History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 244 Yuan Zhi, Prefect of Sizhou
Gu Kai didn't reply. He wasn't thinking about how to answer, but rather the corpse of Sengzhi in the cabinet moved slightly.

The torture chamber was small, and everyone who caught a glimpse of it froze, holding their breath! They both doubted their own eyes and feared they weren't seeing things.

"Giggle gurgle..."

Did the corpse's legs move again?

Wait, isn't the head also slowly shifting?

The prison guards, including Zongdian, who were peeking through the crack in the door, also caught a glimpse of the situation, and their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!

The corpse: "I can't take it anymore, I'm so huddled up, what if the interrogation is over..."

"what--"

People outside scattered like birds and beasts, and those inside fled for their lives. The deep bond between master and disciple became a joke. Lin Yin's eyes rolled back, and she couldn't catch her breath; she was terrified.

The body was obviously fake.

Gu Kai only entered Luoyang yesterday, how could he possibly know where Sengzhi was buried? Even if he did know, he wouldn't dare to dig him up, because people buried for too long can spread disease! His colleague Guan Xian had been performing autopsies for many years and was familiar with the characteristics of the dead, so he volunteered to play the role of a corpse. He first applied a layer of paste to his head and then splashed dye from head to toe on the cloth.

After the false alarm, Gu Kai and Guan Xian hurriedly left the Court of Justice under the pretext of being in a hurry to return to the Sizhou Office. Cui Shaoqing could not care about the massacre of the Wu Shibo family for the time being. He quickly drafted a document, along with the written records of the confessions of Lin Yin, Lin Li, and General Yuan Yu, as well as the records of Yang Aofei's background, which were investigated with their assistance, and sent them to the palace.

In the late afternoon, at the Zhaigong Palace.

Commander Wang Zhongxing entered the palace with a letter requesting an audience, saying, "Yuan Zhi has come to the capital to take up his post and is currently outside. He requests to pay his respects to Your Majesty."

Yuan Ke took the letter requesting an audience and unfolded it to read.

"Your subject, Yuanzhi, followed the late Emperor on his southern expedition years ago. When the people of the rioters were in chaos, it was my duty to protect the late Emperor, which resulted in the loss of one eye. Furthermore, while acting as the acting governor of Hengzhou, my old illness relapsed, and my eye injury injured my groin, leaving me without an heir. However, Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and in consideration of the separation between me and my adopted son, Mao, you have transferred me back to the capital region to serve as the Prefect of Sizhou. After receiving the appointment, I traveled day and night to Luoyang, deeply grateful and moved to tears. I humbly request to pay my respects to repay Your Majesty's grace and pray for Your Majesty's eternal peace and well-being."

Eye disease affecting the groin?

Can an eye condition really affect the groin? Back then, it wasn't my eye that was injured!

Yuan Ke flicked the four characters and ordered the imperial physician Wang Xian: "Tell Yuan Zhi that I am in mourning and will not see any officials from the outer court unless it is an important political matter. I know his loyalty. Assisting the Prince of Guangyang in managing the affairs of the prefecture is the best way to repay me."

"Your subject obeys." Wang Xian understood that he was to take Yuan Zhi's pulse when he left the palace to check if his illness was exaggerated.

Yuan Ke then asked, "Yuan Zhi's adopted son is...?"

The guard Ru Hao replied, "It is Wei Mao, the third son of General Wei Yi, who is eleven years old this year."

Yuan Ke ordered Yu Deng: "You go with Wang Xian."

"Your Majesty obeys." Yu Deng caught up with Wang Xian in a daze and recounted the conversation that had just taken place in the hall, asking, "Why did Your Majesty send me here as well? Does Your Majesty value Yuan Zhi so much?"

The reasoning was simple, but Wang Xian pretended to think for a few moments before saying, "Currently, the governor of Sizhou is concurrently held by the Prince of Guangyang. The Prince of Guangyang is old and fond of drinking, and hardly cares about state affairs. His Majesty appointed Yuan Zhi as the deputy governor of Sizhou, which is equivalent to managing the state affairs, which shows his trust in him. Sons inherit their fathers' honors. If Deputy Governor Yuan can only adopt Mao, the son of General Wei Yi, as his heir, you should summon Yuan Mao to the Imperial Secretariat. In this way, not only will Deputy Governor Yuan and his son be grateful to His Majesty, but Wei Yi will also be less likely to have any grudges against Deputy Governor Yuan."

Yu Deng suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is truly benevolent, thinking of his subjects in this way." Yuan Zhi stood outside the palace under the blazing sun, his sweat soaking through the cloth covering his injured eyes.

Wang Xian and Yu Deng stepped forward to relay the Emperor's message. When Wang Xian gently checked Yuan Zhi's pulse, his heart sank. He habitually carried clean linen gauze with him and said, "I'm changing the blindfold for you, Prefect. It's only July now, and it will be hot for a while. Remember, Prefect, if you're in your own residence, let your injured eye breathe."

When Yuan Zhi was being escorted out of the Zhaigong Palace, the figure of the Prince of Jingzhao appeared. Yuan Yu ignored Yuan Zhi and only spoke to Wang Xian and Yu Deng.

Yuan Zhi showed no resentment and respectfully bowed to the Prince of Jingzhao before being led away from the palace by the Imperial Guards. Outside the palace, not only was his advisor Gou Qi waiting, but also Gu Kai and Guan Xian, the minor officials who had helped with the case at the Court of Justice that morning.

After boarding the carriage, Yuanzhi quickly opened his lower back, and Guan Xian performed acupuncture to relieve the suppression of his kidney qi and heart meridians that had been in place before entering the palace. This suppression, if it lasted more than two hours, would truly harm his health!

Gou Qi held a silver needle in his hand and imitated Guan Xian's technique, twisting it around. After Guan Xian withdrew the needle, he said, "I learned this medical skill by sacrificing more than two hundred lives in the Hu family. You can learn it by inserting needles without blood..."

Gou Qi interrupted the other person: "I may not be able to learn your needlework skills, but I have already learned Gu Kai's needlework skills. Believe me or not, I'll sew your mouth into a pouch."

Then there's Prince Yuan Yu of Jingzhao.

Yesterday's murder of his concubine had driven him mad. He was currently powerless to fight the Prince of Guangling head-on, but how could he let Lu Yuan, who had leaked his private affairs, get away with it! So he gathered his warriors and stormed into Lu's residence, smashing and looting for half an hour before stopping.

What's infuriating is that Lu Yuan and his family have all gone out, but it doesn't matter, they're all in Luoyang. They might escape yesterday, but they can't escape tomorrow!
"Your Majesty, I must accuse Prince Yuan Yu of Guangling! And the treacherous Lu Yuan!"

Yuan Ke threw out the documents from the Court of Justice and the account of Consort Yang's origins compiled by his courtier Sun Huiwei. "Get out of the hall and read it carefully before you come back in."

In an instant, Yuan Yu's indignation turned into unease. Only then did he begin to ponder the mistake of taking a concubine, which was against the mourning rites. The Prince of Guangling and Lu Yuan might use this as an excuse to file a false complaint before he could!
Yuan Yu picked up the scattered papers and returned to the palace entrance to examine them one by one.

"Lin Yin, Lin Li, and Miao Guang are all trusted disciples of the demon nun Seng Zhi, and are skilled in making Gu poisons."

"Lin Li had a disciple who infiltrated the Xi official residence and incited young palace slaves and eunuch slaves to spread witchcraft in the inner palace for a long time. Fortunately, he was discovered by Liu Teng, the eunuch, and no serious consequences occurred."

"Lin Yin was the chief villain under Sengzhi. He colluded with Yuan Ji, the Prince of Jiangyang, and plotted to kill the Grand Commandant and Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

"According to Lin Yin's confession, Sengzhi had already conspired with Yuan Pi in Pingcheng to cultivate spies and collude with the Rouran. The prisoner also confessed that Miaoguang, under Sengzhi's instructions, cultivated Yang Aofei as a confidante and took her to Xuzhou to get close to the Prince of Jingzhao, with the aim of causing the royal family and princes to quarrel among themselves!"

By the end, Yuan Yu was terrified, feeling as if there were thorns in her back!
He shouted into the hall, "Your Majesty, your brother is confused."

"Your Majesty, I was young and ignorant, and was bewitched by the sorceress. Fortunately, Your Majesty summoned me back to Luoyang, so that you can teach me strictly from now on. I truly know my mistake and am grateful to my uncle for killing the sorceress. Tomorrow I will definitely prepare generous gifts to visit my uncle's residence."

"Your Majesty, I no longer wish to seek officialdom. I am willing to remain calm and composed and return to the Imperial Academy to study."

Yuan Ke gestured for Ru Hao to bring the other party in, and reprimanded him, "You shouldn't go to the Imperial Clan Academy, lest you corrupt the clan's youth. Tomorrow, in addition to paying respects to the Prince of Guangling, you must also apologize to Lu Yuan."

Yuan Yu timidly asked for a discussion: "Lu Yuan just resigned from his position as the chief secretary of my household and then betrayed me. If I apologize to him, how will I face people in the capital in the future?"

"Fool, you fool!" Yuan Ke asked coldly, "You say Lu Yuan betrayed you, but do you have any firsthand evidence?"

"That's what Uncle Wang of Guangling said. Ah? Yuan Yu, Uncle... you lied to me?"

(End of this chapter)