It rained yesterday, so it was especially cold this morning. Xue Rui woke up after sleeping for less than two hours. Last night, he and Yu Shu talked all night and didn't go to sleep until the sun rose in the east.
From Yu Shu, he learned that the Xue family's current predicament started from the imperial wanted order. Tracing back to the source, it turned out that Jing Chen remembered the whole story of his assassination and drew the portrait of Xu Li, the Second Chief Steward of the Xue family, which made the Xue family be suspected by the emperor.
Not to mention that the emperor became suspicious and wanted to investigate the Xue family to the end, even Xue Rui thought it was too coincidental. When Jing Chen was in danger, it happened that Xu Li was ordered to go to Yiyang to discuss the marriage with the Ji family, and they were on their way back to the capital.
Xu Li was arrested and imprisoned, and then the suspect from Taishi Shuyuan disappeared without a trace.
In addition, he was surprised that his grandfather liked a young lady from the Right Magistrate's Mansion. Even if he had an engagement with the Tenth Princess and couldn't get a good match, he was the eldest son of the Xue family, so he could be a good match.
In the end, the marriage was ruined as soon as it was started. Instead, he followed Xu Libai to the south and stayed for a few days before leaving for home.
Now that he thought about it, it might be a cover. His grandfather asked Xu Li to go to Yiyang to discuss the marriage, but it was unknown if he had another mission.
If it was really his grandfather who sent Xu Li to stop Jing Chen from going to the capital, then what he wanted was thought-provoking.
"Younger brother, are you awake?" Jin Ke knocked on the door and woke up Xue Rui who was in deep thought. He pressed his forehead and went outside to open the door for him.
"You were busy yesterday. Why didn't you sleep more and get up so early?" Jin Ke looked at Xue Rui who was neatly dressed, paused, and then asked,
"Little brother, are you going out?"
Ever since Xue Rui guessed Jin Ke's background and Yun Hua allowed him to accompany Xue Rui to the capital, he changed the way he addressed Jin Ke. For the past half a month, he had been addressing Jin Ke as Lord Xue. Now, he addressed him as Younger Brother.
Xue Rui didn't care how he tried to get close to him. Xue Rui's attitude towards him was the same as before. Let him follow if he wants to. But he did not ask him about Yun Hua.
"I want to return to the Prime Minister's residence to report that I am safe. Do you want to follow me?" Xue Rui said. Even if he wasn't allowed to go with him, he would still secretly follow behind him.
"Of course, of course. Godfather asked me to stay close to you and protect you. Little Brother. Why don't we have breakfast first? "
Xue Rui nodded. He asked someone to come in and set the table for breakfast. While eating, he asked Jin Ke, "Does anyone in the capital know you?"
When he returned to the capital this time, there was suddenly one more person by his side. Someone with ulterior motives would definitely ask around. If they found out about Jin Ke's background, they were afraid that there would be more complications.
Jin Ke saw that he had finished his bowl of soup and hurriedly took a big spoon to refill his bowl. He said, "Don't be afraid. Every time I go to the capital to work, I always disguise myself. No one will recognize my face. If someone asks, just say that I am a wanderer. You were kidnapped in Fenghua Manor and I saved you. "
Xue Rui disappeared for no reason, so there must be an explanation. This explanation was barely believable.
After they had breakfast, Yu Shu was still sleeping upstairs. Xue Rui didn't allow anyone to wake her up. He called Lin Fu over and gave him some instructions. Someone died last night. Although it wasn't reported to the authorities, the truth couldn't be hidden forever. It was best for the restaurant to temporarily close its doors to avoid trouble.
They didn't know how long they would be closed.
As soon as Xue Rui left, Lin Fu gathered everyone in Wangji Tower and passed on Xue Rui's instructions. Everyone split up to clean up. Gui Liu brought a few waiters to clean up the upper and lower floors. Lin Fu brought Xiaoqing and Xiaodie to gather all the valuable decorations together and locked them in the storeroom. Xiuqing ordered the workers to sort out the delicacies in the kitchen. They stored the ones that could be stored and checked out the ones that couldn't be stored for a long time. With this calculation, they had lost at least a few hundred taels of silver.
Fortunately, there were still a few days before the next purchase. Otherwise, they would have wasted even more.
The busy outside was in full swing. They moved quietly and didn't make much noise. Yu Shu slept in her room under the blanket and didn't show any signs of waking up.
***
Three days ago, Xue Lingnan entered the palace to persuade Emperor Zhao Qing to faint from anger. He was quietly sent out of the palace and didn't step out of the door. No matter who came to ask, he ignored them all.
On this day, he heard a servant hurriedly report that Eldest Young Master had returned home. He wasn't surprised and only calmly ordered the steward beside him to bring him to his study.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the grandfather and grandson met again. After more than ten days and experiencing many twists and turns, they didn't show the slightest bit of excitement. Xue Lingnan listened to Xue Rui's story of being kidnapped in Fenghua Mansion and being trapped for many days before escaping. He was quite indifferent.
"Since you're back, go to the Supreme Court as soon as possible and report to them. It doesn't matter if you don't escape from punishment. It doesn't matter if you lose your position, but don't ruin the reputation of the Xue family because of you."
Xue Rui had already learned from Yu Shu that he was suspended from his post. Even if he didn't care about fame and fortune, he still felt a little upset. He was a two-ranked Jinshi and had a clear conscience as the Shaoqing of the Supreme Court. Although investigating and handling cases was tiring, he never slacked off. He didn't want others to say that he relied on his family background and that he did his best in everything that was within his duty.
"I'll go find Lord Guo and explain this matter." Xue Rui couldn't tell if Xue Lingnan didn't care about his kidnapping, or if he didn't believe his lies. So he took the initiative to bring it up.
"As soon as I returned to the capital, I heard that Governor Xu was mistaken as a wanted criminal and was arrested by the Supreme Court. My disappearance was also publicized as an escape. Who has ulterior motives and used my disappearance to frame the Xue family?"
Xue Lingnan sized him up and said, "Who do you think it could be?"
Xue Rui met his gaze and said, "That depends on what crime Governor Xu committed."
No one knew better than Xue Lingnan whether Xu Li was innocent or not. Was it Jing Chen who misunderstood, or was Xue Lingnan really plotting something in the dark?
Hearing the doubt in his words, Xue Lingnan put on a straight face and said sternly, "We, the Xue family, have been loyal and upright for generations. We wholeheartedly protect the nation. How can we have the intention to rebel against our superiors? There's something fishy about Xu Li's arrest and there's still no conclusion. But this old man thinks that the innocent will be innocent. Even if the Emperor is temporarily deceived, the truth will be revealed sooner or later. There's no need to worry."
Just from his expression and reaction, there was nothing wrong with the old man. It was as if he'd been wronged.
Xue Rui lowered his head and said, "Even though that's the case, there are plenty of opportunists in the Capital who see where the wind blows. When they see that my family is being suspected, there are those who would seize the opportunity to add insult to injury and create something out of nothing. We have to guard against them. Since I've returned to the capital, I ask grandfather to bring me to the palace to see the Emperor. I'll report the truth and the rumors outside will be dispelled. "
Xue Lingnan frowned and looked troubled, "That's how it should be. But the day before yesterday, this old man went to the palace to admonish the Emperor. My words offended the Emperor. I don't expect to go to the palace to see the Emperor in the near future. "
"What's the reason for this?"
Xue Rui pretended to be surprised. In fact, he'd heard Yu Shu's report last night. The truth was much more serious than what Xue Lingnan had said. Emperor Zhao Qing fainted from anger. The Empress was furious and flared up with Xue Lingnan as the leader of the old officials. Once the Emperor woke up, he chased them out of the palace.
"You haven't been in the capital these days and don't know. The Emperor has ordered Prince of Dongjing, Jiang Huaiying, to send troops to Dong Ying. This is not appropriate. In recent years, the Mongols have repeatedly harassed the border cities. It's precisely because of Prince of Dongjing that they don't dare to invade. If Jiang Huaiying leads troops and the Mongols invade the pass, once Ning Dong City falls, the consequences will be unthinkable. This is the first."
"The second is that the Jiang family has been guarding the Northeast for many years. His Majesty has heard slanderous rumors and misunderstood the Jiang family to be disloyal. Thus, he brought their mother and sister to Anling to impede them. Now, he has ordered Jiang Huaiying and Dongyue to send troops across the sea. Although the reason is not known to outsiders, Jiang Huaiying will not be willing. You were once sworn brothers with him and should know his character. Let me ask you, will he obey or not?"
Xue Lingnan was agitated and his attitude was overbearing. In the end, he actually asked Xue Rui. He didn't know whether to answer or not.
"Grandson doesn't know."
"Humph," Xue Lingnan coldly snorted and said, "You know what you're doing. It's fine if you don't say it. In short, appointing Prince of Dongjing as the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Punitive Expedition will cause endless trouble. In order to change His Majesty's mind, I entered the palace with Grand Elder Zheng and Grand Elder Chu to explain the situation. Alas, His Majesty insisted and listened to the sycophants and refused to retract the order. Ai. "
Xue Rui noticed the lingering sound at the end of his words. He raised his eyes and asked, "Who is the sycophant you are talking about?"
Although Xue Lingnan was a meticulous and meticulous official in the court, unlike Prime Minister Yin, he didn't easily make enemies. It was rare for him to use the term 'sycophant' to describe others.
"Who else could it be? Previously, when we were discussing who to send to attack Wei Country, there were many different opinions in the court. Unexpectedly, during the few days when I was ordered to return home and not attend morning court, the Celestial Commissioner Ren Qiming submitted a memorial and laid out a bunch of metaphysical theories. He said that they were observing the heavens at night and divining good and bad fortune. He named Prince of Dongjing to lead the army on the Eastern Punitive Expedition. Ren Qiming is only an adjutant, how could he have come up with such a big idea? It must be Zhu Muzhao who added fuel to the fire behind the scenes.
How could Xue Lingnan not know? Seeing that Xue Lingnan was furious, Xue Rui thought for a moment and understood. Just now, the old man said that the innocent would be innocent. Perhaps, in his heart, he blamed the arrest of Xu Li and the suspicion of the Xue family on the Celestial Commissioner.
On the surface, Xu Li was imprisoned in the Supreme Court. In reality, the Emperor handed him over to the Celestial Commissioner for private interrogation. Now, he was locked up in the secret room of the Celestial Commissioner. Even an outsider like Yu Shu could find out about this. How could Xue Lingnan not know about it?
The reason why Xue Lingnan sighed was because the Celestial Commissioner was worthy of his reputation as the number one person in front of the Emperor.
"His Majesty indeed relied on the Celestial Commissioner. Grandfather, on the other hand, your advice is unpleasant to the ear." Xue Rui explained the current situation in one sentence.
Advice was unpleasant to the ear. The Emperor would not listen. With the Celestial Commissioner on the side, Xue Lingnan could forget about stopping the Emperor from dispatching the Prince of Dongjing.
"Go to the Supreme Court first," Xue Lingnan said. "As for the matter of entering the palace, forget it. I will arrange for your second aunt to enter the palace to visit your aunt as soon as possible. She will explain the matter of you being kidnapped. When she sees the Emperor, she will explain."
The grandfather and grandson didn't have anything else to say, so Xue Rui sensibly left.
In the days that he had been away from home, the people in the fu were most worried about were Madam Xue and Xue Jinxun. As soon as he left the main room, he first went to see Xue Jinxun. After confirming that she had not been neglected while he was away, he returned to his courtyard. He called over the manservant Hōtoku and carefully inquired about Madam Xue's current situation.
Madam Xue's body was still the same, sometimes good and sometimes bad. The medicine could not be stopped, and the medical treatment could not be stopped. Fortunately, the Xue family had a large business and could afford to support her.
Jin Ke followed at his side. When Hōtoku left, he asked Xue Rui with a look of surprise, "If you're worried about Madam Xue, why don't you go see her? Would you feel relieved if you sent someone to ask?"
Xue Rui replied, "Grandfather doesn't like me to get close to Mother. Without his permission, I cannot go to the rear courtyard to see her."
Without Xue Lingnan's permission, he could not go to the rear courtyard to visit his mother. He could only send someone to ask about her.
Hearing this, Jin Ke's brows knit together. It seems that the Xue family does not treat my little brother as kindly as I thought.
"Don't be afraid. If you want to see her, I have a way to help you cross the sea without anyone knowing." Jin Ke patted his chest in assurance.
However, Xue Rui shook his head and refused. He did not want to see Madam Xue not only because Xue Lingnan did not allow it, but also because he was afraid to face her.
There were some things that could not be explained in a few words. Saying it was useless, so it was better not to say it.
After returning to the residence, Xue Rui changed into a set of regular clothes and went to the Supreme Court to ask for forgiveness.
When Xue Rui arrived at the Supreme Court, he saw Guo Huaian and explained to him how he had been kidnapped in Fenghua Manor. With Jin Ke as a witness, Guo Huaian did not criticize him. Instead, he tactfully told him that the Emperor was in a fit of anger and that it was not convenient for him to plead for leniency. He told him to go back and wait for news.
Seeing that there was no hope of reinstatement, Xue Rui did not reveal any sadness. He respectfully thanked his superior and went to the rear courtyard to pack up some of his personal belongings. After bidding farewell to a few of his colleagues, he pretended to ignore those spying and sympathetic gazes and directly returned to Wangji Tower.
After the beginning of winter, it was rare to see a clear day. Today, there was a rare sunny day overhead. Xue Rui entered through the back door and immediately saw Yu Shu lying on a rocking chair in the middle of the courtyard, basking in the sun.
She wore a loose blue skirt with a blanket around her waist. She took off her shoes and put on a pair of snow-white socks. She stood on the edge of the chair with her knees bent and her hands behind her head. Her eyelids were closed and as she rocked back and forth, the light shone on her rosy cheeks, illuminating the haze in his heart.
When Yu Shu heard movement, she yawned and opened her eyelids. Turning her head, she saw Xue Rui and grinned, "You're back so early. I thought you would be back at night. How was it? Did you go to the Supreme Court? You didn't lose your position, did you? "
Xue Rui shook his head and sighed, "Guo Daren can't make the decision. He will still be suspended and investigated. In my opinion, he is not far from being dismissed."
Yu Shu jokingly said, "It's good that you are dismissed. It's too tiring for you to be the Shaoqing of the Supreme Court. You have to investigate murder cases every two or three days. After a long time, your luck will be bad."
She bent down to put on her shoes, hugged the blanket and moved out of the rocking chair. She stretched out her hand and said, "Lie here and rest for a while. Bask in the sun and get rid of the mold."
Looking at the faint bruises under his eyes, she was too embarrassed to say that her heart ached for him.
Xue Rui obediently lay down. The soft cushion on his back made him feel warm. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
Yu Shu stood by his side and watched over him for a while. Seeing that he was about to fall asleep, she shook off the blanket in her hand and gently covered him. Just when she was about to leave, she heard him say,
"Ah Shu, do you want to open a Da Yi Hall?"
"Huh?" She turned her head and saw his burning eyes looking at her.
"I will give you the Wang Ji Lou and open a Da Yi Hall. How about it?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
