Dingjiangshan

Shu Qiuyu stood at the gate of Zichen Hall and had been waiting for half an hour.

It was raining heavily, and the sky was getting brighter later than usual. Seeing that it was the usual time to go to court, the sky still seemed to be covered with a thick layer of fog, and it was too gray to brighten up.

I don't know if Ning Yan didn't want to see her or what, the servant who came in to inform her didn't come out after entering the hall, the doors and windows of Zichen Hall were closed tightly, and no sound could be heard from inside.

"Miss." Ginkgo, who was standing beside her holding an umbrella for her, swallowed, and whispered to her with a guilty conscience: "...Why do you have to see Your Majesty?"

Shu Qiuyu's attitude was still stubborn, and he said stiffly, "Because I have something to say to Your Majesty."

Shu Qiuyu was not in a hurry, she hugged the wooden box even tighter, and wiped away the rainwater splashed on the wooden box with one hand.

Gingko didn't understand what Shu Qiuyu was thinking. Yesterday Renshou Palace was sealed off, and she was worried all night, fearing that Ning Yan would find out about Shu Qiuyu's work for Ruan Yin. It was like bumping into him to remind Ning Yan.

"Miss." Ginkgo couldn't help but said, "Such a big incident happened in Renshou Palace, you should go back and discuss it with the master."

The person in front of the imperial court had sharp eyes and ears, and Gingko was afraid that others would hear her, so she almost whispered in Shu Qiuyu's ear.Shu Qiuyu turned her head and glanced at her, didn't answer, but pulled her clothes, and calmly said, "Stand up straight."

Ginkgo didn't know where she got such unwavering confidence, she wanted to stomp her feet anxiously, and just as she was about to say something, Shu Qiuyu grabbed the hand holding the umbrella.

Ginkgo was shocked, and Fuzhi turned his head to look over, only to find that the door of the Zichen Palace would reopen at some point. He Wenting was standing in the porch with clean clothes, looking at Shu Qiuyu with a smile on his face.

Ginkgo's gaze touched He Wenting's expression for the first time, and she shivered subconsciously.

He Wenting said pointedly: "Master Shu came early."

Although Gingko followed Shu Qiuyu, in this palace, she was no different from those little maids doing errands. Seeing He Wenting's expression, her heart beat up, and she moved to Shu Qiuyu's side without a trace.

"Has Your Majesty got up?" Shu Qiuyu didn't seem to notice that He Wenting's attitude was different from usual at all, and asked calmly: "Your Majesty heard that Your Majesty is not feeling well today, so I came to pay my respects."

"Your Majesty just got up, tidy up for a while, Mr. Lao Shu has been waiting for a long time." He Wenting said with a flick of the whisk, turned sideways to get out of the way, stretched out his hand in a gesture of invitation, and said, "Mr. Shu, please."

Ginkgo licked her lips, and was about to take a step forward when Shu Qiuyu stopped her.

"You stay outside and wait for me." Shu Qiuyu said.

As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, bent out from under the umbrella, arched her body and held the brocade box in her hand, covered her forehead with her hands, walked a few steps, and stepped up the steps.

Shu Qiuyu paused beside He Wenting for a moment, but said nothing, then walked into the palace gate.

He Wenting didn't follow in immediately, he turned his head and glanced at Ginkgo, then casually looked away, ordered a servant, and led him towards the small kitchen.

Just as He Wenting said, the Zichen Hall has already been tidied up, the extra brazier has been transported out, and the burnt cold charcoal is wrapped in oil paper and placed in the corner of the room, waiting to be tidied up later.

The room was lit with sweet soothing incense, and Ning Yan changed into thick autumn and winter clothes, and sat up, watching the table slowly drinking porridge.

Linglong stood beside him and served him the dishes, and by the way, removed the small dishes that he had touched a few times away from his front.

Shu Qiuyu stood at the door watching for a while, then looked away from Linglong, and saluted with the box in her hands.

"His Majesty."

Without raising his head, Ning Yan wiped out half a spoonful of porridge from the edge of the bowl with a spoon, and said casually, "Here?"

His tone was so natural, no different from when he was joking with Shu Qiuyu in the study room, if He Wenting's attitude hadn't changed too obviously, Shu Qiuyu almost felt that Ning Yan might not have discovered the connection between her and Ruan Yin.

"...Your Majesty seems to have guessed that the minister will come." Shu Qiuyu said.

"It can't be considered early." Ning Yan put down the spoon, and the porcelain spoon collided with the edge of the bowl, making a crisp sound.

"I can only guess that you might come." Ning Yan said.

Linglong lowered her eyebrows and took a hot towel from the tray next to her and handed it to Ning Yan. Ning Yan took it and wiped her hands before throwing it on the table.

When Ning Yan raised his hand, the cuff slid down a bit, and Shu Qiuyu's eyes fell on the white cloth that bound his wound, feeling a little guilty.

"The servant girl is here to plead guilty to His Majesty." Shu Qiuyu said, without warning, she knelt down with her robes in her hands, and put the wooden box in her hand on her knees.

"I also came here to ask Your Majesty to resign." Shu Qiuyu said: "It is a taboo for an official to use power for personal gain. Your Majesty would like to ask Your Majesty to remove the minister's position as an internal secretary, so as to set the record straight."

Ning Yan took the hand stove from Linglong, folded his hands in his arms, and finally raised his eyelids to take a look at Shu Qiuyu.

"So, does Ai Qing admit that those dirty things were handed in from your hands?" Ning Yan asked.

"It doesn't matter what I admit or what I don't admit." Shu Qiuyu had no intention of handing over the story of the Shu family to Ning Yan, saying ambiguously: "The important thing is that what your majesty finds out is what it is."

"So, Aiqing is here to plead guilty." Ning Yan nodded, smiled pretendingly, and said, "Actually, there is no need—didn't Ruan Yin tell you? "My" little secret, I can't let this happen in a short while, Shu family civil servant Qingliu, it's safe for now. Ai Qing doesn't have to feel that Ruan Yin is unreliable right now, and rush to take the blame and make meritorious service."

"Your servant understands." Shu Qiuyu's expression was calm from beginning to end, as if he had become a mud figure with no temper at all, not to mention panic and fear, and he didn't even know where his usual life was stuffed by her.She stretched out her hand to touch the box on her lap, and said, "I am not here to commit crimes and meritorious deeds, but to repay Your Majesty for your kindness."

Shu Qiuyu's self-proclaiming changed after a while, but Ning Yan understood.

"Chen Nu" is for the eldest daughter of the Shu family, while "Chen" is for Shu Qiuyu.

"With the surname of the Shu family, the courtiers have to think about the family in every word and deed." Shu Qiuyu said: "Working for the empress dowager is the 'Shu family's big girl' who wants to help the Shu family and fight for the future of her family." Rong Guang—Your Majesty has done a good job."

"But 'Shu Qiuyu' has indeed received His Majesty's favor. At the beginning, His Majesty pointed out a way for the minister, just to give the Shu family a retreat. Although the father still made mistakes, since His Majesty has this heart, It is enough to make the minister grateful so far." Shu Qiuyu said: "So I have come to show my loyalty to His Majesty one last time."

As Shu Qiuyu said, she lowered her head and opened the brass lock on the wooden box.Linglong's whole body tensed up for a moment, but when she saw the contents of the wooden box clearly, she slowly relaxed again.

——There were only two medicine packs, one big and one small.

Ning Yan raised his eyebrows.

"The empress dowager entrusted someone to bring in the medicine, and it was bought by her nephew." Shu Qiuyu said: "At that time, I overheard the empress dowager mentioning that the Yuanjiang mansion made this kind of medicine originally for the purpose of repelling insects. It's so rough, each pharmacy is different, and the effect also increases or decreases. So I kept a careful eye at the time, and kept a copy of each, and now I will give it to Your Majesty, whether it is given to the Imperial Hospital or the National Teacher Forget it, it's a minister doing a little favor for His Majesty."

Ning Yan winked at Linglong, Linglong walked forward knowingly, closed the wooden box, picked it up and placed it by Ning Yan's hand.

Ning Yan reached out and touched the lid of the box, and said with a smile: "Aiqing, if you cure me, the Shu family will be gone."

"It can't be cured." Shu Qiuyu said frankly: "Talk is better than nothing."

"That's right." Ning Yan said: "If it can be cured, there must be no 'loyalty' like today."

Shu Qiuyu pursed her lips, but did not refute.

What Ning Yan said was the truth, if this medicine could really help Ning Yan detoxify, Shu Qiuyu would never take it out.

In front of the Shu family and "Zhongyi", she had already made a choice, and the so-called "make up" now is just a little charity for her own peace of mind.

"Look at Aiqing's face with ashes." Ning Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked in a tone of "how's the weather today": "Why didn't you choose another road?"

"Because to say something presumptuous, in the final analysis, a courtier's daughter and your majesty are the same." Shu Qiuyu said: "This capital city is a big melting pot, and all kinds of people in it live in skins. Clothes of official position, some people are mediocre, so they wear their family background. Those who are more powerful will be more bound by these. The courtiers today are for the Shu family, and His Majesty is working hard every day, looking forward and backward, isn't it also for the country of the 'Ning' family. "

"Well said!" Ning Yan clapped his hands convincingly, appreciating: "Just because of Aiqing's words, I have to let Aiqing take a good look at it, and see whether the goods under the skin are the same thing, or each has its own merits. .”

Shu Qiuyu heard what he meant, so she bent down, gave him a final kowtow, stepped back on her knees, and left.

Shu Qiuyu knew that Ning Yan didn't have an attack now, but he was not satisfied with the Shu family, or Ruan Yin alone.He was waiting for an opportunity—waiting for an opportunity to wipe out all hidden dangers.

As for the Shu family, they are just a small pawn in the game of the superiors, and they can only hope that the fight will be more intense, and more intense, so that they can fish in troubled waters and earn more credit from it.

As long as Ning Yan wins, then he will definitely clean up the Shu family if he turns back; and if Ning Yan loses, the Shu family can also rely on this little "conglong skill" to return to the time when Shu Chuan was alive. position.

But no matter what, she and Ning Yan had already been strangled into different camps by two ropes.

It's a pity, Shu Qiuyu thought.No matter who Ning Yan was for and who he was pretending to be in his heart, he did give her a vast and unrestrained world for a short time.