Chapter 16 Chapter 16 "Sister Ah Xu."
In the seventh year of Anhe, Emperor Zhuang appointed the sixth prince Jingzhi as the crown prince and granted the prime minister Shangguan Shi the title of crown prince's tutor, assisting the crown prince in the name of teacher.
Emperor Zhuang was in poor health in his later years, and was unable to do many things in the training of the prince. Shangguan Shi, the prime minister, was also busy with many affairs and could not often find time to give lectures in the Eastern Palace. Emperor Zhuang and Shangguan Shi were childhood friends, and Emperor Zhuang trusted him even more. He wanted to teach the prince to respect his teachers, so he asked the prince to go to Shangguan's house often to ask questions about the classics.
The young Zhou Jingzhi was studious and curious. Whenever he went there, he would stay for several hours until all his questions were answered. Therefore, the Shangguan Mansion also set up a study for him.
That day, he asked Shangguan Shi about the questions he had left over from his self-study in the East Palace the night before, and then he began to check and fill in the gaps in the questions he had asked that day alone in his study.
The daylight was dim, and warm light poured into the room. A young man sat upright at his desk, reading a book carefully. He was not very old, but his every move was elegant and graceful. He was dressed in brocade clothes and a golden crown, and his demeanor was particularly graceful, like jade and bamboo.
A young girl quietly poked her head out of the door and looked into the house.
Noticing the change in light and shadow at the door, Zhou Jingzhi raised his head and saw a beautiful girl with lively eyes looking at him.
"Are you His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" Seeing the people in the room looking at her, the young lady spoke. Although her voice was tender, she was not timid, and her eyes were more of curiosity.
Zhou Jingzhi pursed his lips, nodded slightly, and asked kindly, "Are you Ah Xu's sister?"
However, the six-year-old Shangguan Xu tilted his head, a little surprised when he heard this: "Your Highness the Crown Prince has seen me?"
Zhou Jingzhi smiled and shook his head: "I heard that the teacher has a son and a daughter. And when I was studying with Dalangjun a few days ago, he also mentioned Sister Ah Xu. So I guessed it."
He smiled again, very polite and gentle, "I just didn't expect that I would get to meet Sister Ah Xu today after coming here for a few days."
His voice was very gentle, and many people called him Sister Axu, but the feeling he brought seemed to be different from theirs.
Shangguan Xu bit his lip, his eyes rolling around thoughtfully as he said, "A few days ago, my mother and I went to Jingming Temple and just returned home today."
Although the Crown Prince in front of her looked very gentle, her true character was unknown. Shangguan Xu felt that she should first explain why she had not come to visit him a few days ago. Otherwise, if he thought she was deliberately neglecting him and being disrespectful to him, it might bring trouble to her family.
"Oh..." Zhou Jingzhi nodded seriously. He hadn't actually thought about the problem she was worried about, but just responded politely.
But what he was thinking about more than her was that he saw the girl leaning over to look at him, and she didn't change her posture during the conversation. He was worried that she might feel uncomfortable in this position, so he asked with concern: "Sister Xu, is it inconvenient for you to stand like this? Why don't you come in and sit for a while and read a book together?"
...Shangguan Xu turned and left.
She didn't want to read, so she went back to the house. She wanted to have some fun before her classes started.
So after saying that, she left without hesitation.
In the room, only the young man was left sitting there, holding a book, looking stunned and bewildered, not knowing where he had said the wrong thing just now.
…
More than ten years passed in a flash. Whenever Shangguan Xu recalled the time when they first met, he couldn't help but smile. However, after that moment, he was filled with immense regret.
Now that the person is gone, it is difficult to visit the old place.
If I had known this, why didn't I just listen to him and stay to read with him? Even if it was quiet and silent, it was always good to be together.
Shangguan Xu felt a pang of pain in his nose, and his vision became misty again.
Qinghe brought the imperial physician in, and people gathered around. Shangguan Xu regained his composure.
There was a small plate on the small table beside Shangguan Xu, with something that looked like a pill in the middle.
This was what she poured out behind his back when she was helping Xu Qing'an get the medicine bottle.
In fact, she also wanted to take some medicine from the other bottle, but when she opened it, she found that it was an ointment for external application. Then she remembered that it should be the anti-swelling medicine that Qinghe gave him after she slapped him when he fell into the water on Lantern Festival.
Shangguan Xu said to the imperial physician, "Please help me see what disease this pill is used to treat."
The imperial physician received the order.
The ingredients of the pill were not complicated, and the imperial physician was an old doctor with many years of practice, so he had the answer after a while.
The imperial physician put the pill down and stood up again, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, this medicine is ginseng pill, a tonic, often used to replenish heart blood and prolong life."
"Extend life?" Shangguan Xu emphasized the first two words, as if somewhat surprised by the effect. He then asked, "What would happen if an ordinary person ate it?"
The imperial physician frowned. "This medicine is extremely potent. It's called a ginseng pill, but it's actually just ginseng, with other tonic ingredients added. If an ordinary person took this kind of medicine, they would quickly experience discomfort, with nosebleeds and facial flushing being the most obvious symptoms."
Shangguan Xu recalled Xu Qing'an's reaction after taking the medicine that day -
He actually felt better for a while after taking the medicine. Although his complexion was still pale, it was indeed much better than his condition before taking the medicine. There was an obvious sign of recovery. They talked for a while, but he never showed the "nasal bleeding and hot face" that the imperial physician said.
Prolonging life...If that's the case, it does seem like a sign of a serious illness.
But he had lost his composure in front of her, was he really in such a state of disgrace, as he had said before, forgetting to bring the medicine to the prison? Or was this another "handle" he was giving her?
Shangguan Xu's eyes were fixed on the pill.
She really wanted to use him. The incident at the Censorate had made her see his abilities, and he could indeed help her do a lot of things.
However, because of this, she found that his thoughts were too deep and too cruel, and that his sincerity towards her came too easily. She did not trust him, and was not sure that she could hold him.
——
Things were not peaceful at the Su family either.
Su Ran knelt alone in Su Wang's study, waiting for Su Wang to come back after finishing his business with others in the front hall.
In the front hall, Su Wang gave his instructions and sat down to drink a sip of tea. When he was about to take a break, a servant came to remind him that the Fifth Prince was still kneeling in the study.
Su Wang then remembered and got up to go to the study.
"Do you know where you went wrong this time?"
Even though no one was in the room, Su Ran knelt straight. When Su Wang's voice sounded from behind, he felt a chill in his heart, then immediately lowered his eyes and admitted his mistake, saying, "My nephew shouldn't have acted on his own, neglecting the enemy and putting the Censorate in a passive position."
Su Wang took a deep breath and slowly walked to the top seat and sat down.
He said, "You are not only wrong in acting on your own, but also wrong in your actions."
"I told you from the beginning that there was no need to get involved in Liu Chang's affairs. Why didn't you listen to me?"
Su Ran cupped his hands: "Nephew is just worried..."
"You were just worried that his past deeds would be discovered!" Su Wang interrupted angrily, "So you kept secretly following his interrogation until one day he actually told you that Censor Xu had found out about what he did four years ago, and then you panicked? You didn't care how true his words were, or how serious this matter would be if it were discovered?"
"madness!"
Su Wang suppressed his anger and said, "You know everything about what happened back then! Liu Chang's actions were just superficial. If he was really that important, how could he be allowed to remain safe until now, waiting for others to kill him?"
"Even if he really gets caught this time, so what? He'll just be charged with another crime of framing the officials. What does that have to do with you?"
Su Wang questioned, "Did he really tell you in prison that this matter has been traced back to you, and that you and he are about to be finished together?"
"No, it was my nephew who panicked." Su Ran said softly, his head hanging low. "It was only later that I realized something was wrong. Liu Chang has always been a coward. Perhaps seeing my nephew going to see him, he wanted to burn his boats and see if he could save his life. My nephew was confused for a moment."
Su Wang glanced at him, sighing and lamenting, and said in a slow tone, "You panicked, and not only did the Censorate become chaotic, but even the Ministry of Works was in turmoil."
Su Ran looked up in surprise.
Because of the affairs of the Censorate in recent days, he has not attended court, so he does not know what is happening in the court.
Su Wang stared intently and said in a deep voice, "At today's court session, the Queen Mother and the three ministries jointly discussed that due to the incident involving Liu Chang of the Ministry of Works, the entire Ministry of Works must be thoroughly investigated, and all promotions are suspended."
"Although I am more optimistic about the remaining Minister, and now that the Ministry of Works won't be promoted, there is only one Minister, and he should be the head of the Ministry of Works, but even if it's only one step away, the Minister is still just a Minister. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?"
Su Ran noticed something and asked, "Without a Shangshu and only one Shilang, wouldn't the affairs of the four departments of the Ministry of Works be managed by just one person? But the Ministry of Works has so many complicated affairs, how can one person manage it all?"
"Yes." Su Ran lowered his eyes, and when he raised them again, his eyes were dark and meaningful. "So the three provinces need to intervene."
The power of the Ministry of Works was divided among the three provinces.
Su Wang chuckled lightly: "The lady in the palace is no longer the little girl she used to be."
He looked at Su Ran and said earnestly, "Wu Lang, you should also change your mindset. Don't make mistakes like your fourth brother, which is regrettable."
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