Duofu was awakened by the shouting and shouted out of habit: "Miss?"
Mingwei came in from outside and took off his robe: "Huh?"
"Where have you been?"
"Get up for the night." Ming Wei said without changing his expression and lay back on the bed.
Duofu groaned and lay back down. Then he heard someone speaking outside: "What's going on outside?"
Mingwei replied calmly: "It must be that the fifth cousin is back, right? I heard someone shouting Ji Xiaowu."
"That's it!" Duofu thought for a while and couldn't help but said, "Miss, the fifth young master seems a little... what, why are you back so late?"
Mingwei smiled silently: "No rules? It's common for young people to disobey discipline."
Duofu was a little confused about her thoughts, so he asked: "Miss, you think it's nothing? So, do you plan to accept this marriage?"
Their master and servant have gone through twists and turns, and even Duofu knows his own origin, so he doesn't hide it from her Mingwei: "Of course I don't want the marriage. However, my uncle didn't deny it before, how can I regret the marriage as soon as it's good? Let's see first.
Look, maybe this fifth cousin doesn’t want a marriage himself?”
Duofu said sincerely: "The young lady is so good, how could the Fifth Young Master not want her? He had never seen the young lady before making such a fuss."
Ming Wei smiled: "Marriage is complicated. It doesn't have to be good for the other party. I think this fifth cousin really doesn't want a marriage."
Duofu wanted to say more, but she had closed her eyes: "Go to sleep. We have just arrived in the capital, and there are still a lot of things to do tomorrow!"
…
Yang Shu and Jiang Wenfeng, who were returning to Beijing with her, were still awake at the moment.
In the Yunjing Imperial Palace, the Mingguang Hall, where the government is currently governed, is still brightly lit late at night.
The monarch of the Northern Qi Dynasty, posthumously named Emperor Wen, sat in the middle, looking through the files and listening to Jiang Wenfeng report on the gains of the trip.
The emperor is forty-six years old this year, which is the period when an emperor's power is at its peak.
He was the youngest son of Taizu Yuanhou, and he happened to be born in the year Taizu ascended the throne.
Compared with several older brothers, he has never seen turmoil and has been born in peace.
Because of this, although he was favored, there was no closeness between him and his father who shared joys and sorrows.
There are three brothers on the throne, but no one expected that he would be the one to sit on the throne in the end.
It can be seen that no matter how strong a person is, he cannot survive.
"Okay." After listening, the emperor raised his hand.
Jiang Wenfeng stopped reporting and waited for the holy message.
The emperor pinched his brows and said with a hint of weariness: "Since the evidence is conclusive, just write a memorial and hand it over."
Jiang Wenfeng respectfully said: "Yes."
"It's getting late. Jiang Qing has been tired from the long journey and hasn't gone home yet? Go back and rest first. It won't be too late to take care of things tomorrow."
Jiang Wenfeng bowed down and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your sympathy. I will take my leave now."
The emperor waved his hand and ordered the eunuch Wan Dabao beside him: "Send Jiang Qing out of the palace."
Jiang Wenfeng followed Wan Dabao out of the Mingguang Palace, and happened to see several chamberlains filing in carrying food boxes.
Seeing them, the leading eunuch smiled and saluted: "Eunuch Wan, Mr. Jiang."
Wan Dabao also smiled when he saw the other party: "It's Eunuch Cui, but is there something wrong with the noble concubine?"
Jiang Wenfeng often walked around the palace and recognized this as Cui Shun, who was with Concubine Pei. He came here in the middle of the night, probably to bring supper to the emperor.
Sure enough, Cui Shundao said: "The empress is worried about Your Majesty, so she ordered the slave to bring supper."
Wan Dabao smiled and said, "Your Majesty and the Third Young Master are inside. Just ask someone to tell them."
Cui Shun thanked him and asked, "Is Mr. Jiang going to leave the palace?"
Jiang Wenfeng nodded in agreement.
Cui Shun said, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Jiang. I also have a share of the supper prepared by the queen. Since the master is leaving, why not take it with you? This will live up to the queen's kindness."
Jiang Wenfeng smiled and thanked: "In that case, I am being disrespectful and would like to ask my father-in-law to express my gratitude to the noble concubine on my behalf."
The two sides said a few words and then separated.
Jiang Wenfeng took the food box and got into his carriage waiting at the gate of the palace.
He was really hungry, so he opened the food box.
A few delicate little bits, soft and delicious.
Jiang Wenfeng couldn't help but sigh when he thought of Concubine Pei preparing snacks.
…
On the other side, Cui Shun placed various snacks on the royal desk and said with a smile: "The empress said that your majesty was worried about state affairs and must have forgotten to eat, so he ordered the slaves to bring supper."
The emperor's tense face relaxed, and there was a smile on his face: "The noble concubine is thoughtful. You go back and tell her to go to bed early and don't wait for me all the time."
"Yes." Cui Shun placed a small bowl of thin noodles with clear soup in front of Yang Shu. "The empress also said that the third young master must have wanted to eat the silver noodles in the palace after being away from the capital for several months, so she ordered the imperial chef to prepare a bowl. Three
Young Master, eat it while it's hot. Go back and rest early. Everyone is back. No matter how many things happen, there's no rush."
The emperor laughed when he heard this: "She specially prepared this late-night snack for Shu'er. I am just taking it by the way, right?"
When Cui Shun heard this, he was not frightened. He just smiled and said, "How can I do that? Of course, the empress is only thinking about Your Majesty."
On the contrary, Yang Shu looked calm and said: "Thank you for me. I am busy today and can't make it in time. When I have time, I will go and see you."
Cui Shungong complied and served them until they finished eating, then collected their cups and left.
Seeing Cui Shun leaving, the emperor waved his hand and ordered everyone else to leave.
There were only two people left in the Mingguang Hall, and the emperor spoke to Yang Shu: "Tell me, am I not doing a good job? Or am I not tolerant to them enough? Why is one like this and the other like this? I don't want to be a person who is in love with my family.
I’m so alone!”
Yang Shu looked at the emperor's sad look and said softly: "It's not that the emperor did not do a good enough job, nor is it not that he is not tolerant enough, but that people's hearts are unpredictable and changeable. No matter how good the emperor is to them, there is always a thorn in their hearts.
I won’t believe it.”
The emperor smiled bitterly: "Liu Yang is dead, and Qidong will die again. My reputation as the most affectionate family member will never go away. With four brothers and three heirs, how can we write history?"
Yang Shu remained silent.
The emperor didn't need his answer. After a while, he said: "Since he has this intention, he can't live anymore. I don't want to go too far. The men will die, but the women... let them live!"
Yang Shu raised his head.
The emperor seemed to be talking to himself: "I thought about that incident ten years ago many times, but it was still too much..."
"Your Majesty..."
The emperor smiled at him: "Don't I know the origin of the girl next to you? You have hidden it well for so many years. You don't have to do this in the future, I already know it. However, you have to restrain her, I won't
I hope that one thought of kindness will lead to another enemy."
Yang Shu restrained the excitement in his heart and knelt down to worship: "Your Majesty is merciful."
The emperor personally helped him up: "You! You are so unscrupulous in front of others, why are you so reserved in front of me? I am the emperor, but I am also your uncle!"