There was no doubt that Long Xiaoyuan and Shi Qingzhou spent another torrid night.
The next morning, Long Xiaoyuan opened his eyes and softly looked at the one sleeping beside him.
However, this didn’t last long, because Liu Xiangyang showed up at the doorway and made a gesture in order not to wake Shi Qingzhou up.
Long Xiaoyuan slightly frowned and got up.
Last night, the sex didn’t stop until after midnight. At that time, Shi Qingzhou was so exhausted that he was unconscious. It was still early now, so Shi Qingzhou was in a sound sleep.
When Long Xiaoyuan was out of the bed, Liu Xiangyang already took his clothes to the outer room.
Long Xiaoyuan asked, “What’s up?”
“Minister Shi was attacked last night by an assassin,” said Liu Xiangyang while kneeling on the ground.
Long Xiaoyuan was stunned first and asked in surprise, “What? How is he?”
Shi Qingshan was the father of his empress. Attacked by an assassin? How was he?
Liu Xiangyang waited and reported this matter until this morning, which showed that Shi Qingshan survived the assassination, but Long Xiaoyuan was worried about how badly Shi Qingshan was wounded…
“Your Majesty, please rest assured. Minister Shi suffered a minor injury but will be okay.”
Hearing this, Long Xiaoyuan was relaxed with relief. After some thoughts, he said, “Tell His Grace about this matter when he gets up. Besides, if he wants to visit Minister Shi, he can leave.”
“Yes, I obey your order.”
After a nod, Long Xiaoyuan put on the clothes and went to the Throne Room.
In the morning session where Shi Qingshan didn’t show up . His Majesty got enraged and ordered the Minster of Punishments to arrest the assassin as soon as possible.
Since His Majesty was outrageous, all the ministers shrank back in terror and didn’t dare to infuriate him again.
After the morning session, Long Xiaoyuan straight headed for the Qiankun Palace and learned that Shi Qingzhou woke up advised of his father’s assassination and went out of the palace after knowing that he could feel free to leave…
Long Xiaoyuan nodded his head and didn’t find it odd. After breakfast, he also got out of the palace, of course, in disguise…
Subsequently, he went straight to General Shi’s Mansion.
At that time, Shi Qingzhou was at Shi Qingshan’s room, so did his mother who was crying while holding Shi Qingzhou’s hand.
Shi Qingzhou comforted her. “Mother, it’s lucky father is fine. You can’t be over-worried.”
She said with a sigh, “Why was there an assassin…Who did your father offend…”
Shi Qingzhou said with his lips slightly puckered, “Father is in a high position, so many people want to see him suffer. I’m not sure who did this.”
“But…but…” She shed tears again upon seeing her unconscious husband lying on the bed.
Right on the time, Shi Qingshan opened his eyes and said, “I’m not dead, so stop crying!”
“Master, you’re awake,” said she in surprise.
Shi Qingshan said waving his hand, “I just suffered a minor injury. The Imperial Physician used some sleeping pills to put me into sleep yesterday. Don’t you know that?”
She got tongue-tied and murmured, “I’m worried about you…If the assassin had stabbed the blade into your chest, not your shoulder, you would have…What can I do by then?!!”
“Alas.” Shi Qingshan sighed. “You love overly thinking. I’m really fine. Qingzhou is here, and I have something to tell him, so you leave first.”
She knitted her brows and said, “You are not well and haven’t had breakfast yet…”
“Mother, you go and bring some breakfast over,” said Shi Qingzhou.
She immediately said with a nod, “Right, I’ll go. Qingzhou, take care of your father. He is a stubborn bastard and never takes himself seriously, but you should pay attention to him.”
“Okay, mother, I got it.” Shi Qingzhou made a promise to her.
When she left, Shi Qingzhou said with a darkened face, “Father, three assassins attacked you, but two of them were killed immediately, and one escaped. Who do you think he is?”
Having thought for a while, Shi Qingshan said, “He definitely is linked to the five Wangyehs…”
Shi Qingzhou’s eyes fluttered, and he slowly said, “Father, I understand. I won’t let go of this.”
Shi Qingshan said with a nod, “I’ve made progress a little fast, so some people want to stop me.”
Hearing this, Shi Qingzhou paused for an instant and continued, “Father, you should care about yourself. What if the blade went off its track…”
“Alas,” Shi Qingshan waved his hand. “I know that but didn’t expect them to be so bold.”
Shi Qingzhou slightly frowned. When he was about to say something, the butler reported outside that here came a distinguished guest…
Guess who was it? It was Long Xiaoyuan, of course.
Both Shi Qingshan and Shi Qingzhou instantly guessed that it was Long Xiaoyuan. The former got up in a hurry. Seeing this, the latter said right away, “Father, you’re still wounded and be careful.”
Shi Qingshan glared at him and said, “My injury is really nothing.”
Stepping down the bedside, Shi Qingshan was going to welcome His Majesty.
Shi Qingzhou knew clearly how stubborn his father was, so he could do nothing but watch Shi Qingzhou kneel on the ground.
Right on the time, Long Xiaoyuan arrived at the room.
“Alas, what are you doing, Minister Shi? Aren’t you injured? Why not lie on the bed?”
Long Xiaoyuan got shocked at the scene that Shi Qingshan knelt on the ground.
Afterward, he promptly helped Shi Qingshan up.
The latter stood up and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Well, father-in-law, I’m not here as the emperor,” said Long Xiaoyuan with a smile while blinking at Shi Qingzhou. Knowing his meaning, Shi Qingzhou came over and held the other arm of Shi Qingshan.
They helped Shi Qingshan onto the bed together.
Shi Qingshan felt amazed by the word “father-in-law” and planned to say something. However, Long Xiaoyuan said ahead of him, “Please rest on the bed. Are you hurt severely?”
“Your Majesty, please set your mind at rest. It’s not a big deal.”
Long Xiaoyuan asked Shi Qingzhou, “Where is the injury?”
“On his shoulder. It’s not fatal,” said Shi Qingzhou.
Long Xiaoyuan finally got relaxed. “That’s good. Minister Shi, you should take care of yourself. Do you know who dispatched the assassins?”
Shi Qingzhou said with his eyes full of coldness, “Must be them.”
Long Xiaoyuan said with his brows slightly knitted, “It’s good you know it. I’ve left this matter to the Ministry of Punishments, but Minister Shi has to cooperate with them on the sly.”
“I understand.” Shi Qingshan instantly nodded.
After a few more words, Shi Qingshan asked Shi Qingzhou to accompany Long Xiaoyuan, and the two left the room.
“Where is your mother?” asked Long Xiaoyuan.
“She should be in the back kitchen.”
Long Xiaoyuan asked this only out of courtesy and then looked at Shi Qingzhou. “Do you want to stay here a little longer?”
“No, I don’t.” Shi Qingzhou said shaking his head, “I can rest assured my father is fine. Are you going back?”
After some thoughts, Long Xiaoyuan said, “We stop by at the Ministry of Punishments secretly.”
“Eh?” Shi Qingzhou felt confused with his brows arched. “What for?”
“To see how they do their jobs,” replied Long Xiaoyuan.
Shi Qingzhou slightly raised his brows and got to learn his meaning. “Are you worried they are against your order?”
“Yes, so we need to sneak into the ministry.”
Subsequently, they changed the proper clothes and went out of the mansion.
“Proper clothes” were namely the overalls of unskilled labors in the Ministry of Punishments!
The unskilled labors actually meant cleaners!
Such a disguise could help them go to many places within the ministry.
Both Long Xiaoyuan and Shi Qingzhou were dressed like cleaners and entered the ministry with the help of someone…
Shi Qingzhou glanced Long Xiaoyuan clothed in sackcloth and said with a smile, “You look funny.”
“Hahaha, really? I think so, too,” said Long Xiaoyuna in an undertone. After a few more words, they lowered their heads and started to do the cleaning…
It felt like they were really cleaners.
“What do you think of Shi Qingshan’s assassination?”
Zhong Ming was the Minister of Punishments. Although he got punishment last time, he had been reinstated in his post.
The speakers were two Assistant Ministers, the last names of who were respectively Zhou and Yang.
Assistant Minister Yang glanced at Assistant Minister Zhou and said with a smile, “It’s a big deal.”
Minister Zhou rolled his eyes. “I know it, but don’t you think our boss reacts strangely?”
“Do you mean our boss got furious but did nothing?” asked Assistant Minister Yang in a low voice.
“Yes.” Assistant Minister Zhou looked around and said after knowing that nobody was around, “A little odd.”
“Right. Besides, His Majesty got angry and ordered us to investigate it, but…” Speaking of which, Assistant Minister Yang suddenly smiled and continued, “What if our boss can’t arrest the assassin in the end? What will happen to him?”
Assistant Minister Zhou was stunned first and then asked, “Alas…your questions sound odd, too.”
Assistant Minister Yang said lightly, “Yes, they are…But, we have to see it through, don’t we?”
Assistant Minister Zhou fell into silence.
Assistant Minister Yang said waving his hand, “Well, forget it. His Majesty got enraged, but there is still time…Shi Qingzhou isn’t hurt badly. I guess he’ll cooperate with us, so everything will be fine as long as he knows who did this.”
Assistant Minister Zhou slightly frowned. “You mean we follow him around?”
“Yes. Do you have any other plans except for this? After all, this will do us good, won’t it?”
Assistant Minister Zhou was silent for a moment and cupped one hand on the other before his chest. “Thanks for your heads-up, Brother Yang.”
Assistant Minister Yang replied with a smile, “Let’s go share our boss’s worries.”
“Yeah!”
When they went far, Long Xiaoyuan and Shi Qingshan walked over from the other side and, of course, heard the conversation between them.
Long Xiaoyuan said, “This trip is fruitful.”
Shi Qingzhou asked after in silence for a while, “What are you gonna do?”
“What are you gonna do?” Shi Qingzhou asked Long Xiaoyuan.
The latter paused for a while and said, “Let’s talk about it later after back the palace.”
Shi Qingzhou nodded his head. Since they got this information, they didn’t need to stay here any longer.
They were back in the palace over two hours later.
When they discussed it, the wet nurse brought the little prince over.
The little prince was in bad shape today for no reason. He vomited milk several times and behaved naughtily, so the wet nurse wanted to see if the little prince needed to see an Imperial Physician.
After all, His Majesty cared about the little prince who was also the legitimate son of His Grace, so there was no doubt how important the little prince was…
Long Xiaoyuan got worried when hearing that the little prince was not well.
The minute he held the little prince, the little prince vomited milk again.
“Announce an Imperial Physician.” Long Xiaoyuan directly made an order.
Shi Qingzhou was concerned, too. As men, both of them got no knowledge of little kids.
The little prince looked very poor. Although he vomited milk a few times, he didn’t cry but was playing Long Xiaoyuan’s hair with his little hands.
“Why did he vomit milk? Does he get a cold?”
The wet nurse felt frightened, quickly narrated the little prince’s diet and rest, and said in the end, “Little prince didn’t catch a cold, and I took good care of him last night.”
Long Xiaoyuan spoke nothing without knowing the problems.
Imperial Physician Zhang Yuan came here soon. After a thorough examination, he said, “Little prince is fine. He vomited milk perhaps because he was too full or the holding position made him feel uncomfortable.”
The wet nurse said in a hurry, “I’ve always held him this way.”
As Long Xiaoyuan slightly frowned, Shi Qingzhu said waving his hand, “You’re off to go.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Afterward, Shi Qingzhou also asked Zhang Yuan to leave.
Then, Shi Qingzhou said, “How about changing the wet nurse?”
Long Xiaoyuan said with a nod, “Okay, let’s get a new wet nurse.”
The little prince was too young to know what happened and was giggling.
“It’s pretty normal the little kids have some problems.” Long Xiaoyuan added with a sigh, “We made a great fuss.”
Shi Qingzhou winked with a smile and changed the subject. “As to the Ministry of Punishments…”
Long Xiaoyuan said with a smile, “Now that they guessed my thoughts so easily, let them guess. I’m dying to see the consequences.”
With his eyes twinkled, Shi Qingzhou understood what Long Xiaoyuan meant.
It…was not bad.
“Sure.” Shi Qingzhou said with a nod, “But, my father…”
“Let’s keep him in the dark first and see what my ministers will say to him.”
Shi Qingzhou sighed in his heart and showed his mercy at some people, but it was a good strategy to draw a snake out of its hole. After making a decision, they carried it out. Of course, Long Xiaoyuan didn’t do anything, actually.
Two days later in the morning session, the Ministry of Punishments handed over a “criminal” who was named Hu Ying and also a member of an assassination organization. Actually, the assassination organization was behind this assassination of Shi Qingshan. But, didn’t assassination organizations get paid to eliminate enemies for others?
Hu Ying, however, was an exception, for he personally wanted to kill Shi Qingshan.