The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 76

Seeing that the ministers had no objections, Xiao Yu made the final decision: “Since everyone agrees, you may all leave. Investigate the case as soon as possible.” Her gaze darkened, and she continued, “Otherwise, don’t blame me for punishing you for incompetence.”

“Yes,” the five men stood up and bowed out.

The Minister of Justice breathed a sigh of relief, secretly feeling lucky.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; everything was fine a moment ago, but then the mood changed…

“Wait a moment, I have something else to report.” Princess Chang Xiao Qinya put her hands together, palms down, and bowed slightly, standing respectfully.

Hmm?

Whether to leave or not, the Minister of Justice glanced at his colleagues again, and silently lowered his head. If they were to leave, they would leave together. Following the crowd was the way to go.

Xiao Yu’s gaze fell on Xiao Qinya and she said, “Does Princess Chang have anything else to report?”

Xiao Qinya was in no hurry. She first glanced at Song Yunzhou, then spoke slowly, “As Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, you still need to learn about matters of state. Although Grand Tutor Li is advanced in age, he is very knowledgeable and once taught the late emperor. He could serve as the Imperial Tutor.”

She wants to find me a teacher?

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up. Since she ascended the throne, she had to figure everything out on her own. It would be much better to have a teacher. However, she was unsure about Grand Tutor Li’s character and whether he would be loyal to her.

She wished Miss was here now.

Xiao Yu suppressed her inner excitement and turned to Song Yunzhou, saying, “I think Princess Chang’s suggestion is good. There are indeed many things I don’t understand about state affairs. Having a teacher would allow me to get familiar with things sooner. What do you think, Minister Song?”

Her tone was sincere, treating him like an elder. Song Yunzhou looked up at her and said, “I also agree with Princess Chang’s suggestion. Grand Tutor Li is indeed a good candidate, impeccable in both knowledge and character. However…” He paused, expressing regret, “Grand Tutor Li is advanced in age and has long intended to resign and return to his hometown. I fear he cannot shoulder this important responsibility. In my humble opinion, it would be better to select another virtuous gentleman from a prominent aristocratic family. This would not only solve the problem of finding an Imperial Tutor but also make the aristocratic families feel that Your Majesty values them more.”

Choosing from aristocratic families made Xiao Yu frown slightly. She felt a bit resistant. Most of the ministers in the court were from these families, and there were very few from humble backgrounds. If she wanted to build her own power base, she could not choose from the aristocratic families.

Xiao Yu glanced at the officials below and said thoughtfully, “Let me think about this matter. The most important thing now is to investigate the case. Let’s end here for today. You may all leave.”

Upon hearing this, Song Yunzhou said no more. He clasped his hands and bowed, his gaze lingering on the person on the dragon throne before he and the others left the hall.

As soon as Song Yunzhou exited the hall, he ran into Cui Zhu. The little maid was no longer the same as when he first met her. She was now followed by two other palace maids and walked with the air of a senior one. As the empress’s personal maid, she was often flattered by the palace staff. She bowed slightly to Song Yunzhou, moved away from the crowd, and said, “Master, Her Majesty the Empress has asked for you.”

Song Yunzhou paused, his expression darkening as he asked, “Did she say what for?”

Cui Zhu shook her head. Ever since the emperor went to court, her mistress had been preoccupied, which made her afraid to even breathe, let alone ask any questions. Her mistress had specifically sent her to wait for him before court ended and told her to bring him to the warm pavilion, away from the emperor’s notice.

After court, Xiao Yu took Liang Chengqiu to Jiang Wanrou’s residence, completely unaware of the warm pavilion matter.

With Liang Chengqiu’s return, she felt much more at ease. She was confident in her ability to handle the case and had some matters to explain to her.

Meanwhile, Song Yunzhou arrived at the warm pavilion. He bowed slightly with his sleeves. Once a daughter married into the imperial family, she became a sovereign, and the proper etiquette could not be neglected, even for his own daughter.

Song Luoning sat in the high seat. A smile appeared on her face when she saw him, but she did not get up to help him, instead saying, “Father, you don’t need to be so polite.”

Song Yunzhou did not know why she had summoned him. He straightened up and said, “There is a distinction between sovereign and subject. Proper etiquette cannot be abandoned.”

Song Luoning nodded and gestured to the palace maids. The maids in the hall left, leaving only the father and daughter.

The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Song Luoning poured a cup of tea and gestured with both hands, saying, “There’s no one else here. Father, please sit down and talk with me. This tea was gifted by His Majesty. I heard it’s this year’s new tea. Father, you should try it. I remember when the new tea first came out, Father and I would sit and enjoy it together like this.”

Song Luoning showed a hint of nostalgia on her face, then smiled, her tone wistful. “It’s a pity that these moments will become rarer in the future. I always remember Father’s teachings and dare not forget my original purpose.”

Song Yunzhou seemed to be touched. He let out a long sigh, flicked his sleeves, and sat down. He poured a cup of tea for himself and took a sip from the rim. “It’s good. It is indeed this year’s new tea. Her Majesty has a kind heart.”

“If Father likes it, I’ll have Cui Zhu prepare some for you to take back to the manor later.”

“No, you mustn’t.”

Song Luoning’s eyes narrowed slightly. “This was a gift from His Majesty. Father, you should not refuse. Speaking of which, isn’t it true that this marriage between me and His Majesty was arranged by you?” With that, she hid her emotions, took a sip of tea, and watched him from the corner of her eye.

It would be fine if she was just overthinking, but the evasiveness in her father’s eyes was undeniable. Having grown up under her father’s care, she knew his habits like the back of her hand. It seemed that this matter was most likely related to him.

Song Luoning closed her eyes to suppress the surging suspicions. No matter what, he was her father, the one who had doted on her since she was a child. She could not just watch him continue to make mistakes. Song Luoning quickly adjusted her mood and continued, “His Majesty often talks about this, saying that without you, she wouldn’t be where she is today, and that she owes her position as emperor entirely to your merit.” Then, her tone shifted, “His Majesty has just ascended the throne and her foundation in the court is not stable. There are some matters that still rely heavily on Father.”

Song Yunzhou was startled. Even after so many years in court, being called out by his own daughter left him flustered. He steadied himself, clasped his hands, and bowed, his tone filled with the humility and apprehension befitting a subject. “It is my duty to assist His Majesty. How could I make His Majesty worry?”

His daughter was smarter than her three brothers. This matter must not be hidden from her eyes. How could he have overlooked her?

Song Yunzhou remained calm and calculated in his mind. It was a good thing his daughter still valued their family relationship; otherwise, she would not have summoned him here to hint at this.

The emperor was certainly unaware of this, of which he had no doubt. But this was also good, as it gave him enough time to make arrangements. As the saying goes, a man must be ruthless to be successful. If necessary…

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Song Yunzhou’s eyes. He was only one step away from his goal. No one could stop him.

These emotions were well-hidden.

Song Luoning slowly put down her teacup and smiled. “It’s good that Father thinks this way. I believe Father will do his best to assist His Majesty for the sake of the people of the world.”

Once, her father was devoted to serving the people of the world. When did he change? He was already the Prime Minister, a position second only to the emperor. Did he really have to sit on that throne?

Now he was blinded by power and killing innocent people. If he were to reach that position, how many people would he still care about?

Song Luoning sighed slightly, hoping her father would understand her intentions and stop making more mistakes.

As soon as Song Yunzhou left, Song Luoning returned to the Palace of Enduring Happiness.

When Xiao Yu saw her, she happily went to greet her. “Where did you go? I didn’t see you when I came back.”

“I haven’t seen Father in a long time. I heard you kept him after court this morning, so I asked Cui Zhu to invite him over for a chat,” Song Luoning said with a gentle smile.

Song Luoning was evasive. As long as her father gave up, she was willing to give him another chance out of family affection.

Xiao Yu did not overthink it. She took her hand and sat down on the couch. “Why didn’t you keep him for lunch in the palace?”

“Father still had official duties.”

“That’s true. Father-in-law is very busy every day, especially with everything that’s been happening recently. It must have been difficult for him to spend so long talking with you. But that’s okay. When things settle down, I’ll go with you to visit your family. I miss Xiao Ling’er.”

“That’s good.” At the mention of Song Ling’er, Song Luoning’s expression paused slightly. She looked at Xiao Yu and wondered if this person would still treat her and her family this way if she knew her father was the one behind everything.

Song Luoning’s heart ached, and her eyes darkened. She forced herself to perk up and gave a strained smile. “Yes, Xiao Ling’er is always saying she wants to fly kites with you. Don’t go back on your word, Your Majesty.”

“Am I that kind of person? Song Luoning, is that the only impression I’ve left on you?” Xiao Yu looked at her with surprise.

“Hmm?” Song Luoning was slightly stunned. She looked at Xiao Yu, who was smiling, and instantly realized what she was doing.

This person wasn’t blaming her. She had noticed her unhappiness and was trying to cheer her up.

Song Luoning’s eyes welled up. She tilted her head slightly and looked back at her. She truly was the same flirtatious and mischievous scoundrel, even when she was comforting someone.

“My dear, what do you mean by looking at me like that?” Xiao Yu blinked at her.

Song Luoning finally broke into a smile.

“You’re always teasing me. When did I ever think that?” Song Luoning’s face flushed. She withdrew her hand and sat up straight, avoiding his gaze.

Xiao Yu would not let her get away with it. She turned Song Luoning’s shoulder so they faced each other. “You can’t say that for sure. Have you forgotten how you were when you first married me? Don’t think I couldn’t tell. You seemed obedient and gentle, but you were secretly hiding your little claws.”

Song Luoning chuckled and patted his arm. “Little claws? Do you think I’m a kitten or a puppy?”

“Why not? I was like a ‘poop scooper’ back then.” Miss did nothing but order her around. It wasn’t wrong to call herself a poop scooper, right?

“Poop scooper?” Song Luoning frowned slightly.

What did “poop scooper” mean? She instinctively felt it wasn’t a good thing. She frowned and looked at him, trying to see a hint of something from his expression.

Xiao Yu was looked at with a guilty conscience. He instinctively touched his nose and looked away. “Actually, a ‘poop scooper’ in my hometown means a maid.” They were both people who served others, so she wasn’t wrong.

Was “poop scooper” the term for a maid in Linyang County?

Song Luoning furrowed her brows. She suppressed her confusion and asked, “Your Majesty, did anything happen at court today?”

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