A smile appeared on Lu Xingjian's face as he casually said:
"Send the head eunuch of the Needlework Bureau to Nanjing to grow vegetables, and have the Empress select a few people to come over."
Meng Yue was shocked.
The Empress doesn't even need to show her face; she can influence the Emperor's appointment and dismissal of the heads of the twenty-four departments of the Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid the other eunuchs in charge will object to this approach," Meng Yue advised fearfully.
Unlike Li Rong, he didn't have a long-standing relationship with Lu Xingjian, but he still had to bite the bullet and boldly express his thoughts, just like Li Rong.
Lu Xingjian's expression turned slightly cold:
"Any objections? The Empress is already suffering during her pregnancy, shouldn't you all be more understanding?"
"Anyone who dares to offend the Empress again will be dealt with in the same way."
"If this falls into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, they might become wary of the Empress." Meng Yue said, sweating profusely.
Lu Xingjian's face turned completely cold.
...
He Ying pushed a stack of silver notes in front of Liu Qi.
"Have you looked carefully?"
Liu Qi lazily grabbed the silver note and stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it.
"I entered a house in Jiqingfang outside Xi'an Gate. I quietly climbed over the wall and took a peek. The man was kneeling and kowtowing to a man in a python robe, calling him Governor Zhang."
"I made some inquiries, and the head of that household is Zhang Yong, a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department."
He Ying revealed an expression of "I knew it," and his face became serious.
The Empress was clever enough to send the highly skilled Liu Qi to track down the demoted head eunuch of the Needlework Bureau, and sure enough, they uncovered the mastermind behind it all.
Liu Qi picked up his teacup and made a gesture of invitation, clearly indicating that he was trying to shoo people away.
He Ying was not annoyed, and took out another stack of silver notes and placed them on the table.
"Let them see your true abilities."
Liu Qi lazily shrunk back, crossed his legs, and leaned his whole body into the back of the chair, behaving very uncouthly and speaking in a long, languid tone.
"I don't sell myself."
He does have a touch of the unrestrained and romantic spirit of a young swordsman.
He Ying's face immediately turned red, and she was a little angry: "Who asked you to sell yourself? We're just looking to see how many reliable people you can recruit."
Liu's mother came in carrying freshly steamed snacks and scolded Liu Qi:
"Miss Heying is the savior of my sister-in-law and me, so you mustn't be rude!"
He Ying recognized that Liu's mother was the old lady who had been forced to pay two hundred taels of silver by the officials in Bazhou.
"Grandpa, it was nothing, just a small favor. But why did you move to the capital?"
Two hundred taels of silver was just a drop in the ocean for Su Wanwan.
For Liu's mother and her pregnant daughter-in-law at the time, that was a life-saving sum of money.
Mother Liu shook her head: "It's all because of those brothers. They offended the officials in Bazhou and arrested a lot of White Lotus sect members to collect the reward money. But they're afraid of being retaliated against, so they moved to the capital. It's safer that way."
"What do you need manpower for?" Liu Qi asked pointedly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his half-open eyes.
He did not know Su Wanwan's true identity.
"Would you like to help our lady commit murder and arson?" He Ying asked with a half-smile.
Liu Qi raised an eyebrow.
That night on the canal, he was the one who rescued Su Wanwan and got her onto the boat.
Unexpectedly, such a frail and delicate woman was plotting murder and arson.
He saw the worried look in Liu's mother's eyes and gave a casual chuckle.
"Since your wife can stand up for justice, help those in distress, and act like a good person, why does she still recruit people to commit murder, arson, and other evil deeds?"
He Ying's face was somewhat unpleasant; he straightened his back and his eyes were sharp.
"The lady's family home was burned down by evil people, killing seventeen or eighteen people. To this day, no specific clues have been found."
"How can one easily let go of the hatred that wiped out one's entire family and destroyed one's home?"
"Seventh Master Liu, are you perhaps afraid, or have chickened out?!" He Ying's tone was somewhat aggressive.
Knowing Zhang Yong's identity, ordinary people would likely feel fear, afraid of offending high-ranking officials.
It's normal to have thoughts of backing down.
However, it might not be the case for Liu Qi.
His rebellious nature is too obvious.
Young people with exceptional skills often have a high opinion of themselves and haven't experienced the harsh realities of society, so they always want to prove themselves.
This is also the fundamental reason why the Empress told her to find Liu Qi instead of his brother Liu Liu.
Liu Qi shrugged and quickly grabbed the silver notes from the table.
He gave her a disdainful look: "Just you wait."
He Ying suppressed a laugh, but her gaze inadvertently met Liu's mother's worried expression. She immediately lowered her eyes, feeling a little uncomfortable.
...
Kunning Palace.
He Ying reported the situation to Su Wanwan, still with some doubts:
"Your Majesty, why don't you let He Jin help recruit people? He can enter and leave the palace, and it would be more convenient for him to report."
Su Wanwan pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly. "Then let He Jin's side make preparations as well."
"Zhang Zhong and He Jin, one in charge of the outside of the palace and the other focusing on the inside of the imperial city, should be instructed to recruit as many reliable people as possible for our use."
Now is no longer the time to bide our time and conceal our abilities.
With the imperial heir in her belly as an obvious target, it was no longer meaningful to guard against the chief eunuchs' fear and suppression of her.
"As for Liu Qi, try to keep a low profile."
He Ying nodded solemnly.
"Liu Qi said he has recruited some skilled martial arts figures, each with their own specialty."
He Ying frowned. "He just wants to see you because he's afraid of being used and becoming cannon fodder."
Su Wanwan smiled faintly: "The fact that he can be used means he still has value."
Liu Qi just wanted some reassurance to avoid being taken advantage of and ending up in a tragic situation.
He Ying shook his head: "I don't think Liu Qi is someone who values fame and fortune."
Su Wanwan frowned in thought.
Such people are thoughtful and not easily swayed by money or power, but there will definitely be other things that can move them.
She couldn't help but think of Xiao Bin.
Xiao Bin's willingness to give to her without complaint was definitely not because he was attracted to her status, wealth, or even her appearance.
Rather, it's the kind of heroic sentiment that allows one to act as a savior.
He may seem like a lowly guard, but he has actually been doing things to save her and help her.
"Then let's arrange a time and place to meet him."
Su Wanwan pondered how to leave the palace without attracting attention.
Lu Xingjian was very strict with his people.
Leaving the inner palace now would be very difficult.
I was tossing and turning in bed, drifting off to sleep, when I felt warm breath on my ear.
Su Wanwan instinctively opened her eyes and saw Lu Xingjian's handsome face.
"Why are you here?" she asked, frowning.
Lu Xingjian chuckled softly and gently bit her earlobe.
"It's really pitiful that the pregnant woman has no one to care for her or love her."
Su Wanwan felt a pang in her heart.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "So you've been with Maggie the whole time?"
Lu Xingjian's smile froze and slowly faded. He patiently explained, "Are you jealous?"
"I knew you'd overthink things, so I rushed back to be with you."
"Look, my thighs are all chafed from riding horses, and you don't even care about me."
His tone carried a subtle hint of coquetry, making him sound more like a big boy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
