He put down his pen.
Eunuch Zhu handed over the snow ginseng tea. He took the teacup and calmly took a sip, then handed the teacup back to him.
âFu Xianhe should be here soon, right?â Emperor Sheng Wen said.
âHeâs already out of the Imperial prison and is on his way to the Imperial Palace,â Eunuch Zhu said.
âAre the examinees still dancing?â
âYes.â Eunuch Zhuâs head was lowered.
âHave you found the mastermind behind this?â
âWe caught some in secret, but we didnât get any useful clues. We were afraid of attracting attention, so we let them go.â
âI am very disappointed!â Emperor Sheng Wen said.
âThis old servant is useless!â Eunuch Zhu and eunuch Liang quickly knelt on the ground.
Emperor Sheng Wen walked to the window and opened it completely. He looked at the night sky.
Tonight, the stars were bright, and the warm Starlight shone down, making it look very comfortable.
He shook his head.âI donât blame you. I blame them! It wasnât that they were troublesome, but that they were incapable. Since he had already done it, he had to do it beautifully and not give himself away. However, they had deliberately revealed a little flaw, scheming this and scheming that, afraid that others would not notice.
Now that the matter has been blown up to such a big extent, with the shadows of the aristocratic families involved, they are forcing me to be ruthless. â
âYour Majesty, what do you mean?â Zhu Gonggong asked carefully.
âWe have already given him a chance. If he canât even settle this small predicament, how can he fight with the others? How to stand out? How could he sit in this position? How can I hand over the country to him without worry?â
His eyes glowed.
Emperor Sheng Wenâs tone became very cold.âWhen the time comes, I will give all the scholars in the world an explanation.â
He was raising Gu and using this opportunity, he chose a Gu King.
A young eunuch quickly walked over and whispered a few words into eunuch Zhuâs ear before quickly retreating.
âLord Fu has arrived.â
âLet him in,â Emperor Sheng Wen said.
Outside the Xiao mansion.
An uninvited guest had arrived. He was a middle-aged man dressed like a scholar. He held a folding fan in his hand, his left hand behind his back, and his right hand waving the folding fan. He was waiting calmly.
When she heard the footsteps behind her, she turned around and looked at Xiao ran who had returned.
He smiled and introduced himself.âMy surname is Xiao. I come from the same family as you. My name is ning.â
âWhy are you looking for me?â Xiao ran asked.
âArenât you going to invite me in to talk?â Xiao ning asked.
âThe residence does not welcome outsiders.â Xiao ran refused.
âAlright! Itâs pretty good here, with the moonlight as my companion, the breeze as my neighbor, and most importantly, you. â Desolate ning was not annoyed.
He stopped smiling.
She looked at Xiao ran seriously.âYou should have guessed my intention.â
âWhat do you think?â Xiao ran retorted.
âYouâre a smart person, itâs impossible that you didnât even think of this. Otherwise, your father wouldnât have been released from the Imperial prison after being on duty for so many years. On the other hand, you were transferred to the divine sword guard after your term was up, and from then on, youâve made a meteoric rise in your career. â Desolate ning said.
âI donât like it when people investigate me.â
Xiao ning shook his head, not minding Xiao ranâs attitude. He drew a circle in front of him with the folding fan in his hand.âThis matter should end here. Itâs not good for anyone to continue investigating.â
Seeing his cold eyes looking at him, Xiao ning was calm and continued.
âTen million taels of silver as hush money and one hundred foreign women. Even if you want the princess of the great Zhou Dynasty, we can think of ways to get three for you. You can name the person you like and we will help you settle it. 10,000 mu of fertile land, plus a luxurious courtyard with six entrances and six exits in the Azure Dragon market. â
He deliberately paused for a moment.
It was time for Xiao ran to digest the information. After a while, he spoke again.
âIâll appoint you as a golden sword guard within three days. Iâll promote you to a purple sword guard within half a year. In three years, Iâll promote you to the Vice Sword Master of the divine sword guards.â
He opened his folding fan and fanned it slightly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWhen the opportunity comes, you have to grab it. As long as you grab this opportunity, youâll be able to rise up and stand out, and pass on the Xiao familyâs legacy. After a hundred years, your Xiao family will also become a noble family and have a place in the capital. Youâre a smart person, I believe youâll make the right choice. â
Xiao ran laughed happily. Xiao ning also laughed happily.
However, the smiles on their faces were different.
âDid he agree?â Xiao ning asked.
âIâm afraid youâll be disappointed!âXiao ran shook his head and said.
âYouâve given me too much, so much that I canât refuse. To be able to get hold of the princess of the great Zhouâs imperial family, tsk tsk, their influence is quite great! In addition to ten million taels, a hundred foreign women, a mansion in the Azure Dragon market, and a promotion, the three great things of life will be complete. â
âWhy?â Desolate ning stopped smiling, his face turned cold as he stared at Shi Yan.
âTo be honest, what you said is very tempting. As long as itâs a person, itâs a lie to say that theyâre not tempted. However, there were some things that could be done and some that couldnât be done. Everyone has their own persistence and beliefs in life. Once you overstep it, youâll be dominated by desire and completely lose yourself. â Xiao ran answered seriously.
âYou know the consequences of rejection?â Desolate ning asked.
âTell those hiding in the dark to come out! Thereâs no point in hiding. â Xiao ran said.
âYou actually noticed.â Desolate ningâs face was gloomy.
He clapped his hands.
Black smoke rose and rushed out from the ground. Four black figures appeared on the ground. They were dressed in black and wore evil ghost masks. Only their two eyes were exposed, and they exuded a bloodthirsty and cold aura.