PDLP Chapter 38 If you can't tame it, can't you cook it properly?
Chapter 38 If you can't tame it, can't you cook it properly?
“I have other uses for them. You can put these into the sachet later,” Shen Li reminded her.
"Oh yes."
Shen Li could smell a strong scent of realgar as soon as she finished eating. Peony came back from outside and said that realgar was being sprinkled everywhere in Anhua Palace, especially in the main hall and Wanbao Pavilion.
"I also brought some back. At first, the eunuch was unwilling to give them to me, but he gave them to me after seeing the whip on my waist," Peony said with a hint of pride.
"Just sprinkle it outside, don't do it inside." Shen Li was using chopsticks to feed the snake raw meat into a container: "If anyone asks outside, just say I can't stand the smell of realgar."
"Yes," Peony replied and left.
"It seems you've terrified that Imperial Concubine." Shen Li teased, watching the snake flick its long tongue. "I'm really suffering because of you; this tastes awful."
The realgar caused panic in Anhua Palace, and rumors began to circulate in private, with some even saying that a snake spirit was coming to seek revenge.
That evening, Shen Li was painting at her desk when she suddenly heard short, continuous whistles outside the window. At the same time, the container holding the snake also moved.
Shen Li gestured, and Shaoyao quickly stepped forward, picked up the container, and wrapped it in a blanket to prevent the snake from making a sound.
"Dudu..."
The whistle continued to sound for a while, and then gradually faded away after there was no response.
After the whistle stopped, the snake clearly calmed down.
“Miss, this snake has been trained; it was indeed released by them.” Peony’s voice was very low.
Shen Li picked up her paintbrush and instructed, "Hide it well, don't let them find it."
"Yes." Peony roughly placed the snake next to her pillow so she could deal with it immediately if she heard any noise.
"You better behave yourself, or I'll soak you in snake wine." She was still threatening the snake.
The snake seemed to possess some kind of intelligence; it flicked out half of its tongue and then withdrew it.
"You're eating my food now, so don't move if you hear that whistle again." Peony vented all her anger on the snake: "I don't believe it, if I can't tame you, I can at least stew you."
Shen Li shook her head and chuckled, her brushstrokes becoming lighter. She painted this picture with a relaxed and enjoyable attitude, it possessed a far greater spirituality than in her previous life.
Indeed, people can't stand being wronged. It's better to kill someone than to cultivate oneself. It's easier for someone else to do something like die for their cause.
She was captivated by the painting and spent two days painting, except for eating and sleeping. During this time, she also visited Wanbaoge once to capture the different charms of Consort Zheng at all ages.
No further mishaps befell her. Instead, Consort Zheng had nightmares for two nights in a row. When the palace servants went to summon the emperor, they were told that he was tied up in court.
The court was already in a state of panic as Zhao Jing arrested people and Gu Chang'an investigated embezzled funds. Now, the censors and officials have once again submitted a large number of memorials to impeach some officials of the Six Ministries.
Emperor Cheng clearly saw that this was a tactic used by the Crown Prince to protect himself, and thought that he could deal with the censors openly and suppress the matter secretly.
As a result, the pressure gradually became uncontrollable, because among the dozens of impeachment cases, six or seven people impeached the same person, and it was his most sensitive crime of corruption.
With the imperial court facing a tense two-front war, anyone who touches its money is tantamount to touching its lifeline.
Emperor Cheng looked at the surveillance report sent by Zhao Jing and his face turned ashen.
“Your Majesty, I have some more leads that I can continue to investigate,” Zhao Jing said from below.
"You just focus on investigating Liu Ling's case, and hand over all the clues you have to the Court of Judicial Review." Emperor Cheng narrowed his eyes: "Issue an imperial decree to order Gu Chang'an, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to preside over the trial of Chen Wenjin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, for embezzlement."
In major cases where no conclusion has been reached, he still has more faith in Gu Chang'an's abilities and sense of propriety.