Chapter 114 - Your Majesty Is Wise
Around noon, an inconspicuous carriage approached the city gate. The driver, an elderly hunchback, presented a silver ingot to the guard as he passed through. He then gestured twice with an “Ah Ah.”
The guard was a mute and accepted the silver, using his spear's tip to lift the carriage curtain for a quick glance. Seeing a few baskets of vegetables, he allowed them to pass without further scrutiny.
Gratefully, the elderly driver lowered his head, and with a wave of his horsewhip, he guided the carriage out of the city gate.
Shortly after the elderly driver's departure, a dozen horseback riders arrived at the city gate. Their leader inquired condescendingly, “Lai Xiaosan, did you happen to see two young and attractive women leaving the city this morning?”
Lai Xiaoshan, the gate guard, replied, “Well, well, it's Brother Kun. You must understand, countless women pass through my city gate daily.”
The leading guard provided a rough description of the two women and delivered a kick. “Think carefully. How could you forget such beautiful ladies?”
Lai Xiaoshan grinned and evaded the kick. “Your description is quite vague. Willow-shaped brows, peach blossom eyes, cherry lips—many pretty girls fit that description.”
The head guard sighed and spat on the ground. “We're here to find someone, not to create a portrait. How will we ever locate them?”
Lai Xiaoshan asked with a sly smile, “Whose girls are you searching for? Surely, you're not in love with them?”
“Don't be absurd. How could a mere bodyguard like me have such aspirations?” The leader of the guards scoffed and continued, “Think carefully. After Chenchen, the carriage was occupied solely by women. The driver acted as their attendant.”
Lai Xiaoshan rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head. “It doesn't add up. There were quite a few people in the carriage, but there were definitely two stunning beauties among them.”
“Really?” The guard leader asked with a furrowed brow.
Lai Xiaoshan chuckled. “Absolutely, without a doubt! Do you doubt my eyesight? If I had such a beauty, I'd never let her slip away.”
The guard held the reins, turned around, and muttered to himself, “I've already inquired at all four city gates. It's impossible for them not to have been spotted. Could they still be within the city?”
“Send one person back to the manor to report this to the Young Master. The rest of you, follow me,” the head guard ordered. The group of guards passed through the city gate and headed towards the direction of Hongji Temple.
The team of horses soon caught up with the carriage that had recently exited the city. The leader briefly glanced at the elderly and unremarkable carriage driver but paid him no further attention.
Inside the Zuo's Mansion, Zuo Yunwen gazed anxiously at the door while expressing his concern, “Can you please explain why you left our daughter at my sister's place and returned alone? Wouldn't it be better if we brought Shuhui back?”
Mrs. Xue responded with a hint of exasperation, “That's your own sister's family, not ‘someone else's family.' Moreover, if anything happened to our daughter in our own home, you'd be blaming me for bringing her back, wouldn't you?”
Zuo Yunwen stumbled over his words for a moment, then paced solemnly around the hall, leaving others feeling slightly dizzy.
Zuo Shaoyan, in a sour mood, massaged his aching head and advised, “Father, please sit down and wait patiently. Rushing won't help at this point.”
All the male servants in the mansion had been dispatched, but as the four hours neared, there was still no word.
The new kitchen steward approached and inquired about the lunch menu. Zuo Yunwen waved his hand impatiently, saying, “Just prepare something simple. Who can think about eating at a time like this?”
Mrs. Xue, with a stern expression, demanded, “Hold on, make sure the ginseng soup I requested is delivered on schedule. Don't forget to give Second Master his medicine!” Mrs. Xue felt that she had never experienced such ill luck—having a missing daughter and two sick sons simultaneously.
The family managed to take a few bites before departing. Just then, the head butler returned with two attendants. Sweat dotted his forehead as he reported, “My lord and madam, we've checked several popular temples, but there's still no sign of the two young ladies.”
Mrs. Xue's vision dimmed, and she swayed before steadying herself. With the temples yielding no leads, it seemed increasingly likely that her daughter had been abducted.
“What should we do, old master?” Mrs. Xue covered her face with her hands and began to weep.
“Let's wait a bit longer and see if we receive any updates from others,” Zuo Yunwen said, gripping his chilled hand.
The waiting dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Zuo Shaoyan drifted in and out of sleep, his hopes resting on the possibility that Jiang Che might uncover some leads.
The guards from Jiang's Mansion also searched the nearby temples without success. One of the leading guards, struck by an idea, split his team in half, stationing them near Fifth Princess's residence before returning to report to Jiang's Mansion.
Meanwhile, Jiang Che found himself in the royal study, briefing Zhan Yuanfeng on the students' examination results. As they discussed the Zuo Family, the conversation naturally touched upon Young Master Zuo's unavailability due to illness.
Initially, Zhan Yuanfeng had paid little attention to the Zuo Family. Even if Tutor Zuo hadn't aligned with the previous Emperor, he couldn't be considered an enemy.
What truly concerned him was that Lu Zheng held this family in high esteem.
Zhan Yuanfeng cut to the chase, “What are your thoughts on the Zuo Family and their recent developments?”
Jiang Che deliberated for a moment but decided against disclosing the details of Zuo Shaoqing and Lu Zheng's situation. He believed that if Zhan Yuanfeng were privy to it, he would certainly approve.
After all, no one desired to see Lu Zheng behave as a commoner more than him. It would be a dream come true if the plan came to fruition. Zhan Yuanfeng might even wake up laughing from such a pleasant dream.
“In this humble subject's opinion, the potential benefits of a union between these two families outweigh the potential drawbacks.”
“Oh? Please elaborate,” Zhan Yuanfeng urged, his curiosity piqued as he fixed his gaze on Jiang Che.
He knew that Jiang Che and Lu Zheng had never been on particularly good terms. They were like water and fire, with minimal clashes of interest thus far.
Nonetheless, both of them had grown up alongside him and could be considered his trusted aides. It was just that Lu Zheng held the military power, and no one dared to place complete trust in him.
“The Emperor initially considered marrying Fifth Princess to Master Lu as a means to draw him in. However, in this humble subject's estimation, Master Lu is not easily swayed by a mere marriage.”
Zhan Yuanfeng nodded, not harboring high hopes for this endeavor. He understood Lu Zheng's character quite well.
“I suspect that the Emperor has no intention of seeing him wed a member of the imperial court. The Zuo Family has been in decline for years, and now, they have only one son participating in the Imperial examinations. Even if they were granted another two decades, their prospects for advancement are limited.
Hence, in this humble subject's view, there is no harm in uniting these two families under the name of Qin Jin. If only the Emperor would issue a direct decree for their marriage, it would be even more advantageous!”
Zhan Yuanfeng remained noncommittal, “Aren't you concerned that the Zuo Family might use the Wu Steel Manor as a mighty support and surpass the Jiang Family in the future?”
Jiang Che raised an eyebrow, responding with a playful tone, “In that case, Your Majesty, as long as you refrain from recruiting any Zuo Family disciples, Duke Zhen Manor will not gain any assistance.”
He genuinely feared that Zuo Shaoqing might secure a top-three position in the high school exams. If he did, convincing him to join their family would become even more challenging.
“Haha… You're quite cunning, but I'm curious to see what a Zuo Family son, the one who saved Lu Zheng, is like.”
Jiang Che's heart raced, and his eyelids twitched. Could it be that the Emperor had also deduced that the person Lu Zheng had his eyes on was Zuo Shaoqing?
He cautiously inquired, “Your Majesty, as a member of the Zuo Family's concubine, I've encountered him before. He is indeed remarkably handsome, and his knowledge in literature is commendable. However, he's still quite young, and I'm afraid his utility may be limited.”
The Emperor asked, “Did you mention that Young Master Zuo from the Zuo Family is unwell?”
Jiang Che mustered his courage and playfully recounted Zuo Shaoyan's unfortunate situation. Then, he sighed and added, “Madam Zuo even sacrificed Miss Zuo from the family to care for him.”
The Emperor inquired, “Sacrificed? What do you mean?”
Jiang Che hesitated briefly, then decided to explain how Fifth Princess had harassed Miss Zuo, saying, “This young Miss from the Zuo Family is rather headstrong; she dared to offend Fifth Princess.”
Zhan Yuanfeng didn't need to think twice to understand Zhan Yunxiang's actions. His lips curled slightly as he scolded, “After all this talk, you're here to plead for the Zuo Family.”
Jiang Che respectfully replied, “Your Majesty, your wisdom shines.”
Someone chimed in, “If people didn't know any better, they might think Vice Minister Jiang has ties to the Zuo Family. Why aren't you hurrying, Master Lu?”
Jiang Che scratched his nose. Could it be that he was assisting Lu Zheng in retaining this Zuo Family young lady to secure Zuo Shaoqing?
He clarified, “I have a friendship with Zuo Shaoyan, and he's sent someone to seek assistance. How could I not help him?”
Another voice chimed in, “Oh? This is getting even more peculiar. Wasn't Miss Zuo rumored to be Master Lu's lover? Why is the Zuo Family turning to Duke Zhen Manor instead of seeking your aid?”
Jiang Che replied, “Perhaps… they'd rather not have Master Lu find out about this, wouldn't they?” He subtly hinted at the Zuo Family's intentions.
Zhan Yuanfeng burst into laughter, showing his understanding of the situation. The status of this Zuo Family young lady was not particularly high to begin with, and if another scandal arose, such as her vanishing without explanation, it would be even more unsightly.
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