Ping Zhao Lu

Fengluan Palace

After Xu Zhouye finished taking care of some trivial matters, he continued to bury himself in the piles of account books, carefully checking each account, sometimes frowning in deep thought, sometimes writing furiously.

After a long and arduous effort, he finally sorted out those complicated and troublesome messes one by one.

Looking at the thick stack of problematic account books neatly arranged in front of him, even the usually calm Su Ming couldn't help but show surprise.

However, Xu Zhouye remained calm, as if completing such a difficult task was just a piece of cake for him.

He raised his head slightly, his eyes calm as water, and ordered Su Ming in an orderly manner: "Go, call Kang Shili, the chief steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to me."

"Yes!" Su Ming responded respectfully, then turned around and left in a hurry.

At this moment, Qinghe walked into the room with a serious expression.

She looked around and found that there were no other palace servants besides Xu Zhouye, so she hurried forward, bowed respectfully, and then approached Xu Zhouye and said in a low voice: "Your Highness, there has just been news from Yaohua Palace that Concubine Li's face is almost healed."

Xu Zhouye's calm expression froze when he heard this. A hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. He looked up at Qinghe and asked, "How could you recover so quickly?"

Qing He nodded emphatically and continued, "According to the spies in Yaohua Palace, Concubine Li summoned a palace maid and then only kept her in the room with her. The rest of the people were dismissed. They didn't spend much time together, but we don't know what they talked about."

Xu Zhouye frowned upon hearing this and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he slowly asked, "Did you see the palace maid's appearance clearly?"

Qing He's expression was quite complicated. She bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then answered, "The palace maid who met me once claimed that she had seen it clearly, and she had been looking for it everywhere, but for some reason, she just couldn't find the palace maid who was alone with Concubine Li that day. And..."

Seeing this, Xu Zhouye immediately asked, "Anything else? Feel free to ask."

Qing He took a deep breath and said with a hint of dissatisfaction and anger, "This Lipin has been secretly inquiring about Your Majesty's whereabouts in recent days. It seems that she is looking for the right time to approach Your Majesty..."

Xu Zhouye was stunned.

Is it to win favor?

Not quite like...

Or is it that he knows that others are unreliable and wants to find someone else to rely on?

However, this is strange.

Liang Siyi was also involved in the plot to frame him at Lipin's birthday banquet. This man was willing to risk his life for Lipin and risked his life to testify against Xianfei.

These two people...

Could there be some connection?

If I remember correctly, in my previous life, Liang Siyi was executed by Chu Yunxiao not long after Concubine Li died.

Is it...

Xu Zhou's ambition suddenly trembled, and his eyes brightened.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Qinghe was filled with worry when he saw his master's expression suddenly change.

"It's okay." Xu Zhouye calmed down and sneered, "How can she not be suspicious if she suddenly jumps out at this time? I think she is desperate and can't hold back and makes a move."

After hearing this, Qing He nodded thoughtfully, expressing his agreement. He then asked, "Then Your Highness, do you intend to leave her aside for now?"

Xu Zhouye: "Originally, I was planning to find a suitable opportunity to lure her into committing a serious mistake, and then execute her with justification. She loves framing others, doesn't she? I originally thought that during the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, I would imitate Rong Yu'an's methods and use her to make me sick. The idea is a bit stupid, but if it succeeds, she will definitely end up in a miserable state."

Upon hearing this, Qing He frowned, a look of worry on his face, and he quickly advised, "Your Highness, this move is too risky. Why bother taking the risk yourself? To deal with a concubine like this, who has no background or backing, why go to such great lengths? It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"

Xu Zhouye smiled calmly and said softly, "Who says she doesn't have a backer? I used to think she'd been able to run rampant in this inner court for so many years, remaining unscathed, simply because she relied on the Queen Mother. But now, after careful consideration, I'm shocked to realize her backers are probably more than just the Queen Mother. Furthermore, she's always been at odds with me, and this is well known in the palace. If something goes wrong on my part, wouldn't it be natural for her to shift the blame onto her?"

Qinghe, who was standing aside, did not lessen the worry on her face when she heard this. She frowned and looked at Xu Zhouye worriedly.

Seeing Qing He so worried about him, Xu Zhouye couldn't help but feel a warm feeling in his heart. He reached out and gently rubbed Qing He's hair, comforting her, "Don't worry, this plan is no longer useful. Her current target is the Emperor. Isn't that just courting her own destruction?"

Hearing this, Qing He's originally tense face finally relaxed a little, and a smile as bright as a spring flower bloomed on her face. She replied, "I understand."

*

imperial study room

Chu Yunxiao sat in front of the imperial desk, dealing with the mountain of memorials in front of him with an expressionless face.

At this moment, a faint sound of footsteps came from afar. Zhao Dequan took small steps and slowly walked up to Chu Yunxiao. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, Master Ji requests an audience."

Upon hearing this news, Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but frown slightly, and his movements also stopped. He thought for a moment, then gently put the letter aside and said in a calm tone: "Send him in."

"Yes." Zhao Dequan responded, then turned around and left. Not long after, he led Ji Shaoyu back into the room.

As soon as he saw Chu Yunxiao, Ji Shaoyu hurriedly knelt down and saluted, saying respectfully: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" His voice was loud and full of awe.

"My dear Ji, there's no need to be so polite." Chu Yunxiao responded gently with a faint smile on his face.

After getting the emperor's permission, Ji Shaoyu slowly stood up.

Then he got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been showing little interest in his studies lately, and this has caused me great concern. He has either been absent from class, claiming illness, or dozing off or daydreaming during class. I have repeatedly and earnestly advised him, but he remains stubbornly stubborn, showing no sign of change. With no other options left, I have now come to report this to Your Majesty."

After saying that, Ji Shaoyu sighed deeply, his face full of worry.

After hearing this, Chu Yunxiao's face darkened. "The prince has always been diligent. Why has he suddenly become so naughty?"

Ji Shaoyu shook his head and sighed, saying, "From your humble observation, it seems that whenever that young master is present, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince becomes a completely different person, no longer willing to concentrate on his studies."

"Nonsense!" Chu Yunxiao slammed the imperial desk. "Could it be that he has objections to the study companion I arranged for him?"

Ji Shaoyu was startled by the emperor's sudden action and was completely stunned. After coming to his senses, he quickly knelt on the ground and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, calm down."

Chu Yunxiao looked worried. "Master Ji has worked hard, but the Crown Prince is not motivated. I will personally teach him well. You can go back first."

Hearing the emperor's words, Ji Shaoyu breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been pardoned. "Yes, I will take my leave."