Clear and Muddy Loss of Love

Chapter 232

Three Lives Beyond the Dust

Nangong Jingnv looked at Qi Yan, her eyes sparkled with a light similar to dependence and admiration, Qi Yan turned her head away, not daring to look directly.

Nangong Jingnv discussed: "Yuanjun, come back to the court to help me, okay? To you, this harem is undoubtedly a prison in the shallows, and the former court is the place where you can display your talents."

Qi Yan hooked the corner of her mouth, and said lightly: "I dare not take the word 'dragon', Your Majesty has given too much credit."

Nangong Jingnv was not distracted by Qi Yan, and asked again: "You can choose the official position in the court, and leave the rest to me."

Qi Yan: "Your Majesty, ministers in the harem can also share their worries for His Majesty. The rules still have to be observed. The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. Moreover, I have said before that if I enter the imperial court, I will only give to Your Majesty and the ministers." Just causing trouble."

Seeing Qi Yan's resolute attitude, Nangong Jingnv didn't say anything more, but she was still a little disappointed in her heart, she couldn't figure it out: why Qi Yan suddenly didn't want to be an official?Qi Yan has made great contributions to being able to ascend to the position of empress, why did her attitude change when she finally ascended to the throne?

Qi Yan also noticed Nangong Jingnu's emotions, but she also had her own difficulties. Only by hiding in the harem and not coming out, could the grassland side be a little more afraid, and would not rashly raise troops. After receiving the signal to raise troops on the grassland, the treasury is now empty and the place is not peaceful.Once the grassland raises troops, it may be difficult for Wei to resist.

Nangong Jingnv was puzzled, but she was unwilling to force Qi Yan, so she changed the subject accordingly.

Nangong Jingnu: "The idea you just thought of is good, but it will not be implemented overnight, but the disaster is imminent. Hundreds of thousands of people are looking forward to it. Before raising money, you have to think of an emergency plan." There is a way."

Qi Yan already had a solution in her heart, but she didn't tell Nangong Jingnv again that Qi Yan could not make Nangong Jingnv rely too much on herself, the more strategies she revealed, the more Nangong Jingnv wanted her to join the court, besides Qi Yan believes that those ministers in the court are not weaker than himself...

Qi Yan: "For a while, I can't think of any good solution. Your Majesty, why don't you gather the adults from the Ministry of Education and the Six Departments to discuss it, and discuss this proposal from the minister. Maybe it will give you some inspiration. maybe."

Nangong Jingnu: "Okay, then I'll go back to Ganquan Palace first, and you should have a good rest."

Qi Yan: "Congratulations to Your Majesty."

Nangong Jingnu: "It's getting dark, don't send it off. I may be busy these days..."

Qi Yan: "Your Majesty will come to see you when your Majesty is done. I will be waiting for Your Majesty in Chengchao Palace."

Hearing what Qi Yan said, Nangong Jingnv became more and more reluctant. Nangong Jingnv took a step forward. She knew that Qi Yan was watching her from behind, but Nangong Jingnv did not dare to turn her head. She was afraid that if she turned her head, she would be reluctant gone.

……

It was another brightly lit night in Ganquan Palace. Nangong Jingnv brought up Qi Yan's idea. A group of young officials headed by Jinzhou Prefecture generally thought it was a good idea, but those veterans of the two dynasties sighed and Shake your head.

They thought that although this move was to raise relief funds for the people, the conditions offered by Nangong Jingnv were tantamount to selling officials and nobles. You must know that after the downfall of Emperor Shang of the previous dynasty, one of his mistakes was "selling officials and nobles". Year?They had just let go of their prejudice against the empress and raised hope, and they did not want Nangong Jingnv to make a decision that would be criticized.

After several senior ministers put forward their ideas, Nangong Jingnv was silent for a while, and asked: "The treasury is empty at the moment, and the Ministry of Households can't afford so much money. But hundreds of thousands of people are looking forward to, waiting, I want to ask Ladies and Gentlemen, is the so-called reputation important, or the wealth and lives of the common people? Didn’t I say that? All the charitable money raised is used for disaster relief, and the accounts are distributed to all state capitals. Everyone can check it. If there are still not enough vacancies in the imperial court, even if it sells iron, it must make up for it, and the excess part will be converted by the Ministry of Households, supervised by the Ministry of Punishment, Dali Temple, and Yushitai, and returned to the hands of merchants.”

In the end, Nangong Jingnv finally finalized the matter against all opinions. As for the specific implementation method, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Rites jointly formulated it.

Enke is scheduled to be held in March next year, divided into two sessions, one session for students and one session for descendants of merchants. The imperial list will be distributed to various places soon, and will be collected by the yamen of each prefecture, and the accounts will be sent to the capital and sent to the disaster area.

When the disaster relief funds were not enough for the time being, the ministers also discussed a solution: the court first provided 50 taels of silver and [-] dans of grain.

The food was sent to the drought-stricken area in the Gyeonggi area, allocated to the disaster-stricken state capital, and the Yamen opened a porridge shed, and the money was sent to the flooded area in the south. There are still several grain production areas in the south that have not been affected, so you can buy food nearby with the money As for the necessary materials, they can also be requisitioned nearby, and they will be replenished after the charity funds are raised. The wages of the craftsmen can be offset by the corvee or the subsequent poll tax. There is a way.

Nangong Jingnv frowned, and the boulder on her heart was finally loosened. She asked, "How long can the 50 taels and [-] dans of grain last?"

Hubu Shangshu: "Your Majesty Qizuo, counting the time on the road, you can last for two or three months, after that..."

Nangong Jingnu: "Understood, I will transfer the remaining money as soon as possible, and besides..."

Nangong Jingnu: "Chen Chuansi."

Chen Chuansi: "The servant is here."

Nangong Jingnv: "Preparation, this time the disaster relief funds are sent by the Ministry of Punishment, Yushitai, and the Ministry of Households. Officials are responsible for supervising things as they please. Prepare two Shangfang swords and bring them together. If anyone finds that they are pocketed, they will be below the third rank." Officials can kill first and play later."

Chen Chuansi: "Follow the order."

Xing Jingfu: "Your Majesty, I have another proposal."

Nangong Jingnu: "Speak."

Xing Jingfu: "Your Majesty should add another item to the imperial decree. If there are profiteers in the disaster area who take the opportunity to drive up the prices of rice, flour, stone, and wood, they should also be severely punished."

Nangong Jingnv nodded: "This statement is reasonable, let's add this as well."

Chen Chuansi: "Yes."

……

Two days later, dozens of heralds carried the imperial list on pledging disaster relief funds to merchants all over the country, and sent them to various places day and night.

Early the next morning, 50 taels of silver and [-] dans of food relief funds were also loaded and set off.

After solving this important matter, Nangong Jingnv came to Chengchao Palace full of joy, but she was told by the palace maid: "Dagong got up early and left the palace, saying that she wanted to go out to relax."

It's good for Nangong Jingnv to think about it, she never thought of using the rules of the harem to restrain Qi Yan, the other party is from the common people, and it is quite boring to always be trapped in this harem.

Nangong Jingnu: "Order, from now on no one can stop Dagong from leaving the palace."

Chen Chuansi: "Yes."

Nangong Jingnv returned to Ganquan Palace and ordered someone to invite Princess Qionghua into the palace.

More than half an hour later, Nangong Sunu came, and the sisters exchanged greetings. Before Nangong Jingnu could speak, Nangong Sunu said: "Your Majesty, the general king has been rescued from Youzhou. Now that the court situation is stable, we should let him gone back."

Nangong Jingnu: "I'm about to talk to Eldest Sister about this, but before I leave, there is another matter I would like to ask Eldest Sister for help."

Nangong Sunu: "Your Majesty will do as you please."

Nangong Jingnv: "Yu Xiao is also seven years old. I thought that since women can become emperors and princesses can go to the imperial study, I am going to find a great Confucian to be Yu Xiao's master, but... Eldest sister also knows that Yu Xiao Xiao's temperament is never idle for a moment. So I would like to ask my eldest sister to find a few suitable age companions for Yu Xiao from among the children of the aristocratic family."

Nangong Sunu always had a faint smile on her face. After listening to Nangong Jingnu, she thought for a moment before replying: "The grandson of Duke Zhen, the eldest son and second son of Zuo Pushe Lu Boyan are the same age as Yu Xiao. There is... I remember that the eldest son of Gongyangbai, the eldest son of Zongzhengsi's family, is also seven years old. I used to be close friends with Gongyangbai's wife, and I have met that child once. He is elegant and stable. Yang Bai's younger brother...does Taiwei Gongyang also have a younger son? How old is he this year?"

Nangong Jingnv recalled it carefully, and remembered that Qi Yan had given this child a gift back then... She replied: "It seems to be five or six years old, right?"

Nangong Sunu: "Although she's a little younger, it's the right age for a boy to start enlightenment."

Nangong Jingnu: "Well, let's go to them. I'll ask again tomorrow."

Nangong Sunu: "Wait a minute, Your Majesty, I haven't finished yet, Fu'er has reached the age of enlightenment, why not let him stay in the palace to accompany Yu Xiao to study."

Nangong Jingnv pretended to be surprised: "Fu'er? He is so young, he will be homesick, right?"

Nangong Sunu smiled and said: "It's good to let him practice and experience. Our husband and wife only have this son. The heirs of the general's palace are weak. Fu'er has been spoiled to the point of being spoiled in the past few years. The teacher who was invited ran away in anger. How many people, His Majesty Lao's troublesome discipline for a few years will be good for him in the future, and Fu'er likes Yu Xiao very much. She used to clamor for me to take him to find his cousin. Now that the road is familiar, he goes out after breakfast every day. I won't come back until it's dark. Youhe is still young, and I'm old and my energy is limited, so I entrust Fu'er to Your Majesty."

Nangong Jingnu: "So, let Fu'er stay in the capital, and I will set aside a separate courtyard for him in the inner court."

Nangong Sunu: "Your Highness, you don't need to be so troublesome. Although Fu'er is young, he is a man of foreign ministers. It is inconvenient to live in the inner court. After my husband and wife leave, just let Fu'er live in the Princess Mansion."

Nangong Jingnu: "Don't worry, big sister, I will definitely take good care of Fu'er."

Nangong Sunu replied calmly: "I understand."

The two sisters are very clear about what the other is thinking, but tacitly play riddles with understanding, and the progress of the matter is exactly as Qi Yan expected.

Nangong Jingnv was a little emotional, how long has it been?The sisters also began to speak bureaucratically.If it was my former self, I would probably have brought it up directly.

But this time Nangong Jingnv was very calm, some things... she got used to it if she did too much.

Qi Yan came to a tea house, and Gu Feng was sitting opposite him wearing a mask. Although Gu Feng was wearing a mask, there was a burst of anger from his body, and the atmosphere was a bit stiff.

On the other side, Baihe, the female official in charge of Princess Zhuohua's mansion, broke into the palace in a panic. She held the command arrow bestowed by Nangong Jingnv, and she went all the way unimpeded.

Baihe found Chen Chuansi: "Elder-in-law, quickly report to Your Majesty that Princess Zhuohua's mansion needs thousand-year-old snow ginseng, help!"

Chen Chuansi: "What happened?" This thousand-year-old snow ginseng is a rare treasure, and there is only one in the entire inner court. It is said that as long as you cut a piece and hold it in your mouth, you can hold your breath. Years rely on it to continue life, and the thousand-year-old snow ginseng is very precious.

Lily's eyes turned red, and she knelt down in front of Chen Chuansi with tears in her eyes: "It's my highness, my highness, she... can't do it! The imperial doctor asked her to come into the palace to beg, and now only Xueshen can save my highness' life." !"

Only then did Chen Chuansi discover that there were sporadic bloodstains on Lily's body...

Chen Chuansi: "Follow me!"

Lily got up from the ground, wiped her tears and followed behind Chen Chuansi step by step. Lily was completely confused now. She only remembered that she heard a cry of surprise, and then... the several people raised by His Highness in the small courtyard The girl who refused to show up even for a month opened the door and ran out in a panic to call for someone.

Lily saw the blood on Xiaodie's body and rushed into the inner hall, only to see her master sitting on the ground with his back against the bed, his face as pale as paper, a dagger stuck in his abdomen, and the palace clothes were stained red with blood.

Baihe threw herself to Nangong Shunv's side, not knowing where to put her hands: "Your Highness, what's wrong with you? This servant is going to tell the imperial doctor!"

Nangong Shunv grabbed Lily's arm with her blood-stained hand, took a hard breath, and said angrily, "When you are looking for the imperial doctor, don't disturb the palace, just in case..."

Lily cried and shouted: "Your Highness, please let go, this servant is going to teach the imperial doctor!"

Nangong Shunv bit her pale lips, tugged at Lily and refused to let go, her painful expression showed a hint of stubbornness: "Listen to me and finish my sentence."

Lily: "Yes, servant girl, listen."

Nangong Shunv clutched her abdomen, raised her eyes to look at Xiaodie who was motionless but full of tears, a pale smile bloomed on her face, like a crumbling flower petal, which would wither at any moment.

Nangong Shunv: "If you can't hide this matter, or this palace is no longer here, please remember, I did it by accident and don't blame anyone. If I die, you must bring a sentence To Jingnu, don't anger anyone in my family, this is, mine, my last wish!"

Lily wiped away her tears: "Your servant knows, I will remember, Your Highness, please let your servant go!"

Nangong Shunv sighed and let go of Lily's sleeve.

After Lily left, there were only two people left in the room. Nangong Shunv covered her abdomen with one hand, panted heavily and stretched out her hand to Xiaodie.

Xiaodie sniffed, and knelt down in front of Nangong Shunv, the warm blood stained Xiaodie's skirt red, Xiaodie's lips turned white from being bitten, bloodshot, she did not dare to look at Nangong Shunv, I don't know what to say.

Nangong Jingnv raised her hand slowly, and moved Xiaodie's lower lip with her thumb, trying to "rescue" the lip from under the teeth.

Nangong Shunv: "Let your mouth go, it's all bleeding."

Xiaodie couldn't hold herself anymore, and her mournful cries overflowed.

Nangong Shunv twitched the corners of her mouth, smiled weakly, and raised her hand with difficulty to wipe Xiaodie's tears, but she found that her hand was covered with blood, so she stopped abruptly in mid-air, and then fell down weakly.

Nangong Shunv: "Xiaodie, promise me one thing, okay?"

Xiaodie stared at Nangong Shunu with her red eyes: "Say it."

Nangong Shunv: "For a while... No matter who comes, anyone asks, just say that I accidentally stabbed myself, okay?"

Xiaodie clenched her fists tightly on her thighs, knelt in a pool of blood, and kept shaking her head: "No, it's obviously me...I deserve to be killed or cut!"

Nangong Shunv: "I know this is not your original intention, and I don't blame you."

Xiaodie: "I'm sorry..."

Nangong Shunv felt that she was very cold and her eyelids were heavy, she murmured: "Xiaodie, I'm a little sleepy... in case I'm not here, you...don't do stupid things."

Xiaodie: "Don't! Don't sleep, open your eyes and see if I'm alright, please... Miss? I beg you, open your eyes and look at me, I was wrong! Don't sleep!"

When Nangong Shunv heard Xiaodie calling her name again, she twitched the corners of her mouth happily, but she couldn't open her eyes anyway, and Xiaodie's voice became more and more ethereal and ethereal, and she didn't know anything after that.

……

Lily first called the doctor in the mansion, found a servant with fast legs and feet, and rode a fast horse to the palace to invite the imperial doctor. When Baihe brought the doctor to the small courtyard, Nangong Shunv was already unconscious, and Lily's eyes were red. Pushing Xiaodie away: "Girl, don't get in the way!"

Xiaodie sat slumped on the ground, staring blankly at Nangong Shunv, tears streaming silently.

When the imperial doctor came, the dagger was still stuck in Nangong Shunv's abdomen. The dagger was almost completely buried in Nangong Shunv's body. prescription.

The imperial doctors were also shocked when they saw this scene. Several imperial doctors diagnosed Nangong Shunv's condition, her pulse was weak, and her condition was very dangerous.

This dagger must be pulled out, but the dagger has the function of blocking blood to a certain extent. Once it is pulled out, a lot of blood will spurt out. Doctor Wang looked at the place where Nangong Shunu was stabbed: "Fortunately, it is not here. No internal organs, but..."

Baihe: "Physician Wang, please save my highness." She was about to kneel as she spoke.

Royal Physician Wang supported Lily: "Girl must not do it, this is an old man's job, but His Highness Zhuohua's pulse is weak, pulling out the dagger rashly may risk his life."

Lily: "Then what should I do? Ask the imperial doctor to think of a way!"

Doctor Wang stroked his beard, and said solemnly: "For now, the only way to survive is to hold the ginseng slices in your mouth to hold His Highness's breath. But... ordinary ginseng does not have such a strong medicinal power. Millennium snow ginseng slices will work."

Lily: "Where is the medicine? This servant will go get it now."

Royal Physician Wang: "There is one in the inner court. The late emperor used half of it before, and the other half was placed in the Zhenbao Pavilion. You have to go through it in person and ask your Majesty's handwriting to enter the Zhenbao Pavilion."

Lily: "Slave servant, let's go!"

……

Chen Chuansi: "Qizou Your Majesty, the lady in charge of Princess Zhuohua's Mansion is asking to see you."

Nangong Jingnu: "Let her in."

The door opened, and Lily, ignoring the palace rules and etiquette, ran to Nangong Jingnv, knelt down on the ground with a "plop" and said, "Your Majesty, please save my highness, the imperial doctor said that only the thousand-year-old snow ginseng can save my highness." !"

Nangong Sunu keenly noticed the blood on Lily's body, and asked, "What happened to Shunu?"

Nangong Jingnv took out the token and threw it to Chen Chuansi: "Take it quickly and drive it to Princess Zhuohua's mansion. Don't ask, big sister, we'll talk about it on the way."

……

With a "bang", the sound of porcelain breaking came from the private room of the restaurant. He opened the mask on his face, revealing the tattoo marks on his face and the full beard, and stared at Qi Yan angrily.

Qi Yan: "It's just 400 million taels of silver, can't you take it out?"

Gu Feng: "Of course there is money. The master has just asked me to raise it even if I dig the ground three feet. The villain has already brought the banknotes, but the villain just doesn't understand!"

Qi Yan: "Is there anything you don't understand?"

Gu Feng sat down again, and replied in a low voice: "It's not that the master doesn't know that although our Sifang Bank has money, most of it is kept in the land deed. In order to fulfill the master's request, Qian Yuan and I have been eight-year-olds alone. As a personal envoy, the property under our name has not shrunk by tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall. After a while, the master suddenly sent an order for money. Qian Yuan and I sold a lot of shops at a loss. Taking the bone marrow is enough to make up enough money, and I thought the master had some urgent need, so it was to make up for the shortfall of the court?"

Qi Yan: "That's it? Can't you figure it out?"

Gu Feng scratched his neck: "It's not that I don't understand. When the empress ascends the throne, your child will be the prince in the future. This country belongs to your family, but why did the master ask me to donate this money? Who can't do it with so many brothers? Master, you Look at my face!" As he spoke, Gu Feng slapped his cheek loudly: "This was stabbed by the court of the Wei Kingdom, and the punishment was ordered by Nan Gongrang himself. The villain's life was saved by the master. I don’t hesitate, but the whole family of the villain was killed by the court, I really can’t work for the court anymore! There are so many brothers in the shop, the master can find anyone, if you can’t believe it, let Qian Yuan go!”

Qi Yan: "Chun Shu, please be safe and don't be impatient, just listen to me. You know, I have never shown up for business in the shop these years. Only Qian Yuan and you know the identity of the owner of Sifang Bank, so you two are me. The most trusted person. Qian Yuan... He used to be the housekeeper of a private house, His Majesty has seen him before, and he comes from Xie An's house, his identity is too sensitive. After much deliberation, only you are the most suitable, one is Dai It is reasonable and reasonable to donate 400 million taels in order to ask for amnesty from the imperial court. Otherwise, which merchant would be so stupid as to hand out 400 million taels of silver to the imperial court for nothing?"

Gu Feng snorted coldly: "Aren't you the one?"

Qi Yan smiled wryly: "Your Majesty must not let you know that I am the owner behind the Sifang Bank, otherwise all of us will suffer. Sifang Bank has many underground industries, and it happens to take advantage of the imperial court to let them operate legally, and... I You were chosen for another reason."

Gu Feng: "What?"

Qi Yan: "I know that the matter of being disgusted with victory has hurt you a lot, but it is all a matter of the previous dynasty. Your Majesty is different from the late emperor. Although her ability is still a little immature, your Majesty's heart, vision, and her The heart of a child for the country and the people was beyond the reach of the late emperor. The court was in the midst of employing people. After many years, I still remember the day when I first met Brother Chunshu. Brother Chunshu single-handedly cracked it at the Shangyuan Lantern Festival. There are so many puzzles that no one has solved in ten years, this talent is beyond the reach of many people. To be honest, it is really helpless for you to be wronged by my side all these years. If you are willing to become an official with your ability , will do something.”

Gu Feng was silent. He recalled his youth, recalled the ten years of studying hard in the cold window, and also remembered how high-spirited he was at the beginning, and wanted to benefit the people with his own ability... Many things he has already done The buried memory was awakened by Qi Yan's words.

Qi Yan: "I know it's hard for you to accept it for a while, and I won't force you. If you really don't want to become an official in the court, after donating the 400 million taels, you can just ask the court to get rid of your criminal record and do it for you. I will give you another sum of money... You can go back to your hometown and build a ancestral hall. Even if you don't want to be an official, you can't always walk around the world as a wanted criminal? Sifang Qianzhuang also needs an owner who can get the face of it."

Gu Feng: "I see... Thank you, master."

Qi Yan: "Don't be in a hurry, I'll give you half a month to think about it, and then I'll reveal the imperial list."

Gu Feng: "Yes."

……

After finishing this matter, Qi Yan felt at ease physically and mentally.

She bought a few odd gadgets on the street, and got on the carriage back to the palace. At this moment, Qi Yan was very eager to see Nangong Jingnv. It's the student who got the first place in the exam, and he can't wait to go home with the paper to announce the good news.

Qi Yan returned to Chengchao Palace with all kinds of paper bags, and sent the palace maid to Ganquan Palace to ask if His Majesty is free.

Half an hour later, the maidservant came to report: "Reporting to the Grand Palace, the maidservant of Ganquan Palace said that His Majesty and Princess Qionghua left the palace at noon."

"Understood." Qi Yan thought to herself: The two sisters left the palace at the same time, they should go to Princess Zhuohua's mansion, it's good to relax.

She came to the study again to continue writing "On the Ten Malpractices of the Old Politics" and in a blink of an eye, it was time for dinner, and the maid came to invite Qi Yan to have dinner.

Qi Yan: "Go to Ganquan Palace again, if His Majesty comes back, invite her to have a meal with me, I will wait."

The palace maid took the order and went back to report, "Your Majesty has not returned to the palace."

Qi Yan frowned, looked at the dripping hourglass in the corner, it will be time to close the palace gate in a while, why hasn't she come back yet?

Qi Yan felt a little uneasy in her heart: "You go for another walk, find someone who understands and ask carefully, what is the matter."

The palace servant took the order, and came back after a while to report: "Back to the palace, it is said that the female official in charge of Princess Zhuohua's mansion entered the palace at noon, and after that, Eunuch Chen hurriedly went to Zhenbao Pavilion. What valuables, after that His Majesty and Princess Qionghua will leave the palace."