“Announce Chief Minister Lan Shan for the audience—”
In Wei Wuxie’s melodious chanting, the nearly seventy-year-old Chief Minister Lan Shan walked in with trembling steps.
“Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“What matter brings my beloved minister Lan?”
“Your Majesty, your subject has received news that Marquis Guanjun entered the capital without summons and appeared near Xingzi Alley.”
Emperor Mingkang, sitting behind the dragon desk, moved his eyebrows slightly: “Oh, such a thing occurred?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Marquis Guanjun should be on the battlefield, yet now he appears in the capital. Your subject was greatly shocked upon learning this.” Lan Shan said loudly.
Emperor Mingkang curled the corner of his mouth.
He wasn’t shocked at all—Marquis Guanjun was hiding behind the screen right now.
Hmm, this feeling of knowing before his subjects was quite pleasant.
Thinking of this, Emperor Mingkang suddenly felt more favorably toward Shao Mingyuan.
Regardless of everything else, this little rascal was at least somewhat sensible.
“Your Majesty—” Lan Shan noticed Emperor Mingkang’s strange expression and immediately became alert.
This Son of Heaven had deep and unpredictable thoughts that were difficult to fathom. He was not easy to serve, so Lan Shan had to be careful.
Emperor Mingkang coughed lightly: “Is Chief Minister Lan’s information reliable?”
“Your subject dare not fabricate stories about important court officials. Marquis Guanjun truly entered the capital privately without summons.”
“In that case…” Emperor Mingkang looked down from his high position, deeply observing the old minister who had barely any hair left, “From where did Chief Minister Lan obtain this information?”
Lan Shan—
Emperor Mingkang silently repeated these two characters, connecting them to Master Zhang’s divination and then to the dream Shao Mingyuan had just mentioned. His mood became very unpleasant.
Could the mountain trying to crush him be this very one?
This old fellow Lan Shan’s boldness was growing increasingly. His Jinlin Guards hadn’t even reported Marquis Guanjun’s private entry to the capital, yet this old man already knew about it. Simply outrageous.
“Your subject has a student who happened to see him and sent word to your subject.” Seeing that Emperor Mingkang wasn’t flying into the rage he had expected, Lan Shan secretly noted that the imperial temperament was unpredictable and kowtowed: “Your Majesty, Marquis Guanjun, as an army commander, privately entered the capital during wartime between two armies. His purpose is suspicious. Your subject, as Chief Minister, cannot sleep or eat peacefully thinking of this and especially reports to Your Majesty. Please make the decision!”
Emperor Mingkang remained unmoved, his tone flat: “Is that so—Wei Wuxie!”
“This slave is here.”
“Summon the Jinlin Guards Commander to the palace.”
Soon, Jiang Yuanchao arrived.
“Chief Minister Lan says someone saw Marquis Guanjun appear near Xingzi Alley. Commander Jiang, take people to investigate.”
“I receive the decree.”
Jiang Yuanchao left with the order, and Emperor Mingkang rubbed his temples: “Well, while we wait for Commander Jiang’s report, let’s attend to proper business first.”
Lan Shan’s scalp went numb hearing this.
“I haven’t done my exercises yet. Beloved Minister Lan, accompany me in doing them.”
Lan Shan’s vision went dark.
He knew all too well what the so-called exercises entailed—accompanying the emperor in chanting scriptures and reciting incantations. Of course, if it were just chanting scriptures and reciting incantations, it wouldn’t be much. The deadly part was that the emperor was extremely devout and insisted on kneeling through every session. With his old arms and legs, kneeling was like losing half his life!
The pitiful nearly seventy-year-old Chief Minister knelt until his legs went numb, feeling hopeless about life, when finally Jiang Yuanchao returned to report.
“Your Majesty, the Li residence is conducting funeral arrangements, and Marquis Guanjun was not seen there. Your subject also went to the Marquis Guanjun residence, Marquis Jing’an residence, and other places, but similarly found no trace of Marquis Guanjun.”
Emperor Mingkang looked toward Lan Shan.
“This—” Lan Shan was already dizzy from kneeling and couldn’t think of any excuse.
“It seems your student must have seen incorrectly, beloved Minister Lan.” Emperor Mingkang said with a half-smile.
Lan Shan, kneeling with a pale face, repeatedly begged forgiveness.
“Beloved Minister Lan was also acting for my sake. How could I blame you? Well, beloved minister, you may withdraw. Commander Jiang, escort Chief Minister Lan out for me.”
“Chief Minister Lan, please.”
Lan Shan slowly performed a salute to Emperor Mingkang: “Your subject takes leave.”
Emperor Mingkang nodded to Wei Wuxie.
Wei Wuxie walked to the screen: “My lord, please.”
Shao Mingyuan emerged. Although he had waited behind the screen for nearly an hour, his face showed no trace of anxiety.
Emperor Mingkang observed this and nodded secretly, thinking this young man had some of his patience from when he practiced the Way—truly good material.
“Go on, pack up and get lost quickly. If anyone sees you in the capital again, I won’t be so lenient.” Emperor Mingkang waved his hand impatiently.
Shao Mingyuan appeared completely unruffled: “Your subject takes leave.”
By the weeping willows outside the blue-tiled red walls, Jiang Yuanchao smiled deeply: “The Marquis truly has excellent methods.”
Burning bridges behind him, turning passive into active, making Chief Minister Lan Shan return empty-handed while completely resolving the consequences of entering the capital without summons—today, he had witnessed another side of this man.
Shao Mingyuan looked steadily at Jiang Yuanchao and brushed past him: “Lord Jiang flatters me.”
Watching the upright figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Yuanchao smiled.
What a pity that human calculations cannot match heavenly calculations. With Li Guangshu’s death, Marquis Guanjun would have to wait until at least next year to marry Miss Qiao.
Shao Mingyuan returned to Xingzi Alley, bathed and changed clothes, then slept until nightfall. After dinner, the night grew even deeper.
After wrapping bandages around his thigh roots layer upon layer, the pain from the chafed areas was relieved. Shao Mingyuan kicked his legs lightly and, finding his movement was no longer affected, smiled. He changed into night clothes prepared by his guards, didn’t even exit through the main door, leaped onto his wall, and with a few jumps landed inside the Li residence.
The personal guards hidden in various corners looked up at the sky.
So their general was this kind of person! No, no, they saw nothing.
Qiao Zhao was injured all over. The Li residence’s busyness and grief had nothing to do with her—she could only honestly rest in bed to recover. But thinking of that person who had secretly returned, she couldn’t find peace no matter what.
After staring at a book scroll for a long time without turning a page, Qiao Zhao simply tossed the book toward the bedside and asked: “Binglu, what time is it?”
“It’s the hai hour.” A voice gentle as water came.
Qiao Zhao’s eyes lit up, her heart inexplicably racing.
Soon, the man sat down beside her, asking softly: “Did you eat dinner well?”
“Yes.”
“How are your spirits?”
“Also good.”
“What about your injuries?”
Qiao Zhao smiled sweetly: “All good.”
“That’s good.” Shao Mingyuan smiled along, gazing intently at his girl.
Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but laugh: “I remember someone just said that next time he came, he would come openly carrying betrothal gifts, never climbing through windows again.”
Shao Mingyuan raised his hand to stroke Qiao Zhao’s hair and sighed: “I want to as well. At times like this, I wish the Old Madam would expel Li Guangshu from the family, so you wouldn’t have to observe mourning for him.”
Thinking of this made Shao Mingyuan irritated. He had thought that after defeating the Tartars and returning, he could win his beauty, but who would have expected Li Guangshu to die, delaying their wedding date again.
Why was it so difficult to marry his wife at home?
“Tingquan—”
Shao Mingyuan looked toward Qiao Zhao.
“Are you about to leave?”