The day went by quickly and I was very tired.
After leaving the newspaper office, Jing Zhe went straight home.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Xinning had been waiting for a long time.
Without saying much, as soon as Jing Zhe entered the door, he helped him change into comfortable home clothes and then brought back a basin of hot water for him to soak his feet.
Everything seemed very natural, quite different from when Wang Yingqiu served him.
One was shy, the other gentle.
After soaking her feet, Jing Zhe noticed that her maid, Xiangru, wasn't in the room either, so she asked with a smile, "Second Sister, are you not leaving tonight?"
Zhu Xinning's expression remained unchanged: "Yes, I'll stay here."
"Together?"
Zhu Xinning's cheeks flushed slightly: "Who's sleeping with you?"
"What are you saying, Second Sister? What I mean is, I plan to go to the palace tomorrow! Since you're staying here, you must want to go to court with me tomorrow!"
"..."
Zhu Xinning was extremely embarrassed, her face flushed red. She glared at him and then went back to her room.
Jing Zhe knocked on the door, but there was no response. He shook his head and smiled, then ignored it. Feeling tired, he returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
Hearing that Jing Zhe had only knocked on the door for a short while before giving up, Zhu Xinning, who was next door, suddenly felt a slight sense of disappointment. She tiptoed out of bed, gently opened the door, and peeked out.
She then went to Jing Zhe's door, quietly pressed her ear to the door, and listened for any sound inside. She was about to go back, but for some inexplicable reason, she pushed the door open again.
Jing Zhe didn't have the habit of locking the door, and his push opened it, startling Zhu Xinning.
But looking in the moonlight, Jing Zhe was already asleep on the bed, snoring softly. Half of the blanket was almost off the bed. Zhu Xinning smiled and shook her head, then went over to cover him with the blanket before closing the door and leaving.
Nothing was said that night.
...
The next day, both of them got up very early.
In terms of time, it had only been one day since his last court appearance—actually, it was just the day before yesterday—but because the newspaper was to be published today, he planned to go to the palace to report on his work.
Since the morning court session was held at 5 AM, the bustling scene of newspaper sales at 7 AM would not be seen. However, Jing Zhe still secretly instructed Hanhan to go to the newspaper office to pick up a few newspapers.
Zhang Xiaoyu will receive a copy, and Wang Yingqiu will naturally receive one as well. As for Bai Lu, she helped so much yesterday, so she should also receive one.
Zhu Xinning's copy must also be kept, and Jing Zhe even prepared a copy for Yu Xiangrong. Given her passion for poetry, she'll definitely love it, right?
Of course, Su Mochen is also included.
As for Duke Yu, Grand Tutor Hao, and His Highness the Crown Prince, these were no problem at all. In fact, he had Chen Jiannan prepare a set for everyone who attended court, because he knew that after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), they wouldn't be able to buy any even if they wanted to.
The Da'an newspaper will be available but not sold; this is a foregone conclusion.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhu Xinning lifted a corner of the curtain and stared blankly out the window, her face flushed.
Seeing this, Jing Zhe asked, "Second Sister, why are you suddenly blushing?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Xinning blushed even more, but kept waving her hand and saying it was nothing. Only after Jing Zhe pressed her repeatedly did she learn that she was a little worried about how others would react after seeing their poems in the newspaper, and she was a little scared.
Jing Zhe looked at her rosy cheeks and thought to himself, "If I were really worried, why would I be blushing?"
So he put his arm around her shoulder and encouraged her, "It's okay, Second Sister. Let others think what they want. Why bother with them? Besides, I'm here for you!"
Zhu Xinning nodded, nestled on his shoulder, and continued on their journey along the bumpy carriage.
...
Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you?
This description perfectly captures Jing Zhe's current state.
He had barely stepped down from the carriage when the arriving ministers surrounded him.
At this moment, Zhu Xinning had already stepped aside, watching Jing Zhe chatting and laughing with a group of people, strolling leisurely, with a warm smile on her face, before entering the palace alone.
Jing Zhe wasn't late, but as people arrived one after another, they all called out to him. So, after everyone else had entered the palace, he became the one who arrived late. Just as he was about to step into the palace, he noticed a familiar carriage leisurely approaching from afar. It seemed unhurried, moving at a slower pace than walking normally!
Jing Zhe pulled his leg back, his face beaming with joy: It was Minister Wu! Looks like it's time for me to be civilized and do good deeds again! I must make the most of my style!
The coachman clearly recognized Jing Zhe. He paused for a moment after seeing him, then pulled on the reins, slowing the carriage down further. He even turned back to speak to the people inside the carriage.
"Minister Wu! That... that President Jing you mentioned, he's right at the palace gate!"
"..."
Wu Xianyong was shocked to hear this!
Since being persecuted by Jing Zhe before going to court the day before yesterday, he had thought about taking sick leave for a while and not going to court until his groin injury had healed.
Otherwise, if he runs into that bastard Jing Zhe, his injury will not only fail to heal, but will also worsen!
However, after much deliberation, he decided it was not feasible.
If his injury were to fully heal, it would probably take at least ten days to half a month. However, the situation in the court is currently turbulent, and since he was injured, no one in his family has attended court. His relationship with Prince Xiang and Bai Qingyuan has also become somewhat distant, which has resulted in him being particularly isolated from information. Otherwise, Wu Pin would not have stayed at the newspaper office!
If Jing Zhe hadn't come to him, he wouldn't have known about the newspaper, and after studying it carefully, he became somewhat afraid.
Newspapers can kill without shedding blood; one can't help but be afraid.
Having learned from this lesson, Wu Xianyong decided to attend court on time. Fortunately, Jing Zhe didn't attend court every day, so he just needed to be more careful on the days when Jing Zhe did attend.
Last night he received intelligence that the newspaper would be published this morning. As expected, Jing Zhe would be attending court to report to Emperor An at this time. So he instructed the driver to go as slowly as possible, preferably after everyone had entered the palace, so that he could go in alone and attend court. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Despite all my calculations, I never expected to run into Jing Zhe.
"Stop! Stop right now!"
Wu Xianyong's fear of Jing Zhe had penetrated to his very bones, so as soon as the driver finished speaking, he shouted from inside the carriage.
There was still some distance to the palace gate, so he stopped here and waited for Jing Zhe to go in before going over!
"Stay calm, don't rush!"
To everyone's surprise, the coachman said with a mournful face, "Minister Wu... I'm afraid... I'm afraid he can't hold on any longer!"
"What's wrong?"
"President Jing...he's here!"
"..."
Startled by these words, Wu Xianyong almost fell over onto the bus, but quickly sat up, his face filled with grief.
Sigh, what's meant to happen will happen eventually!
————
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