Chapter 7 Is the act of being gentle and refined like jade called "knocking" or "fierce"...?

After the system's warning sounded, Ying Xi noticed that the "Return to Base" icon, which should have displayed the normal color, was now gray-black.

After repeatedly touching the icon to no avail, Yingxi frowned and asked Tian Tong the reason for the abnormality.

Sweetie replied, "It's nothing, you're just too tired and don't have enough energy."

"..."

Sweet Tong explained: "Stamina is an important indicator in most dating games. In order to maintain the user experience, stickiness and freshness, returning to the base is a restricted function."

Ying Xi asked, "Is it limited by my physical condition?"

“Yes,” Tian Tong added, “It is also possible that it is limited by mental state. For example, His Majesty is unable to return to the city when his mind is confused.”

Ying Xi secretly memorized it.

Of course, there aren't many times when he's exhausted or emotionally unbalanced.

Ying Xi was unable to return to Weiyang Palace quickly.

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted into the hidden place, casting a red glow on the water's surface, where shimmering red shadows danced everywhere.

Standing outside the gate of the Secret Archives for too long, and being all alone, Ying Xi's behavior was somewhat suspicious, even though she was upright and honest. Moreover, today was an important day for the Secret Archives to check the secret files.

The head of the secret treasury, standing at the other end of the suspension bridge, saw someone standing there with their hands behind their back, not moving.

Si Zheng suddenly shouted angrily, "Who's peeking there?!"

The monthly inventory of secret files is the most stressful task in the entire secret archives department.

Imperial edicts and court memorials are sealed here, and updated local data reported from various regions are compiled here. Which documents should be encrypted, which can be decrypted, and which must be completely destroyed...

There's too much work and too few people, and the boss is incompetent. The boss is furious but has nowhere to vent his anger, and blisters are forming around his mouth.

Several scribes quickly pleaded, "My lord, please calm down. We'll go and see right away!"

The scribes put down the documents that were still waiting to be moved indoors and prepared to cross the bridge to chase the person away.

Si Zheng, panting heavily behind the scribes, shook his robes to brush away imaginary dust: "Wait! I'll go myself and see who has the audacity to peek into the secret hiding place!"

Si Zheng and the book sellers crossed the suspension bridge with great momentum.

On the other side of the suspension bridge, I saw a young man in the palace dressed in casual clothes.

Their eyes met. The young man was tall and slender with fair skin, looking pampered and privileged. When he saw them rushing towards him in a large group, he showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he slightly raised his chin, displaying the demeanor of a superior.

Si Zheng was momentarily unsure of where the other party had come from and felt guilty.

Si Zheng stopped in his tracks, standing a dozen steps away from Ying Xi. He opened his mouth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

It should be noted that the highest-ranking official in charge of the Secret Treasury, He Xuan, was only a fourth-rank official, and the Director of the Treasury was several ranks lower than the Director of the Secret Treasury.

When the new emperor ascended the throne and all the officials paid homage to him, the officials in charge of the various departments were not qualified to attend. They did not recognize Ying Xi, and of course, they would never have imagined that Ying Xi would personally come to this place, the most prestigious of the Qin Dynasty's most prestigious government offices.

Overwhelmed by the imposing aura, Si Zheng felt he should speak first.

But the moment he opened his mouth, Ying Xi's gaze fell upon him, and she felt her throat tighten: "This... young master is..."

Si Zheng glanced at Ying Xi with a shifty look, secretly thinking about his superior and the connections within the Secret Archives.

Of all the important figures he could think of, he chose the most reliable one.

It was Zhuzhao, a distinguished guest of the secret treasury and the imperial tutor of the current emperor, who held the highest rank.

—Is this young man related to the Imperial Tutor?

—Are they newcomers to officialdom who accompanied the Imperial Tutor to the Secret Treasury to consult materials and receive guidance from the Imperial Tutor?

Numerous speculations quickly swirled in Si Zheng's mind.

A gentle evening breeze, accompanied by the setting sun, swept by.

A sudden gust of wind ripples across the lake's spring waters. Around the hidden island, red shadows on the water's surface move rhythmically in the direction of the wind, drawing people's gaze involuntarily towards its source.

A man in a light robe and flowing sash, with a warm smile and slightly curved eyebrows, was walking slowly toward the secret hiding place.

This person was not wearing official robes. Because of his high status and the fact that he held a very respectable but leisurely position, he had a gentle and refined air about him. His hair was a light color and was neatly tied up with a jade crown.

He had only walked a few dozen steps away from the Chief Justice when the Chief Justice recognized him. Speak of the devil and he appears. Who else could it be but the Imperial Tutor?

Si Zheng stared intently at the young man, hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and then quickly jogged to greet the highest-ranking official he had ever entertained in his life.

The scribe and the other calligraphers bowed deeply to each other.

Their voices were so clear and precise, as if they had practiced countless times: "We, your juniors, pay our respects to the Imperial Tutor. His teachings have been a great blessing to us all."

Zhu Zhao smiled, his gaze only briefly falling on them all before fixing his affectionate eyes on Ying Xi. He then bowed to Ying Xi with even greater solemnity.

Zhu Zhao's actions astonished Si Zheng and all the scribes present!

Since Zhuzhao showed respect first, Yingxi should return the courtesy later.

But Ying Xi was of supreme status, so he only needed to nod and bow slightly in return, giving a standard half-bow: "This student greets the teacher."

Zhuzhao was the emperor's tutor.

The emperor's tutor's student still calls him "Teacher," and the two share an identical elegant demeanor.

The silence of a hidden place speaks louder than words.

Si Zheng and the others were greatly shocked. They quickly exchanged glances and closed their eyes.

This young man is, of course,—

Well……

emperor.

***

He Xuan, the Director of the Secret Treasury, practically flew off the suspension bridge to greet the emperor!

They were afraid that if they flew too slowly, their heads would hit the ground.

Behind He Xuan, the Secret Treasury Secretary, the Secret Treasury Assistant, the various officials, scribes, and others crossed the suspension bridge in order of their official ranks, forming a dense line in front of Ying Xi.

Immediately following, a deafening roar of shouts erupted, with everyone yelling "Long live!"

The Qin Palace was very large, and the emperor had to deal with the Ministry of Personnel and various other departments every day. The situation was difficult, and he was busy with countless affairs. It was unlikely that he would have time to visit the secret treasury.

However, it is precisely this unexpected exception that makes this trip so special.

He Xuan was originally a good-for-nothing second-generation heir in the family. He was entrusted to manage the archives in the secret archives department, but he had no status in the family.

This time, he could not only boast that his small temple often entertained the imperial tutor, but also that he had entertained the emperor. He felt that this greatly enhanced his reputation.

Therefore, He Xuan was extremely careful with this teacher and student pair.

He Xuan waved his hand, and the people of the Secret Archives knelt in two rows to welcome him.

The sound of her boots clicking across the suspension bridge was ethereal and crisp. Ying Xi entered the roundabout, where there were rows of warehouses, arranged in different areas. Between the warehouses, there were spacious passageways paved with bricks and stones, without any flowers, trees, or weeds.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please. The Imperial Tutor, please also."

The emperor was in front, the imperial tutor was on the right and behind, and He Xuan followed along eagerly.

Logically, Ying Xi already knew that the function to return to the base was currently unavailable, so she shouldn't linger in the secret hideout any longer.

But he had just been discovered by the Director of the Secret Treasury, and happened to run into Zhuzhao. He was even received by He Xuan as if he were a deity. He should at least go to the Secret Treasury for an inspection.

Ying Xi glanced at the sky and decided that he would rest here for a while to recover his strength before returning to Weiyang Palace.

"The secret archives contain approximately 200,000 volumes of various secret documents, books, and booklets," He Xuan explained.

He Xuan stammered, struggling with the task at hand, yet eager to impress, his tongue becoming tied in knots: "Among them, imperial edicts, court memorials, and local documents from past dynasties make up the majority. There are also important materials such as maps, military registers, and household registers from various regions."

He Xuan led Ying Xi into the main hall.

The main hall of the secret treasury was very small, with the emperor and the imperial tutor seated in order of importance.

Unable to continue, He Xuan cleared his throat and forcefully continued, "These files are stored in different warehouses and are strictly classified. Your Majesty, this is to facilitate access and management, and to ensure that every file can be quickly found when needed."

He Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the speech he had just given was long and well-written, and that his performance had been acceptable.

But little did anyone know that it was precisely because the wording was acceptable that it piqued the emperor's interest in conversation.

Ying Xi asked, "How can we quickly find the files?"

"..." Uh. He Xuan was speechless.

This privy supervisor was quite shrewd; he usually spent his days sipping tea and gazing at the sky in his office, buying tabloids, reading storybooks, or gossiping.

The monthly review of the archives in the Secret Archives was a laborious task undertaken by his subordinates, who rarely intervened. Of course, they couldn't withstand the emperor's interrogation about their work.

He Xuanxin was high in the sky, and when he saw Ying Xi take a breath, he felt that if she exhaled, he would be finished.

Fortunately, Zhuzhao naturally took over the conversation: "First, locate the area based on the search results."

“The nine provinces under heaven are arranged in the order of the Thousand Character Classic—Heaven represents the imperial city of Chang’an, which is adjacent to Chang’an; Earth represents Yongzhou; Black represents Bingzhou; Yellow represents Yizhou, and so on.”

“The counties in each state are numbered from north to south.”

“Locate the corresponding storage room based on the number, and arrange the archives from most recent to oldest year.”

After Zhu Zhao finished speaking, He Xuan quickly cast a glance at him like a biological son looking at his adoptive parents.

He Xuan repeatedly agreed.

Ying Xi increased the difficulty of the question: "What if we don't know the year?"

"Before being stored, the Secret Archives Masters, who are skilled in memory techniques, browsed through these materials. By consulting the Secret Archives Masters, the search scope can be narrowed down to find them."

How to prevent the official in charge of secrets from leaking information?

"All officials are not allowed to leave the palace. Their relatives will receive subsidies from the court. After resigning, they will be confined for one year and can only return to their hometowns after they have been cleared of secrets," Zhuzhao said.

Sweetie: "How awful."

Ying Xi was startled by the sweet voice that came out, and her brow twitched as she was still thinking about the confidential matter.

Whenever the emperor remained silent, He Xuan would be terrified. But now that the emperor had frowned, He Xuan shamelessly slid to his knees and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I have failed to entertain you properly!"

Sweet Tong: "He's so funny."

Neither the good-for-nothing in front of me nor the girl in my head is easy to deal with.

Ying Xi waved her hand, resolving the conflict: "You go out first. I'll take a stroll with the Imperial Tutor." Even the emperor must respect his teacher; Ying Xi couldn't send her away. He Xuan, feeling as if granted a pardon, quickly left.

Then whisper to Tian Tong, "Don't be silly."

"Uh-huh!"

Once all the irrelevant people had left, the main hall of the secret hiding place instantly became quiet.

Yingxi got up from her seat, and Zhuzhao also got up.

Just then, a gust of wind blew in, and Ying Xi coughed softly. Zhu Zhao walked behind Ying Xi and placed the warm stone he had been holding in his sleeve into Ying Xi's hand.

Ying Xi's fingertips were stiff and cold. The warm stone was the size of an egg, and it slowly released heat.

Zhu Zhao said gently, “The secret place is full of paper, so you can’t burn charcoal or even have a spark. Your Majesty, please warm your hands with this warm stone first.”

Zhu Zhao leaned closer, his voice elegant, mellow, and magnetic, his personality as warm as a stone.

But Ying Xi pretended to take a half step back unintentionally.

The distance between the two widened again, returning to a state that was neither too close nor too far.

The candlelight cast a subtle, unseen shadow of doubt.

Although Ying Xi doesn't usually obey anyone blindly, she trusts her teacher more than she trusts others.

The candlelight illuminates the heartstrings, causing a wisp of emotion to tighten secretly within.

The system, however, couldn't help but scream in Ying Xi's ear: "Ahhh, such a gentle and loving husband!!! Your Majesty, your teacher is so good to you!!!"

Sweet Tong's voice is melodious, expressing excitement through sound. If we put this into Sweet Tong's context, is this behavior called "knocking" or "knocking hard"?

But Yingxi had no intention of joining it in the kowtow.

Ying Xi's words, instead of being warmed by the warm stone, grew even colder. He wanted to dispel Tian Tong's illusions, so his tone turned somber and icy:

“It’s not for my own good,” Ying Xi said calmly. “He has done something wrong and is trying to cover it up.”

Sweetie was stunned: "Huh!?"