Chapter 400: A Test of Composure

"There's no need to play dumb now."

Yu Shiyan chuckled softly, “The princess should understand what I mean.”

Nalan Yujie smiled without saying a word, but simply beckoned to Mi Shuang, who then hurriedly took a few steps over to help her up.

"It's getting late, and I'm quite tired, so I'll head back to rest now. Please make yourself at home, Prince Mu."

As she spoke, she actually covered her face with her sleeve and yawned.

Yu Shiyan didn't stop her. He continued to lean on the railing and gaze into the distance, as if he could see the little sparrow he longed for if he just kept looking like that.

If she truly hated him, she might actually marry Nalan Jue.

He stared blankly at the red clothes on his body for a moment, then let out a long sigh and asked himself again and again, "Am I really willing to accept this?"

I'm not reconciled.

Before he could even reveal his true feelings, they were already separated by distance, and he hadn't even been able to ask her directly how she felt.

A sudden feeling of powerlessness washed over him, almost making him unable to stand.

When Zhong Heng arrived, he saw Yu Shiyan standing by the railing, his already slender body swaying precariously, as if he might be swept away by the fierce wind at any moment.

"master!"

Upon hearing the sound, Yu Shiyan turned his head, took two steps back, and asked with an unusually calm expression, "What is it?"

"You're right, Prime Minister Lin has sent another letter."

As he spoke, he quickly took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Yu Shiyan.

Yu Shiyan tore open the envelope and read the letter quickly, finishing it in just a few breaths, but his furrowed brows remained furrowed.

Zhong Heng couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "How so? Is it about the current situation?"

Yu Shiyan neither nodded nor shook his head, but simply stuffed the letter back into the envelope. "Prime Minister Lin said that General Yuan has been summoned and has secretly set off for the capital."

"General Yuan? Summoned? Back to the capital?" Zhong Heng was completely bewildered.

It's easy to understand if you take them apart, but it's so puzzling when they're put together.

His Majesty is most wary of the Yuan family, so why has General Yuan been summoned back?

Could it be... that something has happened in the palace?

Seeing that Zhong Heng had guessed most of it, Yu Shiyan simply handed the letter back to him.

After Zhong Heng took the letter and read it, he couldn't help but gasp. He then subconsciously looked up at Yu Shiyan and asked, "What are your plans?"

"I don't have any plans or not. I'll just deal with whatever comes my way."

Zhong Heng stopped speaking and waited until Yu Shiyan watched the fiery clouds on the horizon gradually fade away before the two of them set off back to their residence.

Several more days passed in a seemingly peaceful but actually tense atmosphere. The emperor also canceled the morning court session on the grounds of feeling unwell, which made all the civil and military officials somewhat uneasy.

After all, it concerned the Crown Prince's faction and the rising Mu Wang faction. Many people, unable to directly probe the Emperor's opinion, even tried to reach out to the Empress Dowager's Jianzhang Palace.

During the morning court session, the emperor stood idly in the palace, holding his jade tablet, waiting for him. Finally, Li Yuande came out and announced that His Majesty was recuperating and would not attend to state affairs for the time being. Then, they all went to the outside of Jianzhang Palace in groups, showing an attitude of not giving up until they got a definite explanation.

The Empress Dowager was even more astute; she never intervened to dissuade them. She even had Jadeite set up tables and chairs outside Jianzhang Palace so that they could have some pastries when they were hungry and cool tea when they were thirsty.

If you feel the sun is too strong, the Imperial Hospital is just ahead, and fortunately it's not far. If you get heatstroke, you can go there yourself to get a prescription.

In short, no one expressed their opinion, as if this fierce contest was a test of who could remain calm, which was driving the ministers crazy.