Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 103 Where is the sword?! Where is my sword?
"???"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, a loud "bang" was heard. Zhu Houcong slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his eyes wide open as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

I summoned this scoundrel to the palace to investigate the case for me, and this scoundrel who's emitting blue smoke is spouting such treasonous nonsense!
Was it my fault that I was assassinated by a traitor?!

"Pfft!"

Then came another loud bang, as Huang Jin's Iron Knee Skill once again unleashed its power, actually chiseling a crack into a piece of Beijing brick beneath his feet.

He never expected that Yan Maoqing would have such a unique way of thinking.

The emperor ordered him to investigate a major assassination case, but instead of accepting the order and expressing his gratitude, he changed the subject and implicated the emperor in the incident.

Could this be his conclusion? That the emperor himself assassinated him?!

"!!!"

Fortunately, Lu Bing was already kneeling on the ground and didn't get up, so he didn't have to hurt himself like Huang Jin did.

However, as his body stiffened, he quickly lowered his head even further, pressing his forehead tightly against the ground.

Even if someone has connections to the highest levels, this isn't how things are supposed to go, is it?
Isn't this person afraid that he might accidentally cause the sky to collapse, and the first person to be crushed is this towering giant himself?!

"..."

Tao Zhongwen was embarrassed again, unsure whether he should abandon his airs of superiority and kneel down immediately.

However, after Yan Maoqing's actions, he realized that he might have made another serious misjudgment.

Because Yan Maoqing didn't need him to be so determined and risk his life; all he needed to do was give him more opportunities to meet the Emperor, and this fool would be able to ruin himself...

"Father, please forgive me!"

Yan Maoqing was also startled by the sudden loud noise. While thinking to himself, "Teacher Huang! Don't do this, Teacher Huang!", he knelt down in a gesture of trepidation, but his mouth never stopped moving.
“Since Your Majesty has ordered me to investigate this case, although I am mediocre and incompetent, I dare not fail to think carefully and thoroughly investigate the cause and effect.”

"It is precisely because I have put my heart into this matter that I was able to think of it. And for the sake of the safety of my sovereign, I have no choice but to report the truth."

"I have heard that when Emperor Taizu was alive, he once issued an edict to reprimand and admonish the Prince of Jin for whipping his cook."

"In my humble opinion, these palace maids are like cooks who have been whipped by the Prince of Jin. If the Emperor and Father cannot treat them well, that's one thing, but if they also condone the alchemists and sorcerers to cruelly mutilate the palace maids for use as ingredients in alchemy, it's as if countless sharp blades are hidden in the palace. If these palace maids did not attempt an assassination today, I'm afraid other palace maids will attempt one tomorrow."

"The health and safety of the emperor and father are crucial to the well-being of the nation and its people."

"Since I am fully aware of the causes and consequences, how dare I remain silent?"

"If we remain silent and tolerate this, we will fail the emperor's grace and be ashamed of our salaries!"

"Such a person who holds a position without doing his job, why not retire and return to his hometown, so as not to waste public funds and burden the common people!"

Another retirement and return to one's hometown?

Amidst his fear, Huang Jin couldn't help but feel a strange sense of confusion.

His memory was pretty good. If he remembered correctly, Yan Maoqing seemed to have said those four words several times when he met the emperor, as if they were some kind of inescapable catchphrase.

But this guy is far too optimistic. Does he think retiring and returning to his hometown is such an easy thing?
"Where is my sword?! Where is my sword?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong became even more enraged. His heavy breathing resembled that of an angry bull. He paced back and forth, his feet stomping heavily on the ground, his bloodshot eyes searching around.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I'm afraid that once this opportunity is missed, it may never come again...

Tao Zhongwen's mind raced upon seeing this.

Although he felt that Yan Maoqing would eventually ruin himself, he thought that Zhu Houcong's recent changes were becoming more and more significant, and that he was being questioned more and more, even going to the morning court instead of participating in the religious ceremonies.

Tao Zhongwen insisted that they must not be lenient and give Yan Maoqing any more chances, otherwise, by the time Yan Maoqing had ruined himself, Tao Zhongwen would likely be the first to die without a burial place. Especially seeing the blood-stained short sword right beside him, yet Zhu Houcong ignoring it and searching for the sword elsewhere.

Tao Zhongwen could not help but suspect that Yan Maoqing had already had a great influence on Zhu Houcong, and that even now he was not truly sincere in killing him!
This is the most dangerous signal for him.

In this situation, even if Yan Maoqing were to live one more day and say one more word to Zhu Houcong, it would be an extreme disrespect for his own life and property!

In a moment of anger, Tao Zhongwen finally couldn't hold back and bowed to Zhu Houcong, who was still furious, and whispered:

"Your Majesty, the matter of the medicinal ingredient is of utmost importance. If it were to be leaked, it might invite criticism from the Emperor..."

"!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong suddenly stopped, the anger on his face vanished, and he seemed to calm down instantly, his expression as cold as ice.

"?!"

Yan Maoqing was also taken aback.

Zhu Houcong is not only incompetent but also extremely concerned about his reputation. Tao Zhongwen is trying to instigate him to silence me. How could he be so malicious?!
This tangible malice immediately sent a chill down Yan Maoqing's spine.

He only wanted to retire and return to his hometown, not die in the capital. He absolutely could not sit idly by and wait to die at this moment... Wait!
What does "if it is leaked" mean?
Is it possible that the outside world doesn't know much about the fact that palace maids were used as ingredients in alchemy?
It seems that's really the case!

Later official histories of the Ming Dynasty only stated that Zhu Houcong was "of a strange nature and treated palace women unpredictably, causing them to fear," without directly mentioning the practice of using palace women's skin as an ingredient in alchemy.

Even the story of Zhu Houcong collecting menstrual blood from palace women to refine red lead only appears in unofficial histories like the Annals of King Jungjong of Joseon, and it doesn't directly mention the use of menstrual blood from palace women as a raw material for alchemy. Moreover, the recorded time is more than ten years later than the present...

If we think about it more carefully on this basis...

Tao Zhongwen's words suddenly made sense. Even if someone like Zhu Houcong tacitly approved of such a thing, he would definitely be very careful and would never leak a word of it to the outside world!
Otherwise, why would Tao Zhongwen have instigated Zhu Houcong to silence him?
This is precisely why, since his transmigration, he had only heard of Zhu Houcong's obsession with metaphysics in the court and among the common people, but had never heard of him cutting off the bodies of palace maids to use as a catalyst for alchemy.

Because this was a secret that Zhu Houcong absolutely forbade to be revealed, probably few people in the court and the public knew about it, otherwise why wouldn't those court officials have taken advantage of it?
Even the palace maids might not have known the truth before seeing that yellowed page. They only knew that a few palace maids had been inexplicably punished and disappeared forever, and they had vague guesses in their hearts but dared not speak out...

next moment.

"Father, the traitor has shown himself!"

Yan Maoqing immediately leaped up, pointed at Tao Zhongwen's nose, and roared.

"The traitor must be among those who used palace maids as ingredients in alchemy or who already knew about this. Father, you don't even need to investigate. Just kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free, and you will surely be able to eliminate the traitor!"

"Your Majesty, there is no need for pity or mercy. Those who practice alchemy and elixirs violate human ethics and defy the laws of Heaven. If there were a way to ascend to immortality through this, wouldn't Heaven have already ceased to exist?"

"These people must be the calamities and trials that Heaven has set up for the sovereign, a test of his virtue by creating inner demons, which is why he is facing this calamity today!"

"Their father and father have suffered terribly!"

Of course, Yan Maoqing could not deduce that Tao Zhongwen was the real mastermind based on this information alone.

It's entirely conceivable that even if this matter were indeed related to Tao Zhongwen, he would have already found a scapegoat for himself and would never have risked his life.

After all, if he didn't even have this level of skill, he wouldn't have been the only Taoist priest in history to be favored for twenty years and ultimately die a peaceful death...

But that's not important!

Because he's now resorting to general attacks across the entire map.

Regardless of whether Tao Zhongwen is involved in this matter, let's drag him in first and avenge the current grievances!

Wasn't it supposed to be a battle of wits?

At the very least, the Emperor and I already share a secret and are bound together by money. If he could silence me, he would have done so long ago. Why would he need such a trivial secret?
And what about you, Tao Zhongwen!

Last time in the West Garden, I already shook your foundation. Now, this secret of the palace maids who cut flowers has become a sharp blade that will only arouse the Emperor's suspicion. What do you still have to rely on, brother?

(End of this chapter)