Chapter 61 and Lu's Reward.
Lu Youchuan looked at Qin Song intently. The question he had avoided so many times finally had to be addressed: "You aspire to the throne?"
Qin Song made no attempt to hide his true feelings and frankly admitted it.
Lu Youchuan felt a chill in his heart. Therefore, it would be difficult for him to marry her, and she could not possibly be willing to be his wife alone.
But he was still persistent and asked softly, "Is this your wish, or Grand Secretary Qin's?"
“Yes, all of them.” Qin Song met his gaze. “My father’s actions can be understood with a little thought, but most people think that my father’s plans are all nonsense because I am a woman. If I were a man, I would probably have been accused of disloyalty and my whole family would have been executed.”
He stood there stunned for a long time before asking, "Do you know who you're going to be competing with?"
She knew, of course, that she was about to commit a heinous act.
“I’ll compete with the imperial family, I’ll compete with the eldest princess, I’ll compete with everyone in the world.” She finished speaking quietly, then looked at him earnestly, “But I hope I won’t compete with you.”
Lu Youchuan's eyes flickered, but he felt a lump in his throat and could not respond.
As the head of the Censorate, maintaining the stability of the court and eliminating treacherous officials were his duties.
With the Qin family making unusual moves, the Inspectorate could not stand idly by.
"Will you stop me?" He was lost in thought when the voice of the person in front of him brought him back to his senses.
Faced with her question again, he suddenly blurted out, "No."
If the Crown Prince were still alive, and if he had never fallen for her, he would surely have set things right and upheld the state.
But now everything has changed.
With the Eastern Palace vacant, the Great Yu Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse. The imperial family was inherently tyrannical, selfish, and suspicious, and no one in the court dared to offer advice. The Censorate alone was barely able to hold the dynasty together.
Although Grand Secretary Qin was ambitious, the Censorate never found any concrete evidence that he had harmed the people.
Regardless of his true intentions or how things develop, if this matter has nothing to do with her, he doesn't need to put in much effort; he can simply protect her. But what if this is her wish?
The emperor's heir died young. Now it seems that only the eldest princess and the deposed crown prince are fit to inherit the throne in the entire Li family bloodline. If the emperor passes away, the eldest princess can rightfully ascend the throne.
If the Qin family is determined, the only variable is to depose the crown prince.
Lu Youchuan felt like he was going crazy.
He thought that if Qin Song wanted to rise to the highest position, he should at least first support the deposed crown prince as a puppet.
Although his desire to marry her had long since reached its peak, he had realized that Asong was no longer someone to be confined by the Lu residence, the Li residence, or even the General's Mansion.
At least, marrying the deposed crown prince was better than marrying anyone else. After all, the crown prince was only ten years old, and he could keep entangled with her.
With his status as a second-rank imperial censor, he could enter and leave the palace at any time if she wished, while the rest of the cats and dogs could only look on with envy.
He's really gone mad. Every step he's taking now is exactly the same as the treacherous and rebellious officials he used to hate...
Just as he was surprised at his own wavering, soft lips suddenly pressed against his.
Their lips touched briefly before parting. She looked up at him with a smile, saying, "A reward."
With a "buzz," his reason completely collapsed.
No, that's not right. It should be that his rationality has become clearer.
It's only because it's her that everything makes sense.
Compared to the eldest princess and the deposed crown prince, the person before me is more suitable to sit on that dragon throne.
He had seen her before, back in Yunzhou, and she was more popular with the people than the eldest princess and the deposed crown prince.
Although he didn't know the reason, his teachers were willing to go to great lengths for her, so why should he bother himself with unnecessary trouble?
Thinking of this, he lowered his head and kissed her passionately, his tongue exploring her lips and teeth, invading her territory, as if he wanted to fully integrate the lack of time into that intense kiss and bite.
The door was pushed open, and the two embraced as they entered the room. This was the residence that the Qin family had prepared for Lu Youchuan, with an antique shelf separating the inner and outer rooms.
The two kissed for a long time at the door, and Qin Song was almost out of breath before Lu Youchuan finally let go of her.
He felt extremely uncomfortable, but he didn't intend to continue. He simply picked her up in his arms.
He walked through the display shelves, unbuttoned her outer garment, and embraced her as they lay down on the bed, intending to sleep together and take a short rest.
He held her tightly, making her uncomfortable: "You're just going to sleep like this?"
Lu Youchuan loosened his grip slightly and looked at her earnestly: "If you want it, I'll help you."
"No, you poked me."
He kissed her, his breath heavy and unsteady: "Then shall I put it inside? I haven't taken any medicine, so I won't touch you."
...
In the afternoon, Li Yu, along with the head of the Qin family, purchased all the useful medicinal herbs from the pharmacies throughout the city, and then packed them into boxes and transported them to Yunzhou.
Mr. Qin stood with the group in front of the mansion gate and said, “According to what you have said, the disease in Yunzhou is severe and these medicinal materials may not be enough to sustain us. I have already arranged to purchase medicines from several cities in the south and transport them with our clan when we head north.”
"Uncle, you've gone to so much trouble." Qin Song bowed in thanks, and the others all nodded in acknowledgment.
Old Mr. Qin helped her up, and then added a few more carriages and two guards to accompany her. "Take care on the road. I won't keep you any longer."
After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Song and his party politely took their leave and embarked on their journey northwards.
Time was tight, and they barely rested along the way, arriving in Rongyang the next day.
Compared to when we arrived, the situation in Rongyang seems far from optimistic. The disease has spread severely throughout the city, and the joyous atmosphere of the New Year has turned into a depressed and gloomy one.
Qin Song called a halt to the journey, suggesting that they linger for a while: "The Qin family members still need time to travel north. By the time they pass through Rongyang, this place will probably have become the next Yunzhou. Let's go to the Rongyang government office first, tell them the antidote prescription, and give them proper instructions before continuing our journey."
“That makes sense,” Master Shen said first. “Whether it’s the capital or Yunzhou, or Qingze or Rongyang, the damage is there and we can’t ignore it.”
Everyone agreed, but it would be too conspicuous to send the whole procession into the city.
To prevent the northern barbarians hiding in the city from stealing the medicine, they split into two groups. Lu Youchuan led most of the guards to escort the medicine to the Mountain Goddess Temple not far outside the city, while Qin Song, Shen Fuzi, and Li Yu led elite guards into the city.
The people in the city were so frightened by the rumors of a terrible disease that they all shut their doors and windows, and only a few people were seen on the streets struggling to make a living and eat.
Unable to linger in the city, they hurried to the government office, but when they passed a clinic, Qin Song stopped the carriage again.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Chunhe asked absentmindedly.
Qin Song lifted the carriage curtain and looked in the direction of the familiar scent she had mentioned. He saw several young women with their hair tied up high and their faces covered with gauze standing in front of a pharmacy.
Some of them were eating dry rations, some were carrying tattered quilts, and some were carrying various medicine bags. The person in the middle had empty hands, but she was trying her best to discuss something with the boss. The others stood behind her, seemingly acting on her instructions.
Qin Song recognized the person in the very center at a glance.
"How did she end up here?" Qin Song muttered to himself.
Chunhe, who was standing next to Qin Song, tried to peek out, but before she could see clearly, Qin Song immediately ordered, "Help me out of the carriage."
As soon as she finished speaking, the teacher and Li Yu got out of the car and rushed over. Before Chunhe could come to help her, Li Yu had already reached out his hand to her.
Qin Song landed and pointed at Li Yu, "Look, who's here?"
Although Qin Song only led Li Yu, everyone followed her gaze.
The graceful and slender woman, though standing sideways and with her face covered by a light veil, was still instantly recognizable to anyone who had seen her before.
"Shuling? What's she doing here?" Li Yu was equally surprised.
"Come on, let's go take a look." Qin Song only took Li Yu with him, while the rest of the people waited at the street corner.
"Boss, you clearly have many more Paris polyphylla plants in your shop, why are you unwilling to sell them to us?" The woman's voice was somewhat anxious.
The shopkeeper behind the counter kept his head down, fiddling with his abacus, without even looking up. "Sell? How much money can you offer? Everyone's counting on Chonglou to save their lives. It's not something you can buy with just a few coins. You should go look elsewhere."
The women looked at each other, quite embarrassed. Gong Shuling wanted to continue arguing, but one of the older women pulled her back, saying, "Forget it, Gong family sister, this pharmacy is notorious for being unscrupulous. Let's go and look at another one."
“Yes, yes, let’s go check out other places.” The other women rolled their eyes at the boss who looked up when he heard the word “shady businessman.”
As the crowd ushered them out the door, Gong Shuling abruptly stopped in her tracks. "Cousin? Miss Qin?"
"Shuling, what are you doing in Rongyang?" Li Yu asked incredulously, "and dressed like that."
"It's a long story, and why are you all here?" The three of them had a whole host of questions to ask each other as soon as they met.
Li Yu spoke succinctly and asked with concern, "You came because of the serious illness in Yunzhou. What do you need the medicine for? Have you also contracted the disease?"
"It's not for me, it's for the patients in the city."
As soon as Gong Shuling finished speaking, several women behind her chimed in:
"Yes, it's all thanks to Sister Gong. She's been working tirelessly for us poor patients since she came to the city. If it weren't for her, we probably would have been in chaos long ago."
"Yes, yes, he paid out of his own pocket to buy countless medicinal herbs and food to help us fight off illness. He's practically a living bodhisattva."
"So you two are the brother and sister-in-law of the Gong family's younger sister. No wonder you are so handsome and have such a kind face, just like the Gong family's younger sister."
The group of people held Gong Shuling's arm with genuine affection, overcome with emotion.
The others had varying expressions. Gong Shuling and Chunhe, who was behind Qin Song, were both slightly surprised by the address of "brother and sister-in-law," and couldn't help but scrutinize their expressions.
Li Yu couldn't hide her secret delight, but Qin Song only heard everyone praising Gong Shuling and felt genuinely pleased.
She looked at Gong Shuling and saw a different kind of determination and resilience on her face than before, but Gong Shuling's gaze was somewhat strange, as if she had something she couldn't say openly.
After exchanging a glance, Qin Song smiled sincerely: "Miss Shuling is of course the best. Have you found a cure for this serious illness?"
Gong Shuling shook her head truthfully: "There is no solution at the moment. I have only read one or two medical books and can only find some drugs with similar effects to alleviate the symptoms, but cannot cure the disease."
"Don't worry, we can do it."
As soon as Qin Song finished speaking, Gong Shuling and the others widened their eyes. "Really?"
Li Yu glanced at the group of people carrying loads on their hands and shoulders: "I'm not lying. Judging from your appearance, are you here to purchase supplies and medicine for the sick in the city?"
Gong Shuling nodded: "Yes, the people in the city are terrified of this disease. If we are not careful, it could cause unrest. In order to avoid innocent casualties, I joined forces with my sisters and gathered the patients at the Mountain Goddess Temple outside the city."
"That's great! If everyone's together, once Miss informs the city's government, this matter should be resolved quickly," Chunhe behind Qin Song exclaimed excitedly.
However, after she finished speaking, Gong Shuling did not immediately reply. Instead, she turned to the women behind her and said, "Sisters, the patients in each family are in urgent need. You should go back to the temple to comfort them first. I will go with my cousin and the others to find medicinal herbs and will be back shortly."
"Alright, you all catch up first, little sister, be careful." The group left together with their bags and packages.
Only Gong Shuling and Qin Song remained at the intersection, but none of them moved.
"This isn't the place to talk, let's go over there." Qin Song looked around and gazed at the deserted alleyway not far away.
Gong Shuling nodded, "Very good."
The three of them moved away, but Chunhe was still confused, muttering to herself, "Isn't that the direction of the government office?"
Upon entering the alley, Li Yu subtly signaled his bodyguards to disguise themselves and stand guard near the alley.
With the noise subsiding, Qin Song cut to the chase: "Miss Shuling, what happened? Why did you end up in Rongyang?"
Gong Shuling had no interest in discussing herself, and simply said, "I hurt someone and ran away. I'm insignificant, but you shouldn't go back to Yunzhou. My father has led a large army north, and I'm afraid something big is going to happen."
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
