vrcanaries Chapter 416 Master Shen is back
Chapter 416 Master Shen is back
With the emperor gone, the court will naturally become unstable.
But at the same time, Xie Jing felt a sense of relief.
It's good that the emperor's lifespan is not long.
He coveted his mother and wanted to destroy their home; he deserved to die!
Qin Jiuwei listened without any reaction.
She was more concerned about whether Xie Yanli had eaten.
"Have you eaten in the palace?" Qin Jiuwei looked up at him.
"The kitchen just made some shrimp wontons today, and I asked them to save some. There was also steamed pear soup, which was sweet but not greasy. Granny Chen from the kitchen also specially made crispy fried taro balls."
Xie Yanli couldn't help but chuckle to himself; how could he possibly eat so much?
But at the same time, a feeling of warmth also welled up in my heart.
After a day of feeling down, I finally feel a bit more relaxed.
"Then let's do it your way." Xie Yanli raised his eyes and looked at her tenderly.
Qin Jiuwei also smiled slightly.
The following day, at the Imperial Palace, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The courtiers stood in order, awaiting the emperor's arrival, as always.
But after waiting for a long time, the emperor still did not appear.
Just as everyone was wondering, Yuan Xi walked out from behind the hall.
He walked to the central seat in the hall, bowed, and then preached in a clear voice.
"By imperial decree, His Majesty has caught a cold and needs to rest and recuperate. He will not hold morning court for the next few days."
After Yuan Xi finished reading the imperial edict, he bowed and withdrew.
After he left, the ministers immediately began to discuss the matter.
Their gazes revealed a hint of worry and unease.
One of the imperial censors stepped forward, bowed to Xie Yanli, and asked, "Your Highness, has something happened to the Emperor? Why has he suddenly caught a cold?"
Several ministers nearby echoed his sentiments.
"This matter is too strange. His Majesty has always been in good health. This sudden suspension of court is truly worrying."
Xie Yanli glanced at the officials in the hall and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty is indeed feeling unwell. The imperial physicians are treating him, and he will recover in a few days. There is no need for you to worry."
Seeing his unwavering resolve, the ministers, though still harboring doubts, dared not ask any further questions and could only bow and retreat.
The ministers thus settled down.
-
Inside Wenyuan Pavilion.
Xie Yanli sat upright at his desk, with an open memorial in front of him.
At that moment, light footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the eunuch's distinctive high-pitched voice: "Your Highness, Eunuch Qian from the Imperial Household Department has arrived."
"Let him in."
A moment later, a plump eunuch walked in, his steps light and quick, his face bearing the usual respectful smile.
He bowed and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this servant has come to inquire about the arrangements for Mo Qingkui's funeral."
"The assassination attempt on the Emperor has been covered up; the official statement is that he died suddenly from an illness. Therefore, the question is how to deal with Mo Qingkui, the assassin."
"I wonder, should he be buried according to the standards for an imperial concubine, or treated as an assassin?"
Xie Yanli looked up from the memorial in front of him. "Have you asked the Emperor about this matter?"
"Your Highness, the Emperor is currently recuperating and is not seeing anyone, so this servant has dared to come and ask you for instructions."
Xie Yanli tapped his fingertips on the desk, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.
Previously at the bottom of the cliff, Mo Qingkui had tried to kill Qin Jiuwei.
The fact that he didn't react to this doesn't mean he doesn't remember it.
Xie Yanli's eyes darkened slightly, and his tone turned cold.
"On the surface, she was buried as a concubine, leaving no room for criticism. As for her body..."
“The coffin was empty, and the body was left in the wild to be eaten by wild dogs.”
Eunuch Qian was startled, but dared not say anything more, and could only bow his head and reply, "Yes, this servant understands."
Thus, the assassinations that had been openly carried out in the imperial court and harem were now concealed.
Jingyuan Academy.
The wooden windows of the lecture hall were half-open, casting a faint glow inside.
After Gu Fuzi finished speaking, he looked up and glanced at Xie Jing.
“Master Shen will be back tomorrow. Perfect timing. You can bring your younger brother over to meet him.”
Xie Jing paused, a glint of light appearing in his eyes.
"I understand, thank you, Master."
Master Gu laughed and said, "No need to thank me. Master Shen was overjoyed to hear that someone wanted to learn abacus and business. As soon as he heard the news, he forgot about his other business and rushed back immediately."
Xie Jing couldn't help but smile.
From this perspective, Master Shen was a good teacher.
-
At dinner time, Qinglan Courtyard was brightly lit.
The family sat around the long table, the aroma of the food filling the air.
Xie Jing looked up at Xie Jue and said calmly, "Master Shen will be back tomorrow."
He had to say it in public.
This matter can no longer be kept from my father and mother.
This is a big deal; they need to know.
Xie Jue's eyes widened upon hearing this, his tone revealing obvious joy.
"Really? That's great!"
"Master Shen? Which master is he?" Qin Jiuwei put down her chopsticks, her tone filled with curiosity.
“Master Shen is a teacher at Jingyuan Academy,” Xie Jing explained patiently.
"He was skilled in abacus calculation and business acumen. Since no one was learning these skills anymore, he left the academy and traveled around. He only recently returned."
Qin Jiuwei raised an eyebrow, vaguely sensing something strange.
"Mother." Xie Jue put down her small spoon, her eyes shining as she looked at Qin Jiuwei, and whispered, "Actually, I want to go to Jingyuan Academy to learn arithmetic."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and grabbed Qin Jiuwei's sleeve.
“This teacher doesn’t know how to teach abacus at all, and I’m very unhappy.”
"That's why I asked my second brother to ask Master Gu if there were any teachers in the academy who were good at abacus calculation. That's how I found out about Master Shen."
“I want to learn arithmetic from him, otherwise my abacus will rust if I keep going like this.”
Xie Jue cautiously moved a few more inches closer to Qin Jiuwei.
"Mother...you're not angry, are you?"
"I took it upon myself to ask my second brother to inquire with Master Gu without informing my mother..."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and rubbed the hem of his clothes.
This was actually the first time he had taken the initiative to do something on his own.
I wonder if his mother will think he's disobedient...