After listening to Lu Jiaxue's introduction, Zhou Yingyou looked at him and nodded: "I've heard of your reputation. I'm relieved to have you helping the Queen."
The Queen was a woman after all. When the day of the coup came, it would be a good thing if she could remain calm. She could not count on her strategists. Upon hearing this, Cheng Lang understood his role and estimated that he would be sent in to assist the Queen.
"On the third day of the Lunar New Year, officials from all walks of life will come to the palace to express their gratitude," Zhou Yingyou continued. "Ladies of high rank will also come to the palace to express their gratitude. By then, the palace guards will undoubtedly be in chaos. I'll take care of the interior of the palace. As for the exterior of the palace, I'll have to trouble the governor."
Lu Jiaxue narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Master Zhou, you are too polite. You can rest for a while. You can go back after dinner to avoid attracting attention."
Zhou Yingyou spoke very little, nodded in agreement, and was then taken away by the Lu family's steward to rest.
"Uncle," Cheng Lang asked in a low voice, "What are you doing..."
"You're going to die, aren't you?" Lu Jiaxue said. Seeing Cheng Lang's serious expression, he smiled. "What are you afraid of? The Emperor clearly favors the eldest prince. If he ascends the throne, my fate will eventually end... Besides, it's not my choice now."
It wasn't that he was truly provoked. He'd lived for over thirty years, so what could possibly have caused him to be so impulsive? Rather, it was news that had arrived from the palace last night: the Minister of War had returned to the capital to meet the Emperor. The Emperor stated that now that the borders were secured, he intended to reduce the military to alleviate taxes.
Lu Jiaxue's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Now that the borders had been decided, the military reduction would definitely focus on Shanxi. Wouldn't this reduce his power? The emperor's suspicion was indeed fatal.
Lu Jiaxue has held power for his entire life. Will he let others share it?
In the past, he would have definitely planned and arranged to make the emperor give up, but now he didn't think much about it. After yesterday, he suddenly became indifferent to all of this. He just wanted to do something reckless, so what could he do to him?
Didn’t he help the emperor ascend to the throne back then? Now he can be pulled down!
Lu Jiaxue's eyes looked very sharp.
When Cheng Lang saw the look in Lu Jiaxue's eyes, he knew that there was no room for maneuver.
"Don't worry. Unless Zhou Yingyou successfully kidnaps the emperor, I won't take action." Lu Jiaxue remained cautious and said calmly, "That day, you must go to the palace first and take Xie Yun with you. Just say that Xie Yun wants to see her aunt, and you come with her. Understand?"
Cheng Lang took a deep breath: "Nephew understands."
It was already late at night when he returned from Lu Jiaxue's place, and the whole way was filled with the blast of firecrackers. As he sat in the sedan chair, it seemed as if a thousand cannons were blasting outside, illuminating the room as bright as day.
He remembered that when he was a child, there were a lot of firecrackers set off on the street outside Ningyuan Marquis Mansion. What a lively scene!
At that time, he was still young and couldn't see the firecrackers outside, so his uncle picked him up and let him see. His uncle asked him, "Is it high enough?" Then she stood by and protected him a little anxiously, saying, "Look, he was scared!"
"Haha, he's a boy, how can he be timid!" Lu Jiaxue smiled brightly and lifted him up a little.
He was only truly happy when she was around.
Cheng Lang no longer hated Lu Jiaxue because of Luo Yining's incident. Instead, he felt a little sympathetic towards him. Then he wanted to laugh. Who was Lu Jiaxue to deserve his sympathy?
When Lu Jiaxue is having a hard time, no one else can expect to have a good time either! He's just that kind of person. This rebellion was caused by the Third Prince, who probably doesn't want Luo Shenyuan to continue rising in power... Lu Jiaxue wants to kill Luo Shenyuan.
When Cheng Lang returned to the mansion, even the firecrackers had already been set off. The firecrackers and red shavings scattered all over the floor at the doorway were a very festive sight. He stepped on the red shavings and walked in. The maid came to greet him and said, "Fourth Young Master, you are finally back. The Fourth Madam is waiting for you."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." Cheng Lang walked into the study. He wanted to look at his paintings again. He'd been looking at them more and more recently. But when he closed his eyes, he saw her other face, a face so indifferent to him that Cheng Lang didn't want to face it. He needed to see her treat him well.
But when he opened the painting box, his expression suddenly turned cold. No, a painting was missing.
He knew exactly how much of this thing there was.
He called the guard in and asked, "Who has been here before?"
The servant's face turned bitter, and he refused to speak. It wasn't until Cheng Lang was about to have him taken away and spanked that he quickly knelt down and said, "Fourth Young Master, it's the Fourth Madam... But the Fourth Madam said that if I dare to tell, I'll be sold out. I really don't dare!"
Cheng Lang should have guessed that it was Xie Yun, because Xie Yun was next to him the last time he looked at the painting.
He didn't have time to deal with the boy now, so he asked the guards to come in and subdue him, and then he walked towards Xie Yun.
Every step he took was so heavy. When he reached the main hall, Xie Yun was still watching the New Year, waiting for him to come back. Seeing him come in, she stood up from her chair and said with a smile, "Master, you're back!"
Cheng Lang walked up to her, his tone colder than ever before: "Who allowed you to interfere in my affairs? You are good enough, but you dare to threaten my servant. Where is the painting?"
"Master, you are talking about that. I was just curious and took it to have a look. It's an old thing, why would I take it?" Xie Yun smiled reluctantly.
Cheng Lang ignored her and turned around to look through her things.
Xie Yun was anxious. She felt that this man's fickleness was beyond her comprehension. She said, "Don't look for it anymore. It's not here!"
Cheng Lang had indeed not found it, so he glanced at her indifferently, straightened his sleeves, and walked out.
On New Year’s Eve, where is he going?
Xie Yun leaned against the screen, thinking of the person in the painting—it was a woman, but she had never seen her before. Judging from her appearance, she was quite old, so she must not be a young woman.
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