Chapter 64 064 "You brat!"

An imperial edict was issued, setting the imperial examination for May 19th. The capital city became even more bustling as students from all over flocked to the city, making it difficult to find a room in an inn.

With the departure of Beigu and Dadi imminent, Dadi, to demonstrate their sincerity in the marriage alliance, submitted a memorial to Emperor Mingkang, requesting that Dadi become the main trade route between the north and south of the Great Jin Dynasty, pay tribute of a thousand horses annually, and promise that after marrying the eldest princess, the prince would never take another concubine for the rest of his life.

Emperor Mingkang accepted the memorial and immediately summoned the eldest princess to inquire about her wishes. In the council hall, the eldest princess said that it was a blessing for her to relieve her father's worries. Emperor Mingkang, on the other hand, looked reluctant and did not respond for a long time.

The eldest princess knelt before the palace for a long time, loudly proclaiming that she and the Prince of Dadi had fallen in love at first sight and wishing her father, the emperor, to grant their wish.

With tears welling in his eyes, Emperor Mingkang ordered Dexi to personally escort the eldest princess back to the palace. That very night, he issued two imperial edicts, one bestowing upon the eldest princess the title of Princess Yonghe, a dowry of 180 loads, and 10,000 taels of gold, and ordering her to marry the Di people in two months.

The Di people were extremely grateful and left behind the envoys to receive them, while the rest rode back to the Di people to prepare for the wedding.

The second imperial edict rebuked Lu Yunye for his reckless and disrespectful behavior, but considering his sincerity, loyalty, and talent, he was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue and allowed to marry the Second Princess.

After all, he would be a prince consort in the future, and Emperor Mingkang could no longer keep him confined to the palace. He always harbored a sense of apprehension. Because of the Chuzhou incident, many officials had been convicted. There was a vacancy for the position of Vice Minister of Revenue, and there had been a lot of debate about it these past few days. It would be better to give it to him.

The palace was instantly filled with noise and excitement as two princesses were married off at once.

The eldest princess looked at the abundance of rewards displayed in the room, sneered, and said sarcastically, "No wonder everyone says that Father Emperor is benevolent, so much so that even when he kills someone, the criminals rush to him."

The room fell silent instantly. The eldest princess glanced coldly around and said, "What? Are you all dumbfounded?"

The people packing up now were all maids who had been assigned to accompany the eldest princess to Da Di. Those with connections had already left, and each of them, thinking of going to a foreign land and never being able to return, hung their heads and had tears in their eyes.

This pitiful appearance enraged the eldest princess, who smashed the teacup on the ground and cursed, "If you're so capable, go find your own way, don't act like a dead man in front of me."

From now on, life and death will rest on the shoulders of the eldest princess. The servants knelt on the ground in fear, saying that they dared not.

That night, the moon shone brightly in the sky, the trees and grass were quiet, a warm breeze caressed the ground, and occasionally a few insects chirped from a corner, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

At the Huang residence, Huang Pu pushed aside the messy books, papers, and stacks of invitations in front of him, put down his pen, and scanned the items from top to bottom. Seeing that Huang Pu's expression was not resentful, he nodded and said, "Sit."

The fourth prince looked around, somewhat perplexed, and finally followed suit, pushing the pile of things aside before finally sitting down.

"Do you harbor any resentment?"

Ling Zizhan was initially a little aggrieved, but after being neglected during the day, even the greatest resentment dissipated, and he had completely calmed down. "I've figured it out."

"Oh."

Huang Pu chuckled softly and advised, "The most important thing is to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather and enjoy yourself."

"yes."

Huang Pu looked at Ling Zizhan. The flickering candlelight made his face appear slightly indistinct. He had regular features and was usually serious. Two flames burned in his deep eyes, making his calm face appear sharp.

Huang Pu sighed, cursing Emperor Mingkang in his heart for being an unkind father and an unrighteous ruler. He appeared to be a wise and virtuous ruler, but in reality, he was a coward who hid behind the crowd and used underhanded tactics to save face, leaving people feeling frustrated and powerless.

In a time when the officialdom of the Great Jin Dynasty was supposed to be clean and honest, it had already become rife with factionalism, greed, and corruption. The matter concerning the eldest prince would surely be dealt with leniently. The fact that Consort Mu was able to voice her grievances and fulfill the second princess's wish when he went south to Chuzhou was already a remarkable achievement.

As for the others, being in a weaker position, they can only quietly accept it and take things slowly.

Huang Pu felt sorry for him and said a few more words, "Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. You can't just look at the present. Your exclusion this time may be a good thing. The Second Prince has been summoning many officials these days in order to gradually gain attention. The Empress has been keeping a low profile for a while, and it's time for her to come out."

Ling Zizhan understood that if he acted rashly this time and offended both sides, things would not go well. He was willing to become a perfect couple with Lu Yunye and Ling Shuyao, but he always felt sorry for the people of Chuzhou who were suffering injustice.

Seeing that his face was tense and he knew that time was needed, Huang Pu changed the subject and said, "Stay at the manor tonight, and Qingli will come over tomorrow so that you cousins ​​can meet her."

Ling Zizhan intended to visit Cui Shaowei, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, tonight, but since his maternal grandfather had already said so, he should leave later and instruct Xuan Ye, "Go and tell Lord Cui that I cannot keep the appointment tonight."

Xuan Ye accepted the order and went to the Cui residence. As agreed, he met Lord Cui and reported his master's intentions. Cui Shaowei stood up and said respectfully, "The Fourth Prince has important matters to attend to. I will be at your service at any time."

Xuan Ye nodded slightly. In the past, officials mostly looked down on the Fourth Prince. Seeing him like this, Xuan Ye clasped his hands in greeting to Lord Cui, becoming more approachable and less distant. He also spoke up for the Fourth Prince.

After everyone left, a shadow was cast on the window. Cui Shaowei opened the window and looked at his daughter eavesdropping outside. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, "If outsiders knew, they would say you don't know any manners."

Cui Lingxi smiled slyly, leaned forward, and asked, "Is the Fourth Prince not coming tonight?"

Cui Shaowei, abandoning his previous joking demeanor, nodded quite solemnly. Seeing her father's expression, Cui Lingxi straightened up, her face also becoming tense.

Seeing that his daughter was frightened, Mr. Cui remarked, "You shouldn't have eavesdropped."

Seeing that her father wasn't truly angry, Cui Lingxi asked, "Father, I've noticed that you treat the Fourth Prince exceptionally well."

Sweeping the path and dismissing the servants with utmost respect, Father Cui looked out at the vast night sky. The Emperor Star was surrounded by thick fog, obscuring its brilliance and making it even dimmer. The Phoenix Star shone brightly, seemingly about to crush the surrounding starlight, and was accompanied by flashes of red light. This was a sign that prosperity must eventually decline, and it was probably not a good omen. Only one star in the east was solid and steady, its starlight undiminished and unaffected, and it was gradually forming a constellation of stars surrounding it.

But Cui's father couldn't say these words. He treated the fourth prince exceptionally well, not for any other reason than because of the Chu Prefecture incident. The fourth prince acted uprightly, was impartial and selfless, and worked for the people. In recent years, the officialdom had been like a blazing fire, bustling with activity, but the internal problems had already surfaced. Cui's father had not seen such a straightforward thing for a long time.

Mr. Cui smiled and said, "Alright, go and rest."

Cui Lingxi tilted her head, thought for a moment, and asked, "I am willing to help with this matter."

Mr. Cui paused, thought for a moment, and then decided that it was nothing unusual. Hiding it would only attract attention. With that in mind, he sat down at the table and wrote down all the observations he had made about the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the changes in the weather and his predictions. He sealed the writings in a bamboo tube, handed it to his daughter, and instructed her, "You must personally deliver this to the Fourth Prince. If you don't see it, take it back. Under no circumstances should there be any trouble."

Cui Lingxi only saw the last sentence: "The sky splits and the earth shakes; a great calamity."

His expression changed drastically. He took the bamboo tube, his palms slightly sweaty, and nodded emphatically.

The next day, the morning light was bright, the early summer sun was not yet intense, and the gentle breeze carried the dampness of the morning dew.

The gate to the Huang residence rang, and the steward went to answer it. Upon opening the door and seeing the imposing figure, his drowsy state instantly vanished, and he asked in a flustered voice, "Commander Meng, what is it?"

"I request an audience with Lord Huang."

After returning to his residence, Meng Qingshan felt increasingly agitated looking at the empty house. Unable to sleep, he got up before dawn and practiced his martial arts for an hour. Thinking about their previous agreement, he suspected that the old fox was using delaying tactics. He thought it would be better to ask him for a definite answer and subtly mention that he had received Qingli's invitation and was going to Bailu Peak in the suburbs of the capital today, in order to intimidate the old fox and show that the two had a deep affection for each other.

Learning from past mistakes, this time He Tai personally led the way, walking slowly. In fact, he had already sent a servant to take a side path to inform the master of the matter.

Huang Pu was having a meal with Ling Zizhan when he heard that Meng Qingshan had arrived. Huang Pu snorted coldly and said, "He has ulterior motives!"

Ling Zizhan was puzzled by the intricacies of the situation, but hearing the approaching footsteps outside, he got up and hid behind the screen.

Meng Qingshan entered the room and his eyes lit up when he saw two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table.

Huang Pu immediately knew what he was up to and scoffed, "Dream on."

Meng Qingshan sat casually on the round stool where the Fourth Prince had just left. The stool was still warm, indicating that the visitor had not been gone long. Thinking it best not to make a fuss, he looked at the congee and side dishes on the table. He hadn't eaten since getting up early and was feeling a bit hungry. He picked up an extra bowl and chopsticks from the side and started eating.

Meng Qingshan was a military officer. After spending a year in the capital, he had lost some of his banditry, but he was still unrestrained and unconventional in his behavior. He finished his meal in a few bites, which angered Huang Pu so much that he slammed his chopsticks down.

Meng Qingshan dared not really make him sick, so he softened his tone and said, "This junior will dine with you."

"You brat!"

Seeing that the master was angry, He Tai was worried that he would be implicated, so he ran back to the gatehouse in a flash. He found the gate wide open and no servant in sight. He became angry and pushed the gatehouse open forcefully. He was startled to see two maids sitting peacefully at the table. He raised his voice and asked, "Why are you here?"

Jiang Zhao had visited the Huang residence many times. She familiarly made way for him and said in a charming voice, "Miss heard that there is a clear spring on Bailu Peak that can be used to grind ink. The ink is of just the right concentration and has a pleasant fragrance. She has come to ask the old master which section of the spring water to use."

The younger generation must inform their elders before going out. Although they live in different places, Qingli values ​​the hard-won family ties and takes care of everything in a comprehensive manner.

"Hey...hey...butler! What's wrong?" Jiang Zhao and Jiang Yue saw He Tai fall down and quickly helped him up, letting him sit on a stool.

He Tai slapped his thigh hard and shouted, "Oh no!"

Without bothering to explain, he got up and rushed to the backyard. He Tai knew that the master was very unwilling to deal with Commander Meng. He had already used a scheme to delay for some time to find a suitable person for the young lady. If he ran into him, it would ruin the master's plans. He Tai broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.

When He Tai arrived at the backyard, he saw the old man staring at him sharply. He smiled wryly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaned in to look inside, and saw that there were only two people. He then breathed a sigh of relief.

Qingli felt something was particularly strange today. There were three sets of bowls and chopsticks scattered on the table. She asked, "What happened?"

He Tai chuckled twice, "This servant was in such a panic that I forgot to tidy up."

Seeing the master looking over, he tensed up and quickly replied, "Commander Meng will be here soon."

Meng Qingshan and Ling Zizhan, who were almost there, squeezed together behind a narrow screen, looking at each other awkwardly. They really hadn't expected to hide together.