Chapter 85 I want to follow you. Can you take me in?
Su Guanqing didn't respond. Instead, he said softly, "You know what? When I was a kid, I was very sad. At that time, I was standing on this stone just like I am now."
He lowered his head, looking at his toes, his voice filled with loneliness and sorrow: "At that time, no one else came to see me, only Tongtong came to see me."
He raised his head again and looked at Qiao Zhao: "She was standing where you were at the time. Guess what she said to me at the time?"
“…What did you say?”
"She said, are you trying to feed yourself to the fish? But I don't think the fish want to eat you." Su Guanqing's lips curved into a smile, as if he was very happy, but his eyes revealed an extreme sadness.
Qiao Zhao looked away reluctantly. After a moment, she sighed, "Never mind. Come up here, and I'll tell you where Ah Tong went."
As soon as these words came out, the distraught Su Guanqing came back to his senses instantly, and used his hands and feet to grab the railing of the pavilion and climb up.
The wooden pillars of the waterside pavilion had long since rotted away. Qiao Zhao was afraid that he would fall, so he lent a hand and pulled him up.
"Thank you," Su Guanqing asked hurriedly before he could even stand still. "Where did Tongtong go?"
"Suicheng, Aunt Zhong's hometown." Qiao Zhao said.
Su Guanqing's heart, which had just begun to feel a little hope, sank again. Suicheng was more than ten thousand miles away from the capital. Was Tongtong determined not to see him again, even in this life or the next?
"Did Tongtong run so far to avoid me?" Su Guanqing took two steps back dejectedly, staring blankly ahead.
Qiao Zhao said, "No, she told me that Aunt Zhong's father passed away."
Su Guanqing's eyes lit up again: "Are they going back to attend the funeral? They will be back after the funeral, right?"
"It's true that they went to attend the funeral, but they may not come back after that. Aunt Zhong's mother is the only one left in the Zhong family. Aunt Zhong couldn't let her mother go, so I guess they just stayed there. Even the little girl Zhao Quesheng went with them, so she probably won't come back." A Qiao looked at Su Guanqing, whose eyes were full of despair, with some pity.
Previously, she had thought Su Guanqing's alienation from Jiang Tong was a deliberate revenge, and as Jiang Tong's good friend, she certainly had her share of dissatisfaction. Unexpectedly, Su Guanqing was truly infatuated, which actually made her feel sympathetic.
…
Jiang Tong received the letter that Qiao Zhao had sent at full speed on the carriage heading to Suicheng.
The letter clarified the misunderstanding for Su Guanqing and mentioned Su Guanqing's various reactions after he received the news.
After reading the letter, Jiang Tong didn't speak for a long time.
Zhong Wanci, who was sitting next to her, had already glanced at the contents of the letter. She sighed and said, "I said Guan Qing couldn't be a heartless child."
She looked at her daughter, who was silent and had no idea what she was thinking. "If you two like each other, why bother making such a fuss?"
When Zhao Quesheng heard them talking about this, she didn't dare to interrupt, but her little eyes had already lit up and she was staring at her teacher intently.
She saw her teacher shake her head.
"He is now a close minister to the emperor and will surely rise to great heights in the future. Why should I delay him?"
"How can this be called a delay?" Zhong Wanci disagreed. "Even if he becomes Prime Minister in the future, he still needs a wife, right?"
Zhong Wanci was trying her best to persuade Jiang Tong, but was interrupted by Jiang Tong in a cold voice.
Jiang Tong slowly folded the letter and said, "Then I will return to the capital to be the Prime Minister's wife, and you and Dad will return to Guangzhou City. From now on, we will live in different places."
When Zhong Wanci heard this, she swallowed back the words she had prepared.
She doesn't want to.
She herself was unable to see her father for the last time because she married far away, and her eyes have been swollen from crying these days. How could she be willing to repeat the same mistake?
Seeing that the mother and daughter seemed to have reached an agreement, the stars in Zhao Quesheng's eyes dimmed, but he didn't dare to say anything. He had to stick his head out of the window and look in the direction of the coming and going.
The little child's heart is filled with infinite confusion——
Will she never see her master again?
…
In the palace
"How is it? Has he left?" Zhu Jiancheng was sitting in front of the dragon table. When he saw the eunuch come in, he asked hurriedly.
The eunuch hurriedly reported back, "Your Majesty, Minister Su has not left. He is still kneeling outside the palace."
Zhu Jiancheng flung the book to the ground with a loud bang. "What does he mean? Is he threatening me? If I don't allow him to resign, does he intend to kneel down and die?"
Seeing that the emperor was furious, the eunuch stood there with his back bent, not daring to respond.
Zhu Jiancheng stood up suddenly, rushed to the door of the hall, and looked outside. He saw Su Guanqing kneeling upright at the foot of the steps outside the hall.
Zhu Jiancheng kicked the door sill hard and wanted to rush out, but suddenly saw Qiao Zhao approaching and stopping in front of Su Guanqing.
Zhu Jiancheng's eyelids twitched, and he quickly turned around and jumped back to his desk in a few steps.
"Books! Books!" he said repeatedly.
The eunuch hurriedly picked up the book that Zhu Jiancheng had just dropped from the ground, bowed his waist and handed it back to him with both hands.
Zhu Jiancheng was afraid of Qiao Zhao.
Although he had ascended the throne, he did not rule the country personally and had no real power.
The one who truly holds the power of the emperor is Qiao Zhao.
Qiao Zhao's nominal job was only a third-rank commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Zhu Jiancheng knew that long before this, Qiao Zhao had a group of people who never saw the light of day, who were specifically keeping an eye on the officials. She knew countless secrets. After taking over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she had absolute power. From the cabinet ministers to the officials of the six ministries, no one dared to say "no" to her.
Even the little emperor himself was treated as his son by Qiao Zhao.
Qiao Zhao did not allow him to get close to the royal family, nor did he allow him to meet with ministers privately. For the time being, there was no one in his harem. It could be said that the little emperor was now a real loner.
However, facing the current situation, Zhu Jiancheng dared not do anything. He knew too well what Qiao Zhao was capable of, and he did not want to follow in the footsteps of his cheap uncle.
Trapped on his castle-in-the-air throne, the young emperor was consumed by a sense of bewilderment and fear. The gentle and amiable Su Shijian was arguably the only person who offered Zhu Jiancheng a glimmer of warmth in his icy palace life.
Before becoming the Crown Prince of Qin, Zhu Jiancheng had actually never been to school and knew very little about history, so he was confused and at a loss about his situation.
And Su Shijiang told him that there had been puppet emperors like him in history.
Those historical stories were like a ray of dazzling light shining into his dark world. He found his own direction: he did not want to be Emperor Xian of Han, but Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou.
Su Guanqing had no idea what the little emperor was thinking. He didn't even notice the undercurrent between Zhu Jiancheng and Qiao Zhao. He was just particularly indulgent towards Zhu Jiancheng because he was a little younger than Zhao Quesheng.
Although he tried his best to observe the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, he could not help but reveal some intentions of coaxing the child in private. For the little emperor's various requests, such as always asking him about the specific details of how Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou eliminated powerful ministers, Su Guanqing had no doubts and always told him everything in detail.
He didn't know that his gentle indulgence had already become the only thing Zhu Jiancheng could grasp.
So when Su Shijiang said he wanted to resign, Zhu Jiancheng was completely panicked.
Outside the palace.
Qiao Zhaoli stood beside Su Guanqing and said, "You have a bright future now. Are you willing to give it up just like that?"
"Without Tongtong, even if I were to reach the highest position in the government, I would still feel nothing." Su Guanqing had been kneeling for an hour, and it was a very sunny day. He was actually a little dazed, and his body was shaking.
But when he raised his head, Qiao Zhao clearly saw the determination to never back down in his eyes.
Qiao Zhao asked, "You want to go find her? But Suicheng is more than ten thousand miles away..."
"Even if it's to the ends of the earth, I'll go."
"So what if you go there? Suicheng is in a remote place. It would be a waste to leave all your knowledge there."
"How can it be a waste? I can help Tongtong teach her apprentice. I taught Quesheng, and Tongtong said I was a good teacher." Su Guanqing raised the corners of his lips, revealing a hint of pride that he couldn't hide. "Besides, I can see now. When Tongtong is repairing the painting, I can also help Tongtong."
Qiao Zhao was speechless for a moment. Even the emperor had never seen you so proud!
She asked, "Have you really thought it through? Don't you regret it?"
"I've thought it through and I don't regret it." Su Guanqing probably had a heatstroke, his voice was a little weak, but the firmness in his tone was not a bit less.
"Okay, I promise you. You go back and pack your things first. I will give you an order later." Qiao Zhao said as he walked into the hall.
…
After Jiang Tong returned to the Zhong family with his parents and apprentice, he settled down.
She opened a shop called Langfeng Pavilion to restore calligraphy and paintings.
The shop had just opened, and there were not many paintings sent to her for restoration. She was not in a hurry, but instead enjoyed the rare leisure time and slowly restored the paintings with Zhao Quesheng.
The days passed by in such an ordinary way.
That day, Jiang Tong was repairing a painting in the shop when suddenly the servant came to her anxiously and said that an imperial edict had arrived and asked the young lady to go back quickly to receive it.
Jiang Tong had no choice but to leave the shop to Zhao Quesheng and go back first.
As soon as she got home, she was stunned.
The man waiting in the main hall to announce the decree was wearing a green round-necked robe, a black gauze hat, and black boots, which made him look tall and thin. Who else could it be but Su Guanqing?
When he saw her, his black pupils shone brightly.
"戈戈!"
The eunuch next to him cleared his throat.
Su Guanqing suddenly came to his senses and announced the decree in a serious tone.
"The Emperor, by the grace of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: When I was in humble circumstances, I was fortunate to have a daughter of the Jiang clan, Tong, who braved the danger of thunder and lightning to help me become the head of the clan and succeed Emperor Jing. Later, she braved the danger of her own clan and served as my supporter. I am grateful for her unwavering loyalty and now confer upon her the title of Earl of Wenqing, with an annual salary of 1,000 dan. This is my decree."
For a moment, Zhong Wanci and Jiang Huaishan were both extremely happy.
After Su Guanqing finished reading, he smiled and said, "Tongtong, His Majesty also gave you the Scroll of Eighty-Seven Immortals. Shall we look at it together later?"
Jiang Tong's face remained stern. After receiving the order, she said calmly, "No need. I'll take care of it myself later. Goodbye, sir."
Su Guanqing's smile froze on his face: "Tongtong, are you still angry with me?"
"How dare I? You are the emperor's lecturer. How dare I be angry with you?" Jiang Tong turned away and refused to look at him.
Su Guanqing hurriedly chased after him and said, "Tongtong, I don't want to be a lecturer anymore."
"Guan Qing, have you been promoted again?" Jiang Huaishan asked happily.
Su Guanqing shook his head: "I have resigned from my official position. Now I have no official position or rank, I am just a commoner."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room was stunned.
Even Jiang Tong couldn't hold back and turned around to ask him, "Why did you resign?"
Su Guanqing scratched the brim of his hat a little embarrassedly: "As a lecturer, I only get one day off every ten days. One day is really not enough for me to come to see you."
Zhong Wanci and Jiang Huaishan looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.
"What do you want from me?" Jiang Tong still had a cold expression.
"Your Majesty has returned the Su family's courtyard to me. Before I left the capital, I sold the courtyard and the land. I have nowhere else to go now, Tongtong," he tugged at Jiang Tong's sleeve pitifully, "can you take me in?"
Jiang Huaishan stood behind, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice, but Jiang Tong remained unmoved.
She pulled her sleeve away and said, "Since Master Su has the money from selling the yard, why can't he buy a new house anywhere? Even if he stays in an inn, that money should be enough for you to live in Emperor's Room No. 1 for the rest of your life, right?"
Su Guanqing was a little at a loss: "Tongtong, do you really not want to see me?"
"Why wouldn't she be willing? She doesn't want to, but your uncle does!" Jiang Huaishan came up and grabbed Su Guanqing, "Come on, let's go inside and talk!"
Su Guanqing was being pulled away by Jiang Huaishan, but his eyes were always on Jiang Tong. He opened his mouth and wanted to call Tongtong again, but Jiang Tong didn't even look at him and turned and walked out the door.
"Tongtong..." Su Guanqing asked.
"She went to her shop. Her shop is busier day by day. Don't delay her. Let's talk, father and son." Jiang Huaishan said.
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