Fortunately, before Yanshu could speak, Yuwen Lan had already sensed something unusual from Madam Tao's words. He immediately suggested to the Empress Dowager and Yanshu, "We've been out for quite a while today, perhaps we should return first."
The Empress Dowager nodded, and Yanshu quickly agreed.
He then instructed the accompanying guards, "Take Madam Tao and the Marquis of Yanping back to the city and arrange for their accommodation. Order the Left and Right Assistants of the Bureau of Revenue to attend the court later."
This indicated his intention to investigate the matter. Upon hearing this, Madam Tao and her son immediately kowtowed to express their gratitude. Yuwen Lan ordered them to rise. Then, he stood up, preparing to leave.
The Empress Dowager and Yanshu also stood up, and everyone in the courtyard immediately bowed their heads in silence, showing their respect.
The closest to the three of them at this moment was Qi Shuguang.
Yanshu paused, realizing that this unexpected meeting between her idol Qi Shuguang and the Empress Dowager was about to end...
At this moment, her idol was standing with his head bowed like everyone else, looking very serious, with no visible emotions on his face.
Yanshu felt a deep sigh in her heart.
Unexpectedly, as the Empress Dowager passed by him, she suddenly stopped and said, "The weather will get colder from now on, please take care of your health, Master Qi."
After all, the next time they met, it was uncertain when.
Yanshu was stunned.
Qi Shuguang paused slightly, still bowing his head and said, "Yes."
Then, in his heart, he silently added, "You too, take care."
Yanshu was stunned again, and in that instant, she couldn't help but feel a tingling in her nose.
Oh, how difficult it was for the two of them...
Yuwen Lan, who heard this, also suddenly felt a heaviness in his heart.
Then, he suddenly ordered the guards, "Assign two men to escort Master Qi back to the academy."
The guards acknowledged.
Qi Shuguang was also taken aback and quickly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yuwen Lan hummed in acknowledgment and then continued walking down the mountain.
Although she felt a deep sigh for her favorite couple, Yanshu, with the current major matter at hand, deliberately squeezed into the emperor's carriage on the way back and quickly reported on the carriage, "Your Majesty, I have just received accurate information that the Taoist mentioned by Madam Tao is actually the Baihe Taoist who once deceived the late emperor. After escaping from the palace back then, he changed his name and mingled among the wealthy in the Min Yue Region, using his medical skills to deceive and collect money from those wealthy people. He also established a sect called the White Cloud Sect, which was actually using the money to support the Red Lotus Cult, intending to cause chaos in the country."
"Red Lotus Cult?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Lan immediately frowned, "It's actually the Red Lotus Cult?"
Indeed, although he had already learned some truth from Yanshu's thoughts and knew that the Taoist was actually the Baihe Taoist, he had never expected that this person would also be related to the Red Lotus Cult?
It is known that this cult was born in the previous dynasty and has been like a tumor attached to the people for hundreds of years. On the surface, it advocates great virtue and righteousness, but in reality, it gathers people to commit rebellion.
Especially at the end of the previous dynasty, the followers of the Red Lotus Cult had already numbered in the tens of thousands, rising up in various places, directly accelerating the decline of that dynasty.
Later, when the founding emperor led the army to start a rebellion and achieved great success, the Red Lotus Cult attempted to continue the chaos. The founding emperor, learning from the lessons of the previous dynasty, immediately dispatched troops to suppress it, which indeed took a lot of effort. However, in the following decades, there was no news of this evil cult.
Unexpectedly, today, the name was heard again.
And this Baihe Taoist was actually related to the Red Lotus Cult?
Yanshu could understand his surprise and quickly further explained to him, "This person is actually a remnant of the Red Lotus Cult from back then. Due to the suppression of the founding emperor, he has always harbored resentment towards the court. That's why he disguised himself as a Taoist to harm the late emperor and intended to make you childless. Now, he has turned to causing trouble among the people."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Lan finally nodded and frowned, "So that's how it is."
With this, all the actions of this person in the palace could be explained.
It turned out to be the remnants of the Red Lotus Cult causing trouble. It's a pity that he had once suspected the Empress Dowager...
Thinking of those dark three years, he became even more furious with this person.
At the same time, he angrily said, "If it weren't for you telling me today, I don't know what kind of trouble this swindler would cause? What are these people doing?"
Yanshu said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. After all, from the time this person left the palace to when the truth was discovered that night, several years had passed in between. During this period, he was on the run everywhere, not only changing his name but also knowing medicine. Most of the Imperial Guards had never seen him, and even if they had his portrait, he could change his appearance. With such a vast world, it's understandable that he couldn't be caught in just a few months."
"But the officials in the Min Yue Region have an unshirkable responsibility. After all, this person has been collecting money from the wealthy in recent years. According to Madam Tao's words, it has even formed a certain scale. As the local officials, they couldn't have been unaware of this, right? Maybe even some of them have been brainwashed by this swindler and deliberately helped him cover up."
Oh, and, afraid he wouldn't understand, she quickly explained, "By 'brainwashed,' I mean being deceived by this person and completely believing in him."
Yuwen Lan nodded and said, "This term... is quite vivid."
Thinking about it, he added, "The possibility of disguise is very high. This time, with Madam Tao and her son here, have the painter draw a few more portraits based on their descriptions."
Yanshu quickly nodded, "Your Majesty is wise."
Then, she sighed in her heart, "Little Emperor, Little Emperor, what would you do without me?"
Yuwen Lan, "……"
Although he still didn't want to hear this title, he had to admit that what she said made sense.
So, he couldn't do without her.
When they returned to the palace, the Assistants of the Bureau of Revenue who had been summoned earlier had arrived.
However, since this matter had involved the Red Lotus Cult, the Bureau of Revenue alone was not enough. Yuwen Lan then summoned the Vice Minister of War and several university scholars to court.
Seeing this situation, the Empress Dowager was a bit puzzled. The next day, when Yanshu came to pay her respects, she asked, "Could it be that the Marquis of Yanping's matter has escalated? Why did the emperor summon the military officials yesterday?"
Yanshu replied, "Your Majesty is right. It turns out that after investigation, the Taoist mentioned by Madam Tao seems to be the Baihe Taoist who escaped from the palace back then. Moreover, this person seems to have some connection with the Red Lotus Cult. Given the gravity of the matter, the emperor summoned several ministers, probably to investigate thoroughly!"
"What?"
The Empress Dowager was also shocked and said, "It's actually that person? And he's also related to the Red Lotus Cult?"
Yanshu nodded, "It is said that this person is actually a remnant of the Red Lotus Cult. For many years, he has harbored resentment towards the court and has been retaliating against it through his actions."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager paused and then sneered, "How ridiculous, so many people were actually manipulated by a swindler."
Especially that man, Yuwen Sheng. His father, the founding emperor, had gone through so much trouble to suppress the Red Lotus Cult, and it was through his hands that it reignited?
Back then, in order to seek immortality, he had given a lot of money to that swindler!
Yanshu listened quietly beside her, thinking that Yuwen Sheng was the late emperor. This guy had invited wolves into his home and even funded the enemy. The Empress Dowager's scolding was indeed justified.
She could only nod and say, "Your Majesty is right. Fortunately, Madam Tao came at a timely moment this time. The Taoist and the remnants of the Red Lotus Cult had not yet gained momentum. At this time, to eliminate them, it should be relatively easy."
The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "This person is cunning and deliberately causes trouble in the remote Min Yue Region. He is also good at deceiving people. I hope the emperor can eliminate him once and for all this time and not leave any hidden dangers."
Alas, speaking of which, it makes one think of those nightmare-like days back then. I hope such things never happen again in the future.
After bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, Yanshu returned to Ganlu Palace. In the afternoon, she heard that a new portrait of the Taoist had been drawn.
She curiously went to Qianming Palace to take a look and was surprised to find that compared to the previous portrait obtained by the Imperial Guards, this one was completely different.
According to the memories of the palace servants, the first portrait showed the Taoist to be about sixty years old, with sagging corners of the eyes and mouth, not to mention the wrinkles on his face.
Now three years had passed, and this person should have aged even more. However, according to the description provided by the Marquis of Yanping's wife, the second portrait drawn showed that the person did not have droopy corners around the eyes and mouth, and the wrinkles were not as numerous.
Moreover, as the Marquis of Yanping's wife mentioned, this person now, apart from having white hair, looked no older than forty, exuding an ethereal aura, making them appear even more like an old immortal.
Seeing this, everyone was astonished, initially suspecting that the two portraits had been mixed up.
If not, could it be that this person truly possessed some kind of sorcery that allowed them to reverse aging?
Yanshu naturally did not believe in sorcery. She merely suspected that this old man might have mastered some advanced makeup technique?
How could he reduce his age by over twenty years?
Then she heard the system say, **Makeup is one aspect, but mainly this person is skilled in medicine, combined with some Taoist alchemy, and has concocted some pills for themselves, so they appear to be regressing in age.**
Hmm?
Upon hearing this, Yanshu immediately became interested and asked, **What kind of pills are so miraculous?**
If she could master the formula, wouldn't she also be able to stay young forever?
But the system replied, **Don't think about it. You can't use this medicine. It requires the use of purple river carriages, and one every day. Do you know what a purple river carriage is?**
Yanshu, having been a frequent visitor to the medicine cabinet in her previous life, was familiar with various medicinal names. She responded, **Isn't it the human placenta?**
The system confirmed that was correct.
However, she then widened her eyes in shock, **But as a Taoist, where could he find so many purple river carriages?**
The system explained, **Initially, he bought them from people. He wasn't short of money, and now that he has followers, and they are all wealthy, he doesn't have to worry about it himself. Some people, in order to follow him, even went so far as to abort the pregnancies of their concubines to present them to him.**
Yanshu was almost sick to her stomach upon hearing this, **Is this even human? This is clearly a cult!**
The system agreed, **Exactly!**
Yanshu felt utterly disgusted and shivered all over, especially as a pregnant woman, she was particularly outraged.
So, when no one was around, she immediately told Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, I heard that this person actually uses human placentas to refine pills to maintain a youthful appearance. It's truly heartless and terrifying! This time, we must capture him!"
Yuwen Lan was also shocked and immediately frowned, saying, "It's utterly inhumane!"
Then he ordered Fu Hai, "Have the painter draw more portraits and distribute them. This time, we must catch him!"
Fu Hai acknowledged and quickly went to arrange the personnel.
Unexpectedly, not long after, he rushed back to report, "Your Majesty, just now there was news from the Palace of Benevolent Peace that the Empress Dowager's old ailment has flared up again."
