Chapter 45 I want a kiss
"Brother Sun, Brother Sun," Tang Xinuan said, unaware of what he was thinking, "I need your help with something. Are you even listening to me?"
Sun Qingzhao snapped out of his daze and said, "Go on."
Tang Xinuan told Sun Qingzhao about the thing that had been puzzling her for most of the day.
"Li Pixiu asked me to participate in the competition and offered me one million taels of silver."
Sun Qingzhao thought he was joking, "What did you say?"
Tang Xinuan: "He wants to organize another competition and have me participate. He will deliberately lose to someone and then give me one million taels of silver."
Sun Qingzhao was quick-witted and soon figured it out. "You agree?"
Someone must be trying to take advantage of Hanxi's fame.
Tang Xinuan shook her head: "Not yet. I'm telling you this because I wanted to ask what you think."
Sun Qingzhao frowned: "Why didn't you ask the Prince's opinion?"
Tang Xinuan frowned and sighed.
“I want this silver. You don’t know, the Prince’s mansion is just an empty shell. One million taels can help him a lot.”
With the Regent's power over the entire country and his wealth surpassing that of a nation, how could his palace be an empty shell?
Sun Qingzhao probed, "Young Master Han, you haven't been deceived, have you?"
Tang Xinuan had seen the Prince's accounts with her own eyes, how could she be deceived? "The imperial court can't pay the military salaries, so the Prince has to take out a lot of silver every month."
Sun Qingzhao had no doubt about these words.
He had not served as an official in the court before, and he had guessed that the court was facing difficulties.
Since entering the Ministry of Personnel, the more I know, the more terrifying it becomes.
The Emperor did not suddenly fall ill.
He has simply been in a coma for most of the time since last year.
She had already shown signs of illness in the previous few years.
With his energy waning, he must have neglected state affairs. It's already quite remarkable that the Great Zhou Dynasty has managed to survive until today.
What's the big deal about not being able to pay military salaries? In a while, they might not even be able to pay their wages.
"So, one million taels is indeed very tempting."
Tang Xinuan was already tempted, and after hearing his words, she pressed on, "So, you think I should say yes?"
Sun Qingzhao pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "You can't agree to that."
Tang Xinuan asked in surprise, "Why?"
Sun Qingzhao: "You are the smartest person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. This signboard is worth more than one million taels of silver. It absolutely cannot be stained with any dirt."
Tang Xinuan didn't understand. "What do you mean by that?"
Sun Qingzhao gradually recalled Tang Xinuan's previous search for talent.
"Are you looking for talented people for the sake of the regent?"
Tang Xinuan nodded: "Yes, he is so tired every day, and I can't help him at all, so I want to find a lot of talented people to help him."
Sun Qingzhao gradually formed a plan in his mind.
"Give me some time, and I'll make things as you wish."
His certainty made Tang Xinuan feel much better. "Really?"
Sun Qingzhao nodded: "This talent didn't come out of thin air; you can't find him by searching the whole street."
Tang Xinuan started to get nervous again: "What should we do?"
Sun Qingzhao: "Instead of searching for talent, we should cultivate talent. As long as we can cultivate talent, there will be a steady stream of talent for the prince to use. At that time, will you still be worried about tiring him out? There will be plenty of people to help him."
This is a good idea; Tang Xinuan had long thought Sun Qingzhao was clever.
Sure enough, she solved her big problem with just a few words.
"So how exactly do we do it?"
Sun Qingzhao told her not to rush, "This matter needs to be considered carefully and the right time needs to be found. Let me plan it out carefully and come up with a complete plan before we talk about it."
Tang Xinuan was happy: "Then I'll wait for you. Hurry back and do it."
Ever since Sun Qingzhao entered the next room, Zhou Chuanxing has been restless.
Unable to even handle political affairs, he simply went outside for some fresh air.
He wanted to eavesdrop next door, but as the regent, how could he do such a sneaky thing?
Just then, Prince Duan came over and, seeing his absent-minded look, joked, "Second Brother, are you in a bad mood? The little girl has a secret she doesn't want to tell you, is it because she feels uncomfortable here..."
He touched his chest. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Zhou Chuanxing's heart was indeed in great pain.
Especially when I saw the little girl coming out so happily.
He looked worried when he went in.
So, is she happier with Sun Qingzhao?
He couldn't possibly give away the girl he'd finally managed to get...
"Your Majesty, I have something to say to you," Sun Qingzhao said as he approached him.
Tang Xinu came out of the house, waved to Zhou Chuanxing, and then told Sun Qingzhao, "Brother Sun, I'm still waiting for you."
Then they skipped and hopped towards the back courtyard.
Zhou Chuanxing's deep eyes grew even more intense. He glanced at Sun Qingzhao coolly and said in a deep voice, "Come in with me."
Logically, Sun Qingzhao shouldn't have interfered in the private affairs of the Prince and Han Xi.
But Hanxi is his benefactor, his savior, and he cannot let Hanxi get hurt.
"Your Highness, Hanxi is like the bright moon in the sky, and should not be defiled by anyone."
Zhou Chuanxing was actually taught a lesson by a beggar.
"so what?"
Sun Qingzhao took a deep breath and decided to go all out.
"If you wish to marry a male queen, I will do everything in my power to silence the gossip of the world."
Zhou Chuanxing had just taken a sip of tea when he nearly spat it out.
Prince Duan couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Male princess?"
Sun Qingzhao understood why the two had such a strange reaction.
"Who says men can only marry women? Why can't they marry men? My Great Zhou Dynasty is going to break this rule."
Zhou Chuanxing pressed his temples, looking rather troubled.
"You and Young Master Han have been chatting for so long, and this is all you've talked about?"
Sun Qingzhao said naturally, "Of course not."
He emphasized, "These are my true feelings. Young Master Han is the most intelligent man in the Great Zhou Dynasty, worthy of being recorded in history. You cannot bury his talent."
Zhou Chuanxing thought the two young people were having an affair.
It turns out that Sun Qingzhao didn't have any romantic feelings for the girl.
I felt inexplicably much more at ease.
"This matter need not be of concern to Minister Sun; I will make my own plans."
Sun Qingzhao said, "This is all I have to say. I have overstepped my bounds."
Zhou Chuanxing was still curious: "What exactly did you two talk about just now?"
Sun Qingzhao replied vaguely, "You should ask Young Master Han about this. By the way, I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
He slipped away faster than a rabbit. After speaking, he hurriedly left the Hall of Diligent Governance and disappeared in a flash.
After Sun Qingzhao left, Prince Duan laughed more and more unrestrainedly.
"Second brother, are you really going to marry a male princess?"
Zhou Chuanxing grabbed a book and threw it at him, saying, "You're still laughing."
Before going to sleep that night, Zhou Chuanxing couldn't help but ask the little girl what had happened that day.
Sun Qingzhao's thinking is too unconventional; he shouldn't corrupt his young daughter.
Today there's a male princess, tomorrow there might be a female husband!
Tang Xinuan had already made her choice, so there was nothing left for her to hide from him.
He truthfully replied, "It was Li Pixiu who approached me and asked me to participate in the competition. He promised me one million taels of silver if I lost to someone. I didn't know what to do, so I consulted Sun Qingzhao."
Zhou Chuanxing was utterly shocked upon hearing the figure of one million taels.
"Such a thing actually happened."
Tang Xinuan nodded, "I do want this money, one million taels, which can be used by you for a year."
Zhou Chuanxing: "..."
Unexpectedly, the first person the little girl thought of was him.
The last bit of discomfort in my heart vanished.
She was indeed the girl he had his eye on.
Tang Xinuan continued, "But Sun Qingzhao said that my signboard is worth more than one million taels of silver, so I can't agree to their offer."
Zhou Chuanxing completely agreed with this idea.
His daughter is the smartest girl in the world; how could she sell her reputation for a million taels?
"Besides what Sun Qingzhao said, what are your own thoughts?"
Tang Xinuan had thought about this matter carefully.
"I think... cheating is wrong. Whoever deserves first place should get it."
The little girl was very perceptive, and Zhou Chuanxing patted her head approvingly.
"You did the right thing."
Being praised made her happy, and Tang Xinu blinked her big, dark, and bright eyes. "Is there a reward?"
Zhou Chuanxing indulged him, asking, "What reward do you want?"
Tang Xinu stared at his handsome thin lips, then pointed to her own, "I want a kiss."
Zhou Chuanxing has never kissed anyone on his own initiative.
Besides, the little girl is different from ordinary people; he always felt that the little girl was still young.
He cannot be worse than a beast.
But now that the girl has taken the initiative to invite him, he should... be able to kiss her, right?
He stared at the little girl's rosy lips, his heart churning, and a surge of primal power erupted within him.
He slowly moved closer to the girl, gently pecked her lips, and quickly pulled away.
Tang Xi's cheeks flushed.
However, she only had eyes for Zhou Chuanxing. "Erlang, you're blushing."
Zhou Chuanxing's heart pounded like a drum. He ruffled her hair haphazardly and said, "Get some rest," before hastily fleeing the girl's room.
He stood calmly at the door for a while, until the heat on his face subsided and his heartbeat returned to normal, before returning to his bedroom.
If we could get married early, even if we did nothing, just being able to watch her fall asleep every night and wake up to her beautiful face in the morning would be wonderful.
He was certain he couldn't wait three years.
They got married within a year, and he brought her home in a grand and glorious manner.
This is the limit of his patience.
But the two faced countless difficulties and obstacles; it was not an easy task.
Since it won't be easy, let's start planning tonight.
When Zhou Chuanxing began planning his marriage, two women in the palace were also helping him with the preparations.
One was Consort De, the birth mother of Prince Rui, and the other was the Empress, the current Empress.
The day after Chu Yanqing's marriage was arranged, Prince Rui rushed into the palace early in the morning.
"Mother, the Crown Prince of Chu has betrothed Miss Chu to the heir of the Duke of Liang."
The Dowager Consort frowned. "The Chu family is quick."
Prince Rui said angrily, "My second brother is such a blockhead. He likes Miss Chu so much, but he hasn't done anything about it. Mother, you have to give him a push."
Empress Dowager De reassured her son, "I will go to Fengzao Palace now."
Prince Rui urged, "Go now. If Miss Chu marries Prince Liang, it will be difficult for us to sow discord between Second Brother and the Empress. Right now, the Empress and the Grand Tutor's faction are all supporting Second Brother. Only by completely alienating them will my son have a chance."
The Dowager Consort De understood, of course. "Don't worry, Mother Consort knows what to do."
He was concerned about his son's plans, asking, "How's that Caiyue Tower competition going?"
Prince Rui was somewhat irritated. "Han Xi doesn't agree to fake it, so this matter is most likely to fail."
Consort De asked worriedly, "What about your uncle's position as Minister..."
Prince Rui had already thought of another way. "Mother, don't worry, my uncle is definitely going to be the Minister."
His original plan was to hold another fake competition and have his uncle participate. If he could defeat Han Xi, he could be legitimately recommended as the Minister of Personnel.
Sun Qingzhao and Yao Lin, two unknown and unranked men who hadn't even defeated Han Xi, were both appointed as fourth-rank vice minister and sixth-rank assistant minister, respectively.
The one who defeated Han Xi, shouldn't be given a high-ranking official position?
But to everyone's surprise, Han Xi remained unmoved by the offer of one million taels of silver and actually refused it.
He refused to believe that if Han Xi didn't participate, he had no other choice.
Last night he had already approached Chu Yannuo, intending to have court officials intervene and hold another mathematics competition.
If Chu Yanqing could get third place, her brother must be just as good.
Chu Yannuo has already agreed.
After Prince Rui left, Consort De went to the Empress's palace.
The Empress was chatting casually with Lord Chaoli.
"Chao Li, you're not getting any younger, it's time to get married."
"Now that your parents are gone, it's only natural for me, as your eldest sister-in-law, to make arrangements for you. Talk to your sister-in-law and see if she has any young men she fancys; she'll make the decision for you."
While chatting with the Empress, Chao Li also played with her five-year-old niece. She liked this little niece very much and came to play with her every day.
When it comes to discussing marriage, some shyness is inevitable.
“Sister-in-law, I’m not in a hurry. My second and third brothers aren’t engaged yet, and I’m even younger than them. What’s the rush?”
The Empress sighed.
"Speaking of the two of them, your third brother is alright. He grew up in the capital and has had plenty of contact with noble ladies there, so he has a good idea of what to do with them."
Your second brother is different. He's been away from the capital for a long time, mostly hanging out with soldiers. I'm really worried about him... He doesn't like women.
Lately, she has been hearing rumors that the regent prefers men.
Physician Zhang had seen it with his own eyes; the Prince's mansion was currently housing a young man with rosy lips and white teeth.
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Author's Note: Sun Qingzhao: If Hanxi wants to marry a woman, I can also help her silence the gossip!
Why should women only be allowed to marry men?!
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