When Xie Lang heard about this, he wasn't worried at all.
He believed that, given the Grand Tutor's conscientious and responsible attitude, it was impossible for him to choose to start a family under such circumstances. This would be deceiving others, and the Grand Tutor himself would surely feel guilty about it.
The old man from the Ministry of Rites had nothing to do all day, so he joined the censor in urging him to open a harem and select concubines.
"I'm still too idle."
Xie Lang narrowed his eyes and gave this assessment.
The hall was chilly; without Lord Wen present, it felt like an icebox. Lai Xi huddled to one side like a quail.
Then he saw the young emperor's pen make a heavy stroke on the memorial.
He snorted coldly and rejected it.
-
In previous years, Wen Hemian never went out on Qixi Festival.
On special days, the capital city was unusually free of curfew. After a day of work, men and women could go out and stroll the streets in the evening. Those with partners would go together, and those without could find their ideal match in the crowd and exchange jade pendants or sachets as tokens of affection.
Young ladies and gentlemen from prominent families are happy to participate in such folk activities. Most of them recognize Wen Hemian's face, so to avoid trouble, she specially wore a mask to the appointment.
Shuiyunfang is their own property, and once you arrive here, someone will guide you. The person arrived much earlier than Wen Hemian had expected. He had a distinctly mixed-race appearance and was a young man dressed in purple with unpredictable features.
"Please sit down, Your Highness." The young man held a folding fan in his hand, waving it leisurely. Even though it was his first time meeting Wen Hemian, his tone was already familiar. He raised his chin and said, "My name is Murong Yue, and I am a merchant. Your Highness can also call me Duanyuan."
Among peers, addressing each other by name is a very common thing. Wen Hemian nodded and called out, "Young Master Murong."
"Oh dear." Murong Yue's smile faltered, his folding fan swaying in his hand as his curious gaze swept over Wen Hemian's mask. "Your Highness is rather dull."
From the moment they met, this person's behavior was somewhat frivolous, but he kept it within Wen Hemian's acceptable range.
She simply took off her mask and put it aside, then asked with a smile, "Did my father send you here just so you could tell me all this?"
Over the years, only the people on the Huailing Prince's side still habitually refer to Wen Hemian as the Crown Prince. The fact that he allowed Wen Hemian to meet Murong Yue shows that this person must be useful.
A businessman? Wen Hemian pondered this carefully.
"That's definitely not the case."
Murong Yue immediately became serious, though his eyes were still smiling, with an air of affability: "As you can see, Your Highness, I am a traveling merchant who recently returned from the barbarian tribes. I will be staying in the capital for the foreseeable future. The Prince and Princess know that Your Highness's business is coming to an end, so they sent me here to lend you a helping hand if necessary."
When she fell out with the royal family and went to the border, the Prince of Huailing and his wife did something. They supported Wen Hemian's decision and were able to protect her so that she could eventually escape unscathed.
And Murong Yue was the help they sent.
In just a few seconds, Wen Hemian figured out the key point and her gaze towards Murong Yue changed: "In that case, I will thank Young Master Murong in advance."
Wen Heming raised his teacup to toast him.
"I can't accept that!" Murong Yue almost jumped up. He smiled and scratched his head, finally shedding his previous mask. "Your Highness is now the Imperial Tutor. I am just a commoner, and I am a little apprehensive."
Wen Hemian raised an eyebrow: "Excuse me for being blunt, but I can't tell."
If Murong Yue had even a hint of fear, he wouldn't have been sitting here waiting for her to come over. This excuse wouldn't even fool a child.
Murong Yue chuckled twice, then suddenly said, "But to be honest, Your Highness, you are really handsome. If you were a woman, I would definitely fall for you."
As he spoke, Murong Yue made a gesture of clutching his heart. He was clearly dressed like a noble young master, but now he looked rather pathetic and pretentious.
Wen Hemian: "...Thank you very much."
She really wouldn't dare to trust such an unreliable person if her parents hadn't found them.
Fortunately, putting everything else aside, Murong Yue is a great conversationalist.
The straight man did a great job.
...
Inside the Taiji Hall.
The candlelight flickered dimly, the light not very bright, and the stench of blood lingered in the hall for a long time. The eunuchs and palace maids knelt tremblingly on the ground beside them.
Xie Lang stood in the middle, with a bloodstained sword lying on the ground in front of him. He remained silent with a sullen face, and the atmosphere around him was terrifyingly cold.
When Lai Xi came out after dealing with the body, he saw it and hissed inwardly. Not daring to delay, he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, everything inside, including the bed, has been changed. Please take a look..."
"All those on duty today shall be given twenty strokes of the cane and expelled from the palace," Xie Lang said coldly. "If there is a next time, they shall be killed without exception."
He had a day off tomorrow. After reviewing the memorials, he planned to change his clothes and sneak to the Grand Tutor's residence. However, upon entering, he found someone lying on the bed. He showed no mercy and drew his sword on the spot, but he still felt extremely disgusted.
This person was a palace maid who served on duty at the Taiji Palace. Whether it was her own idea or someone else's instruction, this behavior undoubtedly crossed Xie Lang's bottom line, and he would never allow it to happen again.
Lai Xi was the person who had served Xie Lang the longest. Watching the young emperor grow up with such a melancholy air, he knew that this was the lightest possible punishment. Besides, it was indeed those palace servants who had been negligent in their duties. He had no intention of pleading for leniency, so he replied, "Yes."
All the palace servants kneeling in the hall were pulled away by the guards. Bi Xielang went to another place to change his clothes and wash his hands. Then, a hidden guard appeared in front of him.
"Your Majesty, Lord Wen has gone out. I cannot approach him. I only know that he is at Shuiyun Pavilion."
Xie Lang knew that the place was Wen Hemian's private property, and without changing his expression, he wiped the water droplets off his hands: "Hmm, pick a few people to come out with me."
After leaving the palace, Xie Lang noticed the unusual liveliness outside and realized something was amiss. He squinted and asked, "What day is it today?"
The guard paused for a moment, then replied, "Your Majesty, it's Qixi Festival."
"Qixi Festival..."
He chewed the word slowly in his mouth several times, but Xie Lang's expression remained unchanged.
The Water Cloud Boat arrived quickly. They were lucky to arrive just in time, as there was only one boat left. The guards went to rent it, and Xie Lang stood at the top, looking out into the distance, trying to find the boat that Wen Hemian was on among the many boats on the river.
The guards stood quietly behind him, and were about to ask if he needed their help in the search when Xie Lang seemed to suddenly stop.
After a long pause, he let out a cold laugh.
Guard: "...Your Majesty?"
Xie Lang didn't reply. He just stared intently at a painted boat not far from them. Not only was his tutor sitting on it, but opposite the tutor was a peacock dressed in purple, dancing and gesturing wildly.
The two seemed quite familiar with each other. Perhaps they had gotten to something interesting, because his tutor smiled, his eyes like crescent moons, relaxed and content.
From a distance, he couldn't see the specific expression in her eyes, but he knew it was a different side of her than when she was in front of him.
Xie Lang thought expressionlessly that in the Grand Tutor's heart, he would probably always be the pitiful child she had picked up.
But he... seemed to have long since lost interest in this relationship.
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