Chapter 42 Verdant Greenery and Gentle Breeze (Part Two) "Why does Your Highness always speak in such a...?"

Yan Chao turned around, but stopped before leaving, her tone still calm and composed: "His Majesty wants Qiu Cong to investigate you, but I cannot make that decision. The Grand Eunuch is loyal to His Majesty. If your words reach the Emperor's ears, do not implicate me."

Lan Huaien took a step back, pursed his lips, and after a long while smiled, replied, "Your Highness, rest assured."

Yan Chao ignored him and went back to Wenhua Hall.

He Shufang returned from outside and happened to see several officials from the Spring Palace finishing their report to the Crown Prince and leaving. The officials bowed to him, their demeanor appearing fairly dignified, but looking inside, the Crown Prince's expression was rather stern.

Yan Chao's gaze remained fixed on the official document in his hand, but his mind seemed elsewhere. He Shu bowed, then turned to look at the sky outside. The warm sun still hung in the sky, and several ancient cypress trees stood tall and imposing outside the hall.

When he turned back, he met the Crown Prince's calm eyes. He gracefully looked away and bowed again, saying, "Your Highness, it is only about noon now. I wonder which official is on duty for the lectures today..."

“Zhang Duan, the Grand Secretary of the Left Spring Palace, requested permission to observe mourning a few days ago and only left yesterday.” Yan Chao casually grasped the white jade paperweight on the table, its cool warmth seeping into his palm, instantly clearing his eyes.

But I couldn't help it and yawned, covering my mouth. I wasn't really sleepy, just inexplicably feeling a little tired.

Zhang Duan left in a hurry, and the vacancy had not yet been filled. However, the arrangements for taking turns to give lectures were also disrupted today. Before Yan Chao could even inquire about the matter, the Qing Emperor was already surrounded by people inside the palace.

He Shu apologized, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me; it was my oversight."

“No rush, we can just fix it again,” Yan Chao pondered for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “Is tomorrow Shenwei?”

"Yes. But he had to reschedule, so it will be Grand Secretary Chen's turn tomorrow." Everyone seems to be quite busy these days, even he himself is overwhelmed.

Chen Xiu… Yan Chao grunted, nodded slightly, and put down the paperweight in her hand. She then asked him, “I heard that the Shuchang Academy has finished its training. How is the situation this year?”

The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel have been busy with this matter lately. The newly appointed scholars, selected from the Imperial Academy, have completed their three-year study period at the Imperial Academy and were recently examined, awaiting assignment. She was present during the Emperor's examination, but was unaware of the final decision afterward.

"Your Highness, nine of the thirty-one junior scholars remain at the academy."

Yan Chao was slightly surprised: "This year's results are so different? I remember that the situation during the imperial examination was not very tense." She remembered that last time, out of the twenty-six candidates, thirteen remained in the examination hall.

He Shu nodded: "His Majesty was not very satisfied and reprimanded the instructors of the Shuchang Hall afterwards, which made everyone uneasy. His Majesty only personally selected six people, and the other three were retained at the strong request of the Grand Secretary."

He paused for a moment before suddenly adding, "My current intention is precisely related to this."

"You speak," Yan Chao said, his eyes shifting slightly.

"Does Your Highness still remember Consort Cui Wenzao?" Seeing her nod after thinking for a moment, He Shu continued, "His Majesty thought his words were empty and too rigid, bound by rules; however, the Grand Secretary believed that his knowledge was sound and his conduct proper, and that he could be improved with a little more experience. This is why the dispute arose..."

A dispute broke out? Yan Chao raised an eyebrow. It was quite unusual that someone like Yang Ren would dare to challenge the emperor over something like this.

"And then what happened?"

"...His Majesty had already issued an imperial decree to send Cui Wenzao to serve as a county magistrate, but unexpectedly, Chief Minister Yang returned the decree, and the matter has remained unresolved to this day." He Shu couldn't help but sigh. It was originally a small matter, and it shouldn't have escalated to this point.

Yan Chao paused for a moment, then asked calmly, "I don't quite understand what you mean..."

Should she be the one to mediate and reconcile them?

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Cui Wenzao's ancestral home is Luoyang, and he studied in Nanjing. Although he is not related to Empress Wenhui, I have heard that some people have indeed discussed it privately."

Yan Chao frowned, a hint of displeasure in his heart, but his expression remained calm as he spoke softly, "Just because his surname is Cui? The Cui family left the capital under mysterious circumstances and were not convicted. Now, does that mean everyone in the world with the surname Cui has to be implicated because of this?"

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words." He Shu suppressed his alarm, but seeing that she did not lose her composure at all, he knew that even her tone was deliberately softened.

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Right now, not only is the Grand Secretary opposed, but several other officials have also offered their advice. His Majesty will not ignore this."

"What did the Ministry of Personnel say? What about Cao Ying?" she asked again.

“Grand Secretary Cao has not made a statement, but someone from the Ministry of Personnel has stepped forward,” He Shu said as he saw her get up from her seat and turn away to avoid her. “His Majesty is currently at a disadvantage. In my opinion, the stalemate will not last long.”

Yan Chao nodded. She didn't know Cui Wenzao, but she couldn't ignore the other nine people staying at the inn.

The junior officials, known as "Shujishi," were considered future prime ministers, and barring unforeseen circumstances, their positions in the court were not to be underestimated. The positions in the Eastern Palace and the Hanlin Academy were always closely linked, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was a stepping stone for Hanlin officials; their futures were inextricably intertwined.

Just as she was about to step over the threshold, she stopped and turned to He Shu, saying, "I will not say much about Cui Wenzao's matter. His Majesty will surely make a decision after the cabinet's advice. As for the other officials, they must be troubled by this. It is only right for the Grand Chamberlain, who is also the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, to go and take care of them and appease them."

He Shu responded with a "Yes," quickly understanding her meaning, and secretly pondered it. He followed, watching the Crown Prince's retreating figure. Just as she stepped out, he heard a yawn as she raised her hand. He Shu was startled; he had thought he had misheard her earlier in the hall.

"Didn't Your Highness get enough rest last night?"

Yan Chao had her back to him, blinked, and her breathing didn't seem too heavy. She first shook her head, but then said, "It's alright."

These past few nights, I've been having nightmares and waking up frequently, making it difficult to fall back asleep. When I asked Feng Jingmo, she only said it was because she was overworked and depressed. She herself didn't feel particularly tired; since relinquishing her position as regent, she had devoted most of her time to her studies.

She only feels tired occasionally in the early morning; it's just that she can't help yawning.

.

When Lan Huaien entered the Wenhua Hall, she did not see the Crown Prince at first. She asked the clerk on duty, but he did not know where she had gone. He only knew that she should still be in the Wenhua Hall.

He led his men to search again, but still couldn't find him. They then circled around to the back of the hall and finally learned that the Crown Prince had gone to the East Pavilion of the Wenyuan Pavilion. He understood immediately; the East Pavilion was where the books were stored, and it wasn't a place he could enter at will.

Just as he was about to leave, a thought flashed through his mind, and he said to the guard, "I am carrying His Majesty's decree and need to see His Highness the Crown Prince."

The two guards naturally knew his identity. They exchanged glances for a moment, remembering that the Crown Prince had instructed them not to disturb him when he entered. Considering that Lan Huaien could even enter the Inner Cabinet, he could certainly do the same here... After hesitating for a long time, they finally gritted their teeth and let him in.

The library was completely silent. Lan Huaien entered quietly, holding his breath as he passed through rows of bookshelves. Through the gaps, he could see neat rows of books, with occasional misalignments, where the faint light was divided into varying shades of warm yellow.

He suppressed the urge to call out "Your Highness" as soon as he entered, and walked in step by step, but he didn't hear anything. He was a little puzzled; he was almost at the end, shouldn't there at least be the sound of a page turning...?

As he was pondering this, he heard a soft, shallow breath. Lan Huaien felt a sense of relief, picked up Yesa with one hand, and walked towards the sound.

However, what came into view was not the figure of the Crown Prince diligently examining something. Instead, it was her…

Yan Chao leaned against the wall, a book still loosely held in her hand, the wind turning a couple of pages for her, swaying precariously in mid-air. Her head was slightly lowered, her breathing steady and shallow, and if one did not observe closely, she would indeed appear to be deep in thought.

Lan Huaien leaned over and looked outside; her eyes were indeed closed. But it was the first time he'd seen her sleeping, and it was so different from her usual expression. Gone was that stern, cold look; all her expressions were relaxed, serene and tranquil. Yet, her brow seemed slightly furrowed, as if about to unfurl.

He quietly took the book from her hand while secretly observing her appearance.

There was no response.

Lan Huaien pursed her lips; it seemed she was still fast asleep. The East Pavilion was a place the Emperor often visited. If he were to find the usually diligent Crown Prince fast asleep there, he probably wouldn't know how to reprimand her.

I couldn't help but sigh. Just how tiring must this be...?

He switched the book to his left hand, scratched his head with his right hand, paused for a moment in mid-air, and then tapped the shelf next to him.

Three slightly muffled knocks, yet remarkably clear in the room. This was followed by a low cough.

Yan Chao's breath hitched, and she was finally jolted awake. Before she could even make out who was in front of her, her first instinct was to stand up. As she abruptly stood up, everything went black, and a sudden wave of dizziness almost made her fall back down.

Lan Huaien had anticipated this, and calmly reached out to wrap his arm around her waist. Seeing that her whole body was about to press down on him, he had no choice but to gather his strength and push her forward slightly.

She was dizzy and leaned back, bumping into the wall. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and used her free hand to brush away the unfamiliar hand on her waist. Opening her sleepy eyes, she was about to say thank you when she saw a familiar face. She was immediately filled with disbelief.

Before Lan Huaien could retract his hand, he saw her squint her eyes open a crack, and the two clearly made eye contact. But he watched as she closed her eyes again, squeezed her sore eyes, her eyes still glistening with tears, her eyelashes trembling, before finally opening them again.

He paused for a moment, realizing that this meant he didn't believe him.

Yan Chao still felt a chill down his spine and his limbs felt weak. He gritted his teeth and said, "Let go."

Lan Huaien let go, but seeing that she was still unsteady on her feet, he reached out to steady her. The two, standing just inches apart, exchanged a few glances.

He stared at her almost the entire time, but his gaze kept avoiding hers, looking into the void.

Yan Chao pursed his lips, stood up straight, and said first, "Thank you."

She then turned her gaze to him, looking him directly in the eye: "Who gave you permission to come in?"

Lan Huaien stood motionless, returning the book to her without answering, only frowning in confusion: "Why does Your Highness always tell me to let go first? This is the third time... You should at least stand firm before I let go."

Author's Note: Xiao Lan: Once I catch you, I'll never let go! Don't even think about shaking me off! (fierce expression)