As he watched his daughter walk away, the emperor's smile gradually faded, and he summoned Dengbao into the palace: "Go, invite Marquis Xie into the palace."
Deng Bao looked up in surprise, but halfway through his journey, he hurriedly lowered his head, bowed, and withdrew from Yong'an Hall.
Emperor Zhenlong walked slowly to the side, to the front of the portrait of Empress Xiaoning. His gaze was tender and lingering on Empress Lu's figure, as if what was before him was not just a portrait, but a living person standing in front of him, their eyes locked in a passionate gaze.
-
For Gu Yaoniang, the factional struggles in the imperial court were not of much concern.
She had long known that Princess Ruining was concerned about the commercial drafts, and she had gone to the princess's residence several times just to have her and Lu Zhaoan meet there for a meeting.
Therefore, when she received the news today that Prince Qing had raised all the matters concerning commercial drafts at the Grand Court Assembly, she was quite taken aback.
The news from outside was just a brief mention; she knew nothing of the details and was both worried about whether Princess Ruining was alright and anxious about her own future.
After receiving Princess Ruining's message, he had the coachman prepare Zhaocai properly and then went to the princess's residence.
Bizhu jumped down from the footstool first and reached out to help Gu Yaoniang down, but Gu Yaoniang had already jumped down from the carriage shaft on her own.
Linlang was still waiting at the gate of the princess's residence, leading Gu Yaoniang inside.
The princess's residence remained lush and verdant, as prosperous as ever. Yet, walking through it, I found myself devoid of any appreciation.
Gu Yaoniang followed closely behind Linlang, and paused when she heard what sounded like a man's voice coming from inside.
Linlang noticed that she seemed a little nervous and uneasy, and said with a smile, "Madam, inside is Young Master Lu the Second."
Gu Yaoniang smiled at her, watching her go inside to announce her arrival, lost in thought.
She seemed to hear Princess Ruining's smiling voice say, "Come in quickly."
Then she saw a palace maid lift the curtain, and she stepped inside.
Seeing her somewhat worried expression, Princess Ruining smiled at her and said, "It seems you already know."
Gu Yaoniang nodded: "Now most people outside probably know about it."
Seeing that she was already worried, Princess Ruining comforted her instead: "Oh dear! What are you worried about? It's nothing serious!"
Gu Yaoniang scrutinized her face, her smile genuine and seemingly unperturbed. Feeling somewhat reassured, she was still uneasy: "Are you really alright?"
"It's nothing! What could possibly happen? It must just be a coincidence that my brother also thought that commercial drafts might be useful."
Lu Zhaoan simply watched them talk from the side, but his eyes flickered at this moment—they were indeed becoming distant.
He looked up at Gu Yaoniang and saw that she was also looking at him, knowing that she must feel the same way he did.
-
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Lord Xie entered Yong'an Palace and knelt down at the foot of the steps to pay his respects to Emperor Zhenlong.
Emperor Zhenlong clicked his tongue lightly, shook his head, and pointed at him: "So overly polite."
When he was still a prince, Marquis Xie was his study companion. The two grew up together and were very familiar with each other.
Lord Xie readily agreed and quickly got up, saying with a grin, "Propriety must not be disregarded."
Emperor Zhenlong didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "You weren't at the morning court session this day. The Second Prince proposed a new policy, something about the Ministry of Revenue reforming and printing commercial notes. Are you aware of it?"
Lord Xie nodded. What Prince Qing presented at the grand court assembly, in front of all the officials, was not a secret; naturally, everyone would know.
Given the Xie family's power, it's normal for him to have received the news by now. He has nothing to hide from admitting it.
"Did you know that Yao Yao mentioned this idea to me a month ago?"
Lord Xie was stunned.
What does this mean? Did the brother and sister come up with this plan together, or did Prince Qing steal this information from Princess Ruining?
We dare not think about this... The Sage did not wait for Xie Hou to analyze the matter clearly in his mind, and said directly: "Go and investigate whether this was the second son's own idea or whether he used his inappropriate means to get something from Yao Yao."
The so-called "making money through shady means" naturally refers to Prince Qing having ulterior motives. He learned about this matter from Princess Ruining and rushed to submit a memorial to the court assembly.
Marquis Xie's expression turned serious, and his playful demeanor vanished: "Do you think that His Highness Prince Qing has grown distant from His Highness the Princess?"
He tried to be subtle, but in the royal family, the estrangement between relatives implied their true feelings.
The emperor's gaze was deep and unfathomable. He did not answer, but only instructed, "Use the shadow guards to investigate. Be careful not to let the empress find out."
"yes."
Looking at his friend before him, Xie Hou, a noble and powerful emperor with a simple harem, still couldn't escape the fate of worrying about his children.
He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "If you have doubts, why did you still put His Highness Prince Qing in charge of the commercial bill policy?"
If it was truly Princess Ruining who came up with the idea, and Prince Qing discovered it and acted accordingly, wouldn't such an arrangement be unfair to Princess Ruining?
Emperor Zhenlong sighed, "Xianpei! There is no precedent for commercial bills. It involves a major issue concerning people's livelihood, and a single move can have far-reaching consequences. The risks are too great, and the people may not be able to accept it. It is very likely to be a thankless task. We need to be ruthless and willing to sacrifice some people and things to succeed. If we do not do it well, we may be condemned for all eternity."
Yao Yao cares deeply for the people, uses gentle methods, and is of upright character—she is certainly a good person. But she always thinks about ensuring that every citizen of the world can live a good life. This is her kindness, but also her flaw.
I don't want my child to take such a risk. She can be mediocre, but she can't bear the stigma. I also hope that through this experience, she will understand not to easily trust those around her, not even her own brother. This is the lesson I'm teaching her on her path to becoming an empress.
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