Chapter 5: Whether in ancient or modern times, clerks must dress appropriately when meeting their bosses...
In the west wing of the Wenshu Courtyard.
Looking at the pile of paper pages, Shu Yao's heart was bubbling with sarcasm.
Is it her destiny to miss work, or what?
Even if you travel back in time and become a princess, you cannot escape the fate of becoming a text porter.
A short breath escaped from his throat, which could be considered a sigh.
Shu Yao's eyes moved as she looked at the new cage.
A copper lamp and a set of elm table and chairs.
On either side of the table stood a strong maid sent by Zhao Yan.
Shu Yao sneered in her heart.
The cubicle is bad, the boss is worse.
The more you live, the more you go backwards.
The strong woman on the left side of the table saw that Shu Yao was in a trance.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he raised his big hand and tapped his index finger on the open volume, making a dull thud.
Shu Yao had to put her thoughts aside and opened a yellowed file.
Reading numbly, like scanning a bunch of meaningless codes.
Inadvertently, a line of inconspicuous notes caught my eye:
…Heading north for thirty miles, you will reach Qingshi Ferry, where you will connect to the Luchang Trail, which leads to the neighboring county…
My heart skipped a beat without any warning.
His fingertips moved slightly faster, and he turned another page:
…The west of this county is nestled against the Funiu Mountains, with the Yangwei Valley slanting through it, a common path for woodcutters…
Another page:
...On the eastern foot of Qixia Mountain, there is an abandoned salt road, facing the sea...
Qingshi Ferry…Deer Intestine Trail…Funiu Mountain…Yangweigou…Qixia Ridge…Salt Road…
A string of ordinary place names suddenly activated Shu Yao's social animal instinct.
In her previous life, as a copywriter, she was best at sorting out key information from messy documents.
Now, she only needs to piece together these fragmentary place names to create a map to escape.
Once the map is formed, her chances of escaping will greatly increase!
Before Shu Yao could finish her thought, the strong woman on her left lost her patience and raised her voice three degrees: "Just sort it out when I told you to! Why are you dawdling!" As she spoke, she shook Shu Yao's hand holding the scroll, and the pages flew around, obviously not allowing her a moment to breathe. "You white-browed, red-eyed man, are you dreaming of sitting here?"
Just at this moment, the sound of boots came from the corridor outside the door, coming from far away.
The three people in the room were all startled.
The two strong women straightened their backs instantly, and the domineering look on their faces faded away, leaving only fear and obedience.
The two strong women hurriedly retreated to the wall, their heads lowered, not daring to breathe.
squeak.
The door was pushed open a crack, not fully, and no one came in.
Zhao Yan stood silently in the shadow outside the door, his face unclear.
Shu Yao's knuckles holding the pen suddenly tensed and turned pale.
Why is Zhao Yan here?
What is he here for?
The flame of the copper lamp jumped uneasily.
"General." Shu Yao raised her voice, breaking the silence. "How are Chuntao and Lu Bo?"
The voice sounded steady at first, but upon closer inspection, a hint of stubbornness trembled in the last syllable.
Zhao Yan's brows were furrowed as he fiercely scratched Shu Yao's neck. It was as if he could see the determination of that day when the stone edge broke her skin. He squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Still alive."
Shu Yao felt so nervous when he was staring at her that she didn't dare to put down her pen for even a moment.
After hesitating for a moment, he stared at the wet ink on the paper with his eyelashes drooping, and asked, "General, is there something important that has brought you here?"
After a long while, Shu Yao finally heard Zhao Yan say, "In three days, the emperor will come in person to review the documents."
Three days later.
Before daybreak, two strong women pulled Shu Yao out of the quilt without saying a word and washed and combed her hair.
The plain silk dress was starched to be exceptionally crisp, and the belt around the waist was tied exceptionally neatly.
Even the black hair that had not been dyed with hairpins for a long time was given a peach wood comb.
The crimson comb is shiny and slanted in the dark clouds, adding a bit of natural interest than gold hairpins and jade ornaments.
Died of laughter.
Shu Yao looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought to herself.
Whether in ancient times or modern times, you have to dress appropriately when meeting your boss.
The sound of the copper clock in the yard dripped slowly and steadily into my eardrums.
The torment in Shu Yao's heart was prolonged infinitely.
Can this copper leak be put into silent mode?
Didn’t they consider user experience when inventing this crap?
Shu Yao wanted to cry but had no tears.
Suddenly, there was a dull thud of knees hitting the ground from outside the door.
Then a loud voice came through the door:
"Long live--"
All around, guards, eunuchs, servants and maids all knelt on the ground.
Everyone rested their foreheads against the floor tiles, not daring to breathe.
Shu Yao stood solemnly with her head lowered, every inch of her skin tense.
The door was pushed open silently.
A crimson-purple figure suddenly invaded the edge of her vision, casting a cage-like shadow against the skylight, locking Shu Yao in the darkness.
She lowered her eyes.
The dark gold embroidery thread on the hem of the dragon robe lurks and moves in the light and shadow.
His sight climbed up with difficulty, passed over the narrow waist, and fell back to the jade pendant hanging around the waist.
The jade pendant lightly bumped against each other, making a clear and crisp sound.
"No need to be so polite." A young voice sounded. It was not the quiet tone behind the screen that day, but the light drops of snow under the eaves, which permeated a hint of imperceptible gentleness.
Xiao Chengjing's gaze seemed to have substance, and the moment it landed, it fixed on the scab on her neck.
Shu Yao suddenly felt a prick in the scab and felt a sudden pain for no reason.
His gaze slowly wandered around, finally settling on the comb in her hair, with an elusive inquiry hidden in his scrutiny.
This gaze was completely different from the dandy young men Shu Yao was used to seeing.
It is not about lingering on the surface, but rather about assessing the quality of an object.
What's so good about a broken comb?
Is there something on the comb?
Suspicion filled her heart. Shu Yao straightened up and tried to speak in a steady tone, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Is Jiang Qing managing the documents in the Eastern Territory?" The voice sounded again, closer.
Shu Yao's heart suddenly skipped a beat and she raised her eyes slightly.
But Xiao Chengjing put his hands on the corner of the table.
That hand, with its long knuckles and smooth, rounded nails, exuded the elegance of someone who had never had to do manual labor, yet also held the strength of someone accustomed to giving orders.
"Your Majesty, yes. It is being arranged according to the counties." Shu Yao lowered her eyes even lower, so low that she could only see the tips of her shoes under her skirt.
Xiao Chengjing did not use his power to force her to bow her head like he did with the nobles she had dealt with in the past.
He just stood there beside the case, not saying a word, leaving Shu Yao confused.
Silent coercion is more exhausting than questioning.
Shu Yao stared at the tip of her shoe. Her instinct to not let her boss down forced her to report, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report. I've been here three days and have already made a preliminary inventory of the documents here, sorting them by region, era, and category. Later..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard a very slight rustling sound spreading in front of him.
It turned out that Xiao Chengjing's sleeves moved slightly, and he was twisting something.
Shu Yao instantly tensed her back and lowered her head even lower, almost burying it in her collar.
She was afraid that the object in Xiao Chengjing's hand was her bronze seal, but she was also afraid that it was not.
Just as she was feeling the pain, Xiao Chengjing's voice suddenly interrupted her unfinished report: "Among these old cases." He changed the subject, his voice lowering a few degrees, as if recalling something old, and almost whispered, "Have you seen any records about Chongwenguan? I remember that they took in some foreign students..."
Chongwenguan?
Isn't that where the Jin prince and princess went to school when she was little...
Memories surfaced, and Shu Yao raised her eyes unconsciously.
His gaze unexpectedly met Xiao Chengjing's eyes.
Those eyes were as cold as a pond, and without revealing any hostility, they revealed a dignity that made people dare not look directly at them.
At this moment, there seemed to be a faint light flickering at the bottom of the pool, locking her in a deep gaze, as if waiting for her answer.
Shu Yao's heart suddenly sank, her eyelashes drooped in panic, and her eyes dropped sharply.
Falling into his open palm.
The small copper seal lay quietly on it, its cold light dazzling.
It turned out to be her DingTalk check-in!
Why is Emperor Liang still harping on this lame joke?!
Shu Yao frowned.
In a flash, an idea came to me.
Emperor Liang held the bronze seal tightly and asked about the Chongwen Hall...
He must still be suspicious of her relationship with the remnants of the Jin State!
Thinking of this, Shu Yao suddenly felt that Emperor Liang was extremely absurd.
Just because she went to school with the princes and princesses of Jin State in Chongwenguan when she was young, people suspected that she had a relationship with the remnants of Jin State.
Are all emperors so suspicious?
In any case, it would be stupid to respond at this moment.
Shu Yao suppressed the absurdity in her throat and casually spoke in a business-like manner, saying, "Your Majesty, most of the files here are civil affairs files, related to the livelihood of the people and the circulation of money and grain. I have devoted all my energy to sorting out the files on land, population, taxes, corvee labor, grain transport, and warehouses in various counties. As for the palace offices, such as the Chongwenguan," she shook her head slightly, her tone filled with the earnestness of a practical person, "I haven't thoroughly investigated them yet. The files are voluminous and will need to be carefully reviewed later. If Your Majesty requires, I will definitely give them priority."
Seeing Shu Yao completely absorbed in her task, the soft light in Xiao Chengjing's eyes disappeared without a trace.
A very light sigh silently dissipated in the stagnant air.
Shu Yao frowned unconsciously.
Emperor Liang...seems very disappointed?
What is he disappointed about?
Disappointed that she didn't prove her guilt as a remnant of the Jin State?
Or...disappointed with something else?
Xiao Chengjing's gaze swept across the servants around him who were bowing their heads and holding their breath, and then fell back on the comb in Shu Yao's hair.
Something seemed to roll in his throat, but he finally swallowed it.
"Forget it." The voice calmed down and returned to its former calmness, as if the question just now was really just a spontaneous one.
"It's just some old stories, just a casual question." After saying that, the corner of his robe moved slightly, and he turned around and walked towards the door.
When he reached the door, he paused.
Xiao Chengjing ran his fingertips across the door frame, his fingertips slowly stroking the wood grain, as if to carve the unspeakable stagnation into it.
The sunlight outside the door elongated his silhouette, casting it on the blue bricks inside the threshold.
After a moment, Xiao Chengjing clenched his fingers, stepped out of the door neatly, and completely immersed himself in the warm midday sun under the corridor.
The guards, eunuchs, attendants and maids bowed solemnly to see him off as if they had been pardoned.
The door slowly closed.
Shu Yao stared at the door, feeling a bit amused and helpless.
The dignified emperor came to this shabby place...
Just to ask if she is a remnant of the Jin State?
Isn't this an exaggeration?
etc!
Shu Yao shrugged, and a chill bit her.
Emperor Liang is making such a fuss...
Why would they give the documents that could help her escape to someone with a history of running away?
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