Le Premier ministre stupéfiant

Chapitre 89

“After getting to know me, you realize that I’m actually a very kind person,” Mo Xibei interjected, quite moved. “I myself sometimes find myself contradictory. It’s only after being away for a while this time that I’ve come to understand that in the world of martial arts, there are many times when you are not in control of your own destiny. I don’t want to control others, but I also don’t like the feeling of being controlled. Sometimes, things are just like that. All I want is a quick and clean end.”

“Alright, let’s go to the capital and settle this once and for all.” Chu Junfeng looked at Mo Xibei. The woman before him was still as graceful and charming as she was on the canal, but something was changing. Gradually, a sense of determination and courage settled in her eyes. He had always thought that such maturity would not appear in a young woman, but Mo Xibei was just that kind of person. She always had a way of making him look at her in a new light.

"You want to come with me?" Mo Xibei was surprised.

"I'll keep you company. I've been to the capital many times, but I've never really had the chance to truly relax and enjoy it. What, you don't welcome me?" Chu Junfeng deliberately frowned and said with a bitter face, "Am I so repulsive that I can't stand the sight of you?"

Volume 3, Chapter 17: Returning to the Capital

When Mo Xibei left Tongxian, although it was autumn, the Jiangnan region was still sweltering. She left without saying anything, and didn't even pack her luggage. So when Mei'er prepared breakfast but didn't see her get up, she pushed open the half-closed door and found only a letter.

The letter didn't specify where she was going, only that she was leaving everything in Tongxian to the Xiuwen couple, wishing them a long and peaceful life together. Xiuwen remained silent for a long time while reading the letter. Mei'er, anxious, went to discuss it with Chu Junfeng, only to discover that Mo Xibei wasn't the only one who had left without saying goodbye that morning.

In fact, Mo Xibei left home in the middle of the night. There was a rare cool breeze that night, and she couldn't sleep. She was fiddling with the bottle of liniment. She had touched this bottle so many times that she finally accidentally knocked the cap off. The words engraved on the inside of the cap suddenly made her decide to go to the capital immediately.

The characters inside the lid are the mark of a Tongxintang pharmacy in Beijing.

Mo Xibei didn't believe that this bottle of liniment was something Mu Feinan had taken with him when he left the capital last time, and that it had survived the explosion and other incidents intact. Having lived in Jiangnan for many years, she knew that many ordinary people prepared their own liniment, and it was inexpensive in pharmacies. No merchant would be willing to transport it all the way from the capital to Jiangnan to sell—they'd lose money hand over fist. Therefore, the only explanation was that Mu Feinan had likely traveled to and from the capital in the past few months, and his late-night visit to leave this bottle of liniment was probably to convey this important information to her.

What you think of should be done immediately, especially with a gentle breeze outside and a clear, bright moon for company.

Mo Xibei had rather extravagant living standards. Although she had lived there for about a year, the house had been filled with countless things, and she was too lazy to clean it. She would deliberately look for and decorate a more comfortable home. All she needed were a few changes of clothes, and of course, money.

When she left, she didn't intend to call Chu Junfeng, but then she thought that he would find out tomorrow morning, and she might not be able to avoid him then, so she might as well go with him.

And so, the two of them rode swiftly into the capital.

In the golden autumn season, Beijing is a beautiful sight everywhere. But the most beautiful sight is undoubtedly the red leaves of Fragrant Hills.

After arriving in the outskirts of Beijing, Mo Xibei did not rush into the city. Instead, he temporarily rented a house in a village near Fragrant Hills and leisurely went into the mountains every day to admire the red leaves.

Chu Junfeng didn't understand why Mo Xibei, who was rushing on the road, didn't enter the capital after arriving. But Mo Xibei always had his own plans, just like him.

So every day, when Mo Xibei went up the mountain to admire the red leaves, he would change into coarse clothes and go to the capital.

The capital city remained as bustling and vibrant as ever. Mo Xibei's Chunfeng Ruyi Pavilion was even operating as usual, a far cry from its previous silent closure. Chu Junfeng observed for several days and noticed many of the old patrons of Chunfeng Ruyi Pavilion were still there, wondering how they had disappeared and reappeared. However, without Mo Xibei, Chunfeng Ruyi Pavilion had lost its former carefree and grand atmosphere. Many heavily made-up women stood at the entrance, soliciting customers. The den of iniquity was still a den of iniquity, but the atmosphere had changed.

Chu Junfeng quickly learned that the person in charge of Chunfeng Ruyi Tower was very mysterious. Even the manager rarely saw the person in charge, and ordinary employees didn't even know whether the owner was male or female, or what his appearance was. In the past six months, however, the number of high-ranking officials and nobles from the capital visiting the tower had increased significantly. People privately said that the girls in Chunfeng Ruyi Tower were simply too beautiful. Not only were they beautiful, but they were also very talented, surpassing even the haggard wives in the homes of the officials. It was such a gentle and charming place that it was hard not to want to stay.

Of course, Chu Junfeng also found out Tian Xin's whereabouts.

It is said that he was promoted by the emperor to the rank of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for his meritorious service, but no one really knows what his merits were. The only thing the common people can say for sure is that this young Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, frequented the capital and gradually gained the emperor's favor in the court. Although his official rank was still some distance from that of Minister, he already showed signs of having the power to turn the tide of events.

In fact, more than half a year ago, the young Jiajing Emperor had already rarely attended court. Matters of state were reported to him daily by only a few trusted ministers, and among these few who could meet with the emperor was Tian Xin. Last week was unprecedentedly frustrating. My camera broke, I sent it for repair, and the night I got it back, my computer broke down. I repaired it again, it worked for a day, then broke down again. I repaired it again. It felt like I didn't do anything else for five working days in a week. Ugh, I hope things will turn around!

I have to get up early to run errands tomorrow, so I'll stop here for today. I'll try to update more tomorrow night, everyone keep an eye on me...

Volume 3, Chapter 18: Palace Secrets

After learning this news, Chu Junfeng kept thinking about when to tell Mo Xibei and how to talk to her about the court and politics that she hated the most.

The court and politics were things Mo Xibei disliked. Although she had never mentioned them, Chu Junfeng guessed that Mo Xibei must have a long-forgotten story. Otherwise, how could the daughter of the old Prince Xing and the current emperor's own sister have ended up wandering the world? However, there were some things Mo Xibei didn't want to talk about, nor did he want to delve into them. The past was the past, a lesson he had only just come to understand this year. Yesterday was best left to fade away. However, Mo Xibei still had some respect for the emperor and empress dowager; after all, blood was thicker than water. Whether she would care or not was the reason for his hesitation.

"What have you found out in the capital these past few days?" Unexpectedly, it was Mo Xibei who broke the silence first.

"Your Spring Breeze Pavilion has reopened." Chu Junfeng replied without thinking.

"I gave Chunfeng Ruyi Tower to Honglu as part of her dowry, you know that, so it's no longer mine." Mo Xibei didn't care at all and smiled as he said, "But last time, everyone in the tower mysteriously disappeared. I checked later and it wasn't the palace that did it. I don't know where they were taken. It's quite news that they can reopen. So, who's in there now?"

“I saw many familiar faces, most of them should still be people from the original building,” Chu Junfeng said after thinking for a moment. “It’s just that Chunfeng Ruyi Building is now in a terrible state, and it feels no different from those brothels. I’ve inquired around, and the current manager and staff can’t say anything about the owner’s background or appearance, or even where he lives. That’s quite a strange story, isn’t it?”

"Probably," Mo Xibei nodded. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Are there any other places?"

"Yes, there is. And it might be even worse news." Chu Junfeng gave a bitter smile before slowly saying, "Tian Xin entered the court, and in less than a year, he's risen through the ranks. He's already the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Everyone in the capital says he's enjoying the Emperor's favor and his promotion is just around the corner." "Your little page has such talent for governing the country; you should be happy, not saying this is bad news?" Mo Xibei smiled faintly, blinking. Although his tone was normal, Chu Junfeng felt that Mo Xibei hadn't brought this up unintentionally. At that moment, he felt a surge of turmoil in his heart. A faint bitterness welled up, and his mouth went dry.

"How is Honglu? Any news about her?" Chu Junfeng's expression didn't escape Mo Xibei's notice. After a while, she sighed deeply. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just feel like I really misjudged her. I wonder how Honglu is doing. Did I hurt her?"

“Tianxin’s residence is heavily guarded. I’ve tried several times, and it’s impossible to get in during the day unless you go at night.” Chu Junfeng shook his head. “I was worried about your situation, so I didn’t wait until night. I’ll go check another day.” “There’s no need for you to go.” Mo Xibei shook his head. “You and Tianxin were master and servant, so he probably understands you better than you understand yourself. It’s probably not safe to go at night, so I’ll handle the visit to Honglu myself. There’s no rush in the next few days. If she…” Mo Xibei paused for a moment before continuing, “If something had happened to her, it would have happened long ago. It’s been over a year. I hope she’s safe and sound.”

"Tian Xin and Hong Lü... shouldn't be a problem." Chu Junfeng really didn't know how to comfort Mo Xibei, because he had also misjudged him. Over the years, he hadn't known what kind of person Tian Xin was, which filled him with a sense of defeat.

"Things are already like this, there's no use thinking about it anymore, and blaming each other is pointless. You've told me what you found out, so would you like to hear what I've found out?" Mo Xibei slapped the table lightly, got up and walked to the window. The sun was already setting in the west, and at this time it was only slightly higher than some trees on Fragrant Hills.

"I knew you weren't idle. So, what did you find out?" Chu Junfeng stood up, stood next to Mo Xibei, and looked outside with her.

"Consort Xian, oh, that's Murong Lianyun, gave birth to a son. It's said that recently many ministers in the court have jointly submitted a memorial, requesting the emperor to make this child, who is only a few months old, the crown prince." Mo Xibei said, glancing at Chu Junfeng. "When the emperor chooses an heir, he follows the principles of choosing the eldest son of the legitimate wife, the eldest son, and the most virtuous son. Although this child is the eldest son, he is not the legitimate son. The emperor and empress are both young and may have children in the future. This matter is currently undecided due to the empress dowager's intervention."

“You still care about the situation in the court.” Chu Junfeng nodded. The common people in the city would not know about the matter of establishing an heir. Unless they carefully inquired with specific people, they would not get any results. This at least showed Mo Xibei’s attitude. So he said, “Actually, I didn’t finish what I was saying just now. In addition to seeing the opening of Chunfeng Ruyi Tower and Tian Xin’s appointment as an official, I also heard that the Emperor has not held court for several months. All matters, big and small, are handled by the Six Ministries and then reported to him for approval.”

"I've heard that the Emperor is currently obsessed with alchemy and immortality cultivation. Two people have been invited to the palace to sit and refine elixirs with him every day. It seems that's true." Mo Xibei nodded, then smiled when he saw Chu Junfeng's puzzled expression. After a long pause, he said, "You must be wondering how I found out about these palace secrets, and you think that my concern for my nominal mother and brother must be because I can't sever my ties with them, right?"

Chu Junfeng didn't answer, simply tacitly agreeing.

"Actually, while the red leaves of Fragrant Hills are beautiful, what's even more attractive here is the vast expanse of eunuch graves. These past few days, some people have been coming here to choose a good spot for themselves; it's just a matter of spending some money, and there's nothing they can't find out." Mo Xibei smiled rather smugly. "Actually, I'm not usually interested in these palace secrets, but some coincidences have made it all so interesting, like watching a play. I hate watching plays, but if I completely ignore the stage, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to the performers."

"So, what ideas have you come up with?" Chu Junfeng couldn't help but laugh when he found Mo Xibei's analogy amusing.

"Not yet. I'm not a work machine, what am I busy with?" Mo Xibei replied matter-of-factly.

"Then, you can always tell who's acting and who's watching, right?" Chu Junfeng was helpless against Mo Xibei's laziness and could only shake his head.

“When we watch them, we are the spectators and they are the actors; similarly, when they watch us, we are the actors,” Mo Xibei said vaguely. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Besides, I’m not interested in what they’re going to act out. I just want to find an answer that satisfies me.”

Mo Xibei's satisfactory answer was nothing more than Mu Feinan. Chu Junfeng turned away, not wanting to face such a topic that was destined to hurt people. After a moment of silence, he said, "Xibei, aren't you afraid that sometimes, no matter how much you hope, things will still proceed according to the established track? You may want to keep to yourself, but others may not understand what you mean and may even think that you are deliberately playing hard to get."

"Let them think what they want. I can't control what other people think. I just hope that things here can be understood as soon as possible, and then I can leave the capital and have some fun." Mo Xibei shrugged, about to say something else, but suddenly frowned.

Almost simultaneously, Chu Junfeng abruptly stopped talking, listened carefully, and heard the faint sound of fabric fluttering in the wind from a dozen feet away outside the window.