Black Lotus Concubine's Case-solving Notes

Chapter 117: Utilizing Pyeongchang

"Your Majesty! Princess Pingchang is favored by the emperor, and she has the support of the empress and the prince. We should not make enemies with her." The nanny walked up to Concubine Xiao and whispered in her ear.

Concubine Xiao clenched her eyes tightly, her fingertips dug deep into her flesh, and she turned a deaf ear to everything that was said.

The nanny continued, "My queen, you have always been gentle and considerate in front of the saint. If you were to come into conflict with the saint's most beloved daughter, Princess Pingchang, I'm afraid..."

Princess Xiao suddenly became enlightened and slowly loosened her clenched fists.

She has been pretending in the harem for her whole life, and finally her position is stable. Her son has gradually attracted the attention of the saint and is favored by him. But if the saint knew that she had set up a private torture chamber in the palace, forced the prime minister's daughter to death, and competed with Pingchang, then wouldn't all the personalities she has worked so hard to build collapse in one day?

A niece is naturally no match for her own son. When Concubine Xiao thought of this, her face relaxed: "Forget it! I won't bother with you! I'm tired, please send the guests away!"

Princess Pingchang left with a group of people in a mighty procession. When they reached a place where Concubine Xiao could not see them, Pingchang gave a signal and the palace servants who had been serving them immediately moved to a place a little further away.

Song Huai glanced at Feng Jia, and after getting her tacit consent, he also stepped aside.

Pingchang then let go of Xie Lanzhao's hand and wiped his fingers one by one with a handkerchief, looking very disgusted.

Just before an incense stick of time had passed, a maid ran up to her in a panic, saying that she was Xie Jiu's personal maid and that her girl had a way to help her shake up or even get rid of the Ninth Prince.

If it was before, Princess Pingchang would definitely not believe it, but in just a few years, the Ninth Prince has gradually become more powerful. Not only has he gained the favor of his father, but even the ministers in the court have a tendency to take sides. He can even compete with his younger brother, the Crown Prince. This is not a good sign!

She had also heard about some of Xie Jiu's deeds. Anyone who could gain a foothold in the Xie Mansion must have some means, so she could only try her best.

"Tell me the method you have for me!"

After a pause, Pingchang narrowed his eyes dangerously: "If you dare to play tricks on me, Xie Lanzhao, I have plenty of ways to make you live a life worse than death!"

The enemy from the previous life was right in front of her. Feng Jia seemed to be back in the dark and damp imperial prison. Pingchang's face was distorted with excitement as he spoke to her.

"The guilty minister Feng Guo confessed to corruption and was beheaded at noon!"

"One hundred and forty members of the Feng family were executed!"

"Last night, the Dali Temple fished out several pieces of corpses from the moat. The body was cut into pieces and swollen. The jade pendant hanging on the body proved that it was your elder brother. Why don't you guess who your elder brother offended?"

……

Feng Jia felt that the blood in her body was boiling, and a voice in her heart was screaming desperately: "Kill her! Kill her!" She clenched her fists and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"What's wrong with you?" Princess Pingchang asked curiously.

This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured down on Feng Jia's head, completely extinguishing her anger and irrationality. She lowered her head, her expression had returned to normal, and said, "Princess, please look."

Pingchang looked in the direction she pointed, and saw that among the hundreds of flowers planted in the Zhengde Hall, there were more than a dozen flowers that he had never seen before, blooming exceptionally beautifully.

Pingchang was furious: "I am not in the mood to appreciate the flowers! What I want is a way to overthrow the Ninth Prince!"

"This is my method," Feng Jia bowed slightly and explained, "Princess, this flower is called opium, and it is native to the Li Dynasty. It was introduced to our Dali over a hundred years ago and was originally used as the raw material for Wushisan. It was applied to the wounds of injured soldiers to relieve pain, calm the nerves, and strengthen the yang. Later, doctors discovered that taking a small dose of this medicine can also beautify the skin, protect the kidneys and strengthen the yang. Wushisan became popular all of a sudden and became a must-have for dignitaries and even concubines in the harem."

"But with long-term use, the disadvantages of this drug will begin to appear. The user will have a surge of blood and qi for a short period of time, causing hallucinations. Over time, they will become unconscious. At the same time, this drug will produce a short-term sense of pleasure, which is difficult to get rid of. People with weak willpower can easily become dependent on it and want to take it all the time, which will lead to mental depression and greatly shorten their lifespan! It is a very poisonous substance!"

"Legend has it that a hundred years ago, there was a concubine in the harem of the previous dynasty who mixed opium into the emperor's tonic and persuaded him to take it every day, which eventually led to the emperor going crazy. Therefore, starting with Emperor Yongsheng of our dynasty, I, Dali, have ordered a ban on the use of Wushisan, and the raw material opium has been removed and burned on a large scale!"

"Your Highness, this opium was once known as the second most poisonous substance along with the art of warding off evil. Now this substance has appeared in Concubine Xiao's courtyard, and it is growing so vigorously. If the saint knew about it, would he think of the crazy emperor back then and feel sympathy for his own kind?"

Pingchang naturally understood what she meant, and her eyes sparkled with excitement, but she didn't show it. She just looked at the woman who liked the goose yellow short jacket and said, "Since it happened more than a hundred years ago, how can you recognize this flower?"

Feng Jia said calmly, "Princess, although this Wushisan is banned, there are still people who pay a lot of money to buy it in the black market. There was even a period of time when the price was as high as a thousand gold coins to buy one or two taels. As the saying goes, there must be a brave man under a big reward. I was raised in Shicheng. Shicheng is located in the southwest, which is suitable for the growth of opium. It is also far away from the capital, and many people grow it secretly. I also saw the flower by chance. When it bloomed, it was more dazzling and gorgeous than other flowers, so I was deeply impressed. Later, I checked the classics and knew that it was opium!"

In her previous life, someone secretly planted it in Hongfang in the capital, and was later reported. She burned it with her own hands. There must be someone in Shicheng who followed suit, so she was not afraid of Princess Pingchang investigating.

"Princess Xiao, what a fool! How dare she plant such a fascinating thing in her own yard? She is really courting death!" Pingchang looked at her, pondered for a while, and finally smiled: "I didn't expect that not all the girls in the Prime Minister's Mansion are stupid. Ninth Miss, you are very smart!"

"I have always disliked that Meng. Although she is my mother-in-law, she is just a concubine! Every time she looks at me with such contempt, I want to dig her eyes out on the spot! You have helped me vent my anger!"

Feng Jia bowed her head: "I dare not. It is Lan Zhao's blessing to be able to serve His Highness."

These words were really pleasant to the ears. Pingchang curled up her lips and laughed heartily. The huge mermaid pearl on her head kept shaking. She slowly walked forward, gently lifted Feng Jia's chin with her armor, and her eyes showed the contempt of a superior looking at an inferior.

The girl was no more than thirteen years old, with eyebrows as light as distant mountains, skin as delicate as white porcelain, lips that were naturally red, and a lively beauty revealed in her eyes. Her facial features were delicate, as if they were made by nature. But the most outstanding feature of her were her pair of almond-shaped eyes, which were distinctly black and white and full of brilliance.

A beauty indeed.

Unfortunately, his biological mother was a prostitute of very low status.

Pingchang loosened his hand, casually pulled out a golden hairpin from her hair, put it on Feng Jia, and said calmly, "I saw your name on the banquet list for my brother, the Crown Prince's birthday next year. Unfortunately, you are too young and you have just arrived in the capital. Your father naturally prefers the fourth girl, Xie Shubai, who he personally trained."

Feng Jia pondered in silence.

Pingchang raised his lips and said, "However, I can help you. I need smart people around me. If you help me, I can protect you and even ask for a position as the Crown Prince's Consort for you."

The royal concubine is nothing more than a lowly concubine, haha.

Feng Jia's face showed joy, and she knelt straight down: "Thank you, Princess! Lan Zhaoding will follow your lead!"

Princess Pingchang left with satisfaction. Feng Jia stood up, the smile on her face faded completely. She pulled out the golden hairpin on her head, clenched it tightly in her hand, and the hatred in her eyes surged out like a tide.

The hairpin twisted and deformed in her hands, and finally was twisted into two pieces!