Hong Peiju's study contains a secret passage. When the Hong family first moved into this house, Hong Peiju's great-grandfather ordered the craftsmen to secretly supervise the construction.
Only the eldest son of the Hong family, the heir apparent of the Hou Mansion, or the next Marquis of Huai'an, knew about the existence of this secret passage and mechanism.
Hong Peiju arranged the young man in the study.
There are several mirrors on the ceiling of the study room. The mirrors are placed very concealed and cannot be seen by outsiders.
Under the floor of the study are secret passages and dark rooms.
There are several deeply hidden small holes on the floor of the study room. Through the small holes, you can see the indoor situation reflected in the mirror on the ceiling.
It was through these mirrors that Hong Peiju saw what the young man had recorded.
At first, Hong Peiju was just curious, but slowly, he discovered that the young man had recorded one prescription after another and some formulas for using medicine and poison.
However, due to the limited angle, some medicine and poison formulas cannot be fully seen.
So later Hong Peiju prepared medicine or poison according to the formula he had written down, but the effect was not good.
Some have poor efficacy, some have weak toxicity, or have insufficient detoxification.
Therefore, in the following years, Hong Peiju studied the formulas of these poisons and antidotes bit by bit.
For example, some prescriptions contain ten herbs, but two of them are not visible.
Hong Peiju began to find medicines one by one to fill them in and try them. Over time, she really gained some results.
Here, Hong Peiju is also like "a blind cat meets a dead mouse", and she was lucky enough to find its original formula when looking for a needle in a haystack.
It may also be that after hundreds of attempts, Hong Peiju found a medicinal ingredient that could just replace the missing ingredient.
Or maybe Hong Peiju created a new poison and antidote based on the original one, which is unknown.
However, some of Hong Peiju's prescriptions are actually effective.
After holding this weapon, Hong Peiju's confidence suddenly increased.
It's just that his unique skill cannot be expressed openly, and there are few places to use it, and he cannot easily reveal this secret.
Making and using poisons is a method that the powerful do not reject, but it is also something that cannot be put on the table.
Because there is no way to find a buyer in a big way. For a moment, Hong Peiju felt like she was holding a golden rice bowl and begging for food.
When Hong Peiju looked at the powerful people in Beijing, he realized that his family had been marginalized to a position that could no longer be marginalized.
Of course, even in the family's heyday, it never reached the core position, but it was close to the core after all.
If the calculation method is slightly rougher and the scope is slightly expanded, the Marquis of Huai'an at that time would be more or less included in the expanded scope of the "core of power".
But now, when Hong Peiju becomes the Marquis, in addition to a title, he also has a place in the court except during festivals or major ceremonial events. The rest of the time, make your own arrangements!
There were several important forces in the court at this time.
One faction is the Qing faction, which is the civil servant faction headed by Queen Nangong's family and Prime Minister Qi.
Followed by several smart and capable relatives of the emperor, such as the Guangling County Prince, Jiangxia County Prince, and the wise and foolish Rongan County Prince. There are also several princes who are usually silent and invisible, seeming to be hibernating, but they should not be underestimated.
For example, the father of the Lord of Qiqing County, Prince Long'an.
The other one is the military commanders faction. In fact, the Marquis of Huai'an can be considered a noble family, but now they have declined and have no say in the army. This faction is headed by the Duke of Qin and the Duke of Li.
There are also some forces that are usually inconspicuous, or that do not participate in political affairs very frequently, but their influence cannot be underestimated. They should be regarded as the Xiaoyao sect of their own lineage.
For example, Princess Ruichang, and Princess Lu.
As a result, the emperor was in an extremely delicate balance.
The emperor's ascension to the throne was also accidental. Because his brothers fought so fiercely that they were all defeated. In the end, the emperor had no choice but to choose him.
Therefore, the emperor now does not have an absolute advantage and overwhelming power.
The above-mentioned people all have their own small circles, and Hong Peiju has no way to squeeze in.
At this time, Concubine Jiao Xian's momentum gradually began to gain momentum like a sudden rise.
Hong Peiju was keenly aware that Concubine Jiao Xian was a breakthrough, and the other one was Chen Zhuoxin, who had become the heir apparent from a concubine!
In order to get close to the two of them, Hong Peiju disguised herself as a salesman and a hawker to ambush and hide around the mansion of Jiao Xianfei's father, Jiao Shilang.
After a period of time, Hong Peiju discovered that Jiao Shilang was a fairly well-behaved person.
There was nothing suspicious about the guests coming and going.
But Hong Peiju still discovered that there was something wrong with Concubine Jiao Xian's uncle.
People in the palace often walked in and out of the Vice Minister's Mansion in a grand manner, and then made their way to Concubine Jiao Xian's uncle's house.
Then Hong Peiju began to focus on Jiao Yucheng, Jiao Xianfei's uncle.
It was in the process of monitoring Jiao Yucheng that Chen Zhuoxin discovered Hong Peiju's actions, and the two colluded together.
In front of Hong Peiju's hospital bed, Yin Hong calmly looked at Hong Peiju with a painful look on his face, feeling angry and funny in his heart.
"Master Hou, he plays with hawks all day long, but the hawk pricks his eyes!"
Hong Peiju felt depressed. How could he have imagined that Baochang would really dare to fight him!
Moreover, I never thought that the mantis stalked the cicada and the oriole followed, and it was because I was overconfident and careless that I ended up in such a situation.
Hong Peiju's annoyance was undisguised.
Yin Hong stopped talking nonsense and got straight to the point. He came late at night not to be polite or to care about Hong Peiju's injury, but to convey a message to Chen Zhuoxin.
"Master Marquis, you'd better think about it carefully. Although you are very smart, you are still a monk halfway. What use are those few prescriptions in your hands? In addition to being able to deal with a few servants, how can you deal with a few people who are not good at you? My obedient son, do you dare to drug the prince and the prince?"
Yin Hong came to ask Hong Peiju for the formula. People behind Chen Zhuoxin believed that the young man was probably a descendant of Qiyao Ling. Even if he was not a descendant, he still had a deep connection with Qiyao Ling.
It is said that the medicine in Qiyaoling is also one of the ways to unlock the secrets of Duke Li's mansion.
Hong Peiju was dissatisfied when she heard this.
"Does the Duke of Guo want to establish new skills for his son? He doesn't even let go of my little trick? I'm just trying to make a name for myself on my own one-third of an acre of land, just for my own entertainment. The Duke of Guo has outstanding abilities. , why bother fighting with me anymore?"
Yin Hong was also dissatisfied when he saw Hong Peiju's attitude of "no rabbits, no eagles".
"Master Marquis, why do you have to say it so harshly? Let's all seek great wealth together. If you have money, you will contribute money, and if you have the ability, you will contribute. It is your wish to join the Duke and the Concubine, but no one is forcing you!"
Hong Peiju was so angry that she wanted to get up. When she got angry, her head began to hurt again. The pain made Hong Peiju calm down instantly. He didn't have the capital to break up with Chen Zhuoxin.
What he planned with Chen Zhuoxin and Concubine Jiao Xian was actually a gamble. If he won the gamble, he would be rich and wealthy, but the premise was that he could not lose his chips when he won.
Now, before we are absolutely sure, we delay opening the sieve cup.
He, Hong Peiju, is not afraid of procrastination, but he has been procrastinating for so long.
However, Hong Peiju felt that some people could not afford to delay.
For example, Concubine Jiao Xian!
There are vague rumors in the market that after the third and fourth princes get married, the matter of "establishing a heir apparent" will soon be put on the agenda.
Before there was a "Crown Prince", they uncovered the secrets of the Duke of Li's Mansion and could even influence the "Crown Crown Prince"!
The secret lies with whichever prince, whichever prince is the "Crown Prince"!
Even if you don't participate in "establishing a reserve", at least it is a great achievement that no one can match!
Moreover, because this secret is a sharp weapon, it will not be "cooked by the lackeys"!
In other words, wealth is wrapped in another amulet!
The Ji sisters are in the Hou Mansion, so he has plenty of time!
Hong Peiju covered her head as if in pain, and said in a slowly soothing tone,
"I have also done my best for the empress and the prince, but look what I have gained now? I was seriously injured this time, and it is not fake. My medicine is so useful. I use it on myself first. Why don't you feel comfortable for a few days? Come on, go back and tell the Duke that now, I need to rest. I can't be tired or angry. Look, it's hard for me to get out of bed now. Please tell the Duke and wait until I recover. After some time, we’ll discuss it again.”
Yin Hong was not surprised. Hong Peiju was so thick-skinned that she kept the word "drag" in her pocket and could take it out anytime and anywhere!
He said that it was a big mistake to place the Ji sisters in the Huai'an Marquis Mansion!
However, the Duke of Guo seeks "stability" and is worried that he will end up losing money and people, and will be "hated by thousands of people"!
Yin Hong said calmly,
"Master Marquis, please don't be fooled by your cleverness. It is not yet known whether Master Marquis's recipe can unlock the secret of Duke Li's mansion. Even if he has this ability, if Master Marquis does not hurry up, others may take the lead. Don't you regret it?" It’s too late.”
Hong Peiju said nothing.
Yin Hong said again,
"Master Marquis, you might as well think about it. Your daughter, Miss Meilin, is not particularly outstanding in appearance and family background. How can He De be successfully selected?"
Hong Peiju opened her eyes after hearing this, with a little doubt in her eyes.
Yin Hong simply spoke out.
"Someone help!"
Hong Peiju was startled, feeling that many things were out of control and quickly sliding in directions he could not predict!
And Yin Hong's next words made Hong Peiju no longer able to lie down calmly!
"The emperor already knows a little about the use of voodoo to spy on the Ji sisters. You also know that the emperor hates people who use voodoo the most, otherwise he would not have used a lot of strange medicines and magic in the palace to prevent the voodoo poison from causing trouble. Lord Marquis, Tell me, after a thorough investigation, who will take the blame?"
