Yu Mingyue woke up five days later. The boat had already left Yangzhou.
Yu Mingyue woke up without a fuss, not even asking why she was on the boat.
Her reaction made Song Yuming feel even more guilty.
Yu Mingyue was on the deck, watching the sunset while eating cherries. The cherries were bought by Song Yuming when the boat docked for supplies. They were large, fresh, crisp, and sweet. Yu Mingyue had already eaten a large plate.
"Sixth Lady, don't you have anything to ask?" Song Yuming said.
Yu Mingyue then turned her head. "Ask what? Since you all don't want me to investigate, there must be a reason. You wouldn't all want to harm me, so I won't investigate anymore."
Song Yuming: ...
He didn't believe she was the type to give up so easily. She was definitely plotting something.
"Don't worry, I really won't investigate anymore," Yu Mingyue said, as if guessing what Song Yuming was thinking.
Actually, she had a rough idea of why she couldn't investigate.
The Cao Gang was a peculiar existence, disdained by the noble families and ignored by the imperial court. They were a martial arts sect, yet not bound by the strict doctrines of the martial world.
Since the Grand Canal was built, it had further boosted the prosperity of the Cao Gang's wharves. In just a few decades, the Cao Gang had grown from a small sect into a powerful organization, earning immeasurable wealth annually.
Although the Cui family looked down on them, they couldn't curb their development. As the Cao Gang's influence grew, interactions were inevitable. The Emperor, due to the Cui family's attention, had also noticed the Cao Gang.
To be precise, he noticed the vast sums of money the Cao Gang earned each year, which led to a collaboration.
With imperial support and no longer restricted by the Cui family, the Cao Gang became increasingly brazen in their actions. Compared to the benefits the Cao Gang brought, the court turned a blind eye to their misdeeds.
The Luo family had lost a son but still didn't escalate the matter, not wanting to provoke deeper investigations into the Cao Gang and expose the court's complicity.
However, such reckless wealth accumulation, did the court truly lack money to this extent? This was what she couldn't understand the most.
Song Yuming knew she had something on her mind but didn't pry too much. Some things were best understood implicitly.
The journey back to the capital was smooth, but by the time they returned, it was already the end of June, the hottest time in the capital.
During the month they were away, a major event had occurred in the capital. The Tubo spies had not been found, and the Emperor, in his rage, had removed Lu Jingxing from his position as Commander of the Five Garrisons. He was now idle at home, picking his toes.
"Retribution, truly satisfying. This position won't remain vacant, will it?" Yu Mingyue asked.
"The Crown Prince has taken temporary charge," Li Fu replied.
As soon as Li Fu returned to the capital, before he could even catch his breath, his informants had already sent him the news, fearing it would lose its value if delivered any later.
Yu Mingyue raised an eyebrow. As expected, the Five Garrisons were a stepping stone the Emperor was preparing for the Crown Prince's future ascension.
One emperor, one court. Although the Southern Military was also the emperor's personal guard, it had been established since the founding of the dynasty, and its situation was complex. The Crown Prince needed his own trusted subordinates.
However, how could the Emperor bear to discard such a sharp blade as Lu Jingxing?
Yu Mingyue frowned. Lately, there were too many things she couldn't figure out. Unfortunately, her brother was not around, and she had fallen out with Brother Jianyan. She didn't even have anyone to discuss these matters with.
After the sweltering heat, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the blink of an eye. As a minor official of her rank, Yu Mingyue was not eligible to attend the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet. However, as a family member of a Duke's mansion, she was qualified.
Although she didn't want to, on the day of her capping ceremony, the Empress had specially sent a palace嬷嬷 to tie her hair. Naturally, she couldn't be ungrateful.
The dishes in the palace were indeed beautiful, but the taste was generally mediocre, and most of them were cold. Yu Mingyue only picked a few pastries to fill her stomach.
It was strange. Although the Emperor had dismissed Lu Jingxing from his post, he was still a Duke. How could he not be at the palace banquet?
Moreover, she had been back in the capital for a long time. Given Lu Jingxing's temperament, how could he not have sought her out for trouble, unless he... was not in the capital.
Could all this be an act, and the Emperor had assigned Lu Jingxing an important mission?
If so, it was a chilling thought.