Chapter 266: Controlling, Leaving Matters Unsettled

Kang Qinwang was very moved, that heart just like eating iced pickled plum soup in the middle of summer, cool and refreshed. As expected, in this world, there was no one that understood him more than Yao'er. Li Hong Yi left to go work in high spirits.

Once the person walked far, Yao Rao, still carrying infatuation on her face, stared fixedly at Kang Qinwang's back, yet her eyes were like a pool of dead water. This courtyard right now was her residence. Ever since she helped him break free from the fate of confinement and possibly losing his nobility title, she just moved in. Although can't compare with the main courtyard, it was still very exquisite and luxurious. However, these things, she simply didn't care for.

Yao Rao got up, returning to the soft recliner in the pavilion, and like a boneless snake, lazily rested on her stomach, twirling her hair with great boredom. She and the Qi Yuan Empress were inherently two entirely different kind of people. But, there was one thing that was the same and that was just the desire for power, just the path they took were different. What she wanted was equal status with men, and can be as a subject. She didn't need to rule the world. Her birth also destined her to be unable to walk to that step.

He promised her, once this matter is complete, she will be conferred as a marquis in the future, a female marquis, the kind that can attend court and participate in politics.

(T/N: In chinese there's a distinction between a woman holding a noble title in her own right, or being the wife of someone with a title, for example '女侯' is literally female marquis, whereas '侯夫人' is marquis's wife. I wanted to make this distinction here, which was why I didn't translate it as marchioness.)

Probably because she was thinking from an outsider's position, and also because she didn't get secretly influenced by anyone, after finding out about the capital's current state of affairs at close distance, she just faintly sensed something wrong.

And in reality, based on Li Hong Yi's trip to the palace this time, she for the most part already confirmed this bit.

——-Even if according to Li Hong Yi's detailed explanation, the Empress had just said those few words, and Li Hong Yi, that idiot, also wasn't able to make out Qi Yuan Empress's change in expression, Yao Rao still was able to make out a kind of attitude called 'tacit approval' from within.

That's why, everything was all within Yao Rao's predictions. She, according to the possible developments, guided Li Hong Yi on how to speak, and even with more than one version. This kind of thing, for her, was practically just 'a light carriage on a familiar road', just like earlier how she just easily controlled Li Hong Yi's mood. The target was just a brainless, arrogant and conceited, just likes to listen to good things type. Truthfully speaking, this kind of person becoming the emperor, ten out of ten would be an incompetent ruler.

Then, with the Empress's efforts in 'instructing' her son not working, and Yao Rao being able to make Li Hong Yi 'completely obedient' towards her in just a few days' time, where exactly did the Empress lose?

In the end, the Empress was merely just controlling through high pressure and desire for absolute control.

But Yao Rao wasn't like this. She was able to clearly grasp a man's mental state, adapting to someone's taste, and at the same time, also consider for the other party in every possible way. Especially in Li Hong Yi's current state, her wanting to take advantage of the situation was just too easy.

Just, being too easy instead made it somewhat boring. Men that have been defeated by her hands were truly too many, but ones this effortless like this time really was a first. However, she will still stay in Kang Qinwang Manor. After all, there's nothing more convenient than following an actual power wielding wangye, being able to further grasp the information she wanted from his hands. Moreover, without needing to do anything herself, the other party will just voluntarily offer it up. Not only was the difficulty gone, she further won't have worries about her life.

Just, unfortunately, if only Kang Qinwang was able to switch with Jin Qinwang, it'll be even more perfect.

However, the contradictions on Jin Qinwang the other side still haven't resolved. However, according to the circumstances they've gathered these past few days, the other party really didn't have any power at all. For an ordinary person, no matter how secretive, still wouldn't be able to hold out against someone tailing day and night, right? If really scheming something big, it's impossible to not have the slightest dealings with court officials.

If it was being aware of the situation and deliberately avoiding, it was still okay, but she believed her actions were secretive. And moreover, the ones she utilized this time were all the new faces that had been recently sent over, and have also gone through rigorous training, all very strong in all aspects. Even so, they still didn't find any improper areas. Then, was it really just her overthinking?

She firmly furrowed her brows, and in the end, could only temporarily have this matter put down.

The affairs of Qi Yuan's capital, she still needed even more understanding of, and when necessary, perhaps need to meet with certain spies that she originally shouldn't easily make contact with. Right now, it was still better to wait a little longer.

However, regarding Jin Qinwang, she can still try to understand from the side. In Kang Qinwang Manor, wasn't there also a few entertainers that recently came from Jin Qinwang Manor? It would be a waste to not use. Side characters also had side character's use. Some inconspicuous things perhaps can provide for her an unexpected harvest.

Thus, Yao Rao immediately just let someone have those people called over, the excuse, for the sake of better serving wangye.

After Kang Qinwang learned of this, his mood couldn't be better. As expected, it was still this kind of beauty that he favored the most.

As for Li Hong Ming, he was originally still suspecting whether or not he'd gotten secretly schemed against by the others, but seeing Li Hong Yi's recent behavior, he was practically certain that everything had something to do with him.

It was obvious, there were many that similarly wanted to have Shen Shu Han, this Right Commander-in-Chief, kicked down, while they themselves or someone they support take his position. For a time, it was everyone pushing to collapse the wall, countless people throwing stones to weigh him down. Even if the members of Li Hong Ming's faction simultaneously went into battle, it was still not enough power. Right now, it was just choosing one of two, either Shen Shu Han admits that the others of the Shen family were all working for him, singlehandedly shouldering the guilt, and from hereon return home in retirement, while the others get a lighter sentence, or just have his guilt pushed down, shouldering a guilt of 'incompetence in disciplining', and then penalize by cutting a bit of his salary, while the others will probably be severely punished.

Under certain people's pushing along the wave, there wasn't a third path to choose from.

The final outcome of the discussion was still preserving Shen Shu Han. Military power, to Li Hong Ming, was truly too important. This practically was something within expectations, but losing the others of the Shen family also made Li Hong Ming vomit blood from extreme anger attacking the heart.

As such, Li Hong Yuan's goal also just perfectly reached halfway.

However, such a heavy blow wasn't able to make him depressed, instead arousing an even stronger fighting spirit, his eyes scarlet red, secretly vowing that he must compensate back from other places.

Never mind starting to hinder Li Hong Yi openly and secretly, towards the people under him, he also went all out in reorganizing. Some things, prior to getting exposed by someone, he will have it strangled to death in the cradle first, acting out ruthlessly and viciously, and the one that got implicated and treated as guilty by association also weren't in the minority. However, doing this was also indeed effective. At least, his unbroken succession of troubles reduced by a lot.

This continued for half a month before Li Hong Ming finally was able to catch his breath.

By the time he turned back to ask about the matter regarding the gongbi style, the matter had already gotten completely suppressed. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, he didn't have the person kept under his eyelid, and also couldn't send too many people to protect. Because once there's too many people, they will certainly draw in suspicion. After all, the other party was just a poor scholar that had a bit of gift in painting. What capabilities did he have to make others regard this highly? However, there were also those that posed themselves as righteous people, personally vowing to protect the other party in order to prevent Head Minister Luo from taking desperate action.

And it was precisely so that allowed someone to find a loophole, accidentally just getting discovered by someone with a discerning eye that, that painting from reportedly several years ago actually was just made to look old. There was even a rough sketch pressed in between, appearing to be several years old, and should still be at the beginning stages, even carrying the marks of the freehand style, but it clearly possessed Luo Jing Bo's style.

As such, it couldn't be more obvious. It was the other party that obtained Luo Jing Bo's rough sketch, and for the sake of prestige, was unscrupulous in their means.

It's not that no one suspected it was the Luo family that did something, but wasn't this slapping those righteous people's faces? They had the person protected airtight, so how could the Luo family do anything? The matter got uncovered, and feeling that their loyal heart had gotten trampled on, and also feeling guilty towards the Luo family, after all how could the Luo family, with that kind of family principle, do this kind of thing, whether it was out of resentment or out of shame, in the end, that poor scholar got beaten until nearly losing his life. This matter also just ended with things unsettled.

Just, Li Hong Ming, when facing Luo Pei Shan, kept feeling the other party's gaze was very cold.