Chapter 29: Lord Song is more dazzling than His Majesty the Emperor
"I wanted to give it to him, but this is in the palace after all, there are many people and gossips. If someone saw me and Lord Song talking for a few more words, and we exchanged money, I don't know what kind of rumors would spread."
Shangguan Yun looked at Song Yunchu's receding back, pondered for a moment, and said, "We still have to go outside the palace. I'll go out with a veil covering my face, so I don't have to worry about exposing my identity and being spotted."
The maid's eyes widened, "You still want to leave the palace? The Second Prince has just finished scolding you!"
"I get angry just talking about this. I warned the guards again and again not to tell my brother that I was in danger outside the palace, but they still told him."
"Princess, don't blame them. They dare not fail to report such a big thing."
"Forget it. I'll go ask my brother to accompany me out of the palace. As long as I'm under his watch, he'll be relieved."
…
When Song Yunchu returned to the prime minister's residence, it was almost noon.
After lunch, she was about to take a nap when she heard a servant come to report, "Sir, there is a man and a woman outside the mansion gate, dressed elegantly. They said they were from the palace and wanted to return your five thousand taels of silver and thank you for saving my life."
As soon as Song Yunchu heard it, he knew that it was Shangguan Yun who came to express his gratitude, so he ordered, "Invite them to the lobby."
Shangguan Yun and his sister were led into the mansion by servants. Shangguan Yun saw Song Yunchu sitting in the lobby from a distance of several feet. She felt that the man was just as handsome as when she first met him yesterday, with beautiful features and eyebrows.
Seeing that the servant in front of him was some distance away from him, Shangguan Yun tugged at the sleeve of his brother beside him and said in a low voice: "Brother Emperor, look at the appearance and bearing of Prime Minister Song, he is more dazzling than the Emperor."
Shangguan Qi's eyes twitched slightly when he heard this, and he immediately warned in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"I'm only telling you this in private, not to anyone else." Shangguan Yun curled her lips, "He's my savior after all, and I'm not allowed to praise him?"
"Then you can't compare him with the monarch. Besides, I think the emperor is also good-looking. Ah-jun, remember, this is someone else's territory, so you must be careful in everything you say and do."
Shangguan Yun curled her lips and said no more.
The appearance of the King of Tianqi was indeed good, but she didn't just look at the appearance of a person. The Emperor looked sickly and lifeless. He might even have difficulty carrying a bucket of water. Compared with the agile Song Yunchu, he looked a little frail.
All I can say is that this monarch is extremely lucky. If all his brothers had not passed away, how could a weak man like him have ruled a powerful country?
If my brother had such good luck, she would not be the one chosen for marriage.
Shangguan Yun couldn't help feeling sad when she thought that she would have to spend the rest of her life on this land without her family by her side.
Shangguan Qi noticed his sister's sadness and comforted her softly, "Ah'an, I know you are unhappy, but the emperor's order is hard to disobey. You can only look forward. Don't forget that we are here to thank Prime Minister Song. You must show the demeanor of a princess and don't let others laugh at you."
Shangguan Yun hummed softly, quickly composed herself, and stepped into the lobby of the prime minister's residence gracefully and calmly.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Song Yunchu stood up and bowed, "Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Qi and His Royal Highness the Princess."
"Master Song, there is no need to be so polite." Shangguan Qi stepped forward and helped Song Yunchu up. "My brother and I came here today to express our gratitude. You saved Ah Yun's life. We will remember this favor. If you need help in the future, Master Song, just ask. I will not refuse as long as I can do it."
"Your Highness is too polite." Song Yunchu asked the two to sit down and said with a smile, "I didn't see the princess when I welcomed your country's envoys at the city gate that day, so I didn't recognize her yesterday. It was only this morning that I learned from His Majesty that the woman I saved was actually the princess."
"I am also responsible for what happened yesterday." Shangguan Yun took over the conversation, "I didn't bring a few extra guards with me when I went out of the palace to play, and I accidentally revealed my wealth, which is why I was targeted by thieves. I didn't intend to make this public, but I didn't expect that it would still alarm your emperor."
"It was the Dali Temple Minister who told your majesty that the thief who attacked the princess was a wanted criminal of the imperial court. Upon learning that he had been arrested, the Dali Temple Minister went to interrogate him personally. As a result, the man died of serious injuries before he could ask a few questions. The Dali Temple Minister mistakenly thought that I had killed the thief and was hindering his investigation, so he went to your majesty and complained about me."
Song Yunchu said this and sighed, "This is really an unexpected disaster."
"What?" Shangguan Yun frowned slightly. "Lord Song saved me, and it is a great achievement for your court. How dare this Dali Temple Minister accuse you of murdering a criminal without any evidence? I saw it clearly yesterday. When the man was taken to the government office, he was still breathing. He didn't look like he was dying. I can ask the guards who escorted the thief to testify for you."
Song Yunchu shook his head gently. "I heard that the man suffered serious internal injuries, and all his internal organs were damaged. Internal injuries cannot be seen from the surface, so even if the princess's guards can testify, the Dali Temple will refute it, saying that the guards do not understand medical skills and cannot judge the severity of the internal injuries. The seriously injured person can indeed breathe normally before death."
"From what Lord Song said, this Dali Temple Minister is determined to pin the blame on you?" Shangguan Qi took over the conversation, "What does he think your motive is?"
"He thinks I might be related to the case the thief is involved in." Song Yunchu raised his eyebrows slightly, "He even thinks that I hired the thief to harm the princess, and then used him to kill him. The reason I did this was to get close to the two princes and expand my own power."
"absurd!"
Shangguan Yun's face turned cold, "This is nonsense. It's obvious that I was targeted by the thieves because I showed off my wealth. I can see that the thieves' target is money, not me."
"Hearing what the princess said, I feel a little relieved. Please believe me, princess, I saved you only out of kindness and have no other intentions."
Song Yunchu paused, and then said, "However, we must be on guard against others. Your Highnesses are not familiar with me, so it is inevitable that you may have suspicions in your heart. You can also send someone to secretly investigate the Dali Temple Minister. Perhaps we can see clearly who has bad intentions, me or him."
She believed in the ability of the royal secret guards. If the brother and sister really wanted to investigate the whereabouts of the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple, they would definitely get something.
If the Dali Temple Minister really had contact with Jun Tianyi during this period, then in the eyes of the princess, Jun Tianyi would become a despicable villain who slandered his benefactor.
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