Chapter 128 Which pretty girl could catch Li Jin's eye?
It got lively when we went back.
Zhou Zheng and Jin Shu were in front of the carriage, while Li Jin and Li Qian were inside.
In order to help her reconstruct the case while obscuring Jin Shu's highly professional behavior during the investigation, Li Jin would say a sentence and Li Qian would repeat it.
For an hour and a half on the road, Li Qian recited those words over and over again.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll tell Father that you're the one who made me say those things?"
"Do you think Father doesn't know? Enough talk, hurry up and memorize it!"
The noise coming from inside the car made Jin Shu turn around from time to time, frowning as she looked over.
This brother and sister really overturned her understanding of royalty.
“Lord Zhou,” Jin Shu looked at Zhou Zheng beside her, “this…”
As if knowing what she was going to ask, Zhou Zheng didn't turn his head or even look at her. He nodded expressionlessly, as if to say that he would get used to it.
After a while, seeing that Jin Shu was still curiously looking behind her, Zhou Zheng said casually, "Back then, only the prince opposed the princess marrying into a vassal state thousands of miles away."
Jin Shu raised her eyebrows, looked at Zhou Zheng, and remembered what Li Jin had said earlier.
Royal children, regardless of gender, are merely pawns on the chessboard of the world.
I didn't understand it at the time, but after spending more time with Li Qian these past two days, I seem to have come to understand the deeper meaning of those words.
“About six years ago,” Zhou Zheng added in a low voice, “it just so happened that Southern Yan was constantly provoking us, and the court and the public proposed that the princess marry into the country for a political alliance. In order to put an end to this idea, the prince directly annihilated the Southern Yan Kingdom, thus saving the princess who was not yet fourteen years old at the time.”
Jin Shu was taken aback: "How old?"
She was not yet fourteen, yet she was to be sent to a vassal state as a pawn in a political marriage alliance.
She glanced at Li Qian's face, which was faintly visible behind the curtain as she painfully recited her lessons, and felt as if someone had pinched her heart.
“After this incident, no neighboring country dared to mention any marriage alliances again.” Zhou Zheng tugged at the reins. “But there are still many in the court and among the people who want to send the princess away.”
Therefore, Li Qian and her mother, Consort De, were the ones who firmly supported Li Jin.
Zhou Zheng stopped there and didn't continue.
Even without him saying anything, Jin Shu's clear expression already conveyed a deep understanding of the situation.
However, Jin Shu's speculation differs from the facts.
"No wonder you wanted to light a marriage lamp so much." She turned around and chuckled. "I see."
Only if Li Jin ascends to power will she not be sent to an unknown country thousands of miles away, and only then can she stay with the person she truly loves forever.
Jin Shu stood bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, her face filled with a knowing expression.
In the Great Wei city of Chang'an, bathed in the brilliant golden sunlight, the carriage passed through the towering city gate, past the imposing guards, and headed north along the straight Zhuquemen Street.
This magnificent city, honed over two centuries, has developed its own unique character.
White walls, blue bricks, black tiles, and gray steps—the majestic imperial city and the bustling commercial street echo each other. Standing amidst this, Jin Shuxing felt a sense of returning home.
Yet they made a foreign land their home.
She chuckled softly, and in that instant, she saw the Six Doors gate slowly brush past her.
"Lord Zhou?" she called out, "He's gone, he's gone!"
Before she could finish speaking, Li Jin lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at her face: "You will come with me to the palace."
He said, "Time is of the essence. If it gets any later, the inner city gates will only allow exits, not entry. I don't want this crazy girl to turn my mansion upside down tonight."
After saying that, the car slowly came to a stop in front of Yong'an Gate.
After the inspection, they were allowed to pass again until they reached the Taihe Hall Square. From there, they had to walk to get further in.
Li Jin looked at Zhou Zheng, then at Jin Shu, wondering whether to bring Jin Shu along, when he saw Li Yi, dressed in casual clothes, walk right there for some reason.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at Li Jin dressed in a black robe: "I thought you wouldn't be coming back today."
Li Yi stood with his hands behind his back, glancing at Jin Shu, whose head was bowed low in the setting sun: "Is this Mr. Jin?"
Jin Shu was stunned for a moment. The overwhelming pressure from the emperor made her feel suffocated.
But Li Yi didn't seem to have any intention of exchanging pleasantries with her. Before Jin Shu could speak, he chuckled and said to Li Jin, "What? Has the Six Doors become so poor that they've starved a constable into nothing more than a bean sprout?"
Li Jin was speechless, then cupped his hands and said, "Father's reprimand is correct."
“We should spend more money to support and subsidize capable people.” Li Yi’s steady voice resonated with Jin Shu’s heart, and his burning gaze swept over Jin Shu’s head. “We will also allocate ten taels of silver to his monthly salary, so that people will not say that the Six Doors’ top constable is not as good as a small fry in the Ministry of Justice.”
Before Li Jin could respond, he took a deep breath and glanced at Li Qian: "Are you having too much fun? Hurry back, your mother is very anxious."
After saying that, he looked at Li Jin meaningfully and said, "Since you rarely come to the palace, you should also go and see your mother."
Li Jin paused.
Seeing that Lin Gonggong's face seemed frozen, Li Yi said nothing more, and with a smile on his face, he turned and walked to the other side.
At the same time he disappeared around the corner, the last ray of sunlight sank below the horizon, the entire blazing sky was driven away by deep blue, and in the blink of an eye, stars filled the sky.
In front of the Taihe Hall square, Li Jin glanced at Jin Shu, then looked at the group of burly coachmen waiting in front of the gate, and pursed his lips: "Come with me."
Jin Shu, who was entering the palace for the first time, looked at the magnificent and domineering Wei Imperial Palace and felt that one pair of eyes was not enough to take it all in.
Those palaces, built with the greatest wisdom of skilled craftsmen and exquisite stone carvings, which she had only seen in books, captivated her even at night.
"You like these?" Li Jin walked beside her with a look of disgust.
“It’s not that I like it,” Jin Shu shook her head, “it’s that I’m shocked.”
At this point, she suddenly grinned and changed the subject: "I never expected that the fortune-seeking lamp to be so effective; it worked on the very same day."
Looking at her happy profile, Li Jin sneered, "I paid for the lamps, and I'll even give you an extra ten taels of silver from your monthly salary. Mr. Jin, your way of fulfilling your wish to get rich isn't quite right."
"Your Highness Prince Jing, be more magnanimous!" she said with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the beautiful architecture before her, repeatedly praising its exquisite details.
These sentiments only grew fainter as they drew closer to the Cold Palace.
The dilapidated walls, broken bricks and tiles, uneven bluestone path, the faint sounds of crying and wailing, and the pervasive darkness where even the palace lanterns were only lit from a distance made Jin Shu unable to utter any more praise.
The old woman, dressed in drab clothes, pushed open the door and saw Li Jin standing there. She immediately burst into tears and hurriedly welcomed the two of them inside.
"Your Majesty has finally opened your eyes! You've finally come to see us!" The old nanny, her body slightly hunched, hurried inside, calling out as she went, "Your Highness Consort Xiao, Prince Jing has arrived! Prince Jing has arrived!"
Consort Xiao, who had spent six years in the Cold Palace, stepped out of the door wearing a thin robe, her figure slender and delicate like a willow swaying in the breeze. She grasped Li Jin's hand and said, "You've come? It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."
In the struggle for the crown prince, she lost her eldest son, the Great Wei lost its eldest prince, and Li Jin lost his own brother.
After that, she was constantly worried that Li Jin would be no match for the deep-seated Li Jing and would also lose his life.
She asked for nothing more than for Li Jin to be safe and sound.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Consort Xiao noticed Jin Shu, who had been standing silently to the side for a long time.
"Look at me, Jin'er usually comes alone, this is the first time she's brought someone with her." She smiled faintly, "And such a pretty girl at that."
Jin Shu paused, her heart leaping into her throat.
"Come here quickly, let me see which family's pretty girl has caught Jin'er's eye."
She said this, while Li Jin simply stood aside, her eyes smiling, waiting to see how Jin Shu would get out of the predicament.
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