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Strangely enough, after killing at the Yulanpen Festival, disaster really came to the Great Zhou Dynasty soon after. A few days later, in late July, the court received news that heavy rains hit Huainan, causing sudden floods that destroyed countless farmlands and houses, with Shuzhou being the worst hit.
Emperor Huining originally delayed the punishment of Zheng Zhuo, preparing to catch the mastermind of the conspiracy. However, when the news of the flood spread, the ministers and the people talked about it, saying that such an unexpected disaster was caused by the Sixth Prince angering the heaven. The situation could not be suppressed in any way, and an explanation had to be given immediately.
Therefore, the old emperor had no choice but to announce to the public that the accident on the day of the Ullambana Festival was indeed caused by the Sixth Prince's improper arrangements and reckless behavior. He would now take back the control of the Jinwu Guard from him and punish him to go to the Wangji Temple on the first and fifteenth day of every month for the next year to recite scriptures behind closed doors and pray for the Great Zhou to pay for his evil deeds of killing.
In the eyes of the court officials, such a punishment was indeed severe.
Reciting scriptures was fine, but the stipulated date deprived Zheng Zhuo of the opportunity to participate in the monthly New Moon and Full Moon ceremonies. As for the Jinwu Guard, this personal army was not only responsible for the safety of the emperor's travels, but also for patrolling the palace and the capital day and night, and was the most important part of the defense of the capital. Zheng Zhuo's achievements, which had finally improved, were thus lost.
In Chang'an, many people privately said that the Sixth Prince was a joke, that he had power in his hands but lost it before he had time to warm up to it. But Yuan Cixian knew that was not true.
How could the saint not know about such an obvious frame-up? However, he had no choice but to make this choice. This act, on the surface, seemed to be a punishment, but in fact it won Zheng Zhuo the most precious favor of the saint. If Yuan Cixian guessed correctly, after the old emperor had explained to the world, he would quietly compensate this son.
In addition, although it may seem glamorous to be in charge of the Jinwu Guard, smart people know that this job is almost always harmful and has no benefits. The left and right Jinwu Guards each have a general, who used to report directly to the emperor. Until a few years ago, Emperor Huining ordered the second prince to supervise on his behalf, saying that he was getting old and could no longer handle military affairs personally.
But in fact, over the years, the Second Prince has always been on the edge of this personal army and has never been able to make the Jinwu Guards obey his orders.
How could the suspicious old emperor really delegate such important power? The reason he did so was because the former crown prince was ambitious and even wanted to dethrone him as soon as possible, so he wanted to use the second prince as a chess piece to check and balance him.
Since the Second Prince had tried so hard for so many years and still couldn't escape the fate of being a chess piece, why should Zheng Zhuo try in vain? It was a good thing for him to lose the power of control, avoid being treated as the next chess piece by the Saint, and avoid being envied by the other princes.
Yuan Cixian really admired the planning of Zheng Zhuo and Xu Shan. But the former had both the character of sleeping on straw and tasting gall, and the wisdom of foresight, and his background made the sage feel more at ease because his mother's family was powerless, so why did he fail to ascend to the throne in the end? What was his fate when the thirteenth prince ascended the throne
Yuan Cixian couldn't help but sigh. At the moment, it seemed that the Yuan family could neither provoke nor help Zheng Zhuo. The road ahead was too difficult to walk.
*
In the mid-autumn season, the autumn heat gradually subsided and the weather became slightly cooler. On a day near the 15th day of August, Zheng Zhuo went to Yongxingfang to visit Lu Shiqing, saying that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching and he wanted to give him some cakes as a gift.
In fact, the two of them rarely met in private, and they only met on holidays and reasonable days. This time, Zheng Zhuo came not to give gifts, but to discuss matters with Lu Shiqing in person and to fulfill his wish.
The disaster in Huainan had been initially alleviated, but Shuzhou was particularly badly hit this time. To prevent local unrest, the court prepared to send an official to visit and comfort the people and supervise the disaster relief. This burden fell on Lu Shiqing.
He will be gone for at least two months. If something unexpected happens in Shuzhou, it may take even longer. Naturally, there are things he needs to explain to Zheng Zhuo.
After the two of them finished discussing serious matters in the study, Lu Shiqing reluctantly mentioned the Yuan family: "Nothing else, but I went south, which means that 'Xu Shan' is not in Chang'an. If the Yuan family sends me a message, I will not be able to show up, and you will have to find a way to get away with it."
Zheng Zhuo found his languid look quite funny and asked, "Why? The county lady is not only pestering Minister Lu, but also Mr. Xu?"
Lu Shiqing glanced at him and said, "It's easy to talk when you're standing. Once you've been pestered by her, you'll know how powerful she is."
Zheng Zhuo laughed out loud: "I'm not that lucky." He added, "But to be honest, I'm not born with a unique voice like you, so I can't imitate Mr. Xu's voice. If I get caught, it will be embarrassing."
"Anyway, I've handed this matter over to you. If you can't handle it properly, it's your fault. It has nothing to do with me."
He said it heartlessly, but Zheng Zhuo was not annoyed. He nodded and said, "Okay, go south with peace of mind. I will take care of the county lady for you."
Lu Shiqing choked and glared at him: "For me? Forget it!"
Zheng Zhuo seemed to be gloating: "Don't count on your luck. When you return to Chang'an this time, it will be almost the end of the year. I don't think the county lady will give up in a short time. When the King of Southern Yunnan comes to Beijing, you should be ready to propose marriage and have a good fight with him."
Lu Shiqing's face was dark, but he was still enjoying it: "Your boxing skills are not good enough, I'm afraid you can't pass the test of the King of Southern Yunnan. Come back soon after you finish your work, and then I will teach you a few moves and practice with you."
"Zheng Zhuo," Lu Shiqing gritted his teeth and said, "It will be the fifteenth in a few days. You should recite your sutras carefully first. If you come across words you don't recognize, I can teach you."
Zheng Zhuo laughed so hard that he punched him on the shoulder blade and said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. Have a safe trip."
*
On August 13, Lu Shiqing packed his luggage and left Chang'an three days earlier than the date ordered by Emperor Huining. Before leaving, Xuan asked him to stay at home for the Mid-Autumn Festival before leaving, but he insisted on leaving that day, citing the emergency situation.
But in fact, the disaster situation had eased long ago, and Shuzhou couldn't do without him. He didn't spend the holiday in Chang'an because he was afraid that Yuan Cixian would come to visit him. How could she not come to disturb him on such a good day? If she pestered him, wouldn't it be troublesome
Early in the morning, Lu Shiqing fled from Chang'an City. He traveled for two days, passed several mountain roads, and entered Shangzhou on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
He went to Huainan, ostensibly to relieve disaster relief, but secretly he was carrying out an order from Emperor Huining to carry out a more important mission. In order to avoid conspicuousness, he kept everything simple and took a not-so-luxurious carriage. Even the only two attendants he brought were Zhao Shu and Cao An.
Because of the rain in the past two days, the trip was delayed and they did not have time to enter the city that night. Lu Shiqing wanted to keep a low profile and did not intend to deal with local officials. After the curfew, he asked people to open the city gates and decided to endure it and sleep outdoors.
Of course, the ones who used the sky as their roof were Zhao Shu and Cao An. He was not affected by the wind and slept in a clean and tidy carriage.
The two men chose a place for him to stay that was flat, close to a river, and free from the threat of natural disasters or wild beasts. One of them ran to collect firewood and start a fire, while the other began to clean up the surroundings.
When people are in the mountains, mud and weeds are fine, but you absolutely cannot tolerate the feces of birds and animals.
The moon was bright in the sky, making the river sparkle. Even without a fire, the surroundings were bright. Occasionally, the wind blew, and the trees in the distance rustled, the sound was clear and refreshing.
Lu Shiqing was feeling depressed in the carriage, waiting for Zhao Shu to finish cleaning up and go down to relax. He then asked, "Zhao Shu, are you okay?" But he didn't respond, so he could only patiently call out, "Zhao Shu."
Zhao Shu's voice rang out slowly: "My dear... I, I saw the fairy!"
“…” This moment seemed strangely familiar.
Lu Shiqing was slightly stunned, frowned and said: "What nonsense are you talking about in the wilderness?"
"My dear, I am not lying. It is really the Princess of Lancang County who is here!" After he said that, he pulled open the curtain of Lu Shiqing's carriage.
Unexpectedly, Lu Shiqing looked up and saw Yuan Cixian, who was standing by the waterside, wearing a moon-white cross-collared robe, with her hair tied up in a bun and carrying a bag on her back.
The book in his hand, which he was using to pass the time, suddenly slipped off the small table and fell to the ground with a crisp "pop" sound.
Then, he heard her say with a smile: "Minister Lu, it's me, what are you so excited about?"
It's not excitement, it's fear.
Lu Shiqing got off the carriage, and before he even came up to her, he asked coldly, "What are you doing in Shangzhou?"
He didn't even use a respectful title, so he must have been a little angry, but Yuan Cixian still smiled and lifted the bulging bag on his shoulder: "I'll spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you."
He stood in front of her and said seriously, "You followed me for two days just to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with me?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Aren't you touched?"
Lu Shiqing really didn't like being spied on, and he was on official business, so he didn't have time to play with her. Last time she tampered with the Hu pancake, he had endured it and didn't pursue it, so now it happened again, he was naturally angry. Besides, she was too careless, just following him alone for two days, and no one knew where she slept at night, and she was not afraid of meeting bad people.
He frowned and asked, "Yuan Cixian, why are you pestering me like this?"
Yuan Cixian guessed that he would be unhappy, but as the saying goes, "Don't hit a smiling person", no matter how he scolded her, she just kept smiling. She believed that he would not have the heart to keep her angry for too long.
She replied: "Minister Lu, I have been pestering you for so long, can't you see that I am attracted to you!"
Lu Shiqing was indeed choked. She had indeed been pestering him for a long time, but this was the first time she expressed her feelings to him.
He stood there in a daze, feeling as if the moonlight above his head was pouring all over his head and face, making him suddenly become radiant and light as if he was about to fly.
He suddenly thought of the time in the suburbs of Chang'an, when it was a night with a bright moon and few stars, when she squatted in the weeds and scolded a stupid dog. What caught his eyes were her gorgeous lips, her slender neck, her snow-white skin, and her deep ravines.
He lied to her, saying that she would be questioned by the Jinwu Guards if she wore a Uighur dress, and asked her to cover the front of her face with a veil. In fact, he just thought that this erotic scene should not be seen by more people.
Lu Shiqing stopped thinking and felt inexplicably irritated.
Why couldn't he get angry with Yuan Cixian under the moonlight
He knitted his brows into the shape of a "川" character, but in the end his attitude became better, and he said, "I am on an official business, so I can't delay any longer. Please ask someone to take the county lady back to Chang'an."
Yuan Cixian knew that he had succeeded halfway, and continued to nag him: "No, no. I have been chasing you for two days, and I am really exhausted. Now I can't keep going any further. Besides, there is no woman among your followers. Are you asking me to travel with other men in the middle of the night?"
What do you mean by "other" men... This term doesn't seem quite appropriate.
Lu Shiqing took a breath and asked, "Did the county lady really come alone?"
"Really!" She nodded, then suddenly waved her hand and said, "No, I'm not alone. I also brought something you might not like..."
Lu Shiqing suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart. Just as he was wondering, he suddenly saw a charming shadow appear behind her in the open space illuminated by the moonlight.
It was a big dog, with its neck stretched out in a very coquettish way.
He was so angry that he laughed, pointed in that direction and asked, "Yuan Cixian, you brought this thing to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with me?"
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