ushernet 200, you can step down now.
200, you can step down now.
Wu Yang only discovered the drastic changes when he accompanied Chu Qingluo to the new house in the east of the city. Many questions and curiosities swirled in his mind… but seeing Chu Qingluo's forlorn expression, he couldn't bring himself to ask anything.
"All is well..."
While he was deep in thought, Chu Qingluo spoke first, her tone tinged with apology: "I didn't have time to ask for your opinion before I took the liberty of turning this courtyard into a private school for you and Gongsun. Originally, I was thinking that he would teach you to read and you would teach you to play music, but now..."
"..." Hearing her voice suddenly choke up, Wu Yang was also quite distressed. "I'm willing!" he blurted out without thinking, then quietly added, "Gongsun will definitely be willing too."
“Right now, you’ll have to teach music by yourself for now.” She forced a smile and said, “You can work together when he comes back.”
“…Okay.” Wu Yang nodded firmly.
But can Gongsun Yu really come back?
……
The following day, the Empress was unable to attend the morning court session due to illness. Everyone speculated that the series of blows she had suffered the previous day were simply too much for her to bear.
Upon hearing this news, Chu Qingluo showed little expression and was about to turn and leave when Chong Huan stopped her, saying that the Empress wanted to see her privately.
She was taken aback for a moment, thinking that at this critical juncture, the Empress probably wouldn't be in the mood to ask her for any interesting stories. With that in mind, she followed Chonghuan to the Phoenix Palace.
At this moment, the Empress was leaning against a bench, her head resting on one hand, looking extremely unwell.
"Your Majesty, shall we invite Lady Fang Ying to come and take a look?" Chu Qingluo asked.
"No need," the Empress said, raising her head. "I was just unable to sleep last night and am feeling very tired now."
"Your Majesty, the Empress's health is of utmost importance. Please do not overthink it."
"They are all my own children, how could I not miss them?" The Empress gave a bitter smile and said, "Minister Chu, please sit down."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As soon as Chu Qingluo settled into a chair, the Empress asked, "Are your injuries healed?"
"Your Majesty is very kind. My injuries have almost healed."
"I never imagined that your trip to Yuezhi would be so perilous," the Empress said, shaking her head.
"..." Chu Qingluo did not respond, because it was indeed the case.
The Empress had no choice but to continue, "The fruit tea they make doesn't taste as good as yours. I've been looking forward to your early return."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingluo stood up and replied, "Then this humble official will go and brew tea for His Majesty now."
The Empress waved her hand, gesturing for her to sit down. "We've been waiting for days, there's no rush."
Chu Qinglu guessed that the Empress had something to say, so she obediently sat back down and asked, "Is there something troubling Your Majesty?"
The Empress smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps I'm getting old, but lately I've been thinking a lot about the princesses and princes when they were little. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, and they've all grown up so much."
"Your Majesty will remain forever young and never grow old."
Chu Qingluo understood that the Empress's words clearly revealed her reluctance to severely punish the Fourth Princess and the Fifth Prince. And the Empress was speaking directly to her… Could it be that she was testing her?
"Minister Chu, stop trying to appease me. I know my health better than anyone." The Empress's phoenix eyes swept over Chu Qingluo's pensive face as she continued, "I know you're suffering, but the dead cannot be brought back to life, and a life cannot be exchanged for another. I hope you can find solace..."
"..." Chu Qingluo bit her lower lip and remained silent.
What did the Empress mean by that? Did she mean she wanted Ji Qili to go?! That's impossible!
"Your Majesty, the living can certainly grieve, but only by bringing the criminals to justice can the souls of the dead be released." Since the Empress insisted that Gongsun Yu was dead, Chu Qingluo took the opportunity to emphasize that Ji Qili's crimes deserved to be punished!
Seeing the Empress's gloomy face and silence, Chu Qingluo risked her life to speak again: "Your Majesty, I know Your Majesty is compassionate, but both of these ambushes and assassinations were aimed at Princess Anyang. If it weren't for the princess's good fortune, Your Majesty would probably not be seeing her today. If things really turn out this way, how does Your Majesty intend to deal with it?"
As a ruler, does one pretend not to see the sacrifices of others simply because the victims are not one's own flesh and blood?
With a loud 'smack,' the Empress slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair. "Minister Chu, you've gone too far! When did I ever say I would let them off so easily?!"
"Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty." Chu Qinglu knelt calmly before the Empress and said lightly, "Even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. In my eyes, Your Majesty is an unparalleled and wise ruler, and I believe Your Majesty will make your own decision."
"You..." The Empress seemed quite angry with Chu Qingluo, and irritably waved her hand, saying, "You may leave!"
"...Your humble servant obeys the decree." She was already prepared to risk everything; there was nothing to fear.
After Chu Qingluo left, Ziyan came in. "Your Majesty, I just saw Lord Chu's departing figure in a hurry, and he seemed quite dejected."
"She's still depressed?!" The Empress glared at Ziyan, annoyed, and said, "She's driving me crazy!"
"Impossible..." Zi Yan deliberately widened his eyes and said, "Even if Lord Chu had ten more lives, she wouldn't dare to disrespect His Majesty." As he spoke, he walked around behind the Empress and gently rubbed her temples.
“You don’t understand, this little girl is incredibly bold!” The Empress sighed, closing her eyes to enjoy the head massage Ziyan was giving her. “As you know, when Fifth Prince ambushed Anyang, Chu Aiqing’s male servant was killed by him, and what’s more, this male servant happened to be Lord Gongsun’s son! This matter… it really gives me a headache!”
The assassination attempt on the Sixth Princess is now common knowledge throughout the palace. These past two days, Ziyan has known that the Empress is troubled by it. "Ziyan dares to speculate," he says, "is Her Majesty afraid that if this matter is handled improperly, it will hurt the feelings of Lord Chu and Lord Gongsun?"
"Sigh—you understand me best." The Empress was indeed soft-hearted, which was why she had Chu Qingluo sound out the situation. "But after witnessing Minister Chu's resolute attitude just now, I feel there is absolutely no need to test Lord Gongsun any further."
"Your Majesty, please allow me to say something I shouldn't have..."
"Speak, and I will pardon you."
"Assassinating a princess is a heinous crime. If it is not severely punished, I fear that more and more people will continue to do it..."
After hearing this, the Empress sighed again: "How could I not know this principle?"