Chapter 139 Understanding
Zhao Ji couldn't help laughing as he listened to Xuguzi's description.

The teacher's skills lie in chemical talents such as medicine making and alchemy, but the apprentice loves physics, so their majors are not suitable.

Di Renjie's attention was not on the gossip between Wang Zhiyuan and Xuguzi, but on the relationship between Wang Zhiyuan and Princess Taiping.

It is well known that Princess Taiping likes to recommend some "special talents" to the emperor, and Wang Zhiyuan happens to be one of them.

Xuguzi hadn't finished speaking yet, and he still had a bit of resentment in his voice: "Since Wang Zhiyuan came to power two years ago, I don't know how he hooked up with the inner guards. So he started to send the inner guards to monitor me, and later even put me under house arrest."

Hearing this, Zhao Ji felt a little strange.

From what Xuguzi said, it is obvious that Wang Zhiyuan is not a person who respects teachers. Thinking darkly, wouldn't it be more convenient to just "force" Xuguzi to death? Why bother to monitor him and put him under house arrest?

So he asked Xuguzi, "Master, is Wang Zhiyuan just keeping you under surveillance and under house arrest?"

Xuguzi sighed and replied, "To be honest, General, Wang Zhiyuan forced me to make elixirs for him for some unknown reason. It is because of this that I am able to survive in this world, otherwise I would have been killed by him."

Zhao Ji's face suddenly changed when he heard this, and he remembered the strong smell of medicine in the room in Qingyun Temple. How could he not understand that the hallucinogen that Wang Zhiyuan gave to Wu Zetian was actually made by Xuguzi.

Xuguzi had been under house arrest by Wang Zhiyuan for a long time and could not communicate normally with others. Now that he opened his mouth, he could not stop talking: "Speaking of which, I have to thank the general for saving my life, otherwise Wang Zhiyuan would not let me go. Because he hasn't sent anyone to get medicine for several days."

"Based on his character, I'm afraid he will send someone to kill me soon. That's why I thought the general was the one who came to kill me this morning."

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "I just happened to meet him. I didn't expect the Taoist priest to be in the temple."

Di Renjie was listening to Xuguzi's words and naturally understood that the reason why Wang Zhiyuan did not kill Xuguzi was because of the elixir he had refined.

"I wonder what kind of elixir it is that makes Wang Zhiyuan value it so much?" Di Renjie asked.

Xuguzi did not hide it, half proud, half ashamed: "It is a psychedelic drug. I researched a kind of powder when I was young. It can fascinate the mind and make people hallucinate."

"This medicine is colorless and tasteless. It does not harm the body, but only the mind. Not only is it difficult for the person taking the medicine to detect it, but even the divine doctors and imperial physicians would find it difficult to find any clues."

"Psychedelic drugs?! They cause hallucinations?" Di Renjie was shocked when he heard that.

He suddenly understood where all the strange symptoms Wu Zetian had experienced before came from, and this was what the so-called ghost stories were all about.

Zhao Ji's eyes gleamed, he also understood the twists and turns, and confirmed: "Do you know what Wang Zhiyuan did with this medicine?"

Xuguzi shook his head and said, "I am under house arrest in Qingyun Temple and can only make medicine for him. How dare I ask Wang Zhiyuan what he uses it for? He can't tell me. In short, it's some shameful business."

"Come to think of it, why did you make this evil medicine?" Di Renjie stared at Xuguzi coldly with his eyes as fast as lightning.

Xuguzi felt guilty when Di Renjie looked at him, and said helplessly: "To be honest, I made this medicine when I was young, just to cheat people. I tricked people into taking this medicine, making them think they saw ghosts, and then I would take action to 'subdue the demons'."

Zhao Ji couldn't help but sneer when he heard Xuguzi's words.

When Wang Zhiyuan was young, he probably saw his teacher Xuguzi playing tricks on others, so he took note of this medicine.

What Xuguzi said before about the so-called master-disciple disagreement was probably false. Maybe Xuguzi was too proud of his own things and refused to teach Wang Zhiyuan, which led to the conflict. Di Renjie did not dwell on these details and let Xuguzi off lightly, having him taken away.

At this time, Li Yuanfang suddenly walked into the room and reported: "My lord, I have interrogated the inner guards in Qingyun Temple again. They claim to be Wang Zhiyuan's confidants. Since Wang Zhiyuan received the order from His Majesty two years ago, they have joined the inner guards."

"According to the leader, their initial mission was to infiltrate the underworld, use the banner of anti-military forces, lure out the snakes, and catch the real anti-military forces in one fell swoop."

"But later Wang Zhiyuan changed his mind and took the anti-military forces under his command and used them for his own purposes. And they were also transferred to Qingyun Temple to guard Xuguzi."

Di Renjie was surprised again when he heard this and paced around the room involuntarily.

After a long time, Di Renjie's doubts gradually dissipated, and the mysteries seemed to have been solved.

He sighed quietly, "Ah... I understand, I understand everything. I never thought the truth would be like this."

"The so-called Bleeding Eagle Case was a purge of another group of internal guards led by Wang Zhiyuan and He Yun. And the so-called haunting in the palace was also concocted by Wang Zhiyuan using the hallucinogens made by Xuguzi."

Zhao Ji looked at Di Renjie in surprise because he did not mention Princess Taiping's name.

"Sir, things are very clear now. Should we go back to Shendu?" Zhao Ji reminded.

Di Renjie stopped abruptly and nodded: "Their ultimate target is still Your Majesty. We have to go back as soon as possible."

After figuring this out, Di Renjie turned around and looked at Zhao Ji and Li Yuanfang and said, "Chengyuan, Yuanfang, pack up and bring He Yun, Jiang Xiaolang, Xuguzi and other witnesses with you. We will return to Shendu immediately to report to the emperor."

"Yes!" Zhao Ji and Li Yuanfang responded.
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Not to mention how shocked and surprised Xuguzi was when he saw Jiang Xiaolang, an ancient man who lived decades ago, and how Di Renjie and Zhao Ji won a great victory.

On the other side, inside Zixia Temple, Wang Zhiyuan was immersed in self-indulgent joy, with a smile on his face and full of satisfaction.

Because of his merit in exorcising ghosts, he was summoned personally by the Emperor Wu Zetian, and was conferred the title of Grand Wizard of the Auxiliary State. He was also given a cart full of jewels. Everything seemed to be going smoothly according to his plan, and it was hard for Wang Zhiyuan not to be proud.

But when Princess Taiping appeared in Zixia Temple with a small entourage, Wang Zhiyuan's good mood disappeared.

Princess Taiping was wearing a black hooded cape. When she saw Wang Zhiyuan, she started to scold him: "You idiot, you are still here gloating. Di Renjie has already won a great victory. Did you know that?"

Wang Zhiyuan shuddered: "What?"

Princess Taiping took a deep breath, calmed down her anger, and explained briefly: "He Yun has been missing for a night, and all our contacts have been cut off. If the truth is revealed, you and I will both die without a burial place!"

Wang Zhiyuan came back to his senses at this moment and said fiercely: "Princess, if this is the case, we can't delay any longer. We must order Chunxiang to take action tonight."

Princess Taiping nodded and said, "I have already given the order. Your people should be ready. Also, send someone to keep an eye on Di Renjie and be ready to kill He Yun and his men at any time!"

Wang Zhiyuan was startled and quickly agreed.

(End of this chapter)