The system was chilling.
It asked in a low voice, "What are you going to do?"
“I am his teacher.” Wen Hemian stated this fact calmly, her voice very soft. “When I took on the mission, I promised to guide him onto the right path and help him become a wise ruler.”
It should be emphasized that Wen Hemian herself has no prejudice against sexual orientation or identity.
She lived two lives, watching Xie Lang grow up, but she couldn't accept that he was focusing his attention on her.
Perhaps something went wrong, causing him to mistakenly focus his attention on her. In any case, she couldn't let Xie Lang continue down this crooked path.
This is a matter of principle.
"But..." the system muttered doubtfully, "Will it really go that smoothly?"
Wen Hemian stared at it expressionlessly: "Alright, stop jinxing it."
The system was startled and realized that Wen Hemian was becoming more and more terrifying, so it shut up and dared not speak anymore.
-
The palace was heavily guarded, preventing news from getting out, but news from the outside could reach Xie Lang's ears through special channels.
Aside from the time Wen Hemian spoke with Alina alone, he never interfered with Huo Ping's investigation again. Moreover, he stayed at home for the next two days, quietly handling the official business that was sent to him, not giving anyone a chance to inquire about the information.
No one knew what kind of poison His Majesty the Emperor had been poisoned with. The ministers who had attended the palace banquet were all restless, fearing that they would be implicated in the matter.
Ning Mansion.
Ning Hechu's close subordinates gathered together, with the Minister of Revenue at the head.
"Could the young emperor really be poisoned? But if he is poisoned, why isn't Wen Hemian worried at all?"
Among the six ministers, Wen Hemian was the youngest and least experienced. The Minister of Revenue was always dissatisfied with her working alongside them, feeling that she only got this advantage because of her status as the young emperor's teacher.
Ning Hechu sat in the seat of honor and tapped the table in a mysterious manner: "It's hard to say."
He had intended to take this opportunity to annoy the young emperor, but judging from the way things turned out, it didn't work out. However, Ning Hechu wasn't worried about being implicated in this matter. He was more curious about what the young emperor was trying to do.
Despite his curiosity, Ning Hechu focused more of his attention on Wen Hemian.
From the moment he began to have doubts, the investigation was constantly hampered, which made him even more convinced that Wen Heming's identity was questionable.
"Right now, all the memorials in the young emperor's hands have been handed over to Wen Hemian for approval. She is so blatantly seizing power. Are we really just supposed to do nothing?"
"The Wen family already wields considerable military power and now wields considerable influence in the court. If we allow her to continue developing like this, will we still have a place to hide?"
"Aren't you just trying to boost their morale? No matter how much power the Prince of Huailing commands, he's a thousand miles away, and distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Besides, the Grand Secretary was kind to the Right Commander of the Five Armies back then. If it really comes to a critical moment, shouldn't he lend us a hand?"
"Raising an army is no small matter. Have you forgotten those vassal kings far away in their fiefdoms? Even if we can quickly stabilize the situation in the capital, how can we be sure they won't bring their troops to attack? We would be acting without a legitimate cause..."
The group was arguing fiercely, but they all knew they were talking about something shameful, so they all lowered their voices. However, as they spoke, they looked up at Ning Hechu, who remained silent, with some fear on their faces.
Yes, they're just missing a name.
And that is precisely the most deadly thing.
"If only I had found a way to kill Wen Hemian back then..."
Someone muttered something under their breath.
Ning Hechu's expression darkened immediately upon hearing this, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes: "Enough, what's the use of saying all this now? Let's think about how to make amends."
The Minister of Revenue rolled his eyes and said, "If you ask me, we should find a way to transfer Wen Hemian out of the capital. She only has so many secret guards around her, so why don't we... take care of her?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand to his neck and made a throat-slitting gesture.
The people below unanimously agreed.
In their view, without Wen Hemian's help, keeping the young emperor under their thumb would be an easy task.
"Actually, this is still not safe enough. Why don't we think of a way to make this an accident, preferably one that makes people think it was done by the young emperor? Those two at the border have always been at odds with the royal family, and they haven't returned even once in all these years. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The person who spoke was the Left Vice Minister of War, a veteran of the court who had heard a little about what had happened back then. While plotting, he also thought of a way to frame someone.
Ning Hechu squinted at him and said, "That's right."
Ning Hechu admitted that he had indeed made a mistake back then, which was why he had left such a major threat until today. However, it was not too late to deal with it now.
A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes as he spoke slowly and deliberately: "Then let's proceed as you have suggested."
The Left Vice Minister of War was immediately delighted: "Alright! Don't worry, Lord Ning, I will make all the arrangements!"
-
Staying in the mansion all the time is definitely not an option.
While handling official business, Wen Hemian also carefully considered how she would treat Xie Lang in the future.
At the age of eighteen or nineteen, it is the time when one's heart begins to stir with love. Xie Lang has not had many outsiders around him, and he has also been reading some books recently. It is easy for him to misunderstand his admiration for his teacher as other feelings.
Moreover, Wen Hemian knew that her appearance was not bad, and she had heard people in the capital comment on her androgynous appearance and beautiful looks. Perhaps Xie Lang was just having a delusion and couldn't control his thoughts.
He has met too few people to distinguish between liking and longing.
Directly distancing oneself is definitely not an option; Xie Lang would find out in less than half a day.
We must confront the issue directly, but also guide it subtly.
Wen Hemian never expected that becoming the emperor's tutor would mean not only having to worry about political affairs, but also about the emperor's love life. It was a real headache.
Before she could figure it out, the results of Huo Ping's interrogation came out.
An investigation revealed that a member of the envoy's delegation had ulterior motives and had bribed a palace eunuch to poison the emperor's wine. This incident also implicated a court official, none other than Cao Yang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.
Prior to this, he was a well-known royalist.
As a result, apart from the post station where the envoys were staying, the homes of other ministers were temporarily unsealed, and everyone was shocked to hear about it.
Only Wen Hemian remained calm upon receiving the news. She smiled and said, "Princess Alina is on the right track, and Commander Huo has also done a good job."
Thanks to Ning Hechu for giving them the opportunity, allowing them to smoothly remove this deepest-buried thorn.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com