FVN 118. Abnormalities
118. Abnormalities
Last night, the discussion with Wang Shouren and others continued until late at night, and the plan to implement the new policy has begun to take shape.
"My lord, there's news from the palace." The hurried footsteps of a servant came from outside the door. "His Majesty wishes to summon several key members of the New Policies Society."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. The emperor's sudden summons was unexpected, yet also quite reasonable. Although the draft of the new policies had not yet been officially announced, there were many informants in the court, and it must have already reached the emperor's ears.
When will you be summoned?
"At noon, in the Zichen Palace."
Lin Mo immediately sent someone to inform Wang Shouren and others. An hour later, several core members of the New Policies Society gathered at Lin's residence.
"His Majesty's sudden summons is a matter of good or bad fortune," Zhao Mingcheng said gravely. "I've heard that His Majesty's temperament has been unpredictable lately; just the other day, he had two eunuchs beaten to death over a trivial matter."
Wang Shouren stroked his beard: "In any case, this is a good opportunity for us to observe His Majesty up close. Hasn't Young Master Lin noticed that His Majesty's behavior has been unusual lately?"
Lin Mo nodded: "This summons is indeed an opportunity. However, everyone must be careful and not offend the Emperor."
As noon approached, the group tidied their clothes and boarded sedan chairs to head to the palace.
Inside the Zichen Palace, wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner. Lin Mo followed the others into the palace and immediately saw the emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
The emperor was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wore a golden crown, seemingly no different from usual. But Lin Mo keenly noticed that the emperor's eyes were slightly vacant, and his movements were unnaturally stiff.
"My esteemed subjects, please rise." The emperor's voice sounded somewhat hoarse, quite different from the booming voice Lin Mo remembered.
After everyone rose, the emperor slowly spoke: "I've heard you're preparing for new policies?"
Wang Shouren stepped forward: "Your Majesty, we are indeed discussing some policies that would benefit the country and its people."
"Let me see it." The emperor stretched out his hand, his fingers trembling slightly.
Lin Mo presented the prepared draft. As he handed it over, he deliberately moved closer, wanting to examine it more closely.
This sight sent a chill down his spine. The emperor's eyes were an unnatural dark red, with tiny black lines seemingly writhing slowly at the edges of his pupils. What bothered Lin Mo even more was the faint, chilling aura emanating from the emperor, completely clashing with the warmth of the incense burning in the hall.
"These clauses...are quite interesting." The emperor flipped through the draft, a strange smile playing on his lips. "However, aren't they a bit too radical?"
Lin Mo noticed that there was a slight delay between the opening and closing of the emperor's lips and the sound he made when he spoke, just like a marionette.
"Your Majesty, the court is now deeply entrenched in corruption and abuse of power. Without sweeping reforms, it will be difficult to achieve any results," Wang Shouren replied respectfully.
The emperor suddenly slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne: "How dare you! Are you accusing me of incompetence in governing the country?"
The force of the blow was immense; a tiny crack appeared in the armrest of the dragon throne. Everyone in the hall was startled and immediately knelt down.
Lin Mo knelt on the ground, his heart churning with turmoil. Just a moment ago, he clearly saw a strange black glint flash in the emperor's eyes, a look that was definitely not human.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," Wang Shouren quickly explained. "We had no such intention; we only hoped to help Your Majesty revitalize the court."
The emperor remained silent for a moment, then his violent aura vanished, and he returned to his previous dazed state: "Rise. I know of your loyalty."
Only then did everyone dare to stand up. Lin Mo took the opportunity to observe the emperor carefully again and noticed that fine beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead and his breathing had become somewhat rapid.
"Regarding the new policies, allow me some more time to consider." The emperor waved his hand, appearing quite weary. "You may all leave now."
Everyone bowed and took their leave. Once outside the Zichen Palace, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"His Majesty seemed unusually irritable today," Zhao Mingcheng said, wiping away a bead of cold sweat. "Fortunately, he didn't investigate further."
Wang Shouren frowned deeply: "His Majesty's condition is indeed abnormal. I have served His Majesty for over twenty years and have never seen him so erratic."
Lin Mo remained silent. Upon returning to the Lin residence, he immediately summoned his spies who had informants within the Imperial Medical Bureau.
"Go and investigate what prescriptions the Imperial Medical Bureau has recently given His Majesty, and whether there are any abnormalities in His Majesty's pulse diagnosis."
The spy accepted the order and left. At dusk, he returned with shocking news.
"My lord, the records of the Imperial Medical Bureau show that His Majesty has not summoned any imperial physicians for consultations in the past six months. Moreover, according to reliable sources, His Majesty has not visited the inner palace for a long time."
Lin Mo's doubts deepened. It was highly unusual for an emperor over fifty to not summon the imperial physicians or indulge in women for half a year.
In the stillness of the night, Lin Mo was deep in thought alone in his study. He recalled the various strange and unusual arts he had learned in his previous life, and suddenly a possibility occurred to him—puppetry.
If someone used sorcery to control the emperor, then all the abnormalities would make sense. A vacant stare, stiff movements, and a drastic change in temperament are all typical signs of being manipulated.
But who exactly possesses such power to control a nation's ruler? The Imperial Guard? Or...?
Lin Mo suddenly recalled some legends he had heard at the border. The shamans of the northern grasslands were skilled at manipulating minds, and the Western Regions also possessed strange spells. Could the emperor be controlled by a foreign race?
The thought sent a chill down his spine. If that were true, then the Song Dynasty would face not only internal troubles, but also external threats.
The next day, Lin Mo secretly met with Zhang Yuan, an old acquaintance who worked at the Imperial Observatory. Zhang Yuan was well-versed in astronomy and calendrical science and had a keen interest in unusual phenomena.
"Lord Zhang, have you observed any unusual celestial phenomena recently?"
Zhang Yuan pondered for a moment: "It's strange, but recently the Ziwei star has been shining brightly and dimly, and black mist often lingers around the imperial star. I was just about to report this to the court."
"Black mist?" Lin Mo pressed, "Could you elaborate?"
"That black mist was extraordinary, unlike ordinary clouds," Zhang Yuan said in a low voice. "Sometimes, in the dead of night, I could even see what appeared to be living things moving within it."
Lin Mo understood. This further confirmed his guess.
After seeing Zhang Yuan off, Lin Mo paced back and forth in the courtyard. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the artificial hill and flowing water, and everything seemed so peaceful. But he knew that beneath this calm, undercurrents were surging.
If the emperor is indeed being manipulated, then implementing new policies will face even greater resistance. Even more frightening is that the manipulator hiding behind the scenes has motives far beyond simply controlling the emperor.
Lin Mo recalled the mysterious enemy from his past life, the figure that appeared before his death. Could all of this be related to him?
As night fell, Lin Mo lit the candles in his study. He had to find out the truth as soon as possible, otherwise not only would the new policies fail, but the entire Song Dynasty might be plunged into an abyss of no return.
Outside the window, a waning moon hung on the treetops. In the cool moonlight, Lin Mo seemed to see a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows, coldly watching everything.