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墨書 Inktalez
For some reason, a voice in Yang Yichen's heart told him that he was not far from Liu Qingxi. Yet, time and again, there was no news, and night after night he searched.
As the pitch-black night gradually faded away, the morning sun broke over the horizon, dispelling the darkness. Yang Yichen paused, avoiding the palace guards, and stealthily left the royal palace like a ghost.
At the same time, Liu Qingxi was suddenly awakened from her dream, feeling her pillow and realizing she had not returned; she was still imprisoned in this place.
Unbeknownst to them, they were merely separated by a wall and had just missed each other.
The next day, Liu Qingxi could not muster any energy. Perhaps it was due to the nightmares of the previous night, or perhaps it was the pent-up frustration within her, or maybe she simply could not find a way out.
She felt listless and no longer clamored to go outside as she usually did.
" Miss Liu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Liu Qingxi shook her head, unwilling to say a word. Even Dugu Hao, who came to visit her after court, noticed something was off.
Before leaving, he carefully asked the maid who took care of her, "What exactly is going on?"
"Master, I don’t know either. Last night, the young lady refused to rest no matter what I said. I tried for a long time to persuade her, but now she seems quite unwell."
"Please call for the imperial physician!" Seeing Liu Qingxi's lack of spirit and her usual vivacity gone, Dugu Hao felt uneasy.
"Don’t let her discover your identity."
This meant that the physician should disguise himself when he came.
The maid accepted the order but was puzzled as to why His Majesty always came in disguise and why he did not want Liu Qingxi to know his true identity.
To any woman, the most noble status below would be an immense temptation; surely no one could resist the love of the Sovereign.
But why? She could not understand the thoughts of someone so esteemed; she only knew to follow orders.
At Yang Residence, ever since Liu Qingxi went missing, everyone had been enveloped in a suffocating atmosphere.
Without Young Lady, there was much less joy, and the Wen Family was in tears all day long due to Liu Qingxi's disappearance, suffering immensely.
Meanwhile, at the Construction Team, although Liu Laosi and others were providing strong support, there were still a few voices, a few troublemakers, who began to stir things up quietly.
When Liu Qingxi was around, her strong methods and powerful abilities commanded their respect. But now, without Liu Qingxi, the tactics of Liu Laosi and Zhang Wuliang were evidently insufficient to intimidate everyone.
At the Yang Family, everyone was putting in their utmost effort to search for news about Liu Qingxi. Zhang Wuliang and Liu Laosi did not want to complicate matters for Yang Yichen or add trouble for the Wen Family.
At the construction site, several strong men lazily stopped working and sat by the roadside chatting: "It's been over ten days, and Madam Yang still hasn't given us any news. What's the point of us working?"
"Exactly. If it weren't for Madam Yang's capabilities back then, we wouldn't still be here."
Just then, two passersby overheard them and couldn't help but agree: "Who knows when we might not be able to continue working anymore."
"By the way, with Boss not around, will our wages be paid on time?"
This last comment hit the nail on the head.
Why were they here? Wasn't it for the generous wages and stable livelihood?
But if all these favorable conditions disappeared, would they still be able to stay?
The answer was no, as their bond with Liu Qingxi had not reached a point of unwavering loyalty.
More and more people gathered together, sighing and lamenting about the future.
At that moment, Zhang Wuliang had just resolved a material delivery issue and arrived at the site, coincidentally spotting the workers loitering instead of working.
The crowd was too focused on their conversation to notice his arrival, and he overheard everything they were saying.
Finally, when people began to express doubts about Liu Qingxi's return and whether the landscaping construction could continue without her support, Zhang Wuliang spoke up.
With a dark expression and anger in his voice, he said, "What are you all doing? Are you all just idling around? Don't you have work to do?"
"Did you hear what you all just said? You’re hoping for something bad to happen before there’s even a problem? What has Liu Qingxi done to deserve your curses? You wish for her not to return."
At this moment, he wished he could drag these people up and beat them. What angered him was not their lack of seriousness in their work or that they were taking wages without working.
It was that they had started cursing Liu Qingxi, wishing she wouldn’t come back. With her being away for so long, the situation was dire.
How could Zhang Wuliang accept this? No matter the circumstances, they would never give up hope; Liu Qingxi was somewhere in an unknown corner, waiting for them!
There was no doubt, only certainty! He believed wholeheartedly!
However, no matter how much Zhang Wuliang denied it, they still harbored doubts. Why? The longer time passed, the more elusive hope became.
"Manager Zhang, it’s not that we’re guessing blindly; everyone feels this way now."
"Exactly, if Madam Yang is fine, then why hasn’t she come back? Why hasn’t she been found yet? Isn’t this obvious?" His voice gradually lowered, but Zhang Wuliang heard every word clearly.
"What are you talking about? If I say she’s fine, then she’s fine. Do you not want to work anymore? If you don’t want to work, then get lost." After saying that, Zhang Wuliang didn’t explain further and directly called for the foreman.
He ordered him to gather everyone. Now that rumors spread so quickly and Liu Qingxi's situation was serious, if they didn’t clarify or take strong measures soon, the construction would be impossible to continue.
In an instant, the entire construction site became tense. Whether it was those digging foundations, building walls, or doing renovations and decorations, everyone was called to the front of the Open Space.
As for those who had gathered to discuss and spread rumors, he directly treated them as typical examples and brought them forward.
"There have been many events happening lately. I don’t know where you heard these rumors, but they have spread everywhere. Here and now, I declare that Liu Qingxi is fine and will remain so."
"Since you joined this big family, how has Liu Qingxi treated you? How are the wages? What about bonuses? I believe you all have your own judgments. But now..."
Zhang Wuliang fell into a long silence: "Now that we’ve encountered a small problem, everyone’s morale is wavering. Have you only enjoyed the benefits Liu Qingxi brought you? How much have you contributed?"
"Is it really because of this that you want to abandon her?"
Zhang Wuliang's words made those below feel ashamed and lower their heads.
Yes, they can earn the equivalent of six hours' wages for just four hours of work, and they are treated to delicious meals, with meat in every dish, better than what they have at home.
Moreover, their wages are never delayed. Liu Qingxi, such a big boss, always speaks to them in a gentle tone.
They actually forgot her kindness and began to doubt her after just a few incidents; this should not have happened.
"Think about it from our perspective. Don't you feel cold-hearted? Don't you feel sad? Don't you feel ashamed?"
Zhang Wuliang's relentless questioning struck deep into people's hearts, his heart-wrenching roar making them lower their heads in guilt.
"Alright, I won't say much more. The choice is yours. Also, these few people I discovered today—since you don't want to work anymore, I won't force you. You can go to the Account Room later and settle your accounts before leaving!"
Boom~~~ Several heads felt as if they had exploded, dizzy from this heavy bombshell.
What? They were being dismissed? With generous wages and stable work, without having to endure hardships—just like that...
"Manager Zhang, we were wrong! We were wrong! Please don't dismiss us!"
Where else could they find such good work? Where else could they live so comfortably? In an instant, they weighed the pros and cons and knelt down with a thud, crying and begging Zhang Wuliang for forgiveness.
At this moment, facing their repentance, Zhang Wuliang showed no signs of being moved. Where were they when it mattered?
"You can leave. When you first joined us, you promised to trust our Construction Team wholeheartedly. But now, just because of a little difficulty that hasn't even affected your interests, you start spreading rumors. What if we all need to face challenges together in the future?"
"It’s undeniable that when that time comes, the first to betray will definitely be people like you. You can leave; I will not keep you."
Zhang Wuliang's iron-fisted methods not only shocked these individuals but also intimidated everyone else.
From now on, no one would dare to gossip recklessly.
Zhang Wuliang's actions were not only fueled by anger towards those who slandered Liu Qingxi but also served as a warning to others.
He wanted those below him to see that they were not without temper and that benefits were not something easily obtained; gaining profits required effort and commitment.
Then, Zhang Wuliang no longer glanced at those people and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Suddenly, the scene fell silent. Those who wanted to comfort him or make a sarcastic remark obediently closed their mouths; if caught, it would be serious.
No one wanted to lose such a good job.
Casting sympathetic glances at the few individuals, they silently returned to their posts. It was best to speak less and work more.
Meanwhile, Yang Yichen was supervising weapon manufacturing at the Ministry of Works. Due to the continuous high-intensity searches, he had been sleepless day and night, and suddenly felt dizzy.
"Look at what you've become! You're worried about her, but you need to take care of yourself too! Otherwise, when Madam Yang comes back and finds you collapsed, what will that mean?"
Ning Hong could no longer stand it and firmly pushed him down to sit and rest.
He knew about Liu Qingxi's situation; he had watched Yang Yichen search day and night and saw him grow thinner.
The dark circles under his eyes were getting heavier, and his stubble had grown unchecked for who knows how long.
It was no wonder he was feeling unwell after torturing himself like this.
In the private office of the Ministry of Works, there were only the two of them. Yang Yichen was still thinking about something when Ning Hong interrupted him: "Stop making excuses. You need to be well to have the strength to find Madam Yang. Just wait here!"
He strode out and entered one of the largest rooms, where an elderly man with graying hair was working. Upon seeing Yang Yichen's latest blueprints, he chuckled twice.
"What brings you here? Is there something going on?" The old man was none other than Lin Shurong, who admired Yang Yichen and Ning Hong among all the young talents in the Ministry of Works.
Thus, his attitude was gentle, with a warm smile.
"Sir, I would like to request a couple of days off for Yang Yichen; he's driving himself crazy."
Fortunately, Lin Shurong was aware of what had been happening with Yang Yichen recently. After all, the Ministry of Works had been his lifelong effort, and he kept track of everything happening below.
However, regarding Liu Qingxi's disappearance, only a few people knew about it. As for the workers who were aware, they dared only to discuss it quietly among themselves.
There were things that were not placed in the open, and everyone pretended not to know.
"Go on, go on. This can't go on like this. I will also send someone to help look for him." After all, Liu Qingxi was a junior she liked and the disciple of her good friend.
However, in such a vast capital city, who knows if Liu Qingxi is still here? How easy would it be to find him?
Liu Qingxi and Yang Yichen seemed to have a telepathic connection; at the same time, they both felt anxious and powerless, dizzy and disoriented.
In the palace, the disguised imperial physician walked cautiously under the deep gaze of the Cold Noodle Emperor.
Although this Palace Garden was not desolate, its geographical location was not prosperous and was relatively deserted.
When he saw a woman dressed in a yellow Long Skirt living inside, he was completely stunned!
What did he see? He was over forty; surely he wasn't losing his eyesight.
What had they done? They had no interest in women and had never been willing to expand the harem until now.
Yet, there was actually a woman hidden in the deep palace—a beautiful woman with big eyes. Although her face was expressionless, it could not conceal her gentle and refreshing appearance.
At first glance, she wasn't the kind of stunning beauty that took one's breath away; instead, she gave off a very comfortable feeling—genuinely comfortable.
And the more one looked at her, the more attractive she became.
There are always some people who look beautiful at first glance, okay upon further inspection, and average after that.
On the other hand, some people become more beautiful the more you look at them; Liu Qingxi belonged to this category.
Unavoidably, this woman made him set aside his inner fears about everything.
What were they doing? Why not reveal the woman? Surely now even if he wanted to marry an ordinary woman, the ministers would not oppose it.
Having a woman is better than having none.
Dugu Hao never set foot in the harem, not at all.
As a result, the imperial physicians were utterly idle.
When the Former Emperor was alive, they had to prepare various things like Contraceptive Decoction and Miscarriage Medicine almost every day.
Moreover, the harem ladies were delicate and often feigned illness to compete for favor, which kept them running between the palaces.
Now, what a change! They were so idle that they were swatting flies in the imperial hospital.
Liu Qingxi cast a cold glance, neither opposing nor moving.
The maid helplessly helped her place her slender arm on the pulse pillow: "Doctor, please!"
Wiping his sweat, the physician cautiously extended his index and middle fingers to take her pulse.
The Emperor hid her so well, indicating her importance; he focused all his attention for his own sake.
Time ticked away, like water droplets falling onto the heart.
Suddenly, the physician withdrew his hand and looked at Liu Qingxi with a profound gaze, casting a complex expression.
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