Chapter 118: Run to the East
In Yu's study, Emperor Qingling irritably swept the memorials on Yu's desk to the ground.
"These past two days, they have been asking me not to give such important days as the Winter Poetry Festival and the Spring Festival Ancestor Worship to Concubine Shu Gui. I want to give all the favors in the world to Concubine Shu Gui and let her be my favorite concubine. The more they stop me, the more I want to favor her. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Emperor Qingling was very angry.
In Yu's study, the palace maids and eunuchs, led by Wei Weiran, knelt down, and no one dared to raise their heads, for fear of being implicated.
Emperor Qingling suddenly looked at Wei Weiran: "One night has passed, is there any news from Wei Xin?"
People in front of Yu were very tight-lipped, so Emperor Qingling did not avoid talking about the news about the Fourteenth Master and Ying'an.
But Wei Weiran did not dare to say anything more. If this matter was leaked out of Yu's study because of his mouth, then he would be the only one to be held accountable.
He thought again and again: "Wei Xin came to see the emperor during the emperor's morning court, but did not say what he wanted. Now he is waiting outside the palace."
In fact, Wei Xin said that he had roughly found the location of the Fourteenth Master and Ying'an, but he did not dare to convey it.
Emperor Qingling waved his hand and said, "Let him in."
Wei Weiran nodded, "Yes!"
He stood up and quickly instructed several palace maids and eunuchs to tidy up the study. After putting everything back in place, he went out to call Wei Xin.
After Wei Xin came in, Wei Weiran took everyone out tactfully.
"Your Majesty." Wei Xin saluted politely.
"Speak!" Emperor Qingling looked unhappy and frowned at Wei Xin.
He had guessed that the fourteenth old man might still be alive when the little prodigal son disappeared, so even if Concubine Shugui was sad, he still didn't believe the news that Ying'an was dead.
He always felt that things must turn around.
Wei Xin also noticed that Emperor Qingling was in a bad mood, but he still said stiffly, "Your Majesty, my subordinates just reported that Tutor Jiang was tied up and thrown in front of the Ministry of Justice. Now the Ministry of Justice is escorting him into the palace to meet you. The people in the Ministry of Justice also said..."
He paused, and Emperor Qingling's eyes became deep and complicated, and his whole body went cold.
"What else did you say?"
Wei Xin immediately knelt down and buried his head, but his voice was not small: "It is said that the person looks very much like the Fourteenth Master. He is accompanied by a man and a three-year-old baby."
When he heard the three-year-old baby again, Emperor Qingling raised his eyelids and said solemnly: "Where are they?"
"They didn't know that it was the Fourteenth Master and Princess Zhixin, so they let them go directly."
Emperor Qingling was about to get angry, Wei Xin quickly spoke: "But after I knew about this, I sent people to chase in the direction they left. Now they should have arrived in Furong City."
Emperor Qingling stood up: "I will go with you!"
Wei Xin quickly stood up and followed Emperor Qingling, lowered his eyes: "Yes, I will arrange it now."
The emperor's travel is a big deal. If someone takes this opportunity to assassinate the emperor, it will be their crime.
Last time at Foshan Temple, Prince Heng sent someone to assassinate the Emperor and Consort Shugui. If Consort Shugui hadn't blocked the fatal blow for the Emperor, the current Daling Dynasty would have changed hands long ago.
Outside the study.
Consort Shugui was waiting outside with the cakes she made herself, and negotiated with Wei Weiran: "Where is the Emperor?"
Wei Weiran hesitated and said: "Wei Xin is inside, the Emperor should not be able to see the Empress now."
Wei Xin brought nothing but news about the Fourteenth Master and Ying'an.
If Consort Shugui went in and heard something else, he really couldn't afford it.
As expected, when she heard Wei Xin's name, Concubine Shu's eyes lit up immediately: "Is there any news about Ying'an?"
Wei Weiran nodded quickly: "My queen, I really don't know."
Concubine Shu looked at Wei Weiran with hope: "I hope the eunuch can tell the emperor that if the emperor is willing to see me, that would be the best. If not, I will leave immediately." As
soon as the voice fell, Emperor Qingling and Wei Xin left the study.
Seeing Concubine Shu, Emperor Qingling glanced at Wei Weiran and frowned with a bad face: "The weather is so cold, why did you come here?"
As he said, he stepped forward and held Concubine Shu's hand.
She was holding cakes and her hands were very cold.
Concubine Shu lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Emperor Qingling looked at Wei Weiran: "The weather is bad, why don't you take Concubine Shugui to the side hall first? If she catches a cold, how can you afford it?"
Wei Weiran bowed and nodded: "I know I am wrong." Concubine Shugui raised her
hand to stop him: "It has nothing to do with Eunuch Wei. I just miss the emperor, so I came to see him."
Emperor Qingling knew that she wanted to know the whereabouts of Ying'an, but now that things have come to this, he really doesn't want to blame her. After all, she is just a poor person.
He did not hide it and said truthfully: "There is news about them in Furong City. I am going there. Are you willing to go with me?"
Concubine Shugui looked up at him cautiously and said lightly: "Is it in accordance with the rules?"
Her voice was very small and soft.
In her eyes, there was caution and prudence.
This was completely different from the imperial concubine she had been in the harem two days ago.
An inexplicable heartache surged in Emperor Qingling's heart. He unconsciously held her hand tightly, rubbing it to warm it up, and passing his body temperature to her.
The next moment, he pulled Concubine Shu towards him.
"You are my imperial concubine. Whatever I say is what it is. There is no rule or not, only whether I want to or not."
His words were so decisive that Concubine Shu's tears suddenly fell. She lowered her eyes and said, "It is my honor to marry into the palace and become the emperor's concubine."
Wei Weiran and Wei Xin looked at each other and said nothing.
Wei Xin glanced at Concubine Shu Gui and said calmly, "Your Majesty, if the court knew that you took Concubine Gui out of the palace, rumors would spread everywhere, and it might cause unrest in the court. How about I go there first, and after nightfall, you can secretly take Concubine Gui out, go on a tour incognito, and cancel the morning court tomorrow. Just say that you worked day and night for Concubine Shu Gui and caught a cold, and need to rest. This way, you can hide the truth and return the day after tomorrow."
Emperor Qing Ling nodded, "Okay, let's do it."
Then he looked at Wei Weiran: "Everything in the palace will be handed over to you. If anyone has an important matter, just say that I am asleep. If someone breaks in, throw them into jail and wait for me to come back, and then I will arrest them."
Wei Weiran nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Everything in the palace was arranged properly. In the Lingfeng Casino in Furong City, the Fourteenth Master looked unhappy.
Zong Yaozhi looked at him and said: "What's wrong? After returning from the capital, you have been worried. Do you really want to go to the east to become an empress?"
The Fourteenth Master picked up the dice at hand and threw it over.
Zong Yaozhi dodged it nimbly.
The Fourteenth Master said solemnly: "I'm afraid that the palace has already known our whereabouts. Who knows, he might come in person. If he brings Consort Shugui with him, then we..."
Ying'an, who was alone in a daze, was stunned for a moment and said, "Why not run to the East?"