Seeing Fu Qingyu sitting beside Lin Qinghe with a slight blush, You Rong's deep eyes hid a surge of anger. He curled his lips into a cold sneer and said sarcastically, "What do you mean by 'someone from the palace'? As far as this minister remembers, His Majesty brought this young master from a pleasure house. Someone who hails from a place of ill repute, and His Majesty trusts him so much?!"
The moment You Rong uttered these words, Fu Qingyu's face turned ashen. He felt humiliated but dared not retort, biting his lip tightly in forbearance.
Lin Qinghe's brows furrowed, and his face also turned cold. He stood up and rebuked, "Prime Minister You! Watch your words. Although Qingyu came from a pleasure house, he sells his art, not his body. He possesses great qin skills and earns his living through his own abilities. He is upright and honorable, so it is not for you to mock and scorn him!"
You Rong's face was grim, his expression terrifying. Lin Qinghe was equally so. An invisible pressure permeated the air between them, making everyone around them too afraid to even take a breath.
Fu Qingyu was anxious. He looked at You Rong, then at Lin Qinghe, worried they would argue. He said softly, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister You did not mean it that way. What he said is not entirely wrong. It is indeed inappropriate for your servant to be here while you discuss important matters with Prime Minister You. I shall withdraw first. If Your Majesty wishes to hear me play the qin, I shall return tomorrow."
Fu Qingyu bowed to both of them and slowly retreated.
After Fu Qingyu had gone far away, Lin Qinghe, with a frown, feigned displeasure and said to You Rong, "Alright, now that he's gone, what did Prime Minister You wish to report to me? You may speak now."
You Rong clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white. "He's gone, and Your Majesty is very unhappy? You blame me for making him leave?"
Lin Qinghe snorted, a touch of impatience in his voice. "I did not say that... Prime Minister You, what do you have to report? Hurry and tell me."
So now, even looking at him for a moment longer made her uncomfortable, is that it!
For some unknown reason, You Rong felt a bitterness in his throat worse than swallowing yellow bile, so bitter that it made it difficult for him to speak, and at the same time, he was filled with rage.
She actually berated him for a mere boy from a pleasure house!
Seeing You Rong remain silent, Lin Qinghe reminded him again, "Prime Minister You, what is it you wish to report to me? Please speak quickly." Su Dan Novel Network
You Rong replied with a grim face, "It's not necessary. I see Your Majesty is overwhelmed with tasks. I can handle it myself and do not need Your Majesty's concern. I shall take my leave now and not disturb Your Majesty's enjoyment of flowers and music."
With that, You Rong turned and strode away.
Lin Qinghe tried to call out, "Prime Minister You, Prime Minister You..."
You Rong did not look back, nor did he pause in his steps. His figure soon disappeared from Lin Qinghe's sight.
As You Rong left, Wang Jiang, who had been waiting, trembled slightly.
It looked like His Majesty was about to fly into a rage!
Wang Jiang cautiously asked, "Your Majesty? Should this servant go and invite Prime Minister You back?"
To his surprise, Lin Qinghe was in quite a good mood. He waved his hand with a smile and said, "No need. Let him go. You go to Fu Qingyu's palace and send him some jade pieces and tonics. Tell him that I am rewarding him for his excellent qin playing today. And have him come to the Imperial Study to serve me tomorrow."
Wang Jiang responded with a face full of confusion, "This... Yes, Your Majesty, this servant obeys."
As Wang Jiang turned to leave, Lin Qinghe spoke again, "Oh, right. From tomorrow onwards, do not stop any of the young masters who wish to see me. If they are told to find me at Changning Palace, let them go to Changning Palace. If they want to find me at the Imperial Study, let them go to the Imperial Study."
"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant has noted it."
"Good, then go and attend to it. I shall return to Changning Palace first."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Watching Lin Qinghe's receding back, Wang Jiang was utterly bewildered.
His Majesty had gone to great lengths to fake an assassination attempt and serious injury, which, in his opinion, was to get Prime Minister You to see her. But with His Majesty's current words and actions, reprimanding Prime Minister You for the sake of Mr. Fu, it didn't seem like that anymore.
Wang Jiang shook his head vigorously and muttered, "Forget it. How can we servants fathom His Majesty's thoughts? I should just quickly do as His Majesty has commanded..."
Lin Qinghe returned to Changning Palace. Seeing that the progress bar had not increased, she was not impatient and looked forward to tomorrow.
Lin Qinghe ate her dinner with a pleasant mood. However, You Rong was not faring as well in the Prime Minister's mansion. As soon as he returned, he shut himself in his study with a dark expression. He picked up a brush to calm himself, but the image of Lin Qinghe smiling and looking at Fu Qingyu kept appearing in his mind. The brush in his hand was immediately snapped with force.
When Sui Feng entered the room, all the brushes in the brush pot had been broken in half and thrown on the floor.
Sui Feng said softly, "Your Majesty, Mr. Huo sent a message saying he wishes to see you before you leave the capital. How should we reply to Mr. Huo?"
Lin Qinghe kept her word and spared Huo Guanzhong his life, but stripped him of his official position. Now he was just a commoner. As for Princess Chang'an, she also did not have the heart to kill her. She was announced to have returned to Jiangnan after offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings. In reality, she was escorted back to Jiangnan and confined to a villa there, forbidden to see any outsiders or step outside its grounds.
You Rong's expression was complex. After a long pause, he said, "Prepare some travel expenses for Mr. Huo and find someone to personally escort him back to his hometown. Inform him that I will visit him in the future."
Huo Guanzhong was his esteemed teacher and was like a father to him. However, Huo Guanzhong had used him to lure Lin Qinghe out of the palace and caused her to be injured in an assassination attempt, so he could not help but resent Huo Guanzhong.
Sui Feng received the order and left. You Rong sat before the desk with a weary face, unable to suppress the images of how Lin Qinghe used to treat him.
Her clear, bright eyes would always show a smile whenever she saw him. When he occasionally indulged her temper, she would be extremely happy...
Recalling her recent cold gaze, You Rong's heart ached fiercely.
After the morning court, Lin Qinghe, for her own plans, deliberately said, "Prime Minister You, regarding the matter of improving the imperial examination rules after the spring, please accompany me to the Imperial Study so we can discuss it further."
You Rong visibly faltered for a moment, then immediately replied, "Yes! Your Majesty, this minister obeys!"
Along the way, Wang Jiang noticed that You Rong's expression had softened a little, no longer the usual gloom he had shown recently. However, upon arriving at the Imperial Study, when You Rong saw Fu Qingyu present, his face instantly turned so cold that ice seemed to form.
Lin Qinghe caught this out of the corner of her eye and chuckled inwardly. But she pretended to be oblivious and said to Fu Qingyu, "Qingyu, Your Majesty and Prime Minister You have important matters to discuss. You are not needed here. You may withdraw now."
"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant shall take his leave."
Fu Qingyu retreated under You Rong's grim gaze. Lin Qinghe continued to feign ignorance, pretending to pick up a memorial and hand it over. "Prime Minister You, this is what I and Grand Tutor Xu have discussed and decided. Please take a look and see if there are any areas that need improvement."
You Rong did not move. He did not take the memorial. His eyes were filled with a raging fire. "Does Your Majesty feel that having someone accompany you to admire flowers and listen to music is no longer enough? You even have to bring him to the Imperial Study to serve you! In another month, will Your Majesty perhaps plan to house him in Changning Palace and have him sleep with Your Majesty every night?!"