Chapter 266: Controlling, Leaving Matters Unsettled

Kang Qinw.a.n.g was very moved, that heart just like eating iced pickled plum soup in the middle of summer, cool and refreshed. As expected, in this world, there was no one that understood him more than Yaoer. Li Hong Yi left to go work in high spirits.

Once the person walked far, Yao Rao, still carrying infatuation on her face, stared fixedly at Kang Qinw.a.n.gs back, yet her eyes were like a pool of dead water. This courtyard right now was her residence. Ever since she helped him break free from the fate of confinement and possibly losing his n.o.bility t.i.tle, she just moved in. Although cant compare with the main courtyard, it was still very exquisite and luxurious. However, these things, she simply didnt care for.

Yao Rao got up, returning to the soft recliner in the pavilion, and like a boneless snake, lazily rested on her stomach, twirling her hair with great boredom. She and the Qi Yuan Empress were inherently two entirely different kind of people. But, there was one thing that was the same and that was just the desire for power, just the path they took were different. What she wanted was equal status with men, and can be as a subject. She didnt need to rule the world. Her birth also destined her to be unable to walk to that step.

He promised her, once this matter is complete, she will be conferred as a marquis in the future, a female marquis, the kind that can attend court and partic.i.p.ate in politics.

(T/N: In chinese theres a distinction between a woman holding a n.o.ble t.i.tle in her own right, or being the wife of someone with a t.i.tle, for example is literally female marquis, whereas is marquiss wife. I wanted to make this distinction here, which was why I didnt translate it as marchioness.)

Probably because she was thinking from an outsiders position, and also because she didnt get secretly influenced by anyone, after finding out about the capitals current state of affairs at close distance, she just faintly sensed something wrong.

And in reality, based on Li Hong Yis trip to the palace this time, she for the most part already confirmed this bit.

Even if according to Li Hong Yis detailed explanation, the Empress had just said those few words, and Li Hong Yi, that idiot, also wasnt able to make out Qi Yuan Empresss change in expression, Yao Rao still was able to make out a kind of att.i.tude called tacit approval from within.

Thats why, everything was all within Yao Raos predictions. She, according to the possible developments, guided Li Hong Yi on how to speak, and even with more than one version. This kind of thing, for her, was practically just a light carriage on a familiar road, just like earlier how she just easily controlled Li Hong Yis mood. The target was just a brainless, arrogant and conceited, just likes to listen to good things type. Truthfully speaking, this kind of person becoming the emperor, ten out of ten would be an incompetent ruler.

Then, with the Empresss efforts in instructing her son not working, and Yao Rao being able to make Li Hong Yi completely obedient towards her in just a few days time, where exactly did the Empress lose?

In the end, the Empress was merely just controlling through high pressure and desire for absolute control.

But Yao Rao wasnt like this. She was able to clearly grasp a mans mental state, adapting to someones taste, and at the same time, also consider for the other party in every possible way. Especially in Li Hong Yis current state, her wanting to take advantage of the situation was just too easy.

Just, being too easy instead made it somewhat boring. Men that have been defeated by her hands were truly too many, but ones this effortless like this time really was a first. However, she will still stay in Kang Qinw.a.n.g Manor. After all, theres nothing more convenient than following an actual power wielding w.a.n.gye, being able to further grasp the information she wanted from his hands. Moreover, without needing to do anything herself, the other party will just voluntarily offer it up. Not only was the difficulty gone, she further wont have worries about her life.

Just, unfortunately, if only Kang Qinw.a.n.g was able to switch with Jin Qinw.a.n.g, itll be even more perfect.

However, the contradictions on Jin Qinw.a.n.g the other side still havent resolved. However, according to the circ.u.mstances theyve gathered these past few days, the other party really didnt have any power at all. For an ordinary person, no matter how secretive, still wouldnt be able to hold out against someone tailing day and night, right? If really scheming something big, its impossible to not have the slightest dealings with court officials.

If it was being aware of the situation and deliberately avoiding, it was still okay, but she believed her actions were secretive. And moreover, the ones she utilized this time were all the new faces that had been recently sent over, and have also gone through rigorous training, all very strong in all aspects. Even so, they still didnt find any improper areas. Then, was it really just her overthinking?

She firmly furrowed her brows, and in the end, could only temporarily have this matter put down.

The affairs of Qi Yuans capital, she still needed even more understanding of, and when necessary, perhaps need to meet with certain spies that she originally shouldnt easily make contact with. Right now, it was still better to wait a little longer.

However, regarding Jin Qinw.a.n.g, she can still try to understand from the side. In Kang Qinw.a.n.g Manor, wasnt there also a few entertainers that recently came from Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor? It would be a waste to not use. Side characters also had side characters use. Some inconspicuous things perhaps can provide for her an unexpected harvest.

Thus, Yao Rao immediately just let someone have those people called over, the excuse, for the sake of better serving w.a.n.gye.

After Kang Qinw.a.n.g learned of this, his mood couldnt be better. As expected, it was still this kind of beauty that he favored the most.

As for Li Hong Ming, he was originally still suspecting whether or not hed gotten secretly schemed against by the others, but seeing Li Hong Yis recent behavior, he was practically certain that everything had something to do with him.

It was obvious, there were many that similarly wanted to have Shen Shu Han, this Right Commander-in-Chief, kicked down, while they themselves or someone they support take his position. For a time, it was everyone pus.h.i.+ng to collapse the wall, countless people throwing stones to weigh him down. Even if the members of Li Hong Mings faction simultaneously went into battle, it was still not enough power. Right now, it was just choosing one of two, either Shen Shu Han admits that the others of the Shen family were all working for him, singlehandedly shouldering the guilt, and from hereon return home in retirement, while the others get a lighter sentence, or just have his guilt pushed down, shouldering a guilt of incompetence in disciplining, and then penalize by cutting a bit of his salary, while the others will probably be severely punished.

Under certain peoples pus.h.i.+ng along the wave, there wasnt a third path to choose from.

The final outcome of the discussion was still preserving Shen Shu Han. Military power, to Li Hong Ming, was truly too important. This practically was something within expectations, but losing the others of the Shen family also made Li Hong Ming vomit blood from extreme anger attacking the heart.

As such, Li Hong Yuans goal also just perfectly reached halfway.

However, such a heavy blow wasnt able to make him depressed, instead arousing an even stronger fighting spirit, his eyes scarlet red, secretly vowing that he must compensate back from other places.

Never mind starting to hinder Li Hong Yi openly and secretly, towards the people under him, he also went all out in reorganizing. Some things, prior to getting exposed by someone, he will have it strangled to death in the cradle first, acting out ruthlessly and viciously, and the one that got implicated and treated as guilty by a.s.sociation also werent in the minority. However, doing this was also indeed effective. At least, his unbroken succession of troubles reduced by a lot.

This continued for half a month before Li Hong Ming finally was able to catch his breath.

By the time he turned back to ask about the matter regarding the gongbi style, the matter had already gotten completely suppressed. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, he didnt have the person kept under his eyelid, and also couldnt send too many people to protect. Because once theres too many people, they will certainly draw in suspicion. After all, the other party was just a poor scholar that had a bit of gift in painting. What capabilities did he have to make others regard this highly? However, there were also those that posed themselves as righteous people, personally vowing to protect the other party in order to prevent Head Minister Luo from taking desperate action.

And it was precisely so that allowed someone to find a loophole, accidentally just getting discovered by someone with a discerning eye that, that painting from reportedly several years ago actually was just made to look old. There was even a rough sketch pressed in between, appearing to be several years old, and should still be at the beginning stages, even carrying the marks of the freehand style, but it clearly possessed Luo Jing Bos style.

As such, it couldnt be more obvious. It was the other party that obtained Luo Jing Bos rough sketch, and for the sake of prestige, was unscrupulous in their means.

Its not that no one suspected it was the Luo family that did something, but wasnt this slapping those righteous peoples faces? They had the person protected airtight, so how could the Luo family do anything? The matter got uncovered, and feeling that their loyal heart had gotten trampled on, and also feeling guilty towards the Luo family, after all how could the Luo family, with that kind of family principle, do this kind of thing, whether it was out of resentment or out of shame, in the end, that poor scholar got beaten until nearly losing his life. This matter also just ended with things unsettled.

Just, Li Hong Ming, when facing Luo Pei Shan, kept feeling the other partys gaze was very cold.