第七章 »这才刚刚开始。Chapter VII » This has just started."

第七章 »这才刚刚开始.

Chapter VII » This has just started."

- In the course of the Emperor and Jinxin's speech, Li Xiao felt the need to leave without being exposed, but made a sound. She took steps back, but her robe hung firmly at the edge. She stood still for a moment, as Jin Xin heard the sound coming from a specific place in the room. A moment of silence pervaded the atmosphere. He stepped forward holding the sword with both hands, taut, and parallel to his body, ready for any sudden movement. Li Xiao was still trying to free her dress. Jin Shen made quiet and cautious steps, raising his hand to touch the door and then quickly pushing him to catch the spy. But Li Xiao, "Oh, why is he still stuck like this? Ah". Jin Shen found no one. He put his sword back in its sheath and turned steadily and audibly: "All the guards, search the palace well so that you can find the spy quickly." Indeed, guards were deployed in the palace trying to find the spy. After that, Jin Xin asked the emperor's permission to search as well and then withdrew from the study room.

*The day Minister Zhou was arrested...*

- Li Xiao sat at a stone table with a ceramic plate containing almond cakes placed, and in the middle of the garden she sat comfortably, happy waiting for the good news. "Madam, today in the Golden Dragon Hall and at today's meeting, the emperor imprisoned the finance minister," Rory said. Xiao expresses her joy to me as she laughs, "Yes, Rory, do you know that today is uniquely beautiful?" Rory looks strangely at her, "Oh, yes ma'am, you seem to be in a very good mood today." Li Xiao looks at her smiling, "Yes, I managed to get rid of the first boss." Rory wonders with astonishment, "Who do you mean, Your Highness, by President?" Li Xiao moved her hand holding the almond cakes and a small bite was bitten by her, and she replied, "I mean these almonds, they are very delicious. Rory, you're really good at making almond cakes." She felt triumphant and reassured to get rid of Minister Zhou as she thought that this was the beginning of her plan and wondered if she could find the truth and the mastermind.

- In the maximum-security imperial prison, Jin Xin came to the prison to interrogate the traitor minister Zhou. The prison walls were thick and made of stone with watchtowers in the corners that allowed guards to fully monitor the prison. Jin Xin improvised from the horse he and his special assistant Min Lian. After getting off the horses, they continued walking, passing the huge prison gate. Then they went to prison, Which was corridors made of solid stone illuminated by fire torches and walls covered with mud and moisture. They walked between small cells fortified with iron bars and each cell had a small opening through which little air and light entered, and the prison floor was made of very uncomfortable rough stone. Heavily armed guards wear armor and weapons. After entering, the guards were saluting General Jin Shen. One of the guards then ordered that Minister Zhu's cell be opened. Minister Zhou was sitting in the ledge of the dungeon, shackled with shackles, his white, soiled and bloodied clothes and messy hair. The minister looked at Jin Xin and then stood with the sound of shackles as he moved, looking at him, "So you are the one who will take over." Jin Shen crossed the threshold of the cell and raised his hand in the air, signaling the guards to retreat. Then he stood in front of the minister, "You are the one who reaped on yourself. If you weren't corrupt, you'd be sitting at home with peace of mind. The money has returned to the treasury completely and balances the financial situation in the country. But there is a final push that we did not find. Do you have an idea about it?" Minister Zhou looked around and then held Jinxin's hand firmly, "Please, save me, I don't want to die. I please, I'll pay you what you ask, money, gold, everything." Then Jin Shen pushed him away from him, "I don't need money. Tell me who's behind you, who to follow, and then I can get you out alive." The minister looks left and right, touching his hands confused, "You can't fool me. If you want to know, you have to get me out first." Jin Shen stood straight with his hands behind his back, then moved his hand out to get out the key to "I don't mind, take this is your survival key." He threw the key at him, and Minister Zhu picked it up, "How can I be sure it's not a hoax." Jin Shen smiled as he debated him, extending his palm in front of him, "You can try on your shackles." Minister Zhou started trying to open his shackles and already freed himself from them. Then he began to approach with several steps to whisper to Jin Xin, "It is not reasonable for a vassal to say to his master, General." Minister Zhou pulled the sword from Jin Xin and pointed at him on his neck. The guards gathered ready to attack, but what hinders them from having General Jinxin under the grip of Minister Zhou "ordered them to lower their swords and retreat", "Everyone is retreating, it's an order." Indeed, the guards retreated, "Now make me a way out, General." They move out of the cell "You know you're reckless about this, Minister Chu. Yet you put your life at risk for your master and for your life. You know that he himself wants to kill you so that you don't expose his secret." توقف الوزير تشو للحظة بغضب وقرب The sword was drawn from his neck even more until his blood flowed, "and what makes you so sure that my master wants to kill me, I am the reason for his financing, if it wasn't for me he wouldn't have been able to make grass." The minister spoke unconsciously, then began to tremble, "I need it, I need it, I want some." Then Jin Shen grabbed him in handcuffs and tried to understand what he meant, surprised by what he said, "Get the doctor quickly, what do you mean?" Then the minister began to cough and immediately lost his life. Jin Xin started shouting, "Quickly, you must keep him alive, come on."

- In the Imperial Palace, in the room of the concubine Lin, she was sitting at her table holding a mattress practicing calligraphy. The brush sways gracefully and draws words precisely. Then one of her maids came in and told her, "Your Highness, Minister Li Chang would like to meet you." I looked at her for a moment and then told her he had to go in. After entering he bowed to her in respect, she stepped towards him with a step "Oh, my father, you don't have to bow to me, in the end I am your daughter, I am the one who shows her respect for you, come here, I am really happy that you visited me." Her father sat by the table, "My daughter is already grown, you look good here, honey." She smiles as she sits next to the table, then grabs the teapot, "Dad, you're flattering me. Thank you, but you surprised me by your visit today." She then offered him a cup of tea: "I got news that my daughter has been cold for some time and doesn't want to be an empress, so I came to make sure." "I'm still trying, but His Majesty is more attracted to the Empress, despite my constant attempts," she said. Minister Li Zhang was sipping tea, but for a moment he removed the cup and threw it on the table, and a short sound was made when the glass hit the surface and the cup bounced slightly before settling with the liquid inside the cup vigorously shaking. The concubine Lynn was nervous, "Don't get so excited my father, I told you that I will do what I can, I will achieve the dream you aspire to, I will not disappoint you." He relaxed and looked at his daughter with a calm look, "I don't want to see my daughter suffer, so do well, I trust you."

With a slight smile on his face, Concubine Lin looked at him and asked: "Dad, I have heard that Minister Zhou has been imprisoned. Will this affect you? His features changed for a moment, and I became more disciplined and cold, saying, "I will not hesitate to act if he gets in my way, and also, do not interfere in these matters. Having seen you, I have to go now. Take your rest and wait for the good news, my daughter." Then the concubine Lynn sat preoccupied: "So, did he kill him?"

That night, it was dark and Jin Shen was at his residence. He entered his office accompanied by Min Lian, and said to him, "Sir, I did not do my duty well, which led to the death of Minister Zhou." After I got out, what did the doctor tell you?" he took one step towards him, saying in a low voice, "It looks like things are going to take another course, sir." He looked at him questioningly, holding a bandage on his wounded neck: "What do you mean?" he began to explain: "I went in with the doctor to examine him only. We thought he had poisoned himself, but this possibility is remote because he wanted to survive in any way. After that, the doctor began to autopsy, we put the possibility that he had before, but he was not poisonous, and no one had killed him. They were sure he was dead." "So, if he is not poisonous or killed, what?" approached him and spoke in a low voice: "Sir, he was under the influence of his herb, the doctor stated that the mandrake root herb was used, This herb is used medicinally and also in some rituals of sorcery and exorcism. This plant is used as a sedative and painkiller, and can be used as a drink or incense, and also as a paste placed under the tongue. And this is what we found under his tongue mixed with mandrake herb. His body was really clean, but when we examined his tongue, we found a substance mixed with mandrake. It has a hallucinogenic effect and I think that Minister Zhou was addicted to this poisonous herb, and this substance accumulated in his body in abundance due to his old age, which led to an overdose and sudden death." Jin Xin recalled what Minister Zhou said before he died: "I need it, I need it." He looked at Min Lian who was talking to him: "So, he meant this herb?" "Yes, sir, their effect is slow over time, until they cause death without warning." Afterward, Jin Xin told Min Lian: "Tell the doctor not to tell anyone, it should be kept a secret. Did you understand? Also, you have to look me more about this." Min Lian returned to his place, poised with his reverence: "I have already dealt with the doctor, sir, and I will gather more information about this. I get it."

In her room, Li Xiao was thinking, "How could he suddenly die like that? She looked for a moment and then called Rory, "Madam, have you come?" Xiao asked me, "Did you get any information about who was in prison before he died and what happened? Rory looked at her suspiciously: "Madam, you seem interested in Palmer, as you are always." She turned her gaze and tried to find words to clarify: "Madam, I got some information. I heard that General Jin Chen entered the prison, he was under the order to question Minister Zhou, but then Minister Zhou tried to kill him and threatened the guards with him. I also heard that he had a deep wound to his neck."

Without thinking and worriedly, Xiao told me:

"Is he dead, is he okay?" Rory looked astonishedly. "He's fine, ma'am. Why did you get so excited? Do you know him?" began Rory nodding left and right, her confused facial expressions. "Oh, I don't know, but since he's my brother's assistant, I worried my brother would lose his assistant. Yes, that's how it is. Continue, then, what happened?"

"Ma'am, don't smile like that. I believe you, but Minister Zhou couldn't escape, because he died. He didn't say how he died." Afterward, Li Xiao thought that she believed Jin Xin had killed him because Minister Zhou knew about them.

"Rory, I'm going out tomorrow."

To be followed in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading.