Chapter 49 Even a single word that lies to you will make you…
Zhou Chuanxing explained the infighting in the imperial court to Tang Xinuan in detail.
Although she was confused, she still understood quite a bit.
"Then tell me when they start fighting, I want to watch the show too."
The little girl finally understood, and Zhou Chuanxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, I'll definitely let you know when the time comes."
Tang Xinuan still had a worry: "If one day I find out that you lied to me, then I will never like you again."
Zhou Chuanxing raised his hand and swore: "If I lie to you even once, may I never be able to get married for the rest of my life."
If the young lady doesn't marry him, he might never have a wife in his life.
"Then go ahead and get busy," Tang Xinuan said, wiping away her tears and finally smiling.
Zhou Chuanxing didn't want to do anything.
Every day he opens his eyes to court politics, scheming, and a host of troubles. He is human, and naturally he gets tired.
"I'm not going. What a load of bull! Let whoever wants to do it do it. I'll spend today with my little girl."
Tang Xinuan felt sorry for him, thinking about how he was so busy every day that he didn't even have time to eat or sleep.
"Have I caused you trouble?"
Zhou Chuanxing sighed, "How could that be troublesome? If you're angry, I'll marry someone else, and I'll be very happy."
Tang Xinuan sat down on the edge of the bed and patted her thigh. "How about I give you a head massage? I'm very good at it."
Zhou Chuanxing was physically and mentally exhausted and definitely needed comforting.
He found a suitable angle to lie down, waiting for the little girl to "favor" him.
Soft, boneless fingers gently touched his forehead and temples, instantly dispelling the day's fatigue.
How wonderful it would be if we could just stay together like this without having to worry about anything.
Unfortunately, this feeling of comfort didn't last long.
Tao Guan came to report that the Grand Tutor had come to the door and asked him to come out to meet him.
Of all the court officials, Zhou Chuanxing had the most dealings with the emperor's father-in-law.
When he led troops into battle, almost all the necessary provisions passed through the hands of the Grand Tutor.
Over the course of seven or eight years, he was subjected to a lot of difficulties by the Grand Tutor.
Fortunately, he was the emperor's younger brother, born of the same mother, and the emperor favored and trusted him completely.
Otherwise, with hundreds of thousands of troops running out of food and supplies, it would be a miracle if they didn't quell the rebellion and recover lost territory, let alone avoid a mutiny.
Even so, two years ago, the army ate moldy rice, and many people died.
If it weren't for his timely intervention, high prestige, and numerous loyal followers, he would have been trampled into mincemeat by the enraged soldiers.
He kept every single one of these accounts in his mind.
Sooner or later, they will settle scores with the Grand Tutor.
However, since the emperor was seriously ill, he did not have conclusive evidence and could not take action against the empress and the emperor's father-in-law.
Furthermore, he had no one under his command. The Grand Tutor had cultivated his faction for over a decade, amassing countless followers. By eliminating the Grand Tutor's faction, half of the court would be freed up.
No one is filling in the gaps.
Therefore, this autumn's provincial examination is particularly important. Once talented individuals are selected, he can take decisive action to eliminate the corrupt officials.
They just said they weren't going to do anything today, and now they're leaving in less than fifteen minutes.
Tang Xi felt sorry for him and said, "Erlang, are you causing trouble again?"
Finally, she started calling him Erlang. Zhou Chuanxing smiled and patted her head. "It's nothing. You can eat dinner first. I'll come over and keep you company when I'm done."
Tang Xinuan's desire to find talent became increasingly urgent.
Sun Qingzhao suggested that training someone is more reliable than finding one, but there's still no news.
Oh right, there's a competition at Caiyue Tower the day after tomorrow. She has to go and see it; who knows, she might have some amazing encounters.
On the day of the competition, Tang Xinuan got up early to wash up and eat breakfast, then changed into men's clothing and went out.
Today I brought perilla and forsythia.
After all, the two of them were quite familiar with Caiyue Tower.
"In a little while, you guys all need to stay alert and keep an eye on those beggars."
Xiaoqian understood what Tang Xinuan meant, "You want to meet another Sun Qingzhao, right?"
Lian Qiao also said, "I never expected that Sun Qingzhao, that beggar, would be doing such a decent job in the Ministry of Personnel."
Tang Xinuan knew this was even harder than a windfall, but what if it happened?
Even if he didn't appear, the group stared wide-eyed all the way into Caiyue Tower but still couldn't find a talent like Sun Qingzhao.
When Li Pixiu saw Han Xi arrive, he grinned and went to greet him, "Young Master Han, please come in."
He turned to the waiter and instructed, "Serve us good tea and snacks."
Tang Xinuan isn't participating in the competition today, so she doesn't plan to sit on the first floor.
The second floor is high up, offering a clear and far-reaching view.
"Find a spot on the second floor."
Li Pixiu personally led people upstairs and arranged for them to sit in the same spot where the Regent had sat last time.
"Young Master Han, please. I still have guests to entertain. Please enjoy yourself and call me if you need anything."
Tang Xinuan waved her hand, "Go ahead, I'm just here for fun, don't worry about me."
The competition held at Caiyuelou a while ago became one of the most popular events in Beijing.
The second competition, influenced by the first, reached an all-time high in popularity.
Tang Xinu arrived a little early, and Caiyue Tower was already packed with people.
Fortunately, Li Pixiu took care of her; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to even find a seat.
"Young master, there are many people here for today's competition; it should be even more intense than last time," Xiaoqian said.
Tang Xinuan thought so too.
"I wonder who will get a place this time."
Lian Qiao sat next to Tang Xinuan. People kept getting close to her, and she held her tightly, afraid that Tang Xinuan would be taken advantage of.
Tang Xinuan told her to relax, "I'm not participating in the competition, so nobody cares about me."
Zisu, being observant and perceptive, asked, "Young Master, have you noticed something strange about today's match?"
Tang Xinuan felt it was even more crowded than the last competition. "What's strange about it?"
Zisu pointed to her and said, "That row should be the contestants waiting to participate in the competition. They are all getting older and older. The one on the far north side is young enough to be called an uncle."
"Where is it? Where is it?" Lianqiao peeked out, "Good heavens, even our grandsons are older than us, and they're still participating in the competition."
Tang Xinuan also noticed: "It really is strange."
Zisu added, "Those people in the back row all exude an air of officialdom; they don't seem like ordinary people."
Tang Xinuan recalled Li Pixiu's request for her to participate in a fake competition, "Could it be related to today's strange events?"
"Young...Young...Young Master..."
Xiaoqian was suddenly terrified.
She actually spotted the young master in the crowd.
Tang Xinuan lowered her head subconsciously.
However, she quickly returned to her sitting position.
With so many people at Caiyue Tower, how could my cousin, who was downstairs, possibly notice her upstairs?
The competition began quickly. Li Pixiu stood on the stage to announce the competition rules and invited the first round of contestants to take their places.
However, today's competition was different from the last one, as it included a judging panel.
Chu Yannuo is one of today's judges.
Zhou Chuanxing visited the Emperor at the palace today and also stopped by the Six Ministries.
Good heavens, half of the six departments are empty.
After walking around, he saw very few court officials, and there was no one to handle even urgent matters.
Where are they?
Sun Qingzhao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who was forced to stay on duty due to his lack of influence, said helplessly, "Your Highness, all my colleagues have gone to Caiyue Tower to carry out their duties today."
Zhou Chuanxing frowned: "Caiyue Tower?"
Sun Qingzhao: "Today's competition at Caiyue Tower saw all the court officials participate, hoping to gain the prince's favor and advance further."
Zhou Chuanxing: "Nonsense!"
He ordered the Minister of Rites, whose hearing was failing, "Go and find all of them for me, or you can forget about your salary this year."
The Minister of Rites staggered and shuffled out of the Six Ministries, got into a sedan chair, and headed straight for Caiyue Tower.
Zhou Chuanxing was furious.
They lack real skills, but they've got plenty of crooked and unethical methods.
In the competition, can they compare to Sun Qingzhao and Yao Lin?
The Ministry of Revenue spent two months working on a disaster relief plan but still couldn't figure it out.
Otherwise, why would he appoint a beggar as a fourth-rank official?
“Sun Qingzhao, you go too. No matter what method you use, if they don’t come back, you don’t need to come back either.”
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go immediately."
Sun Qingzhao rode a fast horse and arrived at Caiyue Tower even before the Minister of Rites.
Nowadays, those who can occupy a place in the imperial court are either relatives of the emperor or promoted by powerful families.
Sun Qingzhao took on a dangerous job.
The Caiyue Tower was a mixed bag of people; he was attacked and beaten up, and had nowhere to seek justice.
At that time, in order to quell public anger, the prince will probably have to use him as an excuse.
He had neither a family background nor any connections.
In critical moments, all we can do is endure it.
Therefore, this task is not easy.
When Sun Qingzhao arrived at the entrance of Caiyue Tower, he suddenly changed direction, intending to trick Prince Duan into going with him.
Although Prince Duan was not very intelligent, nor did he have much courage or means, he was the emperor's younger brother, and no one dared to openly offend him.
...
After Tang Xinu recognized Chu Yannuo, she called Li Pixiu over to ask him questions.
"Why are today's contestants all so strangely shaped?"
Li Pixiu laughed and said, "Ever since Master Sun and Master Yao took office, everyone in the capital has gone crazy. To tell you the truth, today's competition is just using the venue of our Caiyue Pavilion, it's not organized by our Caiyue Pavilion."
Tang Xinuan asked in surprise, "Who is that?"
Li Pixiu was convinced that Han Xi was the Regent's male favorite, and since he intended to pledge allegiance to the Regent, he naturally spoke frankly and without reservation.
He held up four fingers. "It was the Fourth Prince who manipulated it. He said he was recommending the first-place candidate to be the Minister."
Tang Xinuan finally understood the key to this.
"So that's how it is."
Li Pixiu then said, "Originally, I invited you to participate in the competition. As long as I could defeat you, there would be no chance of success. But you were unwilling to participate, so I set up this competition. To tell you the truth, many of those sitting below the stage are officials from the imperial court."
It's said they spent a lot of money to get a spot in the competition.
Erlang was so worried about money.
Prince Rui, on the other hand, made such a large sum of money so easily.
If successful, they can also appoint a minister.
He's really good at scheming.
No wonder Erlang asked her for help. These people are too wicked, and Erlang is too stupid. Sooner or later, he will be tricked by them.
She'd better keep a close eye on Erlang.
"Want to get first place?" Tang Xinu scoffed. "You'll have to ask me if I agree first."
“Mr. Li, tell them that I am willing to participate in the competition.”
Li Pixiu was overjoyed. "I'll have them prepare that one million taels of silver right away."
Tang Xinuan added a condition: "However, I will not participate in the first few rounds of the competition, and will go directly to the last round."
She had just looked at several rounds of questions, and they were all too easy, insulting to her intelligence.
Li Pixiu naturally had no objection, "You are the previous champion, so you don't need to start from the first round; you can go straight to the finals."
Tang Xinuan added, "Make them pay 500,000 taels first. I won't go on stage if it's less than one tael."
Li Pixiu happily went to find Prince Rui.
Tang Xinuan instructed Zisu, "Find a few strong men and thirty carriages, and transport the 500,000 taels of silver away in a little while."
She has never done anything like double-crossing.
She wanted the money, and she wouldn't let go of first place either.
Prince Rui was unaware that Han Xi and his second brother were together.
Hearing that Hanxi had agreed, he was both happy and disdainful.
“One million taels, I knew no one would be unmoved. I thought he was so noble, but he's still working for me.”
Li Pixiu intentionally concealed the relationship between Hanxi and the Regent.
He just wanted to earn more money; how they schemed against him was none of his business.
Xiaoqian was worried about her young mistress, "Young master, do you really want this money?"
Tang Xinuan winked at her, "Only a fool wouldn't take something that's free."
Xiaoqian was still worried: "What if we anger them? Will they come after us?"
Tang Xinuan is now on the same side as Zhou Chuanxing.
If Zhou Chuanxing fails, she will have no good outcome.
Now, the only way out is to do everything we can to help him.
“I’ve been reading a lot of books lately, and they say that one shouldn’t try to take advantage of every opportunity, and I’m no exception.”
Xiaoqian didn't understand. "Young master, what you're saying is too profound."
Tang Xinuan also felt a bit confused; logically, these were words she shouldn't have said.
But now she has grown up quickly and has gradually come to understand some of the deceit and treachery.
"Anyway, bad people's money comes from illegitimate sources. If I don't get some, they'll just waste it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
