The figure of the young boy hurriedly ran away, disappearing behind the trees.
Shan Xing sighed, "Young Master Meng is so adorable now. I hope he didn't hit his head on the pillar that day."
Lin Bozhou scoffed and remained silent, gesturing to Shen Qingyu to speak.
Shen Qingyu bowed and began discussing the matter at hand.
He was the son of Shen Zhimu, the Minister of Revenue. Lin Bozhou and Shen Zhimu were closely connected and managed the treasury operations together. However, Shen Zhimu couldn't always directly contact Lin Bozhou, so his son Shen Qingyu was always running around on his behalf.
"My father wants me to ask the Prince when he will return to the Cabinet for political discussions."
After being accused, Lin Bozhou immediately resigned due to illness, as per the protocol, and stayed in his residence awaiting the emperor's decision. But now the imperial decree had been issued, punishing those who accused him and appeasing the regent prince, which proved that the emperor trusted and approved of Lin Bozhou even more.
Lin Bozhou had won this struggle.
Shan Xing nodded. "It's time to return to the court."
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes and looked at the ripples in the water. "It's still too early."
"Too early?" Both of them looked puzzled.
Lin Bozhou resided in his mansion without giving instructions to the Cabinet. How could he easily wield his power? Currently, the court documents were piling up, and departmental affairs couldn't proceed smoothly. They were in chaos, eagerly waiting for Lin Bozhou's return to the Cabinet to resume operations.
Furthermore, Lin Bozhou hadn't left his residence for several days. More and more people in the court were making fun of him, and some had even started singing the lyrics, "Seeing him build tall towers, seeing him entertain guests, seeing him recline on the couch." Discussions were abound.
"The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works, both of them are low-ranking officials, one at the seventh rank and the other at the fifth."
Lin Bozhou glanced down and spoke word by word, "These two officials are insignificant. How dare they accuse the regent prince, who holds power in the current court? Meng Xueming has a resolute character, which I can understand, but Zhou Langjun is a person who adjusts his sails to the wind and has no moral principles. If someone says there is no one behind them, I don't believe it."
Shan Xing and Shen Qingyu exchanged knowing glances. "So..."
"So," pouring the wine in his hand into the lotus pond, Lin Bozhou said solemnly, "if we don't expose the big fish, some people might think the regent prince is a pushover, someone they can easily manipulate. In the future, accusations will come one after another. Who has so much time to deal with them?"
Shen Qingyu and Shan Xing felt a chill run down their spines.
This statement indicated that Lin Bozhou was about to take someone's life.
Shen Qingyu had known Lin Bozhou for six years, while Shan Xing had been by his side since childhood when he served in the former king's fiefdom of Guzhou. They were well aware of his methods, which were tough and ruthless. Anyone who dared to show their fangs would have them smilingly pulled out by him, their claws clipped, and then mercilessly stomped into the mud until they were crushed.
Don't offend Lin Bozhou, and he would treat you as a noble person.
Offend Lin Bozhou, and he would treat you as a lowly person.
Koi fish swam in the pond, greedily devouring the sweet wine. Ripples formed in Lin Bozhou's eyes. "To kill a big fish, we must make an example by killing a chicken to warn the monkeys."
Shen Qingyu exhaled heavily. "I'll go back and inform my father."
Lin Bozhou nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Shen Er."
Shen Er still felt a lingering chill on his back.
"Your Highness, I take my leave."
After discussing the matter at hand, there was a moment of silence before Lin Bozhou said, "Summon Meng Huan, the maid."
Meng Huan's temperament had changed greatly in the past few days, reaching an alarming level.
However, her character was still lovable, and the direction of her changes was good, which piqued his curiosity about the reasons for the change.
Outside the pavilion, the summoned maid appeared with a nervous and pale expression. She had been in the Prince's residence for several years but had never spoken to the Prince before. Her voice stuttered, "I, I pay my respects, greetings to the Prince..."
Lin Bozhou lowered his gaze and remained silent. Shan Xing asked on his behalf, "Has Lady Meng shown any unusual behavior recently?"
"Unusual?" The maid took care of every aspect of Meng Huan's life. She had seen the doctor and the servant girl, Xiaoxi, taking care of her yesterday afternoon, but that had nothing to do with her. She only came into contact with Meng Huan last night when she returned after taking a bath.
After careful consideration, the maid suddenly said, "Oh, last night Lady Meng asked a question, and after asking it, she seemed different."
Lin Bozhou glanced sideways. "What question?"
"Madam asked how much monthly salary she could receive as your wife."
"..."
On the other side, Meng Huan, completely unaware that she was being investigated, came out of the treasury, holding fifty taels of freshly minted silver.
Sixteen taels per catty, and he had more than three catties in his hands.
More than three catties of silver!
Meng Huan, who had never seen such wealth, felt that his life had reached its peak.
He looked kindly at the male servant carrying his shoulder chair and the maid holding the umbrella, and cheerfully said, "I'll prepare something delicious for you tonight when we get back."
The male servant chuckled, "Hehehe."
The maid giggled, "Hihihi."
The master and servants walked briskly, full of joy, as they returned to the large courtyard where Meng Huan lived. The regent prince was extremely generous. Not only did Meng Huan have a courtyard all to himself, but he was also assigned eight maids and eight male servants, along with two overseers.
The courtyard is also very spacious, with an open central courtyard. The houses surround it, similar to a quadrangle courtyard, and there are some flowers and plants planted in the remaining space.
Meng Huan became wealthy and began to feel dissatisfied with everything she saw. She stood in the courtyard, picking and choosing, saying, "Pull out all these wild grass and flowers and plant some beautiful ones, like peonies, roses, and carnations..."
"Alright!"
The servants happily pulled out the weeds and dug the soil.
They were so happy. In the morning, they saw Meng Huan staying by the master's side, fanning him, serving tea, and they could tell from their appearance and behavior that they had a deep affection. It was evident that their young mistress would be favored!
When the mistress is favored, she receives more rewards, and the servants also benefit from it. Their lives have a promising future.
The courtyard was filled with the scenery of spring.
A voice sounded at the gate, asking, "Is the mistress here?"
Meng Huan looked over and saw a middle-aged woman dressed neatly and cleanly. Her hair was neatly combed, and she smiled at him.
Her appearance was not bad, but behind her stood a young woman wearing luxurious clothes, with a vaguely angry expression, giving a slight bow to Meng Huan.
Who are these two?
The maid behind them spoke first, "Greetings to Madam Xu, Miss Xu."
"Madam, I am the wife of Xu Wei, the steward of the Wang residence. Since there was no mistress in the residence before, the master allowed me to temporarily manage the trivial matters in the residence. Now that the master has a wife, I thought I should report this matter and have already informed the master, allowing the mistress to manage the affairs of the residence."
"Oh."
Meng Huan understood. As a concubine, she was not qualified to manage the affairs of the residence. She pretended to ask, wanting to see if this concubine knew her place.
Satisfied with this answer, it seemed that she would still be the one in charge of the miscellaneous matters in the residence. Madam Xu smiled and prepared to leave.
The young woman behind her let out a triumphant hum when she noticed the weeds scattered throughout the courtyard.
She stopped in her tracks and asked, "Madam, what are they doing in the courtyard?"
Meng Huan was still unfamiliar with the place since she had just arrived. In her interactions with others, harmony was valued. Although she sensed a slightly unfriendly tone, she replied softly, "I plan to pull out the weeds and plant some other flowers."
Madam Xu was momentarily stunned.
She didn't expect Meng Huan to stay in the Wang residence for long.
But she smiled and remained silent. It was Miss Xu who couldn't help but speak, "Madam, please inform us in advance if you intend to move things around in the residence next time. The plants you just pulled out were not wild grass and trees but plum blossoms! The master likes plums, especially the scene of sparse shadows and clear water in spring. I had them planted in the corners of the various courtyards to please the master. They have been growing for five years, and I didn't expect that you, Madam, wouldn't understand and actually pulled them out!"
Upon hearing this complaint, Meng Huan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. Her whole body turned cold, but her scalp felt a burning sensation. She scratched her hair and said, "Is that so?"
Regardless of whether what others said was right or wrong, Meng Huan was easily embarrassed when criticized. Her ears turned red.
She slowly lowered her head and remained silent.
She felt something heavy sinking in her chest.
Madam Xu hurriedly said, "Madam, it's alright. The courtyard is where you live, so you can arrange it as you wish. Fang Gu, you talk too much."
Xu Fang Gu said, "But it's true..."
Meng Huan pursed her lips and took a deep breath.
When Madam Xu and Xu Fang Gu turned around, the maids behind them suddenly burst into cries of "Madam!" "Madam!" "Don't be sad, Madam!"
Her eyes gradually blurred.
Meng Huan rubbed her eyes, and tears began to fall.
Beside the lotus pond, as twilight descended, a dim yellow light shone into the pavilion.
Shan Xing tidied up the books on the table and put them in the bookcase. Lín Bózhōu insisted on reading, tirelessly devoting himself to reading for more than twenty years. However, it was not suitable for him to use his eyes when his eye disease recurred, so Shan Xing and a few guests read the contents of the books together, and he just listened.
Today's book is finished. Shanxing said, "My lord, it's time to have a meal."
Lin Bozhou took off the thin gauze covering his eyes and said, "Hmm, call the imperial physician again tonight."
"Yes."
Shanxing turned to leave, and a maid hurriedly approached from the front.
Lin Bozhou recognized her as one of Meng Huan's people and asked, "What's the matter?"
The maid knelt down with a thump and burst into tears, crying, "Please, my lord, please help us. Our madam, she was scolded to tears by Xu Mama and her daughter!"
"......"
They walked together towards the courtyard where Meng Huan lived.
As their shoes stepped on the stone pavement, Shanxing secretly glanced at the regent prince, who remained silent by his side. Shanxing's mood was complicated.
Based on his understanding of the lord, there were many conflicts and arguments among the women and servants in the mansion. Sometimes it would escalate to the point of illicit affairs, followed by scolding and even jumping into the well. But he never intervened.
His energy was devoted to the court, to the major matters, to the six ministries and thirteen provinces of the cabinet. He had to take care of the people and deal with political enemies, which had exhausted his thoughts, often causing headaches and sleepless nights, and his eye ailment recurred frequently.
However, this time, when Lin Bozhou heard the report, he unexpectedly stood up and said, "Where?"
They hurried to the courtyard gate. Meng Huan hung his head deeply like a small mushroom, motionless. Beside him, Xu Mama had an awkward expression, saying something, her brows showing signs of impatience.
But the moment she saw Lin Bozhou, with a thump, her expression changed faster than flipping a book, and she knelt down in front of Meng Huan, her voice filled with sorrow, "Madam, it's the servant's fault. The servant spoke too much. I beg the madam to calm down, I beg the madam to calm down..."
She was panicking.
As the housekeeper Mama in the regent prince's mansion for six years, she always considered herself the lady of the mansion, taking charge of internal affairs. She never expected that saying a few words about a concubine would alarm the lord, nor did she expect that the lord would actually come.
Xu Fanggu was surprised as she looked at her mother and said, "Mother, he is just a concubine. You are the housekeeper. Why are you kneeling?"
Lin Bozhou appeared in everyone's sight.
"......"
Xu Fanggu also knelt down with a thump.
Meng Huan lowered his head, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, his mind in a state of confusion.
He cried, simply feeling a little uncomfortable. After transmigrating into an unfamiliar book, no matter what he did, there was always someone interfering, ridiculing him. Even as a concubine, he was looked down upon, making him feel worthless and causing him to cry when things got overwhelming.
Xu Mama continued to persuade him, "Madam, why are you crying? Just speak your mind. Madam, you have a delicate temperament. I can endure any beatings and scoldings, but I can't bear to see you cry. If you're angry, slap me?"
Meng Huan said, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm useless, so I cry."
Both openly and secretly, they said he was emotionally fragile, crying after just a few scoldings.
What's the matter? They can be snide
, but I can't cry?
Meng Huan felt quite speechless. He originally wanted to wait quietly for his emotions to settle, but unexpectedly, everyone suddenly knelt in front of him.
He raised his eyes and saw Lin Bozhou a few steps away. It was approaching dusk, and darkness enveloped him from behind, casting a dim rosy hue over the forest and eaves. His tall figure stood in the shadow, his gaze gloomy as he looked at Meng Huan.
"......"
Who summoned him here? Meng Huan wiped away his tears directly.
But his eyes were still red, his nose slightly red, and his eyelashes damp from the tears. His expression carried a hint of vulnerability, and his reddened lips were slightly downturned.
Inside the pavilion, Lin Bozhou sat down and asked, "What happened?"
An indescribable sense of fear and oppression filled the air, especially when Lin Bozhou sat down expressionlessly. The participants broke out in a cold sweat, their legs trembling.
Xu Mama explained the whole story.
Lin Bozhou raised his eyes and said one word, "Hit."
Xu Mama's hands trembled, and she walked to her daughter, lifted her by the clothes, and delivered a hard slap to her mouth.
"Smack!"
She struck heavily, shocking everyone. An intense red mark appeared on the corner of her mouth, causing her hair bun to become crooked. But Xu Mama didn't stop there; she raised her hand and slapped again.
Lin Bozhou said two more words, "Leave now."
Xu Mama nodded quickly, looking at her daughter with a pained expression, her eyes filled with tears, and said, "Thank you for your mercy, my lord. Thank you for your mercy."
The people in the pavilion dispersed, leaving Meng Huan sitting there in a somewhat panicked state.
He was scared.
If they were going to receive fifty slaps each, he would be next to receive a slap.
However, unexpectedly, a shadow fell before him.
Lin Bozhou stood up, and his figure descended in front of Meng Huan. One of his hands reached out, with distinct knuckles, holding onto Meng Huan's chin.
Their eyes drew close, the narrow corners of Lin Bozhou's eyes, the night glow shimmering in his pupils, focused solely on Meng Huan's face.
From the reddened corners of his eyes in his youth to the tear-stained chin, Lin Bozhou's gaze swept across like a predator's tongue, slowly licking over.
Meng Huan felt a little scared under his intense scrutiny.
In a soft yet forceful tone, Lin Bozhou dropped two words.
"Worthless."