kvmb Chapter 330 Presenting a Memorial to the Imperial Tutor
Chapter 330 Presenting a Memorial to the Imperial Tutor
"My lord, His Highness is still recovering from his cold and will not be receiving guests for the time being." The maid said meekly, "If you want to discuss the matter of transporting supplies, you can discuss it with the Prince of Zhenbei."
"My inquiries about His Highness's affairs involve the politics of Northern Qi. The Prince of Zhenbei is a military general of Great Zhou. Would it be inappropriate for me to bypass His Highness and discuss matters with the Prince of Zhenbei?"
The censor said with displeasure, "His Highness has only caught a cold. If you are worried about infecting me, you can meet me through the screen. I will only say a few important words and will not delay His Highness's recovery."
The maid stammered, "His Highness has given other instructions. If you insist on seeing him, write your message in a letter and give it to him. He will reply to you after reading it. If you find that troublesome, you can discuss it with his attendants."
The censor laughed in exasperation. Seeing Zhao Yi making excuses and refusing to show himself, he became even more convinced that Zhao Yi had contracted the plague.
He changed the subject: "Have you seen His Highness?"
The maid hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
The censor refused to make unreasonable demands: "Regarding the matter of transporting supplies, I will discuss it with Magistrate Xu, and we will not disturb Your Highness's recovery."
Having said that, he turned and left.
Magistrate Xu hurriedly followed the censor.
The maid watched the censor's retreating figure, recalling the look he gave her before leaving. After pondering for a moment, she turned back to Zhao Yi's courtyard and informed Jiang Mu of the censor's departure.
The next morning, the maid was ordered to go out of the mansion to buy benzoin.
Just as they reached the entrance of the pharmacy, they were led by several burly men to a small courtyard.
The burly man shoved the maid, who stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
Steadying herself, the maid saw the Censor sitting calmly in a rosewood armchair, sipping tea with an air of nonchalance.
She recalled the look the censor had given her before leaving the residence yesterday.
The maid knelt on the ground and said, "My lord, please forgive me."
The censor stared at the maid's pale face, raised an eyebrow, and said, "What crime have you committed?"
The maid clenched her fingers, not daring to utter a sound.
The censor didn't beat around the bush: "Have you seen His Highness during the days he's been ill?"
The maid looked at the censor with a startled expression.
The censor gave a wink to his trusted confidant standing to the side.
The trusted aide carried the wooden box to the maid's side, opened the lid, and revealed gleaming silver.
The maid had never seen so much silver before and stared in disbelief.
“Tell me the truth, and this box of silver will be your reward.” The censor stood up and walked to the maid’s side. “No one else will know about what happened today except the two of us.”
He paused for a moment and smiled slightly, "If you are unwilling to betray your Lord, that's fine. I'll pretend I never saw you today and have them escort you on your way."
The maid was terrified and covered in cold sweat.
The censor clearly told her that if she chose to cooperate, he would reward her with a box of silver.
If she is unwilling to reveal Zhao Yi's situation, then silence her to prevent her from returning home and telling Zhao Yi about today's events.
“I…I will tell you,” the maid said in a trembling voice. “I saw His Highness a couple of days ago. He had a high fever and was unconscious. He kept coughing and even coughed up blood.”
Upon hearing this, the censor's expression turned grave; each symptom corresponded to a plague.
He then asked, "What are you doing out of the manor today?"
The maid replied, "I was ordered to come out and buy benzoin."
The censor murmured, "Benzoin..."
Benzoin is a traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of clearing the mind, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain.
People suffering from the disease also experience severe chest pain.
This confirms once again that Zhao Yi is suffering from an epidemic.
After all, rumors were spreading in Yingcheng that Zhao Yi had contracted the plague, and the rumors were getting stronger and stronger, with signs of spreading outwards.
Given Zhao Yi's style of doing things, he would definitely nip the rumors in the bud by making a public appearance, which would then dispel the rumors on its own.
However, Zhao Yi did not show up and even turned away those who came to visit him.
This move undoubtedly confirmed the rumors, which is why the rumors outside have grown louder and louder, to the point where they can no longer be suppressed.
Now that he has received accurate information from his maid and is certain that the rumors are true, he dares not act rashly. He deliberately orders people to place the items used by the sick in the homes of people who are not infected.
In an instant, the situation that Yingcheng had brought under control was out of control again, and chaos reigned.
Even so, Zhao Yi still did not step forward, but instead sent Jiang Mu and Jiang Chao, who were by his side, to handle the matter.
Only at this moment did the censor completely dispel his doubts, write a letter, and order it to be sent to the capital.
-
Prince Qi and Lin Yi, who were far away in the capital, received a letter from Yingcheng informing them that Zhao Yi had been infected with the plague.
In addition, there was a piece of news that a legendary healer from the martial arts world went to Yingcheng to deal with the plague. He prescribed a prescription with some modifications and gave it to the patients more than a dozen times, but there was still no improvement, and people were dying every day.
King Qi intended to target Zhao Yi and eliminate a potential powerful enemy.
Now that I know Zhao Yi has contracted the plague, I feel relieved.
Lin Yi received the news and finally got the opportunity to bring down the Imperial Tutor.
Zhao Yi was assigned by the Imperial Tutor to manage the plague, and now that he has contracted the plague and is seriously ill, the Imperial Tutor bears an inescapable responsibility.
Moreover, Zhao Yi brought a large sum of money and grain to support Yingcheng, but instead of controlling the plague in Yingcheng, it became more and more serious, and the plague also broke out in the surrounding cities.
He decided to join forces with his ministers to submit a memorial to the Imperial Tutor during the morning court session, volunteering to go to Yingcheng, Yuncheng, and Panshicheng to manage the plague.
Once he quells the plague, his prestige among the people will surpass that of the Imperial Tutor.
By the time he returned with honors, Zhao Yi had probably passed away.
At that time, he will give it another push from behind the scenes, so that the Great Zhou can attack the Northern Qi.
The Northern Qi emperor was not a man of deep affection and loyalty. As long as his own position was not in danger, he would do his best to protect the imperial tutor.
If the Imperial Tutor becomes the source of disaster, the Emperor of Northern Qi will definitely push the Imperial Tutor out to appease the anger of the Great Zhou in order to protect himself.
Thinking of this, Lin Yi wrote several letters and instructed his trusted confidants to send them out, waiting for the next day to arrive.
-
The next day, Lin Yi got up in the dark, put on his official robes, and went to the morning court.
When we arrived at the palace gate, the heavy snow that had been falling for days had stopped, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds, gently illuminating the entire palace.
Lin Yi regarded this scene as an auspicious sign.
The officials entered the main hall, and the Emperor of Northern Qi walked in slowly and calmly, sitting on the high seat.
After the officials knelt and bowed, they reported to the Emperor of Northern Qi on matters large and small in various regions.
Every time the Northern Qi emperor answered a question, he would glance at his imperial tutor. Only when the tutor's expression remained normal would he feel at ease.
After all the officials had finished their reports, the Emperor of Northern Qi was about to adjourn the court.
At this moment, the Imperial Censor stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, a plague is raging in Yuncheng and Panshicheng. The Imperial Tutor sent the Crown Prince to deal with the epidemic, which resulted in the Crown Prince contracting the disease. If it weren't for the Imperial Censor who was inspecting the local area and relaying the news to the capital, this matter would have been concealed for who knows how long."
This one sentence, "concealment," is a direct attack on the Emperor's tutor.
The hall fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. All the ministers looked at the Imperial Tutor.