Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Pretentious

Chapter 43

The autumn wind blew slowly, bringing a bit of chill.

A few days had passed since that incident, and Jiang Yu was still going to the palace as usual.

At this moment, Jiang Yu stood behind the carved Huanghuali imperial desk. Although he lowered his head slightly, he stood straight, looking neither humble nor servile.

Behind the imperial desk sat the prince, who stared at the memorial in his hand without looking away, frowning slightly, as if he was annoyed by the content on it, but soon turned his eyes to Jiang Yu standing in front of him.

The official uniforms of the Shanggong Bureau are special, probably to distinguish them from other women in the palace. There are no beautiful embroidery, nor are there waist-pinching cuts. They are barrel-shaped and can be put on directly.

But Jiang Yu's outfit was no less impressive. The belt was tied on the fat official uniform, and the fluffy clothes made her waist look even slimmer. The rice-sized pearls on the pearl crown hung down and pressed on her forehead, making her skin more radiant and fair, revealing a little girl's cuteness.

The calm demeanor on Jiang Yu's face added a bit of different style. She was really three parts charming and seven parts dignified. The more you look at her, the more you can't look away.

The prince was a little dazed for a while. In his eyes, Jiang Yu had always been gentle and obedient. No matter when, she would always stand behind him and try to make things right for him.

Occasionally, a glance from him would make Jiang Yu very happy. When she smiled at him, she was as gentle as the spring water of East Lake.

It turned out that Jiang Yu was like this when she left him.

The atmosphere in the room was depressing and solemn. The eunuch Xu Bao on the side even clenched his hands in his sleeves uncomfortably, thinking that it was a bit unusual for His Royal Highness to meet this person.

Xie Wenlan, who came with him, also felt uncomfortable. She was experienced in officialdom and was not afraid of the majesty of the superiors, but today she felt particularly difficult.

"Your Highness, this is the memorial from Lord Xiang that you asked for."

The prince sat up straight, looked at Xie Wenlan, and said, "Lord Xiang wrote five or six memorials, but they have been kept in the Shanggong Bureau. Is that so?"

Xie Wenlan also felt strange. In theory, these memorials should be sent directly to the six ministries, and then from the six ministries to the cabinet. The Shanggong Bureau is just a place to assist the emperor in drafting documents. Moreover, because the Shanggong Bureau showed weakness, it has been on the edge in recent years and rarely participated in such major events.

So someone deliberately hid it there?

The prince lowered his head and restrained his eyes, making people feel a little unpredictable. "Although this matter is a little weird, it is just a man-made disaster."

"Sir Xie, you must know that if a thorough investigation is launched, your Shanggong Bureau will be the first to be implicated."

Xie Wenlan was also well aware of the seriousness of the matter. After hearing this, she hurriedly restrained the sharpness around her, lowered her head, and said helplessly, "Your Highness, I really didn't know."

The prince said, "Sir Xie, since this matter started from the Shanggong Bureau, we have to find out the truth."

"That's right."

"Then please go to Lord Xiang in Yingzhou and investigate the matter thoroughly."

Only then did Xie Wenlan know that the prince was going to use her. Naturally, she was very happy and said, "I will do my best and will not let Your Highness down."

After a while, Xie Wenlan and Jiang Yu came out of the imperial study. It rained yesterday, and water accumulated on the white jade steps. The two of them carefully avoided it, but even so, Xie Wenlan still stepped on it.

The water splashed onto the hem of the official robe, staining it. However, Xie Wenlan was in a good mood and said thankfully, "It's terrible. Fortunately, His Majesty said today that he would not see guests. Otherwise, seeing me like this, he would say that I am unkempt."

The emperor's health was getting worse and worse, and he almost didn't care about the affairs of the court. Naturally, the prince gradually began to take over. Xie Wenlan was afraid that she would be disliked by the new master, and she was also worried. Now the Shanggong Bureau is still there, mostly because of the emperor's sympathy. She was really afraid that the new master would have the same ideas as those pedantic people.

However, today the prince asked her to go to Yingzhou to do business, which was naturally a great opportunity.

Jiang Yu tried her best to pretend that nothing happened. After all, it had been seven or eight days since the incident, but every time she saw the prince, there was always a sharpness in his eyes that she couldn't understand.

"Go back and rinse it with water, and it won't be visible."

Xie Wenlan hooked Jiang Yu's shoulder and said with a smile, "You still have a way." Then, as if she remembered something, she said solemnly, "Ayu, I won't be back for several months after I leave this time. There is no one in the Shanggong Bureau who can support it. I have to trouble you."

The prince asked Xie Wenlan to recommend someone to temporarily replace the Shanggong Bureau after he left the capital. Xie Wenlan naturally recommended Jiang Yu. Although she had little experience, she was the most prudent in doing things, and Xie Wenlan liked her very much.

Jiang Yu said solemnly, "Don't worry, Lord Xie, I won't let you down."

Xie Wenlan smiled again and pinched Jiang Yu's cheek. She felt that her touch was delicate and her skin was really as white as cream. She said jokingly, "Okay, don't be so serious. What can the Shanggong Bureau do? It's just drinking tea every day and paying respects to the prince in the imperial study." After saying that, she sighed.

Jiang Yu understood her thoughts. Xie Wenlan's thoughts were all about how to revitalize the Shanggong Bureau and give more women more opportunities. This was of course what she was looking forward to. She secretly made up her mind not to disappoint her expectations.

In this way, Jiang Yu went to the imperial study every day to pay respects to the prince.

The autumn rain was drizzling, sometimes stopping and sometimes clearing up. Jiang Yu came a little early today. When she arrived at the door, she saw the eunuch Xu Bao nodding slightly at her and said, "Lord Jiang, His Highness is waiting for you."

Jiang Yu walked in with her skirt lifted. She saw a nine-dragon spitting water gilded hollow incense burner lit inside. The curling white smoke, with the familiar lily fragrance, was exactly what she liked.

And the prince was sleeping on the Huanghuali desk.

The prince's profile was elegant and handsome. Perhaps because he was asleep, it brought out a bit of softness, but Jiang Yu knew how much sharp edge was hidden in those eyes, noble and arrogant.

Perhaps he heard something, the prince opened his eyes, and now he was confused as he just woke up. Seeing Jiang Yu coming over, he blurted out, "Ayu, pour me some tea."

Perhaps the prince himself did not notice that there was a bit of tenderness in his tone that he did not even notice.

Jiang Yu gently turned sideways, lowered his eyelids, and shouted to the door in a respectful but somewhat distant manner, "Eunuch Xu."

Xu Bao hurried in, and as soon as he came in, he saw the prince looking at him gloomily. He felt scared and almost fell down.

"Your Highness, do you have any instructions?"

Jiang Yu said for the prince, "Your Highness wants tea."

Eunuch Xu felt that the atmosphere in this place was not right, but he had no excuse to leave, so he had to bite the bullet and go to the side to pour tea.

While the prince was drinking the tea, Xu Bao ran away like a rabbit. He was not a fool. It was very rare that he happened to meet Jiang Yu and the prince alone today, so he always had to avoid them.

Seeing that others were still not coming and Xu Bao was leaving, Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, I have nothing else to do today, so I will take my leave first."

But before Jiang Yu could step out of the door, he saw the prince who had been silent the whole time said coldly, "You have spent so much effort and hardship just to get close to me. Why are you acting so pretentiously here?"

Jiang Yu almost laughed out of anger.