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墨書 Inktalez
At the end of the second year of Zhao Yuan, Ming Xiting had not been to the Rain Dew Period for almost three months.
If it had been a native of Kun Ze, they would have sensed something was off immediately. However, Ming Xiting was a time traveler, having only experienced the Rain Dew Period two or three times before, one of which was forcibly suppressed by Tian Gan Xin Xiang before erupting. Thus, he was completely unprepared.
Therefore, regarding his increasingly rounded belly, Ming Xiting simply thought it was due to overindulging in the palace and gaining weight, never considering a reasonable yet bizarre explanation.
“Hey, it’s been three months already. Are you not planning to let me out of the palace?” Ming Xiting lay on the bed, casually reading the most popular novel among the common folk without looking up. “Is your cousin really that difficult? After chasing her for so long, you haven’t even caught a single piece of evidence?”
Lou Yu pressed his lips together, remaining silent as he focused intently on Ming Xiting’s side profile and the slight curve of his belly.
Having lost his mother at a young age and raised solely by his father, Lou Yu had few memories of her. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if his own child would follow the same path, entering the world without a mother by their side.
Lou Yu remained silent while Ming Xiting continued talking to himself. “My father wrote to me saying there are many temple fairs in Jiangnan during this season. I was thinking of going back to catch the last fair of the year.”
Lou Yu set down his teacup and spoke up. “Chang Yu has already revealed her true colors. By noon tonight, we should be able to catch her in the act. But…”
“But what?” Ming Xiting glanced at him before returning to his novel.
“Do you truly not wish to stay in the palace? I have already marked you; even if you remove the mark later on, being with another Tian Qian will likely bring you much suffering.”
“How many times have you asked? I’ve answered so many times. This palace is too boring; I can’t do this or that. Staying here is just a waste of time. Besides, can’t you treat that incident as an accident? I’m a Kun Ze and I don’t hold grudges; why do you keep dwelling on it? Just because you’re the emperor and have privileges doesn’t mean you can force me to stay here. That would be inhumane.”
Lou Yu raised an eyebrow, realizing he had been too indulgent with him lately, allowing him to develop such a fearless attitude to speak so frankly to an emperor.
Everything is about to come to an end.
A month ago, Princess Ling Shan passed away, and Princess Changyu's actions have become increasingly radical. In the imperial city, many bureaucrats have begun to impeach her, but all their efforts have been suppressed by Lou Yu.
For a time, everyone was filled with anxiety, fearing they might become a thorn in the side of this madwoman, drawing her attention.
In the second year of Zhao Yuan, the imperial examination system was implemented for the first time and has already shown some results. A number of talents flooded into the court, but most were familiar faces; looking around, they were mostly scions of noble families, with very few possessing genuine talent and knowledge.
Lou Yu slammed the Fire Stick heavily onto the table, rubbing his furrowed brow with one hand as he closed his eyes in contemplation.
Soon, this group of Centaurs will fall.
As night deepened, in the bustling night market of the imperial city, a moderately sized inn remained brightly lit, with a steady stream of customers coming and going, most of whom were enjoying their meals on the first floor.
A middle-aged woman entered the inn and headed straight to the second floor, requesting a private room.
Not long after the woman entered her room, several elegantly dressed Tian Qian arrived at the inn. They inquired with the waiter whether the woman had already arrived and received a positive response before heading directly upstairs.
Dressed in luxurious garments, they marched toward the woman's private room. Upon opening the door, they were surprised to find an elderly Zhong Yong inside. A flicker of disdain crossed their faces, but they did not show it. After all, this person was a trusted aide of the current Princess Changyu; they dared not be disrespectful and needed her assistance to obtain questions for the upcoming imperial examination.
“Liu Mama, what instructions does Princess Chang have that require you to come personally?”
Liu Mama's murky eyes shifted as she replied coolly, “Why should Princess Chang have to explain her actions to you? Enough with the small talk. There are only ten spots available for this imperial examination; whichever family wants one must show their sincerity so that Princess Chang can assist you.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the Tian Qian immediately greeted them with smiles, each pulling out prepared banknotes and land deeds, neatly arranging them on the table. These lightweight pieces of paper were worth their weight in gold, enough to buy half of the most prosperous street.
Liu Mama glanced over and said, "Alright, Zhang Gongzhu Fu does not lack for such mundane items. Please state your names so I can register them for Chang Gongzhu. To prevent this matter from leaking, we are all in the same boat now. Gentlemen, please sign and leave your fingerprints as proof."
"This..." The crowd showed hesitant expressions but eventually gritted their teeth and signed their names, leaving their fingerprints. Just as Liu Mama had said, they were now tied to Changyu Princess; would she really betray them?
The group cheerfully finished signing and were about to leave the private room when suddenly, a synchronized sound of clashing swords and footsteps echoed from outside, as if an army was approaching.
Seeing this, the leading Tian Qian immediately attempted to rush out the door, but as he opened it, a wall of flesh blocked the light. He slowly raised his head to see the fierce-looking commander of the Imperial Guard, Feng De.
"Your Majesty, these individuals are openly discussing the purchase of official positions in the inn and even talking about this year's examination questions in front of so many commoners. This is simply intolerable. I have already apprehended them all and detained them in the Dali Temple Prison, awaiting interrogation."
Lou Yu sat in his chair, listening to Feng De's report before asking, "Have they been caught?"
Feng De nodded. "Yes, they have been captured. It was Liu Mama from Changyu Princess who facilitated this. For some reason, she personally took charge this time; usually, others handle such matters. This behavior seems almost like a trap... could it be a ruse?"
Lou Yu calmly gazed out at the imperial city beyond the window, a fortress-like place that had always exuded majesty and solemnity.
"Regardless of whether it is a trap or not, this matter cannot be delayed any longer. In that case, let the people from Dali Temple interrogate her and say it is an edict issued by me personally. Also, thoroughly investigate the residence of Changyu Princess."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
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