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Chapter 240 The Concubine and the Emperor 27

"Well said! I'll leave this matter to you. Lord Shi has recently gained the trust of the emperor, so it should be easy to get close to him. With Xue Wei's poison, I believe you will not let me down." Chu Qi looked at Shi Qing, as if he didn't care about the previous setbacks.

Lord Nalan, who was able to persuade Chu Qi, had left for a long time. At this moment, no one could suppress the arrogant Chu Qi.

After the decision was made, the people who had quietly gathered here quietly left Prince Qi's Mansion.

Shi Qing stopped Xue Wei and discussed the poison with him.

Shi Qing, who had been entrusted with an important task, had already made a desperate move. He was determined to do it decisively: "I heard that Mr. Xue has a strange poison that has no antidote. I wonder if you could hand it over to me."

"That poison is the essence of my lifelong learning, and it cannot be given to other people's hands. Only if I poison it myself can you be assured." Faced with Shi Qing's request, Xue Wei refused to hand over the poison.

"This..." Shi Qing hesitated. Xue Wei was just a commoner after all. How could he be as reliable as the professionally trained assassins? Why would he ask him to poison someone?

Xue Wei saw Shi Qing's doubts and said confidently, "Don't worry, sir. This poison is very strong. Once it touches the skin, it will definitely kill you. It's just a matter of breathing. It's precisely because of the strong nature of the poison that I don't feel comfortable handing it over to others."

Shi Qing agreed after a slight hesitation: "Okay, I'll discuss the specific plan with you then."

No one knew the relationship between Xue Wei and them. If his assassination attempt failed, the worst that could happen was that he would be abandoned like the previous waste.

"I will definitely live up to your trust, sir." Xue Wei saluted Shi Qing and watched Shi Qing get on the carriage, which slowly left the street.

When he looked up again, a look of determination flashed in Xue Wei's eyes.

------

In late September, one day, in the Shangshufang.

"I am Xue Wei, a commoner, here to pay my respects to Your Majesty." Xue Wei, dressed in the attire of Southwestern Besai, knelt before the emperor with a tray in his hands.

Chu Jun put down the brush he was using to mark memorials and glanced at the person in front of him: "Stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Is this the Golden Pumpkin Tribute Tea?" Chu Jun looked at the tray held by the young man in front of him. On it was a small and exquisite golden sandalwood box.

Golden Gourd Tribute Tea is precious and is considered the best quality among Pu'er teas. It is only produced in the southwestern border areas and the output is pitifully small.

In addition to the production volume, the production process of Golden Gourd Tribute Tea is complicated, and the southwestern border is thousands of kilometers away from the capital, so the transportation on the road consumes a lot of manpower and material resources.

This tea is so precious because Chu Yun prepared it for the enthronement ceremony next month.

That was his wedding day with Mo Heng, so the betrothal gift was essential.

Xue Wei seemed a little nervous because it was his first time meeting the emperor, and his voice trembled slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Chu Jun walked from the table to Xue Wei's side, ready to see what was different about this golden pumpkin tribute tea.

However, after approaching Xue Wei, Chu Jun keenly sensed that this "tea maker" had a momentary murderous intention towards him.

Chu Jun felt a little alert and stopped in front of Xue Wei. He took a closer look at the exquisite wooden box, but he didn't see any signs of any mechanism.

Li Yu stepped forward and prepared to open the shell box for Chu Yun, but Chu Yun raised his hand to signal him to stop.

Chu Yun didn't know how the assassin was going to kill him, so it was always right to keep others away.

Xue Wei saw out of the corner of his eye that the emperor reached out and covered the wooden box, then slowly opened it, and his heart began to pound.

The aroma of the tea cake of Jinguan Gong Cha is unique and charming. When you first smell it, a faint aged fragrance comes to your nose, which is mellow and restrained.

When you sniff it carefully, you will find that the woody scent is fresh and natural, just like being in the forest; the herbal scent is fresh and elegant, with a hint of refreshing breath.

The caramel aroma is sweet and tempting, warm and comfortable, as if the caramel is melting in your mouth, and the floral fragrance is subtle and delicate, like dewdrops on petals in the morning, which is intoxicating.

These aromas are intertwined with each other in distinct layers and are extremely harmonious.

It is also thanks to this mixed fragrance that the smell of poison can be concealed, making it impossible for others to detect it.

Xue Wei was certain that the emperor had come into contact with the poison, and he waited silently in his heart, with all his muscles tensed.

However, the time for the poison to take effect had long passed, but the emperor in front of him was still as calm as ever, and was even carefully gazing at the golden pumpkin tribute tea.

Xue Wei was extremely surprised, not knowing whether the poison had lost its effect or the emperor had taken precautions.

After being surprised, Xue Wei made up his mind instantly.

He knelt on the ground with a plop, and suddenly kowtowed to Chu Yun, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

Chu Jun had already learned from Pino that the tea box was coated with poison, and was thinking about how to deal with the person in front of him. Xue Wei's behavior was beyond his expectations.

I wonder what this "tea maker" in front of me will say: "What's the matter?"

Xue Wei thought of the chess piece that Prince Qi had decisively abandoned and decided to give it a try. He kowtowed several times before resolutely saying, "It's about Prince Qi and Chu Qi."

Now that the words have been spoken, there is no turning back.

Xue Wei told the emperor everything he knew, even some of the information he had learned from the many secret talks he participated in.

"Your Majesty, I swear that every word I say is true. Today, the Minister of Personnel, Shi Qing, secretly arranged for me to enter the palace with the intention of poisoning Your Majesty. I feel I can no longer deceive Your Majesty, so I have come to confess to Your Majesty."

Xue Wei deliberately avoided the important issues and secretly cleared himself of all charges, as if he were just a poor commoner oppressed by the powerful.

Chu Jun naturally didn't believe Xue Wei's words completely, and said in a calm tone: "Why did you tell me this? The crime of treason should be punished by the extermination of all nine generations of the family."

Xue Wei didn't know whether the emperor believed him or not. The emperor's tone was too calm, as if he knew everything about Prince Qi.

This realization made Xue Wei even more nervous, and he was even more afraid of the emperor. He racked his brains to excuse himself: "I did this to protect myself. I hope Your Majesty can spare my life."

Chu Jun took the handkerchief from Li Yu and carefully wiped the poison off his hands. Then he threw the handkerchief to Xue Wei, very close to his skin.

Xue Wei looked at the handkerchief stained with poison that suddenly fell in front of him. He reflexively took half a step back and stayed a little further away from the handkerchief, fearing that he would be contaminated by the poison and die.

When Chu Jun saw Xue Wei's actions, he knew that he was involved in the poisoning.

Even the confession at this time may be a helpless act after discovering that the poison has not worked.

Chu Jun instantly lost all sympathy for him and said in a cold voice, "I still need to investigate this matter thoroughly. In the meantime, you should stay in prison."

------

In the third year of Hengyun, in the year Dingmao, in the ninth month of autumn, King Qi was stripped of his title for treason and executed on the same day.

Prince Qi, whose name was Chuqi, was the sixth son of the late emperor. He was intelligent since childhood, but he had ulterior motives. He secretly formed cliques for personal gain and plotted evil.

After Prince Qi was captured, Chu Yun ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a strict interrogation.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, Prince Qi finally confessed and admitted to the crime of treason and usurpation of the throne.

Chu Yun was deeply distressed. Considering that Prince Qi was, after all, a descendant of the late emperor, he could not bear to see him suffer in prison, so he issued an order to strip Prince Qi of his title, imprison him, and execute him that same day.

——"Records of Yunheng: Chronicles of Chu Yun"