I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1200 Playing Tricks on the Empress
After Su Chang'an made the decision to come to the Su residence today, Aunt Sun arranged for someone to inform the Su residence in the morning.

To avoid the situation where the palace is deserted and the Empress leaves empty-handed.

Su Wenqing happened to be off today, so he arrived at Yimei Courtyard early to wait. He always sent his head maid to his own courtyard, so it was time for her to come here as well.

Moreover, everything started in this courtyard.

The old man has been enjoying coming here to drink tea and read books these days.

Others in the Su household still had their own things to do. For example, Su Liushi was invited by the old lady of the Qi State Duke's family to attend a small banquet today.

I hesitated for a long time last night, but in the end I decided to go. After all, I couldn't refuse the old lady's request. Moreover, Su Liushi knew that the old lady had been personally cooking three meals a day and sending them to her son in the palace. She had to repay this kindness.

Moreover, both Su Zhangshi and Wu He were invited.

That's just right, since Su Liu is pregnant at this age and can't be without someone by her side.

Although Wu He was a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), he was very curious about this kind of banquet held by nobles in the capital. He had seen the palace banquet last time, so he was naturally happy to attend the mansion banquet this time.

However, the current location is the main hall of Meiyuan.
Su Wenqing looked at Tian Gui, who was covered in sweat. After hearing Tian Gui's purpose, Su Wenqing realized that it was pretty much what he had guessed when he heard the servant report that Lord Tian had come to see Wu Dameng. He had come for the money sent out by the palace. Su Wenqing laughed and scolded, "He has been lying low under Yang Guofu for many years, patiently waiting to see where Tian Gui went during that court debate."

Tian Gui, feeling ashamed, looked at the old Grand Tutor and said, "Please don't tease me, sir. This matter is trivial, like a sesame seed, but it's not a big deal either. However, if I accept this silver, do you believe that after tomorrow's morning court session, those old censors, and even Lord Yan Ci and his ilk, will point their fingers at me and berate me? Li Jiulang might even laugh at me and say, 'You gave the Ministry of Works so much silver, and this is all you get?'"

Su Wenqing waved his hand: "It won't be that bad. You'll definitely get scolded, but it won't be that exaggerated. But what are your own thoughts? Do you want to be scolded?"

Tian Gui frankly said: "I thought that if I could see the Empress and listen to her, it would be best to return the money. Then I would go there under the guise of the palace and say that some shops had also suffered losses, so that they would know that I represented the two emperors to visit them and compensate them."

Tian Gui said this.
Wu Dameng, who was standing to the side, took a handful of melon seeds and peanuts from her small handbag and placed them on the table in front of Tian Gui.

However, it seems a bit meager and shabby.

So Wu Dameng brought out another large handful of snacks and fruits.

Tian Gui's arrival was sudden. Although Su Wenqing had instructed the servants to prepare, it would still take some time. The food prepared in advance was for Su Chang'an. How could the servants dare to bring it up to Lord Tian? After all, if Lord Tian knew, would he still dare to eat it?
During this break, Wu Dameng brought up his own.

Although Wu Dameng didn't know why this person wanted to see him, since he was a guest, he had to be treated well.

Moreover, Wu Dameng noticed that this high-ranking official looked exhausted and was covered in sweat, indicating that he hadn't eaten and was hungry.

Wu Dameng grinned and said, "You go ahead and eat."

Tian Gui immediately smiled. This little girl had two chubby cheeks, and her chubby face looked quite cute when she smiled.

But right now, I have no appetite at all.

Su Wenqing ruffled Wu Dameng's hair and then looked at Su Zimu: "What do you think?"

Su Zimu, standing to the side, was taken aback. "Dad, I don't know how to speak properly."

Su Wenqing said, "You are a Duke, what's there to be reluctant to say? It's not a big deal. Besides, Lord Tian is your former classmate. He's already come to us. Are you just going to stand by and watch?"

Su Zimu felt awkward for a moment, then looked at Tian Gui: "That's not appropriate."

Tian Gui looked at Su Zimu: "I would like to ask Brother Zimu for your guidance."

Su Zimu said, "I dare not presume to offer my guidance, but His Majesty and the Empress must have already discussed this matter, so it doesn't matter who you approach. Moreover, even if Lord Tian hasn't had much contact with the Empress, he must have heard some things about her personality. Even if you find the Empress through Da Mengzi, she might not accept the money. Besides, your problem now is not about meeting those two sages, but about what to do with the money."

After carefully savoring the words, Tian Gui looked at Su Zimu without saying a word, waiting for the next part to follow.

Su Zimu asked, "Is the money sent from the palace exactly what's needed for road repairs?"

Tian Gui nodded: "It's exactly right, not a penny more or less. The head of the department counted and calculated it in front of Lady Sun."

Su Zimu pressed further, "Wasn't compensation for the people included?"

Tian Gui said, "I had someone check the money. It came to less than a hundred taels, only a few dozen. At the time, the person in charge was trembling with fear in front of Lady Sun. He couldn't possibly care about such things."

Su Zimu said, "Then you'll have to ask the palace for more money."

Upon hearing this, Tian Gui immediately stood up and looked at Su Zimu. She felt like she couldn't return the money to the palace, which was like a hot potato.

Wu Dameng watched as the high-ranking official stood up, blinked, and wanted to go up and invite him to sit down, but suddenly his expression froze and he looked outside.

Looking over, she saw the veil placed by the door, visible only from her vantage point.

That veil belongs to my master.

I was just curious.

Wu Dameng saw Su Chang'an gently reach out his hand and make a shushing gesture towards her.

Wu Dameng understood immediately and sat obediently in the chair.

Su Chang'an sat on the steps outside.

He had just arrived when he heard Lin Han say that Lord Tian had arrived and was in a great hurry to see Wu Dameng.

As Da Mengzi's master, Su Chang'an wondered if something had happened to Da Mengzi, but unexpectedly, he overheard the conversation inside.

So he sat outside and listened, because he had read several memorials that Lord Tian had sent to the palace yesterday and this morning.

As Xia Fengxiang said, 'Leave it there and let it bake in the sun.'

Yan Ruyu stood leaning against the wall, looking dejected.

Su Liheng had many thoughts on his mind. On one hand, he wanted to get closer to the older sister, but he didn't dare to, because the older sister was obviously eavesdropping, which was quite rude, but he couldn't say it out loud.

Then, he was also thinking about Yan Ruyu.

However, it wasn't that she had taken a liking to Ruyu or wanted to comfort her after hearing that Ruyu had been demoted.

And he was afraid that he would be beaten by Ruyu!

So he stood behind Su Linhan and stole glances at Ruyu.

He and Xun Kuang were locked in the palace for a day before, and no one questioned them. They were eventually released, but no one knows why.

But the next day, Su Liheng heard that Xun Siye had been beaten by Sister Ruyu in the red-light district.

From his perspective, how could someone as kind as Sister Yu hit someone? If it wasn't at the behest of her older sister, how could she have resorted to violence?

And it just so happened that he was beating Xun Siye.

Su Liheng immediately realized that he might be close to it too, and he was so scared that he didn't dare to go out for the next two days.

He kept saying, "It's not like it's my own brother!"

It wasn't until he skipped class with Da Mengzi that he was severely reprimanded by Su Linhan, who even punished him by making him stand in a horse stance under the sun.

Su Liheng realized that his younger brother was even more ruthless, so he panicked again.

But before Sister Ruyu arrived at their home, they heard that Lord Cui had been beaten by Sister Ruyu, and even Old Master Cui had been beaten.

Good heavens, this definitely wasn't Sister Ruyu, it was definitely the eldest sister or His Majesty who instructed this!

And my older sister happened to come to our house that day.

Su Liheng was terrified upon closer examination. However, after two days of living in fear, he suddenly received a letter—the very letter he had been studying the previous night—and realized that he was definitely alright.

Then the older sister said she was coming today, and for some reason, Su Liheng felt uneasy again.

Especially now.
Seeing Sister Ruyu's serious and unhappy expression, and the malicious look in her older sister's eyes just now.

Su Liheng grabbed Su Linhan's sleeve and stole a glance at Ruyu, who was looking down and frowning. But then he suddenly sensed something and turned to look at his older sister.

He then saw the older sister give him a chuckle.

For some reason, Su Liheng felt a chill run down his spine and gripped Su Linhan's sleeve tightly.

Second sister, save me!

But after giving Su Liheng a look of disdain, Su Linhan turned her head and smiled at Su Chang'an.

A couple of days ago, Wu Dameng brought over an article, or rather, half of it, saying it was given to her by her older sister and asked her to copy it. The title was "The Humble Abode Inscription".

She glanced at it, curious about what lay behind it.

So when I found out today that my older sister was coming, I immediately took the day off and decided not to go. I also wanted to ask what was going to happen next.

And I also dislike older women who always leave things unfinished when they write; it's so annoying.

However, Su Linhan glared at Su Qingning without any politeness when she saw her standing there with an eager look on her face.

Su Chang'an saw this and was puzzled.

But Su Linhan whispered, "Ignore her, I'll talk to you later."

Su Qingning pouted, feeling wronged.

She didn't go to see the teacher today either; instead, she stayed here to ask the older sister for something.

Because her parents are on their way back!
It will arrive within five days.

So she was in a hurry!
In the entire Su family, only her aunt and grandfather could save her, but both of them would say the same thing: "Go ask your eldest sister."

The yard is only this big.
Each of them had their own agenda.

Inside the house
Su Wenqing glanced at Wu Dameng's expression, then looked outside, and roughly understood what was going on.

Looking at Tian Gui again, he said, "Sit down, I'm trying to figure out a solution for you."

Upon hearing this, Tian Gui realized he had been impolite and immediately bowed. Then he looked at Su Zimu and said, "Zimu, how can I beg for it so shamelessly? Besides, it's such a small amount of silver. If I were to ask for it, do you want to see Yan Ci and those old censors beat me up?"

"Besides, you want me to ask the Empress for less than a hundred taels of silver? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Empress?"

Su Zimu said with a smile, "So you're planning to pay for this yourself, combining your own money with the palace's money to complete this task?"

Tian Gui immediately said, "Then..."

But as soon as she opened her mouth, Tian Gui's expression froze. Wait a minute, something's not right!
Tian Gui stared intently at Su Zimu. Although both were silver, their origins were different, and the silver reflected social status.

Can my money be counted together with the palace's?
If I were to actually join them, and use the names of His Majesty and Her Majesty...
It was less than a hundred taels, and even the palace maid, Lady Sun, had personally come to ask for the accounts.

Tian Gui felt a chill run down his spine and immediately stood up and bowed to Su Zimu: "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zimu."

Then he bowed to Su Wenqing.

But looking at Su Zimu, she said, "But we can't ask for this money. It's less than a hundred taels of silver. Asking the Empress for it is..."

Su Zimu said, "His Majesty and the Empress will not care about these things."

Tian Gui frowned, looking at Su Zimu and Su Wenqing: "Actually, I was thinking, Your Highness has been so frugal that you're growing vegetables in the palace. Although it's not that you're short of money, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and Your Highness will have even more expenses. Besides, when my husband attended the recent banquet for noblewomen, the palace sent gifts, and the items were extremely valuable."

At this point, Tian Gui looked at Su Wenqing and Su Zimu, and thought that it wouldn't hurt to tell them, so she said, "Moreover, Her Majesty wrote me a letter separately, saying that she had worked hard all these years of hibernation, especially the demotion from a fifth-rank official to a seventh-rank official, and all the scorn she had endured. You know, when Her Majesty wrote all that, I was really moved, and to be honest, I even cried. It's one thing that His Majesty made me a vice minister, but what do you think I felt after hearing that letter from Her Majesty to His Majesty?"

"That's why I'm so uneasy about this. As ministers who care for their ruler and their children, those two have been under so much pressure to get to this point, and this is all they get? They even took out all that money themselves, without giving us a chance to share the burden. Especially the place they live in, it's just a tiny Lingqi Pavilion, nobody in the neighborhood believes it. As a minister, it's hard for me to use this money."

Su Wenqing smiled at Tian Gui and said, "It's so cheesy, it's giving this old man goosebumps."

Su Zimu wasn't good at these kinds of jokes, but she still smiled to herself.

But people are sensitive and don't forget their original intentions; this is indeed something Chang'an would do.

Tian Gui looked embarrassed, but then said to Su Wenqing, "I'm just in a hurry to get this done, please don't tease me."

Su Wenqing said, "Listen to me, when you see the Empress, just say all those cheesy things you've said, from the bottom of your heart. They're cheesy, but they'll work. She'll definitely find a way to help you. It's no big deal."

Tian Gui looked at the Grand Tutor: "Grand Tutor, if I could say this, would I not? But I can't say it, it's so embarrassing. Especially with such a small amount of money, is it my place to save for them? I can't show what I'm thinking, right? If the Empress is unhappy, then His Majesty will be unhappy too. What will I, Cheng Xun Kuang, do then? He went to the Commander of Yan the other day and said that after he went back, he was crying with his pillow in his arms. Even Ji Shuying couldn't comfort him. Who knows how badly he was beaten. He hasn't been seen for several days."

"Besides, I'm thinking that the palace shouldn't have to pay for this, so that's why I did it this way."

Su Wenqing glanced at the doorway and asked, "Speaking of Xun Kuang, are you implying that His Majesty and the Empress are petty?"

Tian Gui jumped up and looked at Su Wenqing: "Grand Tutor! You can't say such things carelessly."

Su Wenqing immediately said, "Isn't Xun Kuang saying that?"

Tian Gui nodded: "Although I mentioned it, I didn't say it."

Su Wenqing smiled and said, "Then you should go and tell the Empress that she is short of 180 taels of silver. Give her a little more, otherwise this matter cannot be resolved."

Tian Gui said with a bitter face, "But I can't say that."

Su Wenqing scolded, "You coward! It's just a matter of fact, yet you're afraid of being scolded and you're also moved or something, but you just won't do it. Only an idiot would scold you. Anyone with a brain can see at a glance that His Majesty and the Empress are clear about separating public and private matters, and that they care about the people and officials. Stop dragging your feet."

Tian Gui frowned. "Then... I'll go and tell them?"

Su Wenqing continued, "Remember to cry when you say it."

Tian Gui asked in confusion, "Crying?"

Su Wenqing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is soft-hearted. If you cry, everything will be easier to handle."

Tian Gui couldn't help but look at Su Wenqing: "Grand Tutor, isn't our scheming to deal with this matter the same as scheming to deal with the Empress?"

Su Wenqing said, "Are you going to do it or not?"

Tian Gui thought for a moment and looked at Su Wenqing: "Do you have any medicine that can make me cry?"

Su Zimu stood up with a smile.

Su Wenqing said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this boy is trying to outsmart you."

As he spoke, he gestured for Tian Gui to turn around.

Tian Gui paused for a moment, then turned around.

Su Chang'an was seen with his head down, holding a money bag and actually counting silver. The money bag had the character "Heng" written on it, the "Heng" of Su Liheng.

Su Chang'an looked at Tian Gui and said with a smile, "Lord Tian, ​​there's not enough here. Li Heng will go and get some. But Maomao isn't with me, and I don't have any seals or anything. I'll have Lu Cai go to the Ministry of Works to deliver the edict to you so you can send it to the Ministry of State Affairs and the Secretariat for filing."

Tian Gui looked at Su Chang'an, and her heart skipped a beat!
(End of this chapter)