."

Eunuch Sun laughed strangely and said, "You are filial, but we can't take advantage of you for nothing. Eunuch Lu was born into a branch of a noble family. Even though he became a eunuch, he still dreamed of tracing his ancestral roots."

"Thanks for the tip, godfather."

Li Ping'an showed a look of joy on his face, and he already had a direction to investigate in his mind.

Desire has always been the root of crime. The only way for Eunuch Lu to return to his roots is to use the power in his hands to exchange.

The most taboo for those working in the palace is to have collusion with outsiders, let alone the aristocratic families that Your Majesty is extremely wary of.

As long as he could get evidence of Eunuch Lu's collusion with Lu family officials and report it to the Imperial Household Department, Li Ping'an could expect a promotion.

Of course, the process still needs to be followed, for example, knowing the questions for the written test in advance and all the opponents in the martial arts test are fake.

If there are short-sighted eunuchs fighting for official positions, there is no need for Li Ping'an to compete with them, as the experienced old eunuchs will handle the matter.

After finishing the business, Li Ping'an flattered the emperor a few words and left.

As he stepped out of the door, he heard the sinister voice of Eunuch Sun behind him.

"Xiao Anzi, how does the Jade Pure Land taste? If you want to report someone next time, don't beat around the bush, just tell us directly..."

The night wind blew across the back of Li Ping'an's neck, causing him to shudder.

(End of this chapter)