Chapter 220 2/3

Concubine Liu wanted to go, and he naturally had to accompany her.

He didn’t know how much longer he had to live, and the time he could spend with Concubine Liu was limited.

“You are so kind to me, Your Majesty,” Concubine Liu said, hugging Qi Jun with tears in her eyes.

She meant it sincerely—Qi Jun had always treated her well.

Qi Jun, feeling unwell, soon lay down to rest. Concubine Liu, carrying Qi An, left the Emperor’s quarters and, after having Qi An’s nurse take him back to her palace, she chatted with Lü Qingxi.

Lü Qingxi said, “Your Highness, we need to hurry. Lu Mingshan has been found, and it turns out he is a fraud. Tomorrow, when we leave the palace, you should have the Emperor accompany you to dine at Qingyun Tower. At that time, let Lu Mingshan meet the Emperor and recognize him. I will arrange for Lu Mingshan to tell fortunes at the restaurant, so the Emperor can notice him.”

Lü Qingxi was meticulous in his work and wanted to execute the plan perfectly.

Concubine Liu agreed, and they discussed further details.

Finally, Concubine Liu said, “Ah Xi, you should meet Li Qingzhi. I think he is genuinely suitable.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, I will meet him,” Lü Qingxi replied.

Only then did Concubine Liu return to the palace.

Lü Qingxi watched her leave and immediately sent people to Qingyun Tower to inform Duan Jin to prepare for the Emperor’s visit, also asking him to prepare some dishes that the Emperor and Concubine Liu liked.

Duan Jin already knew the Emperor’s taste and was informed of Concubine Liu’s preferences by Lü Qingxi’s trusted men.

Qingyun Tower.

When Chang Duan learned that the Emperor would visit the next day, he immediately notified Li Qingzhi.

The last time the Emperor visited, Chang Duan found out only that morning, which made it late to inform Li Qingzhi, but this time was different.

This time, he had a full day’s notice, allowing for better arrangements if Li Qingzhi wished to meet the Emperor.

After sending out the message, Chang Duan awaited a response from Li Qingzhi. Shortly after, a delivery boy from Juewei Zhai brought some marinated dishes along with a reply from Li Qingzhi.

Li Qingzhi did not ask him to make any arrangements.

Not long after receiving Chang Duan’s letter, Li Qingzhi learned from Li Zhu that Lü Qingxi planned to have Lu Mingshan tell fortunes at Qingyun Tower the next day.

This act was to boost Lu Mingshan’s reputation and was likely intended for the Emperor’s notice.

Given this, Li Qingzhi decided to arrange a meal at Qingyun Tower the next day, hoping to encounter the Emperor.

Having seen the Emperor before, Li Qingzhi hoped to take this opportunity to assess the Emperor’s health.

No matter what, he needed to ensure the Emperor lived longer.

Lü Qingxi had set a time for Lu Mingshan’s “performance” and informed Chang Duan of the approximate arrival time at Qingyun Tower.

Li Qingzhi made an appointment with Du Yongning for that time.

The next day, Li Qingzhi dressed in new clothes and carefully groomed his hair.

He planned to subtly alter his appearance but not so much that those around him would notice.

Having been apart from Concubine Liu for only a few days, a drastic change would arouse suspicion. However, a slight change would go unnoticed by Concubine Liu.

Since photography wasn’t an option and Concubine Liu didn’t have an exceptional memory, she wouldn’t notice a few missing eyebrow hairs.

When the time was near, Li Qingzhi headed to Qingyun Tower. Near the restaurant, he paused and observed several robust men dressed as ordinary people, likely the Emperor’s guards.

Shortly after their arrival, two sedan chairs stopped in front of Qingyun Tower.

Concubine Liu and Qi Jun emerged from the sedan chairs together.

Previously, when Qi Jun visited Qingyun Tower, he always went to the backyard to eat privately. However, this time was different; Concubine Liu wanted to dine in the main restaurant, having never eaten there before, and Qi Jun agreed.

As they disembarked, Concubine Liu remarked, “Husband, this Qingyun Tower is so grand!”

“Indeed,” Qi Jun replied.

“The clothes of the waiters at the entrance are also beautiful!” Concubine Liu added.

Qi Jun, whose eyesight was poor, had never noticed such details before, but now, following Concubine Liu’s comments, he squinted and smiled, “They do look nice.”

He couldn’t see clearly, but agreeing with Concubine Liu was always safe.

As they walked affectionately towards the entrance, they suddenly heard someone shout, “Madam Liu!”

Concubine Liu turned at the familiar voice and saw Li Qingzhi approaching. Seeing that someone was about to stop him, she smiled and said, “Mr. Li!”

Clearly, Concubine Liu knew Li Qingzhi.

With Concubine Liu’s acknowledgment, those who intended to stop Li Qingzhi stepped back, allowing him to approach her.

“Madam Liu, how is An An?” Li Qingzhi asked.

“He’s well,” Concubine Liu replied with a smile and then introduced Qi Jun to Li Qingzhi, “Mr. Li, this is my husband.”

“Good day, Mr. Liu,” Li Qingzhi greeted with a smile.

He had only seen the Emperor from a distance before and hadn’t expected to see him up close so soon.

He wondered if he would have the chance to interact with the Emperor.

Qi Jun, unable to see Li Qingzhi clearly from a distance, nodded and smiled, “Thank you for your help with An An’s injury, Mr. Li.”

“I didn’t do much,” Li Qingzhi replied, “Mr. Liu and Madam Liu, are you here to dine at Qingyun Tower?”

“Yes, we came to try the spicy dishes,” Concubine Liu said.

“What a coincidence, I also have a meal appointment here. Let’s go in,” Li Qingzhi suggested, waiting for them to enter first.

Seeing this, Qi Jun led Concubine Liu inside.

Qingyun Tower had a threshold, and Qi Jun, unable to see it, had always relied on Lü Qingxi to avoid tripping over it.

This time, in his haste to enter and avoid revealing his poor eyesight, he tripped over the threshold.

“Mr. Liu, be careful!” Li Qingzhi stepped forward to support him.

Qi Jun was not walking fast enough to fall from the trip, but Li Qingzhi’s support reassured him.

Moreover, after Li Qingzhi steadied him, Qi Jun’s previously racing heart calmed, and he felt inexplicably comfortable and relaxed.

Qi Jun got a clearer look at Li Qingzhi, a young man whose presence was comforting.

Feeling unusually light and relaxed, Qi Jun developed a spontaneous liking for the young man, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Li Qingzhi replied with a smile.

At that moment, Du Yongning arrived, “Li Qingzhi!”

“Mr. Liu, Madam Liu, my friend is here. I will go now,” Li Qingzhi said, having achieved his goal of interacting with the Emperor, and bid them farewell to join Du Yongning.

After Li Qingzhi left, Qi Jun felt a strange sense of loss and couldn’t help but look in his direction.

Lü Qingxi also watched Li Qingzhi leave, narrowing his eyes.

When Qi Jun stumbled, Lü Qingxi and the guards intended to help, but seeing Li Qingzhi’s actions, Lü Qingxi held them back.

It was Lü Qingxi’s first time seeing Li Qingzhi.

Upon seeing him, Lü Qingxi noticed a slight resemblance to a young Qi Jun.

More importantly, Li Qingzhi was endearing.

He was also a distinguished scholar, and having such a son for Qi Jun would be excellent.

Lü Qingxi had already sent people to investigate Li Qingzhi’s background in Chongcheng County and would soon have detailed information. If Li Qingzhi’s identity checked out, he would choose him without hesitation.