Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 466 - 465: Illegal Manufacturing

As the night deepened, the people seeking medical assistance at the guesthouse were finally sent away by the combined efforts of talisman runes, and the once crowded entrance turned empty and quiet again. Even the shopkeeper and the young assistant breathed a sigh of relief. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The young assistant probably also felt that the current "flourish" was somewhat related to his loose tongue initially. Seeing Yan Daoxin and his group made him particularly uneasy. For the first day or two, he even found excuses to avoid them. Later, he slowly realized that Yan Daoxin didn’t seem to want to hold it against him, so he gradually relaxed and expressed his apology with unusually attentive service.

Zhu Yu couldn’t stay idle during the day, so she went to Yan Daoxin to lend a hand. She hadn’t expected so many people to be attracted, and by the end of the day, she was exhausted. When everyone left in the evening, she lay lazily on the bed, unwilling to move.

Lu Qing saw this and couldn’t help but shake his head, smiling helplessly. By now, he had figured out Zhu Yu’s personality.

No matter how resolute she spoke, saying she liked idleness and doing nothing, or how she would grit her teeth and swear never to care about another’s business after each busy day, she would always, without hesitation, choose busyness over idleness when the opportunity arose.

But these days are different from the past. Now Lu Qing saw through this matter without saying anything, just sat down slowly by the bed and reached out to massage Zhu Yu’s sore waist.

Zhu Yu, having bent her waist to help Yan Daoxin for half the day, was reacquainted with the long-forgotten soreness in her back and waist, making her just want to lie on the bed and groan. Suddenly feeling Lu Qing’s hands massaging her lower back with the right amount of pressure, slightly relieving the pain, she didn’t care about any embarrassment and quickly directed Lu Qing to the right spots and strength.

One of them was enjoying a relaxing waist massage, with an expression of comfort and sleepiness, while the other silently massaged with a look and expression full of rarely seen tenderness.

The peaceful atmosphere carried a hint of something more, but it was short-lived, quickly broken by a gentle bird call from outside the window.

Lu Qing’s hands paused, and he got up to the bedside to open the window a crack.

Zhu Yu, enjoying the comfortable waist massage, suddenly noticed Lu Qing stop and leave. The next second, she realized it might be the long-lost "bird call" from outside the window. She quickly scrambled up and saw Lu Qing gently closing the window.

"What is it?" Zhu Yu asked softly, even though she knew it might not be necessary, she instinctively lowered her voice.

Amused by her reaction, Lu Qing came over and sat beside her on the bed, opening his palm to reveal the familiar Mechanical Box.

"Is it the Shadow Guard?" Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, earlier worried it might be the Chifu Guard delivering some news.

Someone within Fan Country wanted Lu Qing to uncover the truth behind the massacre of his people years ago, and they planned to take advantage of the situation. They did not wish for the Chifu Guard to follow them closely, which would only add more trouble.

Now, seeing the Mechanical Box, Zhu Yu knew it was the Shadow Guard of Lu Qing and Lu Chao who had brought the message. The direct delivery to the window indicated no Chifu Guard or other suspicious watchers around.

This was something worth breathing a sigh of relief over.

Curiously, Zhu Yu watched as Lu Qing opened the Mechanical Box and took out a flatly folded piece of paper.

But this time, it wasn’t sheet music, instead covered with densely packed small script.

"This wasn’t written by Lu Chao for me; it should be a secret report sent from the Capital, with copies for both me and him." Lu Qing glanced at the writing and anticipated the curiosity Zhu Yu might have, explaining directly, "It seems something significant has happened in the Capital."

With that, he turned halfway towards Zhu Yu, extended his long arm past her side, unfurling the paper before her, resting his chin on top of her head: "Let’s read it together."

This posture didn’t seem suited for reading serious matters, making Zhu Yu somewhat helpless, but she was also curious about what had happened in the Capital that warranted the Shadow Guard to keep both masters informed.

Quickly, the succinctly recorded events on the small paper left her wide-eyed with shock.

They had indeed been away from the Capital for a while, but the news from the Capital still managed to surprise her greatly.

The secret letter informed Lu Qing that not long ago, the Capital nearly underwent a regime change.

They had previously heard about Cao Tianbao’s men acquiring a batch of weapons, which although bore the Ministry of War’s mark, were not recorded, suggesting private manufacturing.

No one expected the matter to develop further.

Emperor Jin, still bearing grievances against military generals due to past experiences, faced with Cao Tianbao’s situation, spoke warmly as if protecting an old loyal minister who had followed him for years. Yet, in the court, he would occasionally drop hints, subtly expressing that as the Sovereign of the World, he naturally needed to forgive a loyal minister who followed him, but those weapons were indeed hard to explain.

Since that was the case, as a wise ruler, he had done his part, and as an old minister without ulterior motives, Cao Tianbao should naturally have the "sensible" attitude expected of a minister, especially one who had been sheltered all his life.

But whether it was Cao Tianbao’s rough nature or his stubbornness on this issue, he showed no reaction to Emperor Jin’s frequent hints, as if he couldn’t hear them at all.

To Emperor Jin, his attitude was undoubtedly provocative. This silent rivalry between the two finally erupted on one morning court session.

After several failed hints, Emperor Jin bluntly suggested during the morning assembly that Cao Tianbao, being old, should retire to enjoy his old age, away from disputes, lest he taint his reputation at the twilight of his life on the cutting edge of public controversy.

Typically, upon hearing these words, one would understand that the situation had no room for maneuver. Besides promptly accepting Emperor Jin’s "suggestion" and retiring, there was no other choice. After all, although wealth and high rank were great desires for many, preserving one’s life was the most important thing compared to them.