Chapter 136 Leaving the Capital (20) Meeting the Emperor.
Yu Qi put his arm around her back, smiled and looked at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her. For a moment, all that could be heard was their rapid breathing, the rustling of the wind, and the crackling of the charcoal fire; otherwise, the world was silent. Jiu Li had just tightened her arms around his neck when Du Zhong's face suddenly flashed into her mind, looking at her pitifully. Her heart tightened, and she loosened her arms and lowered her face.
"What's wrong?" Yu Qi asked softly.
Jiuli shook her head slightly, her face showing a lost and confused expression. Yu Qi quickly guessed that it was because of Du Zhong. Even he lost interest at the thought of Du Zhong. He gently patted her back, sighed, and glanced out the window.
It was pitch black outside the window, and he couldn't see anything, but he could hear the urgent sound of the wind, and the snow seemed to have stopped. He suddenly thought of the old lady. Although Suzhou wasn't as cold as the north, the old lady was still quite old, and with Du Zhong's accident, he wondered what kind of blow it must have been for her—
She probably loved him, her son, otherwise she wouldn't have treated the two orphans he adopted as her grandchildren. She poured most of her affection for him onto Du Zhong and Jiu Li.
Thinking of this, he put Jiuli down, personally carried the charcoal brazier to the bedside, and pulled her to lie down. "Although the Qi family has fallen on hard times, Qi Xubai still brought some money to the capital, so there is no shortage of charcoal. If you are still cold, ask Li Mama to make another charcoal brazier. There is no need to save money for the Qi family."
Jiuli lay on her pillow looking at him, then suddenly smiled, “You used to forbid me from accepting all of Xu Bai’s gifts, and you wouldn’t even let me eat when he treated me, saying that you’re indebted to people who give you gifts, but now you’ve changed your mind.”
He smiled and said, "He tricked us into coming to Beijing this time to clear Zhou Yu's name and to do their bidding. It's not like we used him for nothing."
Jiuli pursed her lips and pulled the blanket up to her neck. "Go back to sleep. You haven't had a good night's sleep since Du Zhong's accident. You have to go to the palace to meet the emperor tomorrow, so don't stay up too tired."
Yu Qi saw through her hidden motives at a glance. She was thinking that the Emperor might be her biological father, so naturally she wanted him to leave a good impression on the Emperor.
He chuckled lightly, "As long as you don't embarrass yourself in front of the Emperor, what difference does it make whether you're energetic or not? Do you think you're like Zhang Da, expecting the Emperor to appoint me to an official position?"
"Hmph, that nonchalant attitude again," Jiu Li glanced at him and turned her face away. "Have you forgotten what my purpose was in coming to the capital this time?"
He could not forget, but he dared not think like her. He returned to his room and lay on the bed, pondering it all night. Now everyone knows that Jiuli was the one who rescued Quanfu back then, so the emperor can naturally guess that the shadow guards sent to Quanfu back then were killed by him. When Quanfu caught fire, he was the only eyewitness. The emperor probably doesn't want such a witness to live in the world at all. It is an old story from more than ten years ago, and I never thought it would be brought up again today.
The next morning, Eunuch Shen sent a carriage to pick her up. Jiuli specially wore an amber-colored brocade long coat, a pink floral crepe skirt, and her hair was styled in a loose bun, adorned with a pair of red agate earrings. When she saw that Yu Qi was still dressed as usual, wearing a black and gray cloak over a royal blue round-necked robe, she couldn't help but feel annoyed that he wasn't dressed formally enough, and she snorted in the carriage.
Yu Qi smiled as he saw her turn her face to the side. "We are commoners entering the palace. It would be better if we attracted too much attention."
She turned her gaze back and noticed a hint of seriousness on his face. "What are you worried about? I haven't been happy to see you since this morning. Are you afraid that the Emperor will blame you if you don't solve the case of Prince Zhao?"
He shook his head and smiled again, "Meeting the Emperor is something that even most officials are somewhat apprehensive about, let alone me."
Jiuli leaned forward and placed her hand on the back of his hand. Her voice was soft but strong. "Now you can rely on me. Eunuch Shen likes me. Isn't it said that those who work in the palace are the most discerning? Regardless of whether I am the Emperor's daughter or not, if Eunuch Shen likes me, I'm sure the Emperor will like me too. I'll plead for you if there's anything."
Yu Qi couldn't reveal this, fearing that her biological father really was the Emperor, and that this father had once sent men to infiltrate the entire mansion and commit murder. If she knew, she would probably be greatly disappointed in the world. First Guo Xiuzhi, then Qi Xubai—too many people had disappointed her; he couldn't bear to disappoint her again.
He held her hand in his lap and smiled, "You've grown up and become more sensible. Maybe your uncle will really have to rely on you this time."
Jiuli raised her head, looking very proud, and for a moment she was no different from the proud and willful girl she used to be.
The carriage traveled towards the imperial city and stopped at Jiuqing Gate. The two alighted and saw Shen Quan waiting outside with two eunuchs. Shen Quan wore red rank badges, three-peaked hats, and gold-threaded whisks draped over his arms. The two stepped forward to pay their respects, and Eunuch Shen hurriedly helped them up. He glanced at Jiuli, his eyes lighting up, and nodded with a smile.
After entering the Jiuqing Gate, Jiuli pressed close to Shen Quan, asking questions such as whether the Emperor was fierce or not. Shen Quan simply smiled and said, "You'll know when you see him, Miss."
As they approached the Jade Palace, the solemn atmosphere of the imperial city intimidated Jiu Li, who gradually stopped daring to lift her head. Her limbs trembled slightly, and she walked slowly beside Yu Qi, only glancing at the eunuchs sweeping snow on the road out of the corner of her eye. There were so many people on the road, yet all that could be heard was the rustling of snow; not a single human voice could be heard.
Entering the Yugan Palace, one's eyes are filled with an overwhelming sense of awe. Kowtowing, one sees only a large, ornately carved desk at the front, flanked by two crane-shaped lamps, their imposing presence casting a shadow over the center. The entire hall is solemn and silent. Jiuli stealthily glances at Yu Qi; he lies prostrate on the ground, motionless, his posture utterly solemn and reverent, which intensifies her fear.
"Rise."
A deep, nonchalant male voice came from above. Although his tone was amiable, his languidness carried a powerful aura, like a dozing beast that made one fearful of waking it.
Jiuli rose, her head bowed, and waited for a long while, but still heard no one speak from above. She then stealthily raised her face to peek. Unexpectedly, she met the Emperor's gaze. The Emperor suddenly smiled, and she couldn't look away. The Emperor was a tall, middle-aged man, dressed in a pale yellow robe and wearing a black gauze winged crown. He sat reclining on a large, huanghuali wood armchair, his hands tucked into his sleeves, a three-inch black beard on his head, and his deep, weary eyes gazing at her. In his eyes, she sensed a mixture of joy and sorrow.
But he was smiling throughout, and slowly propped his arm on the table, saying, "A commoner girl dares to look directly at the emperor, who gave you the courage?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Quan was startled and wanted to step forward to comfort Jiu Li. However, seeing that Zhou Hao's expression was serious but there was no anger in his eyes, she guessed that he just wanted to tease Jiu Li. So she quietly moved her foot back and waited for Jiu Li's reply.
Jiuli was startled, but quickly came to her senses and said, "I originally thought Your Majesty would look terrifying, but who knew you were so handsome that I was captivated at first glance."
Zhou Hao laughed immediately, "Am I good-looking?"
"It's both beautiful and majestic, like the Jade Emperor in heaven!"
This person, with a face identical to Quan Shanheng's, spoke to him in such a manner, leaving him both astonished and bewildered, as if the world had been turned upside down. He smiled, "Have you met the Jade Emperor?"
"Never seen it before."
“If you’ve never seen it, then you’re suspected of deceiving the emperor.”
Yu Qi was still lying on the ground. Hearing this, he tilted his head and glanced at Jiu Li. Jiu Li didn't look at him, but just laughed and said, "But I have dreamed about it. In my dream, the Jade Emperor looks just like you."
Zhou Hao leaned back in his chair, his face stern, and said, "Who has ever seen your dream? Isn't this just made up? Lying is deceiving the emperor."
Jiuli bit her lip to bolster her courage, "Since you've never seen it, how can you be so sure I'm making it up? I really did dream about it."
Just as he finished speaking, Shen Quan chuckled silently beside him. Zhou Hao slowly turned his gaze to him and asked, "Shen Quan, do you think this girl makes sense?"
"It seems reasonable yet unreasonable. This girl is so eloquent that she has left even me confused."
Zhou Hao could only laugh and say, "You really have a sharp tongue; you can argue even when you're wrong."
When Jiuli saw him smile, she quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "This commoner dares not argue with Your Majesty, but I only said a few more words because I felt Your Majesty was kind."
"Get up," Zhou Hao said cheerfully. After she got up, he looked her over carefully again and noticed a cleverness and cunning in her eyes. People often said the same thing about her when she was young, though they said that Prince Feng's eyes looked kind and benevolent. In this light, she did resemble him in some ways.
A moment later, Zhou Hao also called Yu Qi up, and sized him up. He looked no more than thirty years old. If he was the one who fought the entire mansion to kill several shadow guards back then, he could be considered a young hero. He crossed his legs, leaning even further to the side, and said, "Your name is Yu Qi. I've heard of you. You helped investigate the Qinglian Temple case in Nanjing. I heard you even injured Lord Chen's son? You caused someone to become disabled; do you know why you haven't been punished?"
Yu Qi bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. You must know that it was Young Master Chen who had ulterior motives at the time, and that I was only acting expediently, which is why you forgave me."
Zhou Hao nodded and said, "Although I have pardoned you, the Chen family may still hold a grudge against you. In the case of Prince Zhao, some people in the court recommended you to investigate, but there were some rumors outside that Prince Zhao was innocent, and even more so that the Chen family framed him. You have had some past conflicts with the Chen family, and I am worried that you may be biased in the investigation."
Yu Qifu knelt down and said, "I have already seriously injured Young Master Chen. Even if there was any grudge, it has been settled. I only hope that the Chen family will not blame me. How dare I hold a grudge, let alone use public affairs to vent my personal anger?"
Zhou Hao remained silent for a long time before saying, "I trust you this time." He then summoned Shen Quan to the table and gave her a few instructions.
Shen Quan then led the two towards the outside of the hall. When they reached the door, Jiu Li looked back and saw Zhou Hao emerge from behind the desk to the right and head straight for the inner hall. She watched his retreating figure with a sense of bewilderment, feeling a strange warmth in her heart, yet at the same time feeling a distance of thousands of miles between them. Reluctantly, she turned away, grabbed her skirt, and left.
The two followed Shen Quan toward the crime scene. Along the way, Shen Quan handed Yu Qi a token, saying, "This was bestowed by the Emperor. Since the crime scene is within the palace grounds, you will inevitably need to go in and out to investigate. With this token, you can move around the palace. The victim in this case was a palace maid in the Imperial Concubine's palace. If you want to question the palace staff, you must first obtain the Imperial Concubine's permission. Remember that?"
Yu Qi nodded and accepted the plaque with both hands.
Jiuli rushed forward and asked, "Eunuch, is the Imperial Concubine easy to talk to?"
Shen Quan said tactfully, "The Emperor has ordered you to investigate the case, so naturally no one dares to obstruct it."
As if on cue, here she was, sitting gracefully in the octagonal pavilion ahead, attended by several palace maids in red shirts and green skirts. A maid handed the woman a hot water bottle, which she took. She glanced outside the pavilion, saw the three of them, and showed no surprise, only a slight smile as she called out Shen Quan's name.
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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