Chapter 94 The struggle for power is truly insatiable.
The woman in front of him was tall, and Yue Yining had to look up to meet her gaze.
Sun Qiong supported her waist, and after Yue Yining steadied herself, she let go of her hand and looked at her with a smile.
Although she felt a little strange, Yue Yining didn't show it; only the area on her lower back where she had been touched was still burning.
...She thought she saw Sun Qiong's leg move slightly just now, but was she seeing things?
Yue Yining suppressed her hesitation and was about to say something.
Suddenly, her arm was grabbed, and Yue Yining was pulled and tilted to the side. She subconsciously looked up at Ye Miheng, who had reached out to grab her.
He said urgently, "How could you be so careless! You're such a grown man, and you still don't know how to watch where you're going!"
"Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
Yue Yining opened her mouth, wanting to say that she was clearly looking at the road, but she didn't know why a stone would suddenly appear in the middle of the road.
Sun Qiong raised an eyebrow, reached out and blocked Ye Miheng, laughing as she pushed him away: "Hey, hey, men and women shouldn't touch each other. What are you doing, a grown man, holding her hand?"
Ye Miheng thought Sun Qiong was making fun of him again. He was angry but also guilty and dared not scold her. He was afraid that she would really talk nonsense in front of Yue Yining—given Sun Qiong's eccentric nature, she really was capable of doing such a thing.
Ye Miheng could only reluctantly let go, glared at Sun Qiong, then turned to look at Yue Yining and whispered, "...Anyway, it's good that you're not hurt."
Yue Yining blinked, smiled, and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"I also want to thank Lord Sun for helping me up just now, otherwise I probably would have fallen to the ground."
Looking at Yue Yining's gentle smile, Sun Qiong felt a little itchy again, her hands behind her back.
It seems like I can't hear her speaking very well anymore.
All I remember is how flexible my waist was.
The three entered the council hall, and Yue Yining personally poured them tea, getting straight to the point: "I invited Lord Sun here today to inquire about some matters concerning Supervisor Dong."
In Qinghuai, there is no city lord; the highest-ranking civil official is the prefect, and the highest-ranking military official is the military supervisor.
When Yue Yining first learned of this, she keenly sensed a subtle feeling.
This morning, she and Qiu Yuebai went to several granaries in Qinghuai City to count and verify the amount of grain. They waited a long time at two of the granaries, apparently because the guards at the gates were not under Che Zilong's jurisdiction, but were under the command of a military supervisor named Dong Qi.
The governor's men negotiated with this group for a long time. When the warehouse door was finally opened, the governor still had a smile on his face, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
A subtle feeling amplified in her heart.
Yue Yining's plan took shape at that time.
These days, the people from the Fourth Prince's side have been in the closest contact with Dong Qi. She guessed that it was mainly Sun Qiong who was dealing with them, and she figured she wouldn't get any useful information from Ye Miheng anyway.
Upon hearing Yue Yining's question, Sun Qiong raised an eyebrow: "What about Dong Qi's character?"
“I don’t have much interaction with him. The question you’re asking is…” Sun Qiong stroked his chin and laughed. “I don’t know if Dong Qi is a good person, but he’s definitely not a good official.”
Sun Qiong and Ye Miheng have been going out of the city every day for the past few days to check for suspicious persons in various parts of the city's outskirts. After going in and out for many days, Sun Qiong noticed the laxity and indolence of Qinghuai City's defenses.
Sun Qiong: "That's not all. This morning, during my exercise, I rode my horse around the city wall and discovered several breaches. After returning, I specifically sent someone to check the financial details of the Qinghuai garrison. The imperial court had only approved a sum of money for the repair of the city wall two months ago."
So many breaches in the city wall couldn't have been done in a day; it must have been at least two years without repair or maintenance. Could it be that the public funds allocated by the imperial court have vanished during these past two years?
Yue Yining seemed thoughtful, while Ye Miheng looked horrified, staring at Sun Qiong as if she were a ghost: "You actually do morning exercises every day!?"
"And you deliberately took a longer route back to the city from another gate today, was it also to observe their defenses?" Ye Miheng's eyes widened. "You even checked their finances! When did that happen? How come I didn't know? Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Sun Qiong looked at him with a half-smile: "Why should I talk to you? Are you that important?"
"you!"
Yue Yining thought Ye Miheng and Sun Qiong had a good relationship, but they had just started bickering and were about to fight in front of her. She quickly changed the subject: "I heard that when Lord Sun first came to Qinghuai, he met with Supervisor Dong. Prefect Che was also there. I wonder what the atmosphere was like when they were chatting?"
Sun Qiong ignored Ye Miheng, but she glanced at Yue Yining and smiled enigmatically: "Lord Yue, I don't think I need to tell you this information, do I?"
“Although I don’t know why the Lord of Yue is curious about the matter between Prefect Che and Supervisor Dong, it’s most likely related to disaster relief,” Sun Qiong said. “Or is it that I’m helping the Lord of Yue, and I’ll get some benefit in return?”
To her surprise, Yue Yining smiled, her eyes crinkling, as if she had expected her to say that.
Her originally clear voice softened, becoming even more gentle and pleasant: "What Lord Sun says is true. Of course I will repay you. Just name your terms. As long as it is something I can do, I will certainly not refuse."
Sun Qiong stared intently at her smile.
The tingling, itchy feeling in my chest returned.
Sun Qiong smiled and agreed, "Okay, it's a deal."
"However, before I state my terms, the Yue people must answer one question for me first."
Yue Yining: "Lord Sun, please speak frankly."
Sun Qiong stared at her with great interest, as if determined to say something shocking, and asked, "Is the Yue family engaged to any young master?"
Yue Yining's smile froze instantly.
"......engagement?"
Ye Miheng exploded: "Sun Qiong, what are you asking?!"
Sun Qiong observed Yue Yining's expression: "No? Then is there a man you like?"
Yue Yining paused, and the image of Xie Qingyu appeared in her mind, dressed in white, standing under the flowering tree, smiling gently.
She dismissed the absurd idea and replied, "No."
Sun Qiong's smile widened, and her eyes glanced to the side, where she finally saw Ye Miheng's expression change slightly.
“Then, my condition is that you have a simple meal with me alone after you return to the capital.” Sun Qiong looked at her with a smile, her interest no longer concealed. “You are to my liking, so I will set aside the other conditions.”
"As long as the Lord of Yue agrees to befriend me, Sun, and wants to know anything, I will tell you everything I know."
Yue Yining paused for a moment, somewhat surprised, but immediately agreed: "Of course. I also feel that Lord Sun and I hit it off immediately."
It was just a polite remark. But Yue Yining noticed that Sun Qiong seemed pleased, as if a large, fluffy tail had suddenly sprouted from her back and was wagging wildly.
After Yue Yining obtained all the information about Dong Qi, the sun was already setting, and the two sides bid each other farewell.
Sun Qiong left in a good mood. Ye Miheng, however, was not so happy. He chased after her angrily as soon as they left the hospital: "Sun Qiong! What were you doing just now? Why did you suddenly ask her that kind of question?!"
"What kind of question was that?" Sun Qiong tilted her head. "I just asked her if she was engaged and if she had a man she liked. It wasn't anything outrageous or strange, was it?"
"You!" Ye Miheng gritted his teeth. "Don't think I don't know you! You asked her all these questions just to see me make a fool of myself, didn't you?"
Sun Qiong said lazily, "That's your own guess, I didn't say that."
Ye Miheng: "Stop making excuses! Do you think I would wrong you? You've messed with me so many times, don't I know you well enough!" He had experienced this man's wicked nature countless times before!
"If you insist on thinking that way, there's nothing I can do." Sun Qiong smiled maliciously. "Now that we're on the topic, can you clear things up for me? How did you feel when you heard her say she didn't have anyone she liked?"
"What do you care about my feelings?!"
After Ye Miheng finished yelling, the slight disappointment he had deliberately ignored before surged up again. He exhaled and said resentfully, "You think I'm hurt? You're sorely mistaken."
"You don't need to test her; I already knew she didn't like me."
Sun Qiong walked ahead and didn't reply to him for a long time.
She recalled the first time she saw Yue Yining. Dressed in a blue robe and white gown, with a clean and gentle face, he stood alone under the corridor shrouded in purple smoke, like a Guanyin statue carved from snow-white jade.
Before meeting Yue Yining, she really only wanted to use this person to tease Ye Miheng; but after meeting Yue Yining, she had no mind to think about those things anymore.
It's true. I finally spoke the truth, but nobody believed me.
The setting sun casts a wan glow, night fog blankets the ground, and rain pours down on the banana leaves beneath the eaves.
After seeing Sun Qiong and Ye Miheng off, Yue Yining returned to the house and called Fu Yao over: "Yao Yao, go to the patrol camp in the east of the city and do something for me."
......
Unlike the disaster victims outside who are living and dying, Che Zilong has been living a relatively comfortable life these days.
Dong Qi was still an eyesore, but the female official from Yanjing named Yue Yining seemed to be a sensible person, always treating him politely. A few days ago, he deliberately used moldy rice from Taiping Warehouse to test her, but Yue Yining didn't react much after seeing it.
I suppose he's just here to go through the motions and won't cause him any trouble.
It seems that this disaster relief effort will proceed smoothly.
Che Zilong took a sip of tea, his brows relaxed, and he was just about to take a break and enjoy the cool air in the mansion when a minor official hurried up to the corridor and was explaining something to the servant at the gate.
Che Zilong spotted him from half a courtyard away. The minor official looked nervous, as if he had something to report.
After recognizing the person, he summoned his attendant: "Go and bring the person outside in."
After the attendant led the minor official into the inner hall, Che Zilong asked, "What brings you here to report?"
This junior official was new, but he was very attentive to Che Zilong, his direct superior. Che Zilong liked people who knew how to behave, and after observing him for a while, he planned to promote him after he had accomplished a few things. Unexpectedly, he took the initiative to come to him today.
The junior official's face was filled with excitement and joy. "It's good news! I happened to hear of some great news and dared not delay in reporting it to you, sir!"
Che Zilong sat up a little straighter: "Oh? Tell me about it?"
"Today, I went to the official residence in the north of the city on business and happened to run into the group of officials who came from Yanjing to provide disaster relief. You must remember the female official in the lead group, sir, she's the one who always wears an old blue robe!"
Che Zilong did indeed recognize her. The leading female official, dressed in blue, was most likely Yue Yining. "What happened to her?"
"Guess who I saw with her?" the junior official asked mysteriously. "It was the commander of Dong Qi's personal guard!"
Che Zilong narrowed his eyes, genuinely somewhat surprised. Disaster relief, in principle, was unrelated to the supervisory duties, and Yue Yining had no need to meet with Dong Qi. Moreover, the commander of the Imperial Guard was Dong Qi's direct subordinate, with a very close relationship, and essentially represented Dong Qi's own wishes.
Do you know exactly what they talked about?
The junior official said solicitously, "I didn't know at first. They were far away, and there were guards around when they were talking. There was nothing I could do!"
"But! After Dong Qi, the commander of the Imperial Guard, left, I immediately went to ask the maid who was serving in the courtyard. At first, she refused to say anything, but I had to coax her for a long time and spend a lot of money before she finally told me everything!"
Che Zilong was inexplicably agitated. He frowned and said, "Tell me quickly, what is it?"
"Dong Qi's men are here for the position of city lord!"
Upon hearing this, Che Zilong's eyes widened in shock, and he jumped up from his chair: "What?!"
The official said, "She said that the Yue people who came to provide disaster relief on behalf of the court actually have another imperial mission. The Yue people are to investigate several high-ranking officials in Qinghuai on behalf of the court, and after the disaster relief is completed, they are to draft a detailed list and submit it so that the higher-ups can select a new lord of Qinghuai City."
Che Zilong's heart was pounding: "Can you guarantee that? What if I find out you're lying—"
"Absolutely true!" the minor official hurriedly replied. "If I hadn't spent a fortune and promised the maid that she would never tell anyone, she would never have told me! Please rest assured, sir, if I utter even a single falsehood today, may I die a horrible death!"
"So, Dong Qi somehow got wind of this and beat me to it to the Yue people's favor?" Che Zilong muttered to himself as he sat back down. "His informants are really sharp!"
Che Zilong only found out now; if I hadn't happened to witness it today, he wouldn't know when he would have known!
Thinking of this, Che Zilong felt a nagging unease again.
Che Zilong had always disliked Dong Qi. The new lord of Qinghuai City was enthroned at Lingshan a few years ago. As the prefect, Dong Qi had worked diligently in his post for decades and finally waited for this day. In principle, Che Zilong could have acted as the city lord, and in time, he might have become the one who actually controlled the Qinghuai region.
Just as he was imagining the wonderful future, a military officer named Dong Qi suddenly appeared and quickly rose to the position of supervisor without his knowledge.
Dong Qi had extensive connections and high prestige among local officials. He was also young and promising, an undisputed powerful figure, and yet he managed to shatter Dong Qi's dreams.
Not only could Che Zilong not wield absolute power, but within the jurisdiction of Qinghuai Military Command, he also had to consult with Dong Qi to handle matters.
If Dong Qi were a little more lenient, and gave him enough face, put on a show, and knew how to flatter people, then it would be fine.
Unfortunately, this guy was extremely incompatible with him. Relying on his young age and position as a military supervisor, he acted arrogantly and whether or not he gave him face depended entirely on his mood!
What a scoundrel!
You have to understand that at Che Zilong's age, his wife could have given birth to a child like Dong Qi!
How dare a mere youth be so disrespectful to his elder, and how dare he sit on equal footing with Che Longping!
Che Zilong disliked Dong Qi for another reason: his son was far inferior to Dong Qi.
His son was a few years younger than Dong Qi and also an official in Qinghuai City. His father, Che Zilong, had promoted his son countless times, both openly and secretly, but his son's talent was like a lump of mud; even if you tried to plaster him on a wall, he would fall off on his own!
Che Zilong would always comfort himself. He could still be an official for another twenty years, and support his son a little longer. Men, once they reach a certain age, become sensible, like a monkey suddenly gaining sentience. Give his son a little more time; the future wasn't entirely hopeless.
But if Qinghuai were to nominate a new city lord, and it were Dong Qi, whom he was at odds with... then everything would be over.
Che Zilong couldn't just sit idly by and watch Dong Qi oust him and take the position of city lord. That's impossible!
He has to take action!
Che Zilong took a deep breath and then exhaled: "Okay, I understand. This matter is indeed urgent and important. Thanks to you, you'll definitely benefit from it in the future."
The junior official was overjoyed and repeatedly said modestly, "Lord Che has done a great service in cultivating me; it is nothing to mention, it is all within my duty."
Che Zilong was, after all, a seasoned veteran of the officialdom. His initial anxiety and anger gradually subsided, and after the initial surge of energy subsided, he calmed down a bit, but then hesitated: "...Wait a minute."
"These next few days, you should keep an eye on things at the official residence for me. As for the selection of the city lord, I'll have some other people investigate further."
Although this official doesn't seem to be lying, this action is of great importance and should not be taken rashly.
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