Chapter 28. Hengbo didn't think Shen Guitang had...
The next day, Hengbo breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw that breakfast was no longer chicken. However, usually everyone would only start eating after Shen Guitang arrived, but today, Er Gou had already started eating when she arrived.
"Sister Cuihua, come quickly! My cousin isn't here today, let's eat first."
Upon hearing that Shen Guitang was not there, Hengbo's demeanor instantly became much more relaxed, and he felt refreshed.
"Sister Cuihua," Ergou leaned closer and whispered, "Guess what my cousin did today?"
Hengbo ate without looking up, his expression listless, demonstrating through his actions that he had absolutely no interest.
Er Gou didn't see the surprise he wanted on Heng Bo's face, so he leaned closer and said, "My cousin is going to see the emperor today."
She deliberately emphasized the word "emperor," but Hengbo remained unmoved and even took the last shrimp dumpling on the table into her own bowl while she was talking.
"Why don't you react at all? That's the Emperor, the Emperor!" Er Gou pressed down on the chopsticks she was holding up. "Aren't you curious about what the Emperor looks like? I've never seen an Emperor before in my life."
Hengbo frowned and pondered for a moment, then sincerely shook her head. She didn't care what the emperor looked like, since his head would be killed by her sword sooner or later anyway.
Instead of being curious about what the emperor looks like, she should really think about which sword she should use to take his life.
"Alright," Er Gou said, seeing that he couldn't really pique Heng Bo's interest, so he simply dropped the topic and changed the subject, saying, "Then guess what my cousin will get on the exam this time?"
Hengbo shook her head. She really didn't know Shen Guitang well, and besides, she hadn't even read many books herself, so how could she guess these things?
"Hmm..." Er Gou didn't necessarily want her to give a reason, and guessed on his own, "What was the first place name again... Zhuangyuan!"
Her eyes sparkled as she tugged at Hengbo's sleeve: "Do you think our family might produce a top scholar?"
Transverse waves...
Hengbo thought about the bookshelves full of "leisure books" in Shen Guitang's study that she had inadvertently glanced at, and remained noncommittal about what Er Gou said.
Furthermore, recalling the other name that stood out on the notice board in Changzhou that day, Hengbo felt even less hopeful for Shen Guitang.
"Sister Cuihua, what kind of look is that?" Er Gou sensed Heng Bo's distrust and was slightly hurt. "Don't you think my cousin can become the top scholar?"
Hengbo hesitated for a moment, but finally told Ergou her thoughts, so that she wouldn't have any unfounded expectations and would only be more heartbroken when the result came out.
"The person you're talking about is really that amazing? He could read at three and compose poetry at five?"
Hengbo nodded, but Ergou was unconvinced. Although she thought Shen Guitang's personality was truly hateful, he was, after all, one of their own. They couldn't boost his morale while diminishing their own.
So, she said indignantly, "How about we make a bet? I bet he will win. The wager is my New Year's money."
Hengbo's eyes lit up instantly when he heard about silver: "Then it's a deal, you can't cry if you lose money."
She didn't think she would lose at all. As for whether making money from children was honorable, that wasn't within Hengbo's consideration.
Er Gou stubbornly stuck out his neck: "I still think you'll lose!"
...
It started to rain in the evening. When Shen Guitang arrived at her house, she saw Er Gou waiting anxiously under the eaves at the door. She didn't say anything, just followed him all the way, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Shen Guitang folded the umbrella and handed it to Hei Feng, who was following behind. She frowned slightly as she looked at her and asked, "What kind of good thing have you done now?"
Er Gou didn't dare to ask him directly how the exam went, so he rolled his eyes and asked indirectly, "How are you feeling right now?"
Shen Guitang chuckled: "That depends on what you're going to tell me next."
Er Gou breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It seemed that Er Gou's mood wasn't too bad, so his exam results shouldn't be too bad either.
"In that case, I'm fine. You should rest well, cousin." With that, he ran off without paying any attention to the rain in the yard.
Shen Guitang: ? ? ?
"What did this girl eat wrong today?"
Black Wind, with an innocent face, said, "I've been following you all day, how could I know?"
Shen Guitang had been busy all day and had no time to care about Er Gou's affairs. After entering the room, she took off her outer robe and closed her eyes to lie down on the rocking chair.
After Black Wind lit some calming incense for him, he held his breath and silently retreated into the shadows.
The palace examination required writing a policy essay based on the examination questions on the day of the examination. He knew that a policy essay, especially one that had been prepared several days in advance, would not have taken up so much of Shen Guitang's energy.
What truly exhausts him is hiding fire in the darkness, escaping the shadows under the blazing sun, enduring hunger and thirst after prey, and feigning peace in front of enemies.
The sea surface was calm as usual, but the underwater volcano had already erupted once. And now, he was merely cleaning up the embers that even time itself could not erase.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the rosewood rocking chair finally began to sway slowly, and a hoarse voice, barely concealing weariness, rang out: "How is the Marquis of Dingbei's residence?"
Black Wind revealed himself: "I heard that after Young Master Lu returned, there was quite a commotion in the Marquis's mansion. Young Master Lu was almost locked in a room and beaten by the Marquis of Dingbei. Fortunately, the old lady arrived in time and saved him from a beating."
"But in less than two days, the young official reverted to his old ways, even going to the tea garden to learn how to sing opera. It seems he doesn't take this case to heart at all."
"However, Bai San Niang has been waiting at the Dali Temple these past few days. I really can't figure out what the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion is planning."
Shen Guitang tapped his finger lightly on the armrest and sneered, "The Dingbei Marquis's family is full of shrewd people. If even you can see that, the Marquis's mansion would have been raided by Ji Heng long ago."
"Let's wait and see what kind of show Lu Shaoqing is going to put on for us."
Hei Feng asked in confusion, "Didn't Yan Zong receive the news?"
Although the incident of the masked men searching the account books, as mentioned by Bai San Niang, was all staged by them, Zhao Lian had indeed done something wrong. When Bai Da Bo's family suddenly disappeared, didn't he have any suspicions? And if he had any doubts, wouldn't he have consulted his powerful father-in-law?
Shen Guitang let his head sway with the rocking chair, looking quite relaxed and comfortable. However, the words that came out of his mouth left the usually expressionless Hei Feng dumbfounded: "Why would Yan Zong need any information? Wasn't all of this his own doing?"
Perhaps the heat accumulated on the seabed by the volcanic eruption needed an outlet, and today Shen Guitang was willing to speak out about the thoughts he usually kept to himself.
"Why do you think Ji Heng doesn't want the Prince Xian to return to the capital? Is he really that afraid of the Prince Xian?"
Having been by his side for so many years, Hei Feng was not entirely without brains. Almost instantly, he understood that Ji Heng was not worried about the military strength in the Northwest behind the Prince Xian. On the contrary, he was actually worried that the military power in the Northwest would fall into the hands of those old foxes who were currently in power in the court.
After all, the wise king still bore the surname Ji.
If we're talking about who's most likely to get a share of the spoils after Ji Heng takes back military power, wouldn't Yan Zong, who's currently the Minister of War, be the first to benefit from being in such a close position?
Therefore, Yan Zong is the one who most wants the Prince Xian to return to the capital right now.
Seeing the look of realization on his face, Shen Guitang continued, "The only thing that can restrain the Wise King now is the late Crown Prince. But if it were to suddenly spread that the late Crown Prince's tomb was just a bunch of shoddy, poorly made things, what would you do if you were the Wise King?"
Black Wind was struck dumb by his question.
If he knew that his most esteemed and respected elder brother had been so humiliated... he would surely be unable to contain his raging anger, let alone the wise king who held military power and had been building up his strength for ten years.
At this moment, even Black Wind, one of the four protectors of the Undying Pavilion, a Jianghu assassination organization, had to admit that Yan Zong's plan was truly insidious and treacherous.
"But his son-in-law is probably beyond saving."
Shen Guitang shook her head, as if laughing at his naivety: "Yan Zong was able to easily give up his own sister, Consort Rou, in order to climb up to the Empress. What is a son-in-law who only managed to become a director in the Ministry of Works? Besides, he can exchange a son-in-law for military power in the Northwest and at the same time clear his name. What is there for him to hesitate about?"
Black Wind muttered to himself: People in high positions of power are all corrupt. I really don't know why my young master chose this path, dealing with these monsters and demons every day, which is both heartbreaking and mentally taxing.
As if guessing Hei Feng's thoughts, Shen Guitang sighed softly, "It is indeed not difficult to kill Ji Heng with the power of Bu Ming, but this is not the result Zhen Nan wants. Therefore, this has never been a path for us."
Seeing that Shen Guitang was much more agreeable today, Hei Feng couldn't help but ask his new question: "Since Yan Zong wanted to make a big deal out of this matter, the Ministry of Works is bound to be thrown into chaos and bloodshed. And as long as the Ministry of Works is reshuffled, it's almost a certainty that you, young master, will enter the Ministry of Works with your 'Discourse on Civil Engineering'. Why should we get involved?"
"Who said we got involved?" Shen Guitang's lips curled into a slight smile, though the smile didn't even reach his tightly closed eyes. "Isn't it the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion that's going to put on this show? What does it have to do with us?"
“Furthermore,” his eyes suddenly opened, as if an iceberg on the sea had suddenly revealed its unknown majesty and ferocity, “a mere position in the Ministry of Works is not worth all this trouble for me. What I have always wanted is the position of the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department.”
The Imperial Household Department was responsible for handling palace affairs. For example, the reconstruction of the imperial mausoleum was jointly undertaken by the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Works. The procurement of funerary objects was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department. Therefore, if Zhao Lian's affair were exposed, it would confirm the collusion between the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Household Department.
The emperor might not be furious over a minor official in the Ministry of Works embezzling silver; after all, there are plenty of people in the country qualified for that position, and he could simply kill him and replace him. However, if he found out that someone had actually infiltrated the palace, the outcome would be quite different.
If Yan Zong could keep this matter firmly in his own hands, then naturally he could downplay it and push it all to the Ministry of Works. But if the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion were to expose it, how could a Marquis of Dingbei, who was not involved in factional strife, care who held the position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs?
After thinking it all through, Black Wind was shocked. It turned out that he had been worrying too much. Wasn't the most wicked person in the world right next to him?
Shen Guitang finally sat up from the rocking chair and instructed, "Send word to Baiyun to prepare."
"Yes, I will go right away."
"Wait, what did the young princess do today?"
Black Wind continued to look innocent, asking, "Didn't I say I'd stay by his side all day?"
This time, Shen Guitang wasn't buying it. She frowned at him, her tone icy: "If you don't know, won't you investigate?"
Black Wind: ...
"Your subordinate obeys."
After the black wind receded from the room, Shen Guitang couldn't help but pinch his brow and gaze at the rolling black clouds in the sky through the window, lost in thought.
Yan Zong wanted Prince Xian to return to the capital, unaware that Prince Xian was also planning the same thing. He didn't want Prince Xian to act so quickly, but now that Princess Shenxiao had already entered the capital, it seemed that Prince Xian couldn't stop him.
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