Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 97 What are you talking about? What are you talking about? [36]

The situation in the capital is now treacherous and undercurrents are surging.

Once the emperor dies, there will definitely be palace turmoil.

Therefore, after learning that the emperor was critically ill, Jiang Xuan did not dare to delay for a moment.

After riding fast all the way, they finally arrived in the capital in the afternoon five days later, and no other accidents happened along the way.

As soon as he entered the capital, he had spies from the East Factory.

Jiang Xuan did not go home immediately, but prepared to go back to Yousuo to unload the carriage and deal with the treasures he brought back this time.

He couldn't swallow so much money by himself, so he had to take care of the necessary things.

Hoof-clack, hoof-clack...

When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Right Office, the sharp-eyed guard on duty hurried forward and saluted respectfully: "I greet the captain!"

Jiang Xuan got off the carriage and ordered, "Go call a few people to carry the things in."

"Yes."

A strong man hurried in and called for help.

Jiang Xuan walked straight into the yamen.

Soon, Lu Jianxing and others received the news and rushed back to pay their respects. All the ten thousand households of the right base gathered together.

"Sir, you are finally back!"

Everyone was very excited to see Jiang Xuan return safely.

Jiang Xuan casually glanced at everyone, looking at Pei Xing and Ding Xiu in the crowd, and asked, "How are your injuries?"

"It's almost done." Pei Xing and the other two replied.

Jiang Xuan nodded and looked at the others: "Nothing serious has happened while I've been away, right?"

"Your Excellency, everything is the same as before. There is no major case." Lu Jianxing stepped forward to respond.

"Well, you did a good job on this."

Jiang Xuan nodded in satisfaction and then ordered, "Pei Xing and Ding Xiu, for your meritorious service in accompanying me on this case out of the capital, I will reward you with two hundred taels of silver each. Go find Xu Longqing later to claim your reward."

"Thank you, sir!"

When Ding Xiu heard there was a reward, he was immediately delighted and hurried forward to express his gratitude.

Pei Xing was relatively calm.

Then, Jiang Xuan casually encouraged everyone.

After commending everyone for their devotion to duty during his absence and making some adjustments and job arrangements, he went to the government office, divided out some gold and silver items, and took them to the Command Headquarters.

……

The Jinyiwei Guards Command Headquarters was the headquarters of the Jinyiwei.

Since being promoted to commander, Xu Xianchun moved here.

In addition to his identity as one of the "Five Tigers" of the eunuch party, he now has the final say in the Jinyiwei.

The Jinyiwei has 17 thousand-household divisions, and the official duties are heavy. As the commander, Xu Xianchun needs to personally review and approve many matters, and he has to be thorough in every aspect.

Therefore, after being promoted to commander, Xu Xianchun spent much less time going to the East Factory to flatter.

Most of the time, he stayed in the yamen to work.

At this time, Xu Xianchun was processing official documents in the government office when he suddenly heard the strong man guarding the gate come to report that Jiang Xuan, the captain of the right residence, wanted to see him.

Xu Xianchun became interested upon hearing this. He put down the documents in his hands and said, "Hey? This kid is finally back? Please let him in."

"Yes."

The strong man hurried out to ask for help.

Soon, Jiang Xuan, dressed neatly in a white Feiyu suit and an official hat, strode in, followed by four strong men, who were carrying a mahogany box together.

"Your humble servant Jiang Xuan, I pay my respects to the Commander-in-Chief!" Jiang Xuan stepped forward and saluted.

Xu Xianchun smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be polite."

"Captain Jiang, you've been to quite a few places on this mission!"

"By the way, you are..."

As Xu Xianchun spoke, he looked at the box carried in by the four captains and asked curiously.

In fact, I already had some guesses in my mind.

Jiang Xuan waved his hand to signal the captain to open the box, and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, this is the silver I earned during my trip to Shuzhong to suppress the rebellious Qingcheng Sect. I brought it back specially as a gift to you, Your Excellency."

Xu Xianchun's eyes lit up, and he pretended to be reserved and said, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by that?"

"Since the proceeds from the suppression of the rebellion should go into the national treasury, how could they be used to honor me?"

That's what he said, but his eyes were almost put into the box.

When Xu Xianchun saw the glittering gold, silver, various jewels and banknotes in the box, his breathing became a little rapid.

Bastard, still pretending!

Jiang Xuan smiled knowingly, waved his hand, dismissed several captains, and said with a bow, "I am able to achieve what I have today, all thanks to your support, sir. I don't know what the national treasury is. After receiving these things, the first thing I thought of was to honor you, sir."

"Now that the things have been brought back, it is entirely up to you, sir, to decide how to deal with them."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Xianchun's face was about to bloom with smiles. He stood up and walked over to pat Jiang Xuan on the shoulder, praising him: "Captain Jiang, I really was not wrong about you!"

After saying this, he looked down at the box of gold and silver treasures, his eyes a little fiery, and said: "You did a good job on this matter, you are thoughtful!"

"As long as Your Excellency is satisfied," Jiang Xuan said with a smile.

Xu Xianchun nodded and said, "Since you have this intention, I will help you deal with this box of things."

"Don't worry, I will take care of things for you with Cui Zhenfu and the factory owner."

"Including this mission, I will also ask the factory manager for credit on your behalf."

"Yes, thank you sir!"

Jiang Xuan quickly clasped his hands together and bowed.

When Xu Xianchun said this, it meant that he would also take responsibility for any troubles that might arise from this matter.

This is exactly the result Jiang Xuan wanted.

Otherwise, it would be unacceptable in any way to travel thousands of miles to Shu with such fanfare to destroy a second-rate sect and bring back so many things, but in the end none of them went into the national treasury.

Since Xu Xianchun accepted the box of treasure, no matter what troubles he might encounter in the future, they would have nothing to do with him.

Xu Xianchun was in a good mood. He closed the box with his backhand and returned to the table. He personally made a cup of tea for Jiang Xuan, invited him to sit down, and said, "Captain Jiang, although the murderer of several officials in the court was not caught, you retrieved the imperial register and broke the Donglin Party's conspiracy. This matter is now over."

"However, the factory manager didn't see anything different from the inventory book, and I don't know what the Donglin Party is planning."

"But this matter is most likely related to the person in Prince Xin's Mansion."

"Also, the situation in the palace may be changing recently. The old man, the factory master, will definitely take action against the young prince in the near future."

"East City is under your jurisdiction, and Prince Xin's Mansion is also there. You have to keep a close eye on it recently to prevent that young prince from taking desperate actions..."

Jiang Xuan's eyes moved: "I wonder what changes you are talking about..."

Xu Xianchun shook his head. "I don't know anything about this matter. Anyway, the old man in the factory specifically instructed me to do this. You should pay more attention to the movements of Prince Xin's Mansion. If you find any changes in Prince Xin's Mansion, report it immediately."

Wei Zhongxian didn't even tell Xu Xianchun that the emperor was critically ill?

It seems that the information Xiyu had obtained before was correct. Wei Zhongxian was most likely planning to "replace the prince with a cat".

Before that, he must find a way to deal with Prince Xin, the only one qualified to inherit the throne.

I just don't know how he will deal with Prince Xin...

Jiang Xuan pondered in his heart, but did not think too much about it. He bowed and said, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will pay more attention to it."

……

Dusk.

Jiang Xuan returned to the right office and waited until everyone had left before he took Lin Pingzhi and transferred the remaining half box of valuables back home.

About half of the treasures brought back this time were given away, and the rest were mostly gold and silver notes, which totaled about 500,000 taels.

With so much money, even if you spend it freely, you won’t have to worry about the rest of your life.

But given his current status, he has no way to use it openly.

After all, your monthly salary is only a dozen taels. If you suddenly take out hundreds or thousands of taels of silver, anyone would be suspicious.

Of course, Jiang Xuan knew that he had given so much to Xu Xianchun alone, so if he hid some, Xu Xianchun would definitely be able to guess it, but he might not guess that he dared to hide so much.

It might not be a problem to indulge in luxury occasionally.

But still be careful.

If someone spots you, it will be troublesome after all.

Especially the eunuch party.

Jiang Xuan knew exactly how evil those bastards were. However, aside from daily expenses, he didn't need much money for the time being. At most, he could occasionally secretly buy some medicinal herbs to aid his cultivation. If he was careful, he shouldn't be in any trouble.

As for the development of "Netherworld", the 800,000 taels of silver in Xiyu's hand is definitely enough for the time being.

In addition, Jiang Xuan also brought back all the martial arts secrets, intending to use them as the foundation for the development of Youming.

If you want to develop a martial arts force, the most important thing is money, and the second is martial arts secrets. After all, a good cook cannot cook without rice.

Only by having enough martial arts secrets can we produce masters continuously.

If we keep recruiting from outside, there won’t be so many experts in the world. Moreover, the cost is too high and their loyalty cannot be guaranteed.

So it’s best to cultivate it yourself.

It doesn’t matter if it’s slow, the most important thing is safe development.

……

"Master, is this your home?"

The two walked to the entrance of the alley. Lin Pingzhi looked at the only small courtyard in the alley and asked curiously.

Jiang Xuan nodded. He walked to the gate of the courtyard and heard some noise inside. Thinking it might be Cheng Shifei, he went forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened.

But when Jiang Xuan saw the scene inside, he couldn't help but be stunned: "What are you doing?"

Cheng Shifei was seen with his bare chest, and his body was covered with red marks from being beaten with sticks.

Xiyu stood in the yard holding a thin bamboo stick.

"Master, you are finally back!"

Cheng Shifei opened the door and saw Jiang Xuan. He was so excited that tears streamed down his face. "If you don't come back, I will be tortured to death by this vicious woman. She forces me to practice martial arts with a stick every day!"

Xiyu's face looked a little unnatural. She snorted and said, "I'm just disciplining him for you. He's been lazy all day and goes to sleep as soon as he comes back!"

Cheng Shifei quickly said, "Master, don't listen to her nonsense. I don't sleep every day. I was just busy all day at the inn. I came back tired and rested for a while. Then I got up and practiced. I definitely didn't slack off!"

Jiang Xuan's mouth twitched, and he vaguely understood what was going on.

He didn't say much, just shook his head and walked in.

Cheng Shifei glanced at Lin Pingzhi behind him and asked curiously, "Master, who is he?"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "I am your new disciple."

Lin Pingzhi hurried forward and bowed respectfully to Cheng Shifei: "I am Lin Pingzhi, the younger brother, and I am honored to meet you, Senior Brother."

"It turns out to be my junior fellow apprentice!"

Cheng Shifei laughed heartily, stepped forward and patted Lin Pingzhi on the shoulder, saying with a smile: "Don't be polite, Junior Brother. We are brothers from now on. I will protect you."

"Thank you, senior brother." Lin Pingzhi thanked him politely.

Jiang Xuan ordered two people to carry the silver bills and gold into the room. Cheng Shifei's eyes widened when he saw so much money. He kept asking where it came from. Lin Pingzhi whispered to him to explain.

Xiyu was also a little surprised and said, "It seems that you have gained a lot from this trip!"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "It's okay."

"Did you send someone to tell me that something happened in the palace?" Jiang Xuan walked up to her and asked with a frown.

Xiyu nodded and said seriously, "News came from the secret line in the palace that the emperor has fallen ill."

"What's going on?" Jiang Xuan asked.

"Although the Emperor's health has not been good, he used to occasionally go out to play in the palace, watch plays, and do carpentry work. But half a month ago, he suddenly fell ill."

Xiyu said solemnly, "The imperial physician has examined the emperor and concluded that he may not have much time left. He may only have a few months at most."

Jiang Xuan's expression also turned serious: "If that's the case, then there is a high possibility of something unexpected happening in the palace recently."

"You're right."

Xiyu nodded. "After the imperial physician's diagnosis, Wei Zhongxian suppressed the news and strengthened the guards near the emperor's bedroom. They were all replaced by Dongchang personnel, and no one was allowed to visit. He will definitely take action soon!"

Jiang Xuan asked, "I asked you to investigate those palace maids. How's the investigation going?"

Xiyu nodded. "Wei Zhongxian takes this matter very seriously. The people guarding the palace maids are all his men. However, I had my informant investigate the identities of these maids. They have all been favored by the emperor in the past two years. There are records in the palace. In addition, they often send in some pregnancy-preserving drugs from outside. It is very likely that they are pregnant."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, confirming his guess.

This bastard is really brave.

The imperial physician had already diagnosed that the emperor's body was almost incapable of having children.

As for whose children these palace maids favored by the emperor were pregnant, there is no need to say more.

Anyway, it can't be a dragon species!
"What are you going to do?" Xiyu asked.

Jiang Xuan pondered for a moment and ordered, "Keep an eye on these palace maids and see when he's ready to act."

"Also, we must keep a close eye on the Emperor. If he passes away, report it immediately."

Xiyu nodded and then asked, "Are you going to help Wei Zhongxian?"

Jiang Xuan shook his head: "I only help myself."

"If his plan to replace the prince with a cat succeeds, then everything will be fine."

"If you fail..."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes and said, "Then make a choice in time and find another backer!"

"Are you talking about Prince Xin?" Xiyu's eyes moved slightly.

Jiang Xuan nodded.

Right now, there are many people in the entire capital who covet the throne, after all, there are so many princes and dukes.

But there are only three forces qualified to compete.

Wei Zhongxian, Zhu Wusi, and Prince Xin's Mansion.

There is no need to say much about Wei Zhongxian. It is absolutely impossible for him to become emperor.

It’s not that the emperor doesn’t allow it, but that the entire Ming Dynasty won’t allow it.

Once Wei Zhongxian dared to sit on the throne, the entire Ming Dynasty would be in chaos in an instant, including those forces that were affiliated with the eunuch party.

What they respected was only the power granted to Wei Zhongxian by the emperor, not Wei Zhongxian himself.

So he had no choice but to use the cat to replace the prince.

If he succeeds, then he only needs to continue to cling to the eunuch party and find a way to eliminate the hidden dangers in Prince Xin's Mansion. Nothing will change then.

As for Zhu Wusi.

Although he was ambitious and coveted the throne.

But Jiang Xuan always felt that his chances of success would not be very high.

Although he was skilled in martial arts, becoming an emperor was not something that could be achieved simply by being skilled in martial arts. Otherwise, why couldn't he even defeat Wei Zhongxian after so many years?

Zhu Wusi’s martial arts skills are at least at the master level, and may even be stronger.

Most of Wei Zhongxian's subordinates were just masters of the innate and acquired levels.

There may be stronger masters protecting him in secret, but they can never be stronger than Zhu Wusi. After all, this guy has absorbed the internal energy of hundreds of masters.

It would be easy for Zhu Wusi to get rid of Wei Zhongxian.

But why didn't he take action?

Jiang Xuan suspected that he wanted to use Wei Zhongxian to get rid of Prince Xin, and then he would come forward to clean up the mess and ascend the throne as emperor with full legitimacy.

After all, he is also a member of the Zhu family, and a legitimate prince. 'Iron-hearted Divine Marquis' is just his title, not a title.

If all those who are qualified to inherit the throne are dead, Zhu Wusi will naturally be qualified to run for the throne, just like Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

Rebellion is only the last option.

Moreover, whether the rebellion will succeed is still unknown.

There must be a stronger being than Zhu Wusi guarding the imperial palace, or there must be something that makes people in the martial arts world afraid, otherwise the Ming Dynasty would never have existed for so many years.

This is a martial arts world after all.

Therefore, whether Zhu Wusi can succeed depends mainly on who will have the last laugh between Wei Zhongxian and Prince Xin.

But even Jiang Xuan himself was not sure about this, so he was betting on both sides.

In short, he must not take sides before the results come out.

He was just a Jinyiwei, the emperor's lackey, and he would listen to whoever was the emperor.

Only when there is really no other way to go will one consider the path of "the underworld".

But before that, the relationships that need to be maintained still need to be maintained.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xuan turned his head and looked towards the direction of Prince Xin's Mansion.

(End of this chapter)