Chapter 32: The first release is just some people’s minds, too easy to guess…
Mingxuan turned around after hearing that and saw the woman in front of him. She was wearing an elegant sky-blue horse-faced skirt. She was tall and slender, with a beautiful appearance. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed and her eyes were alert, but her almond-shaped eyes and snow-white cheeks made her look gentle and calm.
"Miss Changning?"
Zhao Changning also took the opportunity to look at him. He was indeed the third place winner chosen by the old emperor. He had a handsome face and a straight posture. No wonder so many women cried and shouted to marry him. His eyebrows and eyes were deep. The sunlight outside the lattice window fell on his face, and his brow bones cast a large shadow all the way to his eyes. His pair of peach blossom eyes were bright and lively. Looking closely, it seemed as if there were clusters of flames burning deep in his eyes.
She had only heard of him before but never seen him in person. When she saw him today, she was really surprised. She thought Mingxuan was a stubborn and scheming man.
"It's me. I wonder why you want to see me?"
Mingxuan extended his slender fingertips with an elegant gesture. "Please take a seat, Miss Changning. I asked you to come here today to express my gratitude."
Zhao Changning understood, but did not say anything. He sat down and watched him make tea with his hands flying like butterflies. The thin calluses on his palms showed that he was proficient in both literature and martial arts.
Mingxuan also quietly served her a cup of tea, "Please have some, young lady."
Zhao Changning took it with a smile, "My Lord, you are meeting me privately. Does the Emperor know?"
Mingxuan shook his head. "I'm a criminal and in mourning. I'm just a commoner. How could the emperor pay attention to me?"
"Are you familiar with the Emperor?" Zhao Changning took a sip of tea. "If I remember correctly, when the Emperor was with the late Crown Prince, he once ran around for you."
Mingxuan understood what she meant and knew she was testing him. "I don't belong to any party, please rest assured, young lady."
Zhao Changning was stunned. What does this mean? It makes me even more worried, okay?
She stood up and was about to leave. She had to be self-aware. The new emperor had not yet held his coronation ceremony and the regime was unstable. Given her current status, it was a taboo for her to meet with officials, especially those who did not belong to any party.
Mingxuan leisurely poured a cup of tea, "Miss, aren't you curious? Aren't you curious why Hu Gou'er was defeated by a mere Zhejiang Governor?"
Zhao Changning paused, gritted his teeth and sat down again.
She is very curious.
"Did your biological mother really remarry? Did you write that letter of defense on your own accord, or were you forced to do so?"
To participate in such a debate at that time would undoubtedly be to risk one's own future.
Mingxuan's handsome face showed a trace of seriousness. "It's true. My biological mother was a singing girl. The Ming family couldn't accommodate her. Shortly after giving birth to me, she was sent away to remarry. I wrote the defense myself. I was indeed unaware of her death, but there is one thing I concealed. I am not completely unrelated to her. The person I sent to take care of her suddenly disappeared, and I knew something was wrong."
Zhao Changning looked up, his expression was calm, large patches of golden light were cast through the window, and the shadow of his gently trembling eyelashes fell on the tip of his tall nose, like an ink painting by a master.
She couldn't help but blink and took a sip of tea. "Is the person you're talking about the witness Hu Gou'er mentioned?"
She was a little shocked. It could be said that the man was killed by her.
Mingxuan lowered his head as he brewed tea, his tone softening. "Before and after I was promoted to Governor of Zhejiang, I encountered numerous attempts at probing, bribery, and frame-ups. All his schemes failed, but Hu Gouzi finally found a weakness of mine. It was a weakness I had been waiting for him to find."
Zhao Changning paused holding the tea bowl. She looked at Mingxuan calmly, "Master Ming, what do you mean?"
Perhaps the conversation had been opened, Mingxuan no longer concealed anything and smiled, "Miss, why are you asking the Fourteenth Prince about me?"
Zhao Changning didn't say anything. She smelled a conspiracy.
Sure enough, no one is a fool.
While she was using others as a knife, others had already been using her. What a bunch of dogs.
"My Lord, you haven't told me how you defeated Hu Gou'er yet."
Mingxuan poured her another cup of tea and asked, "Miss, do you still remember the memorial from Zhejiang that was sent to the palace 800 miles away?"
Zhao Changning nodded. Of course she remembered that Zhejiang was facing internal and external troubles, which shook the court and even angered the emperor.
Mingxuan's already bright and lively eyes suddenly shone with brilliance, and his whole body exuded an indescribable aura that made people unable to take their eyes off him.
"There are no traitors, just a group of bandits who were captured long ago. I set a trap for Hu Gou'er. We prepared for a long time, spending money to secretly support those people..."
With a "clang" sound, the cup in Zhao Changning's hand fell onto the silver plate. The crisp sound made her angry. She lost her composure and showed her emotions on her face. This was not right.
Zhao Changning's eyes were sharp as he said coldly, "Master Ming, it is a taboo to talk about deep things when you are just a stranger. Are you here to thank me or to harm me?"
Mingxuan shook his head, looked at Zhao Changning seriously with his peach blossom eyes, and said softly: "The girl is a rare good person in that place."
Zhao Changning stood up and was about to leave. She was not a good person. Her methods were vicious and vindictive. She hated others saying that she was a good person.
She couldn't help but feel angry. Why did they tell her about their conspiracy? She didn't want to know about such a capital crime.
But when they reached the door, Zhao Changning couldn't move her feet. Her eyes were cold and icy. "You are deceiving the emperor. Aren't you afraid of what will happen?"
After saying this, she was stunned again. Did the former crown prince know about this? Then did the fourteenth prince, the current emperor, also know about this?
Now that she knew, it didn't seem like a big deal.
When Mingxuan saw her pause, he knew that she had figured it out, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"It's not impossible for traitors to exist, but the Japanese pirates are real. If the power of the Imperial Household Department continues to be so strong, and those eunuchs continue to act tyrannically, the people of Dayong will never have a good life. What difference does it make whether the traitors appear sooner or later?"
One can imagine the shock in Zhao Changning's heart, and he was even a little angry. Did he know what impact this lie had on Dayong?
So many people died, the palace was in great shock, and the national treasury was depleted of countless money. It was no less than a catastrophe.
But when he thought about how the old emperor, despite being the Son of Heaven, was just one part of the story, and how he had been high and mighty all his life, controlling all life and death, but in the end he was played around in the palms of so many people, he suddenly felt a lot more balanced in his heart, and also a little funny. It turned out that everyone was the same, all calculating.
But she didn't expect that there was someone as bold as her.
Zhao Changning was still a little curious, "Are you really not afraid of being found out?"
"What if they found out? Hu Gou'er was already dead by then." Mingxuan's smile faded, and his voice became stronger and stronger. "I was determined to die when I caused this, but I'm still alive now. So, Mingxuan wants to thank the young lady for asking that question and saving my life."
He stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Changning.
Zhao Changning's heart was in turmoil. She understood that she was not the knife, she was the only variable here.
It turned out that Mingxuan fought Hu Gou'er with the determination to die. It could be said that he was sacrificing his life for the former prince's party. No wonder those people in the cabinet gave up so quickly and let Hu Gou'er make fun of him.
But after I spoke, those people thought it was the late emperor's attitude, so they wanted to help Mingxuan again and use their connections to deal with Hu Gou'er. The news I sent to Gao Mansion was like timely rain...
No wonder.
She suddenly realized and sneered. It was just a coincidence that when they were using each other, she accidentally saved some people.
As for Mingxuan, despite the complicated interplay of forces and the repeated fights, he was able to escape unscathed. He was truly lucky.
Zhao Changning was really curious, what was Mingxuan doing?
"Master Ming is working so hard and putting so much thought into it, why is it so important?"
Mingxuan pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "When I was a child, I was also curious about this question. Later, after meeting my biological mother and seeing all kinds of things in the world, I knew what I wanted to do by studying."
Zhao Changning was silent for a long time. She had not seen a good person so far in this turmoil, including herself. After the turmoil, the country was devastated and the people suffered a lot of losses.
Only Mingxuan still has a bit of conscience in his words, but it is not clear whether it is true or not.
Zhao Changning held onto the door frame and asked, "What about the Suichang gold mine in Zhejiang?"
Mingxuan was stunned, as if he didn't expect her to ask this question.
Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes. "As the Governor of Zhejiang, it's impossible that Lord Ming doesn't know about this, right?"
Mingxuan's eyes became deep, as if they could speak, dark and shiny, making people unable to help but look at them.
"Miss Changning, do you really want to know about this?"
Zhao Changning was a little hesitant, but she soon made up her mind. Knowing more things now was no big deal for her.
She let go of the doorframe, turned around and sat down again.
Her mind raced, her thoughts racing. She wasn't stupid, so she figured it out quickly. "Could it be that the palace is involved?"
"Young lady, you've thought it through." Mingxuan looked at Zhao Changning's eyes, which gradually brightened with admiration. He smiled slowly, "Young lady, do you know where the Fourteenth Prince, no, should we call him the Emperor now, came from when he returned to Yujing?"
Zhao Changning's heart was beating like a drum, and he suddenly remembered a conversation he had overheard between the previous emperor and the new emperor, and the content of the conversation basically confirmed his mistake.
She murmured, "Suichang, Zhejiang?"
Mingxuan neither denied nor admitted it, but just smiled and said, "Young lady is really smart. Not many people know about this."
Zhao Changning frowned: "Such a big thing, how could no one know about it..."
Before she finished speaking, she reacted and stared at Mingxuan in a daze. She was no longer in the mood to appreciate his beauty, but was alert and nervous. She couldn't help but feel nervous, as she was afraid that she was dumber than these people.
He is worthy of being the third place winner chosen by the old emperor. He is truly talented and wise.
"So, you chose the perfect moment to attack, and even Hu Gou'er's involvement in your concealment of the funeral was part of your plan? You also dare to be sure that those people will definitely help you fight Hu Gou'er, because the Imperial Household Department is blocking the way to the cabinet, and Hu Gou'er is anyone's guess, so those people..."
The more Zhao Changning spoke, the clearer his mind became, and something in his mind suddenly dawned on him.
People are always like this. If they want to open a window, they have to take the posture of smashing the roof. The Fourteenth Prince and the cabinet did not want the matter of Suichang Gold Mine to be exposed. Mingxuan took advantage of this God-given opportunity, combined with early layout and patient waiting, so as soon as he made a move, he grabbed the weak point.
Coincidentally, he also had several knives in his hands, and they were very useful.
Everything was just right, and everyone had become his knives without realizing it. If I hadn't appeared, his grave would probably be overgrown with grass.
She couldn't help but laugh, admiring the gaze of her kind, "Master Ming, you are really calculating."
All I can say is that this strategy was flawless. He sacrificed himself and led everyone to fight around him willingly, either for themselves, for profit, or for other reasons.
It was the first time that Zhao Changning witnessed the struggle outside the officialdom so directly. He was excited and curious.
"If, I mean if, I didn't reveal anything to the Fourteenth Prince, what would you do? Aren't you afraid of losing your life?"
Mingxuan picked up the tea, took a sip, and said slowly: "In this world, the thing we should not fear the most is loss. Miss Changning, I said from the beginning that I was determined to die, and I was not sure, it's just that some people's hearts are too easy to guess."
Zhao Changning was speechless and convinced.
She stood up again and asked cautiously, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell the emperor about this?"
Mingxuan shook his head, his eyes full of trust, and smiled confidently, "You won't."
"Goodbye." Zhao Changning curled his lips and turned away.
She really wouldn't say it, and she was even more curious about what the Fourteenth Prince, the current Emperor, had done in the Suichang Gold Mine. Was it related to his gaining the old Emperor's favor?
When I got back, Grandma Xu was weeding in the yard with a hoe.
"Is the girl back?"
Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Mother-in-law, I'm going out today. Please take good care of the house."
When she entered the house, she left a few pieces of silver on the table. It was not because she did not trust people, but because the furniture in the house was too valuable.
When the sedan arrived at the Jingshan Palace, I looked up at the sky and saw that it was already noon.
Zhao Changning had just gotten off the sedan chair and stood firmly when he saw Yunsheng's distraught figure heading back to the palace.
"Yunsheng?"
When Yunsheng heard the shout, his back paused and he turned around suddenly. Before he could say anything, tears started falling.
"Aunt, are you back?"
Zhao Changning couldn't help but frown when he saw how pitiful he looked, with swollen eyelids and red corners of his eyes, crying as soon as he saw him.
"Why are you crying?"
Yunsheng raised his hand to wipe away his tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears came. He tried his best to suppress his sobs and said intermittently: "Aunt, Yunpei, Yunpei is gone, she is gone..."
"What?" Zhao Changning was also a little surprised. "Didn't we ask a doctor to see her? What happened? Did someone deliberately harm her, or was someone bullying her? Didn't Xiaobian deliver the medicine on time?"
Yunsheng cried and shook his head, "No one hurt her, she was just unlucky and couldn't hold on. Aunt, Yunpei is dead. I have no relatives left in this world..."
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