Chapter 155 I, Qingquan, have come from the capital with my master
The capital city more than ten days ago.
The night rain dripped against the vermilion lacquered window frames, making the imperial study seem even more solemn and quiet.
Apart from the wisp of smoke rising from the incense burner on the rosewood table behind the emperor, there seemed to be no other movement.
The newly crowned number one scholar was summoned into the palace by a secret order. He bowed his head and knelt. The emperor did not let him stand up, so he continued to hold his breath and concentrate.
Gu Yanjun, the Minister of Works who was given a seat beside him, naturally lowered his head and waited quietly. Since the emperor did not speak, he certainly could not say anything.
"Do you know why I didn't even want to wait and summoned you to the palace late at night?"
After a long time, there was a "pop" sound, and the emperor finished reviewing the last memorial and threw it on the imperial desk.
The dragon's roar was full of vicissitudes and fatigue.
The newly crowned number one scholar, kneeling below, kowtowed to the emperor and respectfully replied, "I dare not speculate on the emperor's will."
Unexpectedly, the emperor said coldly, "During the palace examination, I gave you, the 315 Jinshi, the following question: 'As a minister, how should you serve the country and ensure its people's well-being?' Do you remember how you answered it? Why don't you have the same spirited response as in your essay?"
The number one scholar was not frightened by the emperor's sudden coldness. He kowtowed again. Although he still lowered his head, his voice was steady and powerful, which was convincing.
"Although I cannot divine Your Majesty's intentions, I am willing to reflect on His Majesty's thoughts and speak for you. The epidemic in the north has subsided, the floods in the east have been resolved, and a plan has been developed to address the drought in the west. There are many talented people in the court. If they are properly deployed, the world will be stable. If Your Majesty wishes to use me to pry open the two cornerstones of the north, I will be willing to request permission to travel to the north and transfer one of them west, allowing the two talented people to each occupy their respective positions. Together, they can balance the power of the world."
The emperor snorted coldly, "Those two cornerstones are beyond the power of ordinary people to pry open. If you fail to pry them apart, they may fall down together, destroying your reputation and even shattering you to pieces. Are you so fearful?"
"Things in this world are difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. Before the Spring Imperial Examination, I was plagued by rumors and nearly lost my chance at officialdom. After this incident, I realized that 'one must not pursue worldly praise, nor fear worldly criticism, but only stay true to one's heart, and only then can one achieve longevity.'"
He kowtowed to the emperor again, saying, "I know the importance of the foundation and the danger of the journey north, but as a minister, how can I treat myself as a mere egoist? As the ancients said, 'If it is beneficial to the country, I will not avoid it because of misfortune or fortune.' If I can use my own life to stabilize the country, I will be willing to die."
The emperor, who had seemed furious just now, burst into laughter. He turned to Gu Yanjun and said, "Gu Qing, is it true as I said? He is exactly like you back then!"
Gu Yanjun stood up, bowed to the emperor, and said with a smile: "I was not as ambitious as Du Zhuangyuan back then!"
However, Gu Yanjun's words "young and ambitious" made the emperor think of something.
......
By the time the two elders of the Rong family realized something was wrong, the sun had already set and it was dusk.
The servants sent to the Su Mansion to investigate brought back news that made the old couple very nervous.
"Master Su has already left for Fujian today, and Madam Su is not at home at the moment. According to the concierge, Miss Sun has not returned."
When Rong took Su Ying and the others out, they didn't disturb the two elders because they were resting. Furthermore, since the matter was urgent, and they wanted to quickly bring Xiaocao back from the dilapidated house for treatment, they didn't give any further instructions, only leaving a message to the servants saying they would be back soon.
But after the two old people finished school at the academy, they asked someone to wait at the gate of the courtyard, but they did not come back for a long time, so they sent someone to the Su Mansion again.
"What should I do?"
Mrs. Rong could no longer sit still and looked at Mr. Rong, who had remained silent, with a worried look on her face.
Mr. Rong knew what his wife was worried about, and sighed, "Even reporting to the authorities requires evidence. They've only been gone for half a day, and the government will probably make excuses and refuse to investigate."
He had also served in the imperial court, and he knew better than anyone how local officials operated. It was rare for these so-called "parent officials" to be as conscientious and dedicated as his student Liu Xianling.
Liu Xianling!
Mr. Rong stood up suddenly, but he moved too quickly and his body swayed, and he almost fell.
"Just tell me what you want to do!"
Madam Rong was startled and quickly called for help.
She knew it very well. Although the old man did not show it on his face, he was already furious inside.
One is his youngest daughter, whom he holds dearly and married off to live far away in Beijing; the other is his granddaughter, whom he loves very much. If anything happens to either of them, his old bones will not be able to bear it.
Madam's words must be obeyed. He collected his thoughts and ordered someone to bring paper and pen. After concentrating for a moment, he wrote a letter and told the servants, "Hurry, send it to the Yongjia County Government Office and hand it to Liu Xianling personally. Don't miss it!"
It takes several hours to go from Yandang to Yongjia and back, but after just an hour, someone knocked on the gate.
The visitor appeared dusty but respectful. He bowed and said, "I am Qingquan. I have come from the capital with my master and am temporarily staying at the inn. As it is getting late, my master has asked me to deliver a message to Madam Du."
Qingquan was beaming with joy, thinking that he would see the Second Madam and everyone else at the Du residence soon. However, when the servant who answered the door heard what was happening, his already solemn expression became even more gloomy.
Qingquan felt that perhaps it was because he had been riding at full speed with the young master, traveling day and night, that his eyesight was a little blurry. Otherwise, how could the person in front of him show such an expression when he heard the words "Du Family in the Capital"?
The man left in a hurry and came back in a hurry. Qingquan then realized that what he had just felt was not caused by dazzle.
"Where are you adults now?"
Qingquan was brought before Mr. Rong. On the way from the capital, he had already learned some of Yueqing's situation from the young master. Knowing that the man before him was his cousin's grandfather, he became even more respectful, kowtowed, and said, "My humble servant Qingquan, I pay my respects to Mr. Rong."
"The young master is at the inn. I'm afraid to disturb the rest of the masters, so I just let you know that the young master has arrived first, and the eldest lady is coming by boat with the marriage proposal, so she will be a little later."
When Mr. Rong heard this, he felt mixed emotions. Without asking any more questions, he immediately said, "Please ask him to come quickly. I have something to discuss with you!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Qingquan knew something was wrong. After bowing in response, he turned around and galloped out, galloping straight to the inn, not daring to delay for a moment.
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