Chapter 58 Taking the Initiative to Contact
It was already the end of June, and a month had passed since the Grand Tutor left.
After happily bidding farewell to the young emperor and his court officials, Xiao Chongle headed north of the Xiao River with a formal letter of state.
Xiao Qing's feelings for this person went through two rounds of back and forth, and at this moment she was somewhat amused and exasperated.
In short, he's a very passionate and carefree person.
Xiao Qing, leaning on her crutches, stood on the high palace wall watching him ride away on horseback, and suddenly felt a nameless fear.
Even though she had already calmed down from the events of the Grand Tutor's injury, coma, and detention, she spoke righteously and sternly in the court meeting, shattering the illusions of the "cowardly" ministers and winning the sympathy and cooperation of the King and Xiang...
But why does she still feel flustered standing here?
Yu Zaiting followed Wang Xiang and Sun Jinyi into the palace again. They came to report on the progress of the martial arts competition and appointment ceremony at the South Training Ground.
Xiao Qing glanced at the roster and found that it was largely the same as before. Of the people she was interested in, aside from the one in Langzhou who was nowhere to be found, the others basically met the requirements.
She made a mental note of this, and then listened to them talk about other people, seemingly analyzing the rationale behind the proposed list.
Of the three, Yu Zaiting was the most silent the previous time, but now Sun Jinyi spoke the least.
Xiao Qing noticed that his complexion didn't seem too good either. She wanted to offer her condolences, but then felt that his aura made him seem unapproachable.
Well, as long as Wang Xiang is kept in check, she shouldn't be in too much danger.
Life is truly unpredictable. Originally, she should have felt relieved with the Grand Tutor gone. But now, in this situation, she has no choice but to worry about her own life, making her even more dutiful than before.
Her legs have almost recovered, but she can't stand or walk for long periods of time, so the wheelchair has come in handy.
Her favorite thing to do now is to sit in her wheelchair, go outside to find a place where the sun isn't too strong, just enough for a shower, and half-close her eyes to play with the cat.
Yingying is now able to get out of bed and move around. He stays by her side to take care of the two kittens that are relatively quiet and clingy to him.
The cute and lively kitten with a large patch of gray-blue fur on its back stood on Xiao Qing's lap, restlessly trying to climb onto her neck.
Xiao Qing had been overworking her brain these past few days, so she took this rare moment of leisure and didn't want to think about anything. With the softness in her hands and her mind blank, time passed easily, and she unconsciously drifted off to sleep.
Yingying watched for a while, then turned around to get a thin blanket to cover Xiao Qing, and then gently reached out to pick up the kitten.
But the kitten wouldn't have it and struggled to crawl into the thin blanket.
Afraid of waking Xiao Qing, Ying Ying could only glare at it and give up.
The kitten squinted its eyes smugly, but it was smart enough to rub against a spot of light, twist its little head to adjust its position, and then fell asleep.
Ying stood silently by, as if he didn't exist. But his heart was in turmoil.
Such complete lack of vigilance, and such open and honesty. This shouldn't be the behavior of Xiao Qing, the royal family.
Why.
In the afternoon, Xiao Qing, who had been pondering for many days, summoned Zhao Youchen.
He has been busy reorganizing military affairs and training the Imperial Guards lately, and the morning drills on the South Training Ground are in perfect unison.
He felt extremely accomplished.
However, he would be more satisfied if he could go to the battlefield.
Banners fluttering, a corpse wrapped in horsehide. This was something he was almost always preparing for.
Seeing that Xiao Qing's face was fair with a rosy glow and her eyes were smiling, he knew that she was very well-mannered.
However, looking at it from the perspective of a military general, he felt that the young emperor's previous desire to learn martial arts was indeed necessary.
Putting aside his physical health, although their young emperor is of excellent character and intelligence, his appearance is somewhat frail.
It's fine now that I'm young. But as I get older, I'll inevitably lose some of my imposing presence.
If Zhao Youchen knew the true nature of the person before him, he probably wouldn't think that way.
"Your Majesty is well." Zhao Youchen was very pleased.
Xiao Qing hadn't seen him for many days, and was very happy to see him looking so heroic and imposing.
Zhao Youchen seems to be a born general; it would be a shame if he didn't go to the battlefield.
The stage for the Imperial Guards seems a bit too small.
However, that wasn't the reason she contacted him.
Before, when she wasn't serious, she was more concerned about the dangers of the job and how mentally exhausting it would be, preventing her from getting a good night's sleep. But now her mindset is different, and she's considering its technical aspects more.
In this world without search engines or question communities, learning new things and getting started probably all depends on good teachers.
Her fervent hope for the Grand Tutor's safe return intensified.
"General Zhao, I need to ask you about someone."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"General Zhao, do you know that there is a man named Li Qinghe in Ping'an City?"
Zhao Youchen thought for a moment, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I am not from Ping'an City, and I have only been there for a short time, so I am not familiar with this person's name."
Xiao Qing was slightly disappointed.
However, thinking of the Grand Tutor, she picked up the crutches beside her wheelchair and said, "To be honest, General Zhao, the Grand Tutor mentioned this person to me before he left. At the time, I thought it was just a casual mention, but now I suspect that the Grand Tutor used this person to send a message to me."
Zhao Youchen was startled. "How did Your Majesty know?"
Xiao Qing handed him the crutches. “General Zhao, please take a look. These crutches are exquisitely crafted, with carvings on them, and they were made by the same person as this wheelchair.”
Zhao Youchen looked at it and confirmed it.
“Look at those carvings. On one side, there’s a mountain stream, and on the other side, there’s a pavilion overlooking the distance.”
Having endured so many years as a dying man in his previous life, Xiao Qing possessed no shortage of patience. After waiting for several days without receiving any further information, he decided to take the initiative.
Zhao Youchen was someone connected to both her and the Grand Tutor. She trusted Zhao Youchen.
"General Zhao, do you find this pavilion and this carriage familiar?"
Zhao Youchen understood immediately. "This is the Yujun Pavilion where the Grand Tutor departed on his long journey!"
Xiao Qing nodded, "General Zhao, take another look at the other bend in the water that's crashing against the shore."
Hidden within the winding, swirling patterns of the water are two characters formed by the natural flow of the waves: Qinghe (青河).
Zhao Youchen was startled again.
The two characters are formed by the lines between the waves. If you don't look closely, it's really hard to tell that the lines can actually form two characters.
"Your Majesty is incredibly meticulous," he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Xiao Qing said, "General Zhao, these crutches and wheelchair have arrived just in time." Then he told him Mingxiu's story.
"It's a pity that Mingxiu doesn't know any more. As for that old imperial physician, I think if he wasn't just made up out of thin air, he's very likely one of the Grand Tutor's men. Since we can't find out any more information, it's probably because the Grand Tutor doesn't want to expose him."
Zhao Youchen became excited.
If the Grand Tutor sends a message proactively, the news would be much more likely to be true. Moreover, it suggests that the Grand Tutor is likely conscious and safe.
"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty, what should I do?"
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