The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Xiyu stepped into Song Shuwen's clinic again that day.

He glanced around and saw that the clinic was in order and everything was going smoothly.

The five apprentices were each busy, studying medical books or pounding medicine and preparing prescriptions. Each of them was fully focused and learning very seriously.

Xi Yu nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved.

Song Shuwen looked up and saw Xi Yu. He put down his work, came over, and said with a smile, "Prime Minister, how come you have time to come here again today?"

Xi Yu replied, "I've always been thinking about this place, so I came to take a look. Now that I see they are so dedicated, I feel relieved." After that, the two smiled at each other and walked together to check on the apprentices' learning progress.

When several disciples saw Xi Yu coming, they stopped what they were doing and wanted to greet him.

Xi Yu quickly raised his hand to signal, and said gently: "No need to be so polite, just continue to do your own things."

One of the disciples spoke first, his words full of respect: "Prime Minister, what do you want to tell me?"

Xi Yu smiled and shook his head: "It's nothing important, I just came to see your academic progress casually."

"Master Prime Minister has taught us with great care. We dare not slack off in the slightest and will work hard to learn the medical skills well."

Xi Yu nodded in approval: "That's great. The road to studying medicine is long and requires perseverance."

Xi Yu looked around at everyone, his heart filled with relief. After a few words of encouragement, he let them continue to be busy, while he walked aside and talked in a low voice with Song Shuwen.

After Xi Yu came out of the clinic, his thoughts drifted back to the matter of recruiting female officials that Wen Xuan mentioned.

He knew very well that if women were to be capable of serving as court ladies, education was the first priority.

So he called in his soldiers and ordered them to post notices throughout the country.

The notice was written in earnest words, strongly advocating that women should devote themselves to study and actively participate in future examinations.

The article reads: "Today, the country is about to rise, and it needs the joint efforts of all people. Women also play half of the role. I hope that all women will break the old ideas, go to school to learn knowledge, hone their talents, and wait for the day of the exam to show their talents and add color to their country."

Once this notice was issued, it was like a huge rock falling into the water, causing ripples everywhere.

Xi Yu straightened his clothes and walked towards Liu Xie's palace.

Along the way, he looked at the familiar scenery on both sides of the palace road, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

When he entered the palace, Liu Xie was sitting at the table flipping through bamboo slips. Hearing footsteps, Liu Xie raised his head, with a flash of surprise and joy in his eyes: "Xi Yu, you are here."

Xi Yu bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, long time no see."

Liu Xie stood up and came to greet him personally: "It's been a long time. What important matter has brought you here today?"

Xi Yu stood up and said slowly: "Your Majesty, the affairs of the court are becoming increasingly complicated. I have been thinking about how to inject more fresh blood into the court. I think we can create a position for female officials so that women can also have the opportunity to participate in court affairs."

Liu Xie was slightly startled, and after pacing for a while, he said, "It is unprecedented for a woman to be an official. I am afraid it will cause a lot of criticism."

Xi Yu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, there are many intelligent and capable women. If you can train and employ them, they will surely help your Majesty and help the country. I have already posted notices across the country to encourage women to study and take exams. Girls' schools are gradually being built in various places. If this trend can prevail, it will be of great benefit to the country and the people."

Liu Xie stopped and stared at Xi Yu for a long time before nodding gently: "In this case, you can give it a try, but you must act with caution and not cause unrest in the court."

Xi Yu was overjoyed and quickly responded, "I will obey your order and do my best to live up to your majesty's trust."

Liu Xie smiled and ordered people to set up the chessboard, put the chess pieces in place, and start the game.

Xi Yu played the black pieces first, and he made his moves with his usual calmness. Liu Xie was calm and composed, and he made his moves with ease, and his white pieces were placed lightly, as if with deep meaning.

At first, Xi Yu was able to compete with Liu Xie on equal terms with his experience, but after a few rounds, he found that Liu Xie's chess skills were no longer what they used to be.

Liu Xie's layout became more and more ingenious, with hidden secrets in every step, and there were rules for both attack and defense.

Fine beads of sweat gradually seeped out of Xi Yu's forehead, and the speed of the black pieces in his hand also slowed down. He had to concentrate more on thinking about how to deal with the situation.

Xi Yu was secretly amazed in his heart, wondering when Liu Xie had mastered the chess skill to such a high level. It seemed that in this palace, Liu Xie had never stopped honing and improving himself.

Soon, the game was over. Xi Yu looked at the chessboard full of chess pieces and shook his head helplessly, knowing that he had lost the game. He raised his head with a look of admiration on his face and said to Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, your chess skills are really getting better and better. I am convinced today."

Liu Xie showed a smug smile on his face, waved his hand gently and said: "Haha, Xi Yu, when I have free time in this palace, I often play chess with those young eunuchs. I play a lot, so naturally I have figured out some tricks and my skills have improved."

After saying that, he signaled his servant to rearrange the chessboard and looked at Xi Yu, as if asking if he wanted to play another game.

Xi Yu bowed slightly and said with some apology: "Your Majesty, I am afraid I can't play chess with you today. I wonder if it is possible?"

Liu Xie was open-minded. He smiled and said, "Of course, if you have something to do, just go and do it first."

Xi Yu hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding. I will take my leave now." After that, he bowed respectfully, then turned around and slowly walked out, leaving Liu Xie sitting in front of the chessboard, deep in thought.

After a while, a young eunuch came over quietly. When he came close to Liu Xie, he bowed respectfully and then said carefully: "Your Majesty, I just overheard what the Prime Minister said to Your Majesty. The Prime Minister was already preparing to set up a female official. I think it's a bit unfair to come and tell Your Majesty now. For such a big matter, I should have asked Your Majesty's opinion in advance."

When Liu Xie heard what the young eunuch said, his face darkened instantly, his eyes full of displeasure, and he snorted coldly, "Humph, now I can no longer manage state affairs, and all matters have been handed over to the Prime Minister to take care of. This was agreed upon at the beginning. You are saying this here now, are you trying to sow discord and shake the trust between me and the Prime Minister?"

When the young eunuch heard this, he turned pale with fear, and fell to his knees with a plop. His body could not stop shaking, and he kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I never meant to do that. I just spoke out of my mouth. Your Majesty, please spare me. I will never do that again."

The young eunuch kowtowed as he spoke, his forehead hitting the ground with a "dong dong" sound. He was filled with fear and only hoped that Liu Xie would forgive him this time.

Liu Xie looked at the little eunuch kneeling on the ground and trembling, and the anger in his heart did not subside.

He stood up, waved his long sleeves, turned his back, and said in a cold voice: "I remember that you have served in the palace for many years, so I will forgive you this time today, but if you do it next time, I will not let you off easily."

The young eunuch expressed his gratitude profusely as if he had been pardoned.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity. I will remember your kindness and never make the same mistake again." After saying this, he still prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to stand up.

Liu Xie was silent for a long time, then slowly sat back in his original seat, but his heart was filled with turmoil.

Liu Xie sat there, his eyes seemingly fixed on the objects in front of him, but in fact his mind had already drifted away.

The young eunuch's words were like a stone thrown into the lake of his heart, causing ripples in his originally calm heart.

He knew very well that he was on the throne, but for a long time he had been like a puppet, and many state affairs were decided by the prime minister. Although it was a situation forced by the circumstances at the time, how could an emperor be willing to be controlled by others all the time?
At this moment, he could not help but think carefully, thinking about how to take back his own power little by little in the future, how to make more decisions on court affairs by himself without causing too much conflict with the prime minister, and how to truly become the master of the world, rather than just having a vain title and being manipulated by others.

After Xi Yu returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion, he walked straight into the study, dismissed his attendants, and sat alone at the desk, frowning and falling into deep thought.

Although constitutional monarchy had been proposed before and Liu Xie agreed to it at that time, as time went on, Xi Yu knew in his heart, would Liu Xie really be willing to maintain such a situation?

After all, he is the king of a country, how could he not have any thoughts in his mind?

Xi Yu couldn't help but think of that apt metaphor in his mind, just like a person who has always been poor and used to the poor life, and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. But by chance, he suddenly became rich overnight, and was full of joy thinking that he could change his fate and enjoy everything that wealth brought. However, he later found out that this wealth did not belong to him at all, but was just temporarily borrowed by him.

When it comes time to hand over the wealth, everything returns to its previous balanced state, but how can this person's mind be easily balanced?
Liu Xie's current situation is no different. From an emperor who originally controlled world affairs, he gradually became just a title with power falling into others' hands. Although things seem to be peaceful now, I'm afraid it won't always be smooth sailing in the future.

Xi Yu let out a long sigh. He knew that he would have to be more cautious and thoughtful in handling state affairs and getting along with Liu Xie in the future. He must not allow the situation that he had worked so hard to maintain to be easily cracked.

Xi Yu sat in front of the desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes revealing a bit of hesitation and thought.

An idea popped up in his mind. He wondered whether he should secretly arrange a secret guard to follow Liu Xie quietly, so that he could always know Liu Xie's every move and see what his thoughts and actions would be in the future.

But as soon as this thought came to his mind, Xi Yu could not help but shake his head in self-mockery, wondering if this was a bit too much. After all, although Liu Xie did not have much actual power now, he was still the king of a country. If he was discovered doing this, it would completely destroy the already delicate trust between them.

Moreover, if Liu Xie had some ideas in his mind, in the current situation, many affairs inside and outside the court were under control. How much trouble could he stir up? I am afraid it would only add to his troubles.

Forget it, Xi Yu finally gave up the idea and decided to face Liu Xie in a frank manner, relying on subsequent communication and cooperation to stabilize the court situation and ensure that everything can develop smoothly as planned.

The thief Zhao Qiang was sitting in a bumpy carriage, which continued to move forward along the muddy road.

His eyes looked out the car window vigilantly from time to time, and his fingers twirled the corners of his clothes nervously.

The sky gradually darkened and dark clouds rolled in. Soon, raindrops as big as beans fell and hit the roof of the carriage with a dull sound.

The rain was getting heavier, the road was becoming more difficult to travel on, and the carriage was slowing down.

We just arrived at a small town, and the night had already fallen completely.

Zhao Qiang and the coachman decided to take shelter in the inn in the town first.

The two men rushed into the inn in the rain, the rain running down their clothes and gathering into small streams at their feet.

The inn was brightly lit, and the warm atmosphere formed a sharp contrast with the cold and damp outside. Zhao Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, but still did not forget to secretly observe the people coming in and out of the inn.

Zhao Qiang walked into the inn room, quickly and carefully took out the letter hidden in his arms, and after carefully checking it, he found a hidden corner and hid it properly.

In the past, when he was in a crowded place, his restless hands would always habitually reach out to other people's property and do some sneaky things.

Today in this inn, he felt that he had another opportunity to take advantage of, and his eyes were quietly scanning the crowd, looking for a suitable target.

However, just as he was about to make a move, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind and he changed his mind temporarily.

He thought to himself that if this letter could be successfully delivered to the prime minister, the prime minister would definitely give him a generous reward. In this way, he could obtain money in an honest way. Why should he take the risk of stealing?

Thinking of this, his eyes showed a little more anticipation and certainty, and he just hoped to reach his destination as soon as possible.

Zhao Qiang never expected that he would encounter robbers on the road the next day.

The carriage arrived at a remote place, surrounded by overgrown grass and rugged rocks.

Suddenly, several burly men rushed out from the woods beside the road, holding long knives and sticks, and blocked the way of the carriage.

The leading robber shouted viciously: "I built this road and planted this tree. If you want to pass this way, you have to pay me money!"

The coachman quickly pleaded: "My dear gentlemen, I am just a coachman. I earn my money through hard work. I really don't have much money."

But the robbers ignored him. One of them said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense. Get off the carriage. Passengers, get off too. We want to search you!"

Zhao Qiang was shocked. He covered the part where the letter was hidden tightly and his face turned pale.

He knew very well that if the letter was stolen by robbers, not only would his dream of getting rich be shattered, but he might also be killed.

The coachman looked at Zhao Qiang helplessly and slowly got off the carriage. Zhao Qiang had no choice but to get off the carriage. He watched the robbers' every move vigilantly, his brain working rapidly, thinking about how to keep the letter and escape this disaster.

The robbers searched Zhao Qiang and the coachman roughly and quickly took away all the money they had.

The coachman had a sad face and bravely pleaded with the robbers: "My dear friends, we have to hurry on. Please leave us some money, or we won't survive the journey."

After hearing this, the robbers looked at each other and actually threw a few coins on the ground.

But when they searched Zhao Qiang, they found the letter.

Zhao Qiang was extremely anxious when he saw this, and he quickly shouted: "This letter is very important to me. You can take all the money, but please leave the letter behind!"

The robbers were unmoved. The leader sneered, "Humph, important? In my eyes, this might be some valuable treasure. Don't try to get away with it."

As he said this, he was about to take the letter away.

Zhao Qiang held the letter tightly, his eyes full of determination. He knew that if the letter fell into the hands of robbers, the consequences would be disastrous.

Seeing that Zhao Qiang dared to resist, several robbers, one of them with a hot temper, kicked Zhao Qiang hard, and Zhao Qiang staggered and fell to the ground.

The robbers took the opportunity to snatch the letter and turned to leave.

Zhao Qiang struggled to get up and shouted, "It's just a letter. It's not worth anything. What's the point of taking it away? But it's really important to me!"

However, the robbers ignored his cries and only thought that the letter might hide some secrets and they might be able to gain greater benefits from it.

Zhao Qiang was so anxious at this time that he didn't care about the gold under his knees. He fell to his knees with a plop, clasped his hands together, and begged the robbers: "Gentlemen, please give me back the letter. This letter is more important to me than my life!"

The coachman also chimed in, "My dear friends, this letter looks ordinary and is really worthless. Please have pity on him and return the letter."

However, the robbers just laughed. The leader shook the letter in his hand and said jokingly: "It's easy for you to say that. Who knows if there is any shocking secret hidden in this letter? Maybe it can make us rich!"

Seeing the robbers about to leave, Zhao Qiang suddenly had an idea and stood up, saying loudly: "If you take the letter away, you will bear the consequences! Do you know who this letter is for? It is the Prime Minister! It involves important military intelligence. If you don't believe it, you can open it and read it."

Upon hearing this, the robbers exchanged glances with each other and couldn't help feeling a little hesitant.

Although they were robbers, they also knew that the prime minister was extremely powerful in the court. If they were to rashly rob the letters concerning military intelligence as this kid said, they would probably get into big trouble.

Zhao Qiang looked at the robbers' reactions, secretly rejoicing in his heart, and silently praying that the content of the letter would be as he expected, with the prime minister's clear title or related information, so that the robbers would retreat and return the letter to him.

At this time, one of the kidnappers frowned, stared at Zhao Qiang, and shouted boldly: "Humph, don't scare people with this kind of thing. Who knows if you are talking nonsense here!"

Zhao Qiang just sneered, his eyes revealing a certainty, and responded: "If you don't believe me, just open it. I have already warned you. If you cause any disaster, don't blame me for not warning you in advance."

After hearing this, the kidnapper began to wonder, holding the letter in his hand, hesitant for a moment, not knowing whether he should open it to find out what was inside.

The other robbers also gathered around, staring at the letter, and the situation was at a standstill for a while. (End of this chapter)