Before Li Ying could say a word, Lu Xunguang stepped forward calmly. Bowing neither humbly nor arrogantly, he asked, "May I ask what instructions you have, Your Honor?"
The eunuch sized Lu Xunguang up and down, then shrilled, "Master Lu, your nine - roasted bamboo salt is indeed quite effective. His Majesty has decreed that you enter the palace for a talk. Master Lu, please?"
Even though he said so, Li Ying observed coldly that the old eunuch clearly looked contemptuous. Remembering Hu Qinzhu's letter, a sense of foreboding welled up in her heart.
These eunuchs who served in front of the imperial throne were all good at reading people's expressions. Since they were not very respectful to Lu Xunguang, it seemed that this imperial summons might bode ill.
The old eunuch bowed slightly, gesturing for Lu Xunguang to set off quickly.
Not daring to stay long, Lu Xunguang squeezed Li Ying's hand and comforted her with his eyes, telling her not to worry. Then he calmly followed the eunuch.
Li Ying frowned. Her right eyelid twitched involuntarily, and a faint sense of unease crept into her heart.
This was not Lu Xunguang's first audience with the emperor. Following the old eunuch, he noticed that the path they were taking was not leading to the Golden Luan Hall, but directly to the emperor's bedroom. A slight suspicion arose in his heart.
He kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, and his mouth on his heart, looking straight ahead. He stood obediently outside the palace gate. Soon, a young eunuch came with an imperial edict, saying that His Majesty was summoning him.
Lu Xunguang performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine prostrations. He heard a weak but majestic cough from the dragon bed.
"Your Majesty, Master Lu has arrived."
Without raising his eyes, Lu Xunguang recognized the flattering voice as Hu Maolin's.
The emperor, looking listless, sized Lu Xunguang up and asked, "Is it you who presented the nine - roasted bamboo salt?"
Before Lu Xunguang could answer, Hu Maolin rushed to speak.
"Your Majesty, Brother Lu's nine - roasted bamboo salt is highly praised among the common people. Everyone sings its praises."
"Your Majesty, please forgive my overstepping. You have been in poor health recently. It was thanks to this nine - roasted bamboo salt that you have recovered. Brother Lu has shared your worries and is truly a pillar of the country who has made great contributions to the country..."
On the surface, he seemed to spare no effort to speak well of Lu Xunguang, but every word was clearly an attempt to praise him to death. His intention was to make the emperor suspect that the Lu family was making huge profits and becoming extremely wealthy by means of these food - medicine items.
"Your Majesty, do you still remember that the nine - dynasty tribute glue made by Brother Lu also has the miraculous effect of bringing the dead back to life? And there are also things like blood swallows. All of them are rare treasures."
"Trust those you use, and don't use those you don't trust. Your Majesty, you have also used Brother Lu's nine - roasted bamboo salt and know its magic. If you still have doubts in your heart, you might as well ask the imperial physicians to inquire in detail about the special features of this bamboo salt. If you rashly suspect the effect of Brother Lu's bamboo salt, it may chill the hearts of the people."
Lu Xunguang frowned and caught a glimpse of the hidden pride in Hu Maolin's eyes. He immediately understood.
No wonder this fellow had been quiet for several days. It turned out that he had been secretly setting a trap.
The emperor had been ill for a long time. Since he started using the nine - roasted bamboo salt, his health had improved a lot.
Now, Hu Maolin deliberately talked a lot about the Lu family's reputation among the common people and vaguely mentioned the profits of these businesses. His intention was to deliberately arouse the emperor's suspicion.
What a good move of praise - to - death!
The emperor pondered for a moment. As expected, he finally gave an order. Lu Xunguang was detained in the palace for several hours. He patiently and honestly endured the interrogation of the scholars in the imperial medical academy and explained the purpose of each process of the nine - roasted bamboo salt one by one.
It was called a discussion, but in fact, it was clearly a form of house arrest.
As for Hu Maolin, he left the palace early. After turning a few alleys, he went straight to the Lu family's salt shop.
With Li Ying in charge, everything in the salt shop was still in good order even without the master of the family.
"Welcome, Young Master Hu. May I ask what brings you here?"
Li Ying smiled faintly. Her calm appearance annoyed Hu Maolin for no reason.
He arched his hands and politely saluted Li Ying.
The Lu family servants in the courtyard all glared at Hu Maolin menacingly, looking wary and on edge.
Hu Maolin snorted and said bluntly, "Miss Li, I know that there have been many misunderstandings between Brother Lu and me. I came here today for no other reason. I just accidentally got the news that Brother Lu is in trouble in the palace, so I came here kindly to inform you."
"His Majesty is tired. Miss Li, you are extremely talented. You made that rare nine - roasted bamboo salt. I'm sure you must have other ways to take care of the emperor's health and help Brother Lu out of danger."
He left a word, as if he was sure that Li Ying had no solution. Without saying more, he just said that he hoped Li Ying would prepare early, then swaggered away proudly.
Li Ying had long guessed that this suspicious emperor would surely question the matter of the nine - roasted bamboo salt repeatedly.
She had great confidence in Lu Xunguang's ability to handle things flexibly. Although she guessed that there would be changes in the palace, she was not too panicked.
However, the shopkeeper of the salt shop, thinking that serving the emperor was as dangerous as being with a tiger, was still unsure. He led a group of assistants and looked at Li Ying nervously, as if waiting for her to come up with a foolproof plan to bring the master of the family back safely.
"Boss Li, Miss Hu is asking to see you!"
While everyone was looking at each other in dismay, the gatekeeper boy reported in a hurry. Soon, Hu Qinzhu stood in front of her, holding a coarse pottery pot in person.
"Boss Li! I got the news from my elder brother that Master Lu is trapped in the palace and can't get away for the time being. If you don't mind, I have a plan that may help you enter the palace to see the emperor!"
She spoke with certainty. Seeing that Li Ying didn't show any approval, she steadied herself and continued.
"Boss Li, this pot of cymbidium was carefully cultivated by me for three years. I heard that the Princess Royal loves these elegant flowers and plants the most. I'm willing to use this flower as a gift to recommend you to the Princess Royal!"
Li Ying had also heard of this "Princess Royal" that Hu Qinzhu mentioned.
The emperor ascended the throne at a young age. All alone, he relied on the Princess Royal to override all objections and carefully support him before he could secure the throne.
That was why he respected his older sister very much.
If she could really gain the favor of this noble person, not to mention clearing Lu Xunguang of any suspicion, it would also be of great benefit to her future business in the capital.
Li Ying's mind raced.
The emperor wanted to question Lu Xunguang about the various wonders of the nine - roasted bamboo salt. She was the real mastermind behind it, so it was most appropriate for her to answer in person.
Li Ying had been in a dilemma before. As a commoner, she would never be able to see the emperor without a summons, let alone advance and retreat with Lu Xunguang.
But now that Hu Qinzhu was willing to help, she was naturally happy to see it. She nodded, disguised as a maid beside Hu Qinzhu, and followed her step by step.