The first year after the Imperial Tutor left.
His Majesty is somewhat depressed, but he still attends court sessions diligently and handles state affairs exceptionally well, displaying the methods of an iron-fisted emperor.
The ministers breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was good that His Majesty had not become discouraged because of this, and that the great prosperity of the Great Zhao Dynasty was just around the corner.
From the time of the late emperor, everyone thought that the Great Zhao Dynasty was about to come to an end, but unexpectedly, it took a turn for the better, which was truly amazing.
The year after the Imperial Tutor left.
Imperial physicians frequently visit His Majesty's palace, saying that His Majesty seems to be having frequent dreams lately, often experiencing nightmares, and his mental state is not very good.
One day, the ministers suddenly saw His Majesty the Emperor arrive at court with red eyes, only to later realize that it was the Imperial Tutor's birthday.
Everyone then realized that His Majesty had simply hidden it well, but had not given up his thoughts about the Imperial Tutor.
Such a virtuous and upright person.
Who could easily forget that?
Everyone understands.
It is now the third year since the Imperial Tutor left.
I don't know why, but starting three months ago, His Majesty's temperament suddenly changed a lot. Not only did he suddenly have a group of palace servants beaten to death, but what's even more outrageous is that he stopped attending court!
The ministers looked at each other, heartbroken and distressed.
I can't figure out what happened.
Unfortunately, the palace was completely sealed off, and none of the ministers could get any information.
Thanks to Xie Lang's reforms, the censors have become much more obedient in recent years, and they no longer submit remonstrances for no reason. However, faced with this situation, the censors have no choice but to submit their remonstrances.
I simply can't imagine what it would be like if His Majesty were to become a tyrant.
Having grown accustomed to a peaceful life, no one wants to return to the days of constant fear and anxiety.
However, most of the censors' efforts were in vain. Xie Lang didn't even glance at the memorials they submitted, knowing full well what they contained—nothing new.
The story begins with an accident three months ago.
It seems that a certain minister accidentally slipped his child's primer into his memorial; the little book had sneaked in like that.
Xie Lang usually wouldn't care about minor, harmless accidents, nor would he bother to make a fuss about them. But by sheer coincidence, he inadvertently opened that primer and saw familiar handwriting on it—
This was handwriting that he would never mistake; it belonged to Wen Heming.
Wen Heming can write in several different fonts, but he has one habit that remains almost unchanged: whenever he starts thinking, he always adds a small dot at the end of the sentence.
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Xie Lang's mind. He had his men investigate and found that the book came from a bookstore in the border region. Thinking of the Huailing Prince and his wife, who were completely unmoved by the news of their daughter's death, he personally sent people to the border region without making a sound.
Unsurprisingly, they didn't find anyone.
They didn't even see the legendary adopted daughter that the couple had taken in at some unknown time.
When Feifeng returned with his men to report, Xie Lang almost laughed in anger.
He wasn't so sure before, but this made him even more certain.
Wen Hemian had experienced all sorts of storms and waves. When he calmed down and thought back, he realized that the incident three years ago was full of flaws, but it was well concealed, and he was so complacent that he naturally overlooked it.
Since everything is alright, why not come back to see him?
Nearly three years had passed in silence when Xie Lang suddenly received this news. It was as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't speak. His heart felt heavy, and a sharp pain, making it hard to breathe, slowly seeped into his mind.
He lowered his eyes, wondering if he had been abandoned.
Was it because of those thoughts?
Xie Lang stared blankly at the book in his hands.
Wen Hemian is a meticulous person and has probably already planned out his escape route. Therefore, this book must have been circulated in the capital by accident, and some of the stories in it were ones that she had told him before.
Xie Lang couldn't help but feel sad, wondering how long it would have taken him to discover this if it weren't for this equally dramatic accident.
As if sensing the chilly atmosphere in the hall, Huo Ping hesitated slightly before stepping in, then continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.
"Your Majesty, we've found out."
Huo Ping pondered that he was becoming more and more versatile as the commander of the Imperial Guards, but he still maintained a meticulous demeanor and continued his report: "This Young Master Shuangjiang started writing books more than two years ago. According to the bookseller, she doesn't seem to be too concerned about making money, but she is quite knowledgeable and probably comes from a wealthy family."
Frost's Descent, the ground is covered in frost.
A normal person would not associate these two names together, but as more clues are uncovered, it's hard not to overthink it.
Xie Lang's fingertips trembled, and he couldn't quite understand why he was trembling. He calmly gave the order: "Continue the investigation. If you find any traces, follow them, but don't alert them."
At this point, there's only one thing I can't understand—
Wen Hemian fell off the cliff right in front of him. It was a miracle that she survived, given how steep the cliff was. If she really was the adopted daughter of the Prince of Huailing and his wife, how did she manage to reach the border in just a few days?
The more I think about it, the more my head aches.
The emperor frowned, raised his hand to his forehead, the veins throbbing faintly, and a few beads of sweat appeared due to the pain.
Lai Xi watched in fear. When Huo Ping left, he quickly brought over the medicine, a large, dark bowl that looked very bitter.
"Your Majesty, the medicine."
The emperor, who originally still retained some of his youthful temperament, completely lost his gentle demeanor after Lord Wen left. Not only his ministers, but even those who served him every day found it very difficult to adjust.
As the most important person in the Emperor's court, Lai Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead.
Xie Lang took the dark medicine and gulped it down in one go. His brows furrowed slightly, and he couldn't suppress the bitter taste in his mouth.
Before Lai Xi could even grab the candied fruit, he felt a gust of wind sweep past him, accompanied by a cold voice: "Go to the Prince's Mansion."
The Prince's Mansion is now without an owner and has become much more desolate, but Xie Lang comes here often, and it has almost become a second emperor's bedroom. The people in the Prince's Mansion are used to it and can't say anything about it.
At first, Qingyun felt a little angry, but after seeing the Emperor's gloomy appearance for more than two years, she was speechless.
Although His Majesty's feelings for the young lady are not right, he truly cares for her. It's just unknown how long this will last.
To be honest, Qingyun didn't believe in the emperor's sincerity.
Xie Lang never cared what the people in the Prince's Mansion thought. He was used to every plant and tree here. He headed towards the study as usual. Before he even stepped inside, he bumped into something white.
He glanced down and saw a white cat. He vaguely remembered it; the Grand Tutor had picked it up on the road and brought it back to raise. The servants had taken good care of it, and the cat had grown plump and strong.
Perhaps his gaze was too intimidating, for the cat vaguely sensed danger and quickly slid down, purring softly and meowing sweetly.
Xie Lang was unmoved by this.
Ignoring the cat, as I stepped across the threshold, an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
Was this cat really that stupid before?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com