The epidemic was nearing its end. Though this calamity, whether a natural disaster or man-made, had passed, the deficits in the Ministry of Revenue were evident. It was spring, a time when expenses were high everywhere, and coincidentally, uprisings were frequent in the south. To quell the unrest, the court had to dispatch troops, and once troops were dispatched, military pay had to be discussed.
Emperor Shun’an now dreaded attending court sessions every day. Listening to the ministers argue had become so tiresome that his ears had practically grown calluses. Yet, at the end of every debate with no conclusion in sight, someone would inevitably ask, “What does Your Majesty think?”
What could he think?!
He had no idea. He couldn’t just conjure up silver out of thin air. Because of this matter, he no longer dared to hold grand banquets in the palace, nor lavishly reward beauties, fearing the ministers would covet his last bit of private funds.
So, he deflected, “What does Grand Secretary Shu think?”
The named Grand Secretary, surnamed Shu, a minister who had served under three emperors, stroked his white beard and said, “With the spring thaw, some areas have experienced floods, making spring planting difficult and causing many people to become displaced. Not all of the rebels are bandits or traitors; some are farmers driven by desperation. For these people, attacking might not be necessary. Reasoning with them could also be a way to avoid casualties and save expenses.”
Emperor Shun’an nodded, “Yes, yes, yes! Grand Secretary Shu is right!”
At this point, another person stepped forward and said, “Fortunately, Lord Huo managed to recover some of the silver; otherwise, the Ministry of Revenue’s deficit would be even greater. Moreover, thanks to the swift response of the Jinyiwei, the epidemic was handled excellently. Lord Huo’s hard work and sleepless nights deserve recognition. I believe Lord Huo should be rewarded.”
The topic shifted, and Emperor Shun’an breathed a sigh of relief. “Indeed! Huo Xian handled this matter beautifully. Each case should be treated individually. He certainly deserves a reward.”
A cold snort came from some corner, “I fear that is inappropriate. The Jinyiwei’s actions have been unruly. Now that the epidemic has just ended, the people are still harboring resentment. Lord Huo has been squandering wealth in his mansion, even neglecting morning court sessions. I believe he should be punished, not rewarded!”
Turning his head, it was indeed one of the old fellows from the Censorate speaking, with words sharp enough to pierce.
The person speaking for the Jinyiwei said, “Lord Huo is ill—”
The censor snorted again, “He’s just hungover from last night! And last night, in his drunken state, he chopped down the plaque at my home and mocked us outside. He shows no respect for the court officials. Abusing the emperor’s favor to act recklessly, how can such a person be entrusted with important tasks or be close to the emperor?!”
The hall fell into a cold silence, everyone inwardly sighing.
It was well-known that Huo Xian and Zhou Jinping from the Censorate had always been at odds. Zhou Jinping had submitted countless impeachment papers against Huo Xian, and Huo Xian often made things difficult for Zhou Jinping. There was even a time when Huo Xian placed his embroidered spring knife against Zhou Jinping’s neck right outside the hall, causing the scholar to faint immediately.
Thus, when Zhou Jinping made such accusations, many expressed sympathy. Too pitiful, Lord Zhou was too pitiful!
Even Emperor Shun’an was momentarily at a loss, sighing…
At this moment, the person being discussed was sitting up from the couch in his study, pinching his nose bridge as the throbbing pain of a hangover surged. In a hoarse voice, he called, “Nanyue.”
Nanyue, waiting outside the door, approached the desk and lifted the curtain, entering. “Master is awake. This morning’s court session was excused due to illness.”
Pressing his temples, Huo Xian said more clearly, “Zhou Jinping must be furious.”
Recalling Lord Zhou’s expression from last night, Nanyue stifled a laugh, “More than furious, he was nearly fainting with rage. He submitted a memorial against you today, and the emperor indeed withheld the reward.”
Nanyue was quite adept at handling such matters.
Recently, his master had been too meticulous in his duties, sometimes overly so, which aroused suspicion. This could be from Zhao Yong or the emperor himself. Hence, after completing a task, he would often follow up with some “arrogant” or “boastful” behavior, always giving the Censorate grounds for impeachment, leaving no opportunity for rewards.
These past few days, Huo Xian had been drowning in a haze of alcohol and indulgence, to the point where he was nearly vomiting from the excess.
Feeling a burning sensation in his stomach, he drank some water and asked, “Has the main courtyard inquired about anything?”
“Hmm?” Nanyue was momentarily confused, then quickly responded, “Oh, you mean Madam? According to the nanny, she has been very busy lately, often coming and going from the residence. I don’t know what she’s busy with. She hasn’t come to the study. Maybe she’s occupied with some private matters related to the Cuixue Tower.”
Huo Xian made a sound of acknowledgment and, leaving behind a brief instruction to “Invite her over,” went to freshen up.
Ji Yuluo had been busy setting up covert posts in the capital these past few days. The various events since arriving in the capital made her realize the significant differences between the north and the south. The influence of Cuixue Tower, especially hers, was mainly in the south, while the north, including the capital, was an area she had never ventured into before. This made operations inconvenient, and otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so easily manipulated by Huo Xian earlier.
As for Uncle Li’s covert point, it ultimately belonged to Xie Subai. The power relationships among the managers of Cuixue Tower were clearly divided and not intertwined. Borrowing it temporarily was feasible, but it couldn’t match the ease of using her own people, such as Chaolu and Hongshuang. Besides, Hongshuang’s loyalty was not entirely to her.
Ji Yuluo had been preoccupied with these matters. When Huo Xian sent someone to invite her, she had just returned from outside and hadn’t made it back to the main courtyard yet, so she decided to head straight over.
Upon entering the study, she didn’t see anyone but could faintly hear sounds from the inner chamber behind a curtain.
This study wasn’t just a study; it was a fully equipped bedroom. Through the gap in the curtain, she could see that the bed inside was a small single-person Luohan bed. The interior decor, unlike the main courtyard’s luxurious splendor, lacked gilded embellishments and precious ornaments. Apart from the “Iron Horse Glacier” painting behind the desk, the simplicity was unlike any other corner of the Huo residence, making Ji Yuluo hesitate slightly as she stepped inside.
Huo Xian walked out with his sleeves rolled up, motioning for her to sit down. He wrapped his sleeve ties around his forearm a few times, his gaze falling on Ji Yuluo’s layered purple silk skirt.
Clearly, she had been out.
Early in the morning, just as Nanyue had said, she was indeed busy.
“Sit,” Huo Xian said, seating himself. “What have you been busy with lately?”
“Planning to establish some businesses in the capital, currently in the preparation phase.”
Establishing businesses was a vague statement, but it was synonymous with setting up covert posts. There was nothing to hide, so Ji Yuluo spoke honestly, albeit without going into much detail.
Her nonchalant remark seemed to dismiss the Jinyiwei as unimportant.
The capital, however, was the territory of the Jinyiwei.
Huo Xian found it amusing.
Young but daring.
But hadn’t he already known that?
Huo Xian said, “Regarding the matter of Yunyang we discussed last time, I sent people to investigate but found nothing. Although Wang Qian is dead, it’s still possible that Yunyang’s officials are colluding. Zhao Yong is very sensitive about that place. It might be within his sphere of influence, so I can’t act recklessly, and neither can you. If we startle them, it could be counterproductive.”
Ji Yuluo understood. She leaned back, naturally crossing her arms in front of her chest, and pondered, “Then should we start with the Xiao family? It’s difficult; Xiao Cheng seems especially cautious.”
Huo Xian replied, “But there’s someone in the Xiao family who isn’t very smart, Xiao Yuanting.”
At these words, Ji Yuluo suddenly realized.
Seven years ago, Xiao Yuanting was still very young, but it might still be possible to extract some clues from him. Private military forces were a serious matter. Xiao Cheng, being a military general, likely handled many things personally when he was in Yunyang. Xiao Yuanting might indeed have some impressions.
Thinking of this, Ji Yuluo showed some interest, “How do you plan to get him to talk?”
Huo Xian raised an eyebrow, “Want to come?”
Ji Yuluo naturally responded with an “Mm.”
Huo Xian thought for a moment, then went into the inner room and brought out a garment.
Ji Yuluo immediately understood his intention, asked for the time, and then intended to return to the main courtyard with the garment.
She was straightforward and efficient, without any unnecessary sentiment.
In her eyes, there was no hint of awkwardness or ambiguity; they were clear and serene, calm as if nothing had happened.
She didn’t even plan to mention that night.
Huo Xian inexplicably felt as if he had been taken advantage of.
Suddenly, as Ji Yuluo was stepping out, she came back, and when she turned, she saw Huo Xian looking at her with a complicated expression. His strange look made her pause and forget what she wanted to say. She asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing much,” Huo Xian paused and said, “Just reflecting that some people have poor memories.”
Ji Yuluo also paused. Her eyebrows moved slightly, her eyes dropped slightly, and she pursed her lips before she remembered what she wanted to say, “Those people in the West Courtyard, how did you handle them before? Some of them have been idle lately, blocking the corridors every day and being an eyesore.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Xian pondered for a moment and said, “Previously, their target was Sheng Lanxin. Maybe they’ve seen me favoring you alone these days and decided to trouble you.”
Hearing the words “favoring you alone,” Ji Yuluo’s eyebrows twitched. Where did this favoring come from? Every night before they slept, they talked about business. So she frowned and said, “Then isn’t this unjust for me?”
Huo Xian thoughtfully responded with an “Mm,” “Don’t want to be wronged?”
Ji Yuluo was tired of dealing with those idle women, especially during these troublesome times. She was afraid she might lose her temper and cause some trouble.
She still wanted the days in the Huo Mansion to pass peacefully.
So she blurted out, “Of course not.”
But as soon as she said this, she realized there was a deeper meaning.
Not wanting to be wronged seemed to have another layer of meaning. Ji Yuluo was silent for a moment, unsure if Huo Xian was intentionally setting a trap for her. But looking at him, his expression was calm, not appearing intentional.
She stood still for a while, then walked away without saying a word.
Only when she reached the stone steps did she hear a low chuckle from inside. Ji Yuluo stopped, her gaze swept across Nanyue’s incredulous face, and then she left.
Over there, Chaolu had been waiting for a long time. When she saw Ji Yuluo coming, she immediately ran over, “Miss, are we going out today?”
Chaolu was someone who couldn’t stay idle and loved running errands.
But tonight was not convenient to take her along. Ji Yuluo shook her head, “You stay in the mansion.”
Chaolu, feeling a bit disappointed, responded with an “Oh,” and casually said, “Miss is in a good mood.”
She was very sensitive to Ji Yuluo’s emotions, so much so that often Ji Yuluo herself couldn’t tell whether she was in a good or bad mood, but Chaolu could immediately discern it.
Hearing this, Ji Yuluo was slightly stunned. She hadn’t realized when her lips had curved into a smile. She straightened them and said, “Really?”
Chaolu was about to nod when Ji Yuluo interjected, “Are you hungry?”
Ah, that’s right.
She had been running errands all morning and hadn’t eaten.
Chaolu immediately forgot about her previous remark and, upon returning to the main courtyard, went to find Biwu.
