Chapter 53 "Have you been getting too close to Chu Yu'an...?"
In short, everyone present couldn't help but gasp. The Empress Dowager's expression immediately turned cold as she glanced at the beggar who had already run off to another place.
"Who taught you?"
Yu An's heart skipped a beat, but she just stared at the old woman without saying a word.
The old woman blushed with shame: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this old servant was unaware..."
The Empress Dowager sneered: "Yu'an was right after all. He really did allow me to experience the people's conditions firsthand."
Yu An remained silent, simply watching her quietly. She tried to speak, but felt that it would be inappropriate to say anything at this moment.
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, stood up, and left in a huff.
With her mood ruined, Yu'an dared not speak rashly.
Mingjia and Ji Shu were in the carriage behind, and were left far behind. When they arrived at the palace gate, their carriage was nowhere to be seen.
Yu An hesitated: "Empress Dowager, I should go back now. Why don't I get off the carriage now and not accompany you into the palace?"
After the journey, the Empress Dowager's complexion improved slightly, not as bad as before, but after all, the emperor's heart is unpredictable, and no one can guess it.
"It's been more than half a month since we last met, and it's getting late. You can stay with me in the palace for the night and go back tomorrow morning."
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she ordered the carriage to continue on its way.
Yu An had no choice but to agree.
She chatted with him for a while, and then Mingjia came to find her for the rest of the time.
"Miss Ji said that the teacher's handwriting is also very beautiful. Would the teacher like to give me some pointers?" Mingjia held up a pen and paper, pouting and looking coquettish.
Yu An nodded, "Of course."
The child kept saying he was giving pointers, telling Yu'an to look, but his handwriting was already very good, so he didn't need any more guidance.
"People say that paper is expensive in Luoyang, but why is it that paper is never expensive in our capital?"
Yu An smiled and said, "Yes, but the princess doesn't know it."
"Who is it? So capable..."
Yu An opened her mouth to speak, but then seemed to suddenly remember something and stopped herself in time.
"Teacher, please tell me."
"There's nothing to say, I just remembered it wrong."
Mingjia didn't believe it. "You must have misremembered. Teacher, you clearly opened your mouth just now, which means you know. You just don't want to tell me... Tell me now."
She tugged at Yu'an's sleeve, eager to know.
Yu An replied helplessly, "The high price of paper in the capital is only due to one family, namely the Xia family."
"That Minister Xia?"
Yu An nodded: "Grand Secretary Xia has excellent cursive calligraphy skills, which are admired by people all over the world. Naturally, they will rush to buy his calligraphy. Some even say that as long as you buy Xia's calligraphy, you will definitely pass the imperial examination next year."
"Is there really such a good thing? You have to rely on your own abilities in high school, right?" Xiao Mingjia asked doubtfully.
Yu An raised her hand and touched her hair. "It seems that's indeed the case. If such a thing hadn't happened, how could such rumors have spread?"
"However, the princess is very clever. She knows that the success of this matter depends not on others, but on herself."
After resting in the palace for one night, he was invited by the Empress Dowager to have breakfast before returning to his residence.
As the carriage traveled down the street, Yu'an heard children singing the songs from yesterday.
The pedestrians on the roadside seemed to turn a deaf ear, as if they had seen it all before.
Baozhu sighed, "These children's parents don't do anything about it. Be careful, the day the authorities come to arrest them, and it will be all over."
Yu An: "They are all illiterate people, how would they know what their children are singing? There are so many people, the government can't spare the time to manage them."
The current calm and tranquility give one a sense of impending doom, an inexplicable feeling that keeps Yu'an's heart at ease.
"Baozhu, pick out some more materials; I want to make some more things."
Unable to calm her mind, Yu'an could only sit in front of the embroidery shed all day, trying her best not to be idle. As soon as her hands were idle, she couldn't help but start to have wild thoughts, making it difficult for her to eat or sleep.
Ji Jinghe usually comes home in the evening, but these past two days he's been coming home later and later, and eventually he's been staying in his study.
According to Qingque, he didn't return until midnight, and left again before dawn the next morning.
It wasn't until Ji Shu went out to play and brought back news that Yu An knew where the panic in the capital came from.
A few days ago, the Pei family submitted a memorial impeaching the Xia family for "corruption, abuse of power, and forming cliques for personal gain." They presented all the evidence of abuse of power and forming cliques for personal gain, especially the previous letters to the King of Chu.
Other matters may still be open to discussion, but bringing up the King of Chu's collusion is undoubtedly stepping on the Emperor's suspicions.
As Ji Shu peeled lotus seeds, she said leisurely, "Now many people have cut off contact with the Xia family. When they went out today, they didn't even call out to a single member of the Xia family."
When things were at their peak, there was no reason not to invite them; they were afraid the guests wouldn't come.
"My brother has been coming home late lately, probably because of this. The Prince of Chu is imprisoned in the palace. If it is discovered that he has a secret connection with the current prime minister, he may really lose his life."
The mere act of assassinating the Empress Dowager would have been enough to cost him his life.
Unfortunately, the Emperor valued loyalty and affection, so he withdrew all of the King of Chu's troops and guards, confining him to his palace.
Yu-an said that the lockdown was just a show for outsiders.
If you don't die today, you'll die tomorrow.
Coincidentally, the Xia family's affair was exposed, and the Emperor needed this opportunity to eliminate any future troubles.
Yu An feigned nonchalance and joked, "How do you know the Xia family will definitely fall? If it turns out to be a false alarm and a misunderstanding, then haven't you just needlessly provoked the Xia family?"
Ji Shu smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I won't go there again. I'll stay far away from it, so it has nothing to do with me."
"It just so happens that it's hot and sunny these days, so why don't you stay home and keep me company? Be careful not to get a tan," Yu-an said casually.
Ji Shu naturally obeyed and nodded repeatedly.
*
The court was in complete chaos. Not to mention the emperor, even the officials working below were working day and night.
In the blink of an eye, four or five days had passed, and Ji Jinghe hadn't had a full night's sleep.
"My subordinates have already investigated and confirmed that there are no false words in these ledgers; they are indeed recorded in the records."
The eunuch presented the account books back to the emperor, who didn't even bother to glance at them.
"The rest haven't yielded results?"
Ji Jinghe bowed and said, "It will take some time. If Your Majesty is worried, I can go to Jingzhou."
For now, as long as the collusion between the Xia family and the King of Chu is confirmed, there will be no major worries. If we want to exonerate the Chu family, it will be much easier.
Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, the Chu King's Mansion might not be able to keep what they wanted. He didn't trust others to handle the matter, so he decided to go there himself.
The emperor had been waiting for him to say those words, and immediately issued an imperial edict.
"At the beginning of Yin, I regard you as my right-hand man; do not fail me."
"Your subject will do his utmost."
After Ji Jinghe withdrew, the eunuch announced that the princess had arrived.
The emperor had few children, so he doted on his current children.
Mingjia brought over some refreshing crispy mountain dessert and also asked Huangmen to bring his practiced calligraphy.
"Father, this is what Mother asked me to bring to you. Try it before it melts."
The eunuchs helped bring out the snacks, but the emperor didn't pay much attention to them. He first noticed the calligraphy scrolls that his daughter had brought.
"This is Mingjia's calligraphy." With that, the emperor picked it up.
Mingjia sat on the footbed, casually placing his arm on his father's knee and resting his chin on his clasped hands.
"Father, has my handwriting improved recently? Even Mother praised me."
The emperor took a look from a distance and nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, you have improved. Your handwriting is even better than Father's. Our Mingjia is truly amazing."
Mingjia blushed, "Father just coaxes me, just like a teacher."
"By the way, how are you doing learning from Madam Ji lately?" the Emperor asked, snapping out of his reverie.
Mingjia nodded, "Okay, she's the most patient teacher I've ever met, much better than the governesses in the palace. I like her and will only recognize her as my master."
"By then, I will have mastered good handwriting and sell it. All the money I earn will be used to fund the Emperor's military expenses, so that the Emperor won't have to worry about losing sleep at night."
The emperor laughed at his daughter's naivety, and the fatigue he had felt from dealing with state affairs immediately vanished.
"You are a princess of the current dynasty, and it is a good thing for you to understand the state of the country, but how could Father Emperor bear to let our Mingjia suffer like this?"
Mingjia didn't care about saving face, and explained:
"Father, you don't know, the teacher said that Grand Secretary Xia's calligraphy and paintings sell for hundreds of gold pieces in the capital. He said that as long as you buy his calligraphy and paintings, you will become the top scholar in the imperial examination. If Mingjia comes up with some kind of gimmick in the future, it will definitely sell for hundreds or thousands of gold pieces as well."
The emperor had only eaten two spoonfuls of the crispy mountain when his thoughts began to wander again.
"Xia Zhao's calligraphy and paintings can sell for a hundred taels of gold?"
Mingjia didn't understand why her father was asking her questions, so she honestly said, "That day, my teacher asked me to practice calligraphy. I was curious about the high price of paper in Luoyang, so my teacher mentioned this matter, saying it was just a rumor and that she probably didn't know the truth either."
"My teacher also taught me to do things practically and down-to-earth, instead of relying on these empty and unrealistic promises."
The emperor lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, setting the bowl in his hand aside. "Your teacher is right."
Just as Ming Jia was about to say something, the emperor urged her to return home for the time being.
Once the man left, the emperor summoned the eunuch.
"Go down and have someone investigate. Is it as the princess said?"
The eunuch acknowledged, and the emperor rose and went to the Shou Kang Palace.
The Empress Dowager had just finished her Buddhist prayers and was sitting on the couch, holding a book and reading.
"Your Majesty," the Emperor bowed.
The emperor rarely comes in the afternoon, so it seems he's not too busy with state affairs to have you take the time to see me.
The nanny quickly served tea. The emperor glanced at it and got straight to the point: "I heard that the Empress Dowager summoned Madam Ji to the outskirts of the city a few days ago. I only heard about it from the eunuch, but I don't know if you had a good time."
Mentioning this matter brings back memories of things that had been forgotten.
The Empress Dowager closed the book, her face gradually becoming solemn, and recounted everything she had seen and heard that day.
He was naturally angry, but the emperor remained calm and spoke of his worries.
"Mother, I'm worried that you're getting too close to Chu Yu'an..."
Just as the emperor was about to speak, he inadvertently noticed a familiar handkerchief beside the Empress Dowager and immediately understood everything.
What are you worried about?
The emperor was taken aback, then quickly added, "I'm worried that people inside and outside the court might gossip, which could have a negative impact."
The Empress Dowager didn't care at all, and sighed, "I'm just an old woman. Even if I get close to them, I can't give them anything. What can they say?"
"Indeed, it's just that our son is overthinking things," the emperor agreed.
*
June 25th, the tenth day since Ji Jinghe went to Jingzhou.
Yu An dressed herself, took what she needed, and headed to Chang'an Gate.
No one expected that this would lead to such a disaster...
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