Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Under the dim light, Emperor Wu gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, turned around, and there was no trace of sadness on his face, only deep fatigue and helplessness. Qian Xu hurriedly knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, I am here to see you. I wonder what your Majesty wants me to do for you so late at night?" Emperor Wu waved his hand, motioning him to stand up, with a hint of bitterness in his tone: "My dear Qian, since I ascended the throne, I have worked hard to govern the country, but now it seems that it is difficult to take any step." Qian Xu didn't know why Emperor Wu sighed like this, so he had to lower his head and listen. Emperor Wu sighed and continued: "Some time ago, I ordered you to host the selection. I wanted to choose a virtuous wife for my son, but I didn't expect that it would cause undercurrents inside and outside the court. The noble families complained, and even I was accused of favoring my relatives. It's really hateful!"

Qian Xu finally understood that the Emperor Wu summoned him late at night for the talent show. He remembered that the daughter of Fanyang Lu deliberately made mistakes in the talent show, but was exposed by him on the spot, and he understood it. It seemed that Fanyang Lu must have been holding a grudge, secretly spreading rumors and sowing discord in an attempt to take revenge on him.

At this time, a young eunuch hurried into the hall, knelt down and reported: "Your Majesty, the head of the Cui family of Boling wants to see you, saying that he has something important to report." Emperor Wu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said to Qian Xu: "My dear minister, please stay and listen." Qian Xu bowed and replied: "Yes."

Soon, an old man dressed in gorgeous clothes and in high spirits walked into the palace under the guidance of a eunuch. This man was Cui Hao, the head of the Boling Cui family. After Cui Hao paid his respects to Emperor Wu, he went straight to the point and said, "Your Majesty, I came here today to discuss my son's marriage." Emperor Wu said indifferently, "Whatever you want to say, my dear Cui, please feel free to speak." Cui Hao looked embarrassed and hesitated for a while before continuing, "Although my son is fortunate to be selected, I think this matter needs to be considered in the long run..." Before Cui Hao finished speaking, he was interrupted by a burst of rapid coughing. Emperor Wu looked pale, covered his chest, and gasped in pain. Qian Xu was shocked when he saw this and hurried forward to ask, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?" Emperor Wu waved his hand to indicate that he was fine, but the violent cough became louder and louder, as if he was going to cough out all his internal organs.

Upon seeing this, Cui Hao did not bother to say anything more. He knelt down in panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, take care of yourself!" The eunuchs and palace maids in the hall were in chaos. Some went to call for the imperial physician, some served tea and water, and others were so frightened that they turned pale and did not know what to do.

For a moment, the entire hall was filled with an atmosphere of tension and anxiety.

When the news reached the outside of the palace, it immediately caused an uproar. Rumors about Emperor Wu's illness were rampant. Some said that he was overworked and became ill; others said that he was bewitched and assassinated; some even pointed the finger at Qian Xu, claiming that he was the one who hosted the selection and angered the heavens, which led to Emperor Wu's illness.

For a time, Qian Xu became the target of public criticism and was pushed to the forefront.

Dou Qing was filled with worry and anger when he heard the news. Although he had only known Qian Xu for a short time, he admired his talent and character. Now, Qian Xu was innocently involved in this political whirlpool, which made him feel very unfair.

"These noble families, for their own benefit, can actually do such a thing!" Dou Qing clenched his fists and said with gritted teeth, "They don't even think about it. If it weren't for Your Majesty, they wouldn't be where they are today!"

Dou Qing became more and more angry and decided to visit Qian Xu in person to see if he was okay. When Dou Qing arrived at Qian's house, Qian Xu was locked in the study, worrying about the memorials on the table. When he heard Dou Qing's voice, he rubbed his tired brows and opened the door to let him in.

"Brother Ziming, why are you here?" Qian Xu smiled bitterly and motioned Dou Qing to sit down. "Are you here to persuade me to give up the talent show?"

Dou Qing shook his head and looked at him worriedly: "Your Majesty is not in good health right now, and people in the court and the country are in panic. You have heard the rumors, and now is not the time to retreat."

How could Qian Xu not understand this? But since Emperor Wu fell ill, the wind direction in the court has changed. The ministers who originally supported the selection of the emperor are now silent, as if they are afraid of getting into trouble. And the aristocratic families headed by the Lu family of Fanyang seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack on him.

At the court meeting the next day, as soon as Qian Xu stepped into the Taiji Hall, he felt an invisible pressure coming towards him. He looked up and saw that the ministers who were usually respectful to him were avoiding his gaze today, with an inexplicable coldness on their faces.

"Sir Qian, the emperor is in poor health, but you insist on holding a beauty pageant and disrupting the court order. Do you know your crime?!" An old minister with white hair and beard stood up, pointed at Qian Xu's nose and shouted.

"Your Majesty is in poor health, and I am very worried. But the purpose of selecting concubines is to fill the harem, continue the royal bloodline, and is also for the sake of the people of the world. I have a clear conscience!" Qian Xu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"What nonsense!" The old minister snorted coldly, "Your Majesty already has a prince, why do you need to select concubines? You clearly have other intentions!"

"You..." Qian Xu's face turned pale with anger at his unreasonable accusation, but he was unable to refute.

"Master Qian, let me give you a piece of advice: He who knows the current affairs is a hero. If you persist in your wrong ways, you will probably bring yourself into trouble!" Another representative of a prominent family also stood up, with a hint of threat in his tone.

For a moment, the court was in a frenzy, accusing Qian Xu of wrongdoing. Qian Xu stood alone in the center of the hall, facing attacks from all sides, like a small boat in a storm, which could be swallowed by the huge waves at any time.

Qian Xu fell weakly on the chair and closed his eyes tiredly. Was he really going to give up the draft and bow to those powerful people? No, he couldn't give up. This was related to all the women in the world, the safety of His Majesty, and even more to the belief in his heart.

At this time, a young eunuch hurried in, holding a tray with a letter on it. "Master Qian, this was found outside the palace gate and is specifically for you."

Qian Xu took the envelope and found that there was no signature on it, only the words "Mr. Qian" were written on it. He opened the envelope with doubt, took out the letter inside, and read it carefully by candlelight.

The content of the letter was not much, only a few short sentences, but it made Qian Xu's face become solemn instantly. He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the study, frowning, as if thinking about something.

"Brother Ziming, what's wrong with you?" Dou Qing noticed that Qian Xu was acting strangely and asked with concern.

Qian Xu took a deep breath, handed the letter in his hand to Dou Qing, and said in a deep voice: "Take a look for yourself."

Dou Qing took the letter, read it quickly, and his face turned ugly. The letter said that there was something else behind the empress's illness. It was not a simple cold, but someone had secretly poisoned her. And the person who poisoned her was hiding among those who attacked Qian Xu and opposed the draft.

"This..." Dou Qing looked at Qian Xu in shock, "Is this information reliable?"

Qian Xu shook his head: "There is no signature on the letter, so I can't confirm its authenticity. But this is a serious matter, so we have to treat it with caution."

"So what should we do now?" Dou Qing asked.

Qian Xu pondered for a moment, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes: "Since someone wants to take advantage of this opportunity to cause trouble, then we will take advantage of the situation and find out the mastermind behind it!"

He walked to the desk, picked up the pen, and began to write furiously. Outside the window, the night was dark and the wind was howling, which seemed to indicate that a bigger storm was coming.