I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 575: Chapter 320 Jiangning Son-in-law_2

“Why not support the prince, but instead choose that eunuch?”

“Should I dare approach any prince, I would lose His Majesty’s trust, and the Feng family wouldn’t live to see the day of uprising.”

Prince of Pingxi said, “Although that eunuch of the Eastern Depot has a bad reputation and is unscrupulous in his methods, his situation is very similar to mine; the entire court is under Emperor’s control, and what’s more important, he has the capability.”

“With the Feng family on the outside and the Eastern Depot on the inside, it might just find a sliver of hope for the Feng family!”

“What sliver of hope, it’s nothing but an excuse for power.”

Feng Ze said, “If Father truly wishes for the family to be unharmed, you could submit a request to feign illness, resign from all official posts, and retire to our Northwest homeground. The Feng family would certainly enjoy wealth and honor for generations!”

...

The words were spiked with criticism, but the Prince of Pingxi was not annoyed, instead, he asked in return.

“Would you be willing to return to your Northwest home?”

“Of course not!”

Feng Ze stood up briskly, standing tall with chest out and a fervent glint in his eyes.

“Even if I have to gamble with the lives of the Nine Clans, I must take a chance. Since I have come to this world, I must leave a few lines in the history books, even if it’s as a rebel or carry infamy!”

…

After the supervisor of the Eastern Depot returned.

The already turbulent Capital began to churn up waves of unrest.

First, an Imperial Censor submitted a memorial to impeach the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, accusing him of selling ranks and offices and forming cliques for selfish ends, asking His Majesty to hand the case over to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for investigation.

The court and the public were in an uproar, clueless about the grievances between the two.

One was a leader of the clean stream, and the other, a Heavenly Official of one of the six ministries, both regarded as the upright pillars among the civil officials, had now come to blows.

Little did they expect this was just the beginning; several high-ranking officials began to submit impeachments one after another.

The Orthodox Emperor, whenever he held court, found his ministers biting and snarling at each other; the solemn and dignified morning court sessions turned into a marketplace brawl, with revered officials nearly coming to blows, grabbing hair and gouging eyes.

The chaotic court was completely incapable of dealing with state affairs.

And yet, the Orthodox Emperor couldn’t just arrest them all, he could only mediate with a headache, pacifying the Ministry of Revenue one day and persuading the Ministry of Personnel the next.

Any astute onlooker could see that the turmoil in the court must have been orchestrated by a hidden hand behind the scenes.

This was just the prelude to a great storm!

Before long, it was June.

The sun was blazing.

The palace had become a steaming hotbed, with the use of ice for cooling increasing by the day.

Watching the stored ice dwindling, the Imperial Household Office, to ensure the Inner Palace’s supply, began collecting ice tributes from the common people.

After several rounds of bidding, the Jiangning Su family acquired the ice tribute rights at prices significantly below cost.

…

Imperial Household Office.

Eight large ice mirrors were placed around, making the temperature similar to that of autumn and winter.

In the palace, no one would run out of ice, as the Imperial Household Office would never be short — after all, there is no proverb about chefs dying of starvation.

Zhou Yi flipped through the ledger and, after some quick calculations of the palace’s usual ice storage costs and compared them to what was collected from the Su family, marveled at the price difference, which was over fifty percent lower.

“Where does the Su family get such cheap ice blocks, do they conjure them out of thin air?”

Eunuch Chen, the officer in charge of the Imperial Household Office, said, “Supervisor, it must be that the Su family has gained the profit from tributes and is deliberately losing money by selling to the palace, showing their loyalty to you.”

“If it were someone else, I’d believe it.”

Zhou Yi stroked his beardless chin, “The Jiangning Su family is different; they must be seeing a profit!”

Hearing this, the little page bowed deeply and reported.

“Godfather, Inspector Liu has sent a message; the men have been watching for several months and found that person lacks anything mystical and seemed rather sloppy and indolent, going about things at his own slow pace.”

Zhou Yi shook his head, “Being unhurried could also indicate he has a well-thought-out plan. Tell Inspector Liu to find out the secret of the Su family’s ice-making!”

“As you command.”

The little page’s eyes flickered with admiration for his godfather’s tactics; if he said the Su family had a secret method for making ice, then they definitely had one.

Having such a secret recipe would be like owning a gold mine that never runs dry!

Zhou Yi tapped the table thoughtfully, his mind wandering, then suddenly asked, “How did that person behave before, such as using the name card of the Crown Prince?”

“Reporting to godfather,”

the little page said, “That person showed no interest in the Su family business, but to vie for the tribute business, the Su family mortgaged their lands and dye workshops. If they didn’t secure a share, they’d go bankrupt.”

“It was only when the creditors were blocking their door and the Su family had no way out that he took out the Crown Prince’s name card!”

“So it is…”

Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up with understanding, immediately realizing that the Eastern Depot’s spy had been exposed.

The scouts were all skilled martial artists from Jianghu, taking turns to watch the man. Not only did they fail to notice anything unusual, but they also recognized the identity of someone from the Eastern Depot. From this, they surmised that he must possess mysterious martial arts.

He had never previously taken an interest in the Su family’s business, yet this time, he helped the Su family secure the Ice Tribute, which carried triple meanings.

Firstly, it was to tell Zhou Yi, “I already know about you”; secondly, it was to use the Ice Tribute as a signal to express the intention not to be enemies, perhaps even to cooperate; and thirdly, it showed that the method of producing ice was but a trivial matter in his hands.

To the common eyes, mountains of gold and silver were merely used by that man to send a message!

“How amusing, truly amusing!”

Zhou Yi clapped his hands in admiration. Communicating with a clever person was easy; everything could be made clear even from a thousand miles away.

“Little Seal, does anyone from the Jiangning Su family study or hold an official position?”

After careful reflection, Little Seal replied, “That person is not on good terms with several branches of the Su family. However, he takes good care of his own wife, whose brother has tried and failed to pass the imperial examination for three consecutive years!”

“Make sure to arrange everything properly.”

Zhou Yi ordered, “Let him pass the imperial examination next spring, find him a position in the capital, and we should also return the favor.”

Little Seal asked, “Do we need to arrange a good placement for him?”

“No need,”

Zhou Yi said, “This matter of returning a favor should be done according to the other party’s wishes. If they do not wish to stand out, making a big fuss on our part would turn the favor into a grudge!”

“Godfather, rest assured, it will be handled properly.”

Little Seal etched that man in his memory. There was no need for the ice-making method for now; they would have to establish a good relationship in the future.

“You all go about your tasks, I am going to meet an old acquaintance.”

Zhou Yi waved his hand to dismiss his entourage and made his way alone through the palace, with every eunuch he encountered kneeling and bowing in respect.

“Do your duties well.”

“Not bad, you have a future ahead.”

“If you can make something of yourself, just remember what I said…”

A pat on the shoulder and a few words were all it took for the internal servants to be immensely grateful, willing to die for Zhou Yi on the spot.

Until he reached the Cold Palace.

Zhou Yi glanced at the old palace gates, their lacquer spotty and starkly contrasting with the splendor of other areas within the palace.

“Old Lu, I’ve come to see you.”@@novelbin@@

As he spoke, he stepped inside and saw Old Lu lying on the steps, basking in the scorching sun, yet there wasn’t a trace of sweat on his body.

Zhou Yi had more than once suspected that Old Lu was an extraordinary master the likes of which rarely appear in the world, but after several tests, it was confirmed that he was just an ordinary old eunuch who had simply lived a long time.

Old Lu opened his cloudy eyes, which had aged considerably in the two years since last seen, his pupils almost scattering.

“How come you make no sound when you walk?”

“It’s a habit. In the early years, when I was on duty in the palace, who didn’t walk silently? A heavy step that disturbed any noble person would result in being dragged out and executed immediately.”

Zhou Yi, indifferent to the dirt on the steps, lay down in his dragon robes and curiously asked,

“Old Lu, how come you’re not sweating at all? Could it be that you’ve become immune to heat and cold like me?”

“I am just an old man; I can’t compare to the famous Eunuch Zhou, who even cut down the Innate Sword God!”

Old Lu gently touched his chest: “When the heart is calm, the body is cool. My heart is nearly stopping; I can’t even tell hot from cold anymore.”

Zhou Yi used the Breath Listening Technique and indeed, Old Lu’s heartbeat was slow and feeble, as if it could stop at any moment. A hint of pleasure flashed in Zhou Yi’s eyes, just as the internal servants had reported.

Old Lu was close to death!

—Just a moment, refresh and it’ll be fine~

“Godfather, rest assured, it will be handled properly.”

Little Seal etched that man in his memory. There was no need for the ice-making method for now; they would have to establish a good relationship in the future.

“You all go about your tasks, I am going to meet an old acquaintance.”

Zhou Yi waved his hand to dismiss his entourage and made his way alone through the palace, with every eunuch he encountered kneeling and bowing in respect.