Chapter 962: This Is Ridiculous (Patreon)

Chapter 962: This Is Ridiculous

Shu Yu and Hu Li walked ahead, with the others keeping some distance behind. It was then that Hu Li explained the purpose of going to the woods.

"Do you know that the black market obtained a mirror that can reveal one's true nature?" Hu Li asked.

Shu Yu nodded. "I heard Jiang Gongzi mention it yesterday, and that's why there are more guards now."

Hu Li continued, "Wasn't the mirror taken away by the Third Prince's consort? Later, when she saw the Empress Consort, the mother of the Third Prince, she liked it and gifted it to her. However, somehow, because of this mirror, the Empress Consort received a reward from the Emperor."

Hu Li wasn't very clear about the methods used within the palace, so he couldn't explain it in detail to Shu Yu.

But that was just the beginning. The result was that the Emperor's favored concubine, who was newly brought into the palace last year, became dissatisfied and caused a commotion, insisting on having that mirror.

Now, the flames of palace intrigue were ignited. Originally, it was thought to be a normal power struggle, as the harem often fought fiercely over trivial things, depending on whom the Emperor favored.

But this time was different. The Emperor's health was deteriorating, and the power struggle among the princes below was becoming more evident. As a result, the fire in the harem quickly spread to the court outside the palace.

Somehow, a rumor spread that the mirror was not an ordinary mirror. It could reflect the good and evil nature of a person, and it was because the Emperor saw that the Empress Consort was kind and gentle when he looked at her reflection in the mirror that he rewarded her.

"What?" Shu Yu widened her eyes, filled with question marks.

This was absurd!

"Do people actually believe this kind of rumor?" she asked, finding it almost comical.

Hu Li sighed. "Openly, no one believes it. Everyone thinks it's nonsense."

If no one believed it openly, then...

"What about secretly?" Shu Yu asked.

Hu Li sighed again. "Secretly, many people have come to the black market in Jiangyuan County."

"Do they believe it?"

"No," Hu Li replied.

Shu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. She thought that those cunning old foxes in the court had lost their minds.

Hu Li whispered, "Although they don't believe it, it's obvious that someone intentionally spread this rumor. They used the mirror as a topic of conversation. Although we don't know the ultimate goal, most likely they will also try to find the person who sold the mirror. As a result, several groups of people have come to Jiangyuan County's black market from different factions. If they don't meet, everything is fine, but if they do, conflicts arise."

Those people didn't enter the county town; they concentrated around the black market.

Jiangyuan County was under the jurisdiction of Weinan, who naturally wouldn't allow them to come and go as they pleased on his territory. However, the Fifth Prince sent a message, asking Xiang Weinan to be lenient on the outside but strict internally, only focusing on letting those people go to the black market and seeing what kind of outcome they could produce.

Later, the incident that Jiang Kuangyu mentioned occurred.

However, Jiang Kuangyu's information was limited, and it didn't match exactly what Hu Li said.

In reality, it wasn't just a minor disturbance; several lives were lost.

But those lives couldn't be openly handled. Whether it was the various groups or the black market, they had all vanished before the official authorities arrived.

Xiang Weinan wanted to investigate further by entering the mountains, but he was stopped at the foot of the mountain by guards who said it was a private estate and no entry was allowed without cause.

Xiang Weinan had to act discreetly and couldn't force his way in. Especially since it involved the various factions, if a mere county magistrate dared to interfere, he would become a thorn in someone's side.

Xiang Weinan could only temporarily retreat and wait for the right opportunity.