Chapter 3, Listening to the Qin (Part 2)

Qiu Fuhai said with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, if Fu Zishan is truly a person of the Grand Tutor, killing him would lead to consequences that are unimaginable..."

Xianggui smiled and said: "Thank you, my lord! However, just now, Chief Steward Qiu conveyed that the Grand Preceptor fell ill last night and will not attend court today"

Longyuan stood quietly in front of the bronze mirror, while the two palace maids, Baihong and Qingya, carefully arranged the royal robe on him. Light footsteps sounded behind him, and it was Ziwu who approached, carrying the silver fungus and bird's nest porridge she had personally prepared.

Longyuan said softly: "Xianggui, hit me hard!"

Qiu Fuhai was slightly taken aback, unsure of what intentions Long Yuan had in mind. He turned and left, and soon returned to Long Yuan's side, whispering: "I have organized the records of last night's palace exit!" He placed the records on the table in front of Long Yuan and quietly added: "Among the attendants who accompanied His Majesty out of the palace, only Fu Zishan has gone out..."

Qiu Fuhai silently lamented that this little emperor of emotions was trying to shift the blame for killing Fu Zishan onto him

Seeing Fu Zishan die before him, Long Yuan's anger was slightly alleviated. He stood up and gently patted Qiu Fuhai on the shoulder from behind: "Master Qiu, I did not misjudge you, but... Fu Zishan is after all a fourth-rank armed guard. You have killed him, and I fear that Xiao Nihan will not let this matter rest easily"

Long Yuan smiled and said, "Who does not know that you, Fu Zishan, are the foremost in swordsmanship among the guards of the imperial palace"

Long Yuan smiled as he picked up the sword from the table, reversing the hilt and offering it to Qiu Fuhai: "Since you, Master Qiu, have declared that he deserves to die, let it be you who personally takes care of him."

Your Majesty! Even with the greatest audacity, I would not dare to commit such an act

Qiu Fuhai hurriedly echoed, "Damn it, damn it!"

Qiu Fuhai could no longer bear to look at the book and turned his face to the side

Long Yuan felt as if an invisible pair of large hands were tightly gripping his throat, nearly suffocating him. After a long while, he finally managed to catch his breath and thought to himself: "Liao Qiyuan is not a fool. From his behavior in front of me last night, he also wants to downplay the situation, to minimize the issue. There is no reason for him to escalate this matter. Even with Xiao Nihan backing him, he would not do something that brings him no benefit. Could it be that the matter has already reached Xiao Nihan's ears? But who leaked the information? Could the problem lie with the people around me?" He murmured, "Qiu Fuhai, go bring me the records of those who left the palace last night for me to review."

Qiu Fuhai let out a loud shout, and with both hands gripping the sword, he suddenly thrust it into Fu Zishan's heart. The cold blade emerged from Fu Zishan's back, and his body fell limply to the ground. Qiu Fuhai seemed to have been drained of his last ounce of strength, collapsing onto the ground, his fair face already streaked with tears of sorrow.

Qiu Fuhai nodded repeatedly and said, "The servant knows."

Qiu Fuhai said: "Yesterday, the Xichun Building suddenly caught fire, and the flames spread rapidly with the wind, affecting twelve streets and alleys, including Chunshen Alley and Taiping Street. Countless civilians were injured or killed, and the entire Kangdu was thrown into chaos"

Long Yuan bit his lower lip tightly and said in a low voice: "Qiu Fuhai, go and summon Fu Zishan to Renning Palace for me, just say I have important matters to discuss"

Qiu Fuhai did not roll over as he had in the past, but instead hurriedly approached Longyuan, knelt down, and with a distressed expression said: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened..."

Long Yuan sneered and said: "For such treacherous individuals, one must never show mercy. Don't you agree?"

Fu and the bookish Zishan felt their hearts racing, as they did not expect the young emperor to eventually steer the conversation towards this matter. He pressed his lips together, feigning a look of surprise: "I woke up very late this morning and did not hear about this matter."

"Shut up!" Longyuan shouted angrily

Fu Zishan's expression changed drastically, and he trembled as he exclaimed: "Your Majesty, I am merely reporting safety to the Grand Tutor, I have not done anything else." He still believed that Longyuan had truly sent someone to follow him, and in his guilt, he ended up confessing his whereabouts.

Qiu Fuhai nodded repeatedly

Fu Zishan was taken aback and hurriedly knelt before Longyuan, saying, "Your Majesty... I... I went home to see my mother..." At this point, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy, his limbs weak and powerless. He looked at the empty teacups on the table and inwardly exclaimed that it was not good, as he had not expected that a moment of carelessness would lead him into the trap set by the young emperor.

The pale face of Zi Wu turned white with fear as she hurriedly knelt down on the ground: "Your Majesty, please do not be angry, it is the servant's fault!"

Fu Zishan, in a state of panic, repeatedly bowed his head in reverence.

Long Yuan saw his breathless appearance and felt a surge of anger, coldly saying: "What great matter is so important? Take a breath and then speak!"

Long Yuan suddenly raised his palm and slammed it heavily on the coffee table, shouting angrily: "Fu Zishan, where did you go after leaving the palace last night?"

Long Yuan smiled as he sheathed his treasured sword upon seeing Fu Zishan enter: "Fu Zishan, you have arrived just in time; I would like you to offer some guidance on my swordsmanship."

Fu Zishan and Qiu Fuhai both responded with a sound, accepted the tea cups handed over by Xianggui, expressed their gratitude, and then drank.

Xianggui brought the tea, and Longyuan picked up the tea cup and took a sip, saying: "First, accompany me in drinking tea; after I rest for a while, then accompany me in practicing swordsmanship"

Long Yuan gazed into Qiu Fuhai's eyes: "Who is Mr. Qiu He - the figure in the picture - the person of the book?"

Long Yuan's gaze was stern as he said: "If you dare to leak even the slightest hint of this matter, I will not consider the face between us as master and servant."

Longyuan smiled and said, "Even if Liao Qiyuan is reckless, he wouldn't dare to do something like this, would he?"

Long Yuan waved his hand, and Xiang Gui led four young eunuchs to rush over from the side, binding Fu Zishan's hands behind his back.

Long Yuan smiled and said: "Master Qiu, you should know how to speak to the Empress Dowager. If any trouble arises, I fear that the blame will fall upon you!"

Qiu Fuhai knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty, I have already stated that you are the only master in my heart"

Thank you for your great kindness! Qiu Fuhai, like a mute eating bitter herbs, knows the bitterness only too well himself

Long Yuan knew that it was indeed Fu Zishan who had betrayed him, and his anger burned even more fiercely. Gritting his teeth, he said: "You treacherous scoundrel, what peace have you reported to the Grand Master? Can't you even recognize who your true master is?"

Xiang Gui received the master's order and, along with another young eunuch, wielded a thick rod to strike fiercely at Fu Zishan's backside, causing Fu Zishan to wail incessantly. Although he possessed formidable martial arts skills, he was unfortunately ensnared by Long Yuan's scheme beforehand, leaving him weak and numb, unable to exert any strength.

Long Yuan did not say to stop, and several young eunuchs naturally did not dare to cease their actions. They took turns to strike, delivering more than fifty blows. Poor Fu Zishan was beaten to a pulp, on the verge of death, unable to even utter a word of plea for mercy

Longyuan placed the teacup on the table and calmly said, "I heard that there was a great fire at Xichun Tower yesterday, which completely burned down Chunduan Alley!"

The old servant is Your Majesty's servant

Longyuan Dao: "Convey my decree, Fu Zishan, as a fourth-rank sword-bearing guard in the imperial court, has actually taken advantage of his position to enter the palace and commit theft. His crime deserves execution! Eunuch Qiu has rendered meritorious service in killing the thief, and is granted one hundred taels of gold!"

Fu Zishan pondered and said, "I am foolish and cannot comprehend who exactly is responsible for this matter"

Long Yuan sneered and said, "You better honestly explain to me, what were you doing at the Grand Tutor's residence last night?" In fact, Long Yuan had no idea whether Fu Zishan had actually been to the Grand Tutor's residence; he said this deliberately to deceive.

Fu Zishan saw that Longyuan's expression was kind, and only then did he feel relieved. He respectfully said, "With my meager and insignificant skills, how could I dare to show off in front of Your Majesty"

Long Yuan laughed heartily, feeling a wave of relief in his chest at that moment, as he walked towards the distance, facing the morning light that streamed in from outside the palace.

When Fu Zishan arrived at Renning Palace, Longyuan was practicing swordsmanship there. It seemed he had been training for quite some time, as his warrior attire was completely soaked with sweat

Long Yuan was filled with suspicion towards the palace maid sent by Xiao Nihuan. He reached out to take a spoonful of the bird's nest porridge and found it to be smooth, fragrant, and glutinous, truly an exquisite delicacy. He initially intended to praise it, but then his thoughts shifted, and he forcefully threw the gilded jade bowl to the ground, angrily exclaiming: "Is this inedible dish meant to harm me?"

Yet, Longyuan's tone shifted again: "There is no need for you to be afraid, Master Qiu!" He waved his hand, and Xianggui stuffed a bundle of gold and silver valuables into Fu Zishan's embrace.

Longyuan was furious and said: "If he is ill, does that mean he does not need to attend court? Am I not even in charge of matters concerning court attendance?"

"Good! I give you a chance!" Longyuan waved his sleeve, knocking the teacups on the table to the ground, shattering them all to pieces

Long Yuan heavily brushed his sleeves and turned to walk out the door. Upon exiting, he encountered the young eunuch Xiang Gui, who hurriedly knelt down and said, "Master, you rose quite early today!"

Qiu Fuhai said with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty ... ... "

Long Yuan's heart trembled violently, and he stood there as if struck by lightning, his mind going blank. He immediately concluded that this incident must be related to him. Last night, he had gone to Xichun Building, and that very night, this tragedy occurred. The image of Qian Ruo's resentful yet charming face floated in his mind. If he had not acted recklessly, so many innocent lives would not have been implicated. Long Yuan felt darkness enveloping him, his body swayed, and had it not been for Xiang Gui's timely support, he would have surely fallen to the ground.

Longyuan said irritably: "I am fond of this head of yours."

He strode up to Fu Zishan and said: "Fu Zishan, do you think I am unaware of everything?"

Xianggui, frightened, hurriedly pleaded: "My lord, my lord, please be very careful with your words!"

Long Yuan suppressed his anger, and at that moment saw Qiu Fuhai hurriedly walking over. His pent-up rage finally found an outlet, and he shouted angrily: "Qiu Fuhai, come here!"

This ... ...

Qiu Fuhai steeled himself, trembling as he picked up the sword and approached Fu Zishan. Upon seeing the scene before him, Fu Zishan realized that he would undoubtedly not survive this day. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "Longyuan, you little beast, how dare you harm me like this? One day, the Grand Master will avenge me and settle this score..."

Qiu Fuhai, fearing the situation would escalate, pleaded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it would be better to wait for the Grand Tutor to handle this matter!"

Long Yuan nonchalantly picked up a tea cup on the table and said: "It is merely a servant, can I not be the master?"

Long Yuan's eyes widened, revealing a chilling murderous intent, causing Qiu Fuhai to shiver involuntarily and lower his head in fear and trepidation

Qiu Fuhai was so frightened that his legs went weak, and with a thud, he knelt down on the ground: "Your Majesty... you... you are trying to take my life..."

Do you think he should die