"Your brother takes after your father, calm and quiet, unlike you, who's always causing trouble." Consort Shu looked at Mu Tao, scolding him through gritted teeth, feeling utterly disappointed in him.
"If you hadn't gambled, how could the ancestral home of the Duke of Mu's mansion, where they had lived for decades, have been robbed? How could our Mu family have become the laughing stock of civil and military officials and the people of the capital? If you hadn't been greedy for petty gains, how could your father have been imprisoned and subjected to a joint trial for embezzling hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?"
Duke Mu was a wise and sagacious man; how could he have fathered such a foolish and incompetent son?
Consort Shu exposed all of Mu Tao's wrongdoings, both overt and covert. He could no longer deny or hide them, and lowered his head in shame: "Aunt, I'm sorry!"
Consort Shu glared at Mu Tao fiercely: "What's the use of saying sorry now? Your father was convicted of a serious crime in the first trial. If he can't be overturned in the second or third trial, he's doomed."
Duke Mu was the pillar of the Mu family. He was executed for embezzling military funds, and the Mu family's property was confiscated. The eldest son of the Mu family was also dismissed from his position as a general. At that time, the esteemed Mu family would be removed from the list of names in the capital of Xiliang.
"Aunt, you're so smart, you'll definitely be able to think of a way to save Father, right?" Mu Tao looked at Consort Shu pitifully, placing all his hopes on her. In the entire Mu State Duke's Mansion, apart from the Duke himself, Consort Shu was the smartest, and she was the only one who could save him.
Consort Shu glared at him fiercely and snorted coldly: "I have thought of a way, but it is not mature yet and needs to be carefully considered. Your father has a three-trial joint hearing. He was convicted of a serious crime in the first trial, and if nothing unexpected happens in the second trial, he will also be convicted of a serious crime. If you want to save him, you need to make a sudden move in the third trial, catching the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice off guard. Then your father will have a chance to be acquitted!"
"Auntie is so smart! I knew she would find a way to save Father!" Mu Tao breathed a sigh of relief and gave Consort Shu a thumbs up.
Duke Mu is saved! Mu Tao will still be the noble second young master of the Mu family, and will not be reduced to a penniless commoner or a beggar on the street. With his heart at ease, he fawned over Consort Shu and lowered his voice, saying, "I wonder what method Aunt intends to use to save Father?"
Consort Shu turned her head to the side and tossed out a sentence: "That's a secret!"
Mu Tao was rebuffed and frowned deeply: "You kept it a secret from me too?" He was the Duke of Mu's biological son and Consort Shu's nephew. Did Consort Shu still treat him like an outsider?
Consort Shu looked out the window with her cold, beautiful eyes: "My plan is to save your father at the most critical moment. There are always eyes and ears in this palace. If only I know about it, it will have an unexpected effect during the third trial. If I tell you, and someone with ulterior motives overhears it, the secret will be leaked, and I won't be able to save your father!"
“That’s true. The palace is full of people and ears.” Mu Tao nodded knowingly, subtly flattering her: “It’s most appropriate for Aunt to keep the secret method to herself…”
Consort Shu glared at him but said nothing. If Mu Tao had used his talent for flattery and causing trouble for serious matters, the Duke of Mu's mansion would not be in such a desperate situation as it is today.
"Your Majesty!" A young palace maid knocked on the door and entered the palace, carrying a plate of fragrant pastries. She walked gracefully to the table, carefully placed the pastries on it, and looked at the cold-faced Consort Shu. Her gaze darkened, and she hesitated to speak.
Consort Shu was in a bad mood. Looking at the hesitant palace maid, she became even more agitated and said unhappily, "Just say what you have to say. Don't beat around the bush."
The young palace maid trembled slightly and whispered, "Your Majesty, I went to the Imperial Kitchen to get some snacks and saw that Shen Li from the Marquis of Zhenguo's residence came to the palace."
"Really?" Consort Shu's gaze sharpened. "He came to the palace to see Consort De?" After the Chrysanthemum Banquet, she sent a large number of assassins to kill Shen Li. The assassins were all wiped out, but he is still alive and well. He is really lucky.
The palace is not a place that anyone can enter at will. The fact that Shen Li could enter without any hindrance is enough to prove that he has a high status in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion.
However, in the past, it was always the Marquis's wife who came from the Zhenguo Marquis's residence. Why is it Shen Li now? No matter what, he is an outsider. It is a bit too bold of him to openly enter and leave the concubine's palace.
"Your Majesty, Shen Lixue didn't go to Changxin Palace, but went directly to His Highness the Crown Prince's Qianqing Palace," the maid's soft explanation echoed in the inner room.
Consort Shu was taken aback. As a distant relative of the Marquis of Zhenguo, Shen Li was separated from His Highness the Crown Prince by the Third Prince. He should have visited the Third Prince first after entering the palace. Why did he go directly to the Crown Prince's Qianqing Palace?
"Who did Shen Li enter the palace with?"
The young palace maid bowed her head and replied, "Your Majesty, he entered the palace alone and did not associate with anyone."
If Shen Li and Lu Jiangfeng entered the palace together, it would be understandable if Lu Jiangfeng went to see the Third Prince and Shen Li went to see the Crown Prince. But it's suspicious that he went to the palace alone and went directly to see the Crown Prince.
Consort Shu recalled the day of the Chrysanthemum Banquet, when Shen Li and Ye Qianlong were talking intimately. A strange smile appeared on her lips. There must be a secret between the two of them: "Keep a close eye on Shen Li. Report his every move to me immediately!"
"Yes!" The young palace maid acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Upon hearing the name Shen Li, Mu Tao's eyes blazed with fury. His large hands clenched into fists, and the killing intent emanating from his entire body grew stronger and stronger. Even Consort Shu noticed it and glared at him, saying, "This is the palace. Don't cause any trouble!"
"Don't worry, Aunt, I know what I'm doing!" Mu Tao gently stroked his crippled right hand, gritting his teeth: Shen Li caused him to become crippled, and he would never let Shen Li get away with it.
Consort Shu knew Mu Tao's impulsive nature and knew that he hadn't listened to her advice. His arm was crippled, and he was no match for Shen Li. Even if a conflict broke out, it wouldn't be a big deal, so she didn't need to worry about him and was too lazy to teach him a lesson.
Her clear, beautiful eyes gazed at the azure sky through the half-open window, wondering what Chen Li wanted to see Ye Qianlong about.
In the Qianqing Palace, Shen Lixue, dressed in a white silk robe with her hair tied up with a ribbon, sat in the living room, sipping tea leisurely. Her cool gaze swept over the furnishings: a sandalwood table, sandalwood chairs, and an ebony screen. Simple, dignified, and yet noble, the Crown Prince's palace was indeed superior.
"Li Xue!" A familiar voice rang out, and a figure in black robes came into view. Ye Qianlong strode in and saw Shen Li Xue. His beautiful face radiated a pure smile.
"Your Highness!" Shen Lixue put down her teacup, stood up, and was about to curtsy when Ye Qianlong's tall figure instantly appeared in front of her. He reached out and took her arm, his clear eyes sparkling with a smile: "Between you and me, there's no need for such formalities!"
Shen Lixue glanced at the palace maids beside her, and Ye Qianlong understood, calmly ordering, "All of you, leave!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The palace maids curtsied and left in an orderly fashion, leaving only Shen Lixue and Ye Qianlong in the living room.
"Li Xue, I heard from Lu Jiangfeng that you were attacked. Are you alright?" Ye Qianlong looked at Shen Li Xue with concern.
"I'm fine!" Shen Lixue smiled awkwardly. The day after the Chrysanthemum Banquet, she had arranged to meet Ye Qianlong at the Zhenguo Marquis's residence, but unexpectedly, she was attacked by men in black that night and tumbled down a slope. The next morning, Dongfang Heng saw her with Lu Jiangfeng...
She was in a hurry to explain the reason to Dongfang Heng and returned to the villa. She completely forgot about her appointment with Ye Qianlong: "Have you been waiting for a long time?" When Lu Jiangfeng returned to the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion, it was at least noon. Ye Qianlong must have gone to the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion early in the morning.
"It wasn't too long!" Ye Qianlong looked at Shen Lixue with a clean and clear smile: "It's good that you're alright. Did you come to the palace to see me because you need something?" Ye Qianlong had known Shen Lixue for a long time and understood her personality. If she wanted to chat with him, she would definitely arrange to meet outside the palace. Since she came to the palace to see him, she must have something to discuss.
"I'd like to find some travelogues about Xiliang to read, but they're not available in stores. Do you have any here?" Shen Lixue looked at Ye Qianlong, her eyes clear and her smile gentle.
"Looking for novels? There are plenty in Wenyuan Pavilion, I'll take you there!" Ye Qianlong's clear eyes sparkled with a brilliant light as he grabbed Chen Lixue's sleeve and turned to leave.
"Qianlong, wait!" Shen Lixue grabbed Ye Qianlong's sleeve. "It's not appropriate for me to go to your royal library. You can just have a maid fetch it for me!"
"The Wenyuan Pavilion contains only ordinary books, such as poems, travelogues, and medical texts. Royal princes, princesses, and even some capable ministers can go in and read them. There's nothing inconvenient about it. Let's go!" Ye Qianlong pulled Shen Lixue's sleeve as they left the Qianqing Palace and headed towards the Wenyuan Pavilion. They didn't notice a palace maid following closely behind them as they left the Qianqing Palace and quickly ran towards the Changle Palace.
The Wenyuan Pavilion houses the imperial library and is kept clean by palace maids. The room is spotless, with soft sunlight streaming through the latticed windows, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Walking among the rows of bookshelves and inhaling the fragrance of books is like swimming in an ocean of literature, a truly captivating experience.
Shen Lixue carefully examined the labels on the bookshelf and nodded approvingly: "The books on the bookshelf are arranged by category. If you want to find a certain book, you just need to look at the category. It's really thoughtful!"
The Western Liang royal family adopted a very good management model for their books.
"More than ten rows of bookshelves, with tens of thousands of books. If you don't carefully categorize and manage them, you won't be able to find the book you want to read at all!" Ye Qianlong stood in front of a row of bookshelves, carefully looked at the categories, took out two books, and handed them to Shen Lixue: "These two are travelogues. Take a look and see if the content is what you want to read!"
"Thank you!" Shen Lixue took the book, gently opened it, and found that the tiny characters printed on it were very neat. The book contained relatively detailed records of the local customs, geography, and environment of various places in Xiliang...