Chapter 25 Project Blueprint
Zhao Youchen returned to the palace and took care of two things.
The first thing was to go to the Imperial Hospital in the name of the Grand Tutor to take Xiao Qing's pulse. Naturally, the physician who came was Physician He, who was used to treating the young emperor.
The young emperor had been frail since childhood, and this time he caught a cold while personally escorting the Grand Tutor. So Physician He stayed in the palace to help the emperor recover.
As for Mingxiu, as the most capable female official by the young emperor's side, she went to help Physician He and learn the art of recuperation in preparation for future needs.
Both of them were placed under house arrest in the palace, and no one except the young emperor and Zhao Youchen was allowed to visit them.
Strangely, Xiao Qing only instructed Zhao Youchen not to mistreat Lord He and Mingxiu, but never made any further requests to visit them.
Secondly, after personally questioning the boy he had brought back, Zhao Youchen sent a letter to Fu Mingyi explaining what had happened and the results of his questioning.
After completing these two tasks, Zhao Youchen began to carry out the orders given by Fu Mingyi at Yujun Pavilion.
He handed over the daily patrol duties of the Imperial Guards to Deputy Commander Li Dingwu, and then went to report to Xiao Qing's Chengde Palace.
After a morning of commotion, Xiao Qing returned home and ate only a little porridge and vegetables before sitting in the empty palace, looking out the door.
Two women in palace attire and two... probably eunuchs from this world and this dynasty, stood on the left and right sides of the door.
Xiao Qing had even inquired about this with Ming Xiu.
The eunuchs here seemed different from the eunuchs she remembered, both in appearance and voice.
Well, although these women all appeared delicate and refined in appearance, they were generally quite young, with the oldest remaining in the palace not exceeding twenty years old. Moreover, it was said that they drank a kind of medicine upon entering the palace and were required to take it regularly thereafter, in order to suppress their growth and desires.
Xiao Qing was very curious and suspicious about this, and even went to carefully look through the records of palace affairs in the imperial study. In the end, he was surprised to find that there had never been a case of eunuchs causing trouble in the harem in the entire Great Xiao Dynasty.
As for the eunuchs who usurped the emperor's power and then colluded to seize control, there was none of that.
Is this medicine really that effective?
Mingxiu, who often learned medicine from her grandfather, told her with certainty that it was not only effective, but also that any man who consumed it for more than five years would have fertility problems even after leaving the palace at the appropriate age.
Therefore, the men who entered the palace as palace servants were mostly children from poor families.
Even if they gained the favor of nobles in the palace and accumulated enough capital before leaving the palace, since the vast majority of them would not have their own children, no matter how much wealth and honor they had, they could not pass it on to their own bloodline.
While these individuals may not develop distorted and gloomy personalities due to their cruel physical disabilities, they do exhibit feminine tendencies due to the effects of medication and their environment.
She even discovered that in the harem of the Emperor of the Great Xiao Dynasty, because male palace servants had to leave the palace when they turned twenty, while palace maids did not have this restriction, there were often more palace maids in power than palace servants, and the palace maids had more authority than the palace servants.
Xiao Qing wandered aimlessly for a while, sighed inwardly, and began to pray for Mingxiu.
Mingxiu, oh Mingxiu, it's not that I'm heartless towards you. It's just that my heart isn't here. If I get too close to you, the Grand Tutor might not let you off the hook.
It would be better to...
As she was pondering this, Zhao Youchen requested an audience outside.
Xiao Qing composed herself before allowing him to enter.
Then came another round of pleasantries.
Zhao Youchen waited for Xiao Qing to ask about Mingxiu or the boy. But by the time he went outside to perform his duty, he hadn't heard from either of them.
He wondered if that boy wasn't the one His Majesty intended to bring back as a palace attendant.
So how should we arrange it?
Zhao Youchen was at a loss for what to do, and finally thought that he should wait for the Grand Tutor's decision.
At this moment, Xiao Qing hadn't actually forgotten that boy. On the contrary, she was also thinking about it.
Although she didn't open the car door and actually see the boy, she could tell from his voice that he must be a decisive and resolute person.
Moreover, he spoke logically and reasonably, and even in his predicament, he did not act rudely, suggesting that he was educated.
Xiao Qing stroked his chin. It seemed unfair to let someone like him become a palace servant.
At this moment, Xiao Qing had completely figured it out—even if she wanted to leave this cannibalistic palace and completely abandon the position where she was originally a scapegoat, she could not be like she was today—without any resources, without any options, being held hostage by others, and ultimately having no choice but to return to this palace.
Being passive means being vulnerable to attack. This principle applies everywhere.
She realized the importance of power and strength, as well as the importance of people.
But she still couldn't bring herself to think in the way that this world and this era do.
For example, when it came to Mingxiu, who knew her best, her first thought was to stay away from her and leave the palace.
For example, even though she had the budding idea of having her own power, she still held equal kindness towards that unknown and unseen boy and did not want him to enter the palace as a palace servant who might have an unhappy family life in the future.
Xiao Qing leaned back on the bed, closed her eyes, and prepared to take a short nap.
Fu Mingyi, for some reason, actually locked up Mingxiu, the only one who knew her true gender. Wasn't he afraid that the four outside would notice something and expose her?
No, he wasn't afraid. He had already said beforehand—if there was any disturbance in the palace, Mingxiu and his grandfather would be the first to lose their heads.
This was a difficult problem Fu Mingyi had set for her, and also a warning to her that even if Mingxiu wasn't around, she had to keep her secret and not cause any more trouble.
Otherwise, she would have been the one to kill Mingxiu and her grandfather.
Hmph, Grand Tutor Fu Mingyi, since you refuse to let me go, I'll just be emperor for a few years. As long as you don't expose me, I don't believe I can't use the golden throne of "emperor" to create some power to protect myself.
Thinking about it this way, this profession is actually quite challenging.
Once Xiao Qing understood all this, a rough plan began to take shape in her mind.
Health is the foundation of everything.
She is small and weak now, so even if she tries to escape, she will be caught and brought back.
So the first step is not to rush to "recruit soldiers and buy horses", but to eat more, sleep more, and exercise to prepare a good physique for this arduous profession and the path she will take in the future.
Yes, General Zhao is quite skilled in martial arts, and he seems to be an upright person.
The Grand Tutor wanted General Zhao to stay by his side at all times, so he decided to learn martial arts from General Zhao.
As for matters of state... hadn't the Grand Tutor already discussed them with Wang Xiang? Surely Wang Xiang wouldn't bother a "half-grown child" with those important national affairs?
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