Chapter 188: To Help or Not to Help
The council meeting could be considered to have ended unhappily.
However, the aftermath of the council would still spread.
Grand Secretary Wang's explosive proposal would not cease simply because of his own denial; there would certainly be people supporting Grand Secretary Wang's strategy.
After all, although the strategy was ruthless, how was it not the current best solution?
Or perhaps the best solution for the current vested interests.
After the meeting ended, Zhao Xuan did not continue to stay in the Council Hall as usual.
Now, he was a bit tired, and a feeling of mental exhaustion spread through his heart.
The plan proposed by Grand Secretary Wang, Zhao Xuan was actually the unquestionable biggest vested interest.
As a person, he simply made a choice following his heart.
But as an emperor, Minister Wang's strategy was actually the right path.
Being heartless and unrighteous was the virtue an emperor should possess most.
Zhao Xuan, having made the choice, felt somewhat like he was tying a noose around his own neck.
Zhao Xuan returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and, with a grave expression, waved his hand to dismiss the palace maids and eunuchs inside.
The palace maids and eunuchs serving around the emperor were naturally needless to mention regarding their ability to observe words and expressions.
They hurriedly lowered their heads and walked out while trying to lower the sound of their footsteps, simultaneously closing the hall door.
However, a white-haired old man wearing pale red eunuch attire was still standing in the hall, standing motionless in his original place.
He watched Zhao Xuan completely disregard royal etiquette and rush straight to the Dragon Bed, burying his head in the pillow.
If it were before, he should have spoken out to remind him.
Nowadays...
Lin Wen spoke in a low voice: "Your Majesty has already done very well."
Zhao Xuan's low voice came out:
"Eunuch Lin, you go out too and let me be quiet for a bit..."
Lin Wen did not speak, only standing silently in place.
In these troubled times, no amount of extra caution was too much; sometimes there were many things the emperor could not control.
Not getting an answer, Zhao Xuan naturally understood what that meant.
However, he did not make a sound again.
Zhao Xuan lay silently for a moment, and just when he felt his head starting to get a bit groggy, a shout from a eunuch came from outside the door:
"Your Majesty! A distinguished guest has arrived!"
Lin Wen watched Zhao Xuan, who was originally about to fall asleep, suddenly raise his head and get up.
He turned around angrily and shouted:
"Where did this eunuch come from who doesn't understand the rules?! Drag him out..."
"No matter!"
Zhao Xuan interrupted and began to smooth the folds of his Dragon Robe, asking at the same time:
"Which family's distinguished guest is it?"
Seeing this, Lin Wen hurriedly reached out to smooth Zhao Xuan's clothes.
The eunuch outside replied: "Holding the Xuanwu Order, saying it is from the Tianyan Sect of the Central Province."
Zhao Xuan paused, first looking stunned, then revealing an expression of wild joy.
Without waiting for Lin Wen to smooth the clothes, Zhao Xuan hurriedly pushed open the hall door himself, while hastily pursuing:
"Where is the distinguished guest?!"
"Waiting in the Side Hall."
Zhao Xuan trembled all over, feeling like he was dreaming.
He took two deep breaths before he recognized the situation.
Not putting on any emperor's display.
This emperor very plainly started running wildly towards the Side Hall with his legs.
——————
"What rotten tea, you just let the distinguished guest drink this? Bring out what the Emperor drinks."
Chu Xingchen took a sip of tea and felt the taste was ridiculously bland, and it also had the musty smell of being left for too long.
The palace maid brewing tea nearby hurriedly bowed and explained:
"This is top-tier Da Hong Pao. It is only taken out to entertain the most distinguished guests. His Majesty cannot usually drink this either."
Hearing this, Chu Xingchen did not make things difficult for the palace maid.
He raised his hand and used spiritual power to lift her up.
Then he took out his own tea leaves from his spatial ring and placed them in front of the palace maid.
He spoke: "Then brew my tea."
The palace maid was relieved upon hearing this.
While nodding, she took the tea leaves Chu Xingchen placed on the table.
Chu Xingchen leaned one hand on the table and looked at Li Yingling, who was flipping through the royal history books beside him, asking:
"Is there any useful information in this book?"
Li Yingling had already flipped through nearly half, so she could be considered to have the qualification to evaluate.
She answered very crisply: "Not as good as the unofficial history."
The palace maid brewing tea trembled slightly at these words.
Can't you wait until I leave to say that?!
Chu Xingchen turned his gaze to the main entrance, sighed, and said:
"The main host has finally arrived."
Hearing this, the palace maid also carefully glanced at the main entrance.
Just when she was puzzled, the big door was slowly pushed open.
Only to see Zhao Xuan breathing rapidly, his hair somewhat messy from the wind, and his clothes somewhat disheveled.
There was also Chief Steward Lin Wen, who only followed beside the emperor.
The palace maid, seeing Zhao Xuan in such a state, felt her heart seem to stop for an instant.
She hurriedly turned her head back and brewed the tea in front of her.
Zhao Xuan looked up at Chu Xingchen sitting in the main seat.
He naturally had a deep memory of him, the sect with the most limelight at the banquet.
After all, being paid attention to by all the sects participating in the banquet was truly memorable.
At that time, he guessed that the sect behind this Yuzhou City sect had the Tianyan Sect as a backer.
Now he guessed completely right, and fortunately, he also ordered them to treat Chu Xingchen well.
Whether it was the Xuanwu State Order or the great subsidy for the Yuzhou City sect, regardless of whether Chu Xingchen needed it or not, Zhao Xuan gave all the face required.
Although he didn't know this person's purpose, the situation was like this; it couldn't get worse, right.
Just treat it as reinforcements coming.
Zhao Xuan cupped his hands forward and spoke: "Senior..."
"Tired from running over?"
Chu Xingchen interrupted, signaling Zhao Xuan to sit opposite him.
"Drink tea first."
Zhao Xuan was slightly stunned when he heard this.
He looked at Chu Xingchen's calm expression, thought slightly, and then sat opposite Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen raised his hand and used spiritual power to send a cup of tea brewed by the palace maid to Zhao Xuan.
Zhao Xuan looked at Chu Xingchen and Li Yingling, who was still flipping books beside him.
Lin Wen walked over quickly, reached out and gently pressed the hand Zhao Xuan was preparing to pick up the tea cup with, while looking at Chu Xingchen, saying in a humble tone:
"The Xuanwu State Imperial Family has always had rules..."
"Eunuch Lin!"
Zhao Xuan shouted in a low voice, interrupting Lin Wen's words, while forcefully waving away Lin Wen's hand.
Without saying much more, he picked up the tea cup in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.
Lin Wen watched this scene helplessly, only able to silently retreat and walk to Zhao Xuan's side.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall seemed slightly oppressive.
Chu Xingchen spoke to ease the atmosphere:
"It's fine if you don't drink. I saw you seemed to have run all the way here, afraid you were thirsty."
"I have made a fool of myself in front of Senior."
Zhao Xuan said with a bitter smile.
Chu Xingchen shook his head gently, took the tea brewed by the palace maid nearby, took a light sip, and confirmed a fact.
It wasn't that the tea was bad, but that this palace maid simply didn't know how to brew tea.
Chen Baiqing had also brewed this tea for him; it was infinitely better than this.
Chu Xingchen shook his head gently again—this mouth had been spoiled by his own third apprentice.
Zhao Xuan waited for a moment, and seeing that Chu Xingchen did not speak, he finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked:
"May I ask if Senior came this time to lift the siege for Xuanwu State?"
Lin Wen, standing behind Zhao Xuan, couldn't help but sigh in his heart upon hearing this.
From the moment Zhao Xuan stepped into this room, the initiative of the conversation was thrown away completely by Zhao Xuan.
He didn't know if it was because the pressure this emperor carried was too great and he really couldn't catch his breath.
Or if this young man with a calm face grasped the human heart too well.
Chu Xingchen laughed softly: "Naturally."
Zhao Xuan was relieved when he heard this.
The pressure on him like a mountain was, to the Tianyan Sect, merely a matter of a sentence.
But he soon carried that pressure on again.
Chu Xingchen continued: "I am here to lift the siege, but the Tianyan Sect will not lift the siege for Your Majesty."
Zhao Xuan was stunned when he heard this.
What kind of answer is this?
If you are going to say that, aren't you just here for sightseeing and watching a joke?
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