Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 318: Did the Princess Qi go out to be a thief last night?

Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Did the Princess Qi go out to be a thief last night?

The next day, the rain had stopped and the sky cleared.

However, in Yangxin Hall, all the ministers had ashen faces, trembling as they stood.

Li Tianze saw them in this state, and the fury in his heart grew even-stronger.

He abruptly stood up and threw a memorial to the floor, angrily rebuking, "The plague in Qingzhou is so severe, why was it only reported today!"

The memorial happened to land at Gu Qing’s feet, his body shaking even more, legs weak.

Suddenly, he remembered, several months ago, a young man came to the Prefect of Jingzhao’s office telling him there was a plague in Qingzhou.

At that time, he did not take the matter seriously, had the man beaten, and threw him into prison, where he was starved for several days.

Now, Gu Qing realized just how big of a hole he had dug for himself.

If he had paid attention to the matter back then and reported the news earlier, he might have received the emperor’s commendation.

But now, the news had spread through the entire capital city like locusts passing through, causing widespread panic.

At this critical moment, if the emperor learned of the great mistake he had made, in his anger, he might have him beheaded right away.

Gu Qing swallowed, thinking to himself that, aside from him and the people in the government office, no one else knew about this, the emperor probably hadn’t thought of this angle.

He might as well calm down for the time being and wait to see how things develop.

Li Mingjue glanced at the memorial on the ground, his eyes deep.

The memorial was naturally submitted at his behest, including the secret message from Qingzhou and falsified witness testimony.

By now, it was too late to collect evidence one by one.

The lives of tens of thousands of people in Qingzhou hung in the balance, and if the matter was not resolved soon, the whole of Dazhao would suffer the consequences.

Li Tianze scanned the gathered ministers below, feeling a tightness in his chest, and asked, "According to all the ministers, who should be sent to Qingzhou?"

"This..." The ministers looked at each other, none daring to be the one to volunteer.

At the right moment, Li Mingjue stepped forward and said with a bow, "Father, your son is willing to take on the assignment."

This was what he and Qi Yu had discussed the day before.

With Li Ming’an, that pest, in power, no ordinary official could overbear him.

Moreover, the cause of the plague in Qingzhou was unknown, and ordinary doctors going would mean certain death. It had to be Qi Yu who personally undertook the task.

Hearing his words, Li Tianze’s expression lightened slightly.

Indeed, his son was always ready to bear responsibilities at critical times.

Yet, with the situation in Qingzhou unclear, he did not want his royal son to take such a risk, so he could only say lightly, "If the Prince of Qi is willing to go, I am naturally reassured. Is there any other minister willing to take on the assignment to Qingzhou, to check the reality of the situation?"

Shen Xiheng was waiting for these words, and he immediately answered solemnly, "Your Majesty, your servant wishes to accompany Prince Qi to Qingzhou."

Li Tianze nodded slightly, "In that case, I appoint Shen Qing as the Imperial Envoy and grant him the Imperial Sword to proceed to Qingzhou."

Shen Xiheng knelt down and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the court was dismissed, Li Tianze retained Li Mingjue and Shen Xiheng, and the three of them went to the Imperial Study Room together.

Zhou Fu personally brought in a few cups of hot tea and then voluntarily withdrew outside.

Although he was in the deep palace, his sources of information were very sharp, and nothing outside the palace escaped his ears.

He knew he must not involve himself in the matter at all, and even if His Majesty had not brought it up, he would have to avoid it proactively.

"My son, how do you view this issue?" Li Tianze asked as soon as he sat down.

He passed the several secret letters that had been submitted to the two of them and added, "Qingzhou is located in a remote area, and the transmission of messages is often inconvenient. I’m worried that there might be problems with these secret letters."

Li Mingjue glanced at the secret letters—which he had written himself—and replied calmly, "This prince believes that the matter is likely true. If someone intended to deceive father, they certainly wouldn’t use an epidemic as an excuse. It’s easy to verify the truth—a visit by Father’s people will reveal all."

Shen Xiheng also chimed in, "What Prince Qi says is very true. An epidemic is no small matter. At the least, it could harm hundreds of thousands of people in Qingzhou, and at worst, it could endanger the whole of Dazhao. It’s crucial that Your Majesty makes a decision promptly."

The two of them went back and forth, dispelling all the doubts in Li Tianze’s heart.

He nodded slightly, speaking with a grave voice, "Indeed, this matter is no small concern."

"Who is the official in charge of Qingzhou?" Li Tianze then asked with a frown.

Li Mingjue had already secretly investigated the matter, and upon hearing the question, he answered dispassionately, "Father, the current official in charge of Qingzhou is Gu You, Governor Gu."

"Gu You?" Li Tianze didn’t have much of an impression of this name.

Although Qingzhou was a pivotal border stronghold, due to its isolation, those assigned there were generally inconspicuous officials.

Li Mingjue’s impression of Governor Gu was also average; he only remembered that Governor Gu had been in charge of Qingzhou for five years without any notable achievements.

To put it nicely, he was someone who maintained a low profile without any merits or faults.

To put it harshly, he was inactive, only knowing how to muddle through.

One could imagine that such a person would certainly be servile and self-preserving under Li Ming’an, looking to Ming’an as the leader for guidance.

Shen Xiheng moved his lips, apparently wanting to say something several times, but in the end, he swallowed his words.

His Majesty didn’t mention Ming’an at all and seemed to place the blame on Gu You. Perhaps he was bearing the father-son relationship in mind.

Li Mingjue also did not bring up the name Ming’an. Instead, he said, "If the secret letters are true, then the people of Qingzhou are already in dire straits. I hope Father will permit me and the Princess to go there together and investigate the epidemic as soon as possible."

Li Tianze frowned and said displeasedly, "What would the Princess be doing in Qingzhou? That’s ridiculous!"

Li Mingjue, having anticipated such a response, replied earnestly, "Father, the Princess has exceptional medical skills. Her presence would put my mind at ease."

At the mention of this, Li Tianze indeed recalled Qi Yu’s medical expertise, and the refusal he’d had at the tip of his tongue got stuck.

In the end, he could only say coldly, "If she wants to go, let her go."

Having received his permission, Li Mingjue didn’t beat around the bush further and directly shared his thoughts, including the names of the officials going to Qingzhou and the Imperial Physician who would accompany them—all were appointed succinctly.

Li Tianze, aware that his son always worked in an orderly fashion, waved his hand and agreed.

By the time they finished discussing, it was already midday.

He asked them to stay in the palace for a meal and had Zhou Fu send word to the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the dishes.

Meanwhile, Qi Yu had arrived at the Xuanruo Pavilion.

She had been busy all night and hadn’t slept more than a few hours before she had to get up. She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open, yawning incessantly.

Seeing her like this, Adi found it somewhat novel and teased with a jesting tone, "Did the Princess of Qi perhaps spend last night thieving?"

No sooner had he spoken than Lingya glared at him, and Adi could only hang his head in weary resignation.

Qi Yu, unperturbed, waved her hand and candidly told them, "I didn’t thieve, but it was almost the same."