Chapter 191: Meeting in the Cining Palace, the Emperor Does Not Want to See You
Ji Qingwu asked, "What happened to Dad?"
Many speculations arose in her mind.
Qiao and Ji's father have been living separately for many years. Could there be some problems in their relationship?
The day before yesterday, she heard people talking on the street about the head of the Xie family in Wushui Lane. He had been sent out to serve as an official for several years, but came back a while ago and brought back a concubine and two children with him, which made his wife sick with anger.
Ji Qingwu looked at Qiao's face carefully.
He asked carefully, "Is Dad coming back?"
"Come back? Are you coming back to make me sick?"
Whenever Qiao mentioned Ji's father, she felt dizzy.
Ji Qingwu walked behind her and massaged the Fengchi point behind her ears on her neck.
"Mom, don't worry. What if you get sick again?"
The pressure from her warm fingertips was just right, and she had a more accurate grasp of the acupoints, making the massage feel more comfortable than Chunhua's.
Mrs. Qiao patted her arm and said, "Your father has offended someone again."
again? Ji Qingwu was keenly aware that his father often seemed to do things that offended others.
Qiao continued, "Officials sent out to work in remote areas are far away from home. Even if they don't enrich themselves, at least they have good food and drink to eat, especially since they are in charge of such a lucrative job as transporting salt."
"But not only is he incorruptible, his sleeves are almost leaking! He also meddles in other people's business. Now, he has offended a senior official and has been detained."
Ji Qingwu paused for a moment and asked in surprise, "Who did my father offend?"
Although Ji Bolian's official position was not the highest among the officials, it was also the third rank. In the salt-producing southern region, he held the important position of salt transport commissioner. Salt was as important as grain and was the foundation of people's livelihood.
Furthermore, Ji Bolian is the brother of the current empress dowager. Who would be so bold as to detain a royal relative?
When Ji Qingwu saw how troubled Qiao was, he knew that the person behind this must be a big shot.
Just as Mrs. Qiao was about to speak, Nanny Li came in from the outer room and said in an impatient tone, "Madam, the old lady asks you to go with her to the Cining Palace."
Ji Qingwu held her hand and said firmly, "Mom, I will go with you."
*
In the carriage, when Old Madam Ji saw Ji Qingwu coming up, her eyes were filled with displeasure.
She already knew what happened in the court today regarding the celestial phenomena.
Because Mars was guarding the heart, no one dared to propose to Ji Qingwu anymore. Not only was the Li family's marriage plan cancelled, but this time, Ji Qingyuan's marriage was also hindered.
Madam Ji closed her eyes, as if she was annoyed by the sight of her.
Ji Qingwu didn't know how he had offended the old lady again. He shrugged his shoulders and sat obediently next to Mrs. Qiao, staying away from Madam Ji.
Arrived at the Cining Palace.
Aunt Fanghua was waiting for them at the palace gate.
She said steadily, "Old Madam, First Madam, Fifth Miss, the Queen Mother is waiting in the main hall. Please follow me."
After entering the palace, no matter how anxious they were, they could not forget the rules, and they first paid their respects to the Empress Dowager.
When the empress dowager saw Ji Qingwu coming with her, her expression was complicated. It was obvious that she had also heard about the recent turmoil in the court.
I don’t understand how such a weak-looking girl can cause trouble from time to time, from the harem to the front court.
But she didn't say anything, because right now, what was more important was Ji Bolian's matter.
The Queen Mother placed her hands on the armrests of the throne, looked at everyone and said, "You should already know why I summoned you here."
Madam Ji and Mrs. Qiao nodded solemnly.
The Queen Mother continued, "My brother holds an important position outside the country and has made no mistakes for so many years. But the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Cao Hongtao, actually brought people to detain him. He is so bold."
Qiao said, "Your Highness, Cao Hongtao has not even been properly arrested on any charges. There must be something fishy going on. Maybe he has touched upon the interests of some officials, which is why he has suffered this misfortune."
The Queen Mother had the same idea.
Madam Ji had a worried look on her face. "I often told Bolian to be more flexible in official circles and not to be so serious. But he is stubborn and won't listen to my advice."
The Queen Mother's eyes flashed with a hint of sternness: "I feel that this cannot be blamed entirely on my eldest brother. There must be someone behind this."
Ji Qingwu, who was sitting at the back, lowered his head and looked at his nose. His nose was sniffing the spices in the Empress Dowager's palace. They were different from what he smelled every time. The fragrance was deep and sweet, leaving a long aftertaste.
The Queen Mother's eyes swept across Ji Qingwu and saw that she was lowering her head and not saying a word.
He said, "Qingwu, tell me, what do you think about this?"
Being called out unexpectedly, both Madam Ji and Mrs. Qiao looked at her.
Ji Qingwu looked back at the Queen Mother and said generously: "Your Majesty, I don't know what kind of personality my father has, but my father has been the Salt Transport Commissioner for so many years, and he has never been promoted or demoted. Do you know why?"
The Queen Mother had never thought about it so deeply and looked at Ji Qingwu in surprise.
The rank of Salt Transport Commissioner was appointed by the prime minister himself, but this position was special and whether it was dismissal or promotion, it all needed to be approved by the emperor.
Ji Bolian has been in this position for so long and has never made any mistakes. Although he has a radical personality, he is deeply trusted by the emperor for his job.
If we can't force him to become our accomplice, we can only dig him out by the roots.
The Queen Mother pondered for a moment and said, "You mean, someone wants the position of the Salt Transport Commissioner and is so eager to take action." Ji Qingwu replied, "Otherwise, they have no reason to attack my father."
She said calmly, "But I still can't understand why they are so anxious to detain my father before there is solid evidence."
The Queen Mother nodded, thinking that her analysis was very reasonable.
Infected by her calm mood, the atmosphere in the hall also became much more relaxed.
At this time, Shixi came in hurriedly from outside the hall and whispered a few words to the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother's eyebrows formed a "川" shape and she confirmed, "Did you really find the evidence?!"
Shi Xi said, "Yes, Queen Mother, the informant just sent a message saying that Lord Ji has been imprisoned."
Everyone thought that he was only detained temporarily and would be released the next day if there was no evidence, but now he is really being taken to jail.
Moreover, Ji Bolian was not in Lin'an, so they had no way of knowing the news first.
Qiao looked relatively calm, but the corners of his mouth were tense.
Ji Qingwu held her hand, but felt that her palms were sweaty. Her mother must be worried and panicked.
Madam Ji felt dizzy before her eyes and it took her a long time to recover.
He said in a sad voice: "Don't let anything happen to Bolian again! Madam, you must find a way to save your brother!"
The Queen Mother wanted to save him, but they were too far away and she couldn't reach Huainan.
She made her decision and stood up: "I will go find the emperor."
Madam Ji and Mrs. Qiao both stood up and said, "We will go with the queen."
Ji Qingwu also stood up.
The Queen Mother frowned at her and said, "Qingwu, don't go with him. The Emperor will definitely not want to see you."
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