Chapter 244: Did you take some gunpowder?

Li Hu finished the food in his bowl and handed the empty bowl to Xiangling, motioning him to scoop half a bowl of soup for him.

After staying with Li Hu for a long time, Lin Daiyu ate very quickly. When the red rice in her bowl was almost gone, she asked Zijuan to scoop her half a bowl of soup.

Only Xue Baochai was left.

Xue Baochai looked at the half bowl of red rice in her hand, then looked at Li Hulin and Daiyu who were slowly drinking soup and waiting for her, gritted her teeth, lowered her head and started eating.

Li Hu saw it, smiled, stirred the remaining soup in the bowl, and drank it in one gulp.

Lin Daiyu was drinking slowly and waiting for Xue Baochai.

Seeing that Xue Baochai had finished her meal, Ying’er hurriedly scooped half a bowl of soup into her own bowl.

After a while, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai put down their bowls and chopsticks one after another.

Li Hu stood up and walked towards the living room.

Lin Daiyu also stood up and said to Xue Baochai, “Let’s talk in the living room.”

Xue Baochai said “hmm”, stood up and followed.

Li Hu sat down in the main seat and looked at Xue Baochai: “Miss Bao, is there anything?”

Lin Daiyu also looked at her.

Xue Baochai paused and said, “All of Xue’s share in the caravan will be given to Master Bo.”

Li Hu raised his eyebrows: “What are the conditions?”

Xue Baochai: “The Xue family’s eldest branch will provide funds to form a caravan, and the uncle will own 60%.”

Li Hu understood: “Is your brother responsible?”

Xue Baochai nodded.

Li Hu: “Hetao?”

Xue Baochai: “Liaodong.”

Liaodong? Li Hu suddenly thought of Bao Bao and thought he could use this opportunity to do business with him.

Li Hu looked at her and said, “You have to think carefully. Liaodong is not like Hetao. It is the territory of the Jurchens and is very dangerous.”

Xue Baochai smiled: “The Jurchens are in urgent need of supplies from inside the Great Wall. For these supplies, they will ensure the safety of the caravans leaving the Great Wall until they are able to launch the next war.”

Li Hu smiled. She didn’t know the Jurchens well enough and took things for granted. However, with Bao Bao’s cooperation, nothing would happen in Liaodong. To open up the Liaoxi Corridor, Dai Quan would be the one to rely on. By the way, he could be brought in to share the risk.

Thinking of this, Li Hu said, “The Xue family gets 40%, the Li family gets 40%, and the remaining 20% ​​is given to others. How do you think?”

Xue Baochai did not hesitate at all: “Do as Master Bo says.”

Li Hu: “Okay. But you are responsible for the caravan, as for your brother…” He shook his head.

As soon as it got dark, the entire Second Prince’s Mansion was dark and empty, and abnormally quiet. In the front yard, only the woodshed could emit light.

The sounds of whipping and the second prince’s scolding came from the woodshed.

In the woodshed, a man was stripped naked and hung on the beam. The second prince swung a long whip and lashed the man twice, turning him into a bloody mess.

The man hanging from the beam trembled all over, slowly opened his eyes, and spit at the Second Prince: “Pooh!”

The blood only fell at the feet of the second prince.

If Li Hu were here, he would be shocked to find that the man hanging from the beam was none other than the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department who was ordered to strangle Zhou Kui at the post station.

The second prince was furious: “Drag him away, chop him into pieces, and feed him to the dogs.”

Several guards roared in response and dragged the guy away.

The second prince threw away the long whip covered in blood and said to the captain of the guard behind him, “Go and find those bastards.”

Guard Captain: “Yes.”

The Second Prince: “Remember, their families must be captured alive, and their weaknesses must be found!”

The captain of the guard was startled and said, “Yes!” Then he hurried out.

With a “humph”, the second prince also walked out.

A lantern was flashing rapidly towards the woodshed.

The second prince stopped and looked at the butler who came hurriedly.

The butler whispered something in the second prince’s ear.

The Second Prince was shocked when he heard this and asked anxiously, “What’s going on in the Yangxin Palace?”

The housekeeper said, “The people from the Imperial Household Department have gone to get him!”

“The Wanping County Magistrate must not be allowed to stay no matter what! If I let him go to the Dali Temple and talk nonsense, my father will not forgive me!”

The second prince’s eyes flashed with ferocity: “Go there in person and kill the Wanping County Magistrate and the people from the Imperial Household Department!”

The housekeeper said, “Your Highness, please be calm. You can’t let the Wanping County Magistrate talk nonsense, but you can’t kill him to silence him, as this will anger the Emperor.”

The second prince was a little anxious: “Then what do you think we should do?”

The housekeeper said: “I think your Highness should just file a petition and plead guilty first, saying that it is because of the poor discipline that such corrupt officials have emerged among his disciples.”

The second prince interrupted him directly: “No, if I do that, won’t my affairs be exposed? Not to mention those clean officials, will the eldest, third, and fourth princes let me go? It is a serious crime for a prince to make friends with foreign officials!”

The housekeeper said: “Your Highness is His Majesty’s biological son. For the sake of the royal family’s reputation, His Majesty will definitely protect you!”

The second prince glanced at him and said, “Just think positively! Is there any other way?”

The housekeeper said: “Send a message to the Wanping County Magistrate, asking him to calm down. As long as he doesn’t say anything nonsense, his family will be safe and wealthy.”

The second prince thought about it, then nodded. The housekeeper said, “We also need to send a message to the other states and counties, asking them to settle the matter immediately and not let anyone find out.”

The second prince’s eyes were filled with murderous intent again. “Li Hu is a nuisance, and he cannot be allowed to stay! Go! Gather all the people outside the city, kill Li Hu, and kill everyone in that manor!”

The butler didn’t dare to respond.

The second prince glared and said, “Go!”

The butler gave a bitter smile and said, “Your Highness, it’s not time for us to go to war. To put it bluntly, with the number of people we have, we are not even enough to fill their teeth.”

The second prince stamped his feet and said, “Are we just going to let it go like this?!” His eyes suddenly flashed, “Yes, impeach him! Let the clean officials of the Censorate, the Imperial Academy and the Imperial College report Li Hu’s interference in government!”

The housekeeper heard this and waved his hands hastily: “Absolutely not! If you make a big fuss, it will not benefit anyone and will only bring trouble to yourself.”

The second prince waved his hand and said, “That’s it.”

The lights in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were bright.

The memorial placed on the imperial desk was indeed the second prince’s apology memorial!
Emperor Yongchang sat on the dragon throne without saying a word.

Dai Quan stood by and said nothing.

There was silence in the hall.

After a long while, Emperor Yongchang closed the memorial and spoke: “How did the second elder know about this?”

Dai Quan thought for a moment and replied, “Just now, the eunuch from the palace of the virtuous concubine came to serve soup. He must have heard something.”

Emperor Yongchang raised his hand and said, “Replace all the eunuchs and palace maids on duty outside. Each of them will be beaten with twenty boards. Drag that little eunuch outside the Meridian Gate and beat him to death tomorrow morning!”

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang was silent for a moment, then said, “Tell Concubine Xian not to send me any soup in the future.”

Dai Quan was shocked. It seemed that the emperor was really angry this time. He didn’t dare to think too much and just walked out.

Emperor Yongchang pulled out the trial record from the pile of official documents, looked at it, and then shouted, “Come on!”

The eunuch on duty came in in response.

Emperor Yongchang: “There is no need to send the Wanping County Magistrate to the Dali Temple. He will be taken to the West Market for execution at noon tomorrow with the County Magistrate!”

The eunuch was stunned. This was not in line with the court system. Why would the emperor issue such an imperial decree?
Emperor Yongchang ignored him and continued, “Tell Li Hu to kill all those beasts, including their families and servants. Leave no one alive.”

The eunuch was even more shocked.

Emperor Yongchang: “They want to wipe out my people, so I will make them wipe out their families!”

The eunuch swallowed and said, “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang: “All the confiscated property will be compensated to Li Hu. Tell the people that I will allocate money from the inner treasury to repair their houses. In addition to the tax silver they deserve, each family will be compensated with ten taels of silver.”

The chief eunuch hurriedly praised the emperor: “Your Majesty is as benevolent as the heaven! The people will surely be grateful for your kindness!”

Emperor Yongchang then revealed a smile.

What about the confiscated property? Although he guessed the emperor’s intention, he didn’t dare to ask Li Hu for the property without the emperor’s order.

The eunuch hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice: “The confiscated property?”

Emperor Yongchang rolled his eyes at him and said, “Let Li Hu bring him to the palace.”

Chief eunuch: “Yes.”

“Don’t send it during the day.” Emperor Yongchang added.

The chief eunuch: “Yes.” He answered and walked back towards the palace gate.

“Wait.” Emperor Yongchang stood up.

The eunuch stopped immediately.

Emperor Yongchang walked up to him and asked softly, “How is Concubine Wu doing recently?”

The eunuch replied in a low voice: “Everything is fine, but I have been feeling unwell these past few days. I feel sleepy, nauseous, and vomiting.”

Emperor Yongchang nodded and said: “Serve him attentively and do not let the news leak out.”

The eldest eunuch overheard and looked embarrassed.

Emperor Yongchang has always been sensitive: “What’s wrong?”

The chief eunuch replied hesitantly, “The Empress seems to have known about this, and has sent someone to tell the Imperial Concubine to take good care of herself and not to go to Kunning Palace to pay respects in the future.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Oh? When did it happen?”

The chief eunuch said, “Someone from the Imperial Concubine’s palace just came to report that it happened before dark.”

With a humph, Emperor Yongchang said, “Take care of your people.”

The chief eunuch said, “Yes.” and walked out.

Just as the chief eunuch left, Dai Quan hurried in again and called softly, “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongchang looked at him slowly and said, “Speak.”

Dai Quan: “The virtuous concubine is here, and she is kneeling outside the Yangxin Gate now.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Come on. Let them all come.”

Dai Quan saw that he looked strange, and whispered, “Should I go and ask the virtuous concubine to come back?”

Emperor Yongchang: “Hmph, since she wants to kneel, let her kneel.” After saying that, he turned around, sat down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Dai Quan was stunned. Was he crazy?

(End of this chapter)