Chapter 31 Either I or him, either she or me...
It seemed that the Minister of Rites was about to be charged with dereliction of duty.
Of course, Grand Tutor Chen was unwilling to do so. He had worked so hard to promote Yu Nan, a young minister, to his current position. How could he let his efforts go to waste just because of a roster?
Master Chen took two steps forward.
He folded his hands and bowed, "Your Highness, please understand. This list is correct. It was Lord Yu who made a mistake. The names listed here are all the candidates originally selected by Fengya Pavilion. Lord Yu was nervous and misread them in a hurry..."
"Oh? Really?"
Song Youning raised her eyebrows slightly, and she deliberately dragged out the ending of the word. Looking at the thin layer of sweat on Lord Yu's forehead, a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes.
Lord Yu was secretly angry and even cursed. He heard that His Highness had no ambitions and never interfered in state affairs. Why was he only targeting him today?
“Yes, yes!”
Hearing the Grand Tutor's rebuttal, the Minister of Rites felt as if he had been pardoned. He hurriedly followed the topic, his knees already weak under his official robe.
He knelt down and kowtowed heavily, his body trembling slightly. "I was confused for a moment and made a mistake in remembering the list. I beg Your Highness to forgive me and pardon my carelessness."
Song Youning's eyes moved, looking back and forth between the Grand Tutor and Lord Yu.
Master Chen still maintained a respectful posture and refused to give in. Judging from his attitude, it seemed that the old man was determined to protect him.
She has already taken the initiative today. It would be bad to continue to pester him. It would be better to quit while she is ahead.
She breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly, "That's all."
She smiled again, waved her hand, and casually handed the list to Chun Tao behind her. "Since it was an unintentional mistake, I will not pursue it."
"But Lord Yu..." The originally gentle voice suddenly turned cold.
"If you're so careless again next time and ruin my mood, I'll have to ask the imperial physician to take a good look at you. Then I'll have him give Master Yu a few acupuncture treatments to heal his brain..."
"Yes, yes, I will work seriously in the future!" Lord Yu swallowed his saliva and hurried to please him, with cold sweat running down his official robe.
Song Luoshu watched the deadlock ease with a cold eye, and then spoke at the right time. His gentle voice broke the stagnant atmosphere: "My dear Yu..."
Suddenly, he chuckled and said, "I will just treat today's incident as a momentary negligence of yours. If next time..."
The words stopped abruptly, and his eyes turned cold. The emperor, who had been gentle as jade, suddenly became serious: "If you continue to be so careless, I will have to reflect on whether Lord Yu is capable of taking on the position of Shangshu..."
"Thank you, thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will be more careful and prudent in the future." Lord Yu knelt on the ground tremblingly, his eyes dazed.
"You gentlemen have been standing here for a long time. Why don't you go into the Fengya Pavilion and have some tea and snacks first?" Seeing that everyone was at a stalemate, Eunuch Guo came out to smooth things over with great tact.
Song Youning sneered. He was indeed an old fox by his father's side. He had a perfect grasp of the ways of the world.
"This pavilion contains the lychee wine I brought back from Lingnan. It's fragrant and sweet..."
"Although it's something girls love to drink, its taste is truly rare in the world. I wonder if you gentlemen would be willing to join me in the cabinet to taste it?"
Seeing that Eunuch Guo had already prepared the steps for her, Song Youning didn't want to fall out with the Grand Tutor now, so she simply went down the ladder.
After all, she can't be too ostentatious at her current level. If she wants to take power bit by bit, she has to do it slowly.
"Ning'er likes the Grand Tutor and Prime Minister Li. You have been by my side since you were a child, but I have never seen you care about me so much. I even have to invite you back to the palace... Now that you come back, you invite the Grand Tutor and Prime Minister to come along... I feel so jealous!" Song Luoshu on the side joked with a happy smile on his face, without a trace of jealousy at all.
The Prime Minister kept making excuses: "Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, but I am old and afraid..."
The Grand Tutor also bowed, his wide sleeves falling like clouds, his white eyebrows furrowed in a knot. "I thank Your Highness for your kindness, but the Secretariat still has urgent military reports to draft today, and urgent documents from the border crossing 800 miles away are still on my desk. I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy these fine wines and delicacies with Your Highness..."
"After I have dealt with these mundane affairs, I will personally come to Your Highness to apologize..." A trace of worry flashed in his sunken eyes.
Song Youning didn't care. She wished the old man would go away. His previous words were just politeness. Seeing that they were so considerate, it was exactly what Song Youning wanted.
She waved her hand nonchalantly, pretending to understand the situation, "It's okay, it's okay. Since you all have important matters to attend to, I won't stay any longer..."
When she turned around, her scarlet sash meandered across the bluestone slabs. She didn't even bother to glance at him, and said in a spoiled tone, "The actors in Fengya Pavilion were brought here from Jiangnan by me at great pains. It would be more peaceful for me to enjoy them alone. My lords, please withdraw first..."
Before she finished speaking, the hem of her skirt embroidered with golden phoenixes had already swept over the vermilion lacquered threshold and she entered the palace alone.
Song Luoshu suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Since Ningning has spent so much effort to dig out this wonderful person from Jiangnan, how can I miss her?"
He waved away all the ministers and said, "You all leave. I'll go and see for you what interesting things Ning'er has found outside the palace." After that, he walked into the pavilion with his hands behind his back.
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, and when they saw that the bright yellow corner of the robe had completely disappeared behind the carved door, they kowtowed, bowed, and dispersed in groups of three or two, leaving only a few fallen plum petals swirling on the bluestone slabs.
Chuntao followed several personal maids into the pavilion. Outside the main hall, only two figures were left, unwilling to leave for a long time, just standing there stupidly.
"Brother Xiao? Do you want to go in and take a look?" Li Funing stood there calmly and nodded at Xiao Lin who was standing beside him and was equally curious.
Xiao Lin raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Funing hesitantly. Although Li Funing acted quite righteous, he always felt that he had bad intentions. He asked with his hands behind his back, "Why don't you go?"
Li Funing explained, "I've never been particularly interested in quyi. However, the Crown Prince and His Highness frequently visit the Jiaofang Office, so I imagine they have a wide range of knowledge. Why don't we go to the pavilion with His Highness and the Emperor to enjoy some of it?"
"With the Crown Prince's strength, he will surely win the favor of His Majesty. Even when the Crown Prince dismantled Your Majesty's throne room out of mischief, Your Majesty would surely look upon him with new eyes!"
Li Funing stood in the corridor with his hands behind his back, a corner of his white sleeve lifted by the breeze.
He looks like a banished immortal, yet he's lying to children like this...
"Really?" Xiao Lin's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked like a child seeing a candied haws.
He leaned forward, grasped Li Funing's hand, his eyes full of sincerity: "Master Li, this prince saved you, you can't lie to this prince..." The ending tone had just the right nasal tone.
Li Funing's hands turned white from being gripped by him, and he turned his head away: "Of course..."
Before he could finish his words, Xiao Lin slowly straightened his back and pushed open the door of Fengya Pavilion, his mind still recalling the new lyrics and songs he had heard in the past.
Li Funing stood with his hands behind his back, muttering, "I won't give you a chance..." His voice gradually lowered until it was no longer audible.
Xiao Lin had been in there for a while when he suddenly heard the sound of porcelain breaking.
Li Funing stood there seriously, slowly turning a mutton-fat jade pendant with his fingertips. He deliberately chose the most perfect angle so that he could hear the movements in the hall clearly without being eavesdropped by anyone.
"I'm chatting with the princess about some family matters. What are you doing barging in?"
The corners of Li Funing's lips curled up silently.
He could imagine the scene in the hall at this moment. Xiao Lin must be kneeling upright, thinking about how to explain to His Majesty.
"absurd!"
The sound of slamming the table startled the birds under the eaves and flew away. "What else do you care about besides eating, drinking and having fun?" Then Song Youning started to persuade him again.
After a while, when the palace door burst open, Li Funing stood straight in front of the palace, watching the three people come out.
When Song Luoshu walked out of the palace with his hands behind his back, he saw Li Funing standing upright in front of the steps, as solemn as a pine tree.
He stroked his beard with satisfaction and glanced at the person kneeling in the center of the hall.
Xiao Lin was kneeling in the center of the hall, with his head lowered, looking extremely regretful.
Song Luoshu thought to himself: As expected, when choosing a son-in-law, it is better to choose an honest one, otherwise it will be too noisy.
Song Youning's gaze fell on the tall pine-like figure in front of the hall. Li Funing stood straight with a solemn expression, looking like a gentleman.
"Keep pretending." She curled her lips and sneered in her heart.
This guy definitely did it on purpose.
He is a bad person at heart, but he insists on pretending to be serious. Only Xiao Lin is stupid enough to listen to him honestly. He doesn't even think about why he doesn't come in himself, but instead urges him to go in?
But for some reason, she felt a sense of secret joy in her heart.
However, Xiao Lin deserved it. It was his fault for being short-sighted and growing taller. She glanced at the kneeling figure in the hall calmly.
Xiao Lin's back was straight, and his broad shoulders and narrow waist were wrapped in a dark brocade robe. In the sunlight, his kneeling figure formed a mountain-like silhouette.
She scoffed, thinking to herself, this guy is really a shrewd person, with a rather arrogant stature despite not having much of a heart. As she thought of this, the corners of her lips curved up in a sarcastic arc, as if she had seen something interesting.
Tsk, both of them are not easy to deal with.
She snorted softly, not bothering to expose Li Funing's little plan. She wanted to see how the gentle and graceful Lord Li would act...
"Your Majesty, it was Lord Li who said that the princess was chatting about folk art with Your Majesty and asked me to go with her to appreciate it... I broke the rules..." Xiao Lin pointed at Li Funing and accused him.
"Your Majesty, please understand!"
Li Funing suddenly knelt on the ground, his wide sleeves spread out like clouds, revealing a slightly trembling wrist.
When he looked up, the corners of his eyes were just the right shade of red. Seeing that expression, not only Song Youning, but even Song Luoshu, a fellow man, couldn't help but feel his heart soften. "I'm a foolish humble servant. I really thought... Your Majesty and the Princess were talking about folk music..."
Song Youning narrowed his eyes and looked at Lord Li, who was usually gentle and gentle, but now looked like a frightened crane.
You know what, this guy is really good at playing weak, even she was almost fooled.
"Your Majesty and the Princess haven't seen each other for a long time..." His voice became softer and softer, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the bamboo pattern embroidered with silver thread on his cuffs. "So I thought... we need to let the father and daughter have a good chat..."
Song Luoshu looked at Li Funing and nodded with satisfaction. It turned out that the son-in-law he chose was sensible!
Xiao Lin frowned: "Lord Li, it's obviously you..."
"Prince!"
Li Funing suddenly raised his voice to interrupt him. When he turned around, a tear hung on his eyelash, about to fall. "I know you are anxious... but trespassing before the emperor is... "
He looked at the emperor hesitantly, revealing just the right amount of pain to show that he was misunderstood by his good friend.
Song Youning twirled her black hair with her fingertips and watched the show with great interest.
Li Funing's tearful look made him act even better than the top performer in the Jiaofangsi.
"His Majesty..."
Li Funing called out softly again, with a slight redness in the corners of his eyes, which made Song Youning feel pity for him, not to mention her father who was always known for his kindness.
"I really don't know..."
After listening to Li Funing's explanation, Song Luoshu had already made up his mind. This time, it must be Xiao Lin who didn't know the seriousness of the matter. He said sternly, "Prince Xiao has acted without regard for the seriousness of the matter and has disturbed the pleasure of the meeting between me and the princess. From today on, Prince Xiao will be confined to the palace for three months!"
The hall suddenly became dead silent.
Xiao Lin was still kneeling, looking at him in shock, and then he looked at Song Youning pitifully, seeking her help.
Song Youning didn't want to care at first, but she felt a pair of naked gazes directed at her. She knew that if she stood by and watched, she would never have a peaceful day when Xiao Lin was released from confinement in three months.
In addition, Fengya Pavilion will open in a few days, and Xiao Lin will be of great use.
Forced to do so, he had no choice but to speak for her. Just as she was about to open her mouth to plead for Xiao Lin, an equally naked gaze shot over at her, and that look clearly said: Either me or him, either him or me.
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