Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 129 Famous Throughout the Capital (Second Update)
"Brother Mingwei! You're a brilliant detective! You saw right through that cunning thief!"

"Don't dare to take it! Don't dare to take it!"

"Brother Mingwei! What an impressive feat! I heard you single-handedly fought off dozens of assassins and rescued the Empress Dowager?"

"I don't deserve it... huh? How much?"

"Brother Mingwei! We entered this school in the same examination hall, shall we drink until we drop tonight?"

"Some other time, some other time..."

The capital city is always a place where big events happen, so much so that the people are used to it. The previous scandal involving the brother-in-law of Marquis Guo Xun of Wuding caused quite a stir, but it was only a passing fad, and everyone quickly turned their attention to other things.

But matters involving the royal family are different.

After all, the city is full of sons of powerful and wealthy families, but the most prestigious family in the capital is still that one.

Ever since the incident at the Princess's residence and the news of the Empress Dowager's near assassination attempt spread, the capital was in a state of panic, with everyone feeling insecure.

It is said that assassins are still at large. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has laid a net of justice, wanting to search every house and raid several dens of thieves, but has not found any trace of them. It is said that the Commander-in-Chief was furious, and many people in the Northern Garrison were punished. The Embroidered Uniform Guard itself was even severely reorganized.

Moreover, such turmoil often inevitably affects the imperial court. Just think about how many people were implicated in the Li Fuda case a few years ago. He was just a minor White Lotus sect member, but now it concerns the safety of the Empress Dowager...

The result was unexpected.

This case did not cause much of a stir. In both the imperial court and the inner palace, only the Zhang family was truly plunged into the abyss, and they were already infamous.

Seeing that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had ceased its activities, the anxious people and court officials breathed a sigh of relief and praised His Majesty's heaven-like virtue. They then naturally took notice of the meritorious officials who had contributed to the case.

After all, the plot by the thief to assassinate the Empress Dowager and the actual assassination of the Empress Dowager are two completely different things.

When they learned that the meritorious official was a seventeen-year-old boy studying at the Imperial Academy and had been personally bestowed a courtesy name by the current emperor, the crowd was even more excited.

Under such influence, Haiyue felt that the conversation seemed familiar, and that was the right feeling.

Not to mention that he was busy greeting people the whole way, when he finally arrived at the school, he became the center of attention, and even when Assistant Teacher Cui entered, he nodded to him.

Haiyue immediately bowed, showing the same respect for her teacher as before. Assistant Instructor Cui immediately showed a satisfied expression, and even his cold demeanor towards others revealed a hint of joy.

Seeing this, Yan Shifan, who was standing nearby, exclaimed with great emotion, "Mingwei is still so approachable!"

Haiyue was speechless: "The way Donglou is talking makes it sound like I've already risen through the ranks to become a first-rank official. Aren't we all students of the Imperial Academy?"

"It's different! It's completely different!"

Yan Shifan shook his head, his tone full of envy: "If I could receive a courtesy name from His Majesty, let alone passing the imperial examination, even if I only pass the provincial examination, I could still get promoted all the way up! Oh my! It would be so wonderful!"

That's not wrong; the name is the most direct representation.

After entering officialdom, people often inquire about one's background: whether one comes from a scholarly family, which official in the Six Ministries served as one's mentor, who one's close friends were from the same year, whose wife is from which family, and whether one's maternal family is wealthy and powerful.
All kinds of things...

None of that compares to the fact that my courtesy name was personally bestowed upon me by His Majesty!

There couldn't be a more straightforward background than this; Yan Shifan couldn't even imagine the wonderful scene of himself walking sideways.

Unfortunately, it wasn't him.

Fortunately, the person with such a background is his classmate and friend, who is also the founder of the Yixin Society. As long as he can firmly bind this relationship together, he can also enjoy the benefits bestowed by His Majesty. So he became even more enthusiastic: "Mingwei, shouldn't the second general meeting of the Yixin Society be more grand?"

Haiyue seemed nonchalant, but she was actually quite concerned about the matter. She nodded and said, "New Year's Day is approaching, let's have a good get-together then!"

The ninth year of the Jiajing reign was drawing to a close, and the tenth year of the Jiajing reign was about to begin.

In those days, transportation was inconvenient. For people from remote areas like theirs, it would take three or four months to travel from Guangdong and Guangxi to the capital. There was no way they could go home for the New Year. Half a year would pass by in that round trip, and they could only spend it in the capital.

This is naturally the best time to cultivate feelings. Not only the members of Yixin Club, but Haiyue also plans to invite Lu Bing to come for a small gathering.

He hadn't forgotten that there was another valiant man, Yu Dayou, on the Yinglue Society side. These two brave men, both preparing for the martial arts examination, might have a lot in common to talk about after they met.

Historically, Lu Bing also protected Yu Dayou. In the thirty-eighth year of the Jiajing reign, Yu Dayou was falsely accused and imprisoned because Hu Zongxian shirked his responsibility for resisting Japanese pirates. Lu Bing bribed Yan Shifan with a large sum of money overnight, hoping to get Yu Dayou out of prison. Hu Zongxian soon regretted his actions and also wrote to Yan Song to request the release of Yu Dayou. Yu Dayou was then able to return to public service and participated in battles such as the Datong Anti-Mongol Campaign and the Guangzhou Bandit Suppression Campaign, continuing his military career.

According to records, Lu Bing and Yu Dayou had no personal relationship. This action was purely out of appreciation for talent. This style of appreciating talent was the same as rescuing Shen Lian, except that Shen Lian was not rescued, but Yu Dayou was.

Putting aside the connection between Lu Bing and Yu Dayou, Yan Shifan, upon hearing that Haiyue also wanted to make the gathering more formal, immediately became eager to get started, even devising specific details for the New Year's Day celebration. In the blink of an eye, he had already decided on the venue, the program, and even the host.

We should invite two eloquent young ladies from the Jade Hall so that the atmosphere will be more lively when scholars and literati gather.

Let's also have the two great talents, Xu Jie and Zhao Shichun, leave behind their calligraphy and poems, so that we can all create wonderful memories together...

Of course, as mentioned before, the initial team of six people has been set. Now, after several months of preparation, it's time to expand the membership. Adhering to the principle of "better to have none than to have bad ones," we will recruit some new members.

Who is qualified to do so?

'This valuable political asset cannot be used recklessly. Go back and consult your father.'

As he was pondering this, Yan Shifan turned his head and saw a familiar young man entering with a bent back. He exclaimed in surprise, "Deyu?"

"it's me!"

Gui Zai hadn't seen them for a long time and looked much more haggard, but he still smiled when he saw the two of them: "Donglou! Brother Mingwei!"

Haiyue also saw the youngest son of this Grand Secretary Gui and smiled, "If Deyu considers me a friend, then don't add the word 'brother,' because I'm the youngest!"

"Ha! Good! Good! Then I'll take the liberty of proclaiming my authority!"

Gui Zai chuckled in a low voice, feeling much more relaxed.

Although he wasn't as arrogant and domineering as the sons of other powerful families, he couldn't stand being forced to grovel and fawn over others.

Seeing him again now, he realized that he was still the same person he had met before, which put his worries at ease.

I also felt a bit of admiration.

He didn't see Haiyue many times. The first time was when Zhao Qilang died and was unjustly accused; the second time was when Guo Xun was slinked away and the Imperial Academy was triumphant, and everyone was celebrating; when they met again, Haiyue had already received a courtesy name from the Emperor and was clearly a rising star.

Despite such a significant rise in status, he still maintained his smiling demeanor, remaining calm and composed, which was truly rare. Thinking back to how he had helped without hesitation, he felt an indescribable sense of security once he became the other person's friend, a feeling that no matter how prestigious one's background, it could not provide.

Gui Zai was fortunate that his father had sent him to the Imperial Academy to study, where he met this classmate.

The three of them talked quietly for a while. Yan Shifan noticed that he had not only become thinner, but also looked exhausted. He asked with concern, "How is your illness?"

Gui Zai said, "I've recovered, and I'm fine, but I feel really down..."

Yan Shifan comforted him, saying, "The deceased is gone; let's all look forward!"

Haiyue then asked, "How is Elder Gui's health?"

Gui Zai's expression darkened, and he sighed softly, "With the onset of winter, my father's illness has relapsed..."

If the health of the current second-in-command were to deteriorate, it would be no small matter. Yan Shifan was startled, but Gui Zai continued, "Fortunately, we have medicine again. Father took the medicine last night and slept much more soundly!"

Haiyue's gaze sharpened: "Medicine? Is it Li Shaoting's Gastrodia Powder?"

Gui Zai would have been hesitant to speak to anyone else, but facing these two, he answered truthfully: "It was indeed the imperial physician's Gastrodia Powder. Li Shaoting did bad things, but the medicine is good. There's no reason not to use it!"

Yan Shifan agreed with this idea, but also frowned: "But I had inquired before and found out that Tianma Powder was a unique formula made by Li Shaoting. He also said that his ancestors received a secret formula from the divine physician Hua Tuo, which had always been incomplete. It was only in his generation that he completed it with great wisdom. Regardless of whether it is true or not, he made a fortune with this formula. Is it now that it has been leaked after his death?"

Gui Zai looked somewhat bewildered: "I don't know."

Compared to Yan Shifan, Haiyue was more aware of the addictive nature of this drug. If it were just a simple numbing and analgesic effect, that would be fine, but she was afraid it might be related to something else. She asked seriously, "Where did you get the drug?"

Gui Zai said in a low voice, "It was my elder brother who brought it. I don't know where it came from. Does Mingwei have any questions?"

Haiyue said, "As far as I know, the Tianma powder developed by Li Shaoting is not a prescription from the Central Plains passed down by the divine physician Hua Tuo, but comes from a kind of worry-free grass from Southeast Asia! My third brother is well-read and once learned about this medicine from a travelogue... Deyu, after your father took this medicine, did he feel that his symptoms had obviously subsided, but once he stopped taking it, they immediately worsened, and he had an extreme craving for the medicine?"

Gui Zai thought about it carefully, his expression changing slightly: "There are indeed some signs, but they're not as serious as Mingwei described!"

"That's because your father's willpower is extraordinary, and he was able to suppress it. If it were someone else, it would probably be different."

Haiyue's expression was solemn: "I hope Deyu and Donglou can help me keep an eye out for who else among the powerful and influential people in the capital is taking Tianma Powder. This matter is of great importance and we must be careful!"

Gui Zai and Yan Shifan exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled, but still chose to trust him, nodding in unison: "Please rest assured, Mingwei, we will go and inquire right away!"

(End of this chapter)