Chapter 75: Shocking Changes (1) [VIP]
Her dreams were all of her time in the Music Bureau. At that time, the sound of pianos was lingering in the side hall, and she sat leisurely on one side of the elegant hall, secretly watching the teacher solemnly flipping through the books.
Seeing through her eyes, the gentleman raised his head and looked back in confusion. She lowered her head silently again, laughing in her heart, but she didn't know where her joy came from.
So she played the piano solemnly, not wanting to disturb this rare peace.
The cold and lonely moonlight covered the imperial city. The elm trees beside the palace wall swayed in the night wind. The palace pond beside it was full of duckweed, and the water was clear and bright under the dark sunlight.
It was almost midnight, and the candles were still burning in the Guangcheng Hall. Emperor Xuanlong, Chu Zhan, was reviewing a memorial when he suddenly heard the palace guards come to report. He stopped writing in surprise.
What is surprising is that at this time, there are also people who come here to pay a visit.
The Emperor of Da Ning looked intently, watching the clear figure he had not seen for a long time walking towards him. Just as he remembered, he knelt and bowed in the most polite manner, which made him even more confused.
Chu Zhan couldn't help but frown. He put down the memorial and asked sternly, "Why are you here so late, Lord Qu?"
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Kneeling straight, Qu Han exuded a cold and aloof air as he bowed once more. "Your Majesty, I have a humble request, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it."
Chu Zhan frowned upon seeing the scene. He had never expected that he would receive such a plea from this person one day. "I remember that you have never asked anything of me. What has troubled you?"
The kneeling person raised his eyes calmly and responded with a humble expression, but he insisted that Your Majesty fulfill this request.
"Your Majesty's birthday banquet is coming soon, and I would like to give Your Majesty an unforgettable birthday banquet." Qu Hanjin replied jokingly, and a smile gradually appeared on his face as he explained the purpose of his visit.
"After much thought, I have come up with a brilliant plan."
"Oh?" Hearing that it was about the birthday banquet, Emperor Xuanlong raised his eyebrows and looked at the figure again, "My dear minister, tell me about it."
Qu Han boldly refused to answer, bowing his head and bowing, performing the perfect etiquette between monarch and subject: "Since it is a brilliant plan, revealing it will ruin the surprise. Your Majesty, please don't blame me."
Mr. Qu has been in charge of palace banquets for many years, and has always won the favor of Your Majesty and has Your Majesty's full trust. If he really comes up with a good idea to celebrate the birthday, Your Majesty will certainly agree.
All the servants around knew this, even Eunuch Tao beside him understood it.
"My dear minister, what you said makes sense. What I want from you is..." Emperor Xuanlong really did not ask any more questions. He nodded lightly and asked the minister in front of him again.
"On the day of the birthday banquet, I need to mobilize the troops to make the whole country celebrate..." Qu Hanjin said each word clearly, paused, and spoke carefully, "This will only take half a day. I wonder if Your Majesty can agree to it."
"Mobilize troops..." Chu Zhan's face changed when he heard this. After a moment of contemplation, his imperial face became stern and he looked at him coldly, "This is no small matter..."
Little did they know that Mr. Qu actually dared to ask His Majesty for military power. The attendants on both sides gasped, thinking that Mr. Qu was being too presumptuous.
Upon hearing this arrogant plan, Your Majesty would probably be furious.
Sir, you have the intention of mobilizing the elite soldiers defending the city, and His Majesty will definitely be suspicious.
Seeing that His Majesty didn't answer for a long while, but just kept considering, Qu Hanjin replied calmly, and his every word and action seemed to be carefully planning the birthday banquet: "If Your Majesty does not trust me, I will think of another way to celebrate the banquet."
"Forget it," Chu Zhan pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved his dragon sleeves and instructed Eunuch Tao, "Pass on my instructions. Tell Xue Chen what Lord Qu said, and have him follow your orders."
"I obey your order." Upon hearing this, Eunuch Tao shook his whisk lightly and retreated.
Everyone said that His Majesty was very respectful to Mr. Qu, but they didn't expect that His Majesty would even agree to adjust the military power. It can be seen that His Majesty really placed some trust in the Grand Master of Music.
Since Sun Zhong was poisoned, Deputy General Xue Chu was appointed by His Majesty as the general to protect the country. After receiving this imperial edict, he was probably unwilling to accept it, so he reported the news to His Majesty the Ninth Prince recently.
Qu Hanjin thought quietly, having achieved his goal, and wanted to leave.
But just as he stood up gracefully, His Majesty called him back.
Glancing at the chessboard beside him, Chu Zhan sighed wistfully, signaling that he couldn't leave just yet. "My dear Lord Qu, it's been a while since I've played chess with you. How about tonight?"
Looking back, he did play chess with His Majesty often. Later, because His Majesty set up the Ministry of Music, he no longer had the free time and did not make a special trip to the palace to play chess with His Majesty.
Bowing with an apologetic air, Qu Han seemed to be concerned about the mansion. He spoke in a dilemma, still feeling that teaching was the most important thing: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. My students are still waiting for me to return to teach them. I am afraid I cannot delay any longer."
"Ever since you took charge of the Ministry of Music, you no longer have the time to play chess with me..." Emperor Xuanlong's eyes did not move, and he recalled the past in a trance and missed the past very much.
"I remember clearly that in the entire Daning, no one could beat you in chess back then."
The emperor was filled with loneliness as he sat on the dragon throne, tapping the armrests with his fingertips.
Qu Hanjin sighed helplessly, then smiled faintly and made a promise: "When these students finish their studies and return, I will play chess with Your Majesty a few more times."
"Really?" His eyes suddenly lit up, and Chu Zhan was very happy to hear that. He raised his hand and pointed at the chessboard on the table, and in an instant his eyes smiled and his brows relaxed.
"Then I'll be waiting for you!"
He wanted to retreat, but suddenly he seemed to think of something, and his steps slowed down and he thought for a few moments.
His expression was particularly calm and composed, making it difficult to read his mind. Qu Hanjin replied softly, as if he really wanted to relieve His Majesty's worries and relieve his boredom: "If Your Majesty really wants to play chess to relieve his boredom, you can come to the palace every night at 12:00 p.m."
"That's great!" Chu Zhan thought, and he couldn't wait to return to the day of the chess game. "I'm really looking forward to playing chess with Lord Qu."
Since that night, Mr. Qu seemed to be back to normal. Whenever he had free time, he would go to the palace and play a few games of chess with Prince Guangcheng to relieve His Majesty's boredom.
Over time, Si Le of the Ministry of Rites became Emperor Xuanlong's most trusted court official. Many high-ranking officials in the court secretly sought to curry favor with him, but Mr. Qu flatly rejected them all and stopped them outside his residence.
When Chu Zhan heard the news, he was overjoyed and expressed his loyalty.
Lingning Palace was still quiet, especially the East Courtyard. Since Miss Chu had attempted assassination twice, the Ninth Palace
It is said that the west courtyard had been renovated several times, and a beautiful and tight-fisted woman moved in and slept in the side room of the west courtyard every day.
Day after day, no one made a fuss in the palace.
Chu Qingluo didn't care whether the Ninth Prince imprisoned her, ignored her, or forgot about her. This situation was perfectly satisfactory to her.
It would be best if the entire Lingning Palace completely forgot about her so that she could take advantage of the opportunity.
The day was shorter than she had expected. Dozens of days later, in the morning, the sound of whipping was suddenly heard in the west yard.
The sound continued until noon, intermittently.
Originally, she thought that the person being punished should be the girl who had followed the Ninth Prince for a short time, but considering that His Highness doted on that girl, and also that there was someone else locked up in the torture chamber, Chu Qingluo became suspicious and finally asked the maid guarding the door.
The sound of the whipping became more severe. She asked in a low voice, a little confused, "Is the new girl still in the torture chamber today?"
"It is said that the person imprisoned is a person from the previous dynasty, who was captured by Your Highness." The maid thought for a long time and finally said something that made her heart tremble.
"What's the name... Fu Zhao, it seems to be that."
She had known for a long time that the Ninth Prince was tracking down Fu Zhao's whereabouts, but she had been lucky before and no one had fallen into his hands.
But the Ninth Prince pursued him relentlessly and now he has actually caught him...
The rest of the people would definitely not be as stubborn as Feng Yan. After being subjected to such extreme punishment, they would definitely tell her everything about her life story.
She is in danger now.
Chu Qingluo felt uneasy and frightened. After a while, he calmed down and suddenly asked, "How long has this man been in the torture chamber?"
The maid counted carefully on her fingers, then replied confidently, "It's been three days, including today. I heard that it's almost time to confess."
"What?" she asked, knowing that she was doomed and could only sit and wait for death, there was no other way.
"You must be the mastermind behind this," he replied lightly. The maid didn't notice the clue and quickly lowered her voice. "No one in this world can endure your torture. Even a warrior wouldn't last long."
"Where is His Highness?" Listening quietly to the noise coming from the direction of the torture chamber, Chu Qingluo asked in a deep voice about the whereabouts of the Ninth Prince.
"His Highness is in the torture chamber, supervising." The maidservant made no secret of the situation and treated her very obediently. "If the young lady has anything important to say, I can go and tell her."
She shook her head lightly and went back to the house silently: "No need, thank you for telling me."
Although she pretended to be calm, she knew that she was very frightened and that within two or three days, the people in the torture room would tell everything.
She would become a fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others.
Sure enough, two days later, at noon, it was drizzling, the sky was gloomy, and the cold wind made the windows rattle slightly. Footsteps were heard in the courtyard, and then the door was suddenly pushed open.
The person who walked into the room was someone she had hardly seen for several months. He held a folding fan in his hand and looked at her arrogantly, with ambiguous thoughts in his eyes.
Chu Yanshuo suddenly curled his lips, revealing a very cold smile, and spoke in a soft voice: "I have neglected the beauty for several months. Is the beauty angry with me?"
"I dare not." Chu Qingluo bowed gracefully as she did in the past and took the opportunity to retreat far away.
The door was closed tightly.
The Ninth Prince sat leisurely on a stool. He raised his finger and beckoned her to stay beside him. "I just heard a terrible joke and I want to make you laugh. Would you give me a chance?"
"Your Highness has no time for leisure, yet he still thinks of me. He is truly thoughtful."
She did as she was told, and just as she reached him, she felt a heavy blow to her hind legs, forcing her to her knees.
The stick hit her so hard that she groaned in pain, her brows slightly furrowed, knowing that she would not survive the day.
"I accidentally caught an assassin, and the assassin said that the master behind the scenes was the princess of Long State of the previous dynasty." Chu Yanshuo said as he laughed.
"Do you think the wind is funny?"
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