Chapter 34 Good Brothers (Two chapters combined, with added content...)
The conversation unfolding against the backdrop of the sky revealed that the emotions of the people were not shared.
The aristocratic families of Yongzhou turned pale and nearly fainted: the tyrant had recklessly used force, and these people from later generations were actually trying to defend him? Was there no justice in the world?!
What's wrong with leading troops? Does he have any evidence? Does leading troops give him the right to kill indiscriminately?!
Emperor Hong'an remained silent, his attention drawn to certain comments: his grandson truly needed to return to his studies. His handwriting was so poor; look at how later generations constantly brought it up—what a disgrace!
I can't stand it!
Gu Xunhui's expression was complicated. Hearing his father's voice returning home, he sighed, not knowing what to say.
I always felt that family harmony was about to be destroyed.
As for her two future children, they were still too far away for her. Throughout history, it was not uncommon for rulers, ministers, fathers, and sons to fight tooth and nail for the throne. If that day ever came, what could her future self say?
After watching the sky display, probably only Fang Jingruo and Liang Xiao were happy.
If Fang Jingruo is proud of his future achievements, since his merits have been passed down for hundreds of years, he will surely have a place in official history.
Who doesn't want to be remembered in history? And he could already glimpse a corner of the future.
However, he was also very interested in the story of Fang Hou that Tianmu had mentioned, and he would write it down when he had time in the future.
As for being arrogant because of favor... hehe, that's clearly a timeless tale of wise rulers and virtuous ministers!
These people are simply envious and jealous of him!
Liang Xiao was more composed, secretly pondering: Why doesn't Tianmu release the contents of "Simple Prescriptions for Saving the World" so that he can compile it into a book sooner? Then he might as well go find Zhou She and ask him to help promote it.
After reading the comments, Zhou She had only one thought in his mind: these people are really gossipy.
Moreover, he thought the title "How to Become a Divine Doctor" was excellent. No wonder a bunch of people with no aesthetic sense couldn't appreciate its beauty.
After examining Zhou She's handwriting, the emperor recalled the thirty-sixth year of Hong'an mentioned by Tianmu. He had long anticipated this time; Tianmu had once said that he himself had passed away when the sixth prince was twelve years old.
So be it.
Emperor Hong'an stopped himself from thinking any further. He had never craved so-called immortality, and he had scoffed at the previous emperors' enthusiasm for seeking immortality and elixirs.
Living to be over sixty is not exactly satisfactory, but it's not bad either.
However, as I grow old, others are in the prime of their lives.
Zhou She was only nineteen years old. Emperor Hong'an looked him over from all angles and found him much more pleasing to the eye, full of vitality.
I don't know if it's because of the sky, but compared to the sky, the turtles seem to look sullen and listless.
"Zhou She".
Upon hearing the emperor's voice, Zhou She immediately stood up: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
The emperor originally intended to discuss some serious matters with him, but suddenly remembered the sixth prince, so he changed his words and said, "Come with me to see your uncle."
Zhou She was taken aback: "...Yes."
The uncle the emperor mentioned was the legendary, frail Sixth Prince. His maternal grandfather was indeed in good health, and his son was younger than his grandson.
When the emperor travels, the imperial guards immediately follow. Zhou She and Cheng Rong walked side by side, one on the left and one on the right, not too far apart. He could see the other's expression with just a glance.
Cheng Rong seemed absent-minded, his expression shifting between silence and distortion, his eyes darting around. Although his legs were moving, his soul had already flown away.
I always felt that he had suffered a lot of trauma.
Thinking this, they arrived at the Green Pavilion where the Sixth Prince resided.
The sixth prince's birth mother, Consort Chu, entered the palace a few years ago and has been living in Biying Pavilion ever since. With the position of empress vacant and the emperor having no interest in adopting children, the sixth prince also lives here with Consort Chu.
Emperor Hong'an slowed his pace and quietly entered.
Zhou She slammed on the brakes and looked at Cheng Rong beside him. Cheng Rong hadn't even reacted yet, which startled him. He quickly reached out and pulled Cheng Rong, making him stumble.
Cheng Rong immediately snapped out of his daze, pulled out his sleeve, stared at Zhou She with a complicated expression, and then quickly looked away, as if he had said something.
Zhou She didn't see clearly, nor did he care to think about it, and followed the emperor into Biyingxuan.
At this moment, Consort Chu was sitting with her back to the door, next to the cradle, staring blankly at the sixth prince on the bed.
The emperor walked slowly behind her, past the woman's head, and looked at the sixth prince on the bed.
A chubby baby lay on the rocking chair, wrapped in thick clothes, his cheeks flushed, not sleeping soundly.
Consort Chu rested her chin on one hand and gently rocked the cradle with the other. Hearing footsteps behind her, she assumed it was a palace maid returning from preparing medicine and said softly, "Micui, Rui'er is asleep. He can take his medicine later."
After she finished speaking, she waited for a while, but heard no response, so she turned her head in confusion.
A bright yellow figure came into view, standing with his hands behind his back and a calm expression. It was not her personal maid, but the emperor, whom she rarely saw.
How is Xiao Liu's condition?
"Your Majesty!" Consort Chu was somewhat flustered and quickly bowed. After receiving permission to stand up, she hurriedly took a step back and said to Emperor Hong'an, "Little Six has been running a high fever recently and cries whenever he wakes up. It's not good for Imperial Physician Lin to stay here all the time, so I'll let him go back first."
She had no affection for the emperor, and their relationship was no different from that of a subject and ruler. But she knew that the emperor still cared about his children, so she spoke her mind without reservation.
"I already know," Emperor Hong'an replied as expected.
His youngest son was particularly prone to crying, as if he had fallen into water in his past life and was now trying to vomit it all up, which worried him greatly.
Although Physician Lin was young, he was very good at coaxing children. He often treated the Sixth Prince, and over time, the child became more well-behaved in Physician Lin's care.
As they were talking, whether it was because their voices were a bit too loud or because they were feeling unwell, the chubby baby who had been sleeping peacefully in the cradle suddenly frowned and burst into tears.
Emperor Hong'an: "..." He had a bad feeling.
Before Chu Cairen could speak to him, she turned and picked up the child. She tried to soothe him, but to no avail. The crying subsided a little, but the child was still sobbing, his fists clenched tightly, which pained Chu Cairen to see.
The entire Biyingxuan Pavilion suddenly became lively, but not in a pleasant way.
Seeing the emperor's brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a mosquito, Zhou She quickly took a step back: "Your Majesty, I will go and fetch the imperial physician immediately."
He was fine when he didn't speak, but as soon as he did, the emperor suddenly remembered that he was still there and had a sudden idea: "Didn't Tianmu say that you can take care of children? Why don't you hold him?"
Zhou She's mind went blank. Looking at the child being handed to him, his hand trembled, and his heart raced: "Your Majesty, that's a matter of the future..."
Don't make it sound like he can take care of children right now!
Chu Cai Ren was also nervous. How could such a young-looking man possibly take care of a child?
What if we drop Xiao Liu?
"What's wrong with you, as the nephew, hugging your uncle?" The emperor was unreasonable, ordering Zhao Wen to bring the child over and put him in Zhou She's arms.
Seeing Zhou She's flustered efforts, Consort Chu dared not lend a hand. Neither of them had time to speak; they wished they had eight hands so they could steadily support the Sixth Prince.
Zhou She inwardly complained about the emperor, thinking, "What an unreliable father! How can he do things like this?"
Emperor Hong'an was completely unaware of his resentment and ordered the palace servants to immediately find Lin Jingcheng.
Zhou She finally managed to lift the sixth prince into his arms in a strange posture, making it look more like he was holding a bomb than a child.
Emperor Hong'an looked around, still not satisfied, and gestured, saying, "Pull his arm in."
It was not quite appropriate for the sixth prince to have one arm hanging outside the blankets.
Zhou She obeyed the order, but Emperor Hong'an looked at him and said, "His legs are sticking out."
The palace servants quickly stepped forward and tidied the young prince's bedding.
Before Emperor Hong'an could say anything more, he stared at the Sixth Prince for a long while before saying with a hint of regret, "Let's leave it at that."
Zhou She: "..."
Chu Cai Ren: "..."
Emperor Hong'an felt quite satisfied, believing he had participated in raising the child. The three stood before the cradle, looking at the sixth prince in the center with an odd air, and fell silent for a moment.
"Huh?" Chu Cairen's voice broke the silence. She stretched out a finger and gently lifted the blanket under the child's chin. "Rui'er, are you not crying anymore?"
Zhou She and Emperor Hong'an then realized what was happening. The Sixth Prince, who had been sobbing, had opened his eyes, his dark pupils staring at Zhou She, but he didn't utter a sound.
Emperor Hong'an glanced at Zhou She, then at the Sixth Prince, and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Not bad, you should spend more time with the children."
Zhou She smiled bitterly to himself. Before he could speak, a series of hurried footsteps sounded in the distance, and Lin Jingcheng's bustling figure reappeared in front of him.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Consort Chu!" Lin Jingcheng was still running over, his face covered in sweat, when he looked up and saw Zhou She standing in front of him.
Their eyes met, and Lin Jingcheng was stunned for a moment. Then, looking at the postures of the three people in front of him, he thought, "...?"
Why are they surrounding the Sixth Prince like this? Is this some kind of mystical practice he doesn't know about?
Emperor Hong'an coughed lightly, drawing Lin Jingcheng's attention back: "Guan Yue, come and take a look."
Lin Jingcheng was quite adept at dealing with the Sixth Prince's illness. He reached out to hug him, then looked closer and exclaimed, "The Sixth Prince seems to be in good spirits!"
"Yes," Consort Chu said softly, "She doesn't seem to be crying anymore."
She felt a bit resentful; her son was actually getting close to two men, which left her speechless.
Lin Jingcheng glanced at Zhou She again, this time genuinely surprised: "This sir..."
Zhou She remained silent; he had no desire to be some kind of baby-care expert.
Lin Jingcheng smiled and said, "It seems that His Highness the Sixth Prince likes you very much."
The sixth prince was in poor health, but he was chubby. Zhou She's arms ached from carrying him, so he quickly reminded him, "Imperial Physician Lin, please take a look at His Highness's condition."
Everyone moved to the table, and Zhou She was finally able to place the chubby boy on his lap. Lin Jingcheng took his pulse but still couldn't find the problem, so he prescribed some medicine to bring down the fever.
Emperor Hong'an, having confirmed that the sixth prince was unharmed, was about to leave. Zhou She, feeling as if granted a pardon, immediately handed the child back to Zhao Wen.
However, before Zhao Wen's hand could even touch the Sixth Prince, a loud cry immediately surrounded them.
Emperor Hong'an: "?"
Zhou She: "!!!"
Lady Chu: "...Let me carry you."
The crying subsided considerably, but it was still loud.
The sixth prince's eyes were glued to Zhou She, and his hands were raised high, almost breaking through the barrier of the swaddling clothes and piercing Zhou She's body.
Several gazes fell on Zhou She at the same time, filled with an unspoken silence.
Zhou She froze, and after a long while, he said with difficulty, "Your subject... come and hug me."
Zhou She carried the sixth prince out of Biyingxuan.
He couldn't understand why he, an emperor visiting his uncle, had become a babysitter.
For the first time, the emperor, who was always self-righteous, felt embarrassed. He patted Ruochuan on the shoulder and said, "Ruochuan, Xiao Liu likes you, so I'll leave it to you to take care of him. I've already instructed Lin Jingcheng to keep an eye on him."
Zhou She was speechless and didn't know what to say, so he could only say, "Your Majesty, there are too many people and too many eyes outside the palace, so it's probably not appropriate."
The emperor thought for a moment and said, "That is indeed a problem."
Under Zhou She's expectant gaze, he said, "Then you shall stay temporarily in the side hall of the Qianqing Palace."
Zhou She: "..."
The two returned to the Qianqing Palace. Originally, they were going to leave the palace, but this time he didn't have to. Fortunately, Zhou She gradually discovered that although the Sixth Prince didn't want anyone else to touch him, he would hardly make a sound as long as he was within the prince's sight.
Thank goodness.
The emperor instructed the palace servants to prepare a place for Zhou She to rest. During this break, he casually asked, "Have you remembered what I told you?"
Zhou She certainly remembered: "I will pay attention to the defense of the capital. If there is anything I don't understand, I will immediately go to Lord Huai."
He's a pro at shifting blame.
"Indeed." Emperor Hong'an nodded slightly, seemingly oblivious to the implication in his words. "Ziyou is aloof but meticulous in his work. You may ask him any questions you may have."
The old emperor composed himself, his tone softened, and he even seemed to offer some guidance.
Zhou She was about to agree when Emperor Hong'an pondered for a moment and continued, "Xie Chaoxian, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, has been in office for several years. He is a fairly upright official and is extremely knowledgeable about all matters in the capital. If needed, you can also seek him out."
Zhou She wrote down the name.
After the emperor finished speaking, he finally asked, "Is there any other question?"
Zhou She finally got his chance to speak and dared not hesitate: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you to lend me someone."
"Oh?" Emperor Hong'an raised an eyebrow. "You've only been in office for one day, and you already have someone you've taken a fancy to?"
Zhou She pursed his lips, his smile sincere: "Your subject wishes to borrow Zhuang Shi and Zhuang Yuan Chu for a period of time."
He was ready.
As expected, upon hearing this, Emperor Hong'an's expression remained unchanged, but his voice deepened: "What do you want him to do?"
Although Zhuang Shi was a playboy, he was a playboy with a special status. If Tianmu hadn't later said that Emperor Zhou She was actually doing a decent job, he would have already been thinking about how to kill Zhuang Shi.
Even when the emperor doesn't wear a smile, he already looks intimidating enough.
But Zhou She was not too afraid of him and answered honestly, "I think he wields the knife quite well."
The emperor frowned: "Huai Ziyou's martial arts are even better."
"Lord Huai is busy with many affairs and I'm afraid he has no time to attend to me." Zhou She brought up Huai Leju's words from before and answered frankly, "Although Zhuang Yuanchu is young and impetuous, the Zhuang family is loyal after all. Your Majesty is broad-minded, so I will speak frankly."
He not only spoke with righteous indignation, but also took the opportunity to flatter the emperor, though what he said was not pleasant to hear.
Emperor Hong'an stared at him.
The afternoon sun shone on Zhou She's face, and he bowed slightly, looking respectful.
But his slightly hunched back wasn't enough to stop him from saying certain unpleasant things. And the phrase "youthful impetuosity" that he used, from the emperor's perspective, could also be used to describe Zhou She.
"Zhuang Yuanchu committed treason."
"I am guilty of the same crime as Zhuang Yuanchu."
"...Aren't you afraid of dying?"
"I believe my crime does not warrant this." Zhou She raised his head, ignoring the gazes of those around him, who were seemingly casually looking at him. He asked earnestly, "Your Majesty, is overthrowing the Fifth Prince a crime?"
Cheng Rong watched the whole thing, dumbfounded, with only one thought in his mind: He's really gone mad!
The emperor's anger was indeed evident, but unexpectedly, almost instantly his anger was suppressed and replaced by indifference.
"I spared your life, not so that you could spout nonsense here."
Zhou She knew when to stop and promptly admitted his mistake: "Your subject knows his crime."
Looking at Zhou She's face, the emperor finally said, "Go find Huai Ziyou and have him take you to pick up Zhuang Yuanchu."
Zhou She knelt to express his gratitude. As he stood up, he heard the emperor's heavy voice: "The Zhuang family has served the royal family for generations without any oversight. Zhou She, I am not doing this for you."
Zhou She understood, of course.
If the emperor said it wasn't for his sake, then it's true that it was partly for his sake.
He rose to take his leave, but before he could utter a word, Zhao Wen came to announce, "Your Majesty, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Lord Shen, requests an audience."
Zhou She didn't want to run into Shen Mingzhe, so he moved his toes to take his leave, but the emperor looked up at him.
Zhou She immediately understood that the emperor did not want him to leave.
Shen Mingzhe, with nothing to his name, hurried into the Qianqing Palace.
After court, he returned to the Imperial Academy, intending to focus on his work. However, the sound from the sky followed him like a shadow, forcing him to listen attentively for a long time.
Finally, when the sky finally shut up and the voice stopped its incessant chatter about the future, it was Lord Shen's turn to be filled with excitement.
The Northern Barbarians were their sworn enemies, deeply hated by everyone in the Ning Dynasty. Who would have thought that one day in the future, they would be able to eradicate them completely?!
Shen Mingzhe was momentarily excited and momentarily dazed, unable to believe that the person on the sky was Zhou She.
He stayed in the duty room for a long time, then shakily stretched out two fingers and suddenly pinched them between his thumb and forefinger.
pain!
It wasn't a dream after all.
Shen Mingzhe recalled the past. On his first day at the Imperial Academy, he toured the various lecture halls and found several empty seats in one of the dormitories.
Shen Mingzhe pointed to the empty seats and asked, "Whose seats are those?"
The several assistants beside him looked at each other for a long time before one of them said, "It is Zhou She, the eldest son of Princess Zhaoping."
It took Shen Mingzhe a long time to finally figure out the situation.
When Huai Xu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, suffered a stroke, Zhou She went to see what was going on. This wasn't surprising, but he also brought along several of his classmates, such as Zhuang Shi and Zhong Jin.
A large group of people had already scaled the walls of the Imperial College. Although everyone saw them, no one stopped them.
Encountering such an unacceptable student on the very first day nearly made Shen Mingzhe faint with anger. He waited at the Imperial Academy until the afternoon before seeing Zhou She return, his face bruised and swollen.
Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that he had been involved in a fight!
What does this look like?!
Shen Mingzhe was truly enraged and took the time to go to the princess's residence, where he found Zhou Xuyan.
After hearing the whole story, that scoundrel just waved his hand repeatedly and sighed, "Lord Shen has good intentions, but my son has never liked studying since he was a child. There's nothing I can do about it. Just leave him alone."
"Then please, Lord Zhou, keep him in check!" Shen Mingzhe was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared. "Disrupting order and skipping classes without reason—is this the attitude of students at the Imperial Academy towards learning?!"
As they were talking, Zhou She happened to pass by the window. He was humming a song, looking relaxed, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with a wristband, and in a very good mood.
But this is during class time!
Shen Mingzhe turned around and saw that Zhou Xuyan was still pondering his calligraphy and painting without even looking up.
"Sizzle—"
Shen Mingzhe rushed forward in a few strides and tore the painting to shreds with a single slap. "Zhou Xuyan! This is your son! If you don't take care of him, I won't tolerate his insolence at the Imperial Academy!"
Hearing the noise, Zhou She, who was passing by, poked half his head out of the window: "Principal—ah, why are you fighting?"
Caught off guard, Zhou Xuyan had the painting snatched from his hand and was slapped across the face. His face turned ashen in an instant: "Shen Mingzhe, what's wrong with you?!"
Shen Mingzhe, gathering his strength, pointed at Zhou Xuyan's nose and cursed, "It's the father's fault if the son is not taught properly, but I think you've compounded your mistakes!!"
Zhou She rushed into the study in a panic and pulled the two apart: "Don't fight, let's talk this out!"
Shen Mingzhe and Zhou Xuyan turned around at the same time: "Go back to class!"
The memory ends here. Shen Mingzhe couldn't understand how Zhou She could actually reform himself.
He sat there for a long time, his mind filled with images of the heavens recounting Emperor Zhongzong's achievements. Finally, he gritted his teeth and went to the palace!
He wants to see the Emperor!
Shen Mingzhe strode into the hall, the faint scent of sandalwood wafting through the air, gradually calming his nerves. He had already prepared his speech in his mind, simply waiting to see His Majesty…
His Majesty was talking to a young man and seemed to be in a good mood.
"Mingzhe, are you not busy today?" Seeing him walk in, the emperor straightened his robes, sat up straight, and asked, "Do you have important business to attend to at this hour?"
Shen Mingzhe bowed deeply and said earnestly, "I do have an important matter to discuss. Since later generations have recognized that Princess Zhaoping's eldest son, Zhou She, has military talent, I believe he should be sent to the northern frontier to make the best use of him."
The emperor had anticipated this and looked up at Zhou She.
Zhou She: "..." He kept his eyes down and his mind at ease.
Shen Mingzhe, not hearing the emperor's voice, was somewhat puzzled and was about to add a few words when the emperor finally spoke: "Minister Zhou, what do you think?"
Upon hearing these words, Shen Mingzhe froze. Although the emperor's voice was calm, the echo lingered in Shen Mingzhe's ears, his mind filled with the plain "Minister Zhou."
Before he could even recall whether the person he had just seen was Zhou She, he first heard Zhou She's voice: "Your Majesty, I will obey all your arrangements."
After saying this, Zhou She lowered his gaze and landed on Shen Mingzhe, who was kneeling on the ground.
Lord Shen remained calm and composed, but why was his entire body above the neck completely red?
Despite harboring malicious intentions, Zhou She answered frankly and openly.
He knew the emperor wouldn't send him to the northern frontier.
At least not now.
Since Tianmu finished speaking, Zhuang Ziqian has been on his way back to Beijing, and Cheng Zhuoran has gone to take over his position.
Changing generals at the last minute is inappropriate. Although Cheng Zhuoran is also a veteran, he is a newcomer. How can he compare to Zhuang Ziqian, who has been in the business for many years?
If the emperor wasn't insane, he would never have sent himself, a source of unrest, to the border.
At the very least, we'll have to wait until Cheng Zhuoran has established himself firmly in the northern frontier.
Thinking of this, Zhou She's eyes flickered slightly as he remembered Cheng Rong beside him.
Cheng Zhuoran is Cheng Rong's father.
As expected, the emperor did not agree to Shen Mingzhe's proposal, but instead talked to him about something else.
"The imperial examinations in February are approaching, and the Imperial Academy should also pay more attention to this matter." Emperor Hong'an recalled last year's ten-day examinations, and was particularly dissatisfied with the academic performance of some students. "I have also seen the results of the last ten-day examinations. The academic atmosphere was really not good. This time, there should be some improvement."
When the topic of the Xunkao came up, everyone present immediately turned their attention to Zhou She.
Zhou She didn't take the annual examination last year at all. He went out sightseeing with some friends and didn't remember anything about the examination.
Shen Mingzhe instinctively wanted to curse him again, but before he could utter the words, Tianmu's incessant chatter echoed in his mind once more.
He hesitated, managing to suppress his anger: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly pay attention."
"Zhou Qing, please see Lord Shen out."
Zhou She led Shen Mingzhe out of the Qianqing Palace. When they reached the bottom of the steps, Shen Mingzhe turned around, his face still flushed.
He looked at Zhou She as if he were seeing him in a new light, and sighed with a complicated expression: "Zhou... since you have talent, don't waste your time like before. You were young and reckless, and it's all your father's fault for not teaching you properly. Don't do that again."
Lord Shen spoke with unusual gentleness, his words hesitant and halting, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Zhou She listened attentively and bowed respectfully to him: "Master Shen's teachings over the years are etched in my heart and I will never forget them."
Shen Mingzhe, who has served as president of various universities, is indeed tough and his temper is probably even worse than his future self.
But since he was transferred to the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he has indeed put in a lot of effort to guide this absurd and bad student back to the right path.
Shen Mingzhe is not a truly gentle and kind teacher, but his sincerity and affection for Ning Chao are probably unmatched by many.
Shen Mingzhe stopped looking at him, let out a sigh full of sorrow, cupped his hands in greeting, and strode down the jade steps.
Zhou She followed behind him and went down as well.
Shen Mingzhe noticed that he was being followed and immediately turned to look at him: "Now that you've joined the Imperial Guard and are on duty today, how can you wander around like this?"
Shen Mingzhe was about to glare and puff out his cheeks again, and Zhou She felt that he was reminded of his own days of skipping classes, so he quickly explained, "His Majesty has instructed me to do something."
Actually, he felt a sense of urgency.
Out of consideration for their past relationship and future prospects, the emperor was unwilling to kill him. But what if one day the old emperor discovered that this纨绔 (wán kù, a spoiled, dissolute young man) was merely a pawn that could be replaced at any time…?
Actually, he only wanted to be a playboy, living a life of leisure and doing nothing, just getting by day by day.
But the heavens seemed determined to expose him, determined to tell him that this was the future. He asked himself honestly, could he truly tolerate the Fifth Prince's perverse actions?
If you do not take what Heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences; if you do not welcome the opportune moment, you will suffer the calamity.
The exile of the past and the future is no different from fate. If they continue to hide as before, they shouldn't.
After leaving the palace, Zhou She went to the Imperial Guard Office first.
The emperor issued the decree so quickly that he completed the promotion quota in just half a day, and his status was greatly improved.
In the palace, good news and bad news spread like wildfire. In just half a morning, everyone knew that the emperor not only had no intention of killing him, but even had some thoughts of giving him an important position.
Zhou She pretended not to know, silently thanked the sky, and went to find Huai Leju.
It was such a coincidence that Huai Leju was in his own room. Several colleagues pointed out the way to him, their expressions all incredibly strange. He couldn't quite make out what their expressions were, only that they seemed... even somewhat distorted.
Jie Tong sauntered up to him again and said in a low voice, "Zhou Ruochuan, you've really become famous this time!"
Zhou She calmly asked, "I've been famous for a long time, haven't I?"
“That’s different.” Jie Tong glanced in Huai Leju’s direction and, seeing no movement, breathed a sigh of relief. “It used to be a bad reputation.”
"Is this a good reputation now?"
Jie Tong shook his head and patted Zhou She on the shoulder: "Good brother, if you ever really rise to the top, don't forget me. They want to cling to your coattails, but they're too embarrassed to do so."
Zhou She nearly lost his composure, but quickly suppressed it, smiling at Jie Tong: "I have a good brother waiting for me in the Heavenly Prison, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jie Tong moved his legs and stepped back, saying, "Then forget it, let Zhuang Shi take on this role as our good brother."
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