Chapter 98: She is willing to leave and return to Beijing? ...
Yunsheng's letter arrived again.
It was still long-winded, but there was also important information. First, another daughter was born in the harem, and Consort Yu also diagnosed her pregnancy. The queen was ill recently, and the eldest princess was very sad every day and couldn't even attend class properly.
Another thing is that Empress Zhaoyi of Yonghe Palace and Concubine Yu were both dead.
When Zhao Changning saw this, his heart skipped a beat. He thought carefully about Shang Meir's past and found that he could no longer remember her face.
During the years since the emperor ascended the throne, Shang Meir was punished and confined to her house many times. Although she was not well-liked in the palace and had done some bad things, her crimes were not punishable by death.
After she left the palace and departed from Yujing, she looked at the beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, and realized that her past days had been so lonely and gloomy. The courtyard walls and high gates separated her from everything. Shang Meir had been out of favor for a long time, and she probably couldn't bear it. She felt sorry for her two children.
As for Concubine Yu, she didn't have much impression of her.
At this time, Granny Xu came over with a plate of cakes and said, "Miss, that boy is here to apologize again."
Zhao Changning came back to his senses, put the letter away, and said calmly, "Don't worry about him, just let him be."
Granny Xu sighed, "He's been helping with chopping wood and fetching water these days. He's been very honest and seems to know he's done something wrong."
Zhao Changning said indifferently: "That's his business, it has nothing to do with me."
By mid-September, the ship from Fujian finally arrived in Guangzhou.
Zhao Changning went to keep an eye on it personally.
"The Emperor attaches great importance to this matter. Didn't he also issue an order to the Maritime Customs?"
Fang Wenhai nodded immediately. "Yes, the Emperor said that we must proceed with caution this time. If there are any problems, we can report them directly to him. It shows that he takes it seriously."
After all these years, the Maritime Customs finally got better.
Zhao Changning chuckled. In the past, porcelain making was not taken so seriously.
She vaguely felt that the invisible hands appeared again, as if her actions and intentions were all in line with these things. Even if she was demoted here, it seemed to be a pre-set purpose. She felt that the hands behind her were becoming more and more powerful.
How much silver could this tea bring to the imperial treasury? Money was the key to success, even for the emperor.
But this time, she was curious about how the six ministries and the emperor would argue.
Chen Qi waited until Fang Wenhai left before coming over. "The Maritime Customs Office is a bit shady, but that's understandable. They're better than those math graduates from the six ministries. They're very good at cooking accounts, and the arguments they make are endless."
Zhao Changning laughed. "Just turn a blind eye to these things. When the water is too clear, there will be no fish. When the female officials step into the spotlight in the future, such things will be inevitable."
Chen Qi sighed lightly, "It's very discouraging to hear what my aunt said."
"How could that be?" Zhao Changning said gently, "I just saw through these tricks."
Chen Qi was a little stunned.
Zhao Changning took a deep breath and looked at the vast sea, the flying seabirds and the surging waves, and his heart became more clear.
"Chen Qi, you're well-read, so you should know better than I do. Open the history books and read between the lines. There are countless people like us, men and women, who share the same path, the same fate, and continue to forge ahead. No one is willing to admit defeat. These tricks will be played out over and over again, but we must continue on this path."
"Aunt?" Chen Qi was influenced by her and spoke in a low voice, "We are willing to go with you."
Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Okay, we will never admit defeat."
Winter in Guangzhou came later than Zhao Changning had expected. Even in October, the locust trees on the streets of Guangzhou were still shaded by green trees, with only some dead leaves fallen. The grass on the roadside was still green, and even the second crop of rice had just ripened.
In this season, you can still watch the rolling waves of rice, and always feel a little lost about the time and the future.
Zhao Changning's mood was obviously very different. She paused while writing a letter to Mingxuan and began to write more words that were not related to official business.
Mingxuan's reply was also very interesting. He talked about what he saw and heard in Fujian, and mentioned the strange things there such as the abandoned baby tower and sworn brothers.
He had a tragic past, but he was still compassionate and often felt sad about these things, but he could not change them. That was why he and Zhao Changning lamented the ignorance of the people and planned to vigorously promote elementary education in the local area, but unfortunately the results were minimal.
Mingxuan felt sad about the people's unwillingness to study, and he also asked Zhao Changning how to make the palace's inner school flourish so that everyone would rush to study?
"I plan to provide another meal for the children. Perhaps this will change the current situation. Changning, do you have any good suggestions?"
Zhao Changning replied with a smile, saying that as long as there was some profit, the situation would naturally be reversed, but the problem was, where would he get so much money for the subsidies?
She no longer asked whether it was worth it or not. Everyone has their own path, and they just need to walk it firmly. After all, it doesn't mean that the path she takes is necessarily the right one.
That day, there was something going on at the Maritime Customs, so she had to go there in person. When she went out early in the morning, she saw Gao Cong looking at her pitifully.
"I kept my promise, and you got the money. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
Gao Cong's eyes showed regret, and he was a little nervous and uneasy. He looked around from time to time, "Zhao Changning, I always feel like someone is watching me these past two days. Don't chase me away."
Zhao Changning glanced at him and said, "Gao Cong, not everyone has to revolve around you." Then she left.
When I came back at night, I heard Granny Xu muttering, "Strange, where did that kid go? I haven't seen him all day."
She didn't care too much.
But in the middle of the night, he suddenly heard screams mixed with some dog barking. Zhao Changning opened his eyes suddenly and saw Gao Cong.
"Zhao Changning, help, Zhao Changning, Zhao Changning..."
The arrow in Lai Xi's chest was still dripping with blood. He pushed his master desperately, "Go, go, don't leave her again..."
Gao Cong refused to retreat even at death. When he saw someone coming out of the yard, it turned out to be the two guards hired by Zhao Changning. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Laixi, don't die. We will be fine. Zhao Changning can save you. Woo woo woo..."
The noise around scared the man in black away. Zhao Changning looked down at them and saw Granny Xu and the security guard pulling the two people in together, but he did not say anything to stop them.
Granny Xu looked at the arrow in Lai Xi's chest and sighed repeatedly, "What happened? Ah? How did it happen? Who wants to kill you?"
Gao Cong just wiped his tears and didn't say a word, but his eyes were obviously different.
Lai Xi could not be saved after all. A stack of blood-stained banknotes was taken out from his arms. Before he died, he still advised his master not to spend money indiscriminately.
Zhao Changning did not stop Gao Cong from staying, but he did not speak to him again and treated him as transparent.
Everyone seemed to have acquiesced to this atmosphere. In the eyes of outsiders, it was just an anecdote that the beautiful lover of the female secretary had a temper and finally couldn't leave her and returned to her.
Occasionally, someone would make fun of this matter to his face, but Zhao Changning always ignored it and just laughed it off. Unexpectedly, Gao Cong, who often argued about this, also stopped talking.
Gao Cong stopped shouting and yelling. He returned the blood-stained banknotes to Zhao Changning, took off his favorite and most expensive red dress, and changed into a coarse linen dress. Every day, apart from studying and practicing calligraphy, he helped Grandma Xu cook and chop firewood.
Sometimes when Zhao Changning looked at him, for some reason, he would always unconsciously think of the young man who was bright, cheerful and dazzling in the morning sun.
However, people always have to grow up.
When the New Year came, Zhao Changning had nothing to do, so he took Grandma Xu to Mingxuan's house to celebrate the New Year. Yunqiu had already written several letters urging Grandma Xu to visit her, and the old and the young couldn't wait to meet each other.
Gao Cong pursed his lips and said cautiously: "Can I go with you? I miss Yunqiu too."
Zhao Changning agreed and spoke to him for the first time, even if it was just one word, "Okay."
Gao Cong rarely smiled, and hurriedly packed up his things and boarded the boat with Zhao Changning. Along the way, he saw that Zhao Changning was also very happy, and he couldn't help feeling sad.
He was somewhat confused and uncomfortable with this inexplicable emotion, but more of it was inexplicable anxiety and uneasiness about his future.
Gao Cong didn't know how to hide his emotions. He hadn't learned yet. "Will you and Lord Ming get married?"
With a loud crash, the bamboo tube in Zhao Changning's hand fell into the cabin. He was already feeling a little uncomfortable and vomited immediately.
Granny Xu heard the noise outside and asked quickly, "What's wrong? Miss, is it serious?"
Zhao Changning took the handkerchief Gao Cong handed him, wiped his mouth, and said nothing. He then turned to Gao Cong and asked, "How did you come up with this?"
Gao Cong silently picked up the rag and began to wipe the dirt unskillfully. He frowned, obviously feeling a little disgusted, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered.
"Isn't it?" His tone inevitably carried some grievance and questioning.
"He's the hand-picked third place winner, a high-ranking official in the imperial court. He's young, promising, and handsome. You and he are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman, the envy of the world, isn't it?"
Zhao Changning sneered, laughing at both his stupidity and his ridiculousness.
"Gao Cong, all the difficulties I encountered were to make myself a stronger person, not to match anyone."
Gao Cong looked at her with some surprise, but the more frank she was, the more uncomfortable and frightened he felt.
Only at this moment did he realize that the gap between him and Zhao Changning was like an insurmountable chasm.
Zhao Changning shook his head and looked at him with a look that saw through him. "You feel wronged? Do you think that enduring humiliation is like sleeping on straw and tasting gall? You think you've matured, that you can rise, right? Gao Cong, you've had it too easy. You've only tasted a small part of the dangers of the world."
"Lai Xi is dead." Gao Cong growled, feeling embarrassed and angry. "He's dead."
"So what?" Zhao Changning looked at him calmly. "I have many friends who have died too. Their bodies were torn into pieces, without even a grave. But at least someone has erected a tombstone for Lai Xi."
Gao Cong felt so wronged that he wanted to cry, but fortunately, unlike before, there was no nagging scolding, only silent tears, like pear blossoms in the rain, looking pitiful and beautiful.
Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes, threw the dirty handkerchief back, and said coldly, "Go wash it."
Gao Cong looked at Zhao Changning with anger in his eyes, but more of self-blame. Seeing that she ignored him, he silently grabbed the handkerchief, wiped away his tears, and left the cabin.
Inside the Qinzheng Hall, candlelight was bright, smoke was wisping from the Boshan stove, the charcoal fire in the stove was burning brightly, and the hall was as warm as spring.
The emperor worked tirelessly. Seeing Qin Fu come in, he simply raised his eyelids and said calmly, "Is she willing to leave and return to the capital?"
Qin Fu clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, the female secretary did board the ship, but it seems she is going to Fujian."
The emperor's grip on the pen tightened, his brows furrowed like peaks, "Fujian, are we going to Mingxuan?"
Qin Fu hesitated for a moment. "She hasn't arrived yet, so it's unknown for now. But judging by the situation, it should be. The maid who serves her and Mingxuan's sister are as close as grandparents and grandchildren. After all, it's the New Year, so it's normal for them to get together."
The emperor put down his pen, sat up straight, slowly leaned back in his chair, and suddenly smiled.
A cold glint flashed across his deep, abyssal eyes, and he said with some reluctance, "She seems to be living a leisurely and comfortable life."
He was left alone in this desolate and busy palace. Looking at the messy imperial desk in front of him, he suddenly said impatiently, "Where is the person? Come in and clean it up."
Yunhui rushed in and packed up the books tremblingly, her whole body tense, afraid that she would put one in the wrong place.
The emperor looked at her and suddenly asked, "Do you miss your aunt?"
Yunhui nodded habitually, but then hurriedly shook her head. Now no one dared to mention her aunt.
The emperor knew from looking at her like this that she had no ambition. Zhao Changning would make arrangements, but she was also afraid that she would not be able to continue to stay by his side after she came back?
As he thought about this, he waved his hand calmly and said, "Go out, and ask Anyi to come in and serve."
If I remember correctly, this person was originally Hu Gouer's godson and was quite capable.
The emperor leisurely unfolded another memorial.
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