9 Temptation
◎Gu Ningxi was 80% sure that he still hadn't discovered her identity.◎
After leaving the parade ground, Gu Ningxi followed King Zhao for a long time.
She felt she needed to make a few excuses, so she pondered for a moment and said weakly, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty is a civil servant."
Being so busy with official duties, it was understandable that she neglected to practice archery. Gu Ningxi hadn't thought it was a big deal, except that it might have embarrassed Prince Zhao.
Lu Jing glanced at her lightly: "Yeah."
Gu Ningxi fell silent, changed the subject, and thought about his work in the Ministry of Industry.
"Your Highness, I wonder if Your Highness will be free later this evening?"
Of course, before starting the renovation of Prince Zhao's Palace, we must ask the original owner's wishes.
Lu Jing didn't answer, but Gu Ningxi understood what he meant.
Thanks to her, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's interest in the training ground was disrupted, so the palace was free for a while in the afternoon.
Lu Jing said, "Let's go to the study."
Gu Ningxi was delighted: "Yes, I will go back and get the blueprints first."
She took her leave first, and only realized it after walking a few steps away. She didn't know whether it was because the environment of Prince Zhao's mansion made her feel familiar, or because she recalled the past on the training ground, but she seemed to be more relaxed when facing Prince Zhao again.
…
On the training ground, the servants had already packed up the targets.
Xie Qian selected two longbows that he liked. When he was wiping the bowstrings, he thought of what had just happened and still felt a little aggrieved.
He couldn't help but ask, "When His Highness was in the army, he never offered to teach anyone. How lucky is that Lord Gu to have received personal instruction from His Highness?"
Xie Qian even lowered his voice when he said the last half of the sentence, as if he was reluctant to let others know.
Zhen Yuan was also curious. He had not lived in Kyoto for a long time, and his understanding of the capital's aristocratic families was not much better than Xie Qian's.
Taking advantage of Wei Fan's presence today, Xie Qian asked the question that had been on his mind for the past few days: "That Lord Gu is the Crown Prince's Assistant, why did His Highness want him to come to the palace?"
Could it be that he was just trying to cause trouble for the Eastern Palace? But His Highness allowed him to roam freely within the palace, even though it was heavily guarded. Lord Gu knew his place and didn't act rashly. But given time, there was no guarantee something wouldn't go wrong. Why would His Highness add to the trouble?
Wei Fan spread his hands, genuinely unaware of the matter. "Who can possibly know what His Highness is thinking? If you're truly curious, go ask His Highness. Let me know when you have a result."
Zhen Yuan nodded in unison, but Xie Qian hesitated. It was such a small matter, there was no need to ask His Highness about it.
Wei Fan said, "Okay, it's getting late, let's go train early."
Xie Qian was the right commander of the Zhaowang Palace, and Zhaowang always entrusted him with important tasks.
Kyoto is not like a battlefield. You can't just move around with a spear. There are countless things to pay attention to.
Under the emperor there is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, but Xie Qian smiled nonchalantly, he has always only served His Royal Highness Prince Zhao as his master.
…
The sun was setting, and Gu Ningxi was familiar with the road leading to the study in the palace.
Perhaps because Manager Sun had given instructions in advance, the guards did not stop her.
The study has never been renovated and still looks the same as before, with only a few new ornaments added.
In the corner of the desk, near the Duobao Pavilion, there is a three-color appliqued double fish vase. Although the craftsmanship is extraordinary and it is a treasure among porcelains, it is not very eye-catching under the unobtrusive luxury of the room.
But after Gu Ningxi presented the drawing, he couldn't help but glance at it before returning to his empty seat and sitting down, trying hard to suppress the expression in his eyes.
Lu Jing opened the blueprint. The markings on the blueprint were very detailed, and several key points were emphasized. It was not difficult to see that the person on the other side had put a lot of thought into it.
Although he was recommended by his elder brother, Yuan Le was a scholar who won the third place in the imperial examination. He was able to become a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works at the age of twenty, so he must have some ability.
He looked up after reading the picture in his hand, only to find that the person opposite him was in a trance.
Lu Jing tapped the table, and Gu Ningxi, as if waking from a dream, regained her train of thought. She first focused on the training grounds and then the flower gardens, seeking the advice of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
The expansion of the garden was simply for the sake of scenery, and Lu Jing had no objection: "Let's talk about the Ministry of Works' intentions."
Gu Ningxi replied "yes" and had already prepared a rough plan.
She could see that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao did not want to renovate Prince Zhao's Mansion, and this was something that His Majesty had decided on.
Perhaps out of remorse for not allowing Prince Zhao to enter the Eastern Palace, Your Majesty is renovating Prince Zhao's mansion as compensation. Furthermore, Your Majesty is using funds from the inner treasury, not from the national treasury. It's simply a father's love for his son, and the ministers of the previous dynasty would not have spoken out to dissuade him.
Gu Ningxi explained the Ministry of Works' current plans in a clear and coherent manner. The existing pavilions and terraces would largely remain as they were, with only a corner of the corridor removed and extended into the new garden. The new extension would echo the old garden, creating a new scene at each step. This way, there would be no need for major renovations, only more careful attention to the expansion itself.
Lu Jing nodded: "Let's do it this way."
Gu Ningxi accepted the request with a bow and promised to draw a rough sketch in the next two days.
At noon, tea and snacks were prepared at the Palace of Prince Jingzhao. Lu Jing closed the blueprint and said, "Let's talk about the court affairs in the past two years."
Although he had read the summary submitted by Wei Fan, Lu Jing still wanted to hear the court affairs from the perspective of the people in the East Palace.
Gu Ningxi was certainly prepared. After all, King Zhao had transferred her to the palace on the pretext of familiarizing her with the court affairs.
The government affairs were complicated. Gu Ningxi thought for a moment and said, "Then shall I start with the three provinces?"
"good."
Gu Ningxi, the official in charge of the Secretariat who drafted the edict, said briefly that the Minister of the Secretariat had always been Lord Pei Mu, the man most trusted by His Majesty, and that had never changed.
"His Royal Highness Prince Huai was promoted to the position of Shizhong two years ago and is in charge of the Menxia Province." The Menxia Province can reject the imperial edicts drafted by the Secretariat and has considerable power.
"Moreover, the Ministry of Personnel established a new political affairs hall last year, where the highest officials of the three provinces would hold meetings."
As for the Secretariat, the Minister of Chancellery was His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Under the Secretariat were six ministries, each with its own responsibilities. While these six ministries were nominally of equal rank, they were actually ranked in order, with the Ministry of Personnel at the top, and the Ministry of Works, where Gu Ningxi worked, often ranked last.
The Ministry of Personnel is responsible for the appointment, dismissal, examination and transfer of civil officials. The Minister of Personnel, Lord Zhao, was recommended by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is determined to rectify the administration and examine the officials in the court. He has already drafted a proposal for implementation, but it is relatively mild, focusing primarily on rewards. While penalties are outlined for officials who delay or neglect their duties, they are often given a light hand, with strict orders to correct their mistakes next time.
Gu Ningxi did not elaborate on the effect. She looked up, thinking that King Zhao could understand it himself.
Lu Jing smiled and met Gu Ningxi's eyes.
After a conversation, it was already getting late, so Gu Ningxi didn't bring it up any further. She reviewed it again and again, making sure there were no flaws or omissions in her words that would give anyone else a chance to exploit them.
The room fell silent, and Gu Ningxi stood up at the right moment: "If Your Highness has no other instructions, I will take my leave."
"good."
Gu Ningxi bowed, restrained herself from looking at anything else, and quickly left the study.
There was still some time before she left work, so she planned to go back to her duty room to pack up a few things.
The study was quiet, and Lu Jing saw the Ministry of Industry drawings stored aside.
Before he left Beijing, Yuan Lefang passed the imperial examination and became a Hanlin scholar.
After three years in the Eastern Palace, his temperament seemed to have calmed down a lot.
…
The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, and a branch of peach blossoms is blooming brilliantly in the painting.
Gu Ningxi adjusted the colors and then added green leaves.
Since the Ministry of Works' drawings have been approved by King Zhao, and she has plenty of time, she can wait until tomorrow when she is on duty to draw them.
A new work, not yet dry, was drying on an empty table nearby, and Yinlan carefully spread it out.
There were three paintings in total, and the servant would deliver them all to Chiyun Bookstore the next day. Gu Ningxi had previously agreed with the bookstore owner to display his paintings there and have them sell them on his behalf. He would then split the profits by 20%, with Gu Ningxi taking 80% for himself.
Although the Gu family was a century-old clan, they maintained a clean and upright family tradition. They feared that their descendants would become arrogant and extravagant after three generations, so they were always careful with their finances. The Gu family members were well-fed and well-clothed, and their travels were well-prepared. However, if they had to make extra expenses, they often needed additional financial support.
Gu Ningxi and her mother had shallow roots in the Gu family. Unlike Madam Shen, she had both the power of housekeeper and the shops and land she brought as a dowry to collect rent.
If you want to acquire some wealth without telling the Gu family, you have to be more thoughtful.
Gu Ningxi excelled in painting, diligently honing her craft after joining the Ministry of Works. While she wasn't a renowned artist, her paintings sold well. While the rich and powerful naturally disdained them, even the more affluent commoners enjoyed a painting or two for their homes. Spring scenes were particularly popular lately, and Gu Ningxi painted seven or eight of them. Each of the three new paintings was inspired by a corner of Prince Zhao's palace, refined to be both aesthetically pleasing and labor-saving. Selling three or five paintings a month would generate a healthy income. Since she was planning to purchase a mansion, saving money wouldn't be easy, so she needed to increase her income.
She thought of the four coin-minting furnaces that His Majesty had bestowed upon Prince Zhao's Palace. Since they could mint coins on their own, their supply was truly inexhaustible.
Gu Ningxi added a few strokes and said to Yinlan, "I'm almost done here, you go to bed first."
It was late at night, and there was no need for her to stay here with him all the time.
Yinlan said, "Yes, thank you, sir." She spread out the scroll and left after making sure that she had nothing else to do in the room.
Gu Ningxi gestured at the painting, carefully retouching it and adding a distant view.
It was late at night and everyone was asleep. She had been in Prince Zhao's mansion for some time, and inevitably had more interactions with him.
Compared to before, he didn't seem to have changed much; or maybe he had, but she just hadn't noticed yet.
The paintbrush in her hand gradually stopped moving, and new friends appeared around him, all of whom she was unfamiliar with.
The moonlight is very bright tonight, and its bright light covers the entire ground.
It seemed that it was on such a bright night that he asked her if she was willing to leave Beijing with him when they said goodbye for the last time at Wangyun Teahouse.
Such a question has gone beyond the boundaries of friendship. He is asking her whether she will choose him as her lord.
But how could she agree? She had no way of agreeing.
At that time, the Turks sent envoys to attack the Jin Dynasty. The Central Plains was in chaos, and the Jin Dynasty was still unstable and could not afford to antagonize the Turks. The court treated the envoys with great courtesy and presented them with gifts of money as usual.
In order to appease the anger of the Turkic Khan, His Majesty personally issued an order to exile King Zhao from the capital.
Everyone said that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao not only had no chance of becoming the crown prince, but had also completely lost the emperor's favor.
The cold moonlight illuminated the two roads. After saying goodbye that day, they never met again.
She knew that he had returned to the army; and the news he heard about Gu Ningxi was that "he" had defected to the Eastern Palace and was deeply trusted by the Crown Prince.
Now that Prince Zhao has returned to the capital, he is very popular. If she wants to establish some old friendship, it will never be her, Gu Yuanle's, turn.
The peach blossoms on the scroll were bright and vibrant. Recalling the past few days together, Gu Ningxi was 80% sure that he still hadn't discovered her identity.
As for those strange dreams and coincidences, she had to believe them for the time being. Especially when she actually saw the Pisces bottle in the study of Prince Zhao's mansion today, it was like a hint from heaven.
In the first dream, King Zhao turned the Pisces bottle, and a secret room immediately appeared in the study.
A secret room where she was imprisoned for four days and three nights.
During those four days, the East Palace changed its owner and the political situation was turned upside down.
The ink in the inkstone had dried up, and Gu Ningxi stopped writing completely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
