46: Lin Wan'er: What are the side effects of this medicine?

Chapter 46: Lin Wan'er: What are the side effects of this medicine?

As Li Chang'an exited the palace gates, he saw Wang Qinian chatting with Xing Yusen, the chief constable of the Ministry of Justice.

Name: Xing Yusen

Age: 35 years old

Realm: Eighth-rank Mid

Talents: Blade Arts (Ninth-rank), Investigation (Seventh-rank)

Abilities: Investigation (Eighth-rank), Leadership (Fifth-rank), Management (Third-rank)

Affection: 30

Wang Qinian was speaking with righteous indignation, while Xing Yusen frowned, appearing somewhat conflicted.

"Lao Xing, we're old acquaintances. If it weren't for our brotherhood, I wouldn't tell him this!"

"You earn over ten taels of silver a month, why are you risking your life!"

"Chief constable of the Ministry of Justice sounds impressive, but it's only on par with a sixth-rank principal, so your career path isn't bright."

"Come be His Highness's personal guard, at least a deputy commander, for one hundred and eighty taels a month!"

Xing Yusen smacked his lips, "My goodness, ten times! If it weren't for the sake of these common people, I would truly go with Brother Wang."

Wang Qinian saw an opening, a chance to recruit an eighth-rank expert for Li Chang'an.

He was about to continue persuading, but Han Zhiwei had already trotted over, "Wang Qinian! Shut up!"

"You've already tricked the Kyoto Prefecture constable into becoming Prince Yong's personal guard, and now you're even setting your sights on the chief constable of the Ministry of Justice!"

Seeing Minister Han arrive, Wang Qinian immediately scurried away and hid behind Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an cupped his hands to Minister Han and said, "Minister Han, please don't mind him; Lao Wang was just joking."

"This Prince recently implemented a new policy. If this Prince is not injured within a year, the personal guards will receive twenty months' salary for that year!"

"If Lao Wang truly wanted to win over Constable Xing, how could he not mention such an important matter!"

"Minister Han, Constable Xing, this Prince will take his leave now!"

Li Chang'an left with Wang Qinian, leaving Constable Xing muttering to himself.

"Twenty months' salary in one year? Is there really such a good thing in the world!"

Minister Han quickly said, "Lao Xing, you must stay steady. This official has applied for the title of Great Qing Divine Constable for you, and it will be issued soon!"

The incident of the Brothel girl accusing Prince Yong caused a city-wide sensation.

But most people lamented that Prince Yong had met the wrong person, to be bitten by a Brothel girl.

"Wow! You didn't see it, the Brothel girl's carriage sped like the wind, and in the end, a wheel even broke off!"

"A Brothel girl suing the Emperor, and accusing a Great Qing Prince, I've truly seen it all!"

"Could a Brothel have chaste and virtuous women? These two women definitely have problems!"

"It was His Majesty's keen insight that he didn't heavily punish His Highness Prince Yong!"

...The palace acted swiftly. Eunuch Hou personally sent Liu Shuyan to Prince Yong's Residence, and Emperor Qing also bestowed a considerable amount of gold and silver.

When she saw Li Chang'an, Liu Shuyan's expression was displeased, and without a word, she twisted his ear.

"So young, and already so ill-behaved, even learning from others to go to a Brothel!"

"I heard you even invited all sorts of frivolous singing girls to the Prince's Residence to perform, you've truly gone too far!"

"Someone! First, give Zhao Gao one hundred strokes of the rod! Xiren, Qingwen, you are not allowed to stay by His Highness's side anymore..."

Throughout Prince Yong's Residence, everyone around Li Chang'an, more or less, received punishment.

Eunuch Hou watched from a distance as Zhao Gao was beaten with the rod, his mouth twitching in pain.

"Lao Zhao, although you are Ninth-rank, you should at least resist with True Qi. That must hurt a lot."

Wang Qinian, standing beside him, thought to himself, 'You are sent by His Majesty to supervise, and you are also a Great Grandmaster.'

'If Zhao Gao used True Qi, you would definitely discover it! This Eunuch Hou is truly wicked!'

Eunuch Hou watched for a while, then prepared to leave.

"Wang Qinian, I heard you are the most active person in Kyoto. Why are you so reserved today?"

As Eunuch Hou spoke, Wang Qinian involuntarily shivered!

He thought to himself that it was his first time seeing a Great Grandmaster, and he was both excited and apprehensive, so he was indeed more reserved than usual.

Without a word, Wang Qinian immediately took out the ten thousand taels of silver notes arranged by Prince Yong and respectfully handed them to Eunuch Hou.

"Eunuch Hou, you've worked hard. You are His Majesty's favorite, so this Wang dares not be presumptuous."

How shrewd Eunuch Hou was; he glanced at the silver notes and immediately knew their value, his hand trembling slightly as he took them!

As expected of His Highness Prince Yong, he gave ten thousand taels of silver notes at once!

Seeing Eunuch Hou's trembling hands, Wang Qinian secretly admired him, 'As expected of a Great Grandmaster, he's disguised it so well!'

Li Chang'an, with a string of sweet words, finally appeased Liu Shuyan.

"Mother, you're back now, but the act still has to continue..."

Court of Judicial Review prison.

Si Lili handled this matter very well, and Li Chang'an was very satisfied, so her subordinates were also released.

He arranged for the Kyoto Net to bribe the Court of Judicial Review jailers, so Si Lili and Yuan Meng's flogging was not severe, and they would not be bullied in prison.

However, this matter caused a great stir, and the two were confined in the Court of Judicial Review prison in cangues for a month, with no reduction in time.

Fortunately, the three-court trial was not public, and Yuan Meng's "special Hobbies" only circulated in a small circle.

Flogging and confinement in a cangue were necessary punishments for filing an imperial complaint; whether one won or lost, the accuser had to accept them.

Yuan Meng's head, wrapped in white cloth, rested on the heavy cangue, not daring to move.

During this month, she couldn't help but scold Si Lili every day.

"I heard His Majesty the Emperor compensated you with two hundred thousand taels of silver from the Inner Court. What did you gain from this, really!"

"That calligraphic work of poetry that His Highness Prince Yong gave you is worth seventy to eighty thousand taels!"

"If you just served him well, he could casually write a few poems for you, and a million taels would be easy!"

"I've been in Liujing River for so many years, and I've never seen anyone as foolish as you!"

Si Lili was also full of suppressed anger; she felt more wronged than anyone!

All of this was Prince Yong's game; playing with her wasn't enough, he had to stage such a spectacle!

She also wanted to attach herself to Li Chang'an, so she wouldn't have to worry about food and drink in the future, and could also subtly gather information about Southern Qing.

But His Highness Prince Yong had so many tricks, what could she do!

"Yuan Meng, shut up! If you say one more word, I'll kick your face!"

Their daily arguments always ended with such a threat.

Three months later, in the Imperial Study.

Emperor Qing rubbed his bow and arrows while listening to Eunuch Hou's report.

"Your Majesty, Prince Yong's Residence is quite lively now, with chaos every few days.

His Highness Prince Yong can't stand music, so he argues with Imperial Concubine Liu every few days."

"The eunuchs and palace maids around His Highness Prince Yong have been beaten many times on his behalf."

"The Ministry of Justice and the Surveillance Bureau also sent people to teach His Highness criminal law, but they are often so angered by His Highness that they storm off."

"His Highness often says, 'Under heaven, nothing is not the King's land; the world belongs to the Li family, so the imperial family naturally stands above the law!'"

Emperor Qing sneered twice after hearing this, "Truly lawless. How are those two women who filed the complaint?"

Eunuch Hou replied, "It's a great taboo for Brothel girls to pester their patrons. Both their reputations are ruined, and they can no longer do Brothel business."

"Yuan Meng, I don't know what methods she used, but she's reconnected with Prince Jing's heir and opened a small Brothel of her own."

"The Supervisory Council investigated Si Lili. She comes from a Jianghu Gang, so her temper is a bit fierce. She is currently still at Drunken Immortal Tavern, responsible for training courtesans."

Imperial Villa.

Lin Wan'er, in a white dress, was learning embroidery, and the room's window was open as usual.

Li Chang'an had told her early on that she should eat more meat and open the windows often, so Lin Wan'er was in very good health.

A soft sound by the window, and Lin Wan'er stopped the needlework in her hand, a shy smile appearing on her delicate face.

She glanced out the window, and indeed, it was her beloved Uncle Prince Yong.

Ever since she read romance of the western chamber, she never locked her window, even when sleeping at night.

"Wan'er, I brought you something good!"

Lin Wan'er's social anxiety had been cured by Li Chang'an, but she was still particularly shy now.

Upon seeing Li Chang'an, Lin Wan'er's face was completely flushed with shyness, "Wan'er greets Uncle Prince Yong."

Li Chang'an had already opened the small box, and Lin Wan'er revealed an unconcealed look of pleasant surprise!

"Uncle Prince Yong, you've found the medicine to treat consumption."

Li Chang'an lightly flicked Lin Wan'er's fair forehead, "I found it, but it might have some side effects."

Lin Wan'er, eager to cure her consumption, showed a look of worry, "What... what are the side effects?"