Jun You Ji Fou

Chapter 10

Chu Mingyun met Qin Zhao's gaze, deliberately moved the fruit plate aside, picked out a few scrolls to place on the desk, and then looked up at him, "What opportunity?"

He laughed coldly, "Using women as pawns, sending them into the palace to whisper in ears? Only those without merit rely on such tactics to cement their position."

Qin Zhao found himself at a loss for words. He did not agree with such methods, yet Chu Mingyun had always been at the forefront of controversy. They might disdain this opportunity, but that didn't mean others wouldn't use it against Chu Mingyun. With his senior brother's pride, he naturally didn't care, but Qin Zhao couldn't help but worry.

Seeing Qin Zhao's expression, Chu Mingyun suddenly said, "If you're really interested, it's not entirely out of the question..."

Qin Zhao looked at him in surprise.

Chu Mingyun leisurely continued, "Think about it, though I don't have any women to send, Du Yue is quite likable. How about sending him to the palace? Would you bear to part with him?"

"Senior Brother..."

"What are you guys talking about me for?" Du Yue entered, pushing the door open.

Qin Zhao was left speechless.

Chu Mingyun said, "I was thinking of preparing a dowry for you. Qin Zhao is going to marry..."

"Bullshit," Du Yue said loudly as he found a chair to sit on. "With your constant mischief, Qin Zhao wouldn't entertain the idea of a dowry."

Du Yue's loud voice completely drowned out Chu Mingyun's last word, but Qin Zhao still gave Chu Mingyun a nervous glance, his lips pressed tightly together.

Chu Mingyun turned his head and let out a scoffing laugh, then sighed teasingly, stood up with the stack of documents, and walked out of the study.

Du Yue called after him, "Hey, where are you going? I just got here!"

Chu Mingyun, already far away, his voice still clearly carried back, "This room is too dense with foolishness; I'm going out for some fresh air."

"That asshole," Du Yue muttered with a frown, "Believe it or not, I could poison him."

He dared to say such things only because he knew Chu Mingyun couldn't hear him.

"...Du Yue." Qin Zhao suddenly called out to him.

"What?" Du Yue looked at him.

As soon as Qin Zhao met Du Yue's clear eyes, he found himself tongue-tied. The word Chu Mingyun had left hanging heavily impacted him, nearly sending him into a panic. Fortunately, he had a face that rarely betrayed his emotions, and Du Yue, not being the most observant, didn't notice anything amiss.

After struggling to find the words for a moment, Qin Zhao finally managed to say dryly, "Do you want some grapes?"

Du Yue glanced at the plate of grapes on the desk, still glistening with droplets of water, and nodded, "Sure!"

Meanwhile, Qin Zhao and Du Yue were seriously enjoying their grapes, Chu Mingyun entered the palace with his documents in hand. It was customary for the Grand Commandant and the Censor-in-chief to report their jurisdictions' affairs to the Emperor each month.

Led by a palace maid into the imperial study, Chu Mingyun found Su Shiyu already present, clutching several documents, seemingly lost in thought while surveying the desk. Emperor Li Yan was deeply engrossed in his work, holding a carving knife and meticulously working on a piece of wood tall as a man beside him, emitting a faint fragrance. The wood, clearly of superior quality, must have been a rare contribution from somewhere. In addition to affairs of state and governance, the Emperor excelled and took particular interest in carving and painting.