Chapter 400 You're overreacting.
His fingers were enveloped in soft, warm flesh, and Prince Rui's body stiffened, followed by a rapid pounding of his heart. He turned to look at the woman beside him, and what met his eyes was a bright face with a radiant smile.
His brilliant mind was somewhat muddled, and he didn't know what to say for a moment. But his hands responded honestly; he grabbed that warm, soft hand tightly in his palm and grinned foolishly.
Seeing his bewildered and clueless expression, Jiang Yu chuckled. But she didn't tease him any further, and instead said with a smile, "The food at Zhiweilou is quite good, would you like to try it?"
"Okay." Prince Rui's voice was filled with joy, and Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile when she heard it.
The two walked hand in hand out of the quiet alley, separating at the crossroads, both feeling a slight sense of loss. They exchanged a glance, their tender expressions fading, and headed straight for Zhiwei Restaurant.
Zhiweilou was owned by the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. Upon arrival, the manager led them directly to a reserved private room. After ordering their preferred dishes, the waiter left, leaving a moment of awkward silence. Prince Rui felt he should take the initiative this time and began to discuss his research.
He started by realizing that the topic he had chosen was inappropriate; how could he discuss such things at this moment? But Jiang Yu seemed unaware that discussing this topic was not suitable for the occasion, and continued to talk about her thoughts.
Prince Rui inwardly berated himself for his poor communication skills, but outwardly discussed firearms research with Jiang Yu. The topic didn't end even after the meal was finished. As he rode back to the palace in his sedan chair, he kept thinking about what he should have said.
Unlike Prince Rui's anxiety and uncertainty, Jiang Yu didn't think too much about it. Their main area of interaction was firearms research, so discussing this topic when they were together was perfectly normal. Besides, she didn't have much time to think about romantic relationships right now.
Back at her residence, while bathing, she was preoccupied with thoughts of who could assist her in reviewing the case files. Furthermore, to gain the Emperor's support, she needed to report the evidence she had found that day to him the following day.
"Lord Duke, the water's cold." Dong Shuang's voice rang out, and Jiang Yu snapped out of his reverie, taking Dong Shuang's arm as he stepped out of the bath. On the way back to their quarters, Dong Shuang reported in a low voice, "Today, Madam met with the eldest madam of the Chang family, the imperial merchants of Jiangnan, to discuss the second young lady's marriage."
As Jiang Yu searched her memory for information about the Chang family, she heard Dong Shuang say, "The Chang family has distant relatives with the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion, and they have maintained contact over the years. It is said that a few days ago, the old lady of the Chang family visited the wife of the Marquis of Anyuan and talked about the marriage of young men and women of marriageable age. She learned that the second young lady is not yet married, so she came today to sound out the situation."
Jiang Yu entered the dormitory, sat down, and had Dong Shuang and Xia He comb her hair. She said, "I've been busy these days and haven't had time to visit my mother. Dong Shuang, tell my mother tomorrow to have someone go to Jiangnan to inquire about the Chang family. If possible, let me meet them before the engagement."
This clearly indicated that she was personally overseeing the selection of the Second Miss, Jiang Shan. Dong Shuang readily agreed, secretly marveling at how fortunate the Second Miss was to have a sister like the Duke. The fact that the Duke was willing to personally receive the Chang family's young master was a clear indication of how highly she valued the Second Miss. With this open regard, the Second Miss would naturally be treated with more respect after marrying into the Chang family, and would certainly not be easily slighted.
After her hair dried, Jiang Yu went to bed to rest. The next morning, she got up early again, ate a simple meal, and took a sedan chair to court. There wasn't much to discuss in court, and the session ended quickly. Just before leaving, the emperor summoned her to the imperial study.
Jiang Yu walked towards the Imperial Study through a side door, bumping into Pu Tonghe, the Minister of Personnel. Their eyes met, they exchanged a few pleasantries, and then parted ways. Pu Tonghe's gaze lingered on Jiang Yu's retreating figure for a moment before he strode out of the Taiji Hall. As he passed the Prime Minister, he subtly hinted that they would meet shortly. The Prime Minister nodded slightly.
........
Jiang Yu entered the imperial study, bowed to the emperor, and then presented a prepared memorial with both hands. The memorial detailed some evidence gathered the previous day. After reading it, the emperor gave a heavy snort and tossed the memorial onto the table. "How much longer will it take to gather the other evidence?"
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and bowed, his voice steady and respectful: "The case files are numerous, mostly old, and need to be compared page by page to find loopholes. It is difficult for me to complete this task alone in a short time. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow reliable subordinates to assist in order to speed up the process."
After saying that, she handed over another memorial, saying, "I have selected some reliable people for Your Majesty's decision."
The emperor opened the memorial to review it, then selected several people he trusted to join the investigation. He added, "I have instructed the Minister of Revenue to prepare. During your investigation, he will fully cooperate. Any requests for access to accounts or materials can be made through him."
"Yes," Jiang Yu replied immediately.
The Minister of Revenue is a newly promoted official by the emperor; hopefully, this is true.
.........
In a secluded residence in the capital, Pu Tonghe said to the Prime Minister with a worried expression, "Yesterday, the Emperor summoned the Duke of Chu, the Marquis of Anyuan, the Prince of An, the Marquis of Chengen, and the Prince Rui. What will they discuss? Have I been exposed? When does the Prince plan to make his move?"
"Where has your composure gone?" The Prime Minister asked impatiently, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "Things have come to this point, there's no use in rushing. It's normal for the Emperor to summon his ministers for a meeting, it's not necessarily aimed at you. In this situation, it's a contest of who can keep their composure. Your loss of composure will only make you more vulnerable."
"That's true, but we still need to take some precautions. We can't just sit here and wait for something to happen!" Pu Tonghe lowered his voice even further, his brow furrowed with worry.
“Yesterday, Jiang Yu and Prince Rui spent the entire afternoon at the Ministry of Revenue. Who knows what they were investigating? Don’t forget, the First Prince was brought down by Jiang Yu back then. She dug up clues from those old files in the archives and followed the trail step by step until the matter was exposed! Now she’s keeping an eye on the Ministry of Revenue. How can this not be worrying?”
The Prime Minister frowned and remained silent for a while before saying, "You're overthinking things. Prince Rui doesn't participate in court affairs; he and Jiang Yu were most likely looking for files related to weaponry at the Ministry of Revenue."
"Not involved in politics?" Pu Tonghe scoffed. "Given the Emperor and Empress Dowager's favor towards him, he will only be safe if Prince An ascends the throne. How could he possibly not be involved in politics?"
The Prime Minister frowned and remained silent. How could he not have thought of what Pu Tonghe had said? The reason he hadn't spoken of it was simply that he didn't want to increase Pu Tonghe's anxiety or disrupt his current composure. Some things are better left unsaid; speaking them aloud can easily throw one off balance.
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