Snowflakes fluttered down, arriving quickly and rapidly, sweeping across every corner of the capital in just half an hour. The edges and corners of the roof tiles were all white, creating a scene of pristine solitude.
Lai Xi took the hot water brought by the palace servant, glanced outside, and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, why is the snow coming so early this year?"
It was exceptionally large and exceptionally cold.
The young eunuch beside him chimed in, "The last time I saw such heavy snow was when I was a child."
Upon hearing this, Lai Xi's heart skipped a beat. He waved him away and hurried into the side hall to see, and sure enough, he saw the young emperor standing by the window, dressed in thin clothes and looking utterly lonely.
In just over a month, Xie Lang lost a lot of weight, often suffered from nightmares, and didn't get enough rest. Seeing his appearance, Lai Xi knew that he had thought of Lord Wen again.
That year, during the palace coup, he was chosen to serve the emperor. He vaguely remembered that it was also a cold winter day, with heavy snow falling and a biting chill in the air.
The only difference was that Lord Wen was there that year.
Lai Xi felt a lump in her throat as she thought about it, and bowed forward: "Your Majesty, it's cold. Would you like me to help you rest?"
He dared not offer any more advice, fearing that any additional words might touch upon the young emperor's painful memories.
Xie Lang turned around, his eyes lifeless. He did not answer Lai Xi's question, but said, "I want to do something."
He has done a lot these days, and now the entire court is in a state of panic, not knowing when it will be his turn.
Lai Xi waited cautiously: "What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
Xie Lang murmured, "I wish to reveal the identity of the Grand Tutor."
Lai Xi: "Huh?"
The following day, the emperor announced Wen Hemian's identity as a woman and proclaimed to the world that this was not an intentional deception by Wen Hemian and her family, but rather a helpless act taken in accordance with the late emperor's secret decree to support the young emperor and eliminate the rebels.
As for the grading of the imperial examination papers, it was fair and impartial. The papers were all anonymously reviewed by renowned Confucian scholars of the time, and there was no cheating or fraud involved.
The title of top scholar is well-deserved.
She is not only the youngest top scholar since the founding of the Great Zhao Kingdom, but also the only female top scholar.
As a woman, she served as Grand Tutor, teaching the young emperor until now. For many years, she worked diligently and devoted herself to the stability of the Great Zhao Dynasty and the well-being of its people. Unfortunately, she was framed by treacherous officials and her fate remains unknown.
This news shocked the entire court.
This confirmed the rumors circulating in the capital a few days ago, but no one could say anything bad about it; all that remained was astonishment.
"Lord Wen, is Lord Wen really a woman?"
"Having served in the same court for so many years, how could I be so blind as to not notice a single flaw? This... this disguise is just too good!"
“Since it’s a secret decree from the late emperor, it’s naturally beyond reproach. You and I have both witnessed Lord Wen’s abilities. And now, the more important thing is whether we can find the person…”
"I think it's unlikely."
"Keep your voice down. You mustn't let His Majesty hear this, or you'll be in big trouble."
"What about the matter of establishing a girls' school that Lord Wen mentioned before...?"
At this point, everyone suddenly fell silent.
Then they looked at each other in bewilderment.
Because there was no precedent, in the past, everyone would have said it was nonsense, but now that Wen Hemian's matter has come to light, they have all fallen silent.
Putting everything else aside, just consider how many of them were top scorers in the imperial examinations?
His exceptional abilities are enough to suppress all rumors and gossip.
After a moment, someone hesitated and said, "It's not impossible, why don't we give it a try?"
"I think it's a good idea."
After this series of twists and turns, not only Wen Hemian's subordinates, but even some people who were originally neutral began to have a slight bias in their hearts.
They were not people who were stuck in their ways, and they thought: Why can't we give it a try?
Every move in the capital, including the conversations of officials, was compiled by spies and placed on Xie Lang's desk.
After reading it, he just found it funny.
Why didn't they say this before the Grand Tutor's incident?
It's just that now that they feel no threat, they feel guilty and try to make amends afterwards.
His Majesty seems to be in much better condition these past few days. At least he's no longer suffering from hunger and thirst. Although he hasn't been to court, he's been dealing with important matters. But Lai Xi can tell that he's not happy.
In fact, no one can be happy.
His Majesty would always open the message from Yuzhou with anticipation, and then put it down with a look of dejection. This ups and downs made others feel extremely sad.
Such a good person, why did fate have to do this to him?
Lai Xi stepped forward with a teacup in hand, his lips trembling slightly before he mustered his courage and said, "Your Majesty, the Lunar New Year is just a few days away. Why don't you... go and visit the Prince's residence?"
Since the incident, Xie Lang's favorite place to stay has been the side hall where Wen Hemian used to live. Only here can he find peace of mind to sleep.
However, he never visited the Prince's Mansion.
Lai Xi could tell that it wasn't that he didn't want to go, but rather... he was afraid.
Lord Wen's fate remains unknown. Despite extensive searches, everyone knows that the chances of him surviving are extremely slim.
His Majesty is afraid that the sight of the scenery will trigger painful memories.
"The Prince's Mansion..."
Xie Lang seemed to suddenly come to his senses, and murmured, "The news should have reached the border by now. Aren't the Grand Tutor's parents planning to come back for a visit this year?"
Lai Xi couldn't respond to that, since he knew very little about the two of them.
I vaguely remember hearing that Wen Hemian chose to stay in the capital because she had fallen out with her parents.
I'm afraid saying it would make His Majesty even more upset.
Looking at it this way, it seems that Lord Wen stayed in the capital for His Majesty's sake.
Lai Xi sighed.
Fortunately, someone soon came in and broke the silence.
It was Zhou Ting.
He has now made a name for himself, serving as the Commander of the Capital Garrison. Together with Huo Ping, he oversees the defense of the capital while also investigating the rampant rumors.
"Your Majesty, following the clues, I discovered that the person who initially revealed Lord Wen's identity was a traveling merchant from a foreign tribe named Murong Yue. I have temporarily detained him. Your Majesty, would you like to..."
"What was that person's name?"
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor suddenly interrupted him.
Those eyes were like bottomless, icy pools, making Zhou Ting almost unable to stop himself from shivering: "Call him Murong Yue."
Xie Lang closed his eyes, and his head started throbbing again.
Murong Yue...
This person is clearly related to the Grand Tutor, so why would he spread rumors at that time and add fuel to the fire?
As if he had vaguely touched on something, Xie Lang said, slowly and deliberately, "Have you interrogated them?"
“Yes,” Zhou Ting gritted his teeth and quickly finished speaking, “He has Lord Wen’s token, so I dare not make a move.”
Murong Yue was a smooth talker with a quick mind. He would say one thing and leave another unsaid, but he didn't dare to let anyone torture him for what he had, so Zhou Ting had no choice but to report it all at once.
"Keep it locked for now."
Xie Lang coldly uttered a sentence.
Then, amidst Lai Xi's exclamation, without even putting on an outer garment, he hurried outside, mounted his horse, and quickly disappeared into the vast snow.
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