mtlumby2d Chapter 165 Two "debt collectors" who sneaked out were discussing their tricks for getting
Chapter 165 Two "debt collectors" who sneaked out were discussing their tricks for getting
However, this time Lu Yuxi clearly couldn't rescue his "just being mischievous" Crown Princess from his furious brother-in-law.
"Your Highness, you should hurry up and attend to your business. After all, the less work I have to do here, the better I'll be, and the less trouble Your Highness's Crown Princess will suffer, won't she?"
After saying that, Lin Shihe gave Lu Yuxi no chance to save people or Lin Shiming to struggle. He grabbed the man by the neck and walked towards the palace gate, leaving the worried Crown Prince far behind.
*
The same thing is happening at the Grand Princess's residence.
"Help! Someone come quickly!"
"Hold him down."
"Xiao Feng! You hypocrite, you scoundrel!"
While being chased by the guards, Lou Yunsu didn't forget to turn back and point at Xiao Feng, cursing him.
"You only managed to deceive and seduce the princess because of your good looks. Now that your cousin-in-law is gone, your true colors have been revealed!"
"Father, what does Uncle mean by 'revealing one's true colors'?"
Xiao Ze'an was sitting on the veranda, munching on a pear the size of a bowl. His familiar and relaxed posture showed that he was used to the chaos around him.
Xiao Feng still harbored some paternal affection for the child his wife had risked her life to give birth to. Even while directing the guards to surround Lou Yunsu, he had a moment to respond:
"It's your uncle who has now revealed his true form."
"Oh!" Xiao Ze'an seemed to understand, but not quite. "So, Uncle is a monkey! Ze'an has a monkey uncle!"
Xiao Feng glanced at Lou Yunsu, who was being chased and leaping around in the courtyard, and replied calmly and firmly, "That's exactly what I mean."
Having gained some knowledge, Xiao Ze'an continued to bury himself in eating pears.
After Xiao Ze'an had taken small bites and eaten half of the bowl-sized pear, Lou Yunsu, exhausted, finally lost his footing and was pulled down from mid-air by the guards, and brought before Xiao Feng without any regard for his image.
Xiao Feng looked his cousin up and down with disdain. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were rumpled, and he was tied up and brought in front of him. He couldn't see any trace of the new third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination.
"Lou Yunsu. I already let you off the hook last time because of your cousin's wife, because of what you said when you met His Majesty as a junior official. But I didn't expect that you would secretly sow discord between your cousin's wife and then spread it to His Majesty, making him laugh at you for a long time."
Xiao Feng stood tall and elegant, his demeanor as cold as ice.
"Today I must teach you properly what it means to respect your elder brother."
"Xiao Feng! If you dare touch me, I... I'll tell my cousin's wife!"
Xiao Feng snorted coldly, "Your cousin-in-law is staying in the palace to attend to His Majesty's illness. You probably won't see her for the next few days."
Damn it, my backer is gone!
That bastard Xiao Feng, why didn't he say so earlier? If he had known that no one would save him today, would he have dared to provoke him like this?
Lou Yunsu looked terrified, but then immediately changed his expression to reflect the situation.
"Cousin, Yun Su knows he was wrong and will never do it again. From now on, I will definitely speak well of you to your wife every day to help you and your spouse live in harmony!"
This subservient and obsequious demeanor truly demonstrates the ability to bend and stretch.
But Xiao Feng wouldn't believe his nonsense. He simply waved his hand and ordered the guards to take the man away.
*
The next morning, Lin Shihe and Xiao Feng met at the Ministry of Justice, each followed by their younger brother, who had a grimacing expression and walked strangely.
The two foxes looked at each other and suddenly felt a sense of kinship. They were both unfortunate older brothers with a younger brother who had caused them trouble. So, without saying a word, they instantly became close friends.
The two politely offered each other seats and immediately got down to business.
They might be suitable for other matters, but when it comes to political intrigue, the latter two—one who likes to physically suppress the straightforward Crown Princess, and the other, the carefree and jovial Lou Yunsu—are both incredibly unreliable.
Therefore, Lin Shihe and Xiao Feng didn't expect the two of them to say anything meaningful. In addition, they had just reprimanded them yesterday, and they still felt sorry for them and didn't want to restrain them anymore. So they ignored the two of them and let their heads gradually get closer together, whispering something to each other.
Inside the hall, two young old foxes plotted something big, while in the courtyard, two "debt collectors," whose backsides ached from sitting still, sneaked out to discuss their tricks for causing trouble.
"You're not bad, kid," Lin Shiming said, leaning against a tree with a blade of grass he'd found somewhere dangling from his mouth. "I knew we'd hit it off the last time I saw you."
Lou Yunsu wholeheartedly agreed, "That's absolutely right! Since childhood, I've admired the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Tingyun Army the most. It's a real pity I didn't get to say more words to Your Highness last time!"
These words made Lin Shiming feel refreshed and comfortable.
"It's alright. I heard you applied for the Ministry of War's civil service exam? The Tingyun Army has extensive ties with the Ministry of War, so there will be plenty of opportunities to work together in the future. I have high hopes for you."
"I also believe I can pass the exam!" Lou Yunsu immediately perked up at this point. "Your Highness may not know, but I want to join the Ministry of War because I've heard that military officers can't win arguments with those bookish old men in court. I may not say anything else, but I'm definitely good at cursing people, and I'll surely change the reputation of 'military officers being vulgar' in the future!"
"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" General Lin admired this unconventional scholar even more. "With our alliance, both of us being skilled in literature and martial arts, we will surely be invincible!"
The first elite (and troublesome) trio in Beijing has been officially formed.
The two high-fived in celebration, full of high spirits.
"However, we still need to be wary of those two inside."
After their initial passion subsided, the two regained their senses. Lou Yunsu subconsciously peeked into the room and, seeing that Lin Shihe and Xiao Feng were not paying attention to them, he cautiously leaned close to Lin Shiming's ear and said, "Last night, my cousin-in-law was not here, and he gave me quite a show of power! I wonder when my cousin-in-law will return to the princess's residence. I really can't live this life of groveling like a servant anymore."
"We'll have to wait a while." When it came to secrets, Lin Shiming was still somewhat aware of the situation and answered with a mix of truth and falsehood, "You should have heard the news last night as well. Father is still unconscious, and the imperial physician said he won't wake up until tomorrow. For the time being, my elder sister will probably have to stay at Xuanzheng Hall."
"Is it that serious?" Lou Yunsu couldn't care less about Princess You anymore.
"There's nothing I can do," Lin Shiming said, using this as an excuse to retaliate. "After all, Father is getting old and has suffered the loss of loved ones several times. It's normal for him to suddenly collapse now. But you can rest assured that he will recover after a period of rest and recuperation."
"That's good. To be honest, Your Highness, when I went out today, I heard some people gossiping that His Majesty's illness is serious and that the news you and His Highness the Crown Prince released was to mislead the public. Now that I see that you don't look anxious, I think those people are just talking nonsense."
As expected, rumors appeared very quickly. Lin Shiming pondered to himself, but didn't forget to respond aloud, "When there are interests involved, there will always be people who have wild ideas and spread nonsense."
The implication was clear, and Lou Yunsu wisely refrained from responding further. Instead, he changed the subject, "Where is Her Majesty the Empress? I heard that this morning, all the officials and noblewomen left the palace and returned home."
"Yes. The Empress Dowager was prepared long ago. She did not allow us to wallow in her grief because of her. She left a will that the court officials and members of the imperial family should keep vigil for one day and the imperial heir for two days. There is no need to make a big fuss and cause people to suffer."
"As the Crown Prince and I, as the Empress Dowager's son and daughter-in-law, should have kept vigil for three days. However, yesterday's situation was special. In order to stabilize the capital, we could not leave the court for the time being. Therefore, the Crown Prince and I could only attend to official business first. From today onwards, we will handle government affairs during the day and keep vigil at night for a full seven days."
The death was faked, but the act had to be convincing. However, when the time truly came for Bai Qiongzhu... I imagine he and Lu Yuxi would be devastated and would stay by his coffin, refusing to leave.
Such a thing was too hard to accept, so Lin Shiming quickly adjusted his mindset and stopped imagining the unbearable grief in the future.
Lou Yunsu, unaware of the subtle change, gasped, still immersed in the previous topic, "Your Highness and the Crown Prince have worked tirelessly day and night, truly a difficult time."
"It's what a son should do." Anyway, it's just a change of sleeping place, so it doesn't make any difference.
"Indeed. Her Majesty the Empress has always been kind, and no one in the world is not saddened by her passing."
Lin Shiming nodded, the sadness he had just suppressed returning. "Of course. Although it was something I had expected, it's still hard to accept when the day actually comes. It's just that my mother repeatedly instructed us not to wallow in grief."
This time, Lou Yunsu didn't miss Lin Shiming's sudden drop in mood. Knowing he had affected Lin Shiming's emotions, he quickly changed the subject again.
"What about the Empress Dowager and the concubines in the harem?"
Yes, what about the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines?