Chapter 508 Why not try it tonight

"The academy is haunted?"

Su Ying bit the fruit with a "click". The fruit was sour and sweet, just her favorite taste.

"Yes, Madam, I overheard it from Chief Steward Zhang." Bai Shuang said mysteriously, "The news came out a few days ago. I heard it was quite a big deal. Now no one dares to work there at night."

Su Ying didn't believe in ghost stories. "According to the time, it's time to leave the court. Go to Zhang Shuming and find out what's going on."

Bai Shuang's gossip fire was burning fiercely. It was not easy to get something new, so she had to rush to the front line. "Your Majesty, wait a moment. I will go right away."

Bai Shuang didn't let Su Ying wait too long, and she wanted to jog all the way back.

"My lady, I have asked for the details."

Zhou Qing silently placed a plate of melon seeds in front of Su Ying.

"Tell me, what's going on?"

"It was actually three days ago. First, two workers saw a ghost. They were so scared that they didn't dare to go to work the next day. But the imperial guards who were guarding outside heard the noise that night and went in to check but didn't see anything. They thought the two of them were seeing things."

Bai Shuang sniffed and continued, "But who knew that something happened again the next night. A worker was so scared that he peed his pants. But at that time, there was still a brave man who saw the ghost clearly. She was wearing a red dress, with disheveled hair and a big mouth that could eat people. It was really scary."

"Then what?"

"Then some people said that the female ghost had been hanged in the academy before. This story started when the academy had not yet moved away."

Su Ying listened to the story quietly while eating melon seeds.

"Decades ago, when the academy was still there, there was a young woman who was attracted by the sound of reading in the academy every day. Every day she would secretly squat under the wall to listen to the lessons. Later she learned a lot. At that time, she was engaged and was going to get married soon. But after listening to the books for a while, the woman felt that she was superior to others and was no longer willing to marry her fiancé. The woman's family pressured her to get married, but the woman refused and hanged herself in the back dormitory of the academy the night before her wedding."

Su Ying pushed the tea towards Bai Shuang, who took a sip and continued, "This is a common thing, but since then, the common people have been even less willing to let their daughters go to school, saying that if they go to school, they will think they are capable and disobedient. After the academy moved away, the matter was left unresolved."

"Why is it not okay for a woman to read and write and know a lot of things?" Zhou Qing felt that it was indeed not good for a woman to break off an engagement, but it was not wrong for her to learn things.

"Because what they want is not a woman of great learning and talent, but a daughter or wife who can live according to their wishes."

Su Ying's words made Bai Shuang, who was still in high spirits a second ago, feel like a double eggplant. "My queen, every time you say something, it hurts my heart."

"But this haunting is quite interesting. Has the Ministry of Industry been unable to detect this ghost?"

Bai Shuang shook her head. "I heard that the Ministry of Industry has already sent soldiers to guard for twelve hours, but this ghost always appears when they want to take a nap. It is said that people's Yin energy is the weakest at that time."

Su Ying chuckled, "That makes sense. How about we try it tonight?"

The hairs on Bai Shuang's back stood up. "My lady, I feel a little pain in my stomach. I'm going to the toilet first."

In the imperial study.

The Minister of Works was reporting to Xiao Jin about the haunted academy site.

This is because the people living nearby are upset, thinking that it was their renovation of the old site that alarmed the female ghost, and they are worried that the female ghost will come out and harm people.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find out who is behind this."

The Minister of Works has always felt that there is something fishy going on here, otherwise why wouldn't the female ghost dare to come out when there are many people around, and why did she choose to scare those one or two lone imperial guards? It is obvious that someone is doing something bad behind the scenes.

Xiao Jin tapped the dragon case with his fingertips, "Check it out, don't delay the repairs."

"I understand."

After the Minister of Works left, Zhang Shuming walked in.

"Your Majesty, the envoy from the Southern Kingdom requests an audience."

Xiao Jin didn't even raise his eyelids, "What's the matter?"

"It is said that the King of the Southern Kingdom wants to inquire whether the peace talks have been concluded."

Hearing this, Xiao Jin raised his head and said quietly, "Let them in."

"yes."

A moment later, the Southern Kingdom envoys headed by King Yu arrived at the imperial study.

During this period of time, Prince Yu has been staying in the palace, and hair is almost growing on his body. He has repeatedly asked Xiao Jin to return to the South Country, but Xiao Jin was either sick or depressed and unsuitable for handling state affairs. He could only wait patiently. During this time of waiting, he did not see Xiao Jin, but instead waited for Su Ying to come back!

When Prince Yu entered the palace, there was still a trace of depression on his face. He was locked up.

"Your Highness."

"Messengers, please stand up."

Prince Yu didn't waste any words and went straight to the point and asked, "When will the emperor plan to sign a peace agreement with us? I've been away for a long time and my father is worried about me. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate if I don't go back."

Xiao Jin nodded slightly and asked Zhang Shuming to bring up the peace agreement.

"This is the content of the peace agreement I agreed with Prince Yu last time. Prince Yu, please take a look."

Prince Yu took the peace letter and read it with the envoy. The more he read, the uglier his expression became.

After enduring for a while, Prince Yu still couldn't help but glared at Xiao Jin fiercely, "Your Majesty, are you really sincere in negotiating peace with my Southern Kingdom? This is clearly taking advantage of the situation!" Not only did they not return the cities of the Southern Kingdom to them, but they also asked them to pay compensation for money and food. How shameless!

Xiao Jin's eyebrows were calm, and he looked like he was easy to talk to. "Isn't this what I agreed with Prince Yu before? Prince Yu doesn't acknowledge it again?"

Prince Yu was so angry that he choked. When had he agreed on this with him?

"Your Majesty may have remembered it wrongly. I have never agreed to such peace terms!"

Xiao Jin was surprised. "You never agreed? It seems that I really remembered it wrongly. Then, Lord Yu, tell me, which of these terms do you not like? I will consider it carefully."

Prince Yu looked at Xiao Jin with uncertainty. He felt there was something fishy about Xiao Jin suddenly becoming so easy to talk to!

But what needs to be said and the attitude that needs to be expressed still need to be made clear.

"The Chu State clearly did not capture this city, yet they want us to cede it to the Southern State. This is really too much."

Xiao Jin nodded slightly, "King Yu is right, so let's cross this out."

Prince Yu thought he had heard it wrong. Has Xiao Jin really become so easy to talk to?

"And this one, asking the Southern Kingdom to pay a compensation of one million taels of silver, isn't that too much?"

Xiao Jin frowned, "One million taels is too much? This shouldn't be the case. Can't the South Country come up with this little money?"

(End of this chapter)