Chapter 960 The Baby-Showing Maniac (Twins)
Since Hsiao Heng took over the cabinet, he has always been high-profile in his work and low-profile in his personal life, saving on red tape and never putting on airs.
But today, for the first time ever, the Grand Secretary actually wants to call each of them into his room for a talk.
The two deputy ministers, three grand secretaries of the cabinet, and several secretaries of the secretariat all gathered outside the Grand Secretary's hall, looking at each other in bewilderment, wondering what was going on today.
"Have we done something wrong recently and been caught red-handed?" Vice Minister Liu asked.
He was originally a confidant of Grand Tutor Zhuang. After Grand Tutor Zhuang was defeated, he abandoned his allegiance to the Emperor and showed his sincerity.
Another deputy minister surnamed Zhang was dismissed and investigated because his crimes were serious and even his defection to the Ming Dynasty could not save him. The person who replaced him was surnamed Wu and was selected from among the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.
Wu, the Vice Minister, pondered, "I haven't done anything wrong recently... Could it be that the Grand Secretary has discovered that I promoted a relative?"
Water that is too clear has no fish. No dynasty can guarantee that its officials are absolutely clean, but these few people at most have some petty thoughts and cannot be considered parasites on the country.
Xiao Heng usually turns a blind eye and doesn't interfere unless things go too far.
"If even the two Grand Secretaries don't understand the situation, then we—" The speaker was a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, surnamed Kong.
The cabinet has a total of six Grand Secretaries. Only the Grand Secretary and the two Second Grand Secretaries are entitled to be addressed as Grand Secretary. The other three Grand Secretaries, who come from the Wuying Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion and Dongge Pavilion, can only be addressed as Junior Grand Secretary.
"yes."
"yes."
The Grand Secretaries of Wenyuan Pavilion and Dongge Pavilion sighed and nodded.
Liu, the second-in-command, said, “The three Grand Secretaries need not worry. The Grand Secretary is not a capricious person. He has summoned us here today, presumably to inquire about the recent official business.”
Vice Minister Wu hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, since the Prime Minister took office, he has never seriously argued with us. Even when things go wrong, he only gives us a gentle reminder. Today... who knows what good things might be happening."
"That would be best," said Grand Secretary Kong.
Before long, the secretary next to the Grand Secretary came out and called Liu, the Second Grand Secretary, in first.
Although Liu Cifu said he wasn't worried, his face turned pale when he was actually summoned.
For some reason, he felt that the atmosphere today was too formal.
Could something really serious have happened?
Is the Grand Secretary going to cultivate his own people, having them secretly submit their pledges of loyalty?
If one does not submit to the Grand Secretary, will one be secretly and ruthlessly eliminated by him?
He steeled himself and entered the Grand Secretary's study.
Xiao Heng was sitting in the official's hat chair behind his desk. This youngest prime minister in the history of Zhao Kingdom had demonstrated what it meant to be promising at a young age. He became the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy at the age of thirteen, was murdered and wandered among the common people, but returned to the capital as the top scholar at the age of seventeen. He became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of nineteen, entered the Hanlin Academy, the Grand Secretariat, and the Ministry of Justice in the same year, and became the prime minister of the Grand Secretariat at the age of twenty-one.
This is a legend of the Zhao Kingdom, and it will surely be recorded in history.
"This humble official greets Your Excellency." Liu Cifu did not dare to be disrespectful to the other party just because he was young.
"Mmm~"
A soft, childlike voice suddenly came from beside Xiao Heng, and Vice Minister Liu was taken aback.
His nose wasn't working well, so he didn't smell the strong milky aroma that filled the room.
But he's not deaf.
He mustered his courage and glanced next to the Grand Secretary, and oh my goodness!
Two kids!
Xiao Cong and Xiao Yan lay side by side in the cradle by the table. The weather wasn't so cold anymore, so they were no longer wrapped in swaddling clothes. Xiao Cong was, as always, a quiet little handsome boy, while Xiao Yan was sucking her thumb.
The soft, childlike voice just now came from her.
"Are they... are they the young lady and young master of your family?" he asked blankly.
"Hmm," Xiao Heng replied indifferently, his expression quite smug.
Vice Minister Liu was completely bewildered. What was going on? You came to work and even brought your child along?
So the reason you called me to your study—
"Hmm." Xiao Heng winked at the scribe beside him.
Shu Cheng understood, and stepped forward with two red eggs, saying to Liu Cifu in a friendly manner, "These are red eggs from the lord."
Vice Minister Liu: "???"
I've seen women give birth to eggs two days after giving birth, but have you ever seen a woman still giving birth to red eggs two months after giving birth?
Xiao Heng said without changing his expression, "I just forgot to send it last time, so I'm making it up to you this time."
Vice Minister Liu: So all you wanted to do after all that was give out red eggs? You should have said so earlier! Look how scared everyone is!
"Isn't it cute?" Xiao Heng asked seriously.
"Cute...cute!" Vice Minister Liu was almost questioning his existence.
Your dad wasn't satisfied with showing off his daughter, so now you're showing off your twins. What's wrong with your family?
The second person to be called in was Vice Minister Wu.
He also received two red eggs and a basketful of auspicious words praising the twins, which could not be the same as those given by Vice Minister Liu.
The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were subjected to their first literary surprise test of the year—a lavish display of praise for the twins.
...
With Gu Changqing's marriage concluded, Gu Jiao plans to set off for Dark Night Island, accompanied by Xiao Heng. Duke Anguo will also return to Yan State together.
Their plan was to stay in Shengdu for a while, and Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng only needed to cross the ice field before the extreme weather in October.
The only problem they face right now is whether their two young children can handle such a strenuous journey.
Princess's Residence.
The whole family sat in Princess Xinyang's room.
Princess Xinyang said, "There is a lot of rain in April, so it is not suitable to travel by water. You can only travel by land. It would be too bumpy to take a carriage. Yan'er and Cong'er are only two months old."
Gu Jiao remained silent.
This is indeed a very real problem. It is too tiring for a two-month-old baby to ride in a carriage, especially since the weather in Yan is hot. Entering May is like the height of summer, and being stuck in the carriage all day is as terrible as being put in a steamer.
Xiao Ji has always been very strict with raising children, and this time he agreed with Qin Fengwan's concerns.
Sending such tiny twins on a long journey is too much of a hassle.
Princess Xinyang looked at Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng and said, "You can either wait until the children are older and go next year, or leave the children here and I will take good care of them."
The Godfather's remains are still buried on Dark Night Island. Gu Jiao has already waited a year and cannot allow herself to wait a second year.
Besides, even if the twins are a year older, they are still not suitable for long-distance travel.
Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Heng.
Xiao Heng said softly, "It's up to you to decide."
Gu Jiao said, "Then let's leave the child in the capital."
Xiao Heng held her hand: "You won't be reluctant to part with it?"
Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "I'm fine, how about you?"
Xiao Heng stroked her temple and said casually, "Of course I'm fine."
Upon returning to Lanting Courtyard, Xiao Heng immediately went into his room, locked the door, and held the twins tightly, his eyes red and swollen.
...
Everything for the trip was prepared months ago, and we're ready to leave at any time.
The two first went to the palace to bid farewell to their aunt.
Admittedly, my aunt hoped to keep them by her side forever, but the children grew up and had to go out into the world to fulfill their own life missions.
What she had to do was protect their home and wait for their return each time.
After leaving the palace, the young couple went to Bishui Hutong and the Ding'an Marquis's Mansion to say goodbye. By the time they returned to the Princess's Mansion, it was already dark.
However, on that very night, something unexpected happened—the twins disappeared!
"Waaaaah... It's all my fault... I didn't keep an eye on the young master and young lady..." Yu Ya'er cried her heart out at the door, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gu Jiao didn't blame her, but calmly asked, "Don't cry, tell me what happened in detail."
Yu Ya'er recounted everything that had happened that night in detail.
The twins stayed with Princess Xinyang all day, and she didn't bring them back until nightfall. The twins were very energetic and showed no signs of sleeping, so she put them together on Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao's bed, wanting them to play a little longer.
She was making knots in the room.
The kitchen staff came over and asked her if she wanted to prepare a late-night snack for the young master and his wife.
She went out and told the man about some of the snacks they both liked.
“I was standing right at the door… here…” Yu Ya’er pointed to where she had been talking to the cook and cried, “I never imagined that in just a short while… when I went back inside… Yan’er and Cong’er would be gone…”
"Was Long Yi at the manor at the time?" Xiao Heng asked.
Yuya wiped away her tears and pointed forward: "He's here... He's sharpening charcoal pencils in the yard. After Yan'er and Cong'er went missing, he went out to look for them."
The first thought that someone had broken into the mansion and stolen the twins was that someone had broken into the mansion and stolen them.
However, judging from where Yu Ya'er pointed, Long Yi was facing the door at the time.
No assassin could sneak into the courtyard right under Long Yi's nose, let alone steal the twins.
Xiao Heng entered the room and carefully examined it, concluding, "No fourth person has come in."
The three people are Yu Ya'er and the twins.
Gu Jiao frowned: "Since no one has been here, how did Yan'er and Cong'er disappear?"
Xiao Heng's gaze fell on the bedside table: "I remember you left the first-aid kit here when you left this morning."
Gu Jiao nodded: "Yes, wait, the first-aid kit is gone too!"
It is known that the first-aid kit cannot be stolen.
so--
It was the first-aid kit that kidnapped the twins!
Gu Jiao bristled on the spot, clenching her little fists, her face darkening instantly!
...
The Hall of the Imperial Preceptor.
A young man dressed in a white, crescent-white imperial robe stepped into the Qilin Hall.
The disciples on duty inside the hall bowed to him, saying, "Imperial Preceptor."
Ye Qing nodded.
He wore a mourning garment on his arm, but no one knew who it was for.
He walked along the long corridor on the right side of the Qilin Hall and came to the secret room at the end. He said to the two guards who were watching the secret room, "I'm going in to clean up. You open the door."
"Yes, Imperial Advisor!"
The two assassins followed the instructions of the newly appointed young imperial advisor and used the key to open the secret chamber.
Ye Qing stepped into the place his master had instructed him to protect with his entire life.
But as soon as he lit the oil lamp, he saw that the place, which should have been empty, had somehow become occupied by two adorable little babies!
"Oh!"
He was terrified, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground!
(End of this chapter)
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