Chapter 86: Skipping Class (2) [VIP]
He frowned in deep thought, wondering how these students had found this path. Even he, a teacher with many years of experience, didn't know.
Qu Hanjin raised his hand to gently support his forehead, muttering to himself for a while: "Who discovered this path? How could I not know it..."
If I were to tell you about the things that are hidden from teachers at the academy, it would take days to finish. She had seen it all so often that she said proudly, "There are so many things that teachers don't know! Teachers have always been unable to defeat students."
"Could it be that you, sir, want me to be a 'spy'?" Chu Qingluo glanced at him warily, curling her lips and saying something in advance, "Sir, don't let your imagination run wild. I will definitely stand on the side of my students."
"You've been hiding everything from me..." The young master lowered his head, his eyes darkening as if he were about to add some more rules. "It seems like this Music Bureau needs a thorough overhaul."
I didn't think too much about what the master would do. Anyway, the day of departure was approaching, and the girls in the mansion should not be persecuted by him.
She walked out of the mansion leisurely, got on the carriage, leaned on his shoulder, closed her eyes and rested.
It was a little strange. Xue Chen was supposed to come again yesterday, but she never saw General Daning. Could it be that there had been another change in the plan for rebellion?
After thinking for a while, the scent of pine and snow beside her made her feel at ease and comfortable, and she soon fell into a light sleep.
The Ministry of Revenue's government office east of the Imperial City was originally quiet. The Minister of Revenue, Yang Lian, was leaning over the desk flipping through a book. When he heard the guards coming to report, he put down the book in surprise and stood up to go and greet them.
The visitor is Mr. Qu, the music director of the Ministry of Rites, who is most appreciated by Your Majesty. Although his purpose is not clear, he must be entertained in any case.
Yang Lian ordered the maid to serve tea, then sat upright in the hall, and saw the elegant and handsome figure slowly walking into the hall.
There was also a bright and beautiful woman accompanying them, who should be Miss Chu who was recently granted marriage by His Majesty.
Yang Lian bowed respectfully, raised his sleeves, and respectfully invited the two to sit down and talk. "Mr. Qu, how did you come to the Ministry of Revenue without any time? Is it because of the order of His Majesty?"
Qu Hanjin returned the greeting casually. He sat in a leisurely manner, chatting and laughing calmly as he replied, "I was just wandering around and came here, so I took this opportunity to visit Master Yang."
"I've heard that you've been playing chess with His Majesty every day for the past month. I thought you were here on His Majesty's orders." It turned out he wasn't here on orders. Yang Lian secretly sweated and spoke of the tea with relief. "This tea is the best Biluochun in the palace. Please, sir."
The young master took a sip of tea, then looked indifferently at Shu Se beside him, as if leaving the rest of the words to her.
"I suppose this woman must be Miss Chu?" The Minister of Revenue was confused. Seeing Mr. Qu looking around from time to time, he turned the conversation to her, "I know a little about the rumors in the palace these days."
There were indeed more maids waiting around. Chu Qingluo spoke softly, with a hint of deep meaning: "An old friend asked me to pass on a few words to you, sir. I'm afraid others can't hear them."
Upon hearing this, Yang Lian suddenly frowned, his face became a little serious, and he dismissed the servants in the government office as if he understood.
Unexpectedly, the person who came to look for someone today was not Mr. Qu, but the Miss Chu whom he had never met before.
Seeing the attendants leave and only two people left in the hall, she walked forward slowly, took out the letter from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
"I wonder if you still remember a brothel girl named Rumeng."
Upon hearing the name, Yang Lian shuddered suddenly, and his originally flattering and smiling face was filled with astonishment.
It seems that I have buried that person in the deepest part of my heart, and when I talk about him again, all that is left is sighing and regret.
"A prostitute is used to seeing men seeking pleasure in brothels, so she should be indifferent..." Chu Qingluo spoke calmly, lightly recounting Rumeng's past experiences, and could not help but lower her eyelashes, "But Rumeng chose to have undue affection for Lord Yang."
"Unfortunately, due to some strange coincidence, she was spotted by His Majesty the Ninth Prince and forcibly taken back to Lingning Palace."
"I was His Highness's concubine for six months and had the honor of meeting Rumeng. She asked me to give you a letter and a pearl hairpin, asking you not to worry about me."
After she finished speaking, she took out the pearl hairpin again, gently placed it next to the letter, and sat back in her original place.
The letter was lightly unfolded, and it was filled with longing, tenderness, and the regret of not being able to get what you wanted.
As each word came into his sight, Yang Lian looked silently, his hands holding the rice paper gradually trembling.
After reading the last sentence, Yang Lian's gaze stopped at the name "Rumeng" and he remained silent for a long time.
After closing the letter and looking up, his eyes were already red.
He closed his eyes and thought, every scene of their past encounters flashing through his mind. After a long pause, he asked in a trembling voice, "How is she...doing?"
"Ru Meng has been tortured day and night, in excruciating pain, and has never had a moment of peace..." Her red lips moved slightly as she spoke softly about the suffering the woman in the video had endured. Chu Qingluo paused at this point, and a hint of sadness finally appeared in her indifferent voice.
"She died two months ago."
The hall fell into silence for a few moments.
Then there were faint sobbing sounds, each cry was full of tears and the sorrow from within turned into endless grief.
No one would know that the man crying like a child at this moment was actually the Minister of Revenue of the current dynasty.
"Her loss, lowering her eyes and wiping away tears, she choked with sobs for a long time and said, "I shouldn't have..."
Seeing her so sad, she continued softly, feeling deeply moved: "Lord Yang is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. He must have wanted to take Rumeng as his concubine."
"Who dares to compete for the person His Highness the Ninth Prince wants..."
The ground was shaking, Yang Lian slammed his fist on the table, his red eyes showing his unwillingness.
"Only you can get what you want and win the emperor's favor." Looking at the gentleman in front of him who had snatched the person from His Highness, he felt admiration in his heart and regretted that he did not have the gentleman's ability to win the emperor's favor.
Chu Qingluo suddenly asked in a low voice, her gentle face turned cold: "
The words were all directed at the Ninth Prince of Daning. She looked at him tentatively, not knowing whether this Shangshu Lord was
However, the man in court robes in front of him looked at him in surprise. After all, the man he was talking about was the prince that His Majesty valued the most. To go against him would be to seek death.
The hatred hidden in her heart surged out, and she asked in a deep voice, pretending to be indignant at the injustice of the world: "The Ninth Prince is tyrannical by nature, extorting money from the people and harming women. Shouldn't he be punished..."
"You want me to deal with the Ninth Prince?" Yang Lian looked at the woman suspiciously, his eyes deepening as he looked at her without saying a word.
"Sir, you only need to transport part of the food and money out of the city from today. Someone will go to collect the goods, and then distribute them as usual half a month before His Majesty's birthday banquet." Without waiting for his consent, Chu Qingluo spoke slowly, telling Sir Yang very sincerely that he could do everything he could.
She slowed her voice, wanting the minister to hear clearly, "In a few days, another account book will be delivered to you, my Lord. You must examine it carefully, for it contains many mysteries."
She didn't tell him the whole plan, but only told him the possible actions that this person could take. Whether she believed it or not, she could get away with it.
Now that the gentleman has become a close confidant of Your Majesty, even if he noticed something was wrong, he would not dare to report it to Your Majesty rashly.
The doubt between his brows spread even more. Yang Lian listened silently, and after a while asked, "Miss, are you asking me to neglect my duty?"
"It's not dereliction of duty. This is to punish evil and promote good. If you do as I tell you, you can avenge Rumeng for the death of His Highness the Ninth Prince." Chu Qingluo put Rumeng's death in front of him and spoke in a righteous tone.
"Your Excellency knows that you are His Majesty's most trusted courtier. With you backing me up, you have nothing to fear."
After she finished speaking, she bowed solemnly. The rest depended on the man's wishes and whether he still had feelings for Rumeng.
The Minister of Revenue was silent for a moment, his thoughts puzzling. He didn't politely refuse, but replied respectfully, "I will think about it for a few days and will give you and your daughter an answer."
Fortunately, he did not refuse outright. After all, he was thinking of their old friendship. Chu Qingluo returned the greeting and followed the gentleman's steps to leave steadily.
But she was called back when she was leaving the hall. She turned back and saw Lord Yang holding the letter tightly.
The letter was wrinkled all over, as if the grief in his heart had overwhelmed the law.
Yang Lian suddenly let go, picked up the pearl hairpin on the table and handed it to her: "Miss Chu, you should keep this pearl hairpin. It will be useful in the future."
"I understand." She accepted the jade hairpin as if she had realized something in an instant, bowed again, and left the Ministry of Revenue calmly.
In just half an hour, she had already reduced some of the power of the Ministry of Revenue.
This time, we just have to wait for Xue Chen to come to the Music Department and have a few more in-depth talks with you to get rid of that minion of Lingning Palace.
Just as she was about to say a few words of congratulations to Qingying beside her, Chu Qingluo saw Eunuch Tao coming towards her after she walked a few steps out of the government office.
It seemed that he had been searching for a while, and the eunuch's forehead was covered with sweat. When he saw Mr. Qu, he immediately smiled happily.
Eunuch Tao hurriedly stopped to wipe his sweat and reported hurriedly, "I didn't expect you to be in the Ministry of Revenue. It just so happens that Your Majesty has summoned you to Guangcheng Hall immediately."
"I understand, Qu. Thank you, Eunuch Tao, for making this trip." Qingrong remained calm. Qu Han understood everything and immediately changed his tone.
Emperor Xuanlong would not summon the gentleman into the palace for no reason. There must be a disaster at hand. She felt uneasy and pondered for a few moments. The Ninth Prince's resentful look when he left Lingning Palace still appeared in her eyes.
His Highness once said that he would go to Guangcheng Palace to report the changes in the Eastern Palace and eliminate her and Mr. Qu together.
Two days have passed since then, and Emperor Daning should have summoned you regarding this matter.
Chu Qingluo's heart trembled for a moment, and she hurriedly whispered to him, worried that the master would not be able to survive this disaster: "It must be that the Ninth Prince informed Your Majesty about the Crown Prince's murder. This situation is difficult to resolve, and the master must be careful."
Still walking steadily along the palace road, the young master was calm and composed, his deep eyes looking straight ahead, and said to her: "You wait outside the palace, and don't get into trouble."
Perhaps it was because winter was approaching, the locust trees in the palace had lost all their leaves, leaving only bare branches swaying gently in the cold wind. The bleak scene was so chilling that it made my mood even colder.
Unable to guess what the master was planning at the moment, Chu Qingluo had no time to think deeply. Seeing this cold figure step into the hall, she had no choice but to stand obediently at the bottom of the stone steps and wait for the end.
Guangcheng Hall was as solemn as usual. Memorials were piled on the desks inside the hall, and the air was filled with the scent of ambergris. Several palace guards stood solemnly, making the figure on the dragon throne look even more intimidating.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
