Emperor Wu thought about it all the way, but when he returned to the palace he still had no idea.
Feeling upset, he went for a walk in the Imperial Garden and unexpectedly met the Queen.
Empress Xi was his first wife and had been with him since he was a small governor of Ruiyang.
Her father and brother both died on the battlefield for their own cause. Now the only one left in the Xi family is Queen Xi's younger brother Xi Jing, who is born weak and sickly.
They only have one son and one daughter. Although the Xi family is now a super-class duke, they still keep a low profile.
Queen Xi was a typical lady from aristocratic family. She gave birth to the crown prince, the fifth prince and the eldest princess for him, and never got jealous.
The harem was also well managed.
He was very satisfied.
So the couple has a good relationship.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Seeing his Empress Xi coming to pay her respects, Emperor Wu supported her.
"There's no need for so much formality between us."
"Is there anything troubling your majesty?"
The empress asked as she stood up following Emperor Wu's hand. She saw that Emperor Wu seemed to be worried.
Emperor Wu thought that the other party was the empress, his wife, so he did not hide it.
"Actually, I've already met the Qu family today, including the guy who printed the book."
The Queen knew about printing, and most of the civil and military officials in the court knew about it. It was no secret in the court.
"Are you not happy to see His Majesty? I remember you said before that this is a good thing that benefits the country and the people."
"That's a good thing. What worries me is what reward to give them. The Lin family is easy to deal with, but how to give it to the Qu family? That's a problem."
Logically speaking, the Qu family is now a civilian family and is still guilty, so how can they be given this?
Giving it is not good, but not giving it is even worse.
After hearing what he said, the queen knew what he was worried about.
She thought for a moment and said, “This isn’t difficult. It was his uncle who made the mistake, so the others are guilty as well.
Now it’s enough to reward these young people. His uncle is still a commoner, so no one will say anything.”
Yes, that’s it. He just needs to reward the younger generation.
Emperor Wu held Empress Xi's hand and said, "Thank you, Tongtong."
They were an old couple, and Queen Xi was a little uncomfortable with his sudden behavior.
He struggled slightly and got free.
"There are so many people here, Your Majesty. Besides, it is my duty to share your worries."
She felt a little uncomfortable. Although her relationship with His Majesty was stable, he hadn't held her hand for a long time.
The last time he comforted himself was when his father and brother died in battle.
The relationship between the two has always been one of mutual respect, just like comrades-in-arms.
His Majesty had never been so intimate with her except during their wedding period.
Seeing the queen's expression, Emperor Wu also noticed her discomfort and whispered in her ear: "Wait for me tonight."
After saying that, he stood up straight, as if the scene just now had never happened.
In the evening, it was learned that Emperor Wu had visited the concubines in the Queen's palace, and the reactions were mixed.
Although it is not a big deal for Your Majesty to go to the Queen's Palace, it is very normal.
But this time it was unusual. Everyone knew that as the Queen grew older, His Majesty would only go to Fengyi Palace on the first and fifth days of the lunar calendar.
Haven't been there on a specific day for many years.
The one who reacted most violently was Concubine Yin Jingqiu of Zhongcui Palace. She smashed all the porcelain in her bedroom.
“Well, I thought the queen was an honest person, but she turned out to be a biting dog.
"I've been so blind all these years. Go and find out what they said in the Imperial Garden today. Then tell my father."
"Yes, your majesty." The maid outside the door said softly.
Then he turned and walked out.
Qu Xiangbai and his group didn't know that it was because of them that the Queen regained her favor.
There are undercurrents in the palace.
But they have already started preparing to return to Qingyang Prefecture.
He originally planned to leave directly, but Lin Jiang didn't want to leave like this.
He had come to the capital with great difficulty and wanted to bring some gifts home.
They had been here for so long and rarely went out, so Qu Xiangbai thought about it and agreed.
The four of them went out for a walk together.
In the past few years, the Qu family's status in the capital was not low, and Qu Xiangbai's reputation was even more well-known. He was definitely the child of someone else's family.
Qu Qinghui and Qu Qingxu were also famous noblemen.
They have quite a lot of acquaintances and friends in Beijing.
Just after I came out, I met Qu Xiangbai’s former friend and classmate.
This man is the second son of Prince Cheng, Xiao Hongshen, and his father is the emperor’s cousin.
After the emperor came to Beijing, he was named Prince Cheng, a prince without real power, but his eldest son was the emperor's confidant and was in charge of the Imperial Guard.
This time, Xiao Hongshen is a smart boy, but he also likes to play and has good academic performance.
He took part in the same imperial examination as Qu Xiangbai and was also a Jinshi.
His father found him a sinecure in the Ministry of Rites.
The Ministry of Rites had nothing to do today, so he skipped work and was drinking tea in a teahouse with a bunch of friends.
This teahouse is the "Sanrunju" which is also located in Qingyan Town.
He is the boss here, and he doesn't like being an official and prefers to do business.
Unfortunately, his family members did not agree, so he did it secretly and spent his days idle in the Ministry of Rites.
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