Chapter 96 Despondency
The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty's preferences and spending habits have changed accordingly.
Originally, because of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, a set of clothes was to be made for His Majesty. This matter had been arranged in advance, and now that preparations were almost complete, it was just a formality to show His Majesty the clothes.
Unexpectedly, after seeing the design, His Majesty said it was too flamboyant.
The ceremonial robe was naturally bright yellow with embroidered patterns befitting the emperor's status. This was the customary practice.
That's not all; His Majesty's everyday clothes and other items have also changed in style.
I don’t know when it started, but His Majesty’s daily clothes are either light and plain in color, or dark black, dark purple, or dark blue, without much embroidery.
Those in the palace speculated that this was due to His Majesty's changing mood as the Mid-Autumn Festival ceremony to appease the Martial Spirit approached.
Coincidentally, due to the change in the young emperor's tastes, Prince Yan, who lived in the palace, also followed suit. He showed him all the new clothes sent to him, but only picked out a few simple everyday clothes.
When this matter reached Xiao Qing's ears, she simply ignored it and offered no comment.
Ever since she learned that Yingying couldn't leave, Xiao Qing felt like a caged bird or a fish on a chopping board. Her relationship with the Grand Tutor became colder and more genuine than when the Grand Tutor had just returned.
At that time, there was still a bit of resentment in her actions.
Now, she feels like she probably can't even get angry anymore.
She always carried a small bamboo tube with her, and never took it off even when she slept.
Moreover, she is now a very light sleeper, and she will wake up at the slightest noise at night, so she is also not very energetic during the day.
After Zhao Youchen came to see her, he turned around and went to find Fu Mingyi with a sullen face.
I don't know what happened to them after that, but Fu Mingyi came once and told her that arrangements needed to be made in advance for the Martial Soul Tomb in the north of the city. Zhao Youchen went there in person and returned before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Xiao Qing sat there lazily, her expression indifferent, only nodding slightly, saying nothing.
Fu Mingyi knew he had pushed her too hard this time, so he didn't linger and went to attend to matters of state.
Not long after, Wang Xiang and Sun Jinyi also entered the palace.
Xiao Qinglian was already impatient with dealing with Fu Mingyi, let alone them, so she remained indifferent. She didn't know what she said, and she couldn't even remember when she left.
After leaving the palace, Sun Jinyi stopped Wang Xiang and said, "Prime Minister, given the Grand Tutor's actions, are you still going to remain silent?"
They could all see that Xiao Qing was in extremely bad shape. Her eyes had lost all their luster.
Wang Xiang still smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that, Lord Sun?"
A strange light flashed in Sun Jinyi's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then swallowed the words.
"It doesn't mean anything. The Prime Minister is the head of all officials, so we will naturally listen to him."
"That is not true. Your Majesty is the ruler of the world, and the Grand Tutor is the teacher of the emperor. I am merely fortunate to have this title. I only hope to share Your Majesty's burdens and would never dare to think of anything improper."
Sun Jinyi rolled his eyes inwardly, and the two said goodbye and went their separate ways.
Unable to send Yingying away, Xiao Qing became depressed and even stopped getting close to Xiao Lan and Yao Yao.
Several times Yingying held the cat and fed and played with it beside her, but the cat wouldn't even glance at her, which made Yingying's heart ache.
Even in front of him, Xiao Qing said to Mingxiu, "When will Imperial Physician He enter the palace? I am unwell and have not been sleeping well these days."
Mingxiu assumed that Yingying needed to see a doctor and hurriedly sent a message to the Imperial Hospital, but Yingying's eyes narrowed slightly.
After He Shu rushed over, Xiao Qing no longer mentioned her own health, but instead said that He Shu had helped her take care of her health and that she should reward him.
He Shu had recently heard some rumors, and now she was secretly glancing at her, not daring to say anything.
Xiao Qing then pointed to the two cats in Ying Ying's arms and said, "These two cats are used to being raised by my side. They can't do much else, but they should be able to guard the door and hand out shoes or something. I'll bestow them upon Physician He."
Yingying had only two words in her mind: As expected.
He Shu had no choice but to take the two cats out of the palace, unable to refuse, but he immediately went to find Fu Mingyi.
Fu Mingyi frowned slightly as he looked at the two little ones, his fingers unconsciously tightening. After a while, he said, "Your Majesty's grace, Physician He, please accept it wholeheartedly."
Let's forget about all of that.
But Prince Yan also came to join in the fun.
Everyone in the palace knew that Prince Yan wanted to get closer to his elder brother, the emperor. Every day, he would hold a kitten and bring his two attendants to see the young emperor.
Xiao Qing would always put on a brave face when she saw him, sometimes with a bright smile, and would occasionally give him a reward or two. But after Xiao Yan left, her expression would become even more unpleasant.
Later on, Mingxiu even tried to stop Xiao Yan from coming.
She felt that she didn't have such good manners, watching Prince Yan holding their emperor's cat and bringing their emperor's people to her every day to flaunt his status.
It's all bullshit!
Xiao Qing waved his hand and said there was no need.
During this time, something else happened that involved Xiao Qing.
With the return of Prince Yan and other members of the imperial clan, there are now more than ten young princes of school age in the royal family. The Grand Tutor and Wang Xiang discussed the matter and proposed in court that a small class be set up in the reopened Imperial Academy in Nanhua City, with a place set up near the Southern Study for instruction. Suitable princes and sons of court officials would be selected to study alongside them, which would actually be to facilitate the studies of His Majesty and Prince Yan.
The courses that everyone else was learning were already set up by the Imperial Academy, but the courses that His Majesty the Younger and Prince Yan were learning were set up by the Grand Tutor.
In addition to studying the classics, history, philosophy, and literature taught at the Imperial Academy, the Grand Tutor also arranged courses in horsemanship, archery, martial arts, strategy, and etiquette for them. For courses like horsemanship, archery, and martial arts, the Grand Tutor specially hired a tutor for them. Other courses were taught by highly respected teachers at the Imperial Academy, or personally by the Grand Tutor.
Aside from the days when he attended court, Xiao Qing's daily classes were scheduled from the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) until the hour of You (5-7 PM).
What Xiao Qing saw was that Xiao Yan's class schedule was exactly the same as hers.
So, in her final days, she was actually fulfilling her duty as a tutor?
When Fu Mingyi came to ask for instructions on this matter, Xiao Qing glanced at the two timetables, nodded, and still said nothing.
The course was scheduled to begin after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Xiao Qing had no objection; it didn't matter when it started.
Whether she can get the job or not is another matter.
When Fu Mingyi collected the class schedules, he said calmly, "Mei Shu has recanted his testimony, the Imperial Household Bureau has intervened, and Huang Rui is now in prison as well."
Xiao Qing wasn't interested in these things, so she didn't have anything to say in response.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is in five days. Your Majesty may depart for Tianyin Temple in the west of the city tomorrow, fast for three days, participate in the rites performed by the monks, and perform rituals to pray for the souls of the deceased. On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Your Majesty may go directly from Tianyin Temple to the Martial Soul Tomb with the monks for a farewell ceremony, a memorial stone to be erected, and the deceased to be buried, in order to commemorate the departed souls."
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