The emperor saw the five crooked yet playful characters on the rice paper: "Jiang Yan is a fool!" He laughed so hard that he nearly dropped the candied haws he was holding. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the study, making everyone's eardrums buzz. Jiang Yan stood aside, his fair cheeks flushed slightly. Although he felt a little embarrassed, he didn't dare to refute the emperor, so he could only silently endure this unique teasing.
Su Jinli lowered her head, her mind a tangle of thoughts as she pondered how to explain this seemingly absurd scene to the emperor. She racked her brains, trying to find a reason that would both resolve the awkwardness and get her out of her current predicament.
"Your Majesty," Liu took advantage of the opportunity and hurried forward, her face filled with flattery and eagerness, "Please do not be fooled by this girl! She clearly broke into Jiang Zhuangyuan's study and wrote such shameless words. It is truly disrespectful and brings disgrace to the family!"
"Trespassing?" The emperor frowned slightly, his eyes sharp as an eagle. He instantly interrupted Liu and turned to look at Jiang Yan, "Lord Jiang, did she really trespass?"
Jiang Yan was slightly startled, and subconsciously glanced at Su Jinli, only to see a flash of panic and a plea for help in her eyes. Jiang Yan's heart moved, and after a moment's thought, he slowly said, "Your Majesty, I didn't intrude privately. I specifically asked her to come."
"Oh?" The emperor's eyes flashed with interest when he heard this. He raised an eyebrow curiously and asked, "You let her call you a fool? Lord Jiang, this is really puzzling."
Jiang Yan couldn't help but cough dryly, trying to hide his embarrassment. He explained with a slightly awkward expression, "I...I was discussing calligraphy and painting with Miss Su. For a while, I wasn't as skilled as Miss Su, so she teased me a bit. I guess Miss Su is also straightforward, which is why she wrote such straightforward words."
Su Jinli nearly laughed out loud when she heard Jiang Yan's explanation. Discussing calligraphy and painting? It was amazing that he could come up with such an excuse. However, this gave her an idea. She secretly glanced up and saw the emperor's face with an "I understand" look, and an idea suddenly came to her mind.
"Your Majesty," Su Jinli took a step forward with her lotus steps, lowered her head slightly, and pretended to be aggrieved. Her voice was filled with a hint of anger. "Actually, it was Jiang Zhuangyuan who said that the dragon I drew looked like an earthworm. It really pissed me off, so I couldn't help but scold him angrily."
"Mentioning earthworms again?" Jiang Yan looked at her helplessly, his eyes full of doting. "It's clearly a phoenix paired with an earthworm. Describing it this way is already praising the earthworm."
"You still dare to say that!" Su Jinli feigned anger and glared at Jiang Yan. The two of them exchanged words in a natural and intimate manner, just like a young couple flirting.
The surrounding noble ladies were stunned by this scene. They had initially thought Su Jinli had intruded into the study, but now it seemed like a sweet quarrel between a young couple caught in the act. Madam Liu and Madam Li were furious, their faces livid. They had meticulously planned this scheme, intending to bring disgrace upon Su Jinli, but they had never anticipated it would culminate in this situation. Their frustration and anger surged like a raging tide.
The emperor handed the candied haws to the waiting eunuch and walked to the desk with steady steps. He slowly picked up Jiang Yan's wolf-hair brush, his eyes full of smiles: "Great! What a pair of happy enemies!" He turned his head and his eyes fell on Su Jinli, saying half-jokingly, "Girl, you are really brave. You dare to openly call the top scholar an idiot."
Su Jinli's heart tightened, and she quickly bowed. Her voice was filled with nervousness and fear. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was just... I was just anxious in the moment and said something without thinking. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy."
"Emergency?" The emperor was stunned at first, then suddenly realized and laughed heartily, with a hint of ridicule in his laughter. "In my opinion, it's not emergency at all, it's clearly deep love!" He suddenly put away his smile, his expression became serious, and he said in a loud voice, "Jiang Yan, Su Jinli, you two stand still."
Upon hearing this, the two glanced at each other, seeing a hint of confusion and nervousness in each other's eyes. Then, they stood obediently before the emperor. Su Jinli's heart was pounding like a rabbit, unable to guess what the emperor was up to.
"Jiang Yan," the emperor stared at Jiang Yan with a sharp gaze, "Do you have any feelings for Su Jinli?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan straightened his back, his expression becoming solemn and serious. His voice was clear and firm, as if he had exhausted all his strength: "Your Majesty, I have long been attracted to Miss Su. Ever since I met and got to know her, I have decided that she is the only one I will marry."
When Su Jinli heard Jiang Yan's affectionate confession, her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks flushed like ripe apples. She stole a glance at Jiang Yan and saw that he was looking at her intently, his eyes filled with tenderness and affection, as if he wanted to melt her completely in these gentle gazes.
"Good!" The emperor nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Su Jinli with a kind smile on his face. "Girl, what about you? Do you have any feelings towards this top scholar whom you called a fool?"
Su Jinli bit her lip, her mind flashing back to all the things Jiang Yan had done for her. He had stood up for her when she was in trouble, offered her encouragement and support when she was lost. Every moment was filled with warmth and touching. Thinking of this, Su Jinli felt a surge of warmth in her heart, a surge of courage. She raised her head, bravely meeting the emperor's gaze. Her voice, though slightly shy, was unwaveringly firm: "Your Majesty, I... I also think he's quite good. I'm very happy to be with him."
"Hahaha!" The emperor laughed again, his laughter filled with relief and joy. "Good! Very good!" He strode over to Jiang Yan, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Lord Jiang, you really deserve to be called an 'idiot'!"
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