Having been seen through so easily, Xie Lang didn't know what to say next.
Wen Hemian picked up his homework and began to check it, making annotations from time to time. Xie Lang was looking at his book, but he couldn't help but multitask and secretly glanced at her.
Just as he thought he had quietly withdrawn his gaze, he suddenly heard Wen Heming say slowly, "Your Majesty, peeking is no fun. If you have any questions, just say them."
Does this person have eyes on the back of their head?
Xie Lang's gaze shifted uncomfortably for a moment, then he asked in a low voice, "When will you take me to court?"
Xie Lang was well aware of the situation around him. Most of the palace servants only showed him some respect because of Wen Hemian. If it were him, he would have no power over him.
Having survived in the palace for so many years, he knew all too well what he wanted—power. Only with power in his hands could he avoid being looked down upon.
Wen Hemian looked directly into the longing and ambition in his eyes, narrowing her eyes slightly: "You want to go to court that badly?"
"Only by attending court can I know the current situation."
Xie Lang lowered his eyes, his voice was childish but decisive and calm, showing a level of calculation and maturity far beyond his age.
From the moment he hid behind her in front of Ning Hechu, Wen Hemian understood that she couldn't simply treat him as a child. She had no reason to stop him: "Go if you want to, but the court officials are shrewd. If Your Majesty wants to play dumb to deceive others, you'd better do it convincingly and keep everyone in the dark."
Xie Lang suppressed his temper and pursed his lips: "I know."
"Mmm." Wen Hemian quickly regained her relaxed demeanor. She jokingly took the book from the child's hand, turned it around, and stuffed it back in. "I forgot to mention, Your Majesty, you're looking at the book upside down."
She's been distracted ever since she came in; who does she think she can fool?
Xie Lang: "..."
Xie Lang's face stiffened, and he turned his head away in a sullen voice, unable to understand why he always lost face in front of this person.
Wen Hemian, being very considerate, didn't laugh out loud.
She realized that the little brat was quite shy.
To avoid being held a grudge, it's best to bear it.
-
There's no better time than today. Wen Hemian wasn't a feudal patriarch, so when Xie Lang wanted to attend court, she took him to the court assembly the next day.
This was the first time Wen Hemian had appeared in public since the palace upheaval, holding the young emperor's hand.
After some time of recuperation, Xie Lang had gained some weight, his frizzy hair had become smooth, and he looked fair-skinned with a bit of baby fat on his face. However, he seemed timid, holding Wen Hemian's hand tightly and refusing to let go, and his gaze towards the surroundings was full of wariness.
The courtiers' gazes followed them, and Ning Hechu stood at the very front, watching with a composed air.
Only after Xie Lang was seated comfortably on the dragon throne did Wen Hemian feign surprise and slowly say, "Why are you all looking at me like that? You wanted to see His Majesty, and here I am."
The censors' faces turned pale and then red, and one of them spat out, "They have wolfish ambitions and ill intentions!"
Wen Hemian shrugged: "Well, there's nothing we can do about it. You guys are the ones who decide whether it's good or bad."
The imperial court was not necessarily a civilized place. The censor wanted to say something more, but Ning Hechu stopped him with a light cough: "Alright, why make things difficult for Grand Tutor Wen here? Let's get down to business."
As the undisputed powerful minister, Ning Hechu's words carry decisive weight, and even the censors dare not easily offend him, so they can only reluctantly shut their mouths.
Only then did the ministers begin to speak.
Winter was not yet over, and disasters were occurring in various places, leading to an increase in the number of displaced people, which was a great burden on the imperial court. In addition, upon learning of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, some vassal kings in the fiefdoms were eager to make their move, taking advantage of the situation to win over the hearts of the people and engaging in constant underhanded tactics.
The combination of natural disasters and man-made calamities was far from optimistic. The court officials were arguing heatedly, and Wen Hemian was listening attentively. The more he learned, the more he felt that his task was fraught with difficulties and long road ahead.
A wise ruler must ensure peace and prosperity throughout the land, but as it stands now, that seems a long way off.
Above, Xie Lang sat on the dragon throne, looking around curiously. He could feel the subtle gazes cast upon him by the court officials, but unfortunately, he had no right to interrupt. He could only listen intently, memorizing those incomprehensible words.
That's enough.
Having heard enough, Ning Hechu spoke up, his eyes sharp as he looked at the Minister of Revenue: "I heard that Lord Bai's residence received a lot of rare treasures yesterday. Since the Ministry of Revenue can't allocate funds, why don't we offer them up first as an example?"
The Minister of Revenue's legs went weak. When he met Ning Hechu's gaze, he knew he had been seen through and hurriedly laughed, "This humble official will obey Lord Ning."
After such a thorough exploitation, quite a bit was actually raised, enough to temporarily resettle the disaster victims. After the court assembly, many people were forced to bleed heavily, and they looked at Ning Hechu with hatred that made their teeth itch.
Ning Hechu snorted coldly and left in a huff.
Wen Hemian didn't say a word the whole time, and then she took Xie Lang back to Nuange.
Xie Lang frowned, puzzled: "Why does he seem so concerned about these things?"
He was in the inner palace and knew Ning Hechu's reputation. He controlled the government, committed all kinds of evil, and was a great villain. What he saw today was very different from what he thought.
Wen Heming understood perfectly: "Because he is a subject, and the prince's fiefdom is far away and beyond his reach, he cannot allow the prince to seize the opportunity to come to the capital to serve the emperor. Things are not always black and white. It is the ministers who are being exploited, and he has not shed any blood. This is the best compromise under the circumstances."
Xie Lang looked at her blankly, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Wen Hemian itched to rub his head and said, "It's alright, Your Majesty will understand as you learn more."
Xie Lang had gotten used to Wen Hemian's occasional physical altercations.
He finally understood. This person talked about being a subject and addressed him as "Your Majesty," but in reality, he was just looking at him like a child, trying to coax and deceive him.
Xie Lang thought to himself, and secretly clenched his fist.
-
Today, after attending court, Wen Hemian, on a whim, assigned Xie Lang a few extra questions. Only after grading them did he realize it was already dark.
Perhaps because they had become more familiar with each other, Xie Lang was less awkward and finally spoke up to persuade him to stay: "It's getting late, why don't you stay in the palace tonight?"
Wen Hemian glanced at him with a smile, feeling relieved that her efforts in raising her child were finally making some progress, and replied, "Alright, thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."
She was beautiful, with a lovely smile, gentle and serene, almost unlike a man. Whenever Xie Lang saw her, he felt that his dark thoughts had nowhere to hide.
He stubbornly replied, "I'm not concerned about you; I'm just afraid you won't be able to leave the palace."
"I understand," Wen Hemian said. "Laixi has prepared a late-night snack in the side hall. Go eat something before you go to sleep."
Xie Lang often ate irregularly, sometimes full and sometimes hungry, and had a bad stomach, so he had to eat small, frequent meals to keep himself healthy.
Xie Lang nodded reservedly.
Wen Hemian accompanied him there.
Unexpectedly, an accident occurred as we turned the corner of the corridor!
Someone leaped up from the bushes, the snow-white blade reflecting a cold light, and with a whoosh, attacked Wen Heming.
In an instant, Xie Lang felt his mind go blank, and his pupils shrank sharply: "...Grand Tutor, be careful!"
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