Chapter 171: Conspiracy Brewing
A young woman wearing a purple official robe and with a face as white as jade stood in the Golden Throne Hall and saluted gracefully.
Her noble aura is particularly eye-catching, as if she is the only one in the world, and everything else is eclipsed.
Everyone looked at her, and four words appeared in their minds at the same time -
Far behind.
Yes, it’s out of reach.
Whether it was his contribution to Daxia or the speed of his promotion, it was difficult for anyone present to surpass him.
Excellent people will always attract envy, just like Du Qingtang.
For years, people have been resentful of her identity as a woman. Even though she has made great contributions and is well-known in the country, they still find fault with her, look down on her, and speak disparagingly to her.
They try to cover up their ugly hearts with vicious words so that no one will know that they despise women but have to rely on them, and their twisted mentality is helpless and full of jealousy.
But now, the people they envied and hated have reached heights that they could never reach even if they spent their entire lives working hard.
Besides the palpitations, a deep feeling of powerlessness swept over my whole body.
They were horrified to find that seeing this scene, they did not feel the slightest bit of jealousy.
No matter how they slandered Du Qingtang or impeached her, they could not stop her from growing rapidly and becoming a powerful official who could not be shaken by ordinary people.
Powerful official.
Everyone chewed over this word in their mouths again and again.
A twenty-five-year-old marquis.
A 25-year-old cabinet minister.
It is a true portrayal of a powerful official.
From now on, as long as Du Qingtang remains standing and reaches the top, they will have to crawl at her feet forever and obey her orders.
......
After the selection of the First and Second Assistant Ministers, as well as the two Grand Secretaries, Emperor Qingyuan said, "In addition, Minister Qi will concurrently serve as the Minister of Revenue, and Minister Du will concurrently serve as the Director of the Academy."
Du Qingtang and Qi Jiang said in unison: "Your Majesty, we will obey your majesty's command."
After expressing his gratitude, Du Qingtang returned to his post.
As soon as he stood still, he heard the two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Works screaming softly.
"The Bodhisattva has appeared! The Bodhisattva has appeared!"
"The Bodhisattva heard my prayers. Thank you for your blessings. The day after tomorrow, when I have a day off, I will go to Lingyan Temple and make a golden statue for you!"
"Thank God, the hard times are finally over."
Du Qingtang: “…???”
After the morning court session ended, Qi Jiang, the former Minister of Revenue and current Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, bowed to Du Qingtang and said, "Congratulations, Master Du, on your further promotion."
Du Qingtang had a smile on his lips, unable to hide his good mood, and returned the greeting while holding the tablet: "Congratulations."
Although the head of the academy is only of the fifth rank, far lower than the second rank of the Minister of Revenue, the academy and the Ministry of Revenue are of equal importance.
Perhaps one day, the former may surpass the latter.
Therefore, Du Qingtang did not feel any regret, nor was he jealous that Qi Jiang's official position was higher than his own.
When everyone saw Du Qingtang's happy face, they felt mixed emotions, but they didn't show it on their faces. They smiled and walked forward to congratulate him.
"Congratulations, Master Shi."
"Congratulations, Master Yan."
"Congratulations, Master Du."
"Congratulations, Master Qi."
The Golden Throne Hall was filled with laughter and joy, as if all the frictions and disagreements in the past had never happened.
Only in the corner, the former Cao party members had a bitter taste in their mouths, and their smiles were uglier than crying.
The day before yesterday, Cao Yuan retired, and everyone in Cao's party felt insecure.
Looking at the majestic and solemn Emperor Qingyuan sitting on the dragon throne and the imperial party at its peak, they couldn't help feeling confused and panicked.
Once upon a time, they relied on Cao Yuan's power to stir up trouble in the court, exploit the people at will, and enrich themselves.
The victims cursed and swore before they died.
"God is watching all that we do. The consequences of our misfortunes are like a shadow, and sooner or later they will come. No one can escape this calamity!"
They didn't care at that time.
The Prime Minister is in charge of the government and even Your Majesty has to give way.
The Empress Dowager, who came from the Cao family, had two legitimate princes. When the fourth prince ascended the throne, the Cao family would be able to continue its glory for another hundred years.
As long as the Cao family exists, the Cao party exists.
They are fearless.
Who knew that in the blink of an eye, the situation would change.
The royal power was recovered and the Cao family became weak.
The fourth prince became a commoner and died suddenly a few days later.
The fifth prince is violent and unruly, and is unable to handle such a heavy responsibility.
The Cao Party, which once had everything it needed, has collapsed. Where should they go?
No!
They are not completely without a way out.
His Majesty has now secretly appointed a crown prince. Apart from the fifth prince, the only remaining ones are the eldest prince, the sixth prince, and the seventh prince.
When it comes to choosing one of three options, they have to be extremely cautious.
If you succeed, you will be like a dragon; if you fail, you will be like a stray dog.
......
Du Qingtang finally managed to escape, put the tablet into his waist belt, and walked out of the Golden Palace.
The cold wind was howling, cutting my face like a knife, as if I had instantly gone from warm spring to bitter winter.
Du Qingtang gathered his wide sleeves to block the wind from getting in, and walked down the stairs with his hands in his pockets.
"Master Du."
Du Qingtang turned around and saw the Fifth Prince coming towards her with his hands behind his back.
"Your humble servant greets His Highness."
"Master Du, there's no need to be so polite." The Fifth Prince came before Du Qingtang and said, "Congratulations, Master Du, on your promotion to the first rank and your entry into the cabinet."
The bastard has never had a sense of boundaries. He wanted to stick his whole body to Du Qingtang, so close that Du Qingtang could feel the air he exhaled when he spoke.
Du Qingtang took two steps back and said expressionlessly, "Your Highness called me to stop. What's the important matter?"
The fifth prince laughed meaningfully, took out a folding fan from the secret pocket of his wide sleeve, opened it with a snap, and shook it gently, his hair flying in the wind.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Perhaps sensing Du Qingtang's dislike, the Fifth Prince narrowed his eyes, half-smiling, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Master Du, why do you have to keep me at a distance, acting as if you're afraid of having anything to do with me? Master Du, don't forget, you and I were once husband and wife..."
Du Qingtang raised his eyes, his frost quenching: "If you are sick, go get treatment, don't go crazy in front of me."
The Fifth Prince's smile didn't fade at all; instead, he seemed even more excited. He whispered, "A while ago, my people happened to pass by Shaoqing Mansion and stumbled upon some little secrets. Isn't Lord Du curious about what little secrets they discovered?"
Du Qingtang remembered the letter from Yao Jingzhou. Several groups of people had appeared in Shaoqing Prefecture, trying to find out the news.
I originally thought it was that old dog Cao Yuan, but unexpectedly it was actually that bastard Xia Qixuan.
Du Qingtang twitched his fingertips slightly, resisting the urge to punch the Fifth Prince in the face: "Not curious."
The fifth prince tutted his words: "What a boring thing to say, Lord Du..."
"I have some important matters to attend to, so I'll leave first." Du Qingtang bowed perfunctorily, turned around and left, heading straight for the Ministry of Works.
Instead of talking nonsense with him here and challenging my psychological limits, I might as well go back to the Ministry of Industry to handle official business.
The Fifth Prince's smile gradually faded. He folded his folding fan with a snap, looked deeply at Du Qingtang's back, and left from another palace path.
After he left, the officials whispered.
"Are you planning to win over Marquis Wen'an?"
"Marquis Wen'an reported the prefect of Runing Prefecture in his early years, and implicated the Minister of Revenue, Wu Guangwu, causing the Fifth Prince's predecessor to lose his position in the Ministry of Revenue. After returning to the capital from Shaoqing Prefecture, he overthrew Liang Wangjin and became enemies with the Cao family. How could the Fifth Prince..."
"Things are different now. The Cao family is no longer the Cao family of the past, and the Empress's legitimate son is no longer the crown prince of the Eastern Palace."
"However, in my opinion, the Fifth Prince's plan is doomed to fail. Marquis Wen'an will not do such a foolish thing as to ruin his own future."
Everyone remained silent and went to report in the cold wind.
-
Du Qingtang returned to the Ministry of Works, packed up his personal belongings in the duty room, and then took stock of the official business at hand.
In the afternoon, the new Minister of Works arrived. Du Qingtang spent two hours handing over the work to the new Minister, and then left with the sound of the gong.
Looking at Du Qingtang's departing back, the officials of the Ministry of Industry all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God, he's gone."
"We are finally out of this sea of suffering."
"Now this Shangshu seems to be a kind person, so we can relax a little bit in the future."
"In any case, it's a hundred times better than Master Du and Master Qian."
Thinking of the harshness of Du Qingtang and Qian Daxueshi when they were in office, everyone shuddered.
Doctor Wan, however, was the only one who was weeping with his hands in his pockets. “You guys are finally out of this misery, but I’m the vice-president of the research institute, so I’ll have to deal with that person in the future.”
Doctor Su couldn't help but burst out laughing, feeling somewhat gloating.
The others' eyes were darting around, and they were having a hard time holding back their laughter.
Doctor Wan's face turned pale, and he pointed at them angrily, then walked away after a moment.
The others didn't stay long and said goodbye to each other.
"I won't say any more. I have to go back and fulfill my vow to the Buddha."
"Ask the kitchen to cook a few more dishes tonight and have a couple of glasses of wine to celebrate."
Who would have thought that the new minister was a hypocrite, kind on the outside but cruel on the inside.
It is said that a new official will start with three fires. On the second day after taking office, he burned all the officials of the Ministry of Works to ashes, leaving not a bone behind.
First, because of various trivial matters, he scolded 62 officials one by one, and not only fined each of them two months' salary, but also recorded their minor mistakes in the official register.
Everyone: “…”
That's not enough.
"Why is the Ministry of Industry the last of the six ministries? Why haven't you all achieved anything yet? It's because you haven't worked hard enough!"
"From now on, everyone will be on duty one hour later. We must produce results and let His Majesty and the other ministries and departments see that the Ministry of Works has the potential to become the leader of the six ministries!"
The new minister's words were like a bolt of thunder, which blew everyone away and made them see black all over.
It’s over!
Lord Du left, and here comes someone even more cruel than Lord Du.
Not even as good as the previous Lord Du!
......
Du Qingtang didn't know that the good days for the officials of the Ministry of Works were still to come. After returning to the Wen'an Marquis Mansion, he first went to the main courtyard to change into casual clothes, and then went to the dining room.
There was a charcoal brazier burning in the dining room, and the thick door curtains kept the cold wind out, making the room as warm as spring.
Everyone sat around the table, chatting and laughing. When Du Qingtang came in, Du Qingqin hurriedly called out, "Xianyu, come over here and have a bowl of ginger and jujube soup to warm yourself up."
Du Qingtang responded and went to the charcoal brazier to warm his hands for a while until they were warm before he sat down at the main table.
Seeing that the embroidered stool next to her was empty, Du Qingtang picked up the small celadon bowl, held the spoon and asked, "Is Eighth Sister not back yet?"
Du Qingzhu nodded and said, "Ever since the Seventh Prince's wife had a caesarean section, the noble ladies in the capital have always liked to seek out the female doctors in the Female Medical Bureau when they have a headache or a fever."
"Let's not talk about those of low status for now. It's good enough to have a female doctor. The princesses and princes' wives all ask for Xiao Ba by name. Every time they come to see a doctor, they give her a lot of gifts."
Du Qingtang took a sip of the ginger and jujube soup, the spiciness blooming in his mouth, with a sweet aftertaste: "I've been busy recently, and I didn't know about this."
Although people were arranged to secretly protect the Du family, those people would not report everything to her in detail unless they were in danger.
Du Qingzhu dragged out her words, pretending to be sad and complaining, "Xianyu, you really don't care about Xiaoba...Ah! Fourth sister, why did you hit me?"
Du Qinghua withdrew his hand and said angrily, "You keep talking non-stop and don't think before you speak. Who else should I hit if not you?"
Du Qingzhu held her head in her hands and sniffed aggrievedly: "Fourth sister, you are so mean. I was just joking with Xianyu."
Du Qinghua put his hands on his hips and glared at him fiercely: "Don't even say that as a joke. You're just relying on Xianyu's good temper to not bother with you!"
Du Qingzhu snorted twice, turned to look at Du Qingtang, and said softly: "Xianyu, I was wrong. You are a big man and don't bear grudges. Don't bother with me."
Du Qingtang didn't take it to heart at all. After all, it was a fact. She had indeed been neglecting her family in recent days.
"Xianyu is very busy with official duties and also has to take care of the research institute. He leaves early and comes back late every day. It's normal for him not to know." Du Qingshu smiled brightly, "But today is the first time since July that he has finished his shift on time. Our whole family can finally have a lively and neat meal together."
Once Du Qingtang is immersed in work, it is common for him to forget to eat and sleep.
For example, during the period of developing the generator, I forgot to eat lunch several times, and often forgot the time. When I looked up, I found that it was already dark.
The first few times, the girls from the Du family waited for her in the dining room, and their stomachs were already rumbling with hunger when dinner started.
Du Qingtang felt a little sorry, so he let them eat first and ate directly in the main courtyard after he came back.
If you think about it carefully, they haven't sat together to eat for three or four months.
Du Qingtang coughed lightly and said seriously, "I will try to come back earlier next time."
"That's not necessary. Official business is more important."
"Life isn't just about the day. There will be plenty of opportunities to eat together in the future, so these few months won't make a difference."
As they were talking, the door curtain was lifted and Du Qingju walked in.
Du Qingju looked around and found that everyone was there. She washed her hands and quickly sat down. She explained with a smile, "I went to the Fifth Prince's residence near the end of my shift. I took his pulse and had acupuncture. That's why I came back late."
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly: "Fifth Prince's Mansion?"
Du Qingju took the ginger and jujube soup from Du Qingzhu, took a sip, and then responded, "The Fifth Prince's wife is pregnant. Because she's been worrying too much, the pregnancy hasn't been going well. She's still vomiting for six months and can't eat anything. Today, the baby in her belly hasn't moved, and the Fifth Prince's wife is a little worried, so she asked me to come over and take a look."
Du Qingtang suddenly remembered that in the morning, the fifth prince threatened her with Shaoqing Mansion.
To this day, Du Qingtang is not too worried about the girls' school and female barracks being exposed.
She held great power and had Emperor Qingyuan as her guarantor. Even if those officials were dissatisfied and jointly impeached her, she would be able to get away with it.
The only impact is that girls' schools and women's barracks may be affected and may even be forced to close.
But it's not a big problem.
Next year, when the imperial examinations are opened to women and women are allowed to hold official positions, things will be restored to normal.
But this bastard is crazy and there is no guarantee that he will not take advantage of the opportunity to attack Du Qingju and threaten her.
Du Qingtang put down the spoon: "How long has it been?"
Du Qingju was stunned for a moment before realizing what the youngest was asking. She calculated on her fingers, "The Fifth Prince's Consort first sent for an invitation in mid-June. After that, she's been here every ten days, occasionally more frequently. But generally speaking, compared to the Seventh Prince's Consort, it's not particularly frequent."
Du Qingtang was a little annoyed. He was so busy sending people to keep an eye on the Fifth Prince that he forgot about the Fifth Prince's wife.
On the ninth day of June, Du Qingtang lost his temper and expelled the traitor Li Jiao from the Ministry of Works.
Immediately afterwards, the Fifth Prince's wife sent someone to invite Du Qingju to her house. She must have had other intentions, otherwise Du Qingtang would have eaten the celadon bowl in front of him.
Du Qingju saw the youngest's expression was different, and her heart was in her throat. She sat up straight nervously and asked, "What's wrong?"
Du Qingtang didn't hide anything and said frankly, "I have had a serious dispute with the Fifth Prince. That bastard is a sinister villain. I'm worried that he might harm you."
Everyone present changed their expressions.
"If that's the case, Xiao Ba is indeed in some danger."
"That shouldn't be the case, right? Even if Xiao Ba is not very good, he is still the village chief appointed by His Majesty himself, and he holds an official position."
"Second sister, you don't know that some people are very cunning and have endless ways to harm others, especially the prince. He has many capable people under his command and can kill someone without making any noise. Moreover, you can't even find any evidence, so you can only swallow this loss."
"Then... next time, Xiao Ba can just find an excuse and not go to the Fifth Prince's Mansion, okay?"
"I'm afraid it won't work." Du Qingju frowned. "Not to mention that saving the dying and healing the wounded is a doctor's job, I'm the deputy director of the Imperial Hospital and in charge of the Female Doctors' Department. Apart from Chu Xia and a few clerks, ordinary doctors are not capable of taking on this responsibility."
Du Qingju said, spreading her hands: "That person is still the prince's consort. We can't just send someone over there casually, or it might seem perfunctory. Although the Fifth Prince's consort is gentle and kind, if we really make a fuss about it, I'm afraid it will affect the Female Doctor Bureau."
Du Qingtang rubbed his brows and said, "Forget it. I will arrange a maid who knows martial arts for you tomorrow."
When you are in officialdom, you cannot do whatever you want.
Du Qingju is not her. She would make a big fuss over a disagreement, causing all the civil and military officials in the court to avoid her like the plague.
Having a personal bodyguard, she can feel more at ease.
"Thank you for the gift of jade. I will be careful." Du Qingju stroked the back of Du Qingtang's hand and said soothingly, "From my perspective, the Fifth Prince's wife is a good person. Next time, I will choose a time when the Fifth Prince is not at home."
Du Qingtang's expression eased slightly, and he called the maid over: "Ask the kitchen to add a few more dishes, and also bring out the Qingluo wine that the Yan family sent when he was conferred the title of Marquis last time."
Du Qingzhu remembered those jars of Qingluo wine. She was very envious when she saw them and wanted to try a glass, but Du Qingtang knocked her on the head and said that good wine was rare and should be brought out for the family dinner on New Year's Eve.
Du Qingtang mentioned Qingluo wine, and Du Qingzhu found it very strange: "Today there are both good wine and good food, is there some happy event?"
Du Qingtang responded, "At the court this morning, His Majesty promoted me to Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace."
Du Qingju's hand trembled, and the spoon slid into the bottom of the bowl with a tinkling sound. Her eyes widened: "Grand Secretary?!"
Du Qingzhu gasped and parroted, "Grand Secretary?!"
Du Qingqin looked confused: "Is the Grand Secretary really that powerful?"
Although she had learned some words in recent years, she was not familiar with the official positions in the court. She only knew the four: chief minister, minister, vice minister, and prefect.
I only knew about the last three because of my youngest son.
At the next table, Du Qingqi's only son, Zhou Cheng, explained with a mixture of joy and pride, "The Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace is a first-rank official. His power is second only to that of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. It can be said to be the highest position in the government."
When these words were spoken, everyone was surprised and happy.
"To hold the highest rank in the government is the dream of every scholar in the world. It is a height that many officials cannot reach in their entire lives. We have achieved this by offering jade at the age of twenty-five. If we tell others about it, I'm afraid people will be jealous to death."
"It is indeed a great joyous event, comparable to the first time I won the sixth place in the imperial examination."
"Add six more dishes... no! Eight more! Tonight we're celebrating Xianyu's promotion, and we won't leave until we're drunk!" Du Qingqin smiled and looked at Du Qingtang, saying angrily, "Xianyu, you're really holding back. You waited so long after you came in to tell us."
Du Qingtang smiled: "It's not too late to know now."
Du Qingqin echoed in agreement, smoothing her hair. She looked at the sisters sitting neatly at the table and said with emotion, "Who would have thought that our Du family would be able to achieve what it has today?"
The youngest one is the most promising, holding the first-rank official position, and is ranked among dukes.
The second is Xiao Ba, who holds the sixth rank and is granted the title of village chief.
Although Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi had no official positions or titles, they each had their own achievements and were extremely talented.
As for the four sisters, although they did not achieve much, they had some wealth, not to mention that their children were all well-behaved, sensible, and well-read.
A pale face flashed through Du Qingqin's mind. Her fingers, fiddling with the tassels of the table curtain, paused. Coincidentally, a maid brought in some Qingluo wine, and she smiled and said, "Everyone must be hungry after a busy day outside. Let's eat first."
Everyone responded and waited for the maid to bring the sumptuous dishes. They each picked up their chopsticks and drank, and did not disperse until midnight.
Because of the happy event of Du Qingtang entering the cabinet, the sisters and brothers-in-law were so happy that they drank too much and became unconscious, lying on the table groaning.
On the contrary, Du Qingtang himself only drank two glasses of wine to satisfy his craving for alcohol. His cheeks were only slightly flushed, and his mind was still clear.
"You guys go back first and get some rest. You still have classes tomorrow." Du Qingtang instructed the younger generation in the family. After they left, he asked the maids and servants to take the drunken sister and brother-in-law back to their respective residences. Finally, he drew the door curtain and walked out into the cold wind. "Tomorrow, ask the tailor in the mansion to make a few sets of clothes and send them to Lianhua Temple."
It’s the twelfth lunar month and the New Year is approaching.
Although Du Qingmei could not return home, she should wear some new clothes and spend a happy New Year in Lianhua Temple.
Meng Fang responded respectfully, standing in the corridor, watching the thin figure blend into the night, with a slight smile on his lips.
His master is the most soft-hearted person.
-
The next day, in the Golden Palace.
Du Qingtang's position changed due to his promotion. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the five cabinet ministers. He stood out among the officials with gray hair or beards, like a crane standing out among chickens.
The officials were talking in low voices when a message was heard outside the hall.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
When Emperor Qingyuan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat on the high throne, all officials knelt down and saluted, shouting "Long live the emperor" three times.
"Everyone, please stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
All officials stood still, and Fu Rui sang loudly: "If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court——"
Immediately, an imperial censor stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Qingyuan: "Yes."
The censor kowtowed and said in a trembling voice, "I would like to report the Minister of Rites, the Imperial Academy Scholar, and the Minister of the Imperial Household... for taking advantage of their positions to embezzle and accept bribes and enrich themselves!"
The censor named twenty or thirty people in one breath, then pulled a booklet from his sleeve and held it high above his head: "This is the evidence of guilt, please review it, Your Majesty."
Through the tassel beads, Emperor Qingyuan could see the expressions of all the officials.
Horror, anger, contempt... and excitement.
The twenty-eight people who were impeached were all members of Cao's party.
Those few people who could not hide their excitement under their respectful attitude were actually also members of Cao's party.
Behind the twelve-tasseled crown, Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyebrows, his eyes filled with interest.
Former allies drew their swords against each other and stabbed each other in the back.
Things are getting more and more interesting, aren't they?
The Golden Palace was filled with people kneeling on the ground. The impeached officials kowtowed violently, crying out for justice and begging for mercy.
The eunuchs brought the so-called evidence and presented it to Emperor Qingyuan.
Emperor Qingyuan read two pages at a glance, became furious, and threw the booklet at an official kneeling in the front.
The hard corner of the book hit the official's forehead, and his head was bleeding on the spot. Pain and shame came over him, but he crawled on the ground, not daring to move.
"A sixth-rank official receives two thousand taels, and one with real power receives five thousand taels."
"In just one Spring Examination, tens of thousands of taels could be embezzled from the examinees' food and bedding."
"Theft and sale of offerings from the imperial mausoleum, and false reporting of expenses, amounted to over 100,000 taels per year."
Emperor Qingyuan sneered, and his imperial majesty poured out towards the people below him: "You are truly my good subjects!"
The kneeling official was shaking like a sieve, still crying out for justice.
Emperor Qingyuan didn't want to listen anymore and waved his hand: "If you have anything to say, go to the prison and talk."
The imperial guards entered and dragged away the twenty-eight officials.
The sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling faded away, and the Golden Palace was filled with deathly silence.
Emperor Qingyuan pinched his brows and said, "Boss."
The eldest prince was secretly delighted at the thought of clipping the fifth prince's wings, but when his name was suddenly called, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your son is here."
Emperor Qingyuan said in a deep voice, "The Ministry of Justice is responsible for all investigations in the capital. Go to the imperial mausoleum on my behalf. Anyone found to have embezzled funds will be executed on the spot."
As he spoke, he sighed deeply, unable to conceal his self-blame and uneasiness. "By the way, please apologize to the late emperor and our ancestors on my behalf. It was my negligence that allowed people to embezzle the offerings, leaving them without anyone to offer sacrifices."
The eldest prince was stunned for a moment, then he was ecstatic.
My father asked him to apologize to the ancestors of the Xia family. Does that mean... that he is the candidate for crown prince that my father favors, and his name is written on the imperial edict appointing him as crown prince behind the Zhengda Guangming plaque in the Qianqing Palace?
The eldest prince was so excited that his whole body was shaking, and his voice was trembling: "Your son will obey the holy will of your father!"
Seeing this scene, the Sixth Prince and the Seventh Prince clenched their fists in hatred.
A dark light flashed in the fifth prince's eyes, and he lowered his head in thought.
......
After the morning court session, Du Qingtang and Qi Daxueshi went to the cabinet together.
Thinking of the farce in the Golden Palace, Grand Secretary Qi looked up at the sky and sighed, "Master Du, the wind is picking up."
Du Qingtang quietly watched the lone goose flying south, his tone calm and calm: "Master Qi, you are wrong. When will the wind stop?"
The fifth prince's hope of succeeding to the throne was slim, so Cao's party naturally had to find another way out.
No matter which prince you choose to support, you will need a stepping stone and a token of allegiance.
Thus, their former allies became stepping stones for them to seek the merit of following the dragon.
Grand Secretary Qi was speechless for a moment, rubbing his face vigorously with both hands: "Let's go and hand over the affairs to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister."
The two men came to the cabinet, and after the appointment, Shi Zishan and Yan Tiande came together.
Du Qingtang saluted and said to Qi Daxueshi: "This humble official pays respect to you, Your Excellency."
Shi and Yan were both solemn and serious, neither smiling. Seeing this, they only gave him a slight support and said, "No need for formalities, my lords. Since there is nothing important to do now, let's proceed with the handover."
Du Qingtang agreed and followed Yan Tiande to the duty room belonging to the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace.
After entering the duty room, Yan Tiande glanced at Du Qingtang and said, "So, your wish has come true?"
Since Du Qingtang returned to Xiajing, except for the initial generous gift he sent to Yan's house, the two had no more contact. When they met on a narrow road, they addressed each other as superiors and subordinates. No one could have imagined that Yan Tiande had boarded Du Qingtang's pirate ship.
At this moment, there were only two people in the duty room, so Yan Tiande slowed down his tone and said, "You are the only twenty-five-year-old cabinet minister in hundreds of years."
"This is just the beginning. What I want has not yet been truly realized." Du Qingtang replied to the previous sentence, and then said, "Thanks to your majesty's trust, I am able to achieve what I have today."
Yan Tiande hummed an ambiguous sound and slowly sat down: "Let's get started."
Du Qingtang responded, brought an embroidered stool and sat opposite Yan Tiande.
......
"Bang!"
Cao Yuan dropped his teacup to the ground and sneered, "Seeing me, Cao Yuan, leave the court, I don't even pretend anymore."
How could a bastard, a lowly bastard born to a palace maid, be qualified to enter the imperial mausoleum?
To this day, there are still many descendants of the Cao family serving as officials in the court, so Xia Ming dared to demote the legitimate heir and promote the illegitimate heir.
When all the descendants of Cao are expelled from the court one by one, won’t Xia Ming exterminate the Cao family, and not even let the Empress Dowager and the Fifth Prince go?
The Fifth Prince crunched walnuts in his hand, his palms crackling with sound. He said slowly, "Grandfather, you haven't seen that those officials who used to kowtow to you and follow your orders have gone so far as to sell out their friends just to curry favor with the eldest, sixth, and seventh princes. And after leaving court, they're all trying to gain credit. It's truly disheartening."
Cao Yuan closed his eyes tightly. The arrow wound on his left shoulder and the knife wound on his waist and abdomen were aching slightly, and his hands in his sleeves were trembling slightly.
The Fifth Prince glanced at Cao Yuan imperceptibly, then lowered his head to look at the patterns carved into the cement floor, as if trying to discern a flower. "Grandfather, what are you going to do next?"
Cao Yuan opened his eyes, a ruthless look flashed across his eyes, and he squeezed out each word from between his teeth: "Of course... Kill all the obstacles that stand in my way!"
After making that decision the day before, he had already given up the idea of killing the prince.
Now he suddenly felt that it was a good choice to let Xia Ming die out and let the Xia family end in Xia Ming's generation.
At this point, he no longer cares about his reputation during his lifetime or after his death.
If you can't be a capable minister, then be a treacherous hero and kill people to your heart's content!
-
Under Yan Tiande's guidance, Du Qingtang quickly became familiar with the official duties at hand and handled the documents with ease.
I looked at the water clock and it was already past noon.
Du Qingtang left the palace and rode his horse straight to the research institute.
I was busy with the handover of Ministry of Industry affairs yesterday and had no time to go to the Research Institute, but I have to go there today.
The generator has been completed, and the next step is to make tungsten filament.
Du Qi and Du Ba have not returned to Xiajing yet, and it is expected that they will have to wait for another ten days. Du Qingtang plans to use this time to make a device to extract tungsten.
Du Qingtang entered the laboratory, locked the door, and started to work.
Looking up again, the golden sun was setting in the west, and a faint outline of the jade rabbit appeared in the east.
It is not easy to extract tungsten, and it is equally difficult to make a device to extract tungsten.
Du Qingtang felt a little headache. He threw the scrapped device that had just taken shape aside, sat cross-legged on the ground for a while, thinking about his promise last night, then locked the door and left the institute.
When leaving, I happened to run into Zhang Fu.
Zhang Fu's eyes lit up when he saw Du Qingtang. "Sir, the Liuli Factory delivered the glass yesterday and also helped build a glass greenhouse. I have discussed this with the other lords and plan to plant rice in the next two days."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly: "You can arrange it. If it succeeds, I will also report the achievement to His Majesty."
Zhang Fu recalled the Imperial Steward who had come to the academy to read out the imperial edict a few months ago. His face flushed with excitement, and he rubbed his hands together cheerfully: "Thank you very much, sir. I will definitely take good care of the rice seedlings!"
Du Qingtang left the research institute, untied the rope on the hitching post, rubbed Zhuifeng's thick mane, jumped on the horse, shook the reins and galloped out.
After entering the city, Du Qingtang did not return home, but went to Princess Zhaoyang's mansion.
When they reached the door, Du Qingtang asked the doorman, "Is His Highness at home today?"
The doorman nodded repeatedly and invited Du Qingtang in.
Du Qingtang relied on facial recognition to arrive at the main courtyard without any obstruction.
Yuan Shuang was a little surprised to see her and bowed, "I didn't know Lord Du was coming. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you. His Highness is practicing calligraphy in his study. Please follow me this way."
Du Qingtang responded, "Thank you, Aunt Yuanshuang."
Yuan Shuang said she dared not, and led Du Qingtang to the study, knocking gently on the door: "Your Highness, Lord Du is here to visit."
A vague female voice soon came from inside the door: "Come in."
Du Qingtang pushed the door open and walked in. Princess Zhaoyang put down her wolf-hair brush and looked at her with a smile from behind the desk: "Why are you here, Xianyu?"
Princess Zhaoyang probably didn't go out today. She just tied her hair into a bun, had no makeup on, and wore a more comfortable dress.
Du Qingtang took a quick glance and quickly came to a conclusion. Without changing his expression, he stepped forward and explained his purpose: "...I'm worried that the Fifth Prince will fail in his attempt to interfere in the Ministry of Works and will use my Eighth Sister against me. I'm planning to arrange a maid for her who's skilled in martial arts, but the Marquis Wen'an's Mansion is short on staff, so I've come to borrow someone from Arong."
"Well done, Xianyu. He overreached. Just chop him off." Princess Zhaoyang sighed softly and spoke to Du Qingtang heart to heart. "Xia Qixuan appears to be a scoundrel on the surface, but he's actually quite vicious. It's a good thing you're taking precautions, Xianyu."
After that, he called Yuan Shuang who was guarding outside and said, "Send Jiao Yue over."
Yuan Shuang took the order and left, and soon returned with someone.
"This servant pays homage to His Highness."
The petite young girl with a baby face knelt down and kowtowed firmly.
Princess Zhaoyang ordered, "From now on, you will follow the Eighth Young Lady of the Marquis of Wen'an Mansion and be responsible for her safety."
Jiaoyue responded crisply, pursing her lips to smile, revealing two dimples: "As you command."
Looking at it this way, she looks more like a little girl who hasn't reached the age of marriage yet.
Du Qingtang did not stay long, nor did he question the abilities of Princess Zhaoyang's men. He quickly left with his men.
After Du Qingtang left, Princess Zhaoyang leaned back in the armchair, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. Her tone was calm, revealing an inorganic indifference: "How is it?"
Yuan Shuang walked forward, rubbed Princess Zhaoyang's aching forehead, and reported in a soft voice.
Princess Zhaoyang gave an ambiguous laugh, her nail-stained fingertips brushing the corners of her lips. "If you want to kill someone, you must first make them mad. How can you tell whether they will live or die before the end?"
Let’s make some noise.
The bigger the commotion, the better.
She returned to the court from Da Qi and lay dormant for more than twenty years, waiting for this day.
......
When Du Qingtang returned to the Wen'an Marquis Mansion, everyone had already eaten and was chatting in the dining room.
Du Qingtang led Jiaoyue in and said to Du Qingju, "This is Jiaoyue. From now on, she will accompany you to the Female Doctor's Bureau for duty."
Du Qingju looked at the little girl who looked like glutinous rice cake, her eyes flickering, and she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.
On the other hand, Du Qingzhu was outspoken and asked when she didn't understand: "She is as young as a scallion. If something really happens, can she escape with Xiao Ba?"
Before he finished speaking, Jiaoyue smiled with her eyes curved, jumped lightly, and landed lightly on the antique display cabinet against the wall like a big cat.
Everyone exclaimed, and watched her float to the ground with only a slight sound.
That's not enough.
Jiaoyue stepped forward again, unexpectedly picked up Du Qingju horizontally, and jumped lightly again, returning to the antique shelf.
During the whole process, the vase on the antique shelf remained motionless.
Du Qingju was frightened, her whole body stiff, not daring to move, her voice trembling: "Alright, alright, I know you are very powerful, let me down quickly."
Jiaoyue did as she was told and put Du Qingju down after landing lightly.
Du Qingju staggered, touched his chest, and looked still in shock.
Jiaoyue smiled, her dimples deep: "Don't worry, Miss, Jiaoyue will definitely protect you!"
Du Qingju: “…”
Du Qingtang: “…”
Everyone: “…”
-
However, at the morning court session, Emperor Qingyuan ordered the eldest prince to go to the imperial mausoleum to investigate the case of officials of the Taichang Temple stealing and selling sacrificial offerings, and to pay homage to the ancestors of the Xia family.
The eldest prince was overjoyed. After returning home, he arranged for people to pack their luggage. The next morning, he and his concubine, who was disguised as a servant, boarded a carriage. Under the escort of a hundred guards, the group left Xiajing in a grand manner and headed straight for the imperial mausoleum.
The carriage rumbled along the official road, and the eldest prince lay in the carriage. His concubine placed a peeled walnut kernel near his mouth and said in a delicate voice, "Your Highness has the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix. He was born with the appearance of an emperor. He is destined to be the emperor and rule the beautiful land of Great Xia."
The eldest prince was flattered by these words. He crossed his legs, dangling his feet in the air, and bit his concubine's fingertips while holding a walnut kernel in his mouth.
The concubine moaned softly, her face flushed with rosy pink, and her shy and timid look made the eldest prince's heart flutter. He stood up and was about to pounce on her.
However, before he could make any move, the carriage suddenly stopped. The eldest prince was caught off guard and bumped his head against the wooden board, causing him to see stars in pain.
The eldest prince covered the back of his head, cursed, and lifted the curtain of the carriage: "What's going on?"
The next moment, the pupils suddenly contracted.
Blood!
Blood everywhere!
A group of men dressed as bandits waved scimitars and cut off the heads or arms and legs of the guards of the eldest prince's mansion as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
Screams and shouts of killing filled the air.
The eldest prince shuddered, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he jumped off the carriage timidly, intending to hide in the woods beside the official road.
"Your Highness, where are you going?"
"Don't you want me anymore?"
The concubines cried behind him, but the eldest prince ignored them and just wanted to escape.
However, after taking just two steps, the world began to spin in front of my eyes.
The eldest prince vaguely saw a headless corpse fall to the ground with a thud, and then lost consciousness.
The concubine picked up the eldest prince's head and threw it to the man dressed as a bandit: "Throw it into the mountains and feed it to the wolves."
"yes!"
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