Qiu Yizhi followed and said behind Wen Lingjiao: "I heard everything clearly in the prison. It seems that there may be clues about Tianzun Sect in the 'Liaochen Palace'. How about I go with Miss Wen to investigate tomorrow morning?"
Wen Lingjiao nodded, as if to agree, and then said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, sir. It's getting late now, so let's go back and rest. You can come and call me when we set off at dawn."
As she spoke, Wen Lingjiao bowed and, under the guidance of He'er, slowly walked towards the inn where she was staying temporarily.
Qiu Yizhi watched them leave and was about to go back when she heard Lin Shuhan beside her say, "Sir, what are your plans for this matter?"
Qiu Yizhi asked in confusion: "What do you mean by 'what are your plans'? Isn't the first thing to do now to find out the truth?"
Lin Shuhan asked, "What should we do after we find out the truth?"
"Well... after we catch the main culprit, we will punish him. No matter if this person is a true believer of Tianzun or not, he will inevitably walk through the intersection of Sanshan Street for spreading evil cult doctrines." Qiu Yizi replied.
But Lin Shuhan said quietly, "Have you ever thought about this, if this 'Liaochen Palace' is really the base of a cult, and if all the Taoist temples and monasteries in Jiangnan have been invaded by the cult, how will you deal with it, Master Qiu?"
At this moment, the night was thick, and Qiu Yizhi was separated by layers of darkness. It was really impossible to see the expression on Lin Shuhan's face, but his heart was full of ups and downs: If what Lin Shuhan said is true, then with the connection between the Jiangnan officialdom and the monks, Taoist temples and monasteries in various places, it is hard to guarantee that these officials have nothing to do with the Tianzun Sect! You know, the previous case involving Yin Chengliang has already caused hundreds of Jiangnan officials to lose their official hats. If another prison is set because of the Tianzun Sect, it will surely shock the world.
Thinking of this, Qiu Yizi felt a chill down his spine. After a long while, he said, "The present is different from the past. If there is any more chaos in the Jiangnan officialdom, it will probably shake the foundation of the Han Dynasty. Please teach me how to deal with this matter, Mr. Lin."
After hearing this, Lin Shuhan subconsciously looked around. Seeing that he couldn't see clearly in the darkness whether there were other people eavesdropping, he said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's go back first."
Qiu Yizhi returned to the study in the dark, lit two candles, and asked Lin Shuhan impatiently, "Mr. Lin has such a secret, do you have any tricks to teach me?"
Lin Shuhan was not in a hurry. He poured himself a glass of cold water, found a chair to sit down, and then slowly said: "I have thought a lot on this journey. Lord Ruqiu is just an ordinary bureaucrat. No matter how high your position is, as my guest, I have only one idea: just pretend you don't know about this matter, turn a blind eye, and never interfere!"
He looked at Qiu Yi's face of doubt and smiled complacently, then said: "But you are different. Fortunately, you are the adopted son of the Emperor. You can say anything or write a letter to the Emperor. Therefore-"
Lin Shuhan deliberately dragged out his voice: "Therefore, if the person behind this incident can be caught, Lord Qiu can neither deal with him on the spot nor let Wen Lingjiao handle it. He must be sent to the emperor in Luoyang, the capital. Don't ask a word about the case here!"
Qiu Yizhi heard Lin Shuhan's firm words and said tentatively: "I can always ask about the reason for this matter, right? If I send someone up like this out of thin air and the emperor asks about it, it would not be good if I don't know anything about it..."
"No!" Lin Shuhan said firmly, "If you still trust me, don't say a word and don't ask a single question."
Seeing Qiu Yizi still had a confused expression, he suddenly sighed and said, "Sir, I shouldn't say more about the following words, but you and I are close friends, so I still have to say some things."
After saying that, Lin Shuhan stood up from his seat involuntarily, walked around the study, and then said, "Before I speak, I want to ask Master Qiu a question first."
Qiu Yizhi nodded immediately and said, "If you have any questions, just ask, Mr. Lin."
"Excuse me, sir, you helped the emperor clean up the entire Jiangnan officialdom inside and out, allowing the current emperor, who was formerly the King of Youyan, to finally control the financial and taxation areas of the world. For such a great contribution, I wonder what reward the emperor gave you?" Lin Shuhan asked.
Qiu Yizi thought for a moment and said, "It seems that he just wrote a letter to encourage me. In fact, I do things based on my conscience. I don't care whether I get rewarded or not."
"Your Excellency, as a minister, can have such thoughts, which can be said to be sincere and trustworthy, and it is a blessing for the emperor." Lin Shuhan said, "But how much do you know about the emperor's mind?"
Lin Shuhan walked around the study again under Qiu Yizhi's sharp gaze. "Take the emperor for example. You have made such a great contribution, does the emperor really not want to reward you? But you are indifferent to fame and fortune, so you can neither be awarded gold and silver nor promoted to a higher position. What will happen to meritorious officials and generals when the emperor cannot reward them? You are well-read, I am afraid you know it clearly in your heart without me saying it."
Lin Shuhan's words made Qiu Yizhi shudder: "This... I'm afraid you are exaggerating, sir? Although the emperor and I are not father and son, we have a father-son relationship... and the emperor is the most benevolent and righteous, and he would not do such a thing as the previous emperor who abandoned the dog after the rabbit was dead..."
"Hmph!" Uncle Lin sneered, "You are a smart man. Haven't you heard that 'the emperor is the most ruthless'? Think about it. If one of your three brothers commits the crime of treason, will the emperor show mercy and spare him?"
Without waiting for Qiu Yi's answer, Lin Shuhan continued, "How close was the relationship between Zulong and Prime Minister Lu in those days? Later historians often inferred that Prime Minister Lu was Zulong's biological father. However, as soon as Prime Minister Lu's achievements surpassed his master and there was no more title to be given, Zulong dismissed him from office without hesitation and investigated him. Although he did not kill Prime Minister Lu, within three years, the powerful Prime Minister Lu died. Lord Qiu, why don't you think about it, how does the current emperor compare to Zulong? Is the relationship between you and the emperor really comparable to that of Prime Minister Lu back then?"
(Zulong - Qin Shi Huang; Lu Xiang - Lu Buwei.)
After listening to Lin Shuhan's progressive reasoning, Qiu Yizhi felt that there might be some truth in it, but he also wanted to argue: "Mr. Lin, I don't necessarily agree with what you said. Although Zulong is a man of great talent and strategy, he is suspicious by nature and is not as broad-minded as the current emperor. Mr. Lin can't make a comparison casually."
Lin Shuhan sneered again: "Let's assume that what you said is true. To be disrespectful, after a hundred years, I don't know which prince will succeed to the throne. It is hard to predict whether he will have the same broad mind as the emperor..."
"Alright, alright!" Qiu Yizi interrupted Lin Shuhan, "We were just talking about the handling of the Tianzun Cult case, why are we talking about the emperor and the prince? I know Mr. Lin's painstaking efforts, and since I have hired you as my teacher, I will obey your advice."
Lin Huhan also sighed: "Your Excellency can say these few words, which is worthy of my long speech..."
After that, the two men began to discuss things in detail. They stayed up all night and talked until dawn in the east, then they went to bed in their clothes.
Not long after sleeping, Qiu Yizi woke up again at the dawn of the Spring Equinox. He looked out the window at the sun, which was only the Chenpai hour. Remembering that he had to leave Wen Lingjiao alone to go to the "Liaochen Palace" to handle a case today, he quickly washed up and went out.
Qiu Yizi thought that Lin Shuhan did not sleep well last night just like herself, so she did not disturb him. She just called Yuchi Jiming and went to the hotel where Wen Lingjiao was staying.
Shanyin County was a small county town. After walking a few steps, Qiu Yizi saw Wen Lingjiao and He'er from afar. They were leading a horse and a donkey respectively, and were preparing to set off at the door of the hotel.
Wen Lingjiao had sharp ears and eyes. She saw Qiu Yizhi coming from afar and said loudly, "Master Qiu got up very early. I was just about to go to the county government office to ask you to go with me, but you came here first."
She turned to He'er and said, "He'er, I guess Mr. Qiu and Miss Yuchi haven't had breakfast yet. Why don't you give them some of the cakes you prepared in advance to fill their stomachs?"
He'er agreed, then took out a bag of snacks from her bag and handed it to Yuchi Jiming respectfully.
Yuchi Jiming really hadn't had breakfast yet, so he took the paper package and opened it immediately. Seeing four neatly arranged pastries inside, he took one and put it in his mouth, then handed the rest to Qiu Yizi.
Qiu Yizi was also feeling a little hungry, so she picked up a piece and took a bite. The scent of the rose in the soft pastry immediately filled her mouth - although this delicacy was not as delicious as Wu Ruofei's, it was still refreshing.
So after Qiu Yizi expressed his gratitude, he asked several people to mount their horses and donkeys and head towards the city gate.
Before they left the house, they heard someone shouting from behind: "Sir, why didn't you call me? I was almost late."
Qiu Yizi immediately turned around and looked. It was Lin Shuhan who was shouting and walking towards her quickly, with a look of fatigue on his face that only came from staying up late. Behind him was his confidant Wu Ruofei, who followed closely behind him.
Qiu Yizi originally didn't want to disturb them, but since they were here, there was no reason not to take them with him. Considering that Lin Shuhan was a scholar and Wu Ruofei was a weak woman, he found an inn at the city gate, borrowed an ox cart, and headed towards the "Liaochen Palace".
With a means of transportation, the group walked very quickly and arrived at the gate of "Liaochen Palace" in just over an hour.
Lin Shuhan looked around the "Liaochen Palace" and couldn't help but praise: "Miaozhen, this demon, although he has a bad reputation, has good taste. He can be considered a gentleman to choose such a Feng Shui treasure land to live in."
Hearing this, Qiu Yizi looked up at the Taoist temple located at the foot of the green hills and beside the green water, nodded and said, "Mr. Lin is right. When I first came here and saw this beautiful scenery, I thought the owner of this Taoist temple was an elegant person, so I let down my guard and almost lost my life."
As he spoke, he rolled off the back of the Ferghana horse under his crotch, took out the key he had brought with him, tore off the seal on the front of the palace gate, unlocked the door, and pushed hard. The wooden door of "Liaochen Palace" that had been sealed for several months suddenly opened with a "creaky" sound.
Qiu Yizhi stepped inside and saw that due to lack of care and the wild growth of vegetation during the hot summer, the flowers and plants in the palace courtyard were very lush, almost covering the winding path. The wisteria vines that were entwined on the gallery, which was originally very eye-catching, had grown to block out the sun, but the flowering period had passed, and the wisteria flowers on it had all withered, leaving only dark green leaves, which made it seem a bit eerie to walk under.
When Qiu Yizi saw such a dilapidated scene, he felt a chill in his heart. He sighed secretly, then let the people behind him in and stretched out his hand, saying, "Please come in." (To be continued)