novelaction Chapter 1048 Returning Home
Chapter 1048 Returning Home
After the group returned to the official road, the old man stopped heading towards the capital and instead led his men back. Jiang Yaozu immediately understood and asked, "Uncle, are we not going to the capital?"
"Go where? We have so much silver now, enough to live on for ten lifetimes back in our hometown. Why do we have to run to the capital? Besides, didn't you hear what that person said earlier? He told you to hand over the things to Grand Tutor Qian's mansion in the capital. That means he's from the Grand Tutor's mansion. If we go to the capital, what good will it do us? We'll be arrested and silenced!"
The old man stroked his white beard and speculated, "Perhaps this person was being chased and killed there. In any case, the capital is an ominous place, we can't go there. Let's head straight back and sell these cartloads of brocade on the way."
After saying that, he couldn't help but slap his thigh and hum a tune, his expression very cheerful, "Today is a good day, a good day~, langli ge lang~"
Jiang Yaozu felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. He couldn't help but look back towards the woods and then touched the key in his pocket, which was still stained with blood. He felt it was a very heavy entrustment.
I left just like that, and it feels like there's a piece of my heart that's empty.
But what his uncle said made sense; he couldn't just rush into the Grand Tutor's mansion without considering his own safety and the safety of those around him.
After considering this and weighing the options, Jiang Yaozu decided that once he reached a prefecture city further from the capital, he would have the key sent to the Grand Tutor's mansion via a post station.
That can be considered as fulfilling the dying wish of that person.
Fortunately, they had just encountered that man in the woods, and the old man had turned back due to greed and caution; otherwise, they would have faced a deadly disaster.
When Cui Ling led his men to check the scene, they confirmed that one person had indeed escaped. He couldn't help but frown and ordered the others, "Go out and search. That person was seriously injured by the thunderbolt and poisoned. He couldn't have gone far."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but clutch his chest and hiss, his steps faltering slightly.
"My lord, you are also seriously injured. Although you have taken the Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill to suppress the poison, you still need to return to the capital as soon as possible to find a doctor to help you remove the poison, otherwise your life will be in danger," the subordinate advised.
Cui Ling refused, saying, "Forget it, let's find someone first. The fact that these people risked their lives to protect that person's escape means that the person must have something worth protecting. This time, we went out on an official business and messed things up. I don't know how His Majesty will punish us. If we can find something of value, we can make up for our mistakes."
Speaking of this, Cui Ling felt that she was lucky today, and said with relief, "It's good that you came out to greet me in time, otherwise if these people had surrounded me and I was injured, I would definitely be in grave danger, and I might have died here!"
After most people went out to look for others.
Someone else asked, "Sir, tens of millions of taels of silver notes were found on these people. That's no small amount. What should we do with these silver notes?"
Looking at those tens of millions of silver notes, Cui Ling was surprised, but not greedy. He loved power, but not so much money, and never thought of taking these silver notes for himself.
At his level, money is just a number to him. He doesn't necessarily have to keep it in his pocket; he can have it whenever he wants.
"Don't panic yet. Let's find out where these people came from first. Anyone who can carry tens of millions of taels of silver is definitely a big fish!"
In less than an hour, these people found the body of the man who had died in the woods.
Cui Ling personally searched the place and found nothing useful except for some personal belongings.
The subordinate glanced at Cui Ling's expression and carefully reported, "There are traces of medicine on this person's body, as well as tire tracks and footprints around him. It's obvious that someone discovered him first. I wonder if those people took anything from him."
"Go investigate! Investigate all the villagers nearby and the merchants traveling along the official road," Cui Ling ordered.
Perhaps due to the effects of the poison, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and could no longer stand up straight, his body covered in cold sweat.
After saying that, he could no longer stand and fainted.
"My lord!!" The men quickly helped the man onto his horse and decided to take him back to the capital first.
When Cui Ling woke up again, he was already in his own residence. Madam Cui was sitting by the bed wiping away tears, and his youngest son, Cui He, was comforting him.
"Water..." Cui Ling was very thirsty as soon as she woke up.
"Do you want some water? Here's some water!" Seeing that Cui Ling had woken up, Madam Cui quickly wiped away her tears and handed over a cup of water, which was still warm, showing that the tea in the room was changed frequently.
Cui Ling drank three cups in a row before she could recover. She looked down at the gauze wrapped around her chest and touched her eyes, finding that the wounds had been carefully treated.
He then asked, "Did you invite the imperial physician over?"
"Yes," Madam Cui nodded, "When you came back, you were covered in injuries and looked terrible. It was terrifying. We definitely need to ask the imperial physician to come and take a look at you before we feel at ease."
"So, those people in the palace know I'm back. No, I have to go to the palace," Cui Ling sighed. He tried to get up, but his whole body ached with every movement, and he couldn't help but frown.
"Father, don't move. The doctor said your injury is quite serious. If you don't rest properly, it may shorten your lifespan," Cui He quickly pressed him down.
Madam Cui also said, "Yes, He'er is right. You should rest well first. I have already sent a message to Rong'er that you can enter the palace after you are better. His Majesty has agreed."
“Sigh,” Cui Ling couldn’t refuse, and since she was still feeling a bit unwell, she lay back down and asked, “During my absence, nothing happened in the capital, right? The day after tomorrow is Rong’er’s coronation ceremony. You should go to the palace more often these next few days to see her.”
Mentioning her daughter, Madam Cui couldn't help but sneer, her tears drying up. She said, "She's so shrewd. She's about to become Empress, why would she care about her own mother? Why would I need to go to the palace to see her?"
"Stop being sarcastic, just get to the point," Cui Ling frowned, impatient with all this.
Cui He had been waiting to complain, and before Madam Cui could speak, he plopped down on the edge of the bed and began to ramble on, “Father, while you were away, nothing major happened in the capital, except for one unusual thing, which concerns the harem. You don’t know yet, do you? A wooden figure with His Majesty’s birth date and time on it was found in Consort Qian’s bedchamber, with iron nails stuck in it. Consort Qian is now under house arrest, and His Majesty has ordered my sister to interrogate her. Because of this, this morning, Grand Tutor Qian even went to the palace to personally request an audience with His Majesty, but His Majesty claimed to be ill and refused to see him.”
Mother had originally intended to ask my elder sister to plead with His Majesty to transfer me to a better post when she went to the palace, but my sister refused, she was too busy with this matter!
"Wooden figures were found in Consort Qian's palace?" Cui Ling was very surprised. He knew without a doubt that it was most likely the work of his daughter.
“Yes, I was also surprised. There’s something else. The Qian family sent someone to our residence yesterday to say they want to see you and have something to discuss. I wonder if it’s related to this matter,” Madam Cui added.