novelAbuy Chapter 106: Is Sister Xu Longxiang Going to Marry His Majesty? Jiangnan County is in an uproar!
Chapter 106: Is Sister Xu Longxiang Going to Marry His Majesty? Jiangnan County is in an uproar!
Qin Mu paused slightly as he played with the thumb ring.
He raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Zhao Mingcheng's old face, which was plastered with a fawning smile.
That gaze was calm and devoid of any emotion, yet it made the smile on Zhao Mingcheng's face freeze for a moment.
"Acting skills?"
Qin Mu spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the enclosed space with a strange resonance:
"Do you think you acted very well?"
Zhao Mingcheng's heart tightened, and he quickly said:
"Yes...it was my arrogance. Your Majesty's discerning eyes will surely see my shortcomings. I beg Your Majesty's guidance."
He spoke with extreme humility, his forehead almost touching the ground again.
Qin Mu looked at him quietly for a moment before slowly saying:
"The emotions weren't strong enough."
His voice was soft, yet every word was clear:
"When you were kowtowing, your eyes only showed fear, not despair. True despair is an emptiness where even fear has become numb. You didn't act that out."
Zhao Mingcheng's face turned pale.
Qin Mu continued:
"Even kowtowing isn't loud enough."
He paused, then added:
"You should let the blood cover your entire face, so everyone can see the price you paid for your daughter-in-law and for the Zhao family's reputation. That would be more impactful, and more like the actions of an old father driven to the brink of despair."
Zhao Mingcheng trembled, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
He immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed:
"Yes...it was my oversight! I...I will definitely correct it next time! I will make sure the blood is flowing all over my face, and I will definitely portray true despair!"
His voice was clearly flustered and ingratiating.
Qin Mu smiled.
"next time?"
Qin Mu slowly repeated the two words, his tone playful:
"You want a next time?"
Zhao Mingcheng suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with extreme terror!
He then realized he had said the wrong thing!
"No...no! Your Majesty! This old minister misspoke! This old minister absolutely did not mean it! Absolutely not!"
He kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the bluestone ground with a dull "thump-thump" sound.
This time, he was truly panicked.
Qin Mu looked at him quietly without saying a word.
In the secret room, only the sound of Zhao Mingcheng kowtowing and the crackling of the ever-burning lamp flame could be heard.
The atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.
After a long silence, Qin Mu finally spoke:
Get up.
His voice returned to its usual gentle tone:
"You did a good job this time. Xu Fenghua... should believe you now."
Zhao Mingcheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled to his feet, but dared not stand completely upright, remaining bent over with his hands hanging at his sides, his posture extremely humble.
"Thank you... thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! This old minister... this old minister will certainly do his utmost to serve Your Majesty!"
Qin Mu nodded, then turned his gaze to Yun Luan:
"Is the entire Zhao household under control?"
Yunluan bowed:
"Your Majesty, all 137 people in the Zhao household, including servants, guards, and cooks, are under guard in the west wing. No one has escaped, nor has anyone had the opportunity to send a message out."
"Very good." Qin Mu nodded slightly.
He looked at Zhao Mingcheng again:
"Old Master Zhao, we still need you to put on a show for the next three days."
Zhao Mingcheng hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, please give your orders! This old minister will gladly die for you!"
"It's very simple."
Qin Mu said slowly:
"You must act as if you are heartbroken but helpless. You must speak coldly to Xu Fenghua and blame her for bringing trouble to the Zhao family."
A hint of doubt flashed in Zhao Mingcheng's eyes, but he quickly nodded:
"Yes...this old minister understands! This old minister will certainly perform well!"
Qin Mu gave him a deep look:
"Remember, this play concerns your life, and the lives of over a hundred members of the Zhao family. A good performance brings wealth and peace to the Zhao family. A bad performance..."
He didn't continue.
But that invisible pressure had already made Zhao Mingcheng break out in a cold sweat.
"This old minister...understands! This old minister will certainly perform flawlessly!"
Zhao Mingcheng knelt down again, his voice trembling.
Qin Mu waved his hand:
"Go. Remember, Xu Fenghua is very smart. Don't overact, and don't underact. Just the right amount."
"Yes...yes!"
Zhao Mingcheng bowed and left the secret room, his steps unsteady, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Only Qin Mu and Yun Luan remained in the secret room.
The glow of the ever-burning lamp cast swaying shadows on the wall, making the two figures appear very long.
"His Majesty,"
Yunluan spoke in a low voice:
"Zhao Mingcheng is a coward who is greedy for life and only cares about profit. He may not be reliable."
Qin Mu smiled:
"That's precisely why he's reliable."
He paused, then slowly said:
"Those who are afraid of death are the best at weighing the pros and cons. As long as they understand that the price of betraying me is far greater than the price of loyalty, they will become the most loyal dog."
Yunluan was silent for a moment, then asked:
"Does His Majesty truly believe that Xu Fenghua will obediently enter the palace?"
A profound light flashed in Qin Mu's eyes:
"She will."
His tone was very confident:
"Because she had no choice. And..."
He paused, a playful smile curving his lips:
"I gave her a reason she couldn't refuse."
Yunluan asked, puzzled, "Reason?"
"revenge."
Qin Mu slowly uttered two words:
"Avenging the Xu family, Xu Longxiang, and...myself."
He stood up, walked to the wall of the secret chamber, and ran his hand over the rough bluestone surface:
"A woman like Xu Fenghua is proud, arrogant, and unwilling to be inferior to others. This humiliation today is more painful for her than death."
"She will hate me, hate me to the core."
"But hatred is also a kind of power. A power... that can drive her to do anything."
Qin Mu turned around, his gaze fixed on the darkness at the top of the secret chamber, as if it could penetrate the thick layers of stone to reveal the pale purple figure on the ground:
"She will enter the palace. Not to submit, but to... seek an opportunity to take revenge on me, and on everyone who put her in this situation."
"And this is exactly what I want."
His voice was soft, yet carried an air of complete control and composure.
"Hate will blind her to the truth. Her obsession with revenge will drive her step by step into the trap I have laid."
"By the time she finds out..."
Qin Mu smiled.
That smile was cold and cruel:
"It's already too late."
Yunluan listened quietly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
She suddenly realized that the young emperor before her was more terrifying than she had imagined.
He not only controls power, but also people's hearts.
He knows what everyone wants, what they fear, and what choices they will make under what circumstances.
Then, he used these to weave an invisible net.
It encompasses everyone.
"His Majesty,"
Yunluan asked in a low voice:
"Xu Fenghua will enter the palace in three days. What are your plans... for her?"
Qin Mu withdrew his hand and turned to look at her:
"I have already made up my mind."
His voice returned to its usual calm:
"She was granted the title of Consort Hua and given residence in Huaqing Palace."
A hint of surprise flashed in Yunluan's eyes:
"Consort Hua? This title..."
"Hua means brilliance and prosperity," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"But it also means superficiality and fleeting nature."
Upon hearing this, Yunluan seemed to understand something.
Your Majesty means that after flowers bloom, they wither; the peak of prosperity often conceals the seeds of decline...
.......
The news, like a pot of boiling water, bubbled out from under the tightly closed vermilion gate of the Zhao residence.
At first, it was just wisps of heat, but it quickly turned into a surging, boiling wave that overflowed the high walls and rushed into the streets.
At first, no one believed it.
That was the Zhao family mansion, the residence of Zhao Mingcheng, the Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangnan. It was incredibly wealthy and had strict rules.
Madam Xu, the young mistress of the Zhao family, is also the eldest daughter of the Xu family in the northern border. She has lived a secluded life for the past six years since marrying into the Zhao family.
Although there are occasional rumors that she is very capable and secretly controls most of the Zhao family's business, those are just rumors.
How could a woman of such high status and complex background be forcibly taken as a concubine by the emperor?
Moreover, His Majesty has just returned to the capital from his northern tour, only a few days ago.
How could someone appear in Suzhou, thousands of miles away, in the blink of an eye, and do such... such a shocking thing?
"Is this fake? Who made up this lie? Don't they have a brain?"
"Exactly, of all people to criticize, why target His Majesty and the Zhao family?"
"The Xu family is the Northern Garrison Prince's Mansion! How could His Majesty do this..."
On the streets and alleys, after the initial shock, there was almost unanimous denial.
People shook their heads and sneered, thinking it was just some ignorant scoundrel who was drunk and rambling on.
However, the source of the information is becoming increasingly conclusive.
First, neighbors near the Zhao residence claimed to have witnessed a large, imposing group of unfamiliar guards completely surrounding the Zhao residence, so tightly that not even a fly could get out.
Then came the few servants who had escaped from, or rather, been "released" from, the Zhao household. They were all ashen-faced, incoherent, and could only repeat themselves:
"Your Majesty...His Majesty is inside...He wants to take the young mistress away...Master is kowtowing so hard his head is covered in blood..."
Finally, a notice bearing the official seal of the Textile Bureau was posted at the entrance of the Suzhou Prefectural Government.
It was announced that the Zhao residence would be closed to visitors immediately due to "matters concerning the reception of the emperor," and all business dealings would be temporarily handled by government officials.
Ironclad evidence.
The entire city of Suzhou seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand, instantly falling silent.
Immediately following was a volcanic eruption of uproar!
.......