Luo Shenyuan received her letter in the afternoon, just as he was about to enter the palace to see the emperor. Zhao Mingzhu hadn't written anything, just one sentence: "The queen didn't return home last night." Luo Shenyuan burned the note, and at that moment, a subordinate came in and said, "Sir, the sedan chair is ready."
*
The sedan chair stopped outside the Ministry of Justice prison. Before Xu Wei died, Luo Shenyuan came to see him.
The prison was dark. A narrow passage led to the cells, which had no windows and were lit by pine oil lamps. Xu Wei sat cross-legged on a straw-matted kang. The sounds of snakes and rats filled the dimness.
It was so quiet that Xu Wei opened his eyes as he heard his footsteps approaching.
He recognized his student's footsteps and knew it was Luo Shenyuan without even looking. After all, there was probably no one else who could come to see him at this time except Luo Shenyuan.
Xu Wei said, "You're here."
Luo Shenyuan remained silent. He stood there in the dim, damp prison, dressed in the solemn robes of a third-rank official, looking out of place. The deputy minister, however, sat in the prison, his prison uniform on, a wisp of hair falling across his face. He appeared unfazed by death. "I heard you've taken refuge with Wang Yuan?"
"Teacher, you heard it wrong. Although I didn't run around for you, I'm not a person who forgets his principles for the sake of profit." Luo Shenyuan said lightly.
Xu Wei was a little distracted. "Please let the censors of the faction scold you more. In fact, those censors shouldn't scold you. The one who should be scolding is me. At least I have never treated you sincerely. I'm afraid you have already guessed it. The next Prime Minister I am really training is Yang Ling. I only support you so that he can avoid being noticed by Wang Yuan's faction. In fact, your talents are comparable, but in other aspects, he is far inferior to you... But you are cruel and ruthless. If you become Prime Minister, sooner or later you will become another Wang Yuan."
Luo Shenyuan stood with his hands behind his back in silence, in a dark world. A few feet of light leaked through the cracks in the window, shining on his back, making it difficult to see his face.
"Teacher, don't worry. I will ensure that your family is safe. Even if you are gone in the future, I will always remember your teachings. I have come to see you for the last time to show our teacher-student relationship. Now we say goodbye." Luo Shenyuan turned and was about to leave.
Xu Wei suddenly said from behind him, "I heard your wife is seriously ill. Is she feeling better now?"
Luo Shenyuan had his back to him, the expression on his face difficult to describe. He said, "Better."
"That's good." Xu Wei seemed relieved. "You value her so much. If anything happened to her, I don't know what you would do..." He leaned against the wall, his tone gentle. Perhaps he had wavered countless times, but in the end, he still chose Yang Ling. As for right or wrong, it didn't matter anymore.
Luo Shenyuan finally walked out of the prison, walking faster and faster. He closed his eyes only after getting on the sedan chair, forgetting even the last bit of warmth from his teacher.
He is not the same type of person as Xu Wei. Maybe he is really more like Wang Yuan.
The Qianqing Palace gradually approached, and Luo Shenyuan smelled the fragrance again.
The eunuch led him to a side hall. The emperor, dressed in a Taoist robe, washed his hands, and then bathed and burned incense. Sitting down across from him, he sipped his tea. "I heard that Minister Luo went to see Xu Wei. When he was the Vice Minister, he always took good care of you. These days, there's been an endless stream of people pleading for him, but I haven't heard you do it."
"Your Majesty has made his decision, and there must be reasons for it. I respect my teacher, but I owe you my loyalty," Luo Shenyuan said. He smiled again and said, "Your Majesty enjoys alchemy, and I have a master I'd like to introduce to you. He's known locally as a living immortal, able to communicate the will of the Hongjun Patriarch, a truly miraculous skill. I've already invited him here, and Your Majesty will be able to see him in a few days."
The emperor was very surprised and interested when he heard this: "Can you really communicate with Grandmaster Hongjun?"
"Of course it's true."
The emperor asked many questions about this master, marveling at him. But after a while, he fell silent again. Then he said to Luo Shenyuan, "Except for Wang Yuan, you are the one who pleases me the most. I have something I want to ask you to do, and it concerns the reputation of the royal family. I hope you will be prudent."
Luo Shenyuan stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please continue speaking."
"Do you know... why the Queen has not been pregnant for so many years?" The Emperor said slowly.
Luo Shenyuan suddenly thought of what Zhao Mingzhu had said, and a conclusion suddenly came to his mind. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and he said, "I can probably guess a little bit."
"It is my order, but I have my suspicions. I do not know the details," the emperor said. "Today I am giving you something. With it, you will have greater convenience in your work at court. Lord Wang is busy with court affairs, and Xu Wei has been imprisoned. I wish to use you in a more important position."
The emperor's intention was to cultivate him as a confidant. Perhaps his performance these days had indeed earned his trust. Luo Shenyuan calmly knelt down to express his gratitude. Only when the item was handed to him did his eyebrows twitch slightly.
It turned out to be the token of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
The Imperial Guards were directly responsible to the Emperor, but he would occasionally delegate responsibility to his trusted associates. Previously, it was Lu Jiaxue, but the Emperor feared that Lu Jiaxue would become too powerful, as he already held too much military power. So, he took it back. Now, it's in his hands!
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were a very formidable force, and because they were trusted by the emperor, they acted with impunity.
"I will ask the two deputy commanders to meet you, and they will take orders directly from you from now on. If there are any unusual movements, you will need to integrate them and tell me." said the emperor.
Luo Shenyuan thanked him and left the palace.
The token in his hand was extremely important, as it meant that he had indeed gained the emperor's trust. It also meant that he could do many things without restraint in the future.
Luo Shenyuan gripped the token tightly and pursed his lips slightly.
Sedan chairs cruised down the street. It was almost New Year, and lanterns were hung everywhere. Children in new clothes ran about the streets, clutching firecrackers and dough figurines. Today was the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month. No wonder it was so bustling everywhere. Women hugged their children, scolding them, and the children made faces. The streets were bustling, twice as lively as usual.
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