Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 137 Whose Words Are True

Liu Sheng's gaze also instantly fell on Li Guo'er, his eyes filled with a mixture of affection and hatred, but he quickly smiled bitterly and said, "So the princess still remembers me, her savior!"

"What savior? Didn't I give you a hundred taels of silver? That's enough for you to eat and drink in your poor, remote place for several years. Don't try to take advantage of me anymore!"

Liu Sheng then fell silent, turning his gaze to Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen, his expression pleading.

Murong Huan nodded.

Liu Sheng then bowed to Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen, saying, "Thank you both, farewell!"

Liu Sheng gave Li Guo'er a meaningful look, then turned and walked away. Although the summer night wasn't cold, his bare feet were particularly conspicuous.

A hint of disdain flashed in Li Guo'er's eyes again, but when she turned to Mu Chen, she immediately beamed with a bright and innocent smile.

"Minister Xiao, did you just see the evil dragon? It was terrifying! Are you alright?"

Xiao Muchen did not answer.

Murong Huan asked, "Does Princess Anle know this Liu Sheng?"

Li Guo'er's face darkened, and she said unhappily, "What's it to you? He's just a poor scholar. Once, when I was boating on the lake, I accidentally fell in. This poor scholar was a good swimmer, so he volunteered to jump in and save me. Later, to repay him, I gave him one hundred taels of silver. That should settle the matter, shouldn't it?"

"But this poor scholar, seeing my beauty, is like a toad lusting after a swan, wanting to marry me. Don't you think that's ridiculous? With no family background and no official rank, what makes him think he can marry me, a princess?"

“Guo’er—” Madam Wei interrupted abruptly, then looked at Xiao Muchen and smiled, “Minister Xiao, it’s past midnight, shouldn’t we prepare to set off at dawn!”

Xiao Muchen said, "There's no rush. Although it is the Emperor's will to bring the Prince and Princess back to the capital, the safety of the Prince, Princess, the Heir Apparent, and the Princesses is also of great importance. There is something that needs to be settled here, otherwise, the journey may not be smooth."

"whats the matter?"

Xiao Muchen paused for a moment, then said, "It's about the evil dragon in Fangling County that ate children."

Mrs. Wei's expression changed again, and she gave a rather awkward smile.

……

After returning to the Prince's Mansion, it was nearly dawn. Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan went back to the courtyard to catch up on their sleep, but Madam Wei was extremely uneasy, pacing back and forth in the mansion.

"What exactly happened? Where did they go last night? Why did they change their plans after they came back? Delay could lead to complications. If he told the Empress Dowager something that would be detrimental to us, I'm afraid the secret decree from Luoyang will have to be changed again," Li Xian said anxiously.

"The Empress Dowager's decree has been issued, will it change again?" Lady Wei was also extremely afraid, but she also wanted to find a reason to put her mind at ease.

"This is a secret decree; apart from the person who received it, probably very few people know about it."

"But within the imperial city of Luoyang, it's not just Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan who know; there are probably more than just two or three people..."

"You mean there are other powerful spies around Mother?" Li Xian was slightly surprised. "Who could it be? My fourth brother, Li Dan? Or Princess Taiping? Or Wu Sansi?"

"Your Highness, besides them, there is another force in the palace that is gradually growing stronger."

"Who else?"

“The brothers Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi!” Madam Wei replied. “I heard that Zhang Yizhi is skilled in making medicines and wants to help our mother stay young forever. On the day Zhang Changzong recommended him, he was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Guard, a position of the fourth rank or above. Zhang Changzong was even appointed as the General of the Cloud Banner and exercised the position of Left General of the Thousand Oxen. The two of them have begun to gradually seize control of the government. Even Prince Liang, Wu Sansi, has to bow down and flatter them when he sees them, serving them at their beck and call.”

Prince Xiang, Li Dan, and Princess Taiping even requested the Emperor to bestow upon them the titles of princes, but due to the opposition of the court officials, the Emperor did not agree and only granted them the titles of Duke of Ye and Duke of Heng.

"Hmph, they're nothing but two male concubines, utterly worthless. Fourth Brother and Taiping are insane, actually asking Mother to grant them the title of king?" "It's probably just a feigned retreat. Do you really think your brother and sister sincerely want these two Zhang brothers to be kings? I think they're deliberately putting them in the spotlight, to be scorned by all the officials. The two Zhang brothers already have many enemies. They're nothing but petty people, but petty people are the most terrifying!"

Li Xian nodded, then seemed to remember something and asked in surprise, "How do you know these things?"

They had been staying in Fangling for nearly ten years. During those ten years, he only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun every day, and he didn't care about anything else. He was also completely unaware of the affairs of Luoyang, the capital. Apart from the major events that everyone knew about, he knew nothing about these secret matters of the court.

“Your Highness, you live in constant fear and anxiety, with no interest in anything else. If I hadn’t planned these things for you, how could you have survived until now?”

After speaking, tears welled up in Lady Wei's eyes, making Li Xian feel even more ashamed and heartbroken.

"So all these years, you've been bearing all this for me. You've worked so hard. If you can return to Luoyang safely, whatever you want in the future, as long as it's something I possess, I will grant your wish!"

Wei's eyes lit up, seemingly quite moved. She nestled into Li Xian's arms and said in a coquettish tone, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. We've been through thick and thin together. You've suffered so much with me. I'll make it up to you in the future."

Lady Wei was overjoyed and hugged Li Xian even tighter. But then she heard Li Xian ask, "But now, how should we deal with this Minister Xiao? He is a close advisor to the emperor. Whether we can return to Luoyang safely depends entirely on him. We must not offend him."

Lady Wei's expression hardened, and after pondering for a long time, she suddenly made up her mind and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, if they want to investigate the case of the evil dragon eating children, we will just let the truth come to light."

Li Xian was shocked: "How can the truth be revealed? Do you know who the murderer in this case is?"

Mr. Wei replied, "Leave this matter to me!"

……

Madam Wei and Li Guo'er waited in Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan's courtyard for nearly an hour before the two of them came out. As soon as they saw them, Madam Wei greeted them with great humility, "We're sorry to have disturbed you two. Did you sleep well?"

Murong Huan nodded: "You slept quite well. What does the Princess want with us?"

"It's about the dragon eating children!" said Madam Wei. "My daughter, Guo'er, witnessed it with her own eyes. It was the young man we saw last night who was riding a dragon and eating a child. So I suspect that the missing children were likely stolen by that young man and fed to the dragon!"

"Are you talking about that scholar named Yagyu?"

Li Guo'er said, "Yes, it's him. This person is very strange. His flute music can control that dragon. You must have seen it last night, right? It's him. He's the one who stole those children and fed his dragon."

“But last night the princess said that he saved your life. Since he is your savior, why are you now falsely accusing him of murder?” Murong Huan asked rhetorically.

Li Guo'er blushed and retorted with considerable shame, "It's one thing for him to save me, and it's another thing for him to kill a child. These two things are unrelated. Besides, did I ask him to save me? I gave him a hundred taels of silver, so I've paid him back. Why bring it up again?"

Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan's expressions both changed; they hadn't expected this young girl to show even the slightest bit of gratitude.

“Princess, is your life only worth a hundred taels?” Murong Huan retorted.

Li Guo'er's eyebrows shot up immediately: "What nonsense are you talking about? I am a woman of noble birth, how can I be measured by worldly things like gold and silver?"

"That's it. You're a princess, a woman of noble birth. He saved your life, and you only gave him one hundred taels of silver, saying that you were even. Now you're falsely accusing him of murder?"

"I did not falsely accuse you, so what makes you think I did?"

Li Guo'er was so angry that she was practically fuming, her face turning bright red.

Just then, a servant from the manor came to report: "Your Highness, we have captured that Liu Sheng. Should we send him to the yamen?"

"No need. This case will be settled right in front of my palace. Let Vice Minister Xiao preside over the trial, and let the people of Fangling be our witnesses!"