In the corridor, Shen Wan idly teased the parrot, but no one knew who owned it, because it never uttered a kind word. It kept calling itself "young master," and you could tell from this parrot how arrogant and domineering its former master was. The maids in the courtyard all liked to tease it.

While feeding the parrot, Yinshuang suddenly said, "Your Highness, the Prince has returned."

Shen Wan glanced towards the courtyard gate and saw Xie Jingyan stride in. He was dressed in a black brocade robe and wore a jade crown. He was tall and straight, with an air of nobility and elegance. His face was especially handsome. The sunlight shone on him, creating a faint halo that made it impossible to look away.

Shen Wan handed the feeding dish to Yin Shuang and stepped down the stairs.

Xie Jingyan walked over, and Shen Wan asked, "How is it?"

Xie Jingyan, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, put his arm around Shen Wan's waist and said indulgently, "How could I dare disobey your orders?"

There were many maids in the courtyard. When they saw this scene, they all blushed and quickly turned their backs. Then they secretly turned their heads back to peek, their eyes full of envy.

Shen Wan's fair face was even more radiant than the morning glow. This bastard, this isn't indoors, hugging and cuddling in public. He may not care about his reputation, but she does.

In her shyness, Shen Wan forgot to ask the Emperor if he had promoted Chen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. When she remembered to ask, a gray pigeon flew into the courtyard and landed on the roof. Chen Feng leaped up and caught the pigeon.

Chen Feng took the letter off the pigeon's ankle and presented it to Xie Jingyan for review.

Xie Jingyan took the letter, unfolded it, glanced at it, and said to Shen Wan, "Your eldest cousin is going back to the capital."

So fast?

Shen Wan glanced at the letter.

The letter read:

On the fourth day, I returned.

There was also a cloud drawn on it.

Even though the note was small, it shouldn't have contained only three words.

Even the most concise writer wouldn't be this stingy with words.

My eldest cousin is going back to Beijing. I wonder if my second cousin will come back with him.

The eldest cousin's marriage has been settled, and the two families are just waiting for him to return to the capital so that they can set a wedding date. The second cousin, however, is still unmarried. If she hadn't been so frightened by her eldest brother's marriage to the Princess of Huai'an, Shen Wan would have told her grandmother to arrange the second cousin's marriage in advance.

While Shen Wan was thinking about this matter, she completely forgot about asking Lord Chen. In addition, Xie Jingyan did not tell her on his own initiative, so Shen Wan just pretended that the matter had not been accomplished.

She was only trying it out and didn't have high hopes. If it worked, it would be a pleasant surprise; if it didn't, she wouldn't be disappointed.

As a result, when Shen Wan woke up from her afternoon nap, before she was fully awake, Yin Shuang came running in to tell her, "Your Highness, the Emperor has appointed Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites to temporarily assume the position of Minister of Rites..."

Shen Wan was stretching when she heard Yin Shuang's words. She immediately perked up, thinking she had misheard, and said, "What did you say? Say it again."

Yinshuang then reported again, "Until the Minister of Rites recovers from his illness, Lord Chen will temporarily assume the position of Minister of Rites."

Shen Wan looked on in disbelief.

This expression completely bewildered Yinshuang.

Wasn't it the Princess who asked the Prince to recommend Lord Chen? The Prince has taken care of the matter, so why is the Princess so surprised?

Shen Wan couldn't help but be surprised. It was she who had Xie Jingyan recommend Lord Chen, but she hadn't really held out much hope; she simply wanted to use this opportunity to verify her previous suspicions.

The Emperor is paving the way for Xie Jingyan.

Anyone recommended by Xie Jingyan or who was close to him was promoted by the emperor.

The fact that Lord Chen was forced to relinquish his mourning period was unexpected by all the officials. In Shen Wan's view, under normal circumstances, the Emperor would never have promoted Lord Chen, not even if he had promoted Yao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

As a result, once Xie Jingyan recommended him, the emperor agreed.

Isn't this paving the way for Xie Jingyan?

Her guess was confirmed, and Shen Wan was overjoyed.

Although we don't know what Consort Chen did wrong, as long as the Emperor is determined to make Xie Jingyan the Crown Prince, it doesn't matter if Consort Chen stabbed the Emperor in the back.

Being directly appointed as the crown prince, without having to embark on the path of rebellion, would be the best outcome.

When the Emperor sent word to the Chen family that he had appointed Lord Chen to temporarily serve as Minister of Rites, everyone in the Chen household was stunned, especially Lord Chen himself. He knew perfectly well how seriously ill his superior, the Minister of Rites, was, having visited him twice in three days. He didn't dare to think about the position, so he did nothing.

Vice Minister Yao was sending gifts and currying favor everywhere, hoping to secure the position of Minister. However, Yao did not consider him a competitor. Deep down, he felt that Yao's chances of being promoted to Minister of Rites were slim, as the position was highly prestigious and powerful, and many people were eyeing it.

Since he wasn't going to get a position, Lord Chen didn't dare to hope for it. He just focused on doing his job well. He was diligent and conscientious, and the Emperor would eventually see his abilities and give him an important position. In fact, Lord Chen was grateful when the Emperor dismissed him from his post and sent him back to the Ministry of Rites. He was determined to repay the Emperor's appreciation with all his heart and soul.

As a result, he did nothing, and the position of Minister of Rites fell to him...

Although it was only a temporary position, all the officials knew that it was only temporary. Once the position of Minister of Rites became vacant, he would most likely take over the position permanently.

Lord Chen asked in disbelief, "Why would His Majesty appoint me as acting Minister?"

The messenger said, "It was Prince Ling who recommended you."

Good news like this about promotion always spreads exceptionally quickly because there's a reward involved.

The Chen family sealed a thick bag of reward money, and the eunuch who delivered the message left happily. Madam Chen held Yun Mo's hand and said, "It's all thanks to you."

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