Lord of the World
Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual. Gu Qingyi's health was not fully recovered even half a month later, when Sima Xian ascended the throne.
Knowing that Xu had not found any other useful items in He Miao's house that day, he quietly left.
During this time, while Gu Qingyi was recuperating, she secretly plotted many things.
The day before the coronation
"Ascension to the throne, ascension to the throne, should I go too?" Sima An lay motionless on the bed.
“Of course the county princess will go. Come on, county princess, please try on the clothes first.” Ruolan tried to pull Sima An out of bed, but to no avail.
Sui Zhixu sat to the side playing chess. Seeing their actions, she smiled silently and then placed her chess piece on the chessboard.
Sima An originally wanted to run to Zhi Xu's side, but when she saw her playing chess, she stopped watching. She was afraid that the master and apprentice would start hitting each other with the chessboard after only a few words.
She witnessed that scene firsthand: one man swung his father, and the other swung Fan Lingzhang.
miserable!
That was absolutely horrific!
The two almost suffered disfigurement, and the father even went to see Fan Lingzhang make a fool of himself.
She should just stick to trying on the clothes.
As Xu gazed at the chess pieces on the board, he caught a glimpse of Ruolan urging Sima An to try on his clothes.
She has been very responsible, and Zi Rong should receive a raise.
When Xu left Lingye Courtyard, he happened to meet Gu Qingyi.
"Has Anniang caused any trouble recently?"
"The county princess is just a little childish, she's not causing trouble. Madam Gu is overthinking it."
Gu Qingyi nodded, changing the subject, "Madam Xi is going out of the manor. Chang'an has been quite unsettled lately, so it's best to stay home as much as possible."
It is known that several young children in Chang'an have mysteriously disappeared recently.
She smiled faintly, "I believe it will be resolved soon, given my brother's request to assist in handling this matter."
She believed it for a second. Xi Yushao was in the Ministry of Rites, not the Ministry of Justice. What kind of request could he possibly make? She was highly suspicious of this matter and the methods used by Miao and Xi Yushao.
But she couldn't find any relevant records in Hengyuan.
"I don't know where these human traffickers are from, but they're causing trouble at this time."
Gu Qingyi was also unsure, and left the message, "Don't go out unless necessary."
As Sui Zhixu watched her departing figure, his gaze darkened, and he lowered his head, pretending to tease Yu Zhen as he walked out of the palace.
In the distance, Gu Qingyi walked out from the corner of the wall, and the figure of "Xi Yuzhen" gradually disappeared into the distance.
She was gentle and timid, but her actions were anything but.
Chun Tao: "Madam, is there something wrong with Xi Niangzi? Should I send someone to follow her?"
"Hmm." Gu Qingyi's eyes were unreadable, revealing a mixture of joy, sorrow, and grief.
Chun Tao didn't know that after the eldest daughter-in-law passed away, the young lady had rarely been truly happy.
"This servant has one more thing to report."
Gu Qingyi: "Go ahead and speak."
"The Crown Prince sent someone to deliver something again today."
Gu Qingyi was stunned for a moment, then said, "That's enough!"
"My lady, please forgive me." Chun Tao bowed her head in apology. "This servant only believed that the harm should not be borne by the children. After all, the young master is your own flesh and blood. What irreconcilable hatred could there be between a mother and son?"
"The coronation ceremony is tomorrow; now is not the time to discuss these matters. The coronation ceremony must not be delayed." Gu Qingyi glanced at Chun Tao indifferently. After all, she had been with her for many years, and she knew that her words were for her benefit.
"yes."
As soon as Xu left the palace, she noticed someone was following her. She calmly got into the carriage and then peeked out from behind the curtain.
He pretended to instruct the driver, "Go to Dali Temple."
They sent people to follow her, and it seems she's become suspicious.
However, this person's kung fu skills are not very good.
Of the seven treasures, only gold and silver are still alive, but Ah Niang said that one is injured and the other is crippled, which may be due to a decline in their martial arts skills.
"My lady, we've arrived."
As Xu stepped down from the carriage, Xi Yushao and Minister Ning of the Court of Judicial Review were standing at the door.
Ayan's father.
"Brother."
"Why are you here?" Xi Yushao asked Lord Ning before looking at her.
Lord Ning has humbled himself and become subservient; where is the former glory of a high-ranking official in the Qi Dynasty?
I wonder how Ah-Yan is doing.
As Sui Zhixu watched Lord Ning leave, he turned to Xi Yushao and whispered, "Brother."
"explain."
"My maid is dead."
Xi Yushao took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands, saying casually, "Your death is exactly what you wanted. You've never liked the people in the Prince's Mansion."
“But I am currently in the Prince’s mansion. The County Princess mentioned that she would take me with her to the coronation ceremony tomorrow.”
"Oh?" Xi Yushao looked at her, sizing her up. "I'll send someone to give it to you."
"Thank you very much, brother. By the way, what brings you to the Dali Temple?"
Sui Zhixu raised her head to meet his gaze, her five fingers gradually clenching in her sleeve.
Xi Yushao looked into her eyes, "You haven't returned to the manor for many days, and the first thing you said was to ask me for someone, and then you inquired about my whereabouts. What? Are you testing your brother for your search for the king?"
"Searching for the King..."
Xu was speechless; she had forgotten about the matter of searching for the king. "The matter of searching for the king is long over, as you know."
"Is this resentment because I ruined your position as county magistrate?"
"They have spies everywhere in Chang'an. Do you want me to be thrown into prison, brother?" she said resentfully, looking at Xi Yushao with displeasure.
Having overheard Xi Yuzhen chatting with her maid, Xu guessed that this was probably what she was thinking.
"You stay put, and I'll find you a good marriage in the future. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding my mother's dying words."
Xi Yushao turned away with his hands in his sleeves, boarded the carriage that had come with him, and drove off.
And her?
That bastard Xi Yushao is so heartless towards his own sister, all because of his mother's dying wish.
She has to walk back herself!
cut.
"Take this, hire me a carriage." Sui Zhixu casually tossed a piece of silver to the guard at the gate of the Dali Temple.
The person following her hasn't left yet, so we should keep following them.
Sui Zhi carefully glanced at the people around the corner and stepped into the newly hired carriage.
"First, circle around Chang'an City three times."
"Huh? My wife, are you sure?"
Sui Zhixu: "Stop talking nonsense, you won't be shortchanged on your money."
The following day, an auspicious day chosen by the former officials of the Yu Dynasty, Sima Xian ascended the throne and became emperor.
Sui Zhixu followed Sima An into the palace, accompanied by people sent by Xi Yushao as maids.
Sima Xian's ascension to the throne was different from the previous one. In the previous one, the emperor and his people were forced to retreat to Jinling to catch their breath, with Miao territory and Tianque Tower to the south, and Prince Wei and others to the north, which could be described as a two-pronged attack.
A true ruler of the world.
In this life, she had previously weakened Sima Xian's military and financial resources. Now, she has contacted many powerful families and sent Sui Chuke to use the Zheng family's influence to rebel in Luoyang, greatly weakening Sima Xian's power.
She wasn't worried about Chaoyang and the others; she was most worried about the system.
The sky was clear and the air was crisp; it was truly a beautiful day.
Shanhai Academy
For the sake of the emperor's safety or their own, the academy was surrounded by layers of powerful families, and the Prince of Wei's men dared not approach it even a little.
"Report! The Prince of Xuanping has declared himself emperor in Chang'an!"
The scout strode quickly into the main hall, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly.
Instantly, the hall erupted in discussion.
"The young upstart from the previous dynasty has actually declared himself emperor?"
"The Prince of Wei's soldiers are not to be trifled with. They're all blue-faced and fanged. How come no one has noticed that he's colluding with the previous dynasty, and that the Prince of Wei's heir is Gu Qingyi's son!"
"How could we know? The Prince of Wei is far away in the north. He found a wife and had a son. Who would care who the mother of his son is? Maybe she's just a beautiful dancer. Who would have thought it was Gu Qingyi? Gu Qingyi's son, maybe his playboy act when he first arrived in Chang'an was all an act."
"Alright, alright, there's no point in saying more. How many Imperial Guards are left? Are there enough soldiers in the barracks?"
"Luoyang has not been transferred."
Someone muttered under their breath, "In the end, we'll still have to do the work."
“The young master of the Sui family has invited Lord Zheng here. What can we do? Among the five families, the Lu family of Chang’an has been reprimanded by the Emperor, but there are still several other families supporting them. Look at the Wang, Cui, and Zheng families. Besides, the Lu family was originally a prominent family. We can’t run away.”
The people below chattered amongst themselves, each with their own thoughts.
"What was Minister Yang saying just now?" the Emperor asked slowly, his voice carrying an air of authority.
The Yang Aiqing he mentioned was the same person who had just been muttering about how they had contributed.
"I am only thinking about how to gather troops to attack Chang'an."
"Oh, what brilliant plan have you come up with, my dear minister?" the Emperor asked, seemingly intrigued.
He silently wiped away his sweat, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "I do not yet have a foolproof plan. Currently, the provisions are being procured by Master Fan, which is sufficient. We can begin military drills."
Chu Feixuan: "The Sword Shaking Camp trains every day, so there's no need for Lord Yang to worry about it."
"this……"
Lord Yang hesitated to step forward, and someone in the hall chuckled, making him blush.
His Majesty: "Alright, what are your thoughts, Chaoyang?"
"Father, I have a letter to present to you." Lu Zhuqiao took out the letter and held it high above his head.
The Emperor gave a signal to his chief eunuch to bring the letter up so he could read it.
The assembled officials looked at each other in bewilderment and fell silent.
In the main hall, the Emperor suddenly burst into laughter, "Good! Good! As expected of the children of Ah Xu and the Chu family."
Cong Lan suppressed her worries and cupped her hands, saying, "These are all things that this young lady should do."
The Emperor's smile subsided considerably. "The Zheng family head and the governor of Luozhou have amassed their forces right under the nose of the Prince of Wei. Now, the Sui and Chu families are working together from within. I wonder what contributions the heads of the families have made? They must be no less than the contributions of the families. I know you are humble and courteous, but there is no need to adhere to the rules at this time."
"..."
They received the emperor's expectant yet warning gaze.
"minister……"
"The surprise is yet to come, and I will certainly make Your Majesty satisfied."
"Your subject agrees."
...
"Your subject agrees."
The Emperor smiled: "Very well. Let Sima Xian see what it means to be the ruler of all under heaven!"
"Our Great Qi will surely prevail!"
Cong Lan shouted along with the others, then lowered her eyes, her expression full of worry.
After leaving the main hall, or more precisely, the main hall of the Shan Hai Academy, Cong Lan stopped Lu Zhuqiao.
"What news has Princess Chaoyang received from A Xu?"
"She has already made contact with Erlang and they are plotting together. She is currently trying to contact the Imperial Advisor. Prime Minister, rest assured, A-Xu is fine." Lu Zhuqiao smiled. She has now finished her postpartum confinement and her health has recovered quite well.
Cong Lan's worries could not be dispelled by simply saying "it's alright," but she did feel a sense of relief.
"Thank you, Princess."
Fu Mingguang, who was walking behind them, also heard this. She slowly rubbed her fingers together. She had some people in Chang'an and hoped she could help them.
Cong Lan caught a glimpse of Fu Mingguang out of the corner of her eye, nodded and greeted him before leaving.
After everyone left, Lu Zhuqiao walked up to Fu Mingguang and raised an eyebrow. "Your people are quite useful. When did you secretly raise them without telling me?"
"Raising an apprentice can lead to the master's starvation. I'm telling you this in advance, I don't know what you'll do with me. I don't have the wealth and resources of a noble family, I'm penniless."
Fu Mingguang's tone was cold. Lu Zhuqiao covered her ears and pretended not to hear, placing her hand on Fu Mingguang's shoulder. "Oh dear, I feel like I haven't fully recovered yet. My head is a little dizzy. What did you just say?"
"I think you went too far with your hobbies in your younger days."
"Nonsense! Aze and I are childhood sweethearts and we're very close. There's no one else around."
"Hehe, you did a lot of ridiculous things at the beginning, do you want me to tell you all of them and help you remember?" Fu Mingguang pushed the person up and casually patted the dust off his shoulder.
"Alright, let's get to work. I don't want to be the tutor of a fallen kingdom, and neither do you, do you?" Fu Mingguang, taking advantage of his height, grabbed her by the back of her collar. "Come on, let's handle some official paperwork."
Lu Zhuqiao glanced at Fan Lingzhang out of the corner of his eye and pulled Fu Mingguang's hand away. "Wait a minute. There's something else, about her little lover. She's heartbroken for him. You can't keep blaming me."
“She’s all I have. You have a long criminal record.” Fu Mingguang gave her a look, clearly saying, “Do you think you can put my mind at ease?”
"Isn't it better than having me relay the message?"
"You can just send a palace maid or eunuch to inform them. Do you think they have any sweet nothings to say to each other at a time like this that they can't ask someone else to pass on? If so, it's probably not your turn."
Lu Zhuqiao's little secret was exposed, and he looked unhappy.
"Fan Zirong, your wife is looking for you!"
Fu Mingguang picked her up and said, "When did you become so shameless?"
"You learned to be shameless when you approached the Sui family head. I never expected that after so many years, the Imperial Tutor would be able to put aside his hatred and pride to take the initiative to find someone. I admire your magnanimity and your shamelessness."
Fu Mingguang: "..."
Taking advantage of her momentary daze, Lu Zhuqiao escaped from her grasp. "Fan Zirong, your wife is looking for you. She misses you."
Fan Lingzhang: "!"
"Ah Ling, Ah Ling! What did Ah Ling say about me?"
"Let's go, let's go, this is inconvenient."
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