https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-279-A-Wife-Like-This-What-More-Could-a-Husband-Ask-For-/12936993/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-281-Killing-Two-Birds-with-One-Stone/12936995/
Chapter 280: Mutual Rush
Chapter 280: Mutual Rush
After a night of sleeping with her mother, Bao Zhu Zhu woke up feeling refreshed, and even the air seemed to be filled with happiness.
"Mother, you smell so good!"
"The bed smells so good!"
"The pillow smells so good!"
"What about your father?"
Ban Xia dressed the little one while asking.
The little one pouted, "Stinky father."
Ban Xia couldn't help but laugh.
Bao Shu, wearing her tiger-head shoes, climbed down from the bed and handed out a small candy to everyone in the courtyard.
Lu Yuan finished reading and came out of the study.
Although he looked the same as usual, cold and dignified, when he took action, he rewarded someone with a gold ingot.
A gold ingot! Could you believe it?
Wan Mumu's eyes lit up, "Young Master!"
Was this a reward? No, it was clearly a fee for changing his mind!
Madam, I'm sorry. From now on, in my heart, I'll call you Young Madam!
Bao Zhu Zhu, having lost the spotlight, waved her little chubby hand and fiercely punched her deadbeat father!
Meng Qianqian, after finishing her practice, returned to the courtyard and saw the father and daughter engaged in a battle of wits. She smiled warmly and walked up to ask, "Aren't you going to court today?"
Lu Yuan, holding the unfilial daughter, replied nonchalantly, "Oh, it doesn't matter if I go later."
Bao Zhu Zhu started fussing, "Mother! Mother!"
Meng Qianqian extended her hand and curved her lips, "Give her to me."
Lu Yuan handed the little one to Meng Qianqian. Just as the little one was about to receive a hug from her mother, he mercilessly took her away.
Bao Zhu Zhu was furious, "Ahhh! Stinky father!"
He was making a fuss, and she was laughing.
Meng Qianqian's eyes curved with a smile, and she went inside to take a bath and change clothes.
Yu Li was pacing in the small garden, reciting a text.
"'With utmost sincerity, one can foresee. When a country is about to prosper, there will be auspicious signs; when a country is about to perish, there will be evil omens.'"
As he turned, he saw Lu Yuan passing by on a nearby path, carrying the huffy little one.
He shook his head vigorously, "No, no, no. My brother-in-law is not an evil omen."
He turned back to continue reciting.
However, this interruption made him unable to recall the following lines.
"'See the divining stalks and the tortoise shell, and the four limbs are moved. When good fortune or calamity is about to arrive, the good or evil must be known first; if it is not good, it must be known first. Therefore, utmost sincerity is like a god.'"
Yu Li spun around and looked at Lu Yuan in disbelief, "Brother-in-law... Have you memorized the Four Books as well?"
Bao Shu looked at her uneducated father with a blank expression.
Lu Yuan didn't say a word, but his eyes were fixed on the morning light, full of determination.
The dark clouds had long merged with his flesh and blood, and if he wanted to emerge from them, he would have to endure the pain of scraping his bones.
Could he truly break free?
The family had breakfast with the Elder Lady at Tinglan Manor.
Lu Yuan went to court, and Meng Qianqian went to the Ministry of Justice.
The suspicions against Ji Li and Si She had been cleared, but Chen Long and Wei Yang were now serving the Prime Minister, and Hai Zhu had implicated the Prime Minister, although there was no evidence. They were still held as suspects in the Ministry of Justice.
The weather turned cold.
Meng Qianqian went to deliver some warm clothing to her brother.
If she were just visiting Chen Long, she would have brought Bao Shu, but later, she would also have to enter the palace to meet the Retired Emperor.
"Mother, I'll leave Auntie in your care."
"Baby, take good care of Auntie."
Bai Yuwei held the little one and said irritably, "Who needs you to take care of her?"
Bao Shu patted Bai Yuwei's head in an old-fashioned manner, "Be good."
Bai Yuwei: "..."
---
In the court, Secretary of Justice Xing reported the progress of the Chu family case to the Emperor.
"Hai Zhu has confessed to his crimes. He poisoned General Chu and sent away the Twelve Guards. The tragic case of the Chu family had nothing to do with Lady Chu, and she was wrongfully accused."
"The former Crown Prince was one of the masterminds, but he was also deceived by others. There is another person behind the scenes."
"King Chu is the flesh and blood of the Retired Emperor and Your Majesty's elder brother."
With each revelation by Secretary of Justice Xing, gasps of shock echoed throughout the Golden Pavilion.
No one had expected the Chu family case to involve so many earth-shattering secrets.
Lady Chu, who had saved lives and healed the wounded at the border, had endured nearly seven years of injustice.
King Chu turned out to be a prince. If he and General Chu were still alive, one could only imagine how solid the Zhou dynasty's imperial power would have been.
However, the former Crown Prince had been manipulated by a villain and committed an irreversible mistake.
General Zhou held his tablet and stepped forward, his voice filled with righteous indignation, "The person behind the scenes has disrupted our court and harmed our pillars. Their heart is unforgivable, and a thousand deaths cannot atone for their crimes!"
He hadn't been this resolute before. Ever since his daughter entered the palace, whether it was for his daughter or the Zhou family, he couldn't afford to be so self-preserving anymore.
Naturally, his words came from the heart.
The loss of the Chu family was a misfortune for the entire court and even the whole Zhou dynasty.
Self-interest and deception were common throughout history, but targeting the Chu family had provoked the anger of the officials.
The civil and military officials unanimously requested the capture and severe punishment of the real culprit.
Lu Yuan looked towards Prime Minister Xun, who was at the head of the officials.
Prime Minister Xun's expression didn't show any abnormality, but Lu Yuan noticed that his right hand was touching his left thumb.
There should have been a jade ring there, which he only wore at home.
And only when he encountered something beyond his control would he unconsciously touch the jade ring.
Stepfather, you didn't expect the case to progress so smoothly, did you?
At the same time, you also underestimated the status of the Chu Family in the hearts of the officials.
Those courtiers who followed you so devotedly are now genuinely feeling indignant on behalf of the Chu Family.
One day, when they learn that you are the true culprit behind the Chu Family's demise, will they still willingly serve you?
Bright Palace.
The Retired Emperor was playing a game of Go.
After hearing Fu Gonggong's report, the Retired Emperor placed a white stone, "The case progressed so quickly, and the Governor's Mansion deserves much credit."
Meng Qianqian placed a black stone and calmly said, "It's all thanks to my husband."
The Retired Emperor smiled and asked Fu Gonggong, "What did Lu Yuan say?"
Fu Gonggong replied, "The Governor requested to proclaim to the world and restore Lady Chu's reputation. Your Majesty agreed. Additionally, Your Majesty plans to posthumously bestow upon Lady Chu the title of First-Rank Imperial Consort and the position of National Protector Lady. The Governor proposed to further bestow upon her the title of National Protector Marquis."
Meng Qianqian was slightly taken aback.
The Retired Emperor was somewhat surprised, "National Protector Marquis, the first female marquis in our dynasty. Does he have a relationship with Lady Chu?"
Fu Gonggong looked at Meng Qianqian.
It was clear that the Retired Emperor was asking about the latter.
Meng Qianqian composed herself and replied, "Little Nine doesn't know."
In her previous life, she had no connection with Lu Yuan, and now he suddenly requested a female marquis title for her. Could he have discovered that she was...
Impossible.
The Retired Emperor sighed, "You two really know how to give me a headache. One wants a female marquis title, and the other wants an additional examination. I'm the Retired Emperor, not a wish-granting tree."
Meng Qianqian spoke earnestly, "When you were treating you for the epidemic, you promised Little Nine a favor. The imperial wedding is a joyous occasion for the entire realm, and you can grant a general amnesty. Instead of pardoning the guilty, why not promote the talented and innocent? There's a precedent from the previous dynasty when Emperor Enzu added an additional examination for his seventieth birthday."
The Retired Emperor said, "You mentioned the previous dynasty."
Meng Qianqian replied, "You are a wise ruler, and a ruler's words are not to be taken lightly."
The Retired Emperor said, "This matter is too significant."
Meng Qianqian, who had been kneeling on the meditation cushion, moved to the side and knelt devoutly on the ground, "Please, Retired Emperor, add an additional examination!"
The Retired Emperor sighed helplessly, "Why are you so insistent on this? If there's someone you want to make an official, just recommend them to me, and I'll give them an official position."
Meng Qianqian said solemnly, "Little Nine doesn't want an official position. Little Nine wants fairness, wants right and wrong to be clear, wants truth and falsehood not to be confused, wants a just world without bullying, and wants talented scholars to no longer be hidden!"
The Retired Emperor sensed an extraordinary determination in Meng Qianqian.
He weighed the black stone in his hand, "You are one of the Chu Family's Twelve Guards, and you should prioritize the Chu Family's matters. I ask you, if it's between bestowing a female marquis title and adding an examination, which would you choose...?"
"Please, Retired Emperor, add an additional examination!"
Meng Qianqian's answer was resolute, without a hint of hesitation.
The Retired Emperor remained silent for a long time.
The hall was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
Fu Gonggong dared not breathe.
Although the Retired Emperor doted on the young Lady Lu, serving a ruler was like serving a tiger, and the line between favor and punishment was thin.
A bodhisattva spares life, not an emperor.
Suddenly, the Retired Emperor smiled, "Stand up. If you keep knocking your head like that, your grandmother will worry when she sees you later."
Fu Gonggong exhaled in relief.
Meng Qianqian raised her head, "Are you agreeing to it?"
The Retired Emperor smiled, "Your request is too much, but I can agree. However, you must also do three things for me."
Meng Qianqian quickly extended three fingers, "You said there would only be three things!"
The Retired Emperor clicked his tongue, "Shouldn't you have said, 'Don't mention three, even three hundred is not a problem'?"
Meng Qianqian grumbled, "Little Nine isn't that foolish."
Seeing her childlike side, Fu Gonggong also smiled.
The Retired Emperor said, "The first thing, take good care of Grandmother."
Meng Qianqian said, "You don't need to tell me. Little Nine will take good care of Great-Grandmother, but this counts as one thing, and a ruler's words are not to be taken lightly!"
The Retired Emperor laughed, pointing at her and saying to Fu Gonggong, "Look at this little maid, she won't be taken advantage of."
Fu Gonggong smiled, "She's clever, following Great-Grandmother."
The Retired Emperor liked hearing this and continued, "The second thing, find a suitable prince consort for Wanping."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback.
"As for the third thing, I haven't thought of it yet. Consider it as your debt for now. As long as you handle the first two matters well, it will be considered fulfilled."
The first thing was easy, and the third thing was temporarily unnecessary, which meant that the real task was the second one—Princess Wanping's marriage.
"Once you handle it, the day the Chu Family's case is concluded will be the day the additional examination is announced."
Meng Qianqian widened her eyes, "Didn't you say there would be three things? Why is the Chu Family's case included? If the case can't be concluded, does that mean the examination can't be opened?"
Sure enough, the Retired Emperor's conditions were not so easily met.
These were still three conditions!
The Retired Emperor sighed regretfully, "It seems you won't agree..."
Meng Qianqian said with deep resentment, "I agree, I agree!"
The Retired Emperor said, "You find a prince consort for Wanping, and leave the case to Lu Yuan and the Ministry of Justice. It won't be difficult for the two of you to divide the tasks!"
Meng Qianqian turned her face, muttering resentfully, "You've arranged everything clearly, but where can I find a prince consort for your daughter?"
Qianqian: Waiting online, quite urgent!
(End of Chapter)
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