After leaving court, Yun Yaoyao was in a rather good mood after driving a wedge between Gao and Du.
As luck would have it, news soon arrived from the Ministry of Justice: the method used against the Xiongnu Death Riders yesterday had been highly effective!
After Yan Qinghong put them through one round of torture, he assembled a Xiongnu choir to sing songs about their families, followed by music from the hujia flute and pipa.
Then came another round of torture, followed by another round of singing and music. Another round of torture, another round of singing and music…
After repeating the process over and over, even the Xiongnu Death Riders, hardened as they were, could not help thinking of the people and things they held dear. Considering their current predicament, sorrow welled up inside them.
But they still refused to yield, not willing to utter a single word!
No matter. When night fell, Yan Qinghong sent the horses in to keep them company.
When the Xiongnu Death Riders saw the horses, they were reminded of their days in Xiongnu. Then they looked at the dark, icy dungeon they were trapped in, and their hearts completely broke.
Horses were their soulmates. What had the horses ever done wrong? They would never betray anyone; they would only offer companionship.
Thus, in the dead of night, when they were at their most miserable and emotional, the Xiongnu Death Riders could no longer hold back. They hugged the horses and whispered their innermost grievances into the animals’ ears.
What they did not know was that Xia Ruichu was hiding in the cell next door, her hearing far beyond that of ordinary people.
She frantically wrote down everything they said. They were speaking the Xiongnu language, so Xia Ruichu recorded it in the Yan Chi language. Later, someone who understood Xiongnu could translate it.
What they knew even less was that the Ministry of Justice had also brought in Wu Tingshou, who understood animal speech.
She communicated with the horses and asked what the Xiongnu Death Riders had said the night before. Those horses were precisely the same batch that Xiongnu had once sent as tribute, and they understood the Xiongnu language as well.
And just like that, a great deal of useful intelligence that the Xiongnu Death Riders had refused to reveal even at the cost of their lives was extracted from them.
The guards compiled all the information they had obtained and handed it to Yun Yaoyao.
Yun Yaoyao accepted the memorial and skimmed through it, picking out several key points.
The Xiongnu Death Riders were still puzzled about how Tushan Ze had suddenly died on horseback.
The leader of the Xiongnu Death Riders had yet to be captured.
They intended to seize every opportunity to escape prison.
Yan Qinghong read the memorial as well. The moment he saw that, he flew into a rage.
Oh, so they had entered his dungeon and still dared to think about escaping?
Yan Qinghong immediately waved a hand and ordered his men to sever the tendons in the hands and feet of every Xiongnu Death Rider.
Among the intelligence submitted was a partial description of the leader of the Xiongnu Death Riders’ appearance.
Yan Qinghong also had several witness statements from people who had seen the Xiongnu Death Riders abduct Tushan Ze.
Combining the two, Zhuang Xun reconstructed a portrait of the leader.
Yan Qinghong immediately summoned an artist to copy the portrait, intending to post it throughout the capital and place the man on the wanted list.
When the Dragon Shadow Guards behind Yun Yaoyao saw the portrait, their eyes sharpened. One of them promptly stepped forward and reported, “Your Majesty, the man who abducted the woman in the carriage yesterday looks at least eighty percent like the man in this portrait!”
Yun Yaoyao froze.
The Dragon Shadow Guard continued, “The woman in yesterday’s carriage was a member of the Du family. After abducting her, the man infiltrated the Du residence and fed her poison, using the antidote to threaten her.”
“Since Your Majesty instructed us to act according to the circumstances, this subordinate did not make a rash move. We merely stationed people to keep watch over the woman’s courtyard!”
Yun Yaoyao truly had not expected things to be so coincidental.
After going around in circles, everything had somehow returned to yesterday’s act of kindness.
A smile slowly crept across Yun Yaoyao’s lips.
The leader of the Xiongnu Death Riders had infiltrated the Du residence. What an excellent opportunity to stir things up.
“Minister Yan, later, you will do this…”
After leaving the dungeon, Yun Yaoyao was on her way to Qianqing Palace when she ran into Gao Chongguang, who had been waiting there for quite some time.
The moment Gao Chongguang saw Yun Yaoyao, he wagged his tail and hurried over to curry favor.
“Your Majesty, this subject has something to report!”
“Oh? Go ahead.” Yun Yaoyao stood with her hands behind her back.
Gao Chongguang leaned closer and lowered his voice. “This concerns my father. Just now, I overheard him speaking with one of his confidants. They said that, in order to salvage today’s situation, they intend to introduce a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan to Lord Du ahead of schedule…”
Gao Chongguang felt not the slightest bit guilty about eavesdropping on his own father and then exposing the secret to the emperor.
How could a scholar’s eavesdropping be called eavesdropping? This was called saving his father from straying down the wrong path!
His father should count himself lucky to have such a filial son. He ought to be secretly delighted!
After hearing Gao Chongguang’s report, Yun Yaoyao covered her forehead and laughed bitterly.
“Honestly, you really are…”
How could he be a good-for-nothing mascot? He was clearly a bringer of auspicious fortune!
Consort Tu, we can leave the palace again today~
Meanwhile, at the Du residence.
Gao Dexiang personally drove Du Guanliu back home, apologizing and explaining without pause. Compliments and flattery poured from his mouth one after another.
Only then did Du Guanliu’s expression soften somewhat.
After thinking it over carefully, Du Guanliu decided that Gao Dexiang was indeed unlikely to betray him at a time like this.
Gao Dexiang struck while the iron was hot and said obsequiously, “Lord Du, although His Majesty has not agreed to entrust you with the north-south trade along the Grand Canal, this subordinate has another way to assist you.”
Du Guanliu immediately became interested. “Oh? Tell me quickly.”
Gao Dexiang said, “There is a shipping merchant in Jiangnan surnamed Hua who operates the largest privately owned shipyard in the south and specializes in waterway transportation. I have already invited him to the Gao residence as a guest. If I were to introduce him to Lord Du…”
Gao Dexiang did not finish, but the two of them understood perfectly well.
Once the Du family partnered with the wealthy Hua merchant, after the Grand Canal was officially completed, the two sides could work together and reap enormous profits from it…
Du Guanliu’s gaze toward Gao Dexiang became warm again. He took Gao Dexiang’s hand and said earnestly, “I was merely putting on an act for His Majesty in the palace earlier. Do not take it to heart. Zide, you have always been smooth and well-connected, making friends everywhere. I truly did not misjudge you!”
Gao Dexiang inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He returned the look with equal emotion.
“Zide naturally understands Lord Du’s painstaking intentions. Relieving Lord Du’s burdens is simply Zide’s duty!”
In his heart, however: Bah! As if I believe a word you say!
“Zide…”
“My lord…”
“Why wait for another day when today will do? Why don’t we invite the Hua merchant over right now and discuss our grand plans together?”
Back in the palace, inside Qianqing Hall, Tu Shanjin had just finished reviewing a stack of memorials when Yun Yaoyao tossed two sets of clothing at him.
Tu Shanjin: “?”
“You were just impeached by the censors today. Don’t tell me you’re planning to change clothes and leave the palace?”
Yun Yaoyao flashed a wide grin. “You guessed it! I am planning to leave the palace!”
Tu Shanjin: “…Why are we leaving the palace this time?”
Yun Yaoyao told him everything about the leader of the Xiongnu Death Riders and Gao Chongguang’s secret report, then curled her lips into a smile.
“This is the perfect opportunity.”
“Later, we’ll sneak out of the palace. Quietly. No making a sound.”
“Pipi Jin, let’s go!”
Before long, a carriage secretly sped out of the palace.
By then, the Du residence had already prepared a banquet. The Hua merchant had been invited, and the three men were drinking wine and discussing business, completely at ease.
Just as they had settled every detail and were looking forward to their grand plans for the future, the courtyard gate creaked open. Someone pushed it in from outside.
Du Guanliu looked displeased and called out, “Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of—”
His words died in his throat when he met Yun Yaoyao’s imposing, icy gaze.
“Your… Your… Your Majesty?!”
He immediately dropped to his knees with the utmost obedience.
Gao Dexiang’s mind went completely blank, and cold sweat broke out across his back.
Why had His Majesty left the palace again?!
He, too, dropped to his knees with the utmost obedience.
The Hua merchant stared at Yun Yaoyao with his round eyes, his wine cup slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor. For a moment, he simply stood there, unable to react.
The Heavens! This was the first time in his life he had ever seen the living Son of Heaven!
Then he dropped to his knees between the two of them.
After sweeping her gaze over the three men, Yun Yaoyao said coolly, “Rise.”
The three men lined up like quails. None of them had the slightest idea why His Majesty had personally come to the Du residence, and they were all panicking.
Suppressing his uncertainty, Du Guanliu cautiously asked, “Why has Your Majesty suddenly honored the Du residence with your presence? I had no time to prepare and fear I may have shown Your Majesty insufficient hospitality.”
Yun Yaoyao did not answer. Instead, three more people emerged from behind her.
Tu Shanjin silently took his place at Yun Yaoyao’s side. Though he was shorter than the others, the aura he radiated was in no way inferior to that of anyone present.
Yan Qinghong let out a sinister chuckle. “I received information that the leader of the Xiongnu Death Riders is currently hiding in the Du residence. I have come to arrest him.”
Minister Gao raised his chin arrogantly. “Naturally, I’m also here to see whether the Du family has been engaging in factionalism and corruption. Lord Du, Minister Gao—why didn’t the two of you return to your respective residences to attend to official business after court? Why have you gathered here instead?”
Gao Chongguang: My own father raised me, and I’m going straight for the jugular!
