Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Chapter 145 Helper

The next morning, Xu Muxin rushed to the Xiao residence to convey the man's original words.

"He wants to see me?"

Su Zhi was surprised. How could someone like her, who was in the eye of the storm, be more effective than the Empress Dowager's granddaughter?

Xu Muxin said with difficulty, "If you don't want to go, I'll tell him."

"No! They finally agreed; we can't miss this opportunity. Did they say when and where we'd meet?"

"At the hour of You (5-7 PM), Wei Yan Lou."

"At night? Could he possibly leave the palace?"

"His Majesty ordered him to look after Prince Jin, and he may travel among the common people for a month."

"I was surprised that Your Majesty forgave Prince Jin so quickly."

"The Crown Prince is not his biological son, and he dislikes the eldest grandson and Prince Yong, so he probably has no other choice. However, keeping male favorites is not a big deal. As long as he produces an heir, who will dare to criticize him once he ascends the throne?"

Su Zhi's eyes flickered. "You're right. Please tell him I'll be waiting for him at the restaurant tonight."

Xu Muxin nodded, "I'll go right away."

*

In the evening, a sudden gust of wind arrived, making the early winter night even more desolate and chilly.

Su Zhi, wrapped in a padded cloak and holding the hot water bottle that Luo Mei had given her, was still shivering from the cold.

Luo Mei tended the charcoal fire, listening to the howling wind outside, her brow furrowed.

"They said it would be the hour of You (5-7 PM), but it's already the hour of Xu (7-9 PM). Is this person still not coming?"

Su Zhi smiled as she heard her complaint, "You're a busy person, and I'm not waiting in the snow. There's food and drink here, and it's warm. Waiting a little longer won't hurt."

Luo Mei sighed and moved the brazier a few steps closer.

"Shivering from the cold, yet you're warm?"

Su Zhi remained silent; her coldness didn't come entirely from the weather, but mostly from her heart.

How will Your Majesty deal with Xiao Zong? Can the troubles in the southern border be resolved smoothly? How can you guard against the Empress and protect yourself amidst the chaos? Every single thing is like a sharp blade hanging over your head.

Lost in thought, she was startled when the door burst open with a thud. Jiang Bai scratched the back of her head and said apologetically, "Sorry, boss, the wind in the porch is too strong."

Fragments of charcoal, as fine as sparks, flew up and nearly ignited the frayed edge of the cloak. Su Zhi hurriedly retreated, looking towards the door with lingering fear.

Luo Mei spoke up before her, scolding, "Miss, you've come all this way to the restaurant. What if something goes wrong with you being so reckless?"

"He's starting to act more and more like a manager now. It seems like I'll just need to sit in the back and oversee things from now on."

Su Zhi teased Luo Mei a couple of times, and the other person's face turned red instantly.

Having resolved this, Su Zhi looked at the bewildered Jiang Bai and smiled gently, "I'm fine, go back to work."

Jiang Bai said "Hey," and wrinkled his nose at Luo Mei before leaving.

"Hey! You still don't accept this?" Luo Mei noticed and shouted, "If there's a next time, I'll deduct a month's wages!"

Jiang Bai ignored her and skipped downstairs. Just as he reached the corner, he bumped into a person wearing a black cloak.

The man took a step back, grabbed the railing, and coughed several times, pressing his lips to his mouth.

Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that this was the distinguished guest that the master was waiting for.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

He reached out to dust off the esteemed man, who dodged away. His eyes, hidden beneath his hood, were wary and cold, and he asked in a high-pitched voice, "Where is your master?"

Jiang Bai reluctantly withdrew his hand, but upon hearing this, he replied warmly, "It's upstairs, I'll take you there."

"Ah."

The man responded and went upstairs, carrying his robe.

Jiang Bai's eyes darted around, thinking to himself that this person was neither here nor there, which was really strange.

The door opened again, and Su Zhi saw the person who had been waiting for her. She stood up and curtsied to the person.

The man gave her a look, signaling her to clear out the bystanders.

Su Zhi dismissed Jiang Bai, paused for a moment when her gaze shifted to Luo Mei, and then let her leave.

What was about to happen was too dangerous, and it was precisely because she and Luo Mei were like sisters that she couldn't bear to put her in danger. The less she knew about the details, the better.

The two sat facing each other in the room. Su Zhi poured the other person more wine and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Madam, I don't have much time, so let's skip the mutual probing."

“Father-in-law, you are overthinking it. I agreed to meet with you, and you have come as promised. Is there any need to verify the sincerity of our hearts? My Weiyanlou has been open for almost two years, and you have never visited. Today, I am simply fulfilling my duty as a host.”

She raised her cup, using tea instead of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

"You're welcome, madam."

"It should."

The man took off his hood, revealing a shrewd face.

It was none other than Xu Dahai.

"I do know the details of what Madam wishes to know, but..."

“There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Your accusations against Prince Jin will be exposed one day. My husband and I have been deceived by treacherous people and have long been enemies of Consort Liang and Prince Jin. We cannot mend our relationship. We share the same goal, so why talk about interests? Isn’t one life enough?”

Xu Dahai was shocked: "How did you know?"

"You know it was you who reported me?" Su Zhi smiled. "I told you, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever."

"I can cooperate with you, but the Prince of Jin cannot live!"

“After losing the throne, he can no longer threaten you. Besides, my husband and I misunderstood him first, so we should give him a way out.”

"Aren't you afraid he'll ruin things?"

"No, His Majesty is preparing to reinstate the Prince of Jin, who will once again become the target of the Empress's attacks. It is still unknown whether he will cooperate with us in order to protect himself."

Xu Dahai smiled sinisterly, "Isn't Madam worried that I'll form an alliance with the Empress?"

"The eldest grandson of the emperor is still a child, while the empress and General Zhao are already old. How many years can Miss Zhao, a single female relative, protect him? With a young emperor and a suspicious country, and treacherous officials in power, His Majesty's reluctance to establish the eldest grandson of the emperor may not be without this consideration."

Su Zhi covered her mouth with her hand and slowly yawned.

"Of course, you can seek another wise ruler, but I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong one and will end up dead without a complete corpse!"

She blinked. "Or perhaps, I am too young to see clearly, unaware of your extraordinary talent and ability to save the day."

The smile faded from Xu Dahai's lips, and he seemed to be getting to know the woman in front of him all over again.

What a clever mouth!

What a profound heart!

The Chu family was a prominent clan for centuries, with its descendants spread throughout the imperial court. Half of the officials in the court were their students and former associates. When His Majesty entrusted his son to the emperor, he could not bypass the Changping Marquis's residence.

If he truly pledges allegiance to the Empress and opposes him and Xiao Zong, the day His Majesty passes away will be the day he dies!

She was admonishing him that those who are discerning in the times are wise.

"Madam is too kind. How could my family possibly have that ability?"

He picked up his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it down, exclaiming, "Good wine!"

"As long as my father-in-law is happy."

Su Zhi poured him another cup. "The night is long. Are you ready to tell your story?"

Xu Dahai pondered for a moment and said, "Six years ago, strange phenomena appeared in the sky, and war broke out again. Most of the money in the national treasury was used for the war. Unfortunately, drought in the north and floods in the south occurred at the same time, and the Ministry of Revenue could not come up with much silver at the time. The ministers argued for a day and a night but could not reach a conclusion. In the end, His Majesty listened to the suggestion of the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and decided to provide relief to the north first in order to ensure the stability of the capital."

Su Zhi nodded. "I've heard a little about this matter. I heard that after the imperial edict was issued, the Imperial Academy was outraged and cursed His Majesty for forgetting his ancestors and only caring about maintaining peace in a corner of the country, and for being unworthy of being a benevolent ruler."

Xu Dahai smiled; even when relaying someone else's words, she was quite bold.

How dare you utter such treasonous words?

"The consequences of that imperial edict were a hundred times more serious than what the lady knew."