Chapter 67 - 1#

In the wind and snow, Jingzhe subconsciously looked into the distance.

He had been talking to Liao Jiang, and his sudden stop startled Liao Jiang.

“What is it? Did you see someone?”

Liao Jiang looked over strangely, but didn’t see a single trace of anyone.

“…Nothing.”

Just in that instant, he suddenly felt like someone was staring at him.

Jingzhe hesitated… it must have been his illusion.

His gaze penetrated the falling white snow, looking towards the distant palace. The eaves were steep, and no normal person could stay in that place, especially with such heavy snow.

“You haven’t been feeling well recently… or did what I said to you that day put too much pressure on you?” Liao Jiang couldn’t help but say, “Don’t take what I said to heart.”

He was a bit impulsive at first, wishing Jingzhe could suppress Liu Fu. Later, when he went back and thought about it carefully, he felt that securing a second-rank eunuch position beside the Manager was already a gain for him.

Even if Liu Fu ascended, and he was sent back, at least the monthly salary and rank were securely in his hands. Couldn’t he just resign immediately when Liu Fu took office?

“Aren’t you afraid he’ll keep holding onto you?”

Jingzhe touched the back of his neck and turned to look at him.

“Being afraid is useless.” Liao Jiang gave a bitter smile.

If Jingzhe could ascend, it would naturally be the best choice for him. It was just that Liu Fu’s attitude had changed in the past two days, becoming somewhat spirited.

Perhaps he had received some definite word.

Seeing his attitude, Liao Jiang’s heart went cold halfway.

However, he still served carefully in front of the Manager, daring not to show the slightest dissatisfaction. Perhaps because of a little guilt in his heart, the Manager had been increasingly amiable to him recently and even taught him quite a few tricks.

Seizing this opportunity, Liao Jiang actually learned about quite a few connections in the Manager’s hands.

“Let’s talk about it later.” Jingzhe said faintly, “If Liu Fu really ascends, I’m afraid I’ll have trouble too.”

Targeting from Liu Fu was one thing, but more importantly, it was Jiang Jinming.

Jingzhe really didn’t want Manager Jiang to ask about his progress anymore; he was even more active than Shi’en.

Liao Jiang laughed upon hearing this.

Manager Jiang Jinming was truly interesting.

The two didn’t chat for long before Liao Jiang left hurriedly. He also took advantage of his free time to sneak over and say a few words to Jingzhe.

Although he looked calm, Jingzhe knew he was actually somewhat anxious.

Jingzhe pursed his lips and sighed.

…That Liu Fu really wasn’t anything good either.

Jingzhe rarely had contact with Liu Fu because they were originally in different departments. Since he moved here, he had only seen him a few times.

But in the past two days, the number of times Jingzhe encountered Liu Fu had been increasing. How could he not feel that this was intentional on Liu Fu’s part?

Liu Fu didn’t like him.

Even more so, with a bit of jealousy.

A bit similar to Xinsheng, but more blatant.

…It was like that annoying bug back when studying in the academy, who might gather other followers to surround, beat, chase, and block someone they didn’t like.

Jingzhe had studied for a year or two and vaguely still had this impression.

Really similar.

This person seemed to have gotten some definite news from somewhere, probably feeling that he would take over the Manager position, so he became more and more unscrupulous. When he had nothing to do, he loved to dangle in front of Jingzhe.

“Jingzhe, I’m a few years older than you, so I’ll pull rank in front of you. Don’t think everything in this world can go smoothly, and everything can be as you wish.” Liu Fu chuckled, raising his hand to pat his shoulder, “Sometimes, people still need to accept their fate.”

Jingzhe turned sideways, avoiding Liu Fu’s arm.

“You’re right, so can you move aside?”

A gloom flashed across Liu Fu’s face, staring at Jingzhe relentlessly.

Shortly after Liao Jiang left, Jingzhe originally intended to go back, but bumped into Liu Fu again on the way.

“Giving you face but you don’t want it.” Liu Fu said grimly, “Don’t think that with Jiang Jinming protecting you, you can rest easy.”

He was happy these past few days, so he tolerated ordinary small matters. Every time he saw Liao Jiang’s forbearing appearance, he laughed himself to death.

The others, more or less, also got the news.

One or two seemed very respectful to him, daring not to show a presumptuous appearance in front of him again.

Only Jingzhe.

This kid was really stubborn, making people angry just looking at him.

Jingzhe: “Don’t trouble yourself. If something happens to me, everyone will know you did it.”

Liu Fu paused: “What do you mean?”

Jingzhe smiled slightly: “This is all to be blamed on us being really too coincidental recently, always bumping into each other repeatedly. Once this happens too many times, it will always cause gossip.”

As for what kind of gossip exactly, Liu Fu should know in his heart, shouldn’t he?

Liu Fu was slightly angry: “You dare to threaten me?”

Jingzhe: “How dare I, just want bridges to be bridges, roads to be roads.” When he brushed past Liu Fu, he suddenly smiled again.

“Don’t dangle in front of my eyes anymore. Do you think… they would believe my words more, or yours? Don’t forget, you are not the Manager yet.”

Liu Fu suddenly turned back, only to see Jingzhe leaving without looking back.

“This damned…”

“You’d better listen to him and not make any rash moves.”

Chen Mi walked over from behind. He was originally with Liu Fu, but seeing Liu Fu wanted to find fault and having no interest in it himself, he waited in the distance.

“Chen Mi, didn’t you see his arrogant appearance just now? Climbed up to second-rank eunuch, only a few days, and he dares to compete with me. He threw my face on the ground and stepped on it!”

Liu Fu wasn’t that angry originally, but seeing Jingzhe leave after dropping those words, he flew into a rage.

“So what?” Chen Mi said faintly, “Lest you forget, last time when he was almost taken away by the Department of Punishment, it was the Imperial Guard who fished him out.”

The matter of Wei Haidong personally blocking people happened within the Imperial Guard. Jingzhe almost never mentioned it, and ordinary people didn’t know. But even if they didn’t know it was Wei Haidong who acted, just looking at the Department of Punishment coming to the door yet him remaining unharmed was enough to show that Jingzhe couldn’t be an ordinary little eunuch.

Chen Mi: “Right now you haven’t become a Manager yet, and you’re causing trouble everywhere. Don’t think Wang Jian and the others have really accepted their fate.”

As long as the list hadn’t appeared, everything was still possible.

Liu Fu frowned, unconcerned: “Manager Jiang has accepted so much money from me, and Manager Liu endorses me. Plus, the Palm Print’s impression of me is also good. Counting down, who else is more suitable than me?”

Chen Mi chuckled lightly and didn’t say much.

Liu Fu: “Hey, what do you mean?”

Chen Mi waved his hand at him, “Doesn’t matter. What you want to do is your business. From now on, I won’t run my mouth anymore.”

Rarely, Chen Mi was one of the people Liu Fu had a decent relationship with among these people.

Liu Fu didn’t hate him much because this kid had a foul mouth, but it was foul to everyone equally. Plus, living in the same place and knowing he was withdrawn and weird, posing no threat to him, they had been able to get along amicably.

However, what Chen Mi just said still made Liu Fu very unhappy.

“Are you speaking for Jingzhe? Or do you have a grudge against me?” Liu Fu frowned, “Because you know you’re not on the candidate list?”

Chen Mi’s expression changed slightly: “This matter wouldn’t have been my turn anyway. What use is there for me to hate you?”

He felt he had said enough. If Liu Fu wouldn’t listen, he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention anymore.

After these two left, the fluttering snowflakes continued to fall, soon covering the traces just now, swallowing all those winding footprints under the pure white.

Jia San silently crossed the palace wall, seeing the target from a distance.

Jingzhe was instructing a young eunuch to do things.

He couldn’t see Jingzhe’s expression clearly, but he could feel the serious atmosphere from his movements.

At such a distance, even for Jia San, it would be extremely difficult to rush over in the instant something happened.

But he had to do this.

The target seemed more sensitive than before.

Just at this moment, the distant Jingzhe suddenly looked up, looking in Jia San’s direction.

Jia San remained motionless. Snow was the best cover. Even if Jingzhe’s eyesight was good, he couldn’t possibly penetrate the heavy cover and discover Jia San’s existence.

A moment later, Jingzhe lowered his head again, obviously feeling that the sensation just now was his illusion.

No mistake, the target was indeed sharper than before, especially having an extraordinary sensitivity to gazes.

Like an animal living in a hunting zone for years, having an instinct for danger deep in the marrow.

A rustle of grass in the wind could make him flee frantically.

Such a change only started in winter, or more accurately, since Emperor Jingyuan had frequent contact with him.

Jia San didn’t have any feelings about this. Even if this was caused by the Emperor, they had no right to gossip.

The secret guard responsible for watching Jingzhe daily wasn’t just him alone.

After confirming this change with the rotating secret guards, bits and pieces about the target were gathered into writing, finally condensed into a document lying on Emperor Jingyuan’s desk.

A pale hand picked up that document.

Emperor Jingyuan was distracted during the court assembly.

The civil and military officials below were noisy, but the Emperor seemed somewhat absent-minded. His fingers were originally playing with a safety knot, not listening to what was being said below at all.

The officials had long been familiar with the Emperor’s appearance.

Emperor Jingyuan seemed not to have listened to anything, but once a decision was needed, a sudden sentence would startle people. Maybe he actually knew everything clearly from beginning to end.

However, reading other documents openly was very obvious.

Emperor Jingyuan pinched that document and read a few glances. The originally careless expression was swept away, his dark eyes fixed on the words above.

Who knew what was written there that actually made His Majesty the Emperor laugh out loud.

That low laughter carried a strange satisfaction.

Like a sigh.

In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.

If gazes had sound, the swift reaction of everyone looking over right now would probably tear the silence in the air.

Emperor Jingyuan actually laughed.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t seen this Emperor laugh. If it was a sneer, a grim smile, or a mocking laugh, they had seen plenty. Anyway, once he laughed, it was usually when someone else was unlucky.

But this laugh now…

Mao Zishi shuddered suddenly. Has Emperor Jingyuan gone completely mad? His arms were numb now, feeling covered in goosebumps.

He subconsciously looked at Shen Zikun.

Such an action was too obvious in this court; Mao Zishi shouldn’t have done this originally.

But now, each old fox was even more surprised than him, so Mao Zishi’s action didn’t seem like much.

For some reason, Shen Zikun’s face was much calmer than the others.

Mao Zishi knew that the recent incident with the Hanlin scholar had dealt a blow to Shen Zikun, and his hair was somewhat whiter than before. However, he never revealed his emotions when outside, so relying on observation alone, Mao Zishi couldn’t see much.

Just as Mao Zishi was about to turn back, he saw Shen Zikun suddenly sigh and laugh lightly.

With a bit of nostalgia.

Mao Zishi was stunned. Just then, Emperor Jingyuan’s cold voice sounded: “Why are you one or two looking at me?”

Emperor Jingyuan sat lazily on the throne, holding the document with two fingers, half blocking his face. His indifferent black eyes swept down, and that terrifying pressure shrouded the hall. For a time, even the sound of breathing seemed to disappear.

Alright, Emperor Jingyuan was still Emperor Jingyuan.

That moment just now must have been a dream. Mao Zishi twitched the corner of his mouth.

Elder Chen said slowly: “Your Majesty, we were debating the matter of disaster relief just now. If we follow Lord Qiu’s words and wait any longer, I’m afraid more people will die.”

Qiu Chuming said coldly: “If we open the granaries now, when the disaster becomes more severe later, there will be nothing left to sustain us.”

Mao Zishi’s mouth twitched even more violently.

These two old foxes were also capable, directly ignoring the subtle atmosphere just now and continuing the previous conversation.

It was just that right now, Mao Zishi couldn’t listen to a single word of what was being said in the court.

He was itching to know why Emperor Jingyuan laughed just now.

…

“Jingzhe, Jingzhe?”

Jingzhe snapped back to reality, raising his hand to catch the falling vase. His movements were extremely fast, startling Huiping who was about to pounce over.

“Why are you zoning out so badly?” Huiping frowned, looking at the jade vase against the wall with lingering fear.

Jingzhe held the vase and checked it, finding that the bottom was already somewhat unstable. Perhaps he accidentally bumped into it just now, so it was normal for it to fall.

“Have to report it as damage.” Jingzhe murmured, “It’s been really strange recently.”

He put the jade vase back and rubbed his face.

“I don’t know either, I always feel like someone is staring at me.” Jingzhe sighed, “But, you also know, there are so many people coming and going in this Directorate of Palace Maintenance. Is there any place to hide people that I wouldn’t know?”

It was clearly that there was no such person, yet Jingzhe always felt someone was watching, which made his nerves a bit tense.

That cold gaze really made one uncomfortable.

“Are you sure someone is really staring at you?” Huiping paused, “Is it Liu Fu’s people?”