"What?"
Chen Long has actually beco the adopted son of the Pri Minister?
What on earth is going on?
ng Qianqian truly couldn’t figure it out.
Lu Yuan glanced at her and said, "I’m only speculating. After all, I’ve never t Chen Long."
The feeling that person gave him was sowhat similar to what Yin Hu had given him at the ti, but not exactly the sa. On him... there was an intense aura of killing intent.
ng Qianqian thought that, given Lu Yuan’s judgnt, it was unlikely he’d be wrong.
She had always thought Chen Long went to West City to investigate the Chu Family case. Could it be there was another hidden agenda?
"Hiss—"
ng Qianqian clutched her head.
Lu Yuan straightened up: "What’s the matter?"
ng Qianqian put her hand down: "It’s nothing, just a headache, an old problem."
Her mories were recovering, especially after encountering Yin Hu. It seed the recoveries were happening faster, but her head hurt even more.
Lu Yuan had once heard Nanny Li ntion that since she fell into the water more than half a year ago, she had been left with a cold-related condition and a habit of nightmares. After a nightmare, she’d always suffer from headaches for a while.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze: "He’s now the adopted son of the Pri Minister. Whether he’s Chen Long or not, you’ll recognize him when you see him. Don’t overthink it."
"Alright." ng Qianqian readily agreed.
After a brief pause, Lu Yuan asked ng Qianqian, "Are the Twelve Guards ranked by the zodiac signs?"
ng Qianqian shook her head: "Yin Hu isn’t actually based on ’Tiger,’ and Chen Long isn’t based on ’Dragon.’ I don’t know how they’re ranked exactly."
Lu Yuan hadn’t seen the man’s face but had overheard him talking to soone on the road: "Chen Long seems younger than Shen Hou and your master."
By "master," he was referring to Yin Hu, Li Haiya.
ng Qianqian nodded slightly: "Yes, Chen Long was the last to join the Twelve Guards."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow: "You Twelve Guards are quite intriguing."
ng Qianqian smiled faintly but didn’t respond.
They couldn’t continue discussing the Twelve Guards. Otherwise, the truth might slip out. She and Yin Hu had only spent less than half an hour in the cave together. There was no way Yin Hu could have told her so many secrets about the Twelve Guards in such a short ti.
She changed the subject, asking, "Grand Commander, what kind of person is the Pri Minister?"
She had expected Lu Yuan to dismissively say, "Not soone you can afford to provoke," but to her surprise, Lu Yuan only hesitated slightly before softly replying, "A man without weaknesses."
ng Qianqian was stunned.
She had known Lu Yuan long enough to understand how proud he was. For him to say soone had "no weaknesses" showed how extraordinary the Pri Minister was.
These past few years, Lu Yuan had been in command of the court. Now with the Pri Minister’s return, it would undoubtedly disrupt the current balance.
Pri Minister Xun, travel-worn and weary, didn’t rest upon his arrival. Instead, after bathing and changing clothes, he imdiately entered the palace to et the Emperor.
In the Imperial Study Room, the robed Pri Minister Xun perford the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows to the young Emperor.
"Seven years of the Western Expedition, Your subject has not failed in his mission. The Western Continent has been pacified, and thirteen cities on the western frontier have been recovered! Long live Your Majesty—long live, long live, long live!"
Zong Zhengxi hurriedly moved from behind his desk, coming to stand in front of Pri Minister Xun and personally helping him up: "Beloved Minister Xun! You are the pillar of Great Zhou, the backbone of the nation. You need not perform such grand ceremonies before !"
Pri Minister Xun knelt once more: "Your subject is overwheld!"
Seeing that he wouldn’t rise, Zong Zhengxi knelt down in front of him, eting him eye to eye: "Beloved Minister Xun."
"Your Majesty! You mustn’t!"
Pri Minister Xun’s expression changed drastically, hurriedly helping the Emperor back to his feet while standing up himself: "Your Majesty, your subject will not kneel anymore. You are the Emperor; please, do not act in such a way that would harm this old minister."
Zong Zhengxi’s eyes had turned red.
"Your Majesty..." Pri Minister Xun looked flustered.
Zong Zhengxi choked out, "I... I thought... I’d never see you again, Pri Minister Xun..."
Pri Minister Xun spoke with solemn emotion: "Your Majesty, you’re no longer an eight-year-old child. I’ve heard you’re about to marry. If your bride were to see you like this, what would she think?"
Zong Zhengxi wiped away his tears, his eyes still swollen and red as he replied, "Beloved Minister Xun, ever since you went on the Western Expedition, the Capital City has turned upside down. First, my older brother, the Crown Prince, passed away, then Father Emperor fell ill... even Chu Grand Marshal... and the Twelve Guards... all gone..."
He cried like a child who had finally found soone to lean on, sobbing so hard he could hardly catch his breath.
In chronological order, it was the Chu Family’s downfall first, followed by the Crown Prince and the Supre Emperor, but when one gets emotional, it’s easy to ss up the sequence.
Pri Minister Xun sighed deeply: "Your Majesty, I’ve already heard about these matters. I will handle everything. Your Majesty, focus on being the Emperor; leave the rest to this old servant."
-
By evening, ng Qianqian and Lu Yuan went to Tinglan Courtyard to dine with the Old Matron and Bao Shu.
Uncharacteristically, Bao Shu wasn’t causing trouble at the dinner table. She quietly ate from her little bowl.
Lu Yuan ate leisurely, as usual, showing no deviation from his typical deanor.
The Old Matron, however, stared intently at him: "My great-grandson-in-law, has soone been bullying you? You look unhappy. Tell your great-grandmother who it was, and I’ll thrash them for you!"
Everyone in the room was bewildered. Was the son-in-law unhappy? They hadn’t noticed.
Lu Yuan, long accustod to keeping his emotions in check, hadn’t expected the Old Matron to say sothing like that.
With his usual calm expression, he said, "Great-grandmother, no one has bullied ."
The Old Matron pouted and gave him the last two pieces of Osmanthus Cake from her plate, smacking her lips as she said, "Eat more, and you’ll feel better."
ng Qianqian curved her lips slightly, then slid her own piece of Osmanthus Cake in front of him: "Husband, you can have mine too."
Lu Yuan’s expression froze slightly.
Bao Shu, oblivious to the situation, didn’t understand what was happening. Why was everyone suddenly offering food to her worthless father?
Her little bowl was already empty, so she could only take a half-eaten atball from her mouth and reluctantly place it in her father’s bowl: "Here."
Lu Yuan: "..."
That night, it rained.
ng Qianqian was in the study room reading the notes left by Yin Hu when Ban Xia reported, "Miss, your cousin has returned!"
Today was the twentieth, marking the start of the Imperial College’s monthly break. But as her cousin had taken leave on her wedding day, they had agreed he would return during this break instead.
"Cousin! Why did you co back so late in such heavy rain?"
"I just finished my assignnts!"
"Hand the umbrella!"
"Thank you, Tan’er! Where’s my cousin?"
"In the study room!" Tan’er raised a hand to point.
ng Qianqian opened the study door and ca face-to-face with a drenched Yu Li.
Yu Li smiled shyly: "Cousin."
"Co in quickly." ng Qianqian led Yu Li into the study, handing him a dry towel.
"I didn’t get wet." Yu Li took the towel and patted it on his head. "Where’s your husband?"
ng Qianqian replied, "He just left."
The Pri Minister’s return to the court had made him even busier.
"Cousin, have you eaten?"
"I already ate. I hadn’t planned on coming back today, but since the Imperial College gave us a two-day break, I thought I’d co back to see you."
"Why the sudden two-day break?"
Yu Li said, "It seems to be because the Pri Minister returned with his troops, and the entire nation is celebrating. The Imperial College decided to extend the holiday by a day."
ng Qianqian understood: "I see."
The wind was strong, blowing the window open and scattering papers that had been weighed down under a book.
ng Qianqian quickly got up to shut the window.
Yu Li bowed down to pick up the scattered papers and, as he did, inadvertently saw one. Astonished, he exclaid, "Cousin, are you reading articles by Scholar Xun as well?"
"Scholar Xun?"
These were the essays Lu Yuan had written while drunk!
Yu Li’s eyes were filled with admiration: "Xun Yu, the son of Pri Minister Xun. He’s considered a genius that the Imperial College hasn’t seen in a hundred years. These are the essays he wrote during his imperial examinations. All nine examiners gave him perfect marks! His achievents remain unsurpassed to this day! Even my senior brothers and I study them diligently!"
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