Chapter 14: Another round of cruel treatment of scumbags; belated affection is cheaper than grass.
Normally, Su Fu's voice is not loud.
But today it sounded somewhat jarring, echoing in the deep courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence.
Su Xueyi didn't take this matter too seriously at first, so she let Su Fu inquire about it. Su Fu inquired for two days.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the following day that Su Fu presented the results of his inquiries to Su Xueyi: Ying Xi personally went to bury Xie Ji.
Su Xueyi pondered the deeper meaning behind it.
After the rebellion of the Qingniu Army, the situation in the north stabilized somewhat.
With Xie Ji dead, the Xie family can't cause too much trouble for the time being. Ying Xi should attend because she is a suspect.
This step is correct, Su Xueyi nodded secretly.
However, Su Xueyi then thought that she had not received a response despite repeatedly claiming to be ill, and that it had not prevented Ying Xi from visiting the Xie family.
It felt like a hole had been opened in his heart, and he was once again gripped by a rare sense of loss.
Su Xueyi's career has been smooth and she has rarely suffered setbacks, which has aroused her strong competitive spirit at this moment.
His thoughts began to stir from calm to vivid, and Su Xueyi smiled knowingly.
He said slowly, "Does Your Majesty have any further plans?"
Su Fu answered, counting on his fingers: "He personally took charge of the Secretariat, reviewed memorials at an astonishing speed, promoted several capable officials, and played chess with Feng Yong."
Is there anything else?
Su Fu thought for a moment and added, "When I reported back to you, His Majesty had already returned from the cemetery. I heard that His Majesty summoned the Minister of War to the palace as soon as he returned, apparently to discuss military affairs in the defense zone adjacent to Yangzhou. It was a confidential matter, and I couldn't find out the details."
Su Xueyi lowered her brows.
Su Xueyi's intuition told her that Ying Xi was doing something big without her help, something he could accomplish even without her.
Su Xueyi frowned even more deeply and waved Su Fu away.
The seemingly peaceful Prime Minister's residence is about to become unsettling.
His relaxed expression vanished, the disdain and boredom gone, replaced by a kind of torturous pleasure.
Su Xueyi stood up and contacted her subordinates as quickly as possible.
He was still the Right Chancellor in the Ministry of Personnel.
His connections were enough to immediately decipher the entire content of the meeting between the emperor and the Minister of War.
Su Xueyi: "What did His Majesty say?"
The confidant said, "His Majesty told Minister Liu that the military funds allocated by the court should be used to make the other side pay the same price, or even more, in order to be meaningful."
Su Xueyi: "..."
Su Xueyi pondered these words for a while and was extremely shocked. They were truly insightful and made a lot of sense.
Ying Xi's image became much more lofty and mysterious in Su Xueyi's mind.
Keep in mind that Ying Xi was only a teenager.
For the first nine years of his life, Ying Xi lived in a remote area of Guangling County in Jiangnan. Before that, he could never have imagined that he would eventually enter the core of the political arena and become the emperor.
Ying Xi has not had as much contact with power as I have.
But Ying Xi's current performance made Su Xueyi feel a vague sense of threat, while at the same time, she felt an even stronger excitement than before.
Su Xueyi asked urgently, "And then!"
The confidant had never seen the Right Chancellor show such an expression, as if he had lost his composure and was about to shake out the answer immediately.
The trusted aide hurriedly reported: "His Majesty...His Majesty has ordered that all defense zones adjacent to Li Yilong's bandit stronghold in Yangzhou must not only strengthen their defenses, but also feign an attack..."
"We don't actually fight; we just make a show of harassment and then quickly withdraw once the other side reacts."
Su Xueyi was stunned.
Our side is actively defending, and the enemy is also defending, which results in both sides being at a disadvantage at the same time!
Our attack was a feint; the opponent was unaware of it.
If the opponent responds with a genuine offensive, they will mobilize a large army for defense, and their expenses will exceed those of ours.
If this continues, Li Yilong's army will inevitably be overwhelmed.
Moreover, even if a war of attrition were to break out, Yangzhou alone could not possibly contend with the other provinces of Qin!
This single measure alone could increase the chances of the Qin Dynasty changing its fate.
Su Xueyi was amazed, jealous, and delighted at the same time, and then her emotions quickly escalated.
He suddenly felt uneasy, and a longing for Ying Xi arose within him, along with a scheming desire to compete with her.
This is a quick-witted and thoughtful emperor, a fragile and beautiful emperor, a young emperor who wields supreme power...
Many of the characteristics that Su Xueyi had previously looked down upon have now become shining highlights of Ying Xi!
Perhaps I misjudged?
Su Xueyi took another half step closer to her confidants.
"—Continue!"
The confidant was terrified, having no idea what Prime Minister Su was planning, and continued to stammer out the information.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty also said..."
"say what?"
"They say that if the imperial court becomes even wealthier in the future, it won't even need to send troops to wave flags and shout slogans. It can simply build ships upstream and float some shipbuilding waste, sails, and sampans downstream, which will make Li Yilong's army panic. At that time, it will be the imperial court unilaterally wearing down its opponent..."
Su Xueyi's throat tightened.
He felt as if someone had grabbed his heart; the ingenious scheme made him feel suffocated, and he became eager to try it, turning into a sunflower drawn to the light.
Su Xueyi silently straightened his clothes for a moment. He couldn't continue playing the game of feigning illness; he wanted to test Ying Xi's abilities immediately.
He wanted to see Ying Xi.
Su Xueyi left the courtyard with a brisk pace, striding towards the outside of the Prime Minister's residence and heading towards the palace.
As Su Yin passed by the gate of the Prime Minister's residence, she was catching crickets at the entrance. When she saw Su Xueyi come out, she clapped her hands and shouted, "Brother, go see the immortals! Brother, go fight the monsters!"
Seeing this, Su Fu was so frightened that he quickly tried to stop him from behind.
"Young Master, you are still ill. His Majesty has just approved your sick leave again!"
"Young Master!!!" Going out like this would be a capital offense of deceiving the emperor.
The figure disappeared, and Su Fu couldn't stop him.
***
The study in Weiyang Palace.
At night, a cool breeze was blowing, and the windows were open, filling the room with the damp and refreshing scent of a spring night.
System notification: Charm value +500
After the clear notification sound, Ying Xi put down her pen, stretched, and was enveloped in soft golden light.
What's going on now? What's the prize? This strange and sluggish settlement method.
Ying Xi thought.
Sweet Tong yawned in her ear at that moment: "I'm so sleepy, I'm logging off. I'll take my leave, Your Majesty."
"good evening."
"Waaah, goodnight~" Sweet Tong's voice was distorted with excitement again.
The romance system temporarily disappeared, and Ying Xi rubbed her eyes.
He went to the cemetery today, met with the Minister of War, and just finished dealing with many trivial matters at the Ministry of Personnel. He was very tired.
This was the hardest day since my rebirth.
He cursed Su Xueyi in his heart as a bastard, but he had to admit that Su Xueyi did have the ability to share his burdens.
But should he continue to tolerate Su Xueyi in everything, just like in his previous life?
That's impossible.
If she wanted to, Ying Xi would immediately tie Su Xueyi up and take her to the Ministry of Personnel.
He glanced at the corner of the desk and saw a dark blue document—Su Xueyi's request for an extension of her leave. There were many other documents underneath, and he probably wouldn't be able to finish reviewing them all today.
But Yingxi didn't plan to stay up all night.
Ying Xi yawned, her mind wandering as she pondered whether she should gag Su Xueyi or put her in a sack if she really sent someone to tie her up.
snort.
Su Xueyi is not even as good as Xie Qianli now!
At least Xie Qianli, after hearing the theory of attrition between the two sides, was able to offer him a plan to drift shipbuilding waste downstream to intimidate the rebels in Jiangnan, which was good enough and still usable.
If Su Xueyi is useless to her, Ying Xi will not care about him at all.
"Your Majesty." A figure emerged from behind the screen—it was Yu Jing. She scrutinized the emperor's expression and tentatively asked, "It's almost 11 PM; all the palace gates will be locked soon. Is Your Majesty tired?"
Ying Xi nodded: "Let's go to bed."
Yu Jing frowned slightly, realizing she was in a bit of a predicament.
Just now, the Grand Eunuch was stopped by a figure outside the main hall of Weiyang Palace. It was the Right Chancellor, Su Xueyi, who wanted to see the Emperor.
In the past, Su Xueyi always had priority in receiving audiences at Weiyang Palace, but things are different now, and the emperor has changed his attitude towards her.
Chief Steward Yu dared not disturb the emperor with Su Xueyi, fearing he would be implicated, but he could not leave it unattended either, so he probed, "What if the court officials wish to see you?"
"Is something important?"
Yu Jing thought for a moment: "It shouldn't be a big deal; it concerns that person himself."
"Oh." Ever since his charm level increased, his subordinates have been more willing to chat with him about anything and everything.
For example, a jade mirror can transform into a health encyclopedia, offering advice whenever it's available: a morning stroll can nourish your Qi, and a midday nap can allow Yang Qi to enter the body. It's quite mysterious.
For example, Feng Yong was so bored that he told himself that the Ministry of Personnel was busy with official business and that he had been losing hair lately.
Therefore, Ying Xi was not keen on engaging in business: "Tell him to rest in peace and come to see me again tomorrow."
"yes."
Yu Jing took his leave.
Yu Jing's young apprentice quickly stepped forward, eager to show off and learn how to serve Ying Xi as she returned to her bedchamber.
But the young apprentice is now afraid of Ying Xi because he acted rashly in front of the emperor a few days ago and was sternly reminded by his master that although the emperor is young, he is actually mature and unfathomable.
The young apprentice remained silent, too frightened to do anything but carry the lantern.
The young apprentice led the way, with Ying Xi following behind.
Weiyang Palace is a very large architectural complex.
Leaving the study, I looked up at the deep night sky. I had to walk around several palace rooms and pass through a hidden wall to get back to my bedchamber.
While other parts of Weiyang Palace are decorated with flowers and trees, the walls are monotonous, and there are no trees leading to the palace gates. Guards are stationed everywhere to prevent assassins from sneaking in and causing trouble.
The guards saw Ying Xi leaning on his sword and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty!"
Ying Xi nodded.
Ying Xi walked to the door of the sleeping quarters and counted. There were a total of 28 guards passing by, about 30 feet apart.
There were four guards and two eunuchs at the main gate of the sleeping quarters.
Two eunuchs stood guard outside the imperial bedchamber, responsible for obeying the emperor's orders at night.
There was no one in the inner chamber.
Every day, successive emperors would lie down on their dragon beds as usual.
This was the second time Ying Xi had felt that the journey from the study back to her bedroom was tedious and long.
The emperor lay down, and the young apprentice lowered the curtain, secretly letting out a sigh of relief where Ying Xi couldn't see him.
The room was extremely quiet, enveloped in a hazy, bright yellow light.
The young apprentice dared not say anything more and quickly took his leave, walking backwards with trepidation.
The emperor stopped him again, saying, "Wait."
The young apprentice stopped abruptly, flustered: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
The words of advice from Chief Steward Yu were still ringing in his ears, and the young apprentice was afraid of making any mistakes.
Ying Xi: "Is there a fixed number of palace lanterns hidden in the wall?"
The young apprentice was slightly taken aback, not expecting the emperor to be curious about this, and replied, "Probably not."
Yingxi: "Remove this section of palace lanterns tomorrow. From now on, you can go to the common people to buy some colorful lanterns and hang them on the wall."
The young apprentice blinked.
This was inspired by the lantern market in Chang'an on the night Ying Xi traveled incognito. The lanterns were inexpensive, and his bedroom was his private space.
Therefore, it was not unreasonable for the emperor to decorate the roadside with various lanterns; it was also a source of enjoyment for him every night when he returned to his palace.
"You know?"
The young apprentice found it unbelievable.
Because he had clearly been advised by his master that the emperor was mature and experienced, but the thing the emperor was about to do, buying lanterns, seemed to make him seem like a young man.
The young apprentice exclaimed in surprise, "This servant obeys the decree!"
But since this was an unusual task, the young apprentice dared not make the decision on his own. He asked hesitantly, "This servant does not know... what kind of lanterns does Your Majesty desire?"
Ying Xi: "I think it looks good, but I don't want the same thing twice."
The clash between the emperor's aloofness and the youthful spirit left Yu Jing, the young apprentice, stunned once again, his throat tightening.
The emperor, who was high above, was brought closer to oneself.
The emperor was just a boy of about ten years old, and he could contribute his own value, so he didn't need to imitate the chief steward in everything.
The young apprentice exclaimed excitedly, "Your Majesty, this servant will certainly not fail you! I will remove the lamp right now, without waiting for tomorrow!"
Outside the main hall, Yu Jing informed Su Xueyi to leave Weiyang Palace, citing the reason that the emperor had gone to bed early.
Realizing the change in her status in Ying Xi's heart, Su Xueyi became increasingly apprehensive.
Amidst the fear, there was also a secret excitement.
Su Xueyi gazed at the majestic Weiyang Palace, his tongue brushing against his upper lip, and he subtly extended his sleeve.
Su Xueyi generously slipped a gold ingot from her sleeve into the box.
"Your Majesty has a slight misunderstanding of me. Harmony between the ruler and his ministers is a matter of great importance to the safety of our Great Qin. I hope you can offer some guidance."
Heaven knows that the Right Chancellor, who was always as magnanimous as a peacock displaying its plumage, would actually bribe palace officials!
Yu Jing was greatly astonished, but too lazy to waste words with him. She thought to herself, "When His Majesty treated you with such great kindness, why didn't you show any gratitude?"
Humans are just like that, so base.
Belated affection is worth less than grass.
Yu Jing accepted the money without hesitation, but had no intention of helping Su Xueyi. Instead, he wanted to avenge the emperor.
He happened to see his youngest apprentice coming out of the inner hall with some people and carrying string lanterns.
The jade mirror pointed mysteriously at several palace lanterns.
This could mean, "Lights out, let's go."
However, Su Xueyi's cleverness backfired. She raised her eyebrows, her eyes flashed, and she lifted her robe to kneel in front of the main hall of Weiyang Palace.
"I understand."
Fortunately, she received guidance from the chief steward, Su Xueyi thought.
lamp.
wait.
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