A bead of cold sweat slowly slid down Xie Lang's forehead.
The shift from relaxed banter to seriousness takes only a moment.
Wen Hemian smiled indifferently: "Why is Your Majesty silent? Is there something you can't say?"
They remained silent when asked.
Huo Ping lowered his head, pressed his fist to his lips, and tried to laugh.
Lord Wen is indeed able to keep His Majesty completely under his control.
Xie Lang wanted to see him, but he didn't expect to see him so soon.
Caught off guard.
He sighed, looking troubled: "Grand Tutor, stop teasing me... Huo Ping, hurry up and invite him in!"
Logically speaking, border generals should not enter the capital without an imperial edict.
The Wen family certainly had special privileges, and Wen Chengyuan was open and honest enough that he only brought a few guards with him, which was far from threatening the capital and not enough to give people cause for gossip.
Moreover, the emperor was in the wrong to come to him.
Huo Ping went to invite the person, and saw that this person had a tense face and a dark expression all the way. He wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but he swallowed his words as soon as he opened his mouth, feeling that he couldn't get involved no matter what, and that he was not in the right either.
Although they are father and daughter, the Imperial Tutor is gentle and composed, while the Prince of Huailing is serious and fierce, with completely different temperaments.
Perhaps she learned from that princess from the Jianghuai region? Huo Ping had never met her, so he wasn't sure.
Hopefully Your Majesty can reach an agreement; otherwise, subsequent matters may be difficult to discuss.
Huo Ping escorted Wen Chengyuan into the Crown Prince's Palace with a worried expression. Looking at the back of the man, he felt a murderous aura emanating from him, which made him even more worried. He pulled his subordinates aside and instructed them: "Everyone, retreat to the outside. No matter what noise you hear, do not go there rashly."
With the Imperial Tutor present, nothing will go wrong. It is not appropriate for Your Majesty to interfere in your family affairs.
Before Wen Chengyuan entered the Taiji Hall, Xie Lang helped Wen Hemian straighten his clothes, and then sat upright to the side.
Wen Hemian watched him with amusement, noticing that as her father stepped into the palace, His Majesty the Emperor's back straightened unconsciously, showing an inexplicable tension.
Wen Hemian left in a hurry after the New Year, and Wen Chengyuan was already feeling sorry for her. The first thing he did upon entering the hall was to glance at Wen Hemian. After confirming that she was in good condition, he clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this humble subject greets you."
This was the first time Wen Chengyuan had met the young emperor whom his daughter was assisting.
The young emperor was handsome, dressed in a dragon robe, with his hair tied in a golden hairpin, exuding an air of nobility and grandeur. His posture was upright and tall, with the aura of a superior being concealed within him. His eyes were arrogant, but after noticing his scrutinizing gaze, he inexplicably shrank back a notch.
Oh!
Thinking about why he rushed back this time, Wen Chengyuan felt a surge of anger in his heart, so his attitude when speaking was not particularly good.
Faced with the overwhelming anger, Xie Lang remained calm: "General, please excuse the formalities and have a seat."
The Prince of Huailing was not only the Prince of Huailing, but also the rightful General in charge of guarding the border. Calling him by the former indicates the closeness between the ruler and his subjects, while calling him by the latter clearly shows Xie Lang's respect for him.
Wen Chengyuan was barely satisfied with Xie Lang's attitude; at least it wasn't like his emperor father's. He snorted coldly, didn't stand on ceremony with him, and found a seat closest to Wen Heming.
He got straight to the point: "I heard at the border that Your Majesty had abducted a commoner's daughter and brought her into the palace, but I never imagined it was my daughter."
Wen Chengyuan stared at Xie Lang, his eyes filled with coldness: "Hanshuang passed the imperial examination at a young age and is His Majesty's tutor. Even though she is a woman, I personally believe that she has made contributions to His Majesty's administration. Why should His Majesty humiliate her like this and imprison her in the palace?"
Under heaven, the only people who would dare to speak to the emperor like that, besides Wen Hemian, are probably her parents.
Wen Hemian watched from the side without saying a word.
Xie Lang deserves to be taught a lesson.
Let him deal with the trouble he caused himself.
Sensing the reprimand in Wen Chengyuan's tone, Xie Lang adopted a very respectful attitude, abandoning his usual cold and autocratic demeanor in front of the ministers, and appearing quite sincere.
"General, please calm your anger. This was indeed my fault. I was overjoyed to see the Grand Tutor return, which led me to do this. I am deeply devoted to the Grand Tutor..."
"Infatuated?" Wen Chengyuan interrupted him, his expression subtly changing again. "Does Your Majesty know that Han Shuang is your teacher? Throughout history, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and respect for teachers have been the foundation of a nation. Has Your Majesty ever considered how the world will view you, and how it will view Han Shuang?"
If this happened in an ordinary family, it wouldn't be a big deal, but Xie Lang is the ruler of a country, and everything he does must take into account the fate of the nation.
It's a very sharp issue, but one that we must face.
Xie Lang remained calm, meeting Wen Chengyuan's gaze directly, and said solemnly, "I will certainly handle what the General has said properly, and not let any criticism fall on the Grand Tutor. I respect the Grand Tutor's choice, and I ask the General to have more trust in me."
Wen Chengyuan is not someone who is easily swayed.
"Your Majesty is young and vigorous today, so you are naturally certain. But what you will think after you have seen all the flowers in full bloom is something I cannot know."
His tone softened slightly, but his attitude remained cold and hard.
"Your Majesty, I have guarded the border for many years. I have worked hard even if I have not made any great contributions. I beg Your Majesty to understand and allow Han Shuang to return to the palace with me."
The young emperor was stubborn; seeing that reasoning with him was futile, he was determined to take his daughter, Wen Chengyuan, with him.
Staying in the palace, remaining in this ambiguous situation, is simply unacceptable!
Xie Lang remained silent for a long time. He glanced in Wen Hemian's direction, suppressed his anxiety, and finally relented: "Okay."
Wen Chengyuan: "Thank you, Your Majesty. Hanshuang, let's go."
With her father watching, Wen Hemian didn't even have time to say a word. She gently shook her head at Xie Lang, then quickly turned around and followed Wen Chengyuan's steps.
The father and daughter returned to the mansion in a cold and aloof manner.
Wen Chengyuan waved away the servants who came to serve tea, sat down in the main seat, and his expression softened a bit: "Hanshuang, tell me, what exactly happened?"
Wen Heming seemed to have no intention of defending Xie Lang: "It's exactly as you see it."
"If that's really the case, would you still do as he wishes and stay in the palace?"
Wen Chengyuan lowered his head and skimmed the foam from the teacup, looking at her with a knowing expression: "Your mother and I have long thought that your departure from the capital must have been more closely related to the young emperor. Is that it?"
There was no way to hide it anymore. Wen Hemian smiled and nodded, "As you can see."
"I always said that there wasn't a single good person in the royal family. The late emperor was a scoundrel, and so was he."
Anyone who is in love with their daughter would be happy and pleased to see it happen, after all, their daughter is truly outstanding.
The only thing that cannot be a young emperor.
Coveting his own teacher and going too far by imprisoning him in the palace, what else will he do in the future...?
Wen Chengyuan took a sip of tea, then placed it lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.
The look in his eyes when he looked at his daughter was unfathomable.
"Hanshuang, tell your father the truth: are you interested in the young emperor? Or are you just too soft-hearted to let him go? If it's the latter, no matter what your father says, I will take you away."
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