30. Rely on
Yun Zhihe paused for a long time, she slowly bowed and then met Wen Youzhi's gaze.
"...Student, I will definitely fulfill your mission."
After Yun Zhihe returned, she thought for a long time. She covered her face with her fingers and sighed softly while sitting in the carriage.
At this moment, a strong impulse arose in my heart.
She wanted to ask Xuanyuan Ying again.
With Prime Minister Wen's trump card now snatched away by the Xuanyuan clan, what could the Xuanyuan clan rely on? And how could they calmly face her threats during the imperial examination ceremony?
Yun Zhihe looked out the window and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Azhi, turn around and go to the palace."
The news of Prime Minister Wen's dismissal spread to everyone within half a day, and the palace was filled with people petitioning for an audience.
There was some noise at the entrance of the Holy Palace.
Wen Yanhe went out and said to the ministers who had petitioned for an audience, "My Lords, the Emperor is unwell and cannot see guests."
He took a step forward and ordered his guards to come forward to block the way for the court officials who were trying to get close.
"You ignorant son! Prime Minister Wen has been dismissed from office. As a son, why don't you plead for him? Don't try to stop him, or you'll ruin everything!"
An old woman was so angry that her face turned red, and she wished she could throw Wen Yan and this ungrateful boy out of the palace right now.
A young man nearby stopped the old woman, looked worried, and spoke to Wen Yanhe in a gentle voice.
"Oh... Master Wen, you can't see the situation clearly. Please let us go quickly and let us see His Majesty."
Yun Zhihe walked forward and saw that Wen Yanhe had a calm expression, but his fingertips were digging into the flesh, trembling slightly, and he was deliberately pretending to be... expressionless.
A clear voice.
"My Lords, His Majesty has said he will not see you. Please do not embarrass this junior."
"Your Majesty will make the final decision on my mother's matter. My mother will explain the confusion to you all when you go to the Wen Mansion."
He turned to look at the guards and motioned them to go up.
"Send these gentlemen out of the palace."
The crowd was quickly led away by the guards, leaving behind a few indignant sighs from the women.
"You ignorant son! You ungrateful bastard! How can you be worthy of being Prime Minister Wen's son!"
Wen Yanhe's expression remained calm, her lips slightly pursed, her nails digging deeper, and the stinging pain spread from the palm of her hand.
Yun Zhihe has a special identity, so no one touches her.
She stood quietly in the crowd, and soon she was the only one left.
Wen Yanhe stood on the high platform in front of the hall, his back straight, his official uniform neatly and beautifully worn, his waist slender. He just watched quietly as the low noise faded away, and then met Yun Zhihe's eyes again.
The two of them looked at each other in this strange noise.
They could hear the sound of officials and guards arguing, but they couldn't hear it clearly and just stared at each other.
Yun Zhihe saw that the calmness in his eyes was suddenly stained with grievance, and the clear jade was stained with ripples, undulating like circles on water, and his eye sockets were slightly red.
But his back remained straight.
He lip-synched, his Adam's apple trembling, "...Yun Zhihe."
The crowd dispersed, leaving only the two of them looking at each other.
He slowly walked down the stairs, his steps staggering, and then came to her side, his voice hoarse, "My mother...she, uh..."
"My mother...she is...a good official..."
His voice was filled with tears, but he was trying hard to hold back the tears.
"She is not a corrupt official."
Yun Zhihe was stunned. She saw the little fox's eyes were red and his voice was hoarse as he kept stating -
His mother was a good official.
Yun Zhihe was touched and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"……I know."
"I know she is a good official."
"Madam Yun, please go in."
At this time, Eunuch Li suddenly came over, glanced at the tears on Wen Yanhe's face, and smiled at Yun Zhihe.
Yun Zhihe nodded, looked at the little fox again, and smiled at him as if to comfort him, his hair flying in the wind.
Wen Yanhe was left with tears behind her, which dripped onto the floor tiles, splashing a few drops of water.
He looked at Yun Zhihe's back and finally couldn't help sobbing. Ruyu's face was stained with red tears and no longer looked clear and bright.
Yun Zhihe walked in and looked up in a daze, seeing Xuanyuan Ying painting. His slender white fingertips holding the pen showed his noble pride. When he saw Yun Zhihe come in, his fingertips paused, but he continued without caring.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong."
Yun Zhihe lowered his head, his fingertips trembling.
Xuanyuan Ying raised his head, his hair sliding down his handsome face, across his pale lips. His pale eyes drooped slightly, and he responded softly.
“…That’s right.”
A dark color spread out from the tip of the pen.
Yun Zhihe retorted, "You are wrong."
She seemed dissatisfied with Xuanyuan Ying's indifferent attitude, and retorted with a trembling voice, directly speaking of the court's disputes.
"I am young and ignorant, Your Majesty planned for me... and lost the game..."
Yun Zhihe closed his eyes.
"Your Majesty used the humble family as a trump card, but he offended the humble family because of this matter."
He spent many years promoting Prime Minister Wen, but now he has lost his support.
Xuanyuan Ying has two trump cards in his hand, one is Prime Minister Wen, and the other is the military power in Lou Zhi's hands.
Lou Zhi is one with him... and will never betray him.
He has now lost Prime Minister Wen.
As Prime Minister Wen said, let her be the head of the poor family... However, time is tight, and he can't take action during his free time.
"...How can Your Majesty have support?"
Xuanyuan Ying looked up at her, seeing the clear eyes of his Jinniang and her tall and graceful figure.
He was in a trance.
...His Jinniang seemed to have grown up.
Xuanyuan Ying was silent for a moment and did not answer her words. Then he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Come here, I will teach you how to paint."
Everyone knows that Madam Yun Zhihe is unparalleled in the world, with stones piled up like jade and pines standing like emerald green... She is an expert in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but few people know that her painting skills were taught by Your Majesty personally.
But she is no longer a child.
Yun Zhihe walked forward and sat silently on the shore, watching the half-finished painting he had drawn.
There are half a tree of plum blossoms, and the bright moon in the sky is reflected, shining brightly.
She picked up the pen and lowered her eyes as she finished the rest of the painting for him, using a similar brushstroke.
Xuanyuan Ying was in a trance again. She was very close to him, and if she listened carefully she could smell the cool fragrance lingering around her nose.
The two of them hadn't been this close for a long time.
He once held the child in his arms, leaned over to teach her how to paint, and their hair became entangled.
Then he grew from a teenager to a young man, and she from a child to a young girl.
Memories have been turned into a painting. A plum tree is in full bloom. The moonlight is shining, casting a compassionate light on the falling snow and the plum blossoms, which seem to carry the fragrance of plum blossoms.
Xuanyuan Ying seemed to remember what Yun Zhihe had just said -
"...How can Your Majesty have support?"
He lowered his eyes to look at the tangled hair on the table, sniffed the fragrance, closed his eyes and spoke.
"My reliance is on you."
Yun Zhihe paused and looked up at him.
He watched the emperor's eyes open, stained with a smile, and he gathered a strand of her hair between his fingertips, then spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Jinniang, become my support."
“…Is it possible?”
There was a roar in her ears, and she remembered Prime Minister Wen's increasingly high voice.
"I want you to be fearless in presenting your petitions and fearless in public opinion."
"I do not envy the title of a prince, nor do I desire wealth and splendor."
"...I want you to be a famous minister through the ages, your name immortalized in history books—"
"And then... write your name."
Yun Zhihe smiled, with a surge of ambition in her heart. She looked at him with serious eyes and a smile on her lips.
"good."
She has a clear voice.
"I, your minister, will be your support."
Madam Xiaoyun's gloom was swept away, like a raging fire.
Xuanyuan Ying was stunned, as if burned by the fire in her eyes, and lowered his eyes again.
The fingertips gripping her hair tightened.
It wasn’t long since Prime Minister Wen was dismissed from office. Perhaps because the Xuanyuan family put too much pressure on him, or because Prime Minister Wen had already dealt with the issue, the court was in turmoil for two days before it died down.
The poor family had no leader for a while, but they still had the old women to support them. They declined for a while, but without Prime Minister Wen's witty remarks, the people from the aristocratic families in the court were very angry.
The elderly woman was almost suffocated by anger.
Yun Zhihe was carefully analyzing the situation in the court. Without the support of Prime Minister Wen, she had to grow up as quickly as possible and try not to pay attention to the harsh words of some people.
Besides, she is a clear-minded person, and many people like her, so she doesn't have many enemies.
Wen Youzhi shared his connections with her, and the emperor issued an edict, and Yun Zhihe was promoted to the fifth rank.
Because of Wen Youzhi, the court began to secretly support her, and she has been very busy recently. Madam Xiaoyun is a heroic young woman who has taken on important responsibilities early on.
There is also Yuanzi Luo. She looks like an honest person, but because she has climbed up the high branch of the Xuanyuan family, she has been promoted step by step. Cui Mingyu was so angry that he scolded her with Li Miaomiao while drinking.
She glared at Fang Li who was trying to persuade her to drink less. Fang Li was so scared that he shuddered and went back weakly.
Even this morning at the court, the prince had spoken kindly to her.
"Your Majesty, I see that Madam Yuan is exceptionally talented... The strategies she proposed for maintaining public order were particularly effective, and her ideas were ingenious..."
Xuanyuan He stepped forward, lowered his head and spoke, his eyes glancing at Yuanzi Luo who was humbly lowering his head.
Cheng Guomu Xuanyuan Ming looked at Yuan Ziluo with admiration, and then glanced at Yun Zhihe inconspicuously.
These two girls are newcomers in the court and belong to different factions, so it is natural that they will confront each other.
"Madam Yuan is truly amazing, but..."
Yun Zhihe turned his head away indifferently to avoid Cheng Guomu's visit, his expression without any ripples.
Cui Mingyu felt a pang of pain when he thought of the idiot Xuanyuan Sui showing off his power. As His Royal Highness the Crown Prince praised him, he rolled his eyes slightly with a look of disdain on his face.
No matter how much you praise her, she is still not as good as Yun Zhihe.
She was particularly unbridled. Anyway, her rank was not high, and no one should have noticed her in the last crowd.
So it was until the end of the court session.
Her mother ran over and kicked her directly, and Cui Mingyu almost stumbled and fell in the crowd.
Cui Mingyu glared at her angrily, his eyes filled with anger.
"you……!"
Madam Cui had a stubborn temper. She dragged her daughter out of the palace, approached her, and cursed under her breath.
"Several bastards in the Censorate saw your eye roll, and their eyes lit up like dogs seeing shit. Tomorrow, you and I will be reported!"
"Just wait till I get home and punish you with the family rules!"
His voice was low and he gritted his teeth.
Cui Mingyu's angry expression froze.
The mother and daughter have the same temper.
Yun Zhihe chuckled as he looked at the backs of the two of them entangled, and then he saw Yuanzi Luo in the crowd.
She was dressed in official uniform and looked serious and solemn. She stopped among the crowd leaving the court with a sullen expression.
He doesn't look like a person who curries favor with the powerful.
Because of the party disputes, the two had never spoken to each other, and when they met they only exchanged a casual greeting.
With a bit of observation in mind, she followed her and wanted to talk to her for a while, but she saw that she did not leave the palace, but hid nearby while taking advantage of the noisy crowd.
Yun Zhihe stopped.
She was very agile and seemed to have some experience in martial arts. If Yun Zhihe hadn't been observing her, she would have been almost dazzled.
She frowned, her mind racing, and followed him forward.
She followed her from the main hall to the imperial garden. Yun Zhihe was also cautious. Seeing that she was sneaky, he didn't let her notice that he was following her.
Yuanzi Luo took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, looked around to see if there was anyone around, and handed it to the person in front of him.
The other person looked unfamiliar, with his head lowered, and his face could not be seen clearly... It seemed that he was not from the palace.
Yun Zhihe was far away from the two of them and could only vaguely hear a few words.
"...this...General Lou...is...the...most...thing..."
Yun Zhihe frowned.
She grew up in this palace and was very familiar with the terrain. She avoided the sight of the two men and came out when they left.
He looked at Yuanzi Luo's back thoughtfully.
She thought for a long time, weighing the words carefully.
...General Lou?
Yuanzi Luo now seems to be an official of the Xuanyuan clan. He has become estranged from the eldest prince in recent days, and the previous rumors about him are no longer there.
Lou Zhi was not from a noble or humble family. He lived a secluded life and was known to everyone. The military power in his hands belonged only to Xuanyuan Ying.
Is there someone who is trying to seize the military power in his hands?
Or something else?
…Looks like I need to visit him.
Yun Zhihe walked out with a gloomy expression. She whispered to Azhi, "Let's go to General Lou's residence."
"Now? But there's no visiting card..."
She muttered something, but her actions were clear. She instructed the coachwoman and helped Yun Zhihe onto the horse.
The Lou Mansion was located in a remote area and few people visited. Even if someone came, Lou Zhi would refuse them outright and not see them. After returning to Beijing for several months, except for that banquet that ended in vain, he had not let anyone see him.
His Majesty also specially exempted him from the morning court.
If she hadn't run into Yuanzi Luo today, she would have almost forgotten about this person.
Although the mansion is remote, it is a good place to live. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, with carved railings and jade walls, cicadas chirping in the quiet forest, and birds singing in the secluded mountains. Even Yun Zhihe, who has lived in the palace since childhood, could not help but admire the exquisiteness of this building.
Ah Zhi became interested and was also amazed, and spoke.
"Miss, I heard that this Lou Mansion was originally a holy place in the previous dynasty. There is a mysterious spring inside that can heal wounds and regenerate bones. It is very magical. Countless ministers in the court wanted to live in this mansion. I didn't expect that His Majesty would reward General Lou with it."
"General Lou has truly received the grace of His Majesty. He was exempted from attending court and was also awarded this mansion."
Yun Zhihe nodded, praised, and asked Azhi to go and knock on the door.
"Bang bang—"
There was no guard at the door of such a huge mansion. Azhi knocked on the door for a long time and waited for a long time before someone came. He hurriedly opened the door.
The servant asked cautiously with a puzzled look on his face.
“What are you doing…?”
Ah Zhi paused and replied, "My wife, Yun Zhihe, wants to come visit General Lou. I wonder if this is convenient?"
"...It's convenient." He trembled and opened the door sideways, welcoming them in. "Ladies, come in."
But the servant looked a little embarrassed and said in a low voice, "It's just that there are few servants in the mansion, and I'm afraid I can't provide a good reception."
Yun Zhihe shook his head. "No need to overdo the hospitality. I'm just here to look for General Lou."
The servant lowered his head, a little embarrassed, "General Lou is a dull person. The Lou Mansion is so big that we servants don't know where General Lou is."
"...He must be practicing martial arts somewhere."
The servant looked very anxious, with stove ash on his face. Ah Zhi was stunned, and then she looked back along the way and followed the servant to the main house.
The scenery on the road was prosperous, but there was no one to take care of it, and some weeds grew. There was no one on such a long road.
Looking at the servant in a hurry, a terrible guess came to Azhi's mind.
"Uncle, were you... cooking just now? There's only... one servant?"
The servant lowered his head, as if a little ashamed, and responded softly.
"The general doesn't like crowds. Indeed, there are only two of us in the mansion."
Yun Zhihe was also a little shocked.
There were only two people in such a huge mansion.
I thought that the Yun Mansion was already sparsely populated, but I didn't expect that the Lou Mansion was even more so.
She paused, then spoke carefully, "Uncle, you go and cook, and I'll go find General Lou. This will give me a chance to talk to him directly about things."
Yun Zhihe looked at Azhi again.
"Azhi, we didn't bring any gifts with us. You can go with this uncle to prepare some food as a gift."
Azhi nodded. Although she was a woman, she was proficient in all kinds of martial arts and cooking was not a problem for her.
I just felt a little bit of admiration for General Lou, whom I had never met before.
Staying indoors for several months, it turns out... to survive in the wilderness.
The uncle pointed to the location and said awkwardly, "The general and I only move around in this area. We haven't been to other places... yet."
Yun Zhihe walked in the direction pointed by the servant. Perhaps in this magnificent building, he felt a bit more leisurely and elegant, and he enjoyed the scenery leisurely.
There is a small waterfall in front, with water rushing down and splashing on the ground. The water droplets bring up a small rainbow, which, from this point of view, rises right in the rockery, which is particularly exquisite and unique.
The rockery is narrow and gets deeper as you go. It is narrow in the middle, but when you pass through the rainbow, you will suddenly see a bright future with rare and precious plants and dense forests.
A breeze rustled through the dense forest, bringing a cool breeze, cool but not cold. It had been a bit hot just now, but the temperature dropped suddenly.
——This is a good place to escape the summer heat.
Yun Zhihe couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite design again.
Its beauty and exquisiteness can be compared with that of the imperial palace, and it is truly worthy of being a holy place of the previous dynasty.
“Clatter—”
She continued to walk inside and heard the sound of water. The sunlight shone through the dense forest, and the halo spread out, giving off a sense of tranquility.
The sound of water is very close.
It should be a river... ?
Yun Zhihe stretched out his fingers to push aside the leaves and looked forward. As soon as he raised his eyes, he was suddenly stunned.
——She saw the man’s beautiful, muscular back, his butterfly bones trembling slightly, his spine narrowing as his waist lowered, and his waist hollows filled with water droplets, slowly disappearing into the clear water.
The water is sparkling.
The sound of water caused by his movements was heard in his ears.
The water droplets flowed down the skin, slid across the scarred skin, and flowed into the water, making a "ding dong" sound.
The hair was tied up and the ends were wet with moisture.
The quiet sunlight fell into the spring and then shone on him. He raised his head slightly to see the halo cast by the leaves. His tall nose shone through the sunlight, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his silhouette was complicated.
...a beautiful feeling.
The author has something to say:
I've made up my mind to update 5,000 words a day! Come on!
On the Difference in Understanding—"Become My Support."
Xuanyuan Ying: Be my wife
Yun Zhihe: !!! The emperor's approval! Being a famous minister throughout history is no problem!
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