A Scummy Alpha Emperor Transmigrated and Marked the Powerful Prime Minister - Chapter 25

“Grand Chancellor?”

The two people and one dog bared their white teeth in a grin so silly they looked like three synchronized fools.

Gao Linghan was trembling like a leaf. Lin Jiayue managed to find her voice. “Can the Grand Chancellor fly?”

Gao Linghan: “?”

Not now, sister! I just escaped a disaster; don’t drag me into another pit!

“How can you say such a thing about the Grand Chancellor?” Gao Linghan quickly raised both hands. “We aren’t together.”

The line felt familiar; Lu Siling couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge it.

Guang Qing, facing them, had watched the Grand Chancellor walking toward them. Before the two could finish their whispered gossip, she had already arrived. Many people had seen her approach and were somewhat excited, but these two were far too focused on their “cricket talk.”

Guang Qing looked at the crowd expressionlessly, and they quickly lowered their heads. Thus, when the two looked around, they only saw a group of people staring at the floor.

As it happened, the Grand Chancellor heard the very last bit of their whispering.

Lu Siling’s tone was icy. “Answer my question.”

“Accepting Ladies,” Gao Linghan blurted out without hesitation, selling out Lin Jiayue in the process. “Master Jia asked me how many Ladies the Grand Chancellor has accepted.”

Lin Jiayue was speechless. This girl truly had no backbone. “It was Gao Linghan. She told me people sent hundreds of Ladies to your manor, so I was just curious if you took any.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head with a look of grievance. Her hand instinctively caught Lu Siling’s sleeve again, giving it two small tugs.

Gao Linghan: “?” Wow. I’ve met a wicked woman. “Jia Deming, you are simply… too good!”

Just as she was about to let out a curse, she met the Grand Chancellor’s cold gaze. Fine, she didn’t dare. She felt that if she cursed Jia Deming once, the Grand Chancellor would have someone toss her into the icy lake to experience “winter swimming.”

Lu Siling ignored them and turned to the crowd. “Today’s poetry gathering is canceled. Everyone return home.”

Canceled? Everyone exchanged looks.

To draw such a crowd, it clearly wasn’t an ordinary gathering. A poetry gathering that attracted both Prince Cheng and the Grand Chancellor, as well as so many children of officials, was significant. At first, Lin Jiayue saw everyone in plain scholar’s robes and thought they were commoners; once people like Li Ping showed up one by one, she knew the participants were anything but simple.

There had to be a reason they were dressed so low-key.

Lin Jiayue scanned the crowd. People looked at each other until one person stepped forward to inquire. “Grand Chancellor, the Lake Pingxin gathering is an annual tradition with no precedent for cancellation. We dare ask: why must it be canceled?”

“Exactly! This gathering is where we students showcase ourselves. How can it just be canceled like that?”

Then someone shouted, “Prince Cheng has left?”

“Left? Why did he leave?”

“Yeah! I only came because I heard Prince Cheng was here. Otherwise, who would bother competing with these hicks?”

“Exactly, exactly!”

No wonder the children of officials were here; they were all after Prince Cheng. The “Virtuous Prince” truly lived up to his name.

Lu Siling frowned. Guang Lu immediately stepped forward, her sweet voice trying to sound authoritative, which only made her look cute. “Just now, an assassin attempted to take Prince Cheng’s life. If the Grand Chancellor weren’t worried about your safety, she would have left with him long ago. Don’t be ungrateful.”

“Miss, how can you speak like that?”

“What? You want to fight?”

“Guang Lu,” Lu Siling called her back, then spoke to the crowd. “The guards of the Grand Chancellor’s manor will escort you back shortly. If you do not wish to be escorted, you may go as you please.”

With that, she turned to leave. For a Grand Chancellor to personally come over and say this much was rare enough; she felt no need for further explanation. It was enough to let them know an assassination had occurred. Soon, word of the attempt would spread. Consecutive assassinations would cause a “stress response” in the capital.

As Lu Siling left, she paused for a moment beside Lin Jiayue.

Lin Jiayue blinked, quickly rose, and followed. Lu Siling then began to stride forward. Seeing this, Gao Linghan thought for a second and hurried to catch up too. At a time like this, where could be safer than by the Grand Chancellor’s side?

Many others thought the same, but just as they tried to follow, Guang Qing stood before them with a cold face, a blade held in her arms, blocking their path.

Lin Jiayue and Gao Linghan walked on either side of Lu Siling like two bodyguards. Lin Jiayue was fine; her long legs could keep the pace. Gao Linghan had to trot just to keep up with the two of them. Because Gao Linghan was present, Lin Jiayue didn’t say much.

Once they reached Lu Siling’s carriage, the two “bodyguards” shared a look and rushed to the front.

“My Lady, give me a ride! There are assassins; I’m scared!” Gao Linghan was blunt.

Lin Jiayue wasn’t quite so direct; she just tugged Lu Siling’s sleeve and shook it. Seeing her, Bai Heng also bit Lu Siling’s sleeve and gave it a pull.

Tugging again. Tugging again!

Gao Linghan tutted. “Master Jia, that’s enough.”

Lin Jiayue maintained her “pitiful” look, staring at Lu Siling without a word.

Lu Siling gave her a glance and coughed lightly. “Get in.”

Gao Linghan was ecstatic. She couldn’t believe she was allowed onto the Grand Chancellor’s carriage. She could brag to her mother when she got home! Lin Jiayue’s lips curled into a smile. Lu Siling letting her in—did it mean their relationship was thawing?

However, she soon realized they were getting into a donkey cart. A single donkey was pulling an open-air cart; the two of them were seated on it with Guang Qing as the driver. Lu Siling was seated in the luxury carriage ahead. Lin Jiayue had caught a glimpse; it was several times more luxurious than Gao Linghan’s, practically a mobile apartment.

“Where is your carriage?” Lin Jiayue asked helplessly.

Gao Linghan gave her a “duh” look. “They all came in my carriage earlier, so naturally I let them use it.”

Fair enough. Lin Jiayue looked at the donkey’s swaying gait. Lu Siling wouldn’t even let her use a horse. Hateful woman.

Beside her, Gao Linghan looked her over and suddenly sat up straight. “You still haven’t told me your real name.”

“You said you wouldn’t ask.”

“That was different! Then we were just passing strangers; now we’ve shared a hardship.”

Lin Jiayue nodded. “True.”

“If it’s true, why haven’t you said it yet?” Gao Linghan rolled her eyes.

“Are you sure you want me to say it?”

“Just say it!”

“Don’t regret it.”

“What would I regret? Are you some kind of Heavenly Queen Mother?”

“Not quite.”

Gao Linghan tilted her head at her. “Then spit it out!”

Their dialogue was giving Guang Qing a headache. “Whoa~” She stopped the cart, interrupting them. Lin Jiayue tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

Guang Qing gave her a meaningful look. Lin Jiayue suddenly realized. “Right! I have business with the Grand Chancellor. I’ll go ahead.” She jumped off the cart and bolted toward the luxury carriage. Gao Linghan wanted to chase after her but met Guang Qing’s gaze.

“Hey, did you do that on purpose?”

The only answer was silence. Eternal silence. Gao Linghan snorted at Guang Qing, wanting to follow but not quite daring to.

Lin Jiayue had already reached the carriage and hopped onto the step. Guang Wei, driving the horses, saw her. “Your Majesty? Why are you here?”

“If I stay on that donkey cart any longer, my identity as Emperor won’t be a secret much longer,” Lin Jiayue replied as she opened the carriage door.

“Teacher Lu~ Hehe~”

Lin Jiayue opened the door just enough to poke her head in, a smile on her face. Lu Siling was momentarily dazzled by the bright smile before speaking. “Are you currently the Emperor, or Jia Deming?”

“Who does Teacher Lu want me to be?”

Lin Jiayue was smiling. In Lu Siling’s eyes, she was just like Bai Heng sneaking into the study—knowing it was a restricted zone yet insisting on testing the boundaries.

If Meng Wushang knew, she would only ask: But when did Bai Heng ever actually get punished?

Seeing Lin Jiayue say nothing and Lu Siling not offering any protest, she simply pushed the door open and climbed in. She called to Bai Heng, who was by the heater, “Bai Heng, come here.”

Bai Heng seemed to adore the young Emperor; as soon as she called, he trotted over happily. Tsk. Spiritless dog.

Lin Jiayue sat down close to Lu Siling, squinting with a smile as she stroked the dog, though she seemed to hesitate as if she had something to say. Lu Siling sipped her tea, in no rush to ask.

Finally, it was Lin Jiayue who lost her patience. “Teacher Lu, were you just notifying Prince Cheng to leave?”

“Mhm.”

“Teacher Lu also sent an assassin, but that one wasn’t for you—it was for Prince Cheng. And yet, somehow, another assassin appeared out of nowhere, and that one was for you.”

Lin Jiayue was thinking out loud. “The previous attempt, plus everything after… all evidence points to the Cui family. Did Teacher Lu have someone fake an attempt on Prince Cheng to clear the Cui family’s name?”

“No.” She immediately denied her own guess, but after a moment of not figuring it out, she had to look at Lu Siling.

Lu Siling’s gaze was calm—no encouragement, no expectation, and no annoyance at being guessed. She just looked at her with eyes as still as water. But it wasn’t that “freezing” look anymore. Lin Jiayue smiled and moved a little closer; a perfect illustration of “give her an inch and she’ll take a mile.”

Lu Siling acted as though she didn’t notice the movement, picking up a small hand-warmer wrapped in fur. Her thumb unconsciously rubbed the soft fur, a movement strikingly similar to Lin Jiayue stroking the dog.

“I’ve got it!” Lin Jiayue snapped her fingers, scaring Bai Heng, who scrambled away to hide behind Lu Siling. “What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you.” She was talking to the dog, but since it was behind Lu Siling, it looked as if she were speaking to her.

Lu Siling’s brow furrowed slightly as she reached back to pull Bai Heng out, waiting for the rest of her thought.

“You felt the last attempt had nothing to do with the Cuis, so you wanted to fake an attempt on Prince Cheng. That would make the Cui family look like they were ‘covering their tracks’—making them look even more guilty. After all, what kind of assassin just scares someone and leaves without a fight?”

“But you didn’t expect someone would actually try to kill you?”

Assassinating both Prince Cheng and the Grand Chancellor… who benefited? Naturally, the nobility behind the Empress. Lin Jiayue’s hand had unconsciously picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup. “So, did your plan fail?”

The young Emperor truly was bright, which only further proved she had been faking her stupidity all along. Any Top Scholar was a genius; Lu Siling was a genius among geniuses, naturally unable to understand a “dunce” like the old Emperor, often getting angry to the point of being unable to speak yet forced to continue teaching. Knowing it was all an act made the anger in her heart double.

“In addition to the essay on ‘Employing Talent,’ add another on ‘The Way of Balance’.”

Lu Siling finally spoke, but the answer wasn’t what Lin Jiayue wanted.

“Teacher Lu!!!” Lin Jiayue cried out in huff, only to be met with Lu Siling’s “and what are you going to do about it?” gaze.