"General, Marquis."
Lu Ping entered the room and cupped his hands in a salute to the two men.
"Is it someone from the Crown Prince's Mansion?" Zhao Li asked, taking a sip of the medicine from his bowl.
"Yes, it's that man named Shi Kuiling. He says he's here to visit the General."
If it were anyone else, Lu Ping would have turned him away immediately. However, regardless of the circumstances, Shi Kuiling had helped Zhao Li in the Great Hall today. One does not strike a smiling face, especially not one as persistent as his. Lu Ping dared not make the decision on his own, so he had come to ask.
"Refuse him."
Zhao Li did not hesitate for a second, waving his hand to signal Lu Ping to send him away.
"Understood."
With that acknowledgement, Lu Ping hurried back outside. Shi Kuiling was standing by the gate, holding high-quality medicinal herbs he had specifically requested from the imperial physician. As a high-ranking official, he was naturally meticulous about such details. Hearing footsteps approach, he knew Lu Ping had returned. He put on a smile and stepped forward to meet him.
But before he could reach him, Lu Ping cupped his hands and said, "Lord Shi, I am truly sorry, but the General is unwell and not in a state to receive guests. He has already retired for the night. I hope you will forgive us."
Shi Kuiling’s heart sank immediately. A man of his stature and standing as the Crown Prince’s confidant—how could he fail to grasp the truth of the situation? He was not so foolish as to be oblivious. It was clear that Zhao Li simply did not want to see him. He had promised the Crown Prince repeatedly that he could handle this. Was Zhao Li really going to ignore the debt he owed after just receiving his help?
Suppressing his rising anger, Shi Kuiling lifted the herbs in his hand. "Since the General is unwell and unable to receive guests, I shall not impose. However, I have brought some excellent medicine for his injuries. I hope you, young man, will take them inside to the General for me. I shall come by to visit another day."
Lu Ping maintained the same cheerful expression as before, but his refusal was absolute. "My Lord, the Marquis Manor has its own resident physician who has already treated the General’s wounds. If we use two different medicines at the same time, we fear they might clash. I hope you will understand."
Having been rejected twice, Shi Kuiling could no longer linger, no matter how thick his skin was. His face twitched violently. How could a mere servant of the Marquis Manor dare to reject the Tutor to the Crown Prince twice? No one would believe he was acting without orders from the Marquis and Zhao Li himself.
Since things had come to this, there was no need to maintain any pretense of courtesy. He let out a cold snort. "Fine! Very well! The Marquis Manor’s dignity is so vast that I am not worthy! But tell your master this: it is better to remain humble."
Lu Ping just smiled and cupped his hands.
"Hmph!"
Hitting a wall of soft cotton, Shi Kuiling flicked his sleeve in frustration and stormed off. Lu Ping watched him leave with a slight smile. He let these people be arrogant for today. Their master had already begun planning a new path, so offending these fools was of no consequence. In the current Great Qi court, from the Emperor down to the Crown Prince and the princes, they were all nothing but useless, incompetent fools. And as for the people from the Crown Prince's Mansion, they were utterly shameless. As the dignified Tutor to the Crown Prince, they had attempted to assassinate Chu Yuewu just two days ago, yet here they were today, acting as if nothing had happened. How thick-skinned must one be to do such a thing?
Just as Lu Ping was thinking this, the rhythmic sound of horse hooves approached once more. Wei Zheng hopped off his horse, followed by a prisoner transport carriage characteristic of the Dali Temple. If not for the heavy shackles pinning Zhao Shenyan’s neck to the frame, he likely would have slumped on the carriage floor like a pile of mud.
Lu Ping had already received orders from Zhao Li to welcome Lord Wei with proper respect. He immediately greeted him with a smile, exchanged a few pleasantries, and invited him into the manor.
Shi Kuiling had not yet gone far. His attendant, a maid, lifted the carriage curtain just enough to peer outside. She happened to see Wei Zheng being ushered into the manor. She immediately turned and said to Shi Kuiling, "My Lord, Wei Zheng... he has been invited into the Marquis Manor."
"Bang!"
Shi Kuiling slammed his fist against the carriage seat so hard that blood began to seep from his knuckles. The maid was too terrified to utter another sound. Shi Kuiling’s eyes, however, burned with murderous intent.
"Zhao Li, you dare to humiliate me this way! I will surely see you dead and buried."
...
Wei Zheng was led into the manor to see Zhao Li first. This was the first time he had seen the extent of the injuries on Zhao Li's body. Having managed the penal system for so many years, Wei Zheng was well-acquainted with various forms of torture, but even so, he had never seen anyone wounded quite like this. And this was done by Zhao Shenyan, Zhao Li’s own father. Even a tiger would not devour its own cubs.
As soon as Wei Zheng entered, he took Zhao Li’s hand and asked, "Are you in great pain?"
Speaking of this, Wei Zheng felt a bit awkward. Unlike other officials, he had lived his entire life in integrity and had no wealth to his name. The salaries of Great Qi officials were not high, which was tied to the nation's fatigue from years of continuous war. If Wei Zheng were the type to extort the people like other officials, he would have been able to provide decent medicine, just like the Tutor to the Crown Prince earlier. But he was a man of incorruptible character; as a high-ranking official, even the bedding in his home was patched and mended. He had intended to find some medicine for Zhao Li, but upon entering the pharmacy, he found the prices absurdly high. His personality left him with no close friends, and he was unwilling to demean himself by borrowing money from other ministers. His face turned crimson, filled with shame, yet he could not bring himself to speak of it.
Zhao Li naturally understood why this high-ranking official of Great Qi looked so embarrassed. He chuckled and said, "Lord Wei, there is no need to feel ashamed for being a man of integrity and unable to provide medicine for my wounds. Besides, Lord Wei, it is your noble character that is truly worthy of respect."
"If you had brought me some 'Amber Golden Sore Ointment' right now, I probably would have had to chase you out."
At this joke, Wei Zheng’s expression immediately relaxed, and he let out a hearty laugh. "You speak too seriously."
Lu Ping, standing to the side, added, "Lord Wei, my master is not joking. After all, we just chased someone else away."
Wei Zheng was stunned. "Truly?"
Lu Ping nodded with a smile. "Yes, it was the Tutor to the Crown Prince. He brought medicinal herbs worth a thousand pieces of gold, yet my master still would not let him through the door. I imagine he is still fuming somewhere right now. In fact, he left just moments before your arrival."
Wei Zheng’s expression gradually darkened. "Does the Crown Prince's Mansion still harbor murderous intent toward the Marquis?"
In truth, everyone knew of the conflict between Chu Yuewu and the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was like a rabid dog, biting at Chu Yuewu and refusing to let go, which was truly nauseating.
Zhao Li shook his head and said, "No, he wasn't here for Chu Yuewu this time. He was here to curry favor with me. I hold the eighty-thousand-strong Zhenbei Army in my hands. But after offending him tonight, well... he will not let this rest."
"Liu Yan."
Zhao Li called out to the only female leader of the Red Harrier standing nearby. "Go, spread the news that Shi Kuiling, the Tutor to the Crown Prince, came to visit today."