The King Knows His Way Chapter 8

The end of spring is the busy farming season, and the people have rested for the whole winter, so they are all full of energy. Passing through many towns along the way, both sides of the canal are bustling with people, a scene of prosperity.

Liam saw this and felt relieved.

"Your Majesty." That day, Eunuch Sixi stepped forward to help him put on a cloak, and said, "The next stop should be Yunshui City."

Liam nodded without saying anything more, and continued to stare into the distance in a daze.

The county magistrate of Yunshui City was named Liu Bi, a distant relative of Victor. Although he was only a small seventh-rank official, many people in the court were jealous of this position. Once the canal was opened, money would come in. Salt from the south, grain from the north, and tea and porcelain from the west all had to pass through this small Yunshui City. Even if one did not deliberately want to be greedy, there were opportunities to make money everywhere. Compared with other remote and poor places, it was many times richer.

When Liu Bi learned that Liam was going to Jiangnan, he was not too worried. There was no problem in the accounts, and the people in the government office were all his own people. They were all on the same boat, so he was not afraid that someone would file a complaint with the emperor. Besides, there was Master Liu in the royal city, who was the Liu family's big backer and would not fall for a while. So early in the morning, he bathed and changed his clothes, and went to the dock with his subordinates to meet the emperor. A lot of people gathered around, and everyone was excited, waiting to see the emperor.

At noon, the big ship finally approached slowly, with the bright yellow flag fluttering on the mast. The royal guards stood on both sides of the ship with swords in their hands, and the sharp blades gleamed coldly under the sun, which made people feel fearful.

"Your humble servant welcomes the emperor!" Liu Bi led the crowd to kneel down to welcome him, and the people also followed suit and knelt down.

In the small courtyard not far away, Ye Jin was still drying medicine, as if she didn't hear the noise.

"Are you really not going to see it?" Bai Laicai felt itchy.

"If you want to go, go ahead. I'm not holding you back." Ye Jin stood up with the small basket in hand. "The emperor is also a human being, with two eyes and one nose. Why does he have to go all the way to kneel and watch?"

"That's true." Bai Laicai squatted on the chair, thought for a while and stood up again, "But I still want to go and see, just in case I can get some silver." After all, that's the emperor.

Ye Jin regretted saving him from the mountains.

Liam stepped off the boat, and Liu Bi raised his head with a smile on his face: "Your Majesty."

There was silence all around. Some brave people stole a glance and couldn't help but praise the emperor for his good looks. Yu Guan had black hair standing upright, his eyebrows were bright like stars, his nose was straight, and his whole body was elegant and majestic. Then he quickly lowered his head.

"My dear, please stand up." Liam stepped forward and stretched out his hand to help him up.

Liu Bi smiled until his face was wrinkled, and greeted again: "Eunuch Si Xi, General Shen."

"This Yunshui City is really bustling and prosperous." Adrian said, "Lord Liu is indeed a good ruler."

"General Shen, you are too kind. This is the responsibility of Xiaguan. It is our responsibility." Liu Bi stepped aside and said, "The banquet has been prepared in the palace. Your Majesty, please come."

In the crowd, an old man was eating melon seeds and watching the fun. He stretched his neck and stood on tiptoe. He looked like a curious person. He didn't go home until the imperial carriage left and the people dispersed.

"Didn't you get the money?" Ye Jin teased when she saw him walking into the courtyard dejectedly.

"Can the emperor be so stingy?" Bai Laicai sat back at the stone table and said angrily, "He looks a lot like you, doctor, and you were thought to be a kind-hearted person, but in the end, not to mention the money, he didn't even have a bun."

"Who do you say looks like him?" Ye Jin's eyes flashed with ferocity.

Bai Laicai said quickly: "Me!"

Ye Jin snorted coldly, raised his chin and walked back to the bedroom leisurely.

Bai Laicai patted his chest and let out a sigh, he was really fierce...

Liam didn't like extravagance, so Liu Bi naturally didn't dare to hold a big banquet. Although there were many dishes, they were all homely flavors, and the wine was the most ordinary Shaoxing yellow. Liam chatted with the others about the canal diversion, and didn't ask much else. After the banquet, he went back to his bedroom to rest early, and didn't even summon other officials.

Liu Bi was relieved, as he thought there would be some checking of the accounts, but he didn't expect that no one even mentioned it.

According to the previous plan, Liam would only stay here for two days. After the boats were fully replenished, he would continue southward to Qianye City. Unexpectedly, probably because he caught a cold on the river a few days ago, he started to have a fever since the second day of arriving in Yunshui City. The accompanying imperial physician nursed him for a full five days before he finally felt better.

"I heard that the emperor has caught a cold." Bai Laicai nudged with his elbow in the courtyard, "You are a doctor, why don't you recommend yourself? If you are lucky enough to cure the disease, you may even be able to enter the palace to be an imperial physician."

"I want to be his imperial physician?" Ye Jin angrily threw a ladle of silkworm excrement at him, and said with his hands on his H!ps, "You wish!"

Bai Laicai ran out holding his head.

The doctor is going to eat me...

Liu Bi was also a little panicked about this. He was not afraid that Liam would get into trouble here, after all, it was just a cold. He was panicked because he didn't know whether this cold was real or not. If it was fake, what was the purpose behind it?

"Your Excellency is worrying too much." The housekeeper in the yamen was named Liu Man, who seemed much calmer than him. He said slowly, tucked his sleeves in, "The emperor is ill, you and I should take good care of him, how can we think about other things?"

Liu Bi hesitated to speak, and couldn't figure out what he was up to. He wanted to ask more but didn't dare. He was so worried that he was still worried when he went to bed at night. He tossed and turned, which made his Concub!ne complain. He finally fell asleep at dawn, but he was lifted up from the bed by the imperial guards as soon as he closed his eyes.

"General Shen, General Shen, what do you mean?" Liu Bi was shocked.

"Come here, throw this traitor into the dungeon." Adrian ordered coldly.

Traitor? Liu Bi's face turned pale, and he wanted to protest his innocence, but his jaw had been removed and he was dragged into the prison.

The imperial guards surrounded the county magistrate's office. Some people who got up early saw it and wondered what had happened. When they went home and discussed it with their wives, they both thought that Liu Bi's recent crimes had been exposed, so he was arrested and imprisoned by the emperor. It was not until the evening that news spread that the imperial doctor found poison in the food in Liu's house.

Poisoning the emperor... The people turned pale when they heard this. How could someone dare to do such a crime that would punish the entire clan and destroy all nine generations of the family?

When the news reached Ye Jin, Bai Laicai stared at him cautiously: "The emperor has been poisoned, why don't you go and take a look at him?"

Ye Jin put down the pestle fiercely: "I don't know him well."

"There are so many patients in the world, how can a doctor know them all?" Bai Laicai said, "It's just that I treat whoever is sick."

Ye Jin was so annoyed by his noise that she simply went out for a walk on the street by herself.

The government office had already been surrounded by a solid wall, not only the imperial guards brought by Liam, but also the garrison transferred by Adrian from other places. Ye Jin was a little confused when he first heard the news, but then he gradually figured it out - if he was really poisoned without any preparation, who would arrange such a large number of troops nearby in advance, just waiting to capture the traitor today?

...

snort!

Doctor Ye stamped his feet angrily and went to a restaurant to cool off.

When he was a child, he pretended to be sick and bullied my father. Now that he has grown up, he is still the same. This person is really not worth any sympathy.

"Your Majesty." Adrian said in the government office's study, "The confession has been written, and Liu Bi has signed it. I will lead my men back to the royal city immediately."

Liam nodded: "This journey is dangerous, thank you for your help, General."

"This is what I was supposed to do." Adrian said, "But if the King of Southwest is still in the royal city..."

"He won't embarrass you." Liam interrupted, "If he really doesn't know what's good for you, let him come to Jiangnan to find me in person."

"Yes." Adrian bowed his head and accepted the order. After leaving the study, he led dozens of people and horses, set off at full speed at night, and secretly returned to the royal city.

Liu Bi was in prison and died of fear of punishment. His family was exiled to Hainan. A new county magistrate took office within ten days. The garrison replaced the original city gate guards and checked the people entering and leaving every day. Not even a fly could enter or leave freely. For a while, the atmosphere in the city was solemn, and walking on the street felt suffocating.

Ye Jin began to wonder whether he should go out to some other place first and come back when things here were quiet.

"Doctor, you can't leave." Bai Laicai held on to his package tightly, "I observed the celestial phenomena last night---"

"You can also observe the celestial phenomena?" Ye Jin interrupted with disgust.

"Of course." Bai Laicai nodded.

Ye Jin asked: "What did you see?"

Bai Laicai said: "A sheep enters a wolf's den."

Ye Jin shook his head: "If someone like you goes to the street to tell fortunes, you won't make a penny." Not only can he not speak eloquently, he can't even say something auspicious. What does it mean to be a sheep entering a wolf's den?

"The emperor searched Liu Bi's house, but didn't find much silver." Bai Laicai said, "He was a corrupt official who took advantage of others."

"What exactly do you want to say?" Ye Jin frowned.

"Where did the silver go? Ask Lord Zeng, the leader of the southwestern garrison who has returned this time. I'm afraid he'll know much better." Bai Laicai continued to eat melon seeds.

Ye Jin stood up suddenly.

"I heard that General Shen has returned to the royal city." Bai Laicai said slowly, "Liu Bi is dead, but who said that he was the one in charge of the county magistrate's office before?"

Ye Jin stomped his feet, turned around and ran out of the yard.

In the government office, the newly transferred county magistrate Lin Yong was tied up and thrown into the dungeon. Most of the southeastern garrison troops rebelled overnight and quietly trapped Liam in the government office.

Liam stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at Liu Man and the garrison commander Zeng Xuan in front of him.

"How dare you!" Eunuch Si Xi stood in front of them, "Why don't you retreat quickly?"

Liu Man said in a neutral tone: "Now that things have come to this, Your Majesty, please stay here for a while. It won't be too late to leave after you get some news from the royal city."

"Very good." Liam ignored him and looked at Zeng Xuan coldly, "I really misjudged you."

Zeng Xuan said nothing, his face pale. He was originally a young man in the southeast garrison, and he climbed to the position of commander step by step with the support of Liam. However, when he had too much power, he was inevitably greedy, so he was caught by Liu Bi. Liam was never soft-hearted in punishing corrupt officials. He would die anyway, so he had no choice but to go along with Liu's family, but he didn't expect the other party to be so bold.

But since we've already boarded the pirate ship, even if there's a dead end ahead, we have no choice but to sit on it.