"knew."
Song Yue told the coachman to wait outside, then came to the bedside and said to Qingchen, "The Emperor has summoned me back to the capital."
Qingchen nodded, and as she climbed out of bed, she asked, "Is something the matter?"
"I don't know yet."
The two packed their things and boarded a carriage to head towards the capital. Song Yue first took Qingchen home, and then had the driver take them to the palace.
When he returned to the palace, it was already midnight. He hurriedly changed into his official robes and went to the Qianqing Palace, but he did not see Emperor Zhu Rui there.
Zhu Rui had already gone to bed and was not waiting for him. A palace eunuch went to inform the Grand Eunuch Huang Heng, and soon Huang Heng arrived wearing a scarlet brocade fur cloak and carrying a lantern.
"Eunuch Huang."
“Grand Secretary Song.” Huang Heng glanced at the moon behind him. “His Majesty is tired and has decided to rest. He has instructed you to wait in the side hall so that His Majesty can summon you at any time when he wakes up.”
Song Yue nodded. "Thank you, Your Excellency. Do you know why the Emperor summoned me overnight?"
“A case has arisen concerning the Duke of Dingguo and Consort Zheng. His Majesty is finding it difficult to make a decision and originally intended to ask Grand Secretary Xu for advice. However, Grand Secretary Xu is unwell and recommended you to His Majesty instead. I cannot say more.” Huang Heng sized up Song Yue and then said, “Grand Secretary, you look so travel-worn. Did you go on a long trip?”
"It was just a short stay in the outskirts of Beijing."
"There have been many things going on in the palace lately. The Grand Secretary is always busy with government affairs. I didn't expect that he would have time to take a break from his busy schedule."
Indeed, as Huang Heng said, he was usually too busy with official duties, let alone during such a sensitive period. The special thing he did was naturally because of someone special. Song Yue couldn't help but think that Huang Heng's question might be a reminder of something.
After speaking, Huang Heng left, while Song Yue continued to wait in the side hall.
The night was cold, and he could neither rest nor leave; he could only wait. Based on Huang Heng's description, he guessed that there was some kind of conflict between the Duke of Dingguo and Consort Zheng, and it was quite a significant one. He just didn't know why Xu Yan had fallen ill so conveniently at this time—was he unwilling to get involved, or did he have some other plan?
Xu Yan must have realized from the matter of the celestial omen that the lack of support for the Crown Prince in court was intentional. In other words, he has determined that Xu Yan cannot be won over. Therefore, he will probably no longer allow Xu Yan to sit comfortably in the position of Second Assistant Minister.
However, with so many government affairs to handle, the lack of a capable person means that Xu Yan, as the Grand Secretary, will be overwhelmed with various matters and won't have an easy time. Therefore, he will likely need to carefully weigh his options, and it remains to be seen what he will do and to what extent.
After a long time, dawn finally broke.
Song Yue hadn't rested all night, and having been busy with Qingchen's affairs the previous day, he was already feeling quite exhausted. In the faint morning light streaming through the window, he had a servant bring him a basin of water, quickly washed up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to await Zhu Rui's summons.
But after waiting for more than half an hour, the Emperor's decree still hadn't arrived. This time, it was still Eunuch Huang Heng who came.
"His Majesty has not yet risen. Please wait a little longer, Grand Secretary."
They waited until the afternoon.
When Zhu Rui sent someone to summon him, Song Yue hadn't slept for more than a day; his eyes were bloodshot and his throat was sore.
The study in the Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Rui, sitting behind his desk, asked Song Yue as soon as he arrived, "You're back? Huang Heng told me you went to stay in the outskirts of the capital for a while?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You seem to have plenty of leisure time, but I'm having trouble sleeping and eating."
Meanwhile, Shen Qingchen was handling official business at the Ministry of Rites.
After finishing her work at the Ministry of Rites, she busied herself with drafting a financial reform plan for the Ministry of Revenue.
As Qingchen picked up her pen to write, she recalled her conversation with Song Yue on the swing yesterday.
The root cause of the corruption in the bureaucracy lies in Xu Yan. Only by bringing down Xu Yan can the bureaucracy be cleansed and the deep-seated problems of the Ming Dynasty be improved; otherwise, all talk will be in vain.
All efforts were in vain.
Song Yue's words made her think for a long time.
A short while later, the steward came to announce that someone wanted to see her.
Who is it?
The clerk replied, "Xu Silin, a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy."
Qingchen frowned, her thoughts instantly returning to that night at the Xu residence. It was snowing that night, he reeked of alcohol, and with his strong arms he imprisoned her in his embrace, pulled out her hairpin, and kissed her.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Just say I'm busy and ask him to wait a while."
She had just thought of her father, and now he was here. Right now, she didn't really want to see him, but she couldn't refuse.
The steward naturally had to obey Lord Shen's words. He quickly went to reply to Xu Silin, saying that Lord Shen was very busy and hadn't stopped since returning to the ministry early this morning, even having a hasty lunch. "The lord said to ask you to wait a while."
Xu Silin nodded in agreement.
He felt no resentment at Qingchen making him wait. She was someone who cared deeply about politics, and even as a woman, she possessed ambitions no less than men's; he admired her from the bottom of his heart. This unique quality of hers, different from other women, was one of the reasons he had come to like her.
But occasionally he would feel an irresistible urge to marry her as soon as possible, to cherish her, to pamper her, to give her the best of everything, and to give her his own complete and unique love.
This left him feeling conflicted, like trying to fly a beautiful kite. He wanted to cherish it and hold it dear, yet he also wanted it to soar high and display its splendor.
About half an incense stick's time later, the steward came over again, saying that Lord Shen had invited him over.
Xu Si entered Qingchen's official residence, bowed, and addressed him as "Lord Shen." This form of address stirred a subtle feeling within him.
Qingchen frowned as well. "There are only the two of us here, so let's not stand on ceremony. You came to see me today because..."
Xu Silin looked at her and asked instead of answering, "Are you tired?"
Qingchen was stunned for a moment.
He added, "I heard from the clerk that you've been busy since morning. Are you tired?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine."
“I drank too much that day… I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, looking at her.
Qingchen hesitated for a moment, and before she could speak, Xu Silin said again, "I'm not a lecherous scoundrel. I just... like you too much."
She sighed, avoiding his gaze. "Xu Silin, this is the imperial court. Let's not talk about this anymore."
Noticing her displeasure, he pursed his lips and whispered, "Can you forgive me?"
Qingchen's heart was filled with complex emotions, so complex that the words "forgive" or "not forgive" were insufficient to describe it. She knew very well that even if she said she forgave, she wouldn't truly be at peace, but saying she wouldn't forgive seemed premature. She could only avoid the topic.
"Is this all you've come here to say?" she asked him calmly. "This is the imperial court. If you want to say these things, could you please do so elsewhere?"
Xu Silin blinked, and the pretentious composure and indifference that had been on his handsome face vanished instantly.
For over twenty years, his romantic life was a complete blank; he had no experience. The only way he could understand real male-female relationships was through his parents' romantic lives.
The husband is the head of the household. No matter how much her father loves her mother, if the two have a conflict, her mother will ultimately obey her father without her father saying anything.
However, this model seemed completely unsuitable for him and Qingchen; he had completely lost his basis and reference, and was at a loss.
Qingchen's appearance made him realize that she was still angry. So he immediately thought that it wasn't her fault; only a few days had passed, and she should indeed continue to be angry. He was the one who was too hasty.
Xu Silin let out a slight sigh and said, "Then let's not talk about that. I came to tell you that your second uncle can get out of bed now. But..."
She quickly looked up at him, somewhat nervously, and asked, "Just what?"
“His right leg is not very good, and he has some difficulty walking,” he said. “Dr. Li Shizhen said he had done his best, but bone diseases are not his specialty.”
"My second uncle..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word "lame."
"Qingchen, don't worry. There's a famous doctor in Shandong named Qianshan who's very skilled at treating this kind of illness," Xu Silin comforted him. "I've already sent someone to invite him in my father's name."
In Xu Yan's name?
She had just been thinking that only by bringing down Xu Yan could she clean up the bureaucracy and reform the government.
Seeing her deep in thought, Xu Silin said, "This Qianshan is a bit strange; it doesn't easily leave Shandong. I can only do it in my father's name..."
"Thank you."
Qingchen realized that the more she tried to distance herself from them, the less she could. If she were the one who was injured, she could easily tell the father and son, "It's not necessary." But the injured person was her second uncle, who had raised her and was her closest benefactor. What right did she have to sacrifice her second uncle's health to uphold her own principles and say, "It's not necessary"?
Where do I even begin to untangle this mess?
After Xu Si left, someone delivered a letter, but the envelope was unsigned.
After Qingchen opened and read the letter, he held it in his hand for a long time without saying a word.
The letter was actually written by Xu Yan, who invited her to meet him alone at a tavern.
What exactly did Xu Yan want with her?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
