The Treacherous Minister Who Helps the People 15
When Shen Qi saw Consort Jia leaning against the Emperor, she understood why he had summoned her. “Emperor, I pay my respects,” Shen Qi bowed her head and greeted, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Consort Jia.
“My dear minister, today I have summoned you to request that you bring the Crown Prince to your residence and let him reside there for a little time,” the Emperor said, somewhat embarrassed.
Shen Qi feigned astonishment and raised her head, “Emperor, this… may be inappropriate. It has been a tradition since the founding of the Da Liang that the Crown Prince should reside in the Eastern Palace. If he were to be brought to my residence, I’m afraid the courtiers would not agree.”
“There is no need to care for those pedantic scholars,” the Emperor waved his hand.
He knew this matter was not ideal, but there was no other way.
With a troubled expression, the Emperor looked at Shen Qi and said, “Qi, I won’t deceive you. The abbot of the White Horse Temple has predicted an unfavorable fate for the child of Consort Jia. His destiny clashes with that of the Crown Prince.”
“I also wish to keep the Crown Prince in the palace. However, I have few heirs, and Consort Jia finally conceived one after much difficulty. Her current pregnancy is already unstable. If the Crown Prince remains in the palace, this child cannot be preserved. Do you understand?”
The Emperor spoke candidly to Shen Qi, who naturally had to express her understanding and sympathize with the Emperor’s paternal concerns.
“Rest assured, once the child is born, I will bring the Crown Prince back to the palace,” the Emperor assured Shen Qi, patting his chest.
Shen Qi merely smiled and replied, “I naturally believe in Your Majesty.”
With this matter settled, as she left the palace, Shen Qi faintly heard the Emperor’s gentle cooing to Consort Jia.
That afternoon, Shen Qi brought the Crown Prince back to the Minster Residence.
“Will I be living with Uncle Shen from now on?” Liang Sirui asked excitedly.
Normally composed, he couldn’t help but jump up and down as he got off the carriage.
At this moment, he truly resembled a five-year-old child.
“Yes,” Shen Qi raised her hand and gently ruffled his hair, “But it won’t be for long.”
She aimed to kill the Emperor as soon as possible.
Liang Sirui’s joyful expression instantly fell, but quickly regained his smile. “It’s already great to be able to stay for a few days. If Mother knew that I am living with Uncle Shen, she would surely be delighted.”
“Crown Prince, would you like to learn martial arts?”
“I do!!”
“In that case, I will find an excellent martial arts master for you,” Shen Qi held Liang Sirui’s hand and walked towards the Mingtang Residence.
Today, Prince Kachar must have been busy with the palace banquet and hadn’t come to the Minster Residence.
Gu Qing enjoyed his leisure time and drank the tea without muscle-relaxing powder in it.
When Shen Qi and Liang Sirui arrived in the courtyard, they saw Gu Qing practicing swordplay. Shredded leaves and flowers scattered through the air, and amidst the cold gleam of the sword, his figure stood out distinctly.
Gu Qing noticed someone’s arrival and quickly sheathed his sword, then glanced lightly toward the courtyard.
After seeing Liang Sirui by Shen Qi’s side, he hurriedly approached and half-knelt down, “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Liang Sirui blinked his eyes and looked helplessly at Shen Qi. “This is General Gu Qing, who will be teaching you martial arts during this period,” Shen Qi explained.
Liang Sirui nodded gently, and with a seemingly mature gesture, he raised his hand, “Please rise.”
Didn’t they say… that Uncle Shen and General Gu didn’t get along?
Why did it seem like they had no conflicts at all?
Liang Sirui’s clever little mind was momentarily confused. On the other hand, Gu Qing, feeling somewhat surprised, asked, “You want me to teach the Crown Prince martial arts?”
“Crown Prince will be staying in my residence for some time. Among all the people in the Minster Residence, who is more suitable than you to teach him martial arts?”
Shen Qi handed Liang Sirui’s hand to Gu Qing, “Not only martial arts but also military strategy. I request you to teach him both.”
With all the connections she had to establish now, she was extremely busy.
Naturally, she had to prioritize and handle matters one by one.
Liang Sirui’s hand was warm and delicate. Gu Qing, who had never dealt with such a young child before, didn’t know how much strength to exert.
After a while, he furrowed his brow and asked, “Why was the Crown Prince sent to your residence?”
Shen Qi mysteriously smiled and replied, “My dear Qing, knowing too much is not always a good thing.”
Gu Qing pursed his lips and gently pulled Liang Sirui closer to him. “I thought by now, you would be able to be honest with me.”
They had developed such a close relationship, eating and sleeping together for days.
He even helped Shen Qi and Qiao Qingyun establish connections, introducing some of the Gu family’s soldiers to Shen Qi.
Did Shen Qi still not trust him?
Although Gu Qing understood that Shen Qi’s actions couldn’t be revealed to the outside world, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
He couldn’t figure out the reasons. Perhaps it was because Shen Qi had been too good to him before, creating overly idealistic expectations that clashed with reality!
“How could someone as intelligent as you, Qing, not have thought of it?” Shen Qi met Gu Qing’s gaze without any guilt.
The young Liang Sirui glanced at Gu Qing, who held his left hand, and then at Shen Qi, who held his right hand.
Suddenly, he felt that this scene was incredibly subtle.
Gu Yan, who was secretly observing the situation, thought to himself: … This scene is so reminiscent of how Mother and Father used to argue when they were alive, even holding the Crown Prince’s hands. They truly looked like a family!
At this thought, Gu Yan couldn’t help but shudder all over.
It was truly terrifying. How could he have had such thoughts just now?
Terrifying!!!
Unable to win the argument against Shen Qi, Gu Qing huffed and walked away, pulling Liang Sirui along. “Your Highness, today I will teach you how to plant your feet…”
Shen Qi stood there with a smug smile, arms crossed as if watching a play. “Master, Commander Qiao has arrived.” The butler whispered.
Shen Qi’s smile faded slightly. “Please, lead him to the study.”
She had mentioned to Gu Qing before that she wanted to use him to meet Qiao Qingyun, but Gu Qing had initially disagreed.
However, Gu Qing took the initiative to invite Qiao Qingyun to her.
Without any surprises, Gu Qing must have deduced her intentions from her actions.
It seemed that Gu Qing had arranged for the person she had deliberately placed in the residence to be by her side.
Otherwise, how could they be so well-informed about her actions?
This body had no martial arts skills, and it was truly a disadvantage! Shen Qi sighed inwardly, then put on an impeccable smile and went to the study to meet Qiao Qingyun.
“Minster Shen.” Qiao Qingyun had disguised himself and entered through the back door, keeping a low profile.
“Commander Qiao.” Shen Qi casually greeted him.
“As you anticipated, the Kachar delegation did indeed make contact with several commanders in the capital. The Left Deputy Commander has already colluded with them, while the other commanders have shown no signs of movement.” Qiao Qingyun looked at Shen Qi with a complex expression and continued, “Not only that, I discovered that several deputy commanders have been in contact with the palace concubines.”
They even planned to manipulate their mistakes to secure higher positions for themselves.
If it weren’t for Shen Qi’s reminder, he would have undoubtedly fallen into a trap.
With these thoughts in mind, a hint of killing intent flashed in Qiao Qingyun’s eyes.
Shen Qi nodded slightly. “Keep the evidence well, for the day when we settle accounts with them. I remember you arranged for someone to attend the palace banquet tonight?”
“Yes.” Qiao Qingyun hesitated for a moment before giving Shen Qi a few names.