20demayo Chapter 374 Whoever is soft-hearted is a dog
Chapter 374 Whoever is soft-hearted is a dog
The Regent's Palace had spies all over the country.
As everyone knows, the main line is the residence of the Regent Prince.
There are even more hidden threads; only Mu Nanzhao himself knows exactly how many.
Among the many official residences in the capital, the least likely place to have the regent's spies is probably the Xiao He residence.
Mu Nanzhao and He Jinghui had more than just a superficial superior-subordinate relationship.
They are childhood friends, close friends, and confidants.
They are loyal companions in times of trouble, and steadfast allies on the same boat amidst the turbulent political landscape.
Even setting aside the long-standing friendship between the Mu and He families.
Whether from an emotional or interest perspective, these two have long been inseparable and there is absolutely no possibility of them doubting each other.
The wooden box that Jiang Mingyuan delivered to Xiao He's residence, only the people in Xiao He's residence knew what was inside.
However, Mu Nanzhao's intelligence network had a gap in the area of Xiao He's residence.
He Jinghui always promptly informed him of any inside information related to the He family.
This means that whatever He Jinghui knows, the Regent's Palace will know immediately, which is more convenient and faster than any spy.
But this time, as fate would have it, a series of coincidences just happened to come together.
Gu Xixi received apricot blossoms on the morning of the opening of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
When He Jinghui got home and learned of this, he wanted to tell Mu Nanzhao, but Mu Nanzhao was also in Jingzhao Prefecture at the time.
So He Jinghui waited until the afternoon, but had to leave in a hurry because of an urgent matter at the Ministry of Revenue.
By the time he finished his work, it was already midnight. That night, he stayed at the Ministry of Revenue. At daybreak, he and his colleagues rode out of the capital to a neighboring county to inspect the mobilization of poultry for locust control.
……
He Jinghui went through the process on his fingers, and finally regained his confidence.
“I just got back to Beijing this evening and came straight to your house.”
"So the apricot blossom incident is not my fault."
"Although I almost forgot, I only just met you in person, and I didn't have a chance to say it before."
With reason and evidence, Mu Nanzhao, no matter how unhappy he was, had no grounds to criticize.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Who have been invited to tomorrow's flower-viewing banquet?"
“That’s too many,” He Jinghui said, thinking that Mu Nanzhao wouldn’t care who went.
Rather, it's about whether there are people he doesn't like among them.
He Jinghui smiled knowingly and said, "I had already read all the posts that Jinglan wrote beforehand."
"Since it's to promote the opening of the store, the sons and daughters of various families are naturally indispensable. They know best how to enjoy life and are most willing to spend money."
"There were several renowned scholars and ladies of both talent and virtue present at the flower-viewing banquet."
"remain……"
He Jinghui paused, observing Mu Nanzhao's expression, before continuing, "And the scholars who made the list this year."
“The top three scholars, namely the first, second, and third place winners, are naturally among them.”
Upon hearing the words "top scholar," Mu Nanzhao finally reacted.
"Jiang Mingyuan also accepted the invitation?"
He Jinghui nodded, "It's hard to say whether the others will come, but Jiang Mingyuan..."
"I think he will participate."
Those who made the list will all enter officialdom.
Some of them, whether openly or covertly, have already pledged their allegiance to others.
Whether or not they attend the flower-viewing banquet at Xiao He Mansion depends entirely on the relationship between their "teacher" and Xiao He Mansion.
However, Jiang Mingyuan rejected all attempts to win him over from the moment he entered the capital.
Even after achieving the top score in the exam, he still adhered to his principles.
He did not seek refuge with any high-ranking official, nor did he accept any marriage alliance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't still be living in that same inn.
He Jinghui said, "Jiang Mingyuan really has no reason not to come to the flower viewing banquet."
"Besides, he is familiar with Xixi and Anqing, so even if it's just out of friendship, he will surely do us the honor."
Mu Nanzhao's eyes were half-closed, revealing no emotion.
"Friendship?"
"I think they clearly have ulterior motives."
He Jinghui laughed, "Saying that you have ulterior motives is a bit of an exaggeration. At most, it's killing two birds with one stone and taking care of both sides."
Mu Nanzhao raised his eyes, "So you want to balance friendship and romantic feelings?"
He Jinghui touched his nose to cover up his embarrassment, "I didn't say that. Don't say things you shouldn't."
When the top scholar was parading through the streets, he made a special stop to greet Gu Xixi.
Mu Nanzhao had heard about this matter before.
But what he didn't expect was that Jiang Mingyuan would actually send the top scholar's hairpin to Xiao He's residence the very next day.
How audacious!
He Jinghui sighed, "Speaking of which, Jiang Mingyuan is really a good person."
"He probably knew that Mr. Gu didn't want to attract attention, and he probably didn't want to force Mr. Gu to make a choice."
"Therefore, he did not publicly pick flowers to present to her during the parade."
"But the next morning, he sealed the apricot blossoms in a box and handed it to Boss Gu to open himself."
"This shows his firm commitment to Boss Gu."
As he spoke, he stole a glance at Mu Nanzhao, "But what if we look at it from the perspective of a love rival?"
"The more thorough Jiang Mingyuan is, the more people hate him."
"You can't find anything wrong with him, isn't that infuriating!"
Seeing that Mu Nanzhao remained silent, He Jinghui proudly raised his eyebrows.
At this moment, he is absolutely the Regent's only mouthpiece!
However, it is by no means easy to see the regent worry about his beloved woman or even lose his composure like an ordinary man.
Knowing Mu Nanzhao's temperament well, He Jinghui was no longer in a hurry.
He poured himself a cup of Lao Jun Mei tea, which had cooled slightly and tasted refreshing and invigorating.
Think back to the past, when has Mu Nanzhao ever been eager to treat anyone?
Never!
So I might as well stay here with him tonight, or I might as well stay here and not leave.
I refuse to believe I can't force him to tell the truth!
However, this time, Mu Nanzhao reacted much faster than before.
Before He Jinghui had even drunk half a cup of tea, he heard Mu Nanzhao say:
"Come, let's see you off."
That's it? He Jinghui almost spat out his tea. "You're in such a hurry to get rid of me?!"
Mu Nanzhao didn't even give him a glance.
"You're too noisy."
The guards outside the study only obeyed their master's orders and had already pushed open the door from the outside.
He Jinghui couldn't very well throw a tantrum in front of the servants, so he had no choice but to stand up and walk out.
He muttered and cursed as he walked, "Crossing the river and then destroying the bridge!"
"Boss Gu hasn't explicitly refused the apricot blossom yet after receiving it!"
"If you can't sleep tonight and come begging to me tomorrow for your regret, I won't help you anymore!"
"Anyone who's soft-hearted is a dog!"
……
He Jinghui walked away muttering to himself.
Mu Nanzhao closed the book beside him, looked out the window, his gaze deep.
Today is sunny and breezy, not too hot, perfect weather for flower viewing and spring outings.
Just as dawn broke, Gu Xixi was forcibly dragged out of bed by He Jinglan and her maids.
He Jinglan said, "There are many guests today, and we are both the main characters, so we must dress up carefully."
Fortunately, the clothes and matching jewelry were chosen last night.
After washing up and having breakfast, she would spend an hour dressing up in front of the mirror.
Gu Xixi had given up on making her own choice, closing her eyes and letting the maids do whatever they wanted to her.
Finally, Guangzhu said it was done, her tone full of pride.
Gu Xixi snapped out of her daze and belatedly realized that something was amiss with her mind.
She opened her eyes and was instantly shocked by her reflection in the mirror.
Is this still Gu Xixi?