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"I can't win no matter how many times I play, so I'm not playing anymore."
I started walking towards the dining hall, and Ah Shi anxiously followed behind, calling out, "Can I let you have it next time?"
What's the point of keeping me playing this game?
"But I just love the feeling of playing chess with my aunt."
"What, do you feel a sense of accomplishment from beating someone who can't do it?"
"It's not auntie, I just like being with you."
"Then why don't you find another way, like..." I pointed to the door of the dining hall in front: "to eat?"
"Oh?" Ah Shi suddenly realized, "Okay, then I'll bring more food when I visit Auntie next time."
"Sure, sure!" I nodded. "That's great, you can come anytime."
Just then, Muli came over, took my hand, and said to Ashi, "Remember to bring my share!"
Ah Shi paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Okay, let's eat."
As soon as we sat down at the table, the Prime Minister sneered at Ah Shi: "Ah Shi, have you finished memorizing all the texts I asked you to recite? Have you finished practicing your calligraphy?"
Ah Shi lowered his head further and further, replying in a low voice, "No...nothing at all..."
"So what are you still thinking about?"
"It's my fault," Ah Shi looked up and his eyes were already filled with tears. He repeated, "I was wrong, teacher."
"Why are you crying?" It was the first time I had seen Ah Shi cry, and I was a little at a loss. I sat down next to him and patted his back. "Don't cry. The Prime Minister just told you not to neglect your studies. Why are you crying? Is the pressure too much?"
I quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears and comforted him, "Don't cry, don't cry, it's okay, it's okay!"
He looked up and burst into tears: "Auntie..."
"Okay, okay," I quickly hugged him and patted his back to comfort him, "It's alright, we'll learn slowly, there's plenty of time, no need to rush!"
I was trying my best to comfort Ah Shi when I felt someone grab me by the back of my collar and pull me away. I turned around and saw it was the Prime Minister. He glanced at Ah Shi, then glared at me, and pulled me back to my seat by the back of my collar. He said coldly, "He'll know what kind of behavior he is after he cries for a bit."
"Huh?" I patted Ah Shi's face again and asked him with concern, "Are you alright?"
His eyes were lowered, so I couldn't see his expression. After a while, he looked up again, smiled at me, and said, "It's alright, Auntie, let's eat." Then he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and started eating.
Is it true that kids these days have such unpredictable tempers?
I was a little taken aback, but the next moment, a pair of chopsticks was shoved into my hand. I turned my head and saw Mu Li smiling at me. His voice was very soft: "Let's eat."
“Okay,” I said, somewhat bewildered, but the meal was still finished amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.
On the way back to the palace, I pulled Muli aside and exclaimed, "It really is a grand tavern; the food is truly delicious."
At this moment, Muli asked me a very strange question: "Did thirteen of them see that the food was delicious?"
"Huh?" I asked, puzzled. "Is there anything else?"
"Ah Shi!"
"Ah Shi? Sigh..." I sighed, "It's all because of me that he's under so much pressure. He could have just been a good cultivator, but now I've forced him to learn the ways of an emperor. Sigh, poor kid..."
Muli flicked my forehead lightly with her finger and shook her head: "You."
"What's wrong?"
“It’s nothing,” he shook his head, “It’s perfectly fine.”
Then, in the next second, he picked me up. I exclaimed, "It's still a long time before we get back to the palace. Are you going to carry me all the way back?"
He smiled, his eyes relaxing, kissed my forehead, and said, "I'll give it a try. I think I can do it."
Then he picked me up and started jogging. A gentle breeze blew past me from the side, making my hair dance around his cheek, just like the thread of cause and effect I had once seen...
Finally, when we arrived at the palace gate, he put me down, kissed me again, and then took my hand and we returned to the Imperial Observatory.
Wu Qing and Bao He are sitting in the same spot where Jian Zheng and I used to sit, drinking tea. They look just like us now...
When Baohe saw me come back, he ran over in a few moments and climbed onto my shoulder: "Xu Yi, you're back?"
"Hmm," I nodded to Baohe and asked, "How was the food at the tavern today?"
"Delicious! Wu Qing specially cooked the food with incense, so I can enjoy it too."
Wu Qing also came up to greet me, calling out, "Miss Xu."
"Hmm," I nodded, and asked him, "So, what do you think of the food here?"
“It’s really good.” Wu Qing nodded.
"Then let's go there for dinner together tomorrow night, and bring the entire Imperial Observatory staff with us."
"Really?" Wu Qing's eyes lit up: "Did Miss Xu get the money today?"
"Of course, three thousand taels of gold!"
"So many?" Wu Qingbao and the others were both surprised.
"Not only that, I also asked the Crown Prince for 30,000 taels of silver. However, I will keep this money in my name for now, and use it when needed, so as to prevent them from having any unrealistic ideas."
Wu Qing nodded: "Yes, having too much money can indeed easily arouse people's greed."
Muli had already brought two more chairs out of the room and beckoned to us, "Come over here and talk."
“Hmm,” I nodded. After the four of us were seated, Muli began to quietly brew tea.
I told Wu Qing, "Go and inform them that they should all come to me tomorrow morning to collect their owed salaries. Then, if any magical artifacts are damaged and need to be replaced with gemstones, they should come with me to the national treasury to choose them. Finally, in the evening, we'll go out of the palace together and take them out for a good meal."
Wu Qing stopped drinking the tea he was about to give me, staring blankly at me: "The national treasury? Choosing gemstones?"
"Yes, your sword is missing a lot of stones, isn't it? I'll let you choose first."
His mouth opened slightly, then trembled for a moment, his voice barely containing his joy: "Really? That's wonderful! That's wonderful!" He then put down his teacup and stood up abruptly, saying, "I'll go tell them right now and have them get ready too!"
“Okay,” I nodded, “Go ahead.”
After Wu Qing left, I looked at Bao He and said, "I'll take you to find someone who can make osmanthus sugar for you, so you'll never lack sugar again."
"Really?" Baohe's eyes lit up. "Great! No problem!"
After giving all the instructions, I stood up and stretched: "Going back to my room to sleep!"
The next morning, people from the Imperial Observatory began to arrive one after another.
After distributing the salaries of all the Imperial Astronomical Bureau personnel present, I distributed the salaries of those who were originally registered in the register but were no longer with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and entrusted them to someone from the same faction to take back.
Finally, I handed Wu Zihe and Yi Qing's salary to Wu Qing: "This is the salary that Wu Zihe and Yi Qing owe. You should send it back to Wuyou Mountain along with the family letter."
Wu Qing was stunned for a moment before nodding and accepting the gift, saying, "Thank you, Miss Xu."
I sighed, and without asking any more questions about the two of them, I waved my hand and led everyone to the national treasury.
The guards of the national treasury may have been informed beforehand, as they let us pass without any obstacles along the way.
When we arrived outside the treasury gate, Eunuch Yu was already waiting. He bowed to me and said, "Greetings, Miss Xu."
“No need to be so polite,” I nodded, “Let’s just open the national treasury and choose the gems.”
“Alright,” Eunuch Yu nodded, and then made an agreement with me: “Because the national treasury has a lot of heavy items, it may not be possible for the Imperial Astronomical Bureau personnel to go in together. We can go in in pairs to select items, and apart from the inlaid gemstones, no other treasures are allowed to be taken out.”
“Of course,” I nodded, “Just check them strictly when they go in and out. I’m also afraid that your national treasury will try to frame our Imperial Observatory for the things you stole.”
Then I looked at the eager-looking members of the Imperial Observatory and said, "No one is allowed to bring any bags or ritual implements into the palace. You will be subject to strict inspections when you enter and exit. We must not allow anyone to have any reason to smear us. Do you understand?"
The crowd agreed.
Then I looked at Eunuch Yu and asked, "Did you check the national treasury's treasures before you came? Do they match the records?"
“This…” he blinked, “has not been verified yet.”
"Then let's do this: I'll take the recording stone and go with Eunuch Yu to investigate, just in case we miss anything."
Because the shelves in the national treasury were all numbered and arranged in order, the inspection was very convenient. In less than two hours, Eunuch Yu and I had inventoried all the treasures that were originally in the national treasury.
Then they waited for the Imperial Astronomical Bureau personnel to enter and select the gemstones.
Wu Qing was the first to enter, and soon came out with several small gems. After the guards at the door checked Wu Qing and registered the documents, the next group of people entered.
Because there were many people choosing gems, and they entered in pairs, it was already dark when everyone finished.
I nodded to Wu Qing: "Wu Qing, you and Bao He take them out of the palace to the restaurant I booked to rest temporarily. Eunuch Yu and I will come over as soon as we have finished our inspection."
“Okay,” Wu Qing nodded, then led the group selecting gems away.
I reached out my hand to Eunuch Yu: "Eunuch Yu, please."
Eunuch Yu smiled and said, "As expected of the princess, she is impeccable!"
"After being schemed against so many times over the years, it's always good to be careful."
After Eunuch Yu and I finished inventorying all the treasures in the national treasury, we checked the records of the Imperial Observatory's takeout against the clerk at the door. They were exactly the same. Only then did we hand the newly registered book of the national treasury to Eunuch Yu: "Then, I will trouble Eunuch Yu to present it to the Emperor."
The eunuch Yu's hand trembled slightly as he took the booklet, and he nodded, saying, "Of course, this servant will certainly present it to His Majesty."
“Alright,” I nodded, “I have engraved the entire day’s events onto the record stone. If the emperor has any doubts, he can send someone to find me.”
"Yes, yes," Eunuch Yu nodded, "This servant understands."
After confirming that the national treasury matters had been resolved, I bid farewell to Yu Gong and left.
After leaving the palace, I went to the Prime Minister's residence and invited the Prime Minister and Ah Shi to dinner. The Prime Minister gave me another disdainful look and said, "I am a subject, not someone from your Imperial Observatory. What am I supposed to look at? Just take Ah Shi with you."
"That's right," I nodded. "Alright, I'll have the restaurant pack a complete banquet and send it over. Uncle Xiang, you can also invite a few old friends over for a get-together."
He glanced at me, then smiled slightly and said, "Okay."
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