The maidservant is too charming. I want to help her become the queen.

Chapter 162: The Former Dynasty Invades

The Queen's letter really worked.

The next morning, Li Xuansheng listened to the reports of the ministers as usual. As the year was coming to an end, tax revenues were high, floods in the south had been dealt with, corruption in the court had been mostly eliminated, and the government was in good order and the people were in harmony.

Li Xuansheng had planned to go to Concubine Xian's palace after the morning court to check on the progress of the harem's New Year Festival preparations, but who knew that there would be a large number of imperial censors at the morning court today, who wanted to report the circulation of counterfeit currency in Mixuebing Palace.

It turned out that in the letter that the Queen sent to her father Wang Zhong, she wanted Wang Zhong, who was the Prime Minister, to order several disciples of the Wang family to carefully study Shanglu Qingqing's book!

The censors and their ilk like to impeach the powerful in the court under the guise of upholding justice, and this time their target is the favorite concubine of the current emperor.

As soon as they got the news, they were like paparazzi getting celebrity gossip, and they couldn't wait to submit a memorial to the emperor's memorial that very night.

Li Xuansheng had a helpless look on his face. He sat on the dragon throne with his arms propped up and listened with his head tilted.

Those imperial censors argued all the time, simply because they felt that his punishment for Lu Qingqing was too light, and they insisted that he follow the Dasheng law and make Lu Qingqing stay in jail for ten years.

At first, Li Xuansheng did not take it seriously, thinking that it was just a few imperial censors complaining.

However, as one by one they expressed shame, more than half of the ministers standing in the palace began to reconsider their decision.

Li Xuansheng's face turned from sunny to gloomy, and the anger in his heart was about to explode.

These ministers, who have nothing better to do every day, are hesitant when talking about state affairs, but are eloquent when talking about his family affairs!

"enough!"

He couldn't bear to listen any longer and shouted loudly, with his fierce voice echoing in the hall.

"The matter of circulating counterfeit currency has not yet been fully investigated, yet you are all forcing me to punish Ming Guiren as soon as possible. What is your intention?!"

The emperor was furious, and the ministers who had been actively advising him just now all lowered their heads and dared not say too much.

Li Xuansheng looked at Prince Jing with expectant eyes.

"Prince Jing, I asked you to investigate the counterfeit currency a few days ago. Have you made any progress?"

However, instead of giving him the response he expected, Prince Jing stepped forward with a sad face and apologized.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent. We are still searching for clues to the counterfeit currency and have not yet concluded anything. Please judge the crime, Your Majesty."

As soon as Prince Jing finished speaking, the court officials standing in the hall began to chatter and shout again, vying to give advice to Li Xuansheng.

"Your Majesty, since we can't find the source of the counterfeit money, it means that the source is the Mixue Ice Palace opened by Noble Lady Ming!"

"Your Majesty, although Ming Guiren is your favorite concubine, the laws of Dasheng must be respected. Do not lose your government because of your favor!"

"Your Majesty, the circulation of counterfeit currency will cause the common people to lose their confidence in the court! Your Majesty must punish them!"

……

For a time, Li Xuansheng was troubled by the quarrels of a group of censors. The laws of Dasheng were supreme, and even as the emperor, he could not be too partial to Lu Qingqing.

As soon as the morning court was over, Li Xuansheng urgently summoned Prince Jing to the imperial study to discuss matters.

In the imperial study, the air was stagnant and anxious.

Li Xuansheng paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

He was determined to become a great ruler of the Ming Dynasty. If there was no evidence to prove that the source of the counterfeit currency was someone else, he would probably have to wait until Lu Qingqing gave birth to the prince and then enforce the laws of the Ming Dynasty on her.

He was unwilling to go this far and did not want to face the dilemma between his country and his beauty.

Li Xuansheng pondered and said, "Prince Jing, how is the investigation of the counterfeit currency going?"

Prince Jing looked solemn and replied slowly:

"Your Majesty, I have thoroughly checked the records of all copper and lead mines in the capital over the past month. I have also thoroughly checked all the workshops that purchased the ore materials."

"But... we still haven't found any clues on how to make counterfeit money."

Not to mention that Prince Jing had no clues, even Li Xuansheng was at a loss after hearing Prince Jing's report.

Everything that should be checked and can be checked has been checked.

Just when he was feeling discouraged, Prince Jing suddenly reminded him:

"Your Majesty, I learned that Concubine Ming is under house arrest, but I still want to meet Concubine Ming. Perhaps she will have some ideas."

Li Xuansheng thought in his heart.

Lu Qingqing is under house arrest now. Even if he wants to go to Yinglan Pavilion to see Qingqing, he will be criticized in the palace and drag Qingqing into a whirlpool of rumors, not to mention that Prince Jing wants to see her.

But right now, there is really no clue about the source of the counterfeit currency. If we don’t ask the people involved, I’m afraid even the last clue will be lost.

Li Xuansheng hesitated for a long time, and finally said slowly:

"You go ahead and meet him, but don't attract attention."

Prince Jing obeyed the order.

He did not waste a single day and spent the rest of his time resting in a side hall of the Qianqing Palace. When night fell, he planned to use his lightness skills to fly over the roof and fly towards Yinglan Pavilion.

In Yinglan Pavilion.

As the months went by, Lu Qingqing went to bed earlier and earlier. When she was first pregnant, she would occasionally get so absorbed in reading a novel or a story that she would not be able to fall asleep until almost midnight.

However, today, after Lu Qingqing had dinner, she strolled around the yard for a few laps and felt very sleepy, so she fell asleep early.

When Prince Jing took advantage of the moonlight and sneaked into Yinglan Pavilion, there was silence except for the even and gentle breathing coming from the bed.

Prince Jing tiptoed forward and was about to wake up the sleeping Lu Qingqing, but suddenly remembered that the woman in front of him was pregnant with his brother's child, so he quickly closed his mouth again.

He had to find a way to wake Lu Qingqing up from her sleep naturally and without anyone noticing.

If we talk about animals that are active at night, it must be cats.

Prince Jing simply squatted in a corner beside the bed, raised his voice softly, trying to imitate the cry of a kitten, and use the sounds of nature to wake Lu Qingqing from her sleep.

"Meow~"

"Meow~"

"Meow~"

It was a little funny to see a tall, slender, muscular man squatting in the corner of the bed and meowing like a cat. But we have to admit that Prince Jing did achieve his goal.

Lu Qingqing was in a trance while sleeping when she heard the slight cry of a cat. She gradually woke up, stretched out her arms from the warm quilt and rubbed her eyes.

When Prince Jing saw Lu Qingshen come to his senses, he opened his mouth and said:

"Meow meow meow, Prince Jing has arrived!"

In the darkness, taking advantage of the moonlight, Lu Qingqing looked in the direction where the sound came from, and saw the vague outline of a person squatting on the ground.

She was puzzled, wrapped herself in the quilt, and asked in a low voice:

"You are, Prince Jing?"

Prince Jing smiled heartily, knowing that Lu Qingqing was awake and not frightened by him. So he took out a fire starter from his bosom and lit the candle, and the bedroom was instantly bright.

"Yes, it's the King."

Lu Qingqing lay on the bed, feeling confused.

This was the second time she had a night meeting with Prince Jing.

Although he is Li Xuansheng's biological brother, there are differences between men and women after all, and there are still some taboos.

What on earth could this Prince Jing do that brought him to see me in the middle of the night?