Chapter 76 The Cat Owner

Seeing that none of the ministers had any objections, Xiao Yu made the final decision: "Since everyone has no objections, you may all step down and investigate the case as soon as possible." Her gaze darkened, and she continued: "Otherwise, don't blame me for punishing you for incompetence."

"Yes." The five men rose and took their leave.

The Minister of Justice breathed a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; everything was fine just a moment ago, but then the situation changed drastically...

"Wait a moment, I have something else to report." Xiao Qinya placed her hands together, palms down, gave a slight bow, and stood respectfully.

Um?

The Minister of Justice glanced at his colleagues again, then silently lowered his head. "If we have to leave, we'll leave together; if we have to stay, we'll stay together. Going with the flow is the best course of action."

Xiao Yu's gaze fell on Xiao Qinya, and she asked, "Does the Grand Princess have anything else to report?"

Xiao Qinya was not in a hurry. She first glanced at Song Yunzhou and said unhurriedly, "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and still needs to learn about politics. Although Grand Tutor Li is old, he is very knowledgeable and has taught the late Emperor. He can be the Emperor's tutor."

Is he looking for a teacher for himself?

Xiao Yu's eyes lit up. Since she ascended the throne, she had figured everything out on her own. It would be much better if she had a teacher to guide her. But what kind of person was this Grand Tutor Li? Would he be of one mind with her? She really had no idea.

If only the young lady were here at this moment.

Xiao Yu suppressed his excitement and turned to Song Yunzhou, saying, "I think the Grand Princess's suggestion is good. There are indeed many things I don't understand about government affairs. If I have a teacher, I can become familiar with them sooner. What do you think, Song Qing?"

She spoke sincerely, treating the other person as an elder. Song Yunzhou looked up at her and said, "I also agree with the Grand Princess's suggestion. Grand Tutor Li is indeed a good candidate, impeccable in both learning and character. However..." He paused, then said with great regret, "Grand Tutor Li is already advanced in years and has long planned to resign and return to his hometown. I'm afraid he cannot shoulder this heavy responsibility. In my opinion, it would be better to select another virtuous gentleman from a prominent family to take on the role. This way, we can not only solve the problem of the Imperial Tutor but also make the aristocratic families feel that Your Majesty values ​​them more."

Xiao Yu frowned slightly, somewhat reluctant to choose from among the scions of aristocratic families. Most of the ministers in the court came from aristocratic families, while there were very few truly from humble backgrounds. If she wanted to cultivate her own power, she could not choose from aristocratic families.

Xiao Yu glanced at the people below and said carefully, "Let me think about this matter some more. Right now, the most important thing is to investigate the case. Let's leave here for today. You may all leave."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunzhou said no more. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, glanced at the person on the dragon throne, and left the hall with the others.

As soon as Song Yunzhou stepped out of the palace, he ran into Cuizhu. The little maid was no longer the same as when he first met her. She was followed by two palace maids and walked with the air of a senior palace maid. As she was the Empress's dowry maid, she was often fawned over by the palace servants. When she saw Song Yunzhou, she gave a slight curtsy and avoided the crowd, saying, "Master, the Empress invites you."

Song Yunzhou paused, his expression darkening, and asked, "Did you say what it was about?"

Cuizhu shook her head. Ever since the emperor went to the morning court, her mistress had been looking preoccupied, making her too afraid to even breathe. She dared not ask any questions. Before the court session was even over, she had sent her to wait early and had specifically instructed her to take her to the warm pavilion to avoid the emperor.

After the court session, Xiao Yu took Liang Chengqiu to Jiang Wanrou's residence, unaware of the matter of the warm pavilion.

With Liang Chengqiu back, she felt much more at ease. She was at ease letting her participate in the investigation, and besides, there were some things she needed to explain to her.

Meanwhile, Song Yunzhou arrived at the warm pavilion. He raised his sleeve and gave a slight bow. Marrying into the royal family meant marrying the emperor, and even if she was a daughter, she could not be without proper etiquette.

Song Luoning sat upright in the seat of honor. Seeing a slight smile on his face, she did not get up to help him, but said, "Father, there is no need for such formalities."

Song Yunzhou didn't know why she had suddenly summoned him. He straightened up and said, "There is a distinction between ruler and subject; etiquette must not be disregarded."

Song Luo Ning nodded and gave a wink to the palace servants, who then withdrew from the hall, leaving only the father and daughter inside.

After a moment of silence, Song Luoning raised her hand to pour a cup of tea and gestured twice, saying, "There's no one else here, Father. Please sit down and talk with me. This tea was a gift from His Majesty. I heard it's this year's new tea. Father, please try it too. I remember when the new tea had just come out, Father would also enjoy tea with me in this way."

A nostalgic expression appeared on Song Luoning's face. She then smiled and said with a wistful tone, "It's a pity that such moments will become fewer and fewer in the future. I always keep Father's teachings in mind and never forget my original intentions."

Song Yunzhou seemed to sense something, let out a long sigh, flicked his sleeves and sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip: "Not bad, it is indeed this year's new tea, Your Majesty is very thoughtful."

"If Father likes it, I'll have Cuizhu prepare some for you to take back to the manor to enjoy later."

"No."

Song Luo's eyes sharpened: "This is a gift from His Majesty, Father, please don't refuse. After all, it was Father who brought about this marriage between me and His Majesty, wasn't it?" With that, she concealed her emotions, took a sip of tea, and kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

If she was just overthinking things, that would be fine, but the evasive look in her father's eyes just now couldn't lie. She had grown up under her father's care since she was little and knew his habits very well. So, it was highly likely that this matter was related to him.

Song Luoning closed her eyes, suppressing the surging speculations. No matter what, he was still her father, the father who had doted on her since childhood. She couldn't bear to watch him continue to make mistakes. Song Luoning quickly composed herself and continued, "His Majesty often mentions this matter, saying that without you, she wouldn't be who she is today. She was able to become emperor entirely thanks to Father's efforts." Then she changed the subject, "His Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the foundation of the court is unstable. There are some things that still require Father's help."

Song Yunzhou was startled. Even though he had served in the court for many years, he was still embarrassed when his daughter pointed it out. He steadied himself, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his tone filled with the fear and humility of a subject: "It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens. How could Your Majesty have to worry about me?"

My daughter has always been more intelligent than her three older brothers, so this matter must have been noticed by her. How could I have overlooked her?

Song Yunzhou remained expressionless, secretly calculating in his heart. Fortunately, his daughter still cared about family ties; otherwise, she wouldn't have invited him here to say these things and hint at his feelings.

The emperor is certainly unaware of this now; he has no doubt about that. But that's fine, it gives him enough time to make arrangements. As the saying goes, "No ruthlessness, no hero," and when necessary...

A sinister glint flashed in Song Yunzhou's eyes. He was just one step away from stopping anyone.

He concealed these emotions very well.

Song Luoning slowly put down her teacup and smiled, "It's good that Father thinks that way. I believe that for the sake of the people, Father will definitely assist His Majesty well."

Father once wholeheartedly sought the well-being of all people. When did he change his mind? He is already the Prime Minister, second only to the Emperor. Does he really have to sit on the throne?

He has been blinded by power and has been killing innocent people indiscriminately. When he actually sits in that position, how many people will he still care about?

Song Luoning sighed softly, hoping that her father would understand her good intentions and not continue making the same mistake.

As soon as Song Yunzhou left, Song Luoning returned to Funing Palace.

Xiao Yu greeted her with delight, saying, "Where have you been? I just got back and didn't see you."

"I haven't seen Father for many days. I heard that you kept him at court this morning, so I asked Cuizhu to invite him to have a chat with him for a while." Song Luoning smiled gently.

Song Luoning downplayed the seriousness of the matter, saying that as long as her father stopped, she was willing to give him another chance out of consideration for their family ties.

Xiao Yu didn't think much of it and took her hand to sit down on the couch: "Why didn't you invite your father-in-law to have lunch in the palace?"

"Father still has official duties to attend to."

"It's because your father-in-law is very busy every day, and with what has happened these past few days, it must have been really difficult for him to talk to you for so long. But it's okay, once things settle down, I'll accompany you back to your parents' home. I've been missing Xiao Ling'er too."

“Alright.” When Song Ling’er was mentioned, Song Luo Ning’s expression paused slightly. She looked at Xiao Yu and wondered if he would still treat her or her family this way if he knew that her father was the one behind it all.

Song Luoning felt a pang of sadness, her eyes darkening. She forced herself to cheer up and forced a smile: "Well, Little Ling'er always says she wants to fly kites with you. You, the emperor, mustn't break your promise then."

"Am I that kind of person? Song Luoning, is that all the impression I've left on you?" Xiao Yu looked at her with surprise.

"Hmm?" Song Luoning was slightly taken aback, and when she looked at Xiao Yu, whose eyes were filled with a smile, she immediately realized what was going on.

This person wasn't blaming me at all; she had already noticed that I was unhappy and was trying to comfort me.

Song Luoning's eyes welled up with tears. She tilted her head slightly and looked back at her. She really was that lecherous and improper woman, even her attempts to coax people were so improper.

"Wife, what do you mean by looking at me like that?" Xiao Yu winked at her.

Finally, Song Luoning stopped crying and started laughing.

"You always tease me. When did I ever think that way?" Song Luoning blushed slightly, withdrew her hand, sat up straight, and refused to look at her.

How could she possibly get her way? Xiao Yu turned her shoulders and their eyes met: "That's hard to say. Have you forgotten when you first married me? Don't think I can't see through you. You seem obedient and gentle, but you're actually hiding your little claws."

Song Luoning chuckled and patted her arm: "Still using your little paws? Do you think I'm a kitten or puppy?"

"Who says otherwise? Back then, I was basically a cat owner." The young lady did nothing but order her around, so calling her a cat owner isn't entirely wrong, is it?

"Pet owner?" Song Luoning frowned slightly.

What does "cat owner" mean? Subconsciously, I felt it wasn't a nice thing to say. I frowned and looked at her, trying to glean some clues from her expression.

Xiao Yu felt guilty under her gaze, subconsciously touched her nose, and turned her face away: "Actually, in my hometown, 'cat owner' means 'maid'." They both serve others, she's right.

In Linyang County, is the maidservant called "poop shovel owner"?

Song Luoning frowned, suppressing her doubts, and asked, "Your Majesty, did anything happen at the morning court session today?"