Chapter 14 Then they went to the mountain
Xiao Qing felt that the Grand Tutor was really furious this time.
Although he did not have to attend court every day, the Grand Tutor was always diligent in handling official business.
The fact that he hasn't entered the palace for three consecutive days suggests that the Grand Tutor is in a very bad mood lately, perhaps even extremely bad.
Since Fu Mingyi didn't go to the palace, Xiao Qing was happy to be free. She set up a reclining chair under a tree in the courtyard outside the palace, basking in the warm sunshine, and finished reading the book "Flying Flowers Enter Spring".
After reading it, she thought of the Grand Tutor.
Just then, Mingxiu walked over and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Wang requests an audience."
"Which Lord Wang?" Xiao Qing was a little confused.
Mingxiu was speechless.
To be honest, this emperor can be quite careless at times. Among all these court officials, does he only know the Grand Tutor?
Although His Majesty is young, isn't he becoming too reliant on the Grand Tutor...?
However, Mingxiu dared not say these words aloud.
"It is Lord Wang Xiang."
Xiao Qing recognized the name.
Isn't this the same Lord Wang whom the court officials recommended to be prime minister?
Moreover, Fu Mingyi has been angry for three days because of this.
Wang Xiang actually came knocking on our door.
She then thought, "I am now the emperor. It is perfectly normal for a subject to meet the emperor—especially a powerful subject."
However, she doesn't plan to see him.
"Just say that I am feeling unwell and have already taken a rest."
Mingxiu was a little confused, but since Xiao Qing said he was gone, she had no choice but to go out and report the truth.
Wang Xiang was different from Wang Ming. Wang Ming was a military general, with a strong physique and a straightforward personality. But Wang Xiang was a civil official.
Before the ministers jointly recommended Wang Xiang as prime minister, Wang Xiang controlled Dingzhou and Yingzhou, the two most prosperous and wealthy regions of the Great Xiao Dynasty in the south, and was recognized as a capable minister by the court and the public.
Upon hearing Mingxiu's report, Wang Xiang remained silent for a moment, his face expressionless, before bowing respectfully and saying, "Thank you for informing me. Please convey my gratitude to His Majesty. I am truly ashamed and unworthy of the kindness shown to me by His Majesty and my comrades. All my words are contained in this memorial." He then bowed and presented a memorial with both hands.
After Mingxiu received the memorial and saw Wang Xiang off, he turned around and came in to give the memorial to Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing didn't open it, but frowned. After listening to Mingxiu's message, he asked, "Does the Grand Tutor still have no intention of entering the palace?"
Mingxiu was a little embarrassed.
Whether the Grand Tutor enters the palace or not is none of her business.
Xiao Qing finally got up from the comfortable recliner, pointed to the memorial and gestured for Mingxiu to pick it up, then said, "Fine, if the mountain won't come to me, I can still go to the mountain. If the Grand Tutor won't come, then let's go find the Grand Tutor."
After saying those words last time, Fu Mingyi never went to the palace again. Now, judging from Wang Xiang's words, it seems that he is still one step away from becoming the prime minister.
Mingxiu was somewhat embarrassed.
"Your Majesty, although the Grand Tutor is not coming, would it be inappropriate for us to go to see him?"
Moreover, Your Majesty, do you really know where the Grand Tutor lives?
Xiao Qing walked forward, waving his hand casually, thinking to himself, "What's the big deal?"
Besides, although she is going to see the Grand Tutor, who said she only wants to see the Grand Tutor?
Mingxiu quickly stepped forward. "Your Majesty, although we are going to the Grand Tutor's residence, if there is no one to guide us..."
Xiao Qing happened to walk out and saw two rows of guards standing straight against the wall.
One of them, whom she had been seeing frequently recently, was someone brought by the Grand Tutor.
What was it called again?
"Your Majesty." The guard, with a dark and cold expression, bowed respectfully, just as he had done before outside the Imperial Study.
"Do you know where the Grand Tutor's residence is?" Xiao Qing straightened up, his tone not particularly serious, but his eyes were extremely earnest.
The guard lowered his head and said, "I know."
Xiao Qing nodded, "I have important business to attend to today and need to see the Grand Tutor immediately. There is no time to summon him, so I will go to the Grand Tutor's residence incognito."
The guard was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I will make the arrangements immediately. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty."
Xiao Qing nodded, and the guard took his leave.
Xiao Qing asked Mingxiu, who was walking over, "What's his name?"
Mingxiu felt utterly exasperated.
"Your Majesty, this is General Zhao Youchen."
Xiao Qing went through the name in her mind once, then put it down again.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Zhao Youchen had arranged all the travel matters, and then he indeed took Xiao Qing out of Nanhua Palace and went directly to Fu Mingyi's residence.
Although Xiao Qing made the decision to go to Fu Mingyi on short notice, and she went directly to Zhao Youchen, Fu Mingyi received the news before they even arrived at the Fu residence.
Although Fu Mingyi and Xiao Qing had not been in Nanding for long, he had done a lot of things since he settled there.
The Fu family was a prominent clan. Their main residence was not in Ping'an City, the northern capital, but in Yizhou, near the north bank of the Xiao River.
During this invasion by the Northern Ming, while fleeing south with Xiao Qing and others, he also sent letters home, urging them to prepare. Therefore, before the Northern Ming occupied the entire region north of Xiaohe, most of the Fu family's people and assets had already been moved. The remaining assets were somewhat used to conceal their activities.
Although the Fu family did not move to Nanhua, they did send some of Fu Mingyi's trusted associates there. These people are now managing the Fu residence in Nanhua City.
When the news came that His Majesty was leaving the palace to visit the Grand Tutor's residence, Fu Mingyi was lying in bed.
The capable-looking butler, Uncle Li, who was in his forties and moved with the speed of the wind, approached Fu Mingyi's room and knocked lightly twice from the outside, explaining the young emperor's sudden whim.
Fu Mingyi blinked a few times, feeling groggy. Although he felt uncomfortable all over, he still sat up and slowly put on his clothes.
"Uncle Li, tell someone to fetch some water." He needs to wash and tidy himself up before he can be seen in public.
Uncle Li didn't say much, just gave instructions according to Fu Mingyi's wishes. After all that commotion, by the time Fu Mingyi arrived at the entrance of the Fu residence feeling dizzy and unsteady, Xiao Qing and the others had already arrived.
Zhao Youchen immediately noticed that Fu Mingyi, who was waiting for the emperor, looked strange.
Xiao Qing stepped off the carriage and, after telling Fu Mingyi to rise, discovered the same problem.
She was momentarily stunned.
So it wasn't that she was angry and putting on airs to refuse to enter the palace; she must be sick.
Fu Mingyi's face was originally pale, but now it was a little red, which showed that her temperature was not low.
Moreover, although he tried his best to stand upright, there were slight signs of trembling in his sleeves.
Xiao Qing was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is the Grand Tutor ill? Does he have a fever?"
Fu Mingyi's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Your Majesty, I am ashamed. Please do not approach, lest you catch the illness."
At this point, Xiao Qing began to feel that it was difficult to bring up the things she had originally planned to say.
However, Fu Mingyi had already spotted the memorial in Mingxiu's hands.
He led Xiao Qing into the mansion, asking in a low voice as they walked, "Does Your Majesty have something difficult to decide?"
Xiao Qing hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Although I don't want to bother the Grand Tutor at this time, this matter is indeed difficult. Without the Grand Tutor by my side, I find it hard to make a decision."
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