A spring rain fell.
The entire capital city seemed to be shrouded in a hazy mist, but the air was fresh, with a faint scent of rain mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees, which was refreshing.
A carriage from the palace stopped in front of the Prince of Huailing's residence. The gatekeeper, unsurprised, hurried in to announce, "His Majesty has arrived."
Outside, a light drizzle fell. Xie Lang initially didn't want to use a light umbrella, but worried that he would be questioned by the Grand Tutor if he went inside. He clenched his fingers, then instructed the person beside him to bring an umbrella, and then got off the carriage and walked quickly inside.
Xie Lang had been to the Prince's Mansion many times, and no one knew its layout better than him. Without needing anyone to lead the way, he walked through the corridors and headed towards Wen Heming's courtyard.
Because of his height and build, people behind him couldn't keep up if he walked too fast. He only quietly slowed his pace when he was almost at the side room, as if he didn't want to disturb the people inside.
However, his wish was not fulfilled. He soon heard Wen Heming's smiling voice: "What are you standing there for at the door? Come in."
As fellow martial artists and acquaintances, Wen Hemian recognized Xie Lang's footsteps long ago, and now that nothing was wrong, she didn't need to avoid him.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lang immediately raised his eyebrows: "Okay."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and went inside.
The people behind them were perceptive and didn't follow.
Wen Hemian sat on a small couch by the window, gently stroking the cat in her arms while glancing at Xie Lang. Even though she had watched Xie Lang grow up, she still felt a little uncomfortable with the subtle aggression emanating from him.
Six years is a long time; too much can change in a short period of time. It's enough for Xie Lang to grow from a little kid into the tall and noble young man he is today. His dark, round eyes have become narrower and longer, revealing a hint of coldness. The imperial majesty is overwhelming, and his magnificent and handsome appearance makes people dare not look directly at him.
But that was only in front of outsiders. In front of Wen Hemian, Xie Lang would always raise his eyebrows and show a gentle and pleasing smile: "When did the Grand Tutor start keeping a cat? If I had known that the Grand Tutor liked it, I should have sent that white cat from Persia to the Grand Tutor's residence."
When not on duty, Wen Hemian always dressed simply at home, in a plain blue dress, with the cat in her arms having mottled fur, which looked a bit out of place.
Wen Hemian patted the cat's suddenly stiff back and replied with a smile, "Then there's no need. I picked up this cat from the roadside a couple of days ago because I felt sorry for it. I gave it a name, System."
"System?" Xie Lang asked, puzzled. "What a strange name."
Wen Hemian thought to himself, "It would be strange if it weren't."
The system doesn't seem to be able to appear in this world casually. Even during Wen Hemian's mission, it rarely interfered with her. It was only this time that it felt it was about time to report the progress to her, and it just so happened that it chose the cat form.
Who knew Xie Lang would suddenly arrive at the manor? The system didn't have time to escape, so it had no choice but to stay and put on a futile act.
"Let's not talk about that." Wen Hemian casually put the cat on the ground, letting it run around on its own, and subtly changed the subject. "Why is His Majesty not in the palace reviewing memorials at this hour? What is he doing at my residence? Does he really consider this his home?"
Xie Lang snorted: "Why not? Everyone knows that I am close to the Grand Tutor, they won't say anything."
As he spoke, Xie Lang had already sat down opposite Wen Heming. He poured tea, touched the temperature of the teacup, and when he felt it was about right, he pushed it towards Wen Heming.
"Besides, if I stay in the palace, those annoying censors will come again, keeping an eye on my harem every day. It's so annoying."
At this point, Xie Lang seemed somewhat displeased.
The struggle against the cunning and treacherous Ning Hechu is a long process. Fortunately, with the help of Wen Hemian over the years, both openly and secretly, Xie Lang has gradually accumulated a certain amount of power. In the past two years, he has been able to access the core affairs of the court.
The young emperor, once regarded as a puppet, has finally revealed his true colors.
So the censors stopped arguing and instead submitted a memorial advising Xie Lang to open a harem as soon as possible and select concubines.
Xie Lang gritted his teeth inwardly: "Do they really think I can't see through their little schemes?"
This empire ultimately belongs to the Xie family. If Ning Hechu falls from power, and one of the concubines gives birth to a royal heir, wouldn't she rise to prominence?
"They have nothing to do all day, just ignore them."
Speaking of censors, Wen Hemian also had a headache. These literati were all very eloquent. A few words from them wouldn't kill them, but they were really annoying.
Xie Lang's eyes lit up: "That's what I think too, so I came out of the palace to find the Grand Tutor!"
Wen Heming was taken aback, not expecting to come back to the same point again. She lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea: "Establish your career first, then start a family. There's no rush right now, and besides..."
Having lived in modern times for over twenty years, Wen Hemian has some deeply ingrained beliefs, always feeling that one is not considered an adult until after the age of eighteen, while Xie Lang is still a month away from turning eighteen.
"Besides what?" Xie Lang casually picked up on her half-sentence, his gaze flickered and fell on her, then he suddenly curled his lips, "The Grand Tutor is not married yet, so I will have to wait until the Grand Tutor is married before we talk about it."
When Wen Hemian became Grand Tutor, she had just turned sixteen. Before that, she had been focused on preparing for the exam and had almost never appeared in public. In addition, there were rumors that she was frail and weak, so she was not noticed by the upper-class families.
However, ever since she began assisting Xie Lang, she has been unable to avoid appearing in public. As Xie Lang has grown and become able to rival Ning Hechu, more people have turned their attention to her.
If they can't persuade the young emperor, she's a good entry point. Although she's physically weak, she's still a good marriage prospect.
Furthermore, Wen Hemian had already come of age, yet there was no one in her residence, making it a rare and quiet place. Many noble ladies in the capital were eager to try their luck, and they secretly made bets on who could pluck this cold, clear moon.
"Then Your Majesty should not even think about it." Wen Hemian glanced at him. "If I don't get married, Your Majesty may not live to see it."
She's faking her identity; if she gets married, she'll only be a source of trouble for other girls.
Besides, being alone is so much more comfortable. Wen Hemian is used to being alone, and apart from Xie Lang, whom she has almost watched grow up, she doesn't want any strangers to interfere in her life.
Without saying a word, Xie Lang replied, "If the Grand Tutor doesn't want to get married, I don't want to either."
Having watched too many palace concubines fight amongst themselves when he was young, Xie Lang could hardly imagine how annoying it would be if there were a bunch of people chattering in the harem. It would be better if there were no people, as it would save the national treasury money.
Wen Heming hesitated, then said, "...Can these be the same?"
In the original book, Xie Lang never had a girl in his life. Whether he got married or not was his own business. As long as it didn't prevent him from being a wise ruler, Wen Hemian didn't interfere.
"Why can't it be the same?" Xie Lang's smile was somewhat ingratiating. He secretly sidled up to hold Wen Hemian's hand and said righteously, "I and the Grand Tutor get along well. I only need the Grand Tutor by my side."
The little brat was incredibly strong. Wen Hemian struggled for a moment, but seeing the sudden look of disappointment in his eyes, she softened and stopped moving.
She could only sigh softly: "Your Majesty had better not say this in front of those censors."
She was afraid of being criticized for corrupting the emperor.
Xie Lang slowly curved his lips into a smile: "It's alright, they wouldn't dare."
His expression clearly betrayed ill intentions, and Wen Hemian's vigilance immediately rose: "Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"
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