Chapter 112

"Li Gongpu?"

Princess Changning blinked, finding it somewhat amusing:

"Impossible."

"Why?" Xie Jinhuan looked slightly puzzled.

Duoduo quietly crept up to Xie Jinhuan, helped serve food, and explained:

"Undercover agents are all about stealing secrets or plotting treachery.

"Eunuch Li holds a high title, but lacks real power; his sole duty is to amuse the Emperor and convey his edicts. The subordinates under him are all petty officials who fawn over the powerful.

"Claiming he is a spy for the Demon Dao is less credible than claiming Young Master Xie is an undercover agent sent by a Great Demon."

"Hmm?"

Xie Jinhuan sat up straighter and spoke with stern righteousness:

"How could I possibly be a Demon Dao spy? Am I more suspicious than Li Gongpu?"

Princess Changning nodded with grave seriousness:

"The primary task of an undercover agent is to infiltrate an organization's core, gaining value and even trust.

"Your reputation as a hero is widespread, your righteousness is absolute, and your achievements are illustrious. Now, no matter what you do, those in power will not suspect you. For instance, if you wanted to ask about military preparedness, my father values you and might actually tell you.

"But Li Gongpu is different; no matter what he wants to do, the Censorate scolds him first. If he passes the door of the Minister of War, the censors wonder if he is concocting a foolish scheme to use military funds to build gardens for the Emperor. If he passes the door of the Minister of Personnel, the censors suspect he has taken bribes again to promote someone.

"If someone happens to receive a promotion or rank increase during those days, it's over; they will be investigated inside and out three times over to see if their performance is qualified or if they gave gifts...

"Under such circumstances, how could Li Gongpu secretly collude with the Demon Dao to set up a plot?"

"..."

Xie Jinhuan thought carefully and realized it was indeed true; if Li Gongpu had not been single-mindedly acting as a court jester, only scooping up money and touching nothing else, he would have been killed by the court officials long ago.

The reason he hasn't died is obviously because he hasn't touched the Emperor's forbidden scale; the Emperor is reluctant to kill him.

Princess Changning also disliked the Li family for being rich but unrighteous, thought for a moment, and added:

"My father's character is upright; he has actually wanted to deal with the Li family for a long time and previously discussed with his tutors how to punish Li Gongpu."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Xie Jinhuan naturally perked up:

"How did they discuss it?"

Princess Changning recalled slightly:

"The Crown Prince is the Emperor's only son, has loved learning since childhood, and possesses much of the Ancestral Founder's style. Not only does the Emperor value him, but he is also highly praised by the court officials.

"The heir apparent is a reassurance; even if the Emperor is urged by Li Gongpu to engage in grand construction and extravagance, there will one day be new people replacing the old, so the officials can turn a blind eye.

"But if Li Gongpu dares to bewitch the Crown Prince into indulging in pleasures and losing his ambition, that would be a grave taboo. Not only would the officials want him dead, but the Emperor would also think, 'Li Gongpu, this old servant, thinks my time is up?' To prevent the Crown Prince from truly being corrupted, he likely would no longer protect him.

"My father originally intended to gather evidence of Li Gongpu bewitching the Crown Prince, then unite with the officials to submit a memorial remonstrating, asking the Emperor to behead this court jester.

"But Li Gongpu had great self-awareness; he was single-mindedly pleasing the Emperor, committing no major errors but constant minor ones, and could dodge the Crown Prince's procession from half a li away. Unable to find even a single flaw, the matter eventually faded away."

The Crown Prince...

Xie Jinhuan felt this seemed like a breakthrough point, thought for a moment, and said:

"I heard the Emperor's health is failing. People like Li Gongpu are essentially 'piggy banks.' If the Crown Prince ascends and makes an example of him, not only will the officials clap in approval, but the common people will also feel great satisfaction, and his prestige will rise immediately. Li Gongpu is a smart man; could he not think of this? Does he not leave himself a way out?"

Princess Changning shook her head and said, "Li Gongpu certainly knows, but this matter is still too early.

"The Emperor suffered heavily from injuries during the Jian'an Incident; at that time, it had reached a point where nothing could save him. Fortunately, Lord He, the Imperial Father-in-law, sought a good prescription from the Hidden Immortal Sect and saved his life. Although his health has been poor for twenty years, it has had no major impact to this day.

"In my father's view, the Emperor governing until sixty is no problem; Li Gongpu still has time and certainly won't jump out to seek death so early. And..."

Princess Changning, speaking to this point, showed a trace of worry between her brows again and said in a low voice:

"And with the Emperor's health failing, the one worrying is not Li Gongpu, but my father.

"My father and the Emperor are brothers who shared hardships; serving as an official in Danzhou, he still walks on thin ice, whereas with the Crown Prince, they are merely uncle and nephew, with very little interaction.

"When the new monarch ascends the throne in the future, my father must resign and yield power immediately. Being able to spend his remaining years in Danyang is thanks to the blessing of 'a son's low status elevates the father.' If Little Dezi had even a shred of ability, it wouldn't be in the future; right now, my father would probably already be a prince in Lingnan."

Hearing this, Xie Jinhuan couldn't help but blink, feeling that the Hereditary Prince was actually not completely useless.

However, this matter currently has little to do with him; the current primary goal is still to seek revenge and kill Li Gongpu.

Li Gongpu is a loyal dog providing emotional value to the Emperor, and he is flawless; only when the Emperor dies will this dog follow to be buried with him.

But the Emperor cannot die for now; he cannot kill the Emperor to get rid of Li Gongpu and pull the firewood from under the pot!

Therefore, to kill Li Gongpu without provoking the Emperor's suspicion, the only way is to make Li Gongpu fall out of favor, such as by catching evidence of Li Gongpu bewitching the Crown Prince to secure a way out.

As long as the Emperor feels Li Gongpu can no longer be kept, killing him will be too easy; just digging up some old accounts and this person will die.

But Li Gongpu lacks the courage to bewitch the Crown Prince; how can evidence be found...

Seeing Xie Jinhuan's brows tightly furrowed as he kept talking about Li Gongpu, Princess Changning asked:

"Do you really want to eliminate Li Gongpu?"

Xie Jinhuan quickly put aside his stray thoughts, shook his head, and smiled:

"I just can't stand this kind of rich but unrighteous flatterer; we were just chatting privately."

Princess Changning said no more, drank a few cups of wine, and then took out a stack of banknotes from her sleeve:

"This is the dividend from the money you won for this Princess at the Golden Tower last time. Although the silver was embezzled, I, the Princess, will not give you less than what is due."

Seeing the landlady so generous, Xie Jinhuan smiled and said:

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness..."

"Eh?"

Princess Changning put the banknotes back, her eyes full of charm, and looked him up and down:

"You just take the silver like that?"

Duoduo, now perked up, poked Xie Jinhuan's pectoral muscle with her finger:

"Indeed, Young Master Xie, mere verbal thanks won't suffice; something tangible is needed, isn't it?"

"?"

Xie Jinhuan knew that a rich woman's silver wasn't so easily earned; one had to please her first to get it. He thought for a moment, then turned to look at Duoduo, who was secretly taking advantage:

"Do you have a sanxian?"

"Yes!"

Duoduo quickly stood up, ran to the side room, brought her own sanxian, and handed it to Xie Jinhuan:

"What song does Young Master Xie wish to play?"

"A Buddhist piece; you likely haven't heard it before."

Princess Changning blinked her eyes, showing slight surprise:

"You also understand Buddhist music?!"

"I know a little about everything."

Xie Jinhuan held the sanxian, recalled the tune slightly, and then began:

"Dang dang~ dang dang dang dang~ dang dang dang dang..."

The melody was extremely lively and full of rhythm; even Meiqiu nodded repeatedly and began performing a spirit dance on the table.

Duoduo blinked her eyes, first listening carefully, then crossing her arms, her eyes full of confusion:

"This... this tune seems a bit frivolous; can it be Buddhist music?"

Princess Changning felt the same and teased:

"Could it be the Buddha of Joy?"

"This piece manifests 'the soul returning to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Pure Land of the Buddha Realm,' and also the 'Butterfly Breaking the Cocoon Step'; let me teach you how to dance it..."

Xie Jinhuan wasn't satisfied with just playing; he stood up and began teaching the dance steps:

"One foot forward, one back; pivot on the toes; open and close... yes, don't be shy; the movements must be fast. Yes, yes, come on, follow my rhythm..."

Duoduo, possessing both beauty and talent, followed Xie Jinhuan's movements to learn; within a few tries, she found the feel of it.

Princess Changning only then realized that Meiqiu wasn't performing a spirit dance by spinning and hopping with her wings spread; she was actually dancing. She immediately stood up and began learning alongside Duoduo.

And in such a situation, how could the Ghost Wife be absent? She popped out and started dancing as part of the group.

"Yes, yes... lift your hands, spin... be generous, lift your chest..."

Xie Jinhuan taught by example while providing the music; seeing the three young ladies display lively and spirited dance moves, he felt only delight.

However, the Landlord Lady's and Duoduo's hezi skirts weren't quite suitable for such a lively dance; once they started, it was like a stormy sea, shaking so much it made one dizzy.

Especially the Landlord Lady; naturally beautiful and very full-figured, the fat-headed Kong Que was extremely lively; he was even afraid she might bounce right out.

Meanwhile, the Ghost Wife had quite a strong desire to win; perhaps noticing his gaze kept drifting toward the Landlord Lady, her red skirt suddenly began to change, transforming into a loose red gauze robe.

The skirt looked like a nightgown; although one couldn't see inside, one could sense she was wearing nothing underneath; the shaking would simply be...

Amazing!

Princess Changning was seriously learning when she noticed Xie Jinhuan's gaze suddenly shift toward the empty space to the side, his pupils shrinking slightly. She couldn't help but turn her head in confusion:

"What are you looking at?"

"Uh... nothing, just thought of something happy. Continue; Your Highness is truly smart; Miss Duoduo, be a bit more generous..."

"If I'm any more generous, I'll bounce right out; does Young Master Xie want to see?"

"How could that be..."

"Then I'll let Young Master sneak a peek..."

"Hey, hey, hey..."

——

Half an shichen later.

After serving the Landlord Lady and Big Duoduo, Xie Jinhuan felt that finding a fellow Daoist to pour his heart out to for silver was still faster.

He returned alone to his lodging; before entering, he first glanced outside Mo Mo's room.

Having stayed up all night yesterday, Linghu Qingmo was indeed a bit sleepy; at this moment, lying on the bed, one could hear her even breathing.

Xie Jinhuan leaned in to listen, found that Mo Mo was sleeping very soundly, and, not wanting to disturb her, turned and went back into his own room.

Ye Hongshang had been joining in the nonsense just now; at this moment, she still acted very tired, sat down in a large armchair, and lightly fanned herself with a round fan:

"What? Are there more bad ideas brewing in your belly?"

Xie Jinhuan sat in front of her, picked up the teapot to pour water, thought for a moment, and said:

"The Qian Emperor's health is poor; once the Crown Prince ascends the throne later, he will definitely treat Li Gongpu like a New Year's pig and slaughter him. Li Gongpu cannot help but worry.

"What I'm thinking is, after three rounds of wine at the banquet, we'll have Li Gongpu fall under an illusion spell, 'seeing' signs that the Qian Emperor's life is nearly over.

"Once Li Gongpu discovers the Emperor is dying soon, he will definitely urgently seek a way out. At that time, I'll keep watch, expose the matter of the Crown Prince being seduced into neglecting his duties for pleasure to the Emperor's table, and then, through the hand of the Pill King, expose the Li family's wealth without righteousness and bribery, etc. We should be able to kill this grandson."

Ye Hongshang nodded slightly: "This method is good; let's do it."

Xie Jinhuan considered it slightly, then frowned and said:

"However, it's not good to enter the palace with a sword, and when casting an illusion spell, will experts like Cao Fo'er discover it?"

Ye Hongshang shook her head, her eyes full of pride:

"When Sister acts, only the person being influenced can sense the anomaly; others won't discover it.

"As for wearing sword and boots in the hall, who says Sister must stay inside the sword? I'll just possess you; anyway, as long as I don't show my head, no one can find me."

Xie Jinhuan asked in confusion: "Possess me? How do you possess?"

Ye Hongshang said no more; they locked eyes, and right there, they started the process:

"Don't resist; I'm coming in~"

"Ugh... be gentle."

Xie Jinhuan casually tossed out a flirtatious remark, staring straight into those eyes, like a demoness atop a mountain peak.

Very quickly, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, his consciousness slipping into a half-dream state, leaving him stunned for an instant.

When he regained clarity, the legendary luxury car was gone, leaving only him sitting alone in the room.

"Huh?"

Xie Jinhuan looked around, found no change, and called out:

"Master... I'm a lecher... Hey?!"

He realized his mouth was no longer under his control, and his eyes widened in shock!

Then his limbs also refused to obey—he stood up and took two overly effeminate steps forward.

Sensing he was truly possessed, Xie Jinhuan's scalp prickled, and he hurriedly said:

"No no, anyone can see I'm not right—quickly stop this magic!"

"Just teasing you. When the time comes, you'll move on your own—I'll just watch from the shadows."

Xie Jinhuan heard the voice beside his ear, but turned his head and saw no trace of the ghost bride.

He was about to ask again when he suddenly realized his legs wouldn't obey—he turned and walked to the bed, sitting down and unfastening his belt.

Rustle-rustle~

?!

Xie Jinhuan looked down at his wildly moving hands, bewildered:

"What are you doing?"

"After all these days of exhaustion, you deserve some relief—I'll use Left Lady to help you relax."

"Huh?"

Xie Jinhuan paused slightly, silently pondering:

The ghost bride possesses me, uses my hands to help me...

Isn't that just me helping myself?

"Hey hey, no no, I'm not tired, I still need to change clothes—please leave now."

"Call me Master Lord."

"Huh? What strange fetish is this? I hold the Zhenglun Sword, not some... Hey hey hey! Master Lord!"

"Hmph~ That's better..."

Xie Jinhuan noticed his unruly left hand had finally stopped—he finally sighed in relief, deciding that ghost possession was something best avoided in the future...

———

Just finished typing, really sorry or2!

(End of Chapter)