Seeing that he didn't refute her description of him as cute, Wen Hemian found it even more interesting. Unfortunately, before she could tease him a little more, they saw the shadow of the temple.
Perhaps feeling a little embarrassed by his earlier behavior, the boy quickened his pace, his ears turning red: "The sun is getting strong, let's hurry to the temple to sit for a while."
Considering the boy's embarrassment, Wen Hemian tactfully didn't expose him, but couldn't hide the smile on her face: "Okay."
There were few people coming to enjoy the spring in this suburb; they hadn't encountered a single one on their way here. Unexpectedly, there were quite a few worshippers in the temple. Since they weren't planning to burn incense, they found a pavilion to sit and rest.
The food from the lunchbox was laid out on the table, perfect for eating and chatting at the same time.
Having calmed himself down, Xie Lang finally spoke: "Speaking of which, I don't recall ever seeing the Prince of Huailing and his consort return to the capital."
Even in the capital, there are very few rumors about the Prince of Huailing and his wife. In recent years, it is only because Wen Hemian has been active in the court that people have started to mention them.
Before becoming emperor, Xie Lang knew nothing about this. After becoming emperor, he only heard Ning Hechu's supporters mention it a couple of times, saying that if Wen Hemian hadn't had good parents, they would have torn him to pieces long ago.
Xie Lang was curious, but he preferred to hear it from Wen Hemian rather than from others.
Sensing the probing in Xie Lang's words, Wen Hemian smiled: "Among the older officials, this is not a secret. It's just that it concerns the royal family, so no one dares to speak recklessly. Besides, it's been quite a while since then."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lang's expression immediately tightened: "Does this concern the royal family?"
"To be precise, it was a feud between my parents and the late emperor." Wen Hemian recalled, "The late emperor's mother died early, and my adoptive mother was my father's aunt. At that time, the two had a good relationship. However, later, something happened in the capital, and the late emperor had a falling out with my parents. They then volunteered to go to the border. I guess they still have some grudges now, so they are unwilling to return to the capital."
It sounds simple, but Xie Lang understood that there were probably many secrets hidden in the matter that the old minister kept so secret. At least the couple's attitude was enough to prove everything.
Xie Lang couldn't laugh; his voice was a little dry: "When the Grand Tutor wanted to introduce the imperial examination system into the court, did they disagree?"
Wen Heming was taken aback, not expecting him to think of this so directly. After hesitating for a while, he still said, "I do disagree, but I'm not that firm. They are stationed at the border and they care about the people."
In the end, these are all grudges from the previous generation, and they have no reason to take their anger out on Xie Lang.
“They must be very worried.” Xie Lang said confidently, pursing his lips. “I will put their minds at ease.”
What could be the biggest rift between an emperor and his ministers? It would be distrust. Xie Lang was certain that he and the Grand Tutor would never have such a problem.
Moreover... he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the Grand Tutor didn't seem to care much about the power in his hands, and that letting her take over the position of Minister of Personnel was not something Xie Lang did on a whim.
Having someone to worry about will put his mind at ease.
"As I mentioned in the letter I sent, they are very satisfied with Your Majesty."
Wen Hemian wasn't lying. Even if she didn't bring it up, they would ask, and over time, they would often exchange a few words.
However, one thing is one thing, and being optimistic about Xie Lang doesn't mean they can let go of their grudges. The royal family's paranoia has ultimately left them with a great deal of resentment.
Xie Lang raised his lips slightly, but his mood didn't improve much: "That's good."
Wen Hemian saw through his little scheme and was about to continue to comfort him when the guards on the outside suddenly made a noise. They were tightly protected in the middle. The commotion came and went quickly. A moment later, the guards brought the two people to them.
Whether the two men had been bitten by poison beforehand or not, before they could even be questioned, they suddenly vomited a mouthful of thick black blood, their eyes rolled back, and they died instantly. This startled the guards who were holding them down, and they hurriedly knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Xie Lang glanced at the two people lying on the ground with disgust, but remained rational: "They swallowed poison before coming here. It seems someone couldn't hold back any longer."
No matter how many times she had seen it, Wen Hemian was still very uncomfortable with such a bloody scene. She rubbed her temples and said, "Get up, everyone. Clean up so you don't scare anyone."
With Grand Tutor Wen by his side, His Majesty's anger subsided considerably. The guards, being quick-witted, knew whose orders to follow at this moment, and swiftly dragged the person away, also cleaning up the remaining bloodstains to prevent them from becoming an eyesore.
Xie Lang's tone held a hint of displeasure: "I had planned to have a good time with the Grand Tutor today, but these ungrateful people ruined my fun."
“Since we’ve already said they’re ungrateful, let’s not get angry at them.” Wen Hemian smoothed things over with ease. “If Your Majesty wishes, we can come out next time. However, this place is not suitable for us to stay any longer. Let’s go back to the city first.”
Xie Lang hummed in agreement.
He's not an unreasonable person; he wouldn't joke about their safety at a time like this.
Fortunately, they chose a secluded pavilion, so they weren't noticed by the people around them and left quietly.
The assassin's matter required a detailed investigation, and Xie Lang would instruct his subordinates to do so. Wen Hemian didn't interfere much, but instead spent the whole journey calming the boy down.
Tomorrow is the court assembly, and no matter how reluctant he is, Xie Lang must return to the palace tonight. With his plans in mind, he emphasized before leaving: "Grand Tutor, you don't need to go to the court assembly tomorrow. Just wait for the imperial edict to arrive."
As for what kind of turmoil might be stirred up in the court, Xie Lang didn't want any negative rumors to reach Wen Hemian's ears, so he would suppress them himself.
Wen Hemian indulged his trivial thoughts and nodded, "Alright. Besides, the palace gates are locked soon, so let's go back early."
Xie Lang had no choice but to shut up and leave reluctantly.
-
The next day, the eunuch from the palace arrived at the Prince's residence early in the morning.
The one holding the imperial edict was Lai Xi. He was quick-witted and followed the rules, and successfully secured his position as the chief steward by the emperor's side. When he learned that Wen Hemian was still washing up, he rolled his eyes and quickly stopped the servant who was about to urge her to hurry up.
"Don't go. The Grand Tutor and His Majesty have a very close teacher-student relationship... We're not in a hurry, so let's wait here for now."
Having served His Majesty for so long, Lai Xi has come to realize how much His Majesty treats Grand Tutor Wen with respect. As long as nothing goes wrong in the future, his position as the most favored minister will definitely not be shaken, so currying favor with him is of no importance.
"Huh? Oh."
The servants were completely bewildered when he stopped them, and they really didn't go again.
Wen Hemian knew someone was coming today, so she didn't keep them waiting long. After getting up and quickly washing up, she came over.
Upon seeing the person, Lai Xi hurriedly presented the imperial edict and went to greet him: "His Majesty instructed that Lord Wen should just listen and not do anything else."
Wen Hemian smiled helplessly.
This little rascal, he just keeps coming up with one idea after another.
——
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