But after just one glance, the person in front of him turned his head, revealing a cool profile and a flower hairpin.
Ye Xingge withdrew his gaze. "I drank a bit too much yesterday, and I almost couldn't get up today."
"Hmph~"
Luo Xuanqing, considering the enjoyment they had the night before, didn't hold it against them and helped take the tray, teasing them along the way:
"You drank the wine last night, ate the food, and even put away the hairpin, but you just went straight to sleep, leaving me to wash the dishes. Don't say I didn't give you a chance in the future."
Ye Xingge was simply afraid of upsetting Great Beauty and sending her back to her parents' home, so she smiled and said:
"I didn't perform well yesterday, but I'll definitely try harder next time."
As she spoke, she looked outside again:
"Don't I need any assignments since I'm new here?"
"No rush, let me show you the way first, so you don't forget where your superior is and have to run home if anything happens..."
"Good..."
A light rain was falling outside the corridor, and there was no noise from between the buildings.
Ye Xingge followed behind the Great Beauty Luo around, and could see that the back hall was where the high-ranking military officers worked. The Great Beauty Luo's office was at the very back. After entering, there was a spacious office with bookshelves along the wall, filled with various files.
In the center was a large desk with a sword stand behind it, on which sat a Black Banner Saber inlaid with gold thread. It was probably the official sword of the Great Beauty Luo, but it was definitely never used and was purely used as a decorative ceremonial sword.
Luo Xuanqing entered the office, placed his things on the desk, sat down on the tea table by the window, and began to brew tea.
"Come sit down and have some tea first."
Ye Xingge had actually been to the county magistrate's study before, but it was inferior to this one in both size and furnishings. He wanted to sit down, but after glancing around, he saw that the bookshelves were full of all kinds of case files, all of which were either closed or unclosed cases. The names of Cloud and Rain Tower and Mantanghong were among them.
Ye Xingge a few times, noticing that most of them contained familiar events. However, one file had no label attached, which piqued his curiosity.
Whose case is this?
Luo Xuanqing slowly and methodically brewed Gongfu tea, his technique quite professional:
"The old cases left over from the previous dynasty, the real secrets are all with Mei Wuchang. You can look through everything here as you please."
"Yeah."
Upon seeing this, Ye Xingge took out the file. It was clear that it had been stored away for at least several decades; the paper was yellowed. The content was roughly as follows:
On the eighth day of the sixth month of the twelfth year of the Xuande reign, Emperor Huai held a family banquet in the palace. The Crown Prince and Prince of Ning were at the table. The emperor and his ministers ate together, but the emperor and the crown prince both died suddenly from food poisoning. Prince of Ning also contracted the poison but was saved by the imperial physicians...
?
Ye Xingge was taken aback. Although he had heard about this matter over tea and from Yang Tuyan in the past, he had never seen the detailed government records.
He immediately took the file, sat down opposite the tea table, and began to examine it carefully:
"Was this done by Emperor Ai?"
Because it was a matter from the previous dynasty, Luo Xuanqing didn't try to hide it too much; he simply focused on brewing tea.
"Of course, otherwise wouldn't the Great Yan's rule be illegitimate?"
Well...
The Great Yan was a classic example of a military general usurping power...
Ye Xingge was very knowledgeable about the history of the three dynasties, but he certainly couldn't tell the truth in official circles, so he continued to flip through the files.
It was soon discovered that the file was not investigating the cause of Emperor Huai of Zhou's death, but rather that more than forty years ago, when Emperor Huai and the Crown Prince had their accident, there was a young prince who was recuperating at the South Lake Temporary Palace due to his frail health since childhood.
With the sudden deaths of Emperor Huai and the Crown Prince, the South Lake Temporary Palace was unsurprisingly assassinated at the same time. A fire almost destroyed the entire palace. The court searched for the remains afterward but could not find the remains of the young prince.
Prince of Ning, who was also poisoned, was rescued and ascended the throne. He naturally ordered the Heaven-Observing Pavilion and other government departments to search for the young prince with all their might, saying that he would abdicate and return power to the emperor after finding him, but he definitely wanted to kill him.
They searched for decades, until the dynasty changed, but no major government office found any clues. The current Emperor of Yan is also searching to prevent anyone from using their legitimate bloodline to cause trouble.
However, after so many years, the world was almost in ruins, and there were still no clues. Naturally, the matter was shelved by the authorities.
Ye Xingge flipped through various files from investigations over the decades and, halfway through, discovered a yellowed portrait of a child, with delicate features and quite handsome appearance.
Upon seeing this, Ye Xingge picked up the portrait and examined it carefully, scrutinizing it by the light from the window.
Luo Xuanqing was leisurely brewing tea when he saw this and looked up to check, then his gaze fell on Ye Xingge's focused face.
"A full forehead, clear and deep eyes, upright posture, and a broad bridge of the nose... you seem to have the countenance of an emperor, possessing three-tenths of the spirit of this portrait..."
"Um?"
Upon hearing the Ye Xingge, Ye Xingge staggered and quickly put the portrait down.
"This is no joke. If the little prince were really alive, he'd be almost fifty this year. How old am I? It would be troublesome if someone heard this."
Luo Xuanqing chuckled, "Having the countenance of an emperor doesn't necessarily mean you have to become one. What if you achieve great merit in the future and are granted the title of a king of a different surname?"
Ye Xingge agreed, but while it was acceptable to discuss such matters with fortune tellers in outlying counties, it would be lawless to do so in the capital's government offices. He quickly put away the files and changed the subject.
" Sister Luo can read faces?"
Luo Xuanqing raised her eyebrows slightly:
"I used to be a Daoist School fairy from Mount Jiuhua, so I can naturally tell fortunes and read faces. Would you like to have your fortune told?"
Ye Xingge had some doubts about Great Beauty Luo's abilities, and thought for a moment:
"Does Sister Luo know how to predict marriage?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Xuanqing leaned slightly forward, leaning against the small table, and glanced at Ye Xingge's broad shoulders and back:
"What? Looking for a lover?"
Ye Xingge was simply flirting with the girl.
"I'm almost twenty, and my mom keeps pressuring me to find a partner, but I'm a bit too picky. If you're good at divination, Sister Luo, could you take a look at my chart?"
Luo Xuanqing hadn't done her old profession in a long time, but seeing that this brat insisted, she still adopted the mystical demeanor of a Daoist Ye Xingge over, carefully examined his palm, and then used his birth date and time for calculations:
"When the Peach Blossom Star is activated in the current year, the Wealth Star is in harmony, the Red Phoenix Star is secretly stirring, and romantic Gathering Power to Strike..."
Ye Xingge looked at it carefully and asked:
"Does that mean it'll be soon?"
Luo Xuanqing frowned and calculated, feeling that it wasn't just soon, but rather—imminent, almost upon them, ten, nine, eight, seven, six...
But before she could fully calculate the exact time, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside:
Tap tap tap...
Ye Xingge was taken aback and quickly withdrew his hand and sat up straight.
Luo Xuanqing was also afraid of being discovered by his subordinates for flirting with men in the office, so he changed to sitting upright and looking like a serious official.
Whoosh~
And in the next instant, the office door was pushed open.
Chen Xuance barged in headfirst, his thick eyebrows and large eyes brimming with excitement:
" Lord Luo, what about the Inspection Bureau...?"
Snap--
Before Luo Xuanqing could even settle into her seat, she saw this and her eyebrows furrowed in anger. She lightly tapped the tea table, her eyes turning slightly cold.
Chen Xuance was startled and immediately stood at attention. He then stepped out the door, bowed respectfully, and reported:
" Lord Luo, I have important matters to report!"
Luo Xuanqing continued brewing tea slowly and methodically:
"Why such recklessness? Has Ruan Jinyu died in the line of duty?"
Chen Xuance was probably a little excited, and he lost his composure when he spoke:
"No, if Commander Ruan had died in the line of duty, I would have set off firecrackers first, not come here to report good news. It's Gold List the list of successful candidates has been released, and the Inspection Bureau just received the list and is assigning tasks to verify it. I secretly glanced at it, and Brother Ye's name is on it, ranked Third Rank in the top three..."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingge's eyes lit up.
After all, "the wedding night and the day of Gold List " are the four great joys in life, and the difficulty of getting on the Gold List of successful candidates is actually about the same as passing the Gold List.
"Really? Lord Chen, you must be joking..."
" Gold List is a big deal, would I joke about that? Same as always, Jade Immortal... no, Jade Immortal House was smashed up by you, brat..."
Chen Xuance was speaking with obvious delight when he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lord Luo's expression had stiffened slightly. He sat properly on the tea table without saying a word, then turned his head:
" Lord Luo? You... you're not happy?"
"..."
Luo Xuanqing was initially happy, but last night while drinking with a man, she accidentally placed a "big bet"—if she lost, she would be groped...
In front of his subordinates, Luo Xuanqing certainly couldn't show any weakness. He simply coughed lightly and continued brewing tea slowly and methodically.
"His potential is at least First Rank; passing the Gold List examination is only a matter of time. Let's go and see what the General's Mansion and the palace are thinking."
Chen Xuance felt he might have disturbed his superior's attempt to sexually harass a subordinate, so he quickly cupped his hands in greeting:
"Yes, sir, I'll go right away!"
Ye Xingge stood at the door watching him go, a smile on his face. Only after Old Chen had gone far away did he close the door and turn back to look at the Three Feet One- tall man.
(←?←)?
(⊙_⊙)!