The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Borrowing a Knife to Kill

“Your Highness, a year ago, didn’t your master encounter an assassination attempt? And in this assassination attempt, you almost became the executioner of someone else’s borrowing a knife to kill. But Your Highness, you were lucky. Someone tipped you off, so you knew about it in advance and gave that pot of poisoned wine to a beggar. The beggar died on the spot after drinking it! And Your Highness, you escaped this disaster!”

Chen Shujian’s expression immediately changed. He lowered his voice and asked, “You can even deduce this? Master Cui, you are truly a master of numerology! Then tell me, what should I do in the future?”

“Your master’s biggest enemy right now is this rebel, and the rebel is already prepared to replace your master. So you need to find evidence in advance and report this rebel to your lord. Only by having your lord weaken the rebel’s power can you preserve the status of your current master. By preserving his status, you will also preserve Your Highness’s future glory and wealth!”

“That’s easy to say, but where can I find evidence to report this rebel to my lord? Moreover, this rebel is deeply trusted and favored by my lord. Without irrefutable and heart-wrenching evidence, it’s impossible to bring down this rebel!”

Cui Heng smiled and picked out another leaf card made of Zuo Bo paper, saying,

“Hiding soldiers among the monks and seizing land under the temple. Are these charges enough?”

Chen Shujian’s expression changed again. He asked, “What do you mean?”

“Your Highness, you should be able to understand the meaning behind this. At the Pure Conversation Gathering on Mount Fahua last time, that Young Master Xie Zhen made it very clear. Now, it’s a fact that Buddhist temples occupy land and harbor filth. Of course, there’s one more thing he didn’t explicitly say, which is… hiding private soldiers!”

Hearing this, Chen Shujian seemed to have an idea in mind. He nodded hurriedly and said, “This Prince understands. Master Cui is truly knowledgeable. I wonder if Master Cui is willing to enter officialdom in our Southern Dynasty? I can recommend you to the Crown Prince?”

Cui Heng sighed and replied, “No. In my early years, I missed a very important matter because of entering officialdom. No matter how much I regret and try to make amends afterward, it’s useless. It has become a great regret in my life.

Life is precious in its comfort. How can one be bound by officialdom and travel thousands of miles to seek fame and fortune?”

Cui Heng’s meaning was that life is precious in its comfort. How can one be bound by officialdom and travel thousands of miles to seek fame and fortune?

Chen Shujian’s face flushed with shame. He hurriedly said, “Master Cui is truly a distinguished scholar like Wang Xizhi and Xie An. Zicheng is narrow-minded!”

Cui Heng smiled, bowed, and prepared to take his leave.

Chen Shujian wanted to keep him but seemed to think of something and found it difficult to say. He watched Cui Heng leave and pondered for a long time. Then, he also got up and walked slowly in the direction Cui Heng had left. Unexpectedly, as he walked past another elegant room, he suddenly heard a familiar voice say:

“Do you think I’m very willing to work for the Prince of Shixing? Hmph, I just want to see them fight among themselves!

Haha, ‘A foot of cloth can still be sewn; a peck of grain can still be pounded, but two brothers cannot tolerate each other.’

“How well said! My father treated them so well in the past, but he still usurped my brother’s throne in the end. Otherwise, I would also be a prince now. Why would I have to bow and scrape behind Chen Shuling, acting like an obedient dog!”

“But if I don’t act like an obedient dog, I will end up like those officials who were falsely accused and imprisoned or even had their entire clans exterminated by him. I will also meet a terrible end!”

The speaker was none other than Chen Bogu, the Prince of Xin’an. Chen Shujian recognized his voice. Although this person was addicted to alcohol and would always make a fool of himself after getting drunk, doing some unreasonable things, it was precisely because he knew his own weakness that he never got completely drunk outside. Today, he was actually… Who was he drinking with?

Chen Shujian curiously peeked through the crack in the door and saw a young man sitting at the table with his back to him. He was pouring wine for Chen Bogu while persuading him,

“Your Highness, in the past, Shan Tao said, ‘Heaven and earth have their seasons, and so do people.’ This is to tell us that human destiny is like the changes of the four seasons. What should be let go should be let go. To be a virtuous official and serve the court is the right path!”

The person persuading him to drink was Li Mi.

“Brother Li is truly eloquent. Indeed, every emperor has his own court. Dwelling on the past only brings sorrow and is useless. It’s better to do what’s in front of us and seek a life of peace and wealth!”

“Then, will Your Highness still work for the Prince of Shixing? I heard that the prince was kicked by a young boy, and his manhood was completely crushed. I’m afraid he’ll have trouble with the continuation of his lineage. Moreover, he’s prone to violence and killing people. Is it worth it to work for such a prince?”

“Oh, speaking of this, I’m angry. I told him long ago not to provoke that young lady. Xiao Yun is a lesson learned, but he just wouldn’t listen. He always thinks he’s very capable. When something really happens, he vents his anger on me.

Yesterday, I went to see him out of kindness. Guess what? As soon as I entered his residence, he beat me up…”

Li Mi chuckled softly and then sighed seriously, “It’s said that those who gain the Way have many helpers, while those who lose the Way have few. Since he treats you like this, why should you be loyal to him?”

“I’ve already said, I’m not loyal to him. I just want to see if he can seize the position of Crown Prince, to see them fight among themselves!”

Before he could finish his drunken words, the door suddenly burst open, and a sharp voice boomed in his ears!

“Chen Bogu! What are you saying!”

The Prince of Changsha, Chen Shujian, couldn’t help but barge in. This shout woke Chen Bogu up from his drunken stupor.

✿✿✿

He opened his sleepy eyes and saw Chen Shujian, the Prince of Changsha. He was so frightened that he shuddered, and his groggy head cleared up a bit more.

“Good! So you are the traitor! The Crown Prince treated you like a brother in the past, but you betrayed him and have been working for the Prince of Shixing, even intending to help him harm the Crown Prince!”

Chen Bogu shook his still dizzy head, looked at Chen Shujian intently, and shouted, “You’re talking nonsense, I didn’t!”

“You said it yourself just now, I heard it all. And this Master Li by your side, he heard it too!”

Chen Bogu turned his gaze to Li Mi again, and suddenly realized that Li Mi had invited him to Apricot Blossom and Misty Rain Tower to play and deliberately got him drunk, just to trick him into talking?

“Master Li, what is your intention in doing this? I don’t recall ever offending you?”

Li Mi smiled and said, “Your Highness, you’re making it sound serious. I’m just an envoy from Northern Qi, a scholar. Making friends, drinking, talking, reciting poetry, and enjoying music are the most common things. Just now, I was just drinking and chatting with Your Highness, talking about some family matters.”

“Your Highness got drunk and poured out his sorrows and frustrations to me. It’s nothing, just human nature. Didn’t I also advise Your Highness to let go of what should be let go and strive to be a virtuous official, serving the court as the right path?”

At this time, the Prince of Changsha also chimed in, “Indeed, I also heard what this Master Li said just now! But Chen Bogu, you’d better make the right choice and decide which side you’re on. Otherwise, I will report what you said today to my father!”

After saying this, the Prince of Changsha left angrily. Chen Bogu cast a resentful and disbelieving look at Li Mi, but he didn’t dare to really get angry. He only asked, “Master Li, what else did I say just now?”

“You probably said everything you wanted to say! It’s called drowning your sorrows in alcohol. It’s inevitable. Your Highness, don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret for you!”

Like hell you’ll keep it a secret. You deliberately set up this trap, just to keep it a secret?

“Li Mi, what exactly are you trying to do?” Chen Bogu asked again.

Li Mi sat down and poured another cup of wine for Chen Bogu, smiling,

“This wine is called Lovesick Wine. If you take it with the candy pill called Lovesick Tears, it will produce a deadly poison. Am I right?”

Chen Bogu’s face changed drastically, and he almost fell to his knees.

“I know Your Highness really wants to be a wealthy idler, but unfortunately, you have a handle in the hands of the Prince of Shixing, so you have to work for him. Your Highness is also a deep thinker. Facing the threat of the Prince of Shixing, you came up with this plan of borrowing a knife to kill. Just drop a Lovesick Tear pill into the Crown Prince’s Lovesick Wine and have the Prince of Changsha deliver it to the Crown Prince. This way, even if the Crown Prince really dies, with the Prince of Changsha as a scapegoat, no one can blame you, right?”

Facing Li Mi’s sneer, Chen Bogu finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He rushed towards Li Mi and quickly covered his mouth.

“There’s no such thing, don’t talk nonsense! And you have no evidence to prove it, do you?”

“An accusation without evidence is slander, Li Mi! Even if you are an envoy from Northern Qi, you will not be spared!”

At this point, he seemed to think of something again and questioned, “No, I have no grievances with you. Why would you interfere in this matter, or rather, the affairs of our Southern Chen?”