Chapter 857: Fighting Poison with Poison (I)

The darkness before dawn, with clouds covering the sun and the stars and moon dimming, is the darkest moment when you cannot see your hand in front of you.

After a sudden downpour, only the cold and lingering autumn rain remained.

There is a majestic mansion in the north of Lin'an City. Although it had just experienced a huge storm not long ago, today, inside the pink walls and red doors and the jade-like buildings, the Cold Food Festival is still celebrated every morning and the Lantern Festival every night.

The only difference is that this luxurious and elegant mansion with carved railings and jade bricks now has a new owner.

This is the Prime Minister's Mansion, the first residence in Lin'an City besides the Imperial Palace and Prince Rong's Mansion. Unlike the equally magnificent Privy Council, this Prime Minister's Mansion is a private residence.

Before dawn, the "Acting Prime Minister" Lord Jia had already gotten up early, washed and prepared to go to the palace for court.

In the side hall of the inner house, Lord Jia, dressed neatly, sat upright with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Seven or eight maids tiptoed back and forth between the kitchen and the side hall, carefully bringing the steaming breakfast to the table one by one.

In a short while, the table was filled with all kinds of steamed dishes, dim sum and snacks. For porridge and soup alone, there were seven different ingredients and cooking methods, which showed how extravagant the meal was.

The maid in charge placed a pair of finely carved silver bowls and chopsticks neatly, then walked slowly and quietly to the side of Master Jia and said softly, "Master, breakfast is served, you can start eating."

"kindness!"

Lord Jia gave a vague response, and the leading maid quickly waved to the others.

Seeing this, seven or eight maids bowed to Lord Jia and left the side hall in an orderly manner.

It was Lord Jia's habit not to allow anyone to be around while he was eating, because he wanted to use the opportunity of eating alone to "examine himself" and think about the affairs of his family and country, and he hated being disturbed the most at this time.

When all the maids left, Lord Jia was the only one left in the huge side hall. His body, as still as a wooden sculpture, moved slightly and he slowly opened his eyes.

The sound of rain outside the window was pleasant, the smell of food in the hall was fragrant, and the flickering candlelight reflected a faint yellow color, making Lord Jia feel calm and comfortable at this moment.

"Kaka..."

Suddenly, there was a slight sound of tiles shaking from the roof, which made Lord Jia frown immediately. He stood up and stepped back subconsciously, looking towards the roof with caution.

"Meow!"

A cat's cry came from the roof, and the sound of footsteps on tiles gradually faded away. Lord Jia stared at the roof intently until the wild cat on the roof walked away and the sound disappeared, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What bad things have you done, sir? Why are you so cowardly?"

Just when Lord Jia was about to sit down again, a cold voice suddenly sounded from inside the room, which immediately changed his expression. The hairs on his body stood up instantly, and he subconsciously looked up.

I don't know when? Liu Xunyi, who was soaked and muddy, stood quietly in the corner of the side hall like a ghost, staring at the timid and pale Lord Jia with a pair of eyes that flickered. The cold eyes without any emotion, which seemed to be filled with murderous intent, made Lord Jia stiffen involuntarily and his back felt cold.

"Liu...Liu Xunyi, you...you..."

When the panicked Lord Jia gradually realized Liu Xunyi's identity, his face changed again and again. He wanted to say hello, but his throat tightened and his tongue became tied. He stammered for a long time and was unable to say anything.

"Master Jia, how are you?"

Compared to Lord Jia's fear and trepidation, Liu Xunyi seemed calm and composed.

"You...how did you get in?"

Lord Jia looked at Liu Xunyi, who had no expression on his face, with fear in his heart, and his trembling eyes glanced at the door inadvertently. Liu Xunyi saw the whole scene, so before Lord Jia could shout, Liu Xunyi's threat had already arrived quietly.

"I was able to sneak into the inner house without anyone noticing, which shows that the guards in your house are not worth mentioning. You should be aware of my methods. If you dare to shout or scream, my sword will definitely pierce your throat before the guards rush in."

When Liu Xunyi revealed his thoughts, Lord Jia's face turned pale as paper in an instant. He subconsciously took two steps back and touched his neck with his hand. His eyes became more and more uneasy.

"You...are you here to kill me?"

"If I had the intention to kill, Your Excellency would not have the chance to ask this question." Liu Xunyi shook his head slowly, his tone as calm as water.

"Could it be because of the incident at Jingyun Pavilion... that I am asking you to help you clear your name?"

"Rehabilitate me?" Liu Xunyi sneered, "Your Excellency really knows that I was wrongly accused."

"This……"

Realizing that he had said something wrong, Lord Jia's expression could not help but become somewhat embarrassed. Seeing that Liu Xunyi had not yet made a move on him, the fear that had been lingering in his heart gradually dissipated, and his nervousness slowly calmed down, so his expression relaxed, and his tone became soft but kind.

"Xun Yi! Actually, I sympathize with your situation, and I am even more distressed by the despicable behavior of the West Mansion. I can't sleep or eat well." Lord Jia sighed to the sky, pretending to be angry, "It's just that the East Mansion has just suffered a catastrophe, and its vitality has been greatly damaged. Even if I want to help you, I'm afraid I am powerless..."

"Can't sleep or eat?" Liu Xunyi glanced at the table full of delicious food with a meaningful look, and a scornful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Don't be sad, sir. I didn't come here for the Jingyun Pavilion incident, and I didn't even think about redressing my innocence. Since the West Mansion can instigate the emperor and Prince Rong to deal with me together, even if the truth comes to light, I'm afraid they will pretend to turn a blind eye and turn a deaf ear." "Alas!" Hearing Liu Xunyi's answer, Lord Jia felt relieved in his heart, but on the surface he sighed, "Right now, the West Mansion is strong and the East Mansion is weak. I don't know how many of our colleagues have been confiscated and executed, and how many are in prison. Although I have escaped by chance, the 'Acting Prime Minister' is just a nominal title, and I can't compete with the Privy Envoy and the Deputy Privy Envoy. If this continues, I'm afraid I will follow in your footsteps sooner or later."

After saying that, Lord Jia rolled his eyes and pretended to be concerned: "Xunyi, Lin'an City is full of spies from the Western Palace, and there are soldiers searching for you all over the streets. How dare you stay here? The best strategy is to escape from Lin'an as soon as possible..."

At this point, Lord Jia paused, and pretended to look around, and then whispered: "You came to me... do you want me to help you escape from Lin'an?"

However, in the face of Lord Jia's pretentious caution, Liu Xunyi sneered and remained silent.

"This is a bit difficult..." Lord Jia said seriously, "But you saved me at Yanmen Pass before, and I will never be ungrateful. I will definitely find a way to get you out of the city, but I have to make sure this is done perfectly..."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm not looking for you to escape from Lin'an."

"This..." Lord Jia was stunned, as if he didn't understand what Liu Xunyi meant. "If you don't run away now, when will you run away?"

"I want to ask you a question." Liu Xunyi ignored Master Jia's confusion and said, "Qin Wei and Xifu are secretly colluding. Does your Excellency know about this?"

"hiss!"

After hearing this, Lord Jia couldn't help but take a breath, and his confused eyes gradually became a little tangled.

"To be honest, when Qin Wei spoke nonsense in front of the emperor and pointed the finger at the prime minister, I and Tianji Hou expected that he might have betrayed his master for fame and fortune." Lord Jia said helplessly, "But God's will is unpredictable. Before we could start investigating, the East Palace had already been defeated. The prime minister, I, and Tianji Hou are all in a difficult situation. How could we have the leisure to investigate Qin Wei's loyalty and treachery?"

"Since you and the Marquis have long suspected Qin Wei, why didn't you report it to the Emperor earlier?" Liu Xunyi asked, "The Emperor has always hated people in the court who form cliques for personal gain. Once he knows that the West Palace and Qin Wei are working together, maybe the East Palace will be able to turn defeat into victory..."

"Do you have evidence?" Lord Jia said with a wry smile, "One Qin Wei is certainly not to be feared, but don't forget that he has the support of the West Mansion behind him. If you want to impeach the West Mansion in front of the emperor, without overwhelming evidence, you will only end up destroying yourself. Little do you know that the West Mansion has been secretly preparing for years to deal with the East Mansion. They will not dare to break off with us until the time, place and people are right and they are fully confident. The East and West Mansions are the country's most important weapons, with complex forces all over the world. They cannot be easily shaken overnight or with a few words."

"In fact, Qin Wei and West Mansion had already colluded with each other long before the turmoil in East Mansion. Ding Chou once accidentally saw him and Bai Jin having a secret meeting, and Qiu Han also knew about this."

"What?" Lord Jia was shocked. "You mean... Qin Wei didn't turn against his allies at the last minute, but had planned it all along?"

"Not bad!"

"Where are Ding Chou and Qiu Han? Can I let them come with me to the palace to see the emperor?" Seeing Liu Xunyi's solemn promise, Lord Jia suddenly realized his mistake and was angry at first but then happy. His reaction was very strange. "Back then, the West Palace used a small Qin Wei to pry our East Palace, which led to a huge change. Today, we simply give him a taste of his own medicine and use Ding Chou to pry the West Palace. Even if we can't avenge our previous shame, at least we can pull Qin Wei down from the position of Tianji Marquis."

Lord Jia's words sounded high-sounding, and it seemed that he was avenging the Prime Minister, Zhao Yuan, and the East Palace, but in fact, he was acting for his own selfish interests. Little did he know that by using Ding Chou and Qiu Han to deal with the West Palace, no matter what the result would be, they would not have a good ending.

From the beginning to the end, Lord Jia did not consider the life and death of Liu Xunyi and Ding Chou. He only cared about how to eliminate dissidents and how to enrich his own power.

"It's too late!" Liu Xunyi, who was as clear as a mirror, poured cold water on Master Jia mercilessly and said indifferently, "Qiu Han is dead, and Ding Chou has left for another place."

"What?" Lord Jia was disappointed and asked unwillingly, "Where did Ding Chou go?"

"do not know."

"you……"

"Although I don't know where Ding Chou is, and I don't understand what the adults mean by 'the right time, the right place, and the right people', I am willing to make a deal with you and use my own way to help you achieve your long-cherished wish."

"Transaction?" Lord Jia finally understood Liu Xunyi's real intention and immediately became wary. He asked doubtfully, "What transaction?"

"There is a Wangchuan Silk Shop in Lin'an City. The shopkeeper's surname is Pan. The four of them are my old friends." Liu Xunyi said calmly, "Right now, the West Mansion has ordered the four of them to be imprisoned in order to lure me out. They have also framed them and sentenced them to death. I hope Lord Jia can do justice for them and give them back their innocence and freedom."

"You can't even protect yourself now, and you still want to save others?"

"You don't need to take risks in this matter." Liu Xunyi ignored Lord Jia's ridicule and said righteously, "Your Excellency only needs to follow the laws of the Song Dynasty and deal with it impartially, which will be enough to give justice to the Pan family."

"This matter...is not difficult!" Lord Jia seemed to be thinking about something, and his words were cryptic. "I can help you save people, but I don't know...what can you do to help me?"

"I will help you kill people, and use three lives to exchange for the four members of the Pan family. Two of them will help you eliminate dissidents and avenge your previous shame. The other life will help you win credit in front of the emperor and secure your position as prime minister."

"Oh?" Lord Jia's heart moved, and his eyes couldn't help but flash, "Which three lives?"

"'Marquis of Tianji' Qin Wei, 'Vice Privy Envoy' Lord Qian, and..."

"Who else?"

"I! The 'imperial criminal' Liu Xunyi."

……

(End of this chapter)