The guards stopped outside the palace as Yuan Venerate Qing entered the palace alone. A palace maid was already waiting at the door to welcome him. The palace maid led him all the way to the Sunset Garden.
In a corner of the garden, melodious music could be heard. Qing Zhu was leaning against the railing with his hands behind his back, while Shangguan Qing stood quietly beside him. There were no other people around. The concubines and palace maids had already been dismissed before Yuan Venerate Qing arrived.
Master Qing looked down from above. His long and narrow eyes stared at the woman who was playing the zither. She was dressed in pink, and the woman's slender fingers moved rhythmically. From time to time, she would look up at him with an affectionate expression.
"She plays the zither pretty well," Qing Zhu commented.
Shangguan Qing chuckled. "Concubine Qin's zither skills are unparalleled in the harem."
If the concubines knew that Shangguan Qing was praising her like this, they would be extremely grateful. It was important to know that a single sentence from the chief steward in front of His Majesty was more attractive than any flirtatious act.
"Concubine Qin?" Qing Zhu pondered for a while. He couldn't remember any of his concubines with this name. He had only asked Shangguan Qing to find someone to listen to the zither. Now that he saw this woman's appearance and zither skills, she was indeed extraordinary. "Is the Qin surname her real name?"
Shangguan Qing replied, "No, it was changed before entering the palace. I think she hoped to attract His Majesty's attention."
Qing Zhu looked down. "Is there really no one in the harem who can match her skills?"
Shangguan Qing bowed slightly. "It's true. Some talents can't be achieved with hard work. Concubine Qin is indeed talented in this aspect. I'm afraid that's why she entered the palace."
Qing Zhu looked back. "How many benefits did you receive from her? How could you speak up for her? "
Shangguan Qing was somewhat embarrassed. He had indeed received benefits from the other party, otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Concubine Qin to play the zither, and he wouldn't have spoken up for her. He smiled and said, "She indeed gave this old servant some rare things."
Qing Zhu glanced at him and looked at the woman below. "Which family sent the tribute?"
Shangguan Qing replied, "It's a tribute from the Ying Clan. It has been in the palace for some years."
Qing Zhu stared at the woman's appearance for a while, his eyes especially lingering on the woman's ample snow-white chest, before stopping on the extremely graceful movements of her fingers. Finally, he slowly closed his eyes to listen to the elegant zither music for a while, before finally saying, "Since you, the general manager, owe me a favor, I will go to Qin Fei's place tonight."
This was the benefit of having someone close to the Celestial Emperor speak for him. There were countless beauties in the harem and not everyone had the chance to touch them. With just a little recommendation from Shangguan Qing, the matter was settled. It was truly better than Concubine Qin working ten thousand times herself.
"Yes!" Shangguan Qing nodded.
Unexpectedly, Qing Zhu said lightly, "What rare thing did you give me?"
Shangguan Qing bowed slightly and said, "It has been placed in the inner pavilion of the Starry Hall." There were many people who gave him gifts, but he didn't dare to keep them for himself. He would show them to Qing Zhu first and only keep the things that Qing Zhu didn't want.
Qing Zhu glanced at Yuan Venerate Qing, who appeared at the turn of the corridor bridge, and gestured to him. Shangguan Qing immediately stretched his head out and sent a voice transmission to Concubine Qin, who was playing the zither below, telling her to go back and make preparations. His Majesty wanted her to serve him tonight.
Concubine Qin stopped playing, got up, bowed, and left. Before leaving, she didn't forget to look at Shangguan Qing with gratitude. The accompanying palace maids also took the zither she left behind.
"Father!" Yuan Venerate Qing bowed and nodded slightly at Shangguan Qing as a sign of goodwill.
Even he didn't dare offend the confidants of his father. He couldn't afford to offend anyone who could see and speak to his father at any time. Perhaps one or two words could change his fate at a critical moment. This was not a joke, as the consequences would be very serious. Therefore, even though Xiahou Chengyu hated Defeating Armies the most, Xiahou Chengyu still told her son to be friendly. She could fall out with Defeating Armies, but her son couldn't do the same.
Building relationships required money, and the palace had a limited budget. Qing Zhu had his own way of disciplining his son and wouldn't allow him to be extravagant. His subordinates also didn't dare get too close to Yuan Venerate Qing, for fear that he would have other ideas. In the early years, Xiahou Chengyu didn't lack money because there wasn't much he could spend on. However, after having a son, he had to spend a lot more for his son's future. Of course, Xiahou Chengyu could ask the Xiahou family for help. The Xiahou family definitely wouldn't be short of her expenses. However, it would be a little difficult for a Heavenly Empress to ask for money from her family, and she would easily lose her confidence. Fortunately, Miao Yi didn't disappoint her after she helped him up. The regular gifts he gave her were very generous, giving her a strong financial support. Therefore, Xiahou Chengyu liked Yun Zhiqiu very much. It couldn't be helped. Yun Zhiqiu gave him money every time she came back. How could he not like her?
Of course, Xiahou Chengyu also returned the favor. Some people used the matter of the army of the underworld guarding Deep Spring to make a fortune and suggested that it be banned or that the collected taxes be taken over. When Miao Yi heard the news from Pang Guan, he immediately informed Xiahou Chengyu. Xiahou Chengyu immediately threw away his pride and went to find Qing Zhu with his son, saying that someone was bullying him and his mother. On the surface, it seemed like they were going after Niu Youde, but in reality, they were going after the mother and son. He begged Qing Zhu to help him. Seeing that his son didn't say anything, Qing Zhu suppressed the matter of Deep Spring.
"Your Highness!" Shangguan Qing bowed respectfully.
Qing Zhu turned away from the railing and walked to his seat. He looked at his son from head to toe. Although his son was indeed influenced by the powerful bloodline of the Xiahou family and wasn't considered good-looking, he wasn't ugly either. His features were somewhat similar to Qing Zhu's. Furthermore, Xiahou Chengyu had indeed put in a lot of effort to discipline his son. Regardless of his nature, his actions and bearing were still very appropriate, which made Qing Zhu feel quite gratified.
Waving his hand, Qing Zhu gestured for Yuan Venerate Qing to sit down on the stool next to him. He smiled faintly and asked, "How did Xiahou Ta's funeral go?"
Yuan Venerate Qing replied, "Of course it was splendid. Mother, on the other hand, seems to have been a little touched this time."
Qing Zhu nodded. "Your mother grew up in the Xiahou Family after all, and Xiahou Ta is the pillar of the Xiahou Family. He also cares for your mother a lot, so it's inevitable that she would feel sad. As her son, you should comfort your mother more when you get back."
Perhaps Qing Zhu himself did not realize it, but after having this son, Qing Zhu's attitude towards Xiahou Chengyu had changed a little. Perhaps it was still not love, but there was a bit of kinship between them that they did not have before, more or less.
Others might not be able to see this, but Shangguan Qing, who was close to Qing Zhu, could see it clearly.
Yuan Venerate Qing, who was sitting upright, nodded his head silently.
Qing Zhu suddenly chuckled. "I heard that you met Niu Youde this time and even had a private conversation with him."
Yuan Venerate Qing's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected that his father would even know about what had happened in the Xiahou Family's private residence. He had clearly avoided the guards at that time. "Yes, Mother hopes that I can learn more from Niu Youde."
"Oh!" Qing Zhu smiled. "What do you think of Niu Youde?"
Yuan Venerate Qing replied, "I can't say for sure now, but I think he's a little interesting."
"A little interesting?" Qing Zhu asked curiously. "What did you talk about with him?"
"We talked a lot …" Yuan Venerate Qing reported everything that had happened between him and Miao Yi in detail. He did not hide anything.
In fact, this was also the strategy that Yang Qing had used to get Miao Yi to present to Xiahou Chengyu early on. He had asked Xiahou Chengyu to warn Yuan Venerate Qing not to hide anything from Qing Zhu, especially in the Sky Palace. The mother and son duo didn't have much cover, so there shouldn't be anything that could escape Qing Zhu's eyes. The consequences of lying to Qing Zhu were very serious. It might not be a big deal if it happened once or twice, but if it happened too many times, Qing Zhu would definitely be disgusted. Therefore, it didn't matter if they told Qing Zhu directly if they did something wrong. As long as they didn't lie to Qing Zhu, Qing Zhu would take responsibility for it. To a certain extent, Xiahou Chengyu could lie to Qing Zhu, but Yuan Venerate Qing couldn't do so.
Similarly, after witnessing Miao Yi's bet with the other ministers at the birthday banquet, Xiahou Chengyu had come to view Miao Yi as his advisor. He would contact Miao Yi in secret if there was anything to discuss. Miao Yi had also gained a clear understanding of the internal movements of the Heavenly Palace through Xiahou Chengyu. Miao Yi had already accomplished what the other ministers had to offer their women to enter the palace to achieve.
After grasping the internal movements of the Sky Palace, Miao Yi once again sighed at Yang Qing's resourcefulness. He had long set his sights on Xiahou Chengyu and analyzed the relationship between Xiahou Chengyu, the Xiahou family, and Qing Zhu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to act recklessly against the Xiahou family and Qing Zhu. Now, he had indeed benefited greatly.
Qing Zhu couldn't help but smile when he heard Yuan Venerate Qing constantly asking questions that Niu Youde found hard to answer. "Did he tell you the truth in the end?"
Yuan Venerate Qing replied, "No. Your son's evaluation of him was that he wouldn't admit to any of the bad things he had done."
"Ha ha! That's right. Your evaluation is incisive. "Qing Zhu laughed heartily. Beside him, Shangguan Qing also chuckled.
When Yuan Venerate Qing told Miao Yi that Qing Zhu and Miao Yi were inseparable, Qing Zhu couldn't laugh anymore. His face darkened.
Shangguan Qing chided, "What an impudent fellow!"
The father and son chatted for a while. After asking about his son's current situation, Qing Zhu dismissed Yuan Venerate Qing and said to Shangguan Qing, "Summon Sima Wentian to see me!"
Shangguan Qing knew what he meant. He was preparing to find out about the situation in the Netherworld Governor's Residence. Although he wouldn't do anything to Niu Youde, he would probably teach him a lesson.
Not long after, Sima Wentian was summoned.
After greeting him, Qing Zhu didn't beat around the bush and asked, "Have there been any abnormalities in the Netherworld Governor's Residence recently?"
Sima Wentian quickly pondered over the meaning of these words. He glanced at Shangguan Qing but couldn't find the answer he wanted to know. Hence, he could only report the truth. "Overall, there's nothing unusual. However, I received a report from a spy. According to Niu Youde, he met the Lady and His Highness at the Albatross Residence. After returning, Niu Youde said some outrageous things. However, there's no evidence for this. Once we find a witness, I'm afraid the spy's identity will be exposed."
"Outrageous things?" Qing Zhu narrowed his eyes. "What did he say?"
Sima Wentian replied, "He said that His Highness was a little harsh with his words, but he instructed the people around him to be respectful when they meet His Highness in the future. He said that he had no choice but to betray His Majesty and that it was hard to trust His Majesty even if he was loyal to His Majesty. He said that His Majesty was no longer worthy of his loyalty. He also said that all the officials in the court were not reliable sources of retreat for him. He said that His Majesty was already tied to the Heavenly Night Palace. From now on, he could only be loyal to His Majesty. He had no other choice.
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