The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 480 Blood Book

The sun grew harsher each day. The copper bells on the eaves were scorching hot, and when the wind blew, they brought no coolness, only a dull hum.

As time went by, officials in various regions received imperial edicts and dared not conceal the truth, but many places indicated that the situation was still under control.

Emperor Qianlong should breathe a sigh of relief.

But for some reason, his eyelids kept twitching.

He can now walk on the ground.

But many parts of my body are ulcerated, and the itching is unbearable.

Emperor Yingqian stood by the window, his eyes deep and somber.

"Someone, bring Baopu here."

Baopu came about a stick of incense later.

Emperor Yingqian, with his back to him, said, "I am very uneasy, you..."

The words are not finished yet.

"Let me calculate the fate of the Great Jin Dynasty."

How could such a statement not be bold?
However, Emperor Qian did not punish him, nor did he stop him.

Baopu took out a piece of tortoise shell that shimmered with a bluish light, and then took out three copper coins, which he spun around on the tortoise's back.

"The sun and moon bear witness, heaven and earth lend their eyes, the three realms and five elements..."

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound.

The tortoise shell cracked, and the copper coins on it fell to the ground.

This turn of events was something Emperor Qian had not anticipated.

But Baopu said nothing and knelt down in front of him.

Hurried footsteps approached from afar outside the hall. Startled, the bronze bells under the eaves twitched without any wind.

The messenger eunuch had long forgotten the rule against entering the inner palace. He rushed in and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, urgent report! The Yellow River has breached its banks."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The news spread quickly.

The people of the capital were discussing this matter extensively.

"Something's happened on the other side of the Yellow River. I heard that the sky there seems to have cracked open, and the rain hasn't stopped, causing the water level to rise. The messenger was almost swept away by the flood on his way here."

"They also informed us that the situation in many places along the way was not optimistic, and that we were waiting for the imperial court to come and save us."

"The imperial court, please save us!"

Some people find it laughable.

"Master Baopu revealed the secrets of heaven long ago. The imperial court does take it seriously, but the area is too vast. Who knows where will be flooded?"

"And how could they possibly be saved?"

"The world is tough, and it is always the poor who suffer. To put it bluntly, even if disasters are severe in remote areas and people are struggling to make ends meet, the officials in the capital still drink and eat meat every day."

“You can’t condemn them outright. When the news spread, some prominent families responded and offered to transport rice and grain to those places.”

"In my opinion, it's all Yang Changzheng's fault. He spent a lot of manpower, material resources and money on water conservancy projects, but he didn't achieve much. Now that it's raining, all over the country is suffering."

"Him? He only builds dikes in the Jiangnan area, where he can make a profit. He doesn't care about the more remote, disaster-stricken areas."

Besides, the dikes built in places like Jiangnan aren't necessarily that sturdy.

"It's bad luck not to talk about him. No wonder he went to jail."

"He wasn't imprisoned for embezzlement; how many officials are corrupt? He cursed that person."

The speaker raised his chin, indicating the direction of the palace.

The crowd was in an uproar.

Someone in the crowd said something.

"In my opinion, the court's concern is not because they really care about the lives of innocent people. They are afraid that if things get serious, their reputation will be ruined, and if too many people die, it will lead to a plague."

Outside Shangjing City.

A wisp of dust rose at the end of the official road, the sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, splashing up pebbles and startling crows perched by the roadside. The jade belt jingled as they sped along.

Leading the group was He Xuran, followed by Yang Weiwen, and Uncle Yan, who was protecting the two of them.

As they passed the pavilion outside the city, He Xu suddenly pulled on the reins, and the horse neighed loudly.

He dismounted and strode toward the pavilion, bowing to the people sitting there.

What's going on with my brother-in-law here?

Yang Weiwen and Uncle Yan also came over to pay their respects.

Yang Weiwen said respectfully, "Grand Tutor, are you well?"

Uncle Yan was a man sent to He Xuran by Gu Fuju, and he respectfully addressed him as "Master".

Gu Fuju nodded slightly and said to He Xuran, "Your elder sister learned that you were returning today, so she specially asked me to come and pick you up."

He Xuran's expression changed slightly.

Since her father passed away, my elder sister wished he could live in the Grand Tutor's mansion so that he could take care of her every need.

"Of course, I also have something to ask you."

Is there something we can't talk about later?

To He Xuran's surprise, he heard Gu Fuju ask.

"What have you found out during your investigation into Ying Fuyan's death?"

He Xuran's eyes darkened.

"Never."

Although he was young, he always told Gu Fuju everything he knew without holding anything back.

"All the evidence from Lingnan points to Ying Fuyan being physically weak, unable to endure the hard labor, and then falling ill, which led to his death."

“Everyone’s version of events is consistent, and I know that the officials there are following the emperor’s orders and are taking good care of him.”

The work that other exiled criminals did in a day, Ying Fuyan only needed to do half of, and it would even be adjusted according to his physical condition.

Gu Fuju showed no other emotion on his face.

He placed one hand on the stone table: "And what about you?"

He asked gently, "What are you thinking?"

"I suspect there's something fishy going on here."

He Xuran: "If His Majesty truly intended to protect him, the Prince of Yan would not have died. If, after the Prince of Yan's death, he felt sorry for his nephew, he should not have left him to suffer in that place."

How could royalty care about personal relationships?

He Xuran had been an official for many years and was not easily fooled.

When he goes there this time, the officials in Lingnan and the criminals he interrogates will more or less have loopholes in their statements.

"but I……"

He lowered his head in shame.

"No evidence."

This trip was in vain.

He Xuran said, "If I'm not mistaken, this was something His Majesty intentionally had me find out."

Gu Fuju was not surprised.

"Not to mention your own strength, Lingnan is not your territory. Even if you have all the skills, you can't use them?"

"When you return to the capital, you must first go to the palace to report back. That person is probably waiting for you as well."

"He knows you have deep suspicions, and you know he's behind it all. But everything requires evidence, so you have to give in to him."

“Be respectful; he is the emperor. Even if you are indignant and feel indignant on behalf of Ying Fuyan, you must endure it. Floods are frequent in various places; do not provoke him further.”

He Xuran took a deep breath.

"Yes."

His throat tightened, and he suppressed his emotions: "But I'm not reconciled."

How could he, as the uncle, not feel resentful about the fire that killed the Yu family and their subsequent misfortune?

He also had his own ulterior motives for volunteering to investigate the case this time.

"Brother-in-law, are you really willing to accept this?"

Gu Fuju smiled.

“I knew from the moment you went to Lingnan that you would not succeed on this trip.”

“But I know your temperament, and so does His Majesty. With Ying Fuyan’s death, many veteran officials are suspicious and waiting for your return to the capital. His Majesty needs you to clear his name, so you have no choice but to go, and I did not stop you for that.”

but……

Who says it's destined to be a wasted trip?

Gu Fuju stood up and handed the box on the table to He Xuran.

"This is?"

"The evidence you want."

He Xuran was slightly taken aback.

Yang Weiwen was also surprised.

They made a long and arduous trip, only to return empty-handed. But how could the Grand Tutor, who remained in the capital, have such a thing?
He Xuran did not open it immediately.

He inexplicably felt that the box in his hand was incredibly heavy.

"It's...what?"

Gu Fuju's lips moved slightly: "The blood letter left by the Prince of Yan before his death."