readytorunbook Chapter 226 Rocking Chair
Chapter 226 Rocking Chair
Mu Jinghua said this seriously, but Xu Shu didn't think much about it at all, and coaxed him like a child: "Why did you lock me up?"
Mu Jinghua snorted and pinched Xu Shu: "What do you think?"
Xu Shu groaned and pressed on him: "That's it?"
Mu Jinghua's heart was pounding and his throat was itchy: "That's it."
"Then you can lock me up tonight." Xu Shu kissed the tip of his ear, "Okay?"
……
Early the next morning, Xu Shu was awakened by the noise outside. He subconsciously glanced at Mu Jinghua who was sleeping next to him, then he breathed a sigh of relief and tiptoed towards the door.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Xuan Er squatting in the yard with his bare chest. I don't know how long he had been squatting there. His originally fair skin had turned red due to the sun, and beads of sweat were shining on it.
Qiao Wan moved a small stool and sat next to him, staring at him while eating melon seeds.
When I heard the door being pushed open, I turned around and saw that it was Xu Shu. I greeted him with a bit of disappointment: "Why are you up so late?"
Xu Shu glanced at Xuan Er, a little speechless: "What do you mean?"
"Show Xiao Mujin that I'm punishing someone?" Qiao Wan smiled and touched him, "And get yourself some benefits while you're at it."
"Don't dirty my little Mu Jin's eyes." Xu Shu snorted coldly and looked at Xuan Er, "If you have the energy, please fetch a bucket of bath water."
Xuan Er hummed, but looked at Qiao Wan first: "Miss, can I put on my clothes?"
Qiao Wan touched her again, feeling a little regretful: "Why are you shy? With such a great figure, you should..."
"Ahem." Xu Shu interrupted him, "Don't act like a hooligan at home."
Qiao Wan sighed and said that Xu Shu was ignorant, then whispered to Xuan Er: "Let me watch it alone at night."
Xuan Er's ears turned red, but Xu Shu pricked up his ears and carefully took note of this sentence.
Xu Shu drove Qiao Wan away and went back to the house to see Mu Jinghua. The boy was still asleep with tears on his face, looking pitiful.
Xu Shu couldn't help but rub his face, but he didn't expect to wake him up. Mu Jinghua opened his eyes, saw Xu Shu, but snorted first.
Then turn your head away from him.
Xu Shu couldn't help laughing, and came up to tease him: "Don't be angry, Xiao Mujin, it's all my fault last night. I asked someone to boil the bath water, and you won't feel uncomfortable after taking a bath."
Mu Jinghua whispered, "My legs are weak and I don't want to move."
"Don't move." Xu Shu reached into the quilt and rubbed his calf. "Are you hungry?"
Seeing Mu Jinghua nodded, Xu Shu was about to run out again. Just as he reached the door, he heard Qiao Wan's voice: "Xu Shu, I've brought you the meal. Tell Xiao Mujin to get up and eat before going to sleep?"
Xu Shu: ...
How come this person is just like an old lady?
But the old nanny also has her merits. Xu Shu brought the rice porridge sent by Qiao Wan and fed Mu Jinghua a bowl of it.
He used the bath water that Xuan Er had brought and took Mu Jinghua into a hot bath, and finally coaxed him into peace.
But Mu Jinghua was reluctant to get out of bed. On the one hand, he felt guilty and was afraid that someone would see him and ask him what he did last night; on the other hand, he simply wanted to act coquettishly with Xu Shu.
However, in the afternoon Xu Shu had to explain the situation to the village chief and discuss something with Xiao Ran, so Mu Jinghua could only lie on his bed alone with nothing to do.
It's easy to think about random things when you're bored. As I was thinking, I suddenly remembered that my home was gone, and Xu Shu's favorite bamboo rocking chair was gone too.
He hasn't interviewed Xu Shu yet.
What a pity.
Mu Jinghua suddenly sat up from the bed, and an idea came to his mind.
……
Xu Shu explained yesterday's incident to Xiao Ran, and then heard Xiao Ran sigh: "It's true."
Xu Shu knew immediately: "Did Qiao Jianhong betray you?"
Xiao Ran hummed, "It's just a guess for now, but the secret agents in the capital have been cleaned up, and it does seem to be the work of Qiao Jianhong."
"Then wouldn't it be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth if you return to the capital?" Xu Shu took a sip of tea.
Xiao Ran was also worried: "I have already written a letter to my brother. If I have soldiers in my hands, I will be able to speak with confidence."
"How many soldiers do you have?" Xu Shu laughed, "800,000?"
"It's only a hundred thousand." Xiao Ran sighed, "It's a little less, but it's better than nothing."
"How much does Qiao Jianhong have?"
"Eight hundred thousand."
"To throw an egg against a rock," Xu Shu commented, "is worse than a sheep falling into the tiger's mouth."
Xiao Ran frowned, then understood: "Brother Xu, do you have any good ideas? Tell me in detail."
Xu Shu was dissatisfied with his lack of ambition and rolled his eyes at him: "Go and sow discord."
Xiao Ran uttered an "ah", still confused: "How?"
Xu Shu could only patiently say to him, "Qiao Jianhong commands 800,000 soldiers and is on good terms with the prime minister Mu Tonghai. However, when he was at the peak of his career, even the eight-year-old children at the door knew of General Qiao's reputation. How could this not be considered as a threat to the emperor?"
"Too successful to threaten the emperor?" Xiao Ran pondered over these four words and immediately understood, "You want me to spread rumors that Qiao Jianhong intends to rebel, so that His Majesty will be afraid of him and take back his military power?"
"Take away his military power?" Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh, "If you had 800,000 soldiers and the emperor asked you to hand them over, would you really do it?"
Xiao Ran laughed awkwardly: "Of course I won't hand it over."
"Qiao Jianhong is not a fool. How could he give up his military power?" Xu Shu sighed. "He has so many soldiers. If he wants, he can conquer anything. The throne is also within his grasp."
Xiao Ran sighed: "That's true, but if this is the case, don't we have no chance of winning?"
"What chance of winning?" Xu Shu was speechless. "With internal and external troubles, the external troubles are more important. We should unite as one at this time."
"Unite?" Xiao Ran was even more confused, "But Qiao Jianhong has already betrayed us, we..."
"You don't have any leverage over Qiao Jianhong?"
"Of course there is." Xiao Ran said seriously, "But he has been in Beijing longer than me, and he has the protection of Prime Minister Mu. We may..."
"He and Mu Tonghai are only on good terms with each other. You may be on good terms with the current emperor but not on good terms with him."
"Is your heart not in harmony with His Majesty?" Xiao Ran understood. "Brother Xu wants me to give His Majesty something on Qiao Jianhong in exchange for His Majesty's trust?"
"But Xu Shu, your majesty is now just a figurehead."
"Empty reputation is still a reputation. As long as he sits on the throne, there will always be someone above Mu Tonghai. Just like you now, if I ask you to return to the capital, do you dare not go back?"
"So what should we do after we gain your majesty's trust?"
Xu Shu grinned and said, "Send him to fight. Fight this and that. How can he not work if he holds military power?"
"But this is just a delaying tactic. It will only delay Qiao Jianhong for five years at most."
"Five years?" Xu Shu was surprised. "You think so highly of him?"
As far as he knew, the military capabilities of those nomadic peoples were still very high, otherwise the Jing Dynasty would not have been in chaos for so many years.
Moreover, if Qiao Jianhong had this ability, what had he been doing before?
Xu Shu sneered at him.
Xiao Ran understood Xu Shu's idea and couldn't help but smile: "The 800,000 soldiers in Qiao Jianhong's hands were also obtained recently."
“After all, it’s thanks to all my secret agents in the capital. It would be impolite for Mu Tonghai to not trust him.”