The news of a strange beast appearing on Mount Weian spread throughout the capital within a day.
The capital had not experienced such an astonishing event in many years, and the young masters and ladies of various mansions were somewhat intrigued, preparing for a warm-up hunt of monsters on Mount Weian before the winter hunt officially began.
Originally, this was just a pastime among the young nobles. However, after the Prefect of the Capital, Wang Sheng, learned of the monster's prowess from Li Gan, he directly submitted a report to the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War dispatched a troop of soldiers to cooperate with Wang Sheng in hunting the monster. With the protection of the soldiers, many civil officials, who were physically weak, also vied to go, eager to catch a glimpse of the monster's appearance firsthand.
The result was deaths.
The legitimate son of the Earl of Wenchang died at the hands of the monster.
It was only then that Ji Hong learned about the monster on Mount Weian.
The death of the Earl's son implicated the Ministry of Rites, the Prefect of the Capital, and the Ministry of War; none could escape responsibility.
…
"The Earl of Wenchang, Zhang Duan, only obtained his noble title through the blessings of his ancestors. He holds an empty title without real power. Originally, he was of little consequence, but the son who died was a student of Grand Tutor Li Chongyao, had just entered the Hanlin Academy this year, and was an official appointed by the court."
"The Earl's son may not be important, but an official appointed by the court—"
Nan Shiying tilted her head, looked at Ji Jinmo, and asked, "Did you really not do this?"
She expressed suspicion, considering that the officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites were loyal supporters of Ji Hong, who were devoted to serving the emperor.
Ji Jinmo paused his hand, which was fiddling with a string of beads. He lifted his eyelids and gave Nan Shiying a casual glance. A dismissive, cold sneer laced his voice as it rumbled from his throat, escaping into the air. His tone was decisive: "No!"
Nan Shiying said "Oh," and tapped her fingers on the table, analyzing to herself, "If it were just an accident, it would be fine. But if it was not an accident... the Earl of Wenchang's son's incident implicated the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Prefect of the Capital. Ji Hong flew into a rage and immediately punished the ministers of both departments, as well as all those involved. From the outside, the only beneficiary of this incident would be you."
"But—
If this matter was not done by you, then the purpose of the mastermind behind it becomes very clear: to deepen the conflict between you and the Emperor, and to accelerate the pace of your falling out. The fundamental reason for doing so is to cause internal strife in the Lin Yuan Kingdom. Once internal strife erupts, it naturally provides an opportunity for others to take advantage of the situation."
"Is it Da Li? After all, the envoy from Da Li is still in the capital, but perhaps..." Nan Shiying suddenly looked up, her slightly furrowed brow revealing a trace of annoyance and frustration: "My lord, are there other hidden forces within Lin Yuan?"
"Forces that wish for Lin Yuan's complete destruction?"
"Xi Liang."
"Hmm?"
"The remnants of Xi Liang."
"The Kingdom of Xi Liang was a small country situated between Lin Yuan and Da Li. Fifty years ago, Da Li attacked Xi Liang. Xi Liang was unable to resist and had no choice but to surrender and submit to Lin Yuan, becoming a vassal state. The first Emperor of Lin Yuan, my grandfather, sent troops to reinforce Xi Liang and drove the Da Li army out of Xi Liang territory. However, for some unknown reason, Xi Liang rebelled after surrendering. In anger, my grandfather, in alliance with Da Li, annihilated Xi Liang."
Nan Shiying suddenly smiled: "This was the outcome planned by Da Li and Lin Yuan, wasn't it?" Xi Liang was merely a pawn in the game between two great powers.
Ji Jinmo said, "Perhaps. I know very little about the details of this matter. I only know that this was not a contest between Lin Yuan and Da Li. Xi Liang's role in this was definitely not that of a mere victim."
Having lived through much, Nan Shiying could naturally understand many things.
For the small kingdom of Xi Liang, nestled between two great powers, to survive, besides surrendering as a whole nation, there was only one path.
Collude with one of the countries to plot the destruction of the other.
However, the ruler of Xi Liang had underestimated the strength of the great powers, leading to the tragic end of their nation.
But none of this was important. What was important was the remnants of Xi Liang.
If it were the remnants of Xi Liang…
Nan Shiying suddenly thought of something more important: "Xi Liang holds grudges against both Lin Yuan and Da Li. So, if the purpose of this incident is not just to accelerate the conflict between you and your uncle, perhaps their ultimate goal is to provoke discord between Lin Yuan and Da Li. Then..."
"The envoy from Da Li—"
…
To demonstrate the importance he placed on this diplomatic marriage, Ji Hong dispatched chefs from the imperial kitchens to the inn to be solely responsible for the envoys' daily meals.
Furthermore, to ensure the safety of the envoys, a contingent of Imperial Guards was stationed at the inn.
Of course, whether their primary role was protection or surveillance remained unknown.
The kitchens were preparing the evening meal. The second chef was chopping vegetables. The usual vegetables and meats were delivered by Si Shanzhai, which supplied the inner court. Today, however, the vegetable delivery person was a stranger.
But with Si Shanzhai's waist token, the Imperial Guards inspected and found no issues, allowing the person to enter.
The second chef glanced up when he had a moment and gestured with his chin, "Just put the vegetables there."
Perhaps being new, the person was exceptionally diligent, not only unloading all the vegetables and meats but also helping to move them into the kitchen.
The person smiled and nodded sheepishly. As the vegetables were held in his arms, under the diffused sunlight, for some unknown reason, they seemed to be wrapped in a thin film, reflecting a faint sheen.
After placing the vegetables, the person pushed the cart and left the inn. After traveling two streets, he turned into a small alley.
The moment he stepped into the alley, the man's back felt a chill. Before he could react, he was struck unconscious with a club.
…
"Hmm, Kui Rong Hua, Fu Hun Cao, She Yu Mi Cao, Toad Blood, Gui Ru Yi..."
Wei Yuan squatted in front of the pile of vegetables, which was as high as a small mountain, in the inn's kitchen. He was so close to the vegetables that he could almost touch them. He sniffed the scents of various medicinal herbs hidden among the vegetables, and with each herb he detected, the smile on his lips deepened.
"Truly ruthless!"
He stood up, turned to look at the imperial chefs huddled to the side, unfurled his fan, revealing a perfect smile, and said, "This, this, and this one, throw them away. Make the rest as you please."
These medicinal powders were sprinkled on different vegetables. Consuming just three types of vegetables containing the medicine simultaneously would be enough to poison all the envoys from Da Li. If the imperial chefs cooked them as intended, the inn would likely have become a scene of carnage today.
However, eating one or two types wouldn't be so severe, at most causing diarrhea or general weakness.
As long as they didn't die, it was fine.
The imperial chefs couldn't help but twitch their mouths upon hearing Wei Yuan's irresponsible words.
The Young Master like Jade, Wei Yuan of the Capital!
Where on earth did this damned rumor come from!
Are you all blind!!