BLHO Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Search

Chapter 45: The Search

He couldn’t allow him to continue distorting the truth like this. He Yuncheng wouldn’t back down any further, and bluntly pointed out the hidden meaning: “Li Yuliang, you’ve bribed witnesses, deceived the Emperor, and disregarded the court. Do you really think you’re without flaws?”

Li Yuliang frowned slightly, his expression unchanged, “General He, what do you mean by that?”

He Yuncheng said, “In order to slander the General’s Manor/Residence, you didn’t hesitate to harm Princess Meng Ning. The love poison she was afflicted with was clearly made by your orders. You used it on Song Jiting many times in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. Don’t think no one knows!”

Hearing Song Jiting’s name, Li Yuliang’s expression flickered slightly.

Before he could speak, Gu Huan behind him asked blankly, “What Drunken Fragrance Pavilion? Who is this Song Jiting you’re talking about…?”

Li Yuliang was visibly nervous. Harboring criminals was a serious offense. Even if he could protect himself with the Emperor, he would have trouble explaining it to Duan ZhiQiu.

He Yuncheng had no intention of implicating the Song family father and son, but under the current circumstances, he couldn’t afford to worry about so much.

He said to Gu Huan, “Your Majesty, Song Jiting is a *xiaoguan* (male prostitute) kept by Grand Eunuch Li in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. In order to control him, Grand Eunuch Li has repeatedly used this love poison on him. Whether that poison came from the General’s Manor/Residence or the Directorate of Ceremonial, we only need to bring the person here and ask.”

Li Yuliang’s surprise was mixed with fury.

What enraged him was that he finally understood who Song Jiting had been in contact with during those days he was missing.

His chest rose and fell slightly as he calmed his emotions, avoiding the main point, and said, “General He, since you say the love poison was made by my orders, then the Directorate of Ceremonial can be searched at will. Someone come!”

Shen Tan stepped forward, “Your subordinate is here.”

Li Yuliang ordered, “Take the Embroidered Uniform Guards and thoroughly search both the Directorate of Ceremonial and the General’s Manor/Residence!”

“Yes.”

“Wait…”

The one who spoke to stop them was Gu Huan. His voice wasn’t loud, but his attitude was much firmer than before.

He stood up, looking at Li Yuliang with some astonishment, as if he had many questions to ask, but he didn’t say anything. He only sought confirmation from him with his eyes.

Li Yuliang lowered his eyes cautiously, giving him no response.

A moment of disappointment flashed by, and Gu Huan turned to He Yuncheng again, asking him, “You said the poison was administered by Grand Eunuch Li, and that Song… what was his name, that *xiaoguan* can testify?”

“Yes,” He Yuncheng said, “Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly. Your subject has not uttered a single false word.”

Gu Huan’s chest sank, as if a stone was pressing on it. After thinking for a long time, he instructed Shen Tan, “Go and bring that person here. I’ll ask him.”

Shen Tan stood in the hall, and upon hearing Gu Huan’s order, she didn’t move. She hesitated and looked towards Li Yuliang.

Even the most obtuse person would have noticed the subtle gesture. The Embroidered Uniform Guards now obeyed Li Yuliang’s orders, with him, the Emperor, ranked after.

Gu Huan’s anger intensified. He rarely dared to show anger to his subordinates, but at this moment, he was quite agitated, rebuking Shen Tan with displeasure, “What? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Shen Tan didn’t receive any indication from Li Yuliang, and had no choice but to obey Gu Huan’s order, leading her men out.

The situation fell into a stalemate. None of the officials present as jurors had expected Li Yuliang to suddenly be drawn into the case.

This made it even more troublesome. This murder case concerned not only the life of the princess, but also the stability of the Bei Sheng court.

Regardless of whether the Directorate of Ceremonial or the General’s Manor/Residence was the mastermind, neither was something the current court could suppress. Even the naive little Emperor should understand the stakes involved.

The officials from the Three Judicial Offices were all old foxes who had been in the game for decades. Originally, with Li Yuliang presiding over the situation, they only needed to be present. Now that He Yuncheng had dragged Li Yuliang into the water, the chaotic situation was definitely beyond the little Emperor’s control.

The old foxes all lowered their heads, unwilling to stand out at this time.

But with so many people kneeling in the hall, all waiting for the Emperor to uphold justice, Gu Huan needed help at this moment.

He felt suffocated, looking left and right at the officials, unsure of whom to choose.

After hesitating for a long time, he relied on his intuition and selected one person, pointing at him and saying, “Lord Xiao!”

The unlucky one was Xiao Ping, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Being named, Xiao Ping’s body trembled, and he cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to stand up, “Your Majesty.”

Gu Huan said, “You shall lead people to search the Directorate of Ceremonial and the General’s Manor/Residence! Search carefully for any clues related to that love poison.”

Xiao Ping wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, wondering what sins he had committed to be saddled with such a task.

He couldn’t disobey the imperial decree and could only steel himself to say yes. He only hoped that he wouldn’t find any clues later, otherwise, whether it was General He or Grand Eunuch Li, the repercussions would be bad for him. If it sparked a conflict and caused chaos in the court, then he would become the sinner of Bei Sheng.

After counting the men from the Court of Judicial Review, Xiao Ping quickly mobilized.

He Yuncheng knelt on the spot, glancing at Lin Shuangxu.

He hadn’t spoken for a long time, and still had no intention of speaking now. His eyes were covered with a layer of mist, thinking, as if making some decision.

He Yuncheng couldn’t help but worry.

No one spoke, and everyone waited for the results of the search together. The court seemed to be frozen, with only the blood of the punished servant flowing, spreading and then drying, leaving a thick stench of blood.

Gu Huan paced back and forth in the hall. From the beginning of the court session until now, more than half a day had passed. His physical strength was failing, and he became increasingly irritable.

Li Yuliang retreated to the edge, his face gloomy, no longer as calm as before.

People with their own agendas gathered together, like cracks on an eggshell gradually becoming clear. The court, which had been wrapped in a facade of peace for many years, finally showed signs of rupture, in imminent danger.

The suffocating wait lasted for nearly two hours before the people who had been sent out finally returned.

Everyone thought that Commander Shen would be the first to return, but unexpectedly, it was Xiao Ping.

Lord Xiao hurried all the way back. In the cold winter months, he was so tired that his face was flushed red. After entering, he hurriedly bowed and reported to Gu Huan, “Your Majesty.”

Gu Huan had no time to listen to the details of the process, and asked directly, “Did you find any evidence?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Ping didn’t waste words and waved his hand. The subordinates behind him immediately stepped forward and presented something.

It was a lacquered and sealed wooden box.

Xiao Ping carefully opened the lid, and everyone craned their necks to look, only to see a dark mass of something inside.

Anxious, Gu Huan got up and wanted to move closer to see, but before he reached the front, Xiao Ping took the thing out.

A dead mouse.

After Gu Huan saw it clearly, he took two steps back in disgust.

The other officials also covered their mouths and noses in disgust.

“This, what is this evidence?” Gu Huan asked uncomfortably.

Xiao Ping didn’t dare to play games and reported, “Your Majesty, this is a mouse found in the General’s Manor/Residence warehouse. This mouse was poisoned and dying, but the symptoms were unlike those of ordinary rat poison. Before dying, it showed signs of unusual excitement. Your subject sensed something was wrong and followed the possible path of the mouse, and finally found a powder suspected to be poison in the General’s Manor/Residence kitchen.”

As he said this, his subordinate handed over a paper package.

Xiao Ping opened the oiled paper, and the white powder inside was mixed with dust, making it almost indistinguishable.

He continued, “This powder was scattered in the corner, so only this much could be collected. It is not yet possible to determine whether it is the love poison that Princess Meng Ning was afflicted with, and needs to be further verified by a coroner.”

He pinched the slender tail of the dead mouse, its gray-black body hanging upside down, swaying gently.

Lin Shuangxu’s gaze was fixed on the dead creature, his expression becoming increasingly dim and cold.

There was no need for a coroner’s verification. What Xiao Ping had taken was definitely the poison that Princess Meng Ning had ingested.

Gu Huan tried hard to sort out his thoughts and asked Xiao Ping, “Are you saying… the poison that Imperial Sister was afflicted with was administered by someone from the General’s Manor/Residence?”

How could Xiao Ping dare to make such a judgment? He said cautiously, “Based on the search just now, clues were indeed only found in the General’s Manor/Residence. No suspicious items have been found in the Directorate of Ceremonial for the time being.”

Gu Huan lowered his head, as if this wasn’t the result he had hoped to see.

He asked, “What about Shen Tan? She was sent to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to find someone. Why hasn’t she returned yet?”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion outside the courtroom.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards entered in a hurry, bringing in a piercing chill.

Shen Tan’s expression was unusually solemn as she stepped forward to salute Gu Huan, “Your Majesty.”

“Where is the person?” Gu Huan looked behind her, not seeing anyone.

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Shen Tan said, “Song Jiting is missing.”

“Missing?” Gu Huan was surprised.

“Yes, Song Jiting is not at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. Your subordinate led people to search the area, but couldn’t find him.”

Gu Huan said blankly, “Then, then ask the others at the brothel. Does no one know where he went?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Shen Tan took a deep breath, glanced at Li Yuliang before speaking, and then said, “Apart from the missing Song Jiting, a total of one hundred and thirty-two people in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, up and down, were all killed last night.”

The door of the court was opened, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, their flying fish robes covered in snow, carried the stretchers covered with white cloth, forming a long, endless line in the wind and snow.