Chapter 241 - 239: Can That Fox Spirit Really Cause Such a Fuss?

Words : 1562 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

"Indeed!" Qian Duobao’s face was ridden with worry. "A carrier pigeon from Jiangnan delivered news that several ten thousand jin of freshly picked tea—worth forty to fifty thousand liang of snowflake-patterned silver—was robbed before it even left the southern borders! Even the few jin of top-grade Longjing tea that I wanted to present to His Highness was stolen! The merchants and guards responsible for escorting the tea were all severely injured, and the medical expenses alone have already cost me three thousand liang! You tell me, this is my first year serving as the Imperial Merchant, and why am I met with such ill fortune?!" Lu Ying set down his vermillion pen. Qian Duobao hadn’t turned to the local officials in Jiangnan but came straight to him to pour out his grievances. This could only mean one thing— The local officials in Jiangnan were colluding with the bandits. However, for anyone in an official post, wouldn’t they have sharp ears and perceptive minds? With just a little inquiry, they’d know Qian Duobao was one of Lu Ying’s people. To dare openly plunder the Crown Prince’s tea convoy... Lu Ying’s gaze bore a suppressed chill. Was this Shen Zhaozhao’s doing? Was she retaliating against him? He glanced at Qian Duobao. Qian Duobao seemed to have also considered this possibility. Meeting his gaze, he hurriedly bowed his head respectfully: "Though I may be wealthy, forty to fifty thousand liang of snowflake-patterned silver is no small sum to me either. I planned to sell the tea to border tribes and exchange it for fine steeds, all to serve His Highness in the future. But now..." "This matter stems from me, and I will provide you with an explanation." "I am deeply grateful, Your Highness!" Qian Duobao kowtowed, then left with great joy. Xue Ling, sitting in a corner chair, idly toyed with his golden abacus, spouting one sarcastic remark after another: "Oh, Shen Yinning really has a charmed life. Not only does she survive wherever she goes, but she thrives. I’ve long heard that Luo Xibai is the local tyrant of Jiangnan, a man who built his fortune over two generations by looting merchants. And now, Yinning has barely stepped foot in Lin’an City and already managed to entice Luo Xibai to act on her behalf... Tsk, being brothers in the end, Lu Shiyan still doesn’t help you rein her in." Lu Ying rubbed his temples. That vixen had been gone for half a month now, and yet here he was, feeding Broken Thought poison into his bloodstream daily. At first, he thought that with her face out of sight and her presence out of earshot, he could slowly let go of his obsession with her over this lifetime. Unexpectedly, she’d found a way to reach across the miles and compel him to think of her again. Was it really possible for her to stir up storms wherever she went? As the conversation in the study continued, Gui Quan rushed in to report that Gao Zheng had requested an audience. That night at Shengguo Temple, he had been cornered by Prince Zhuang and, although he managed to escape at the last critical moment, he had been gravely shaken. He had wept and kowtowed before Lu Ying, bitterly accusing Shen Yinning of how she’d bullied and framed him. Lu Ying had promoted him to Minister of the Ministry of Justice and instructed him to publicly claim that Shen Yinning was currently in quiet retreat at Xiaokan Temple, thereby clarifying her absence from the Capital. Gao Zheng knelt on the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead, speaking nervously: "Crown Prince, this morning, the Empress Dowager sent people to my residence to inquire after Miss Shen’s whereabouts. Though I consistently emphasized that Miss Shen was in retreat at Xiaokan Temple, the Empress Dowager seemed unconvinced. That old nanny even confronted me harshly, accusing me of deliberately hiding Miss Shen!" Lu Ying drummed his fingers against the desk. His imperial grandmother wasn’t pressuring Gao Zheng—she was pressuring him. Lu Ying personally headed to Kunning Palace. The expression on Empress Dowager Li’s face did not look good: "I’ve been looking for Zhaozhao these past days. Jingwei, do you know where she has gone?" "I’ve heard she’s gone to Xiaokan Temple for quiet retreat." The Empress Dowager snorted unhappily: "Do you think I’m some foolish old woman you can fob off? With Zhaozhao’s personality, how could she possibly settle into quiet retreat? I’m asking you—where, exactly, have you taken her?!" Shen Yunxi was with child, and the Empress Dowager was more anxious about it than anyone. She had also sent people to investigate in the Eastern Palace. However, her virtuous grandson had enforced thunderous measures, so much so that the entire Eastern Palace held its tongue tightly, leaving no way to verify whether Shen Yunxi’s pregnancy was real or fake. She still hoped that Shen Yinning could give birth to the Emperor’s heir quickly, making a proverbial wedding gown for her Li Family. But now? She couldn’t even locate the girl, much less ensure a pregnancy! The Empress Dowager fingered her Buddha beads, her clouded old eyes fleetingly casting a sharp glance behind the screen. The yellow-clad maiden behind the screen understood the signal and gracefully emerged with a tray of tea and snacks. Her voice was as ethereal and mellifluous as mist across water: "Greetings, Cousin." Lu Ying didn’t look at her. Li Zhu smiled and said, "Sister Shen is skilled at serving others and well-versed in Buddhist teachings. Whenever Imperial Grandmother burns incense and prays, she relies upon her the most. These days, with Sister Shen nowhere to be found, Imperial Grandmother has been distressed. Cousin, I hope you won’t take offense." As she spoke, she placed the tea and snacks on the decorative table near Lu Ying. She was stunningly beautiful, her jade-like hands well cared for, newly adorned with bright crimson nail polish. The contrast with the ice-crackle porcelain teacup in celestial blue created an exquisitely pleasing sight. Though, Lu Ying didn’t touch the tea or snacks. He rose to his feet: "If Imperial Grandmother wishes to inquire about her, then I have only one response—she is in quiet retreat at Xiaokan Temple. Anything more, I do not know." Li Zhu watched helplessly as he departed, her nails involuntarily scraping deep grooves into the tray. Her brows furrowed in worry, yet she knew haste wouldn’t cook the rice to perfection. She held the tray in her hands and bowed softly: "Safe travels, Cousin." Back at the Eastern Palace, Lu Ying found that Xue Ling hadn’t left. He was stretched out in the study, leisurely snacking, and said with a mouthful of food, "Yu Qingheng just sent over a letter for you." Lu Ying opened the letter. His teacher, in the letter, demanded to know where Shen Zhaozhao had been taken. Pressing the letter to the desk, Lu Ying was just about to write his reply when De Sun came in to report that Cui Ji had requested an audience. Xue Ling chuckled: "It’s probably another visit about Shen Yinning’s whereabouts!" Soon after, the young Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice hurriedly entered. His crimson official robes accentuated his fair and refined features, his expression as if carrying the misty chill of spring rain. His voice was cool: "Where has His Highness hidden Madam Shen? Please do not use Xiaokan Temple to deceive me. I sent people there over the past two days; while Haitang and Wei Yu remain stationed, the Zen Temple itself shows no sign of her presence!" Lu Ying remained expressionless. So, Shen Zhaozhao goes missing and now the entire world comes knocking at his door asking after her. His teacher and imperial grandmother could be excused. But now even Cui Ji had arrived. What, did he owe them all? Lu Ying’s gaze flitted across Cui Ji’s white lock of hair, and a few threads of malice surfaced in his narrowed eyes: "More intriguing than her whereabouts is the question of how, that day, you managed to procure Blood Ganoderma from the National Treasury." His father had always been miserly. Even for his own son, requests for treasures from the National Treasury were met with evasion and resistance. Let alone Cui Ji. Cui Ji’s gaze was as steady as a mountain: "Your Highness, that question seems entirely irrelevant to Madam Shen’s whereabouts. Madam Shen and I share a bond forged during hardship. If Your Highness refuses to disclose her location, I will not rest until I uncover it. Even if I must search the earth inch by inch, I shall find her! And let Your Highness know there are those who will always seek her!" Lu Ying watched him storm off and instructed Gui Quan: "Go to the Armor Warehouse and bring back his military record." Cui Ji’s record was simple; his mother had passed away early, his father’s identity was unknown, and he’d grown up eating from the hands of the village folk. Xue Ling leaned over for a look: "Nothing here stands out." Lu Ying’s fingers hovered over the date of Cui Ji’s birth. His voice was cold and detached: "Counting back ten months, it coincides precisely with the period when Father was inspecting the northern territories." Xue Ling’s pupils slightly widened: "Are you saying Cui Ji’s biological father—"

Chapter 241 - 239: Can That Fox Spirit Really Cause Such a Fuss?

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