Chapter 28: Death Row Test Subject

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, wearing his new official robes and black gauze cap, left the palace under the escort of Tu Tu Kesiluo; by the time they returned to Tang Fu, it was already evening.

Steward Zhang had long hoped Jiang Jiang Mingyu would successfully be promoted, so when he returned, he was naturally overjoyed.

Seeing the blue official robes in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hand, he thought the Emperor had indeed not disappointed him by granting a promotion, which made Steward Zhang feel genuinely happy.

However, when Steward Zhang discovered that a Golden Guard was following behind Jiang Jiang Mingyu, he couldn't help but freeze in surprise.

The Golden Guard identity was originally established to protect the Emperor's safety; how could one appear by Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side?

Now that Jiang Jiang Mingyu had returned, Steward Zhang still felt there were too many mysteries left unsolved.

What exactly had Jiang Jiang Mingyu encountered that, while he was promoted, required the escort of a Golden Guard?

Everything seemed far too mysterious, leaving people unable to make sense of it.

This made Steward Zhang begin to worry: could there be some dangerous undercurrents secretly surging behind Jiang Jiang Mingyu's promotion this time?

Before Steward Zhang could speak, Tang Yuqi asked first: "May I ask who this military officer is..."

Tu Tu Kesiluo clasped his fist and introduced himself: "Your subordinate 'Tu Tu Kesiluo', of the Mongol tribe, Deputy Commander of the Inner Palace Guards, acting by imperial decree to personally protect Lord Jiang."

Upon hearing Tu Tu Kesiluo say he was sent by imperial decree to protect Jiang Jiang Mingyu, doubts arose in Steward Zhang's heart.

The Emperor had sent Jiang Jiang Mingyu to investigate this time, which should have been full of trust; why was a dedicated protector still needed? This seemed to contradict common sense and was hard to understand.

Moreover, Tu Tu Kesiluo was of the Mongol tribe yet served as Deputy Commander of the Inner Palace Guards, which also felt unusual.

The Emperor has always favored Han officials and rarely entrusted important tasks to ethnic minorities.

Therefore, Tu Tu Kesiluo's identity itself made Steward Zhang feel a hint of something amiss.

In summary, Steward Zhang judged that Tu Tu Kesiluo's true mission was most likely to monitor Jiang Jiang Mingyu's words and deeds, not to truly protect him.

The Emperor sent Jiang Jiang Mingyu to investigate the case, appearing to show great trust on the surface, yet secretly sent someone to monitor; this made Steward Zhang feel the matter might not be simple and that there were unknown hidden circumstances.

"Hahaha... Lord Tu, please come inside."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu politely said: "Although the house is large, fortunately there are not many people; this official will now call someone to clear out an empty room for you..."

Having finished speaking, Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked Steward Old Xie to choose an empty room in the side courtyard, tidy it up, so that Tu Tu Kesiluo could stay there.

"No!" Tu Tu Kesiluo said sternly: "Your subordinate is ordered to provide 'personal' protection and cannot leave Lord Tang more than ten paces away! Staying in the side courtyard... I fear that is too far."

Tu Tu Kesiluo's firm demand for personal protection of Jiang Jiang Mingyu made Jiang Jiang Mingyu feel awkward.

He had never been watched closely by anyone for a long time, so he had no experience with this and naturally found himself at a loss.

And since the Emperor had guards protecting him closely from childhood, he was already accustomed to such situations, which also made Jiang Jiang Mingyu feel a sense of difference, appearing even more awkward.

Steward Zhang suggested: "Next to the study is a small storage room used for storing books, separated from Lord Tang by only one wall; if Lord Tu does not mind, he could stay there temporarily; what do you think?" Having finished speaking, Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately nodded in agreement.

Although the plan proposed by Steward Zhang resolved the current awkward situation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's inner unease still seemed difficult to completely dispel.

He was not yet accustomed to being watched for a long time, and Tu Tu Kesiluo's appearance also seemed to add many unknowns.

This would undoubtedly make Jiang Jiang Mingyu feel doubtful; whether he could truly relax or not remained hard to judge.

That night, after settling Tu Tu Kesiluo, Jiang Jiang Mingyu discussed the case with Steward Zhang in the study.

Although he had been at the Ministry of Justice for a whole day, for Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the case before him was still a dead end, leaving him feeling very confused.

He had never ventured into criminal investigation and knew almost nothing about it, so facing the sudden death of the late Emperor and the downfall of Prime Minister Mei, he could only see darkness with no clue at all.

Fortunately, he had Steward Zhang by his side.

Although Steward Zhang himself had no background in criminal investigation either, in terms of offering strategies and advice, he still gave Jiang Jiang Mingyu considerable help.

With Steward Zhang's assistance, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was finally able to sort out some threads and gain a certain understanding of the case.

Although both had limited experience, under their mutual cooperation, they might be able to compensate for each other's shortcomings and ultimately solve the mystery of this case.

Now, they have gradually found their direction; next, they still need to continue pursuing various clues to gradually piece together the full picture of the truth.

This requires their close cooperation, each displaying their own special abilities, thereby achieving twice the result with half the effort. Perhaps only in this way can they hope to truly solve the case.

"I don't understand..." Jiang Jiang Mingyu said with a confused face: "If it was an overdose, why did the Emperor insist on investigating in the direction of regicide from the start?"

"Then you are unaware of this..." Steward Zhang continued: "Investigating the medicine is to seek the truth; whereas arresting people beforehand was the Emperor's true intention!"

"True intention?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu was even more confused.

Facing Steward Zhang's explanation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu still felt puzzled and unable to understand.

If the Emperor truly only wanted to ascertain the truth of the overdose, why did he initially suspect so persistently that this was a regicide case?

This contradictory behavior left Jiang Jiang Mingyu completely unable to figure out the Emperor's purpose.

Steward Zhang: "The late Emperor passed away suddenly, leaving behind a nest of factionalists; the Emperor wanted to use this case to purge treacherous elements and restore order to the court."

"Oh... I see." Jiang Jiang Mingyu seemed to understand something and added: "The Eunuch Faction's Nine Thousand Years fell just one day after the late Emperor's death; and Prime Minister Mei of the Mei Faction was successfully eliminated in just one afternoon today!"

"The Eunuch Faction was definitely bound to fall; what I fear is..." Steward Zhang stopped short.

"What are you afraid of?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked.

Steward Zhang: "Regarding factions, the Mei Faction ranks second; if targeting factions, it should have been to deal with Prime Minister He first, who holds the greatest power."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "Then why... was Prime Minister Mei the one eliminated first?"

However, after Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally understood the Emperor's true intention, he discovered that the progress of events did not seem to be what the Emperor wished.

Prime Minister He, who held the greatest power and should have been removed first, inexplicably fell after Prime Minister Mei.

This abnormal situation made both Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Steward Zhang feel very puzzled.

After pondering for a moment, Steward Zhang said: "To shoot a person, one must first shoot his horse; I guess... eight out of ten times the shot went astray; the Emperor originally intended to shoot the horse, but by chance shot the person instead!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "What do you mean by that?"

For a moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt dizzy and his head spun.

The progress of this case seemed rather unusual, with too many suspicious points for him to sort out.

And the Emperor's actions also left him unable to make sense of it, truly baffling.

Now, they seem to have finally grasped some of the truth, yet perhaps they are still far from the full picture of the case.

Steward Zhang: "Perhaps the Emperor himself did not expect that, regarding the matter of the Seven Times a Night Pill, the one colluding with the Eunuch Faction would be Prime Minister Mei!"

The butler Zhang spoke up to this point, then suddenly stopped, sinking into a long silence of deep thought.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was not idle either; he decided to investigate the truth, spread out paper, ink, brush, and inkstone before him, and began drawing a diagram of the relationships between various figures.

Perhaps, within this winding and twisting maze, the truth is hidden amidst these intricate relationships.

Now, it is time to slowly dismantle this maze.

"I understand!" After organizing his thoughts, the butler Zhang said, "The Emperor wants to use the investigation into the source of the 'Seven Times a Night Pill' to turn the spearhead back toward Prime Minister He!"

Now, although the butler Zhang and Jiang Jiang Mingyu have figured out the Emperor's purpose of "borrowing a knife" to eliminate Prime Minister He, they may not be able to easily prevent this matter from happening.

"Then what should we do?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly asked in a timid voice, "Should we... stand with Prime Minister He's faction? Or stand with the Emperor's faction?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the butler Zhang was immediately amused! He did not expect that Jiang Jiang Mingyu, having served as an official in the capital for only one year, had already fully adapted to the ecosystem of the officialdom, and he admired him from the bottom of his heart; truly worthy of being the newly crowned Zhuangyuan, indeed possessing brilliant talent.

The butler Zhang said, "Prime Minister He is advanced in years, and the sun is setting behind Mount Xishan; the fall of the He faction is only a matter of time; if we truly must choose, we must stand with the Emperor's faction!"

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was greatly confused. He retorted, "But Prime Minister He showed you kindness by recognizing your talent; how can you stand by and do nothing to save him?"

"Standing with the Emperor is for your own sake," the butler Zhang explained, "but from my standpoint, regarding this tribulation of Prime Minister He, I must save him for both public and private reasons."

Although the butler Zhang suggested that Jiang Jiang Mingyu stand with the Emperor's faction, he himself had an inescapable responsibility toward Prime Minister He.

Prime Minister He is old, and his power has long since waned like the setting sun; the Emperor wishes to use this case to arrest him, which is undoubtedly a life-threatening tribulation for Prime Minister He.

"Then how do you intend to save him?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked.

The butler Zhang said, "This... we must return to the 'Seven Times a Night Pill'."

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu pressed the butler Zhang on the specific method to save the person, the butler Zhang's answer seemed to leave people scratching their heads—returning to the case of the 'Seven Times a Night Pill'.

This left Jiang Jiang Mingyu extremely confused; could the 'Seven Times a Night Pill' be related to this matter again?

Or, has the butler Zhang already thought of a method to rescue Prime Minister He from this tribulation?

Early the next morning, Jiang Jiang Mingyu changed into a brand-new blue official robe and, accompanied by the butler Zhang and Tu Tu Kesiluo, went together to the Xingbu Sect.

The blue official robe symbolized Jiang Jiang Mingyu's official rank, allowing him to display his dignity before everyone.

And that Imperial Envoy's Golden Token further highlighted his identity for this visit to the Xingbu Sect, making all officials cower and dare not show the slightest negligence.

Even the red-robed ministers of the fourth rank and above, upon seeing the Imperial Envoy's Golden Token in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hand, had to yield three steps; this displayed the formidable power Jiang Jiang Mingyu held at this moment, which could not be underestimated.

The identity of the Imperial Envoy made him superior to others, causing all officials to be doubly respectful, fearing to offend this envoy representing imperial power.

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu stepped across the threshold of the Xingbu Sect, the officials immediately rushed forward to welcome him.

They all bowed to Jiang Jiang Mingyu in unison, their faces filled with reverence, as if they were deeply and sincerely admiring him.

Those red-robed ministers, who were usually arrogant and domineering, now, like seeing ghosts, cowered and were humble and polite.

This scene greatly surprised Jiang Jiang Mingyu, and at the same time, it made him feel a hint of pride.

In just a few short years, he had suddenly transformed from a scholar of a humble family into an envoy of imperial power; any clear-eyed person could see at a glance that his status and power had risen significantly.

This change caught Jiang Jiang Mingyu off guard, yet it also made him feel a hidden pride in himself.

However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu also knew that this pride was likely meaningless.

All glory and wealth come from the aid of imperial power; once the Emperor's support is lost, all of this will turn to nothing.

Therefore, although a hint of self-satisfaction inevitably arose in his heart, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was also clear that he was far from the time when he could be proud.

Now, he must focus and carefully complete the Emperor's instructions, without the slightest slack; this is the most important thing.

The scene before his eyes made Jiang Jiang Mingyu see clearly the preciousness and terror of power.

Before power, no one can remain uncorrupted; this is perhaps the first lesson of survival in officialdom—either submit or resist.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also seemed to have made a choice; however, whether this choice is correct or incorrect is still difficult to judge at present.

Everything awaits the passage of time before there will be an answer.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu retrieved the evidence and inspected the remaining 'Seven Times a Night Pill' from the night the late Emperor passed away; removing the one that Tu Tu Kesiluo had tested for poison, and the two that the Emperor had taken, there were still seven pills left in the brocade box.

According to the butler Zhang's thinking, they first had to prove the hypothesis that an overdose of the medicine would cause death. Tu Tu Kesiluo, who was with them, had taken one pill, so it was confirmed that the dosage of one pill would not be fatal; therefore, the next step was to find a living person to conduct an experiment and take two pills to try!

So they acted immediately; fortunately, the Xingbu Sect prison lacked nothing more than death row inmates; when the Emperor ascended the throne, although he had granted a general amnesty to the world, death row inmates were not within the scope of the special pardon, so many people were still imprisoned in the jail.

To achieve a high degree of restoration, the Xingbu Sect found a sixty-five-year-old elderly death row inmate and made him take two 'Seven Times a Night Pills' in succession!

After the death row inmate took the 'Seven Times a Night Pill', he quickly showed obvious medicinal reactions. He was covered in sweat, as if a fire was burning inside his body, making him feel unbearable heat and restlessness.

More critically, his lower body also showed abnormal conditions at the same time, presenting a swollen state, and the duration was abnormally long, failing to subside for a long time.

Li Li Xuanren, as the Imperial Physician, conducted a detailed examination of the death row inmate's symptoms.

The examination results showed that although the death row inmate had relatively obvious medicinal symptoms, there was no life-threatening danger; it was merely a symptom caused by the effect of the drug, falling within the normal range.

This also provided proof of the safety of the 'Seven Times a Night Pill'—although this medicine could stimulate human desire, it would not cause substantial harm to bodily functions, let alone be fatal.

Half a shichen passed, and the death row inmate was still alive; not only did he not die suddenly, but he was also jumping around wildly, shouting, "Quickly find me a Miss to have some fun with, otherwise... I will smash my head to death in the main hall of the Xingbu Sect!"

After the death row inmate took two 'Seven Times a Night Pills', although certain medicinal symptoms appeared, no life-threatening danger occurred.

This indicated that the dosage of two 'Seven Times a Night Pills' was not sufficient to be fatal.

This made everyone breathe a huge sigh of relief, confirming that it was highly likely the late Emperor did not pass away suddenly due to an overdose of medicine.

But at this moment, all the officials present were stunned; what they worried about was not the death row inmate's threat to smash his head to death, but rather the trouble of where to find a Miss for him to have fun with!

According to the principle of high-degree restoration, there indeed needed to be a female to conduct an experiment with the subject to verify whether the late Emperor died from an overdose of medicine? Or from what is commonly known as "death on horseback"?

Seeing that the medicinal effect on the death row inmate was about to fade by half, in a panic, the Xingbu Sect sent someone to drag a female pig from somewhere, and then locked the death row inmate and the pig back in the prison cell!

Afterwards, for a full half-ket of time, the cell where the death row inmate was located continuously emitted the howling of the pig, loud and mournful!

This also caused the other death row inmates in the neighboring cells to feel uneasy and terrified in their hearts.

When the cell door opened, the death row inmate was already lying exhausted on the straw.

His state seemed slightly better than when he entered, but the condition of his lower body was still difficult to look at directly.

The pitiful state of the female pig was even more heartbreaking—it was dazed and ramming around wildly, covered in scars, as if it had just experienced a nightmare.

But even so, after Li Li Xuanren's examination, the death row inmate's physiological functions were not significantly affected, merely a temporary physical exhaustion.

But the shock and harm suffered by the female pig still made people feel regretful.

This perhaps reveals humanity's fatal weakness—at certain moments, reason is temporarily obscured, and people do things they would never otherwise do; and that is precisely the most terrifying part.

It also deepened understanding of the effects of the Seven Times a Night Pill—it seemed only to stimulate desire, causing no harm to physiological functions, let alone proving fatal.

This experiment appeared to provide crucial leads for the subsequent investigation.

The reason for the late Emperor's passing might truly be far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Yet the experimental results gave Steward Zhang a headache. He scratched the back of his head, muttering, "Two pills didn't kill them? How about... try three next?"

At this, Yu Yu Dian stepped forward, urging, "If you keep testing, there will be no evidence left!" At that moment, five pills remained in the brocade box.

"Or perhaps... sows won't work; we must find women to experiment on?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu suggested.

Yu Yu Dian suddenly had a flash of inspiration, exclaiming excitedly, "The Ministry of Justice prison still holds several female prisoners; I can send someone to fetch them; however... if we test once more, only three Seven Times a Night Pills will remain!"

Yu Yu Dian's proposal seemed to excite him greatly. The miraculous effects of the Seven Times a Night Pill had aroused deep suspicion in him, while simultaneously igniting his thirst for knowledge.

Nowadays, medicines have become increasingly scarce, undoubtedly increasing the difficulty of the experiment.

Thus, when he suddenly recalled that several female prisoners were still held in the Ministry of Justice prison, he immediately felt this was a perfect opportunity.

Just then, Li Li Xuanren stepped forward, proposing, "We could first analyze the ingredients of the Seven Times a Night Pill, then reverse-engineer and refine it! In this way, you will have more Seven Times a Night Pills for experimentation."

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhang and Yu Yu Dian, without prior agreement, both brightened in the eyes!

When Li Li Xuanren proposed that mass production could be achieved by analyzing the ingredients of the Seven Times a Night Pill, this was undoubtedly the best method.

Yu Yu Dian naturally felt immensely excited; this meant he could continue his exploration and uncover more secrets of the medicine.

Li Li Xuanren's idea gave him hope, and this excitement naturally overflowed in his expression.

But the difficulty lay in finding a Gao Ren capable of analyzing the ingredients, who also understood the art of reverse-engineering and pill refinement.

Li Li Xuanren said confidently, "That is no worry; my master knows!"

"May I ask, Imperial Physician, who was your master?" Steward Zhang asked.

Li Li Xuanren: "This humble physician once studied under the True Person of Seven Seas Separation for over a decade."