She did allow Xie Rang to get close, but he couldn't go too far. Sometimes, the little tyrant's gaze was indeed too unrestrained.
Do you want to eat me?
Xie Rang slightly curled his lips; he really did want to.
But I don't dare to now.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he finally became more obedient: "I guessed right, this dress is indeed suitable for the Grand Tutor."
The Grand Tutor's handsome appearance was well-known throughout the court, though they dared not discuss it openly. However, it did not prevent the gazes that fell upon him whenever there was a banquet in the palace.
Xie Rang was initially a little jealous, but he later realized that they could only watch, and none of them could truly win the Grand Tutor's favor, so he gradually lost that childishness.
With him watching over things, no one with ill intentions will be allowed to get close to the Grand Tutor.
Xie Rang's heart warmed. He looked Yun Qing over from head to toe before stepping forward to straighten her collar, saying, "These clothes are cumbersome to wear. When you're at home, the Grand Tutor can have someone help you straighten them."
Wait, if he knew these clothes were uncomfortable, why didn't he send someone in to help me?
This question briefly crossed Yun Qing's mind.
Xie Rang's attitude was extremely natural. He asked casually, "Speaking of which, why are all the servants around the Grand Tutor maids?"
This question immediately diverted Yun Qing's attention. A cold sweat broke out on her chest, but she remained calm on the surface: "They were left to me by my parents. I'm used to them, and I don't want any other strangers around me."
"oh."
Xie Rang didn't ask any further questions. Since the Grand Tutor wouldn't say, he didn't want to delve into it. Besides, it was just to divert the Grand Tutor's suspicions about him.
Yun Qing looked at herself in the mirror again. It was indeed nice, but the official robes were too heavy. They were fine to wear on formal occasions, but it was definitely not possible to wear them out of the palace now. After trying them on and finding them suitable, Yun Qing prepared to change them off.
"Your Majesty, please."
Fortunately, His Majesty the Emperor is still quite gentlemanly. Although his gaze is rather presumptuous, he has not yet shown any signs of taking action, and he is willing to listen to what Yun Qing says.
Xie Rang's gaze was inscrutable, and he responded sullenly.
Knowing Yun Qing's secret, he didn't dwell on the matter and withdrew.
Yun Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief and changed out of her official robes.
-
Soon it was time for the delegations to gather in Kyoto.
They were all arranged to stay at the Huitongguan. Since no one wanted to cause any trouble, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies went to great lengths to ensure that each delegation had a place to stay and that no personal conflicts would arise.
The current Dae Hee is a peace-loving Dae Hee, and hopefully they can behave themselves as well.
This winter seems to be particularly cold. On the day of the banquet for the envoys, it was snowing. If you stood outside for a short while, you could feel the wind seeping into your bones, and you would shiver from the cold.
Xie Rang had the official robes newly tailored for Yun Qing specially thickened to be airtight, and with a hand warmer in his hands, he was kept warm all over.
Li Yunshu wanted to go too. When she saw Yun Qing, she circled around her several times, her eyes filled with undisguised surprise: "Brother, this dress is so luxurious!"
Li Yunshu had seen Yun Qing in his official robes many times before, but none of them had ever impressed her as much as this. She snorted twice, "He's thoughtful."
Since Yunqing made things clear to her, she hasn't talked about it much. She just occasionally makes a few comments about it. She doesn't ask when her older sister plans to reveal her true gender. In fact, she'd rather it be delayed. It's not that easy to get it!
Yun Qing smiled helplessly: "We won't be sitting on the same side then, so be careful."
In the Great Xi Dynasty, there was a custom of separating civil and military officials. Li Yunshu was not a pampered young lady raised in seclusion; she was a military officer with a real official position. She did not belong to the same faction as Yun Qing, so it was natural that they could not sit together when the seating arrangement was made.
"I understand. They'll just have a few more drinks at most; no one will give me any trouble."
Li Yunshu had a bright smile on her face and looked extremely lively. She hadn't seen such a lively scene in the capital for a long time and was especially looking forward to the banquet tonight.
"Then let's go to the palace."
The snow was getting heavier, and Yunqing, who had a habit of planning ahead, was afraid of being delayed on the road, so she prepared to leave earlier.
The carriage was large enough that Yun Qing and Li Yun Shu rode together in it. The carpet inside was very thick, and they were holding hand warmers. Because the journey was slow, they barely felt any bumps.
Soldiers were clearing snow along the way, and it took quite a while to reach the palace gate. The Imperial Guards saw that it was a carriage leaving the palace and let it in after a simple inspection.
The wheels crunched over the snow, sending a cool breeze to both sides. The carriage traveling inwards was particularly conspicuous on the wide palace road.
One of the envoys entering the palace was puzzled: "Since when are foreign carriages allowed to travel within the Dae Hee Palace?"
"Hey, you didn't know that, did you?" A bystander who knew the truth laughed at him. "That was the Imperial Tutor's carriage. The Emperor of Da Xi and his teacher were famously close!"
"The emperor's teacher, how long can that glory last..."
The man muttered something under his breath, but since it was within the territory of Da Xi, he was afraid of being overheard and causing trouble, so he didn't continue. His words quickly faded into the howling wind.
...
The carriage stopped shortly afterward, and Yun Qing and Li Yun Shu got out together.
Facing the biting cold wind, Li Yunshu showed no signs of discomfort, but Yun Qing, as soon as she stepped out of the carriage, covered her face and sneezed.
Li Yunshu looked at her with a complicated expression: "Sister, you're always in the capital, you probably don't get much exercise."
Li Yunshu even suspected that if she hadn't been frequently taking her older sister out these past few days, her only activity would have been traveling between the palace gates, the government office, and the Li residence.
Yun Qing coughed guiltily, "Let's go, let's go inside first."
Li Yunshu withdrew her sharp gaze. Her elder sister's health was important, so she would not pursue the matter for the time being.
After entering, everyone went to their respective seats. When Yunqing got to her seat, Shunfeng was already there.
He eagerly took the snow-covered cloak from Yun Qing, revealing the magnificent official robes to everyone. Upon seeing this, the surrounding high-ranking officials immediately began to discuss among themselves, all marveling at how different His Majesty truly treated the Imperial Tutor.
The court officials and the delegation followed suit and took their seats. Among the crowd, Yun Qing quickly noticed the Rouran people. They had typical nomadic features: dark skin, tall and strong builds, and dark, deep eyes. The leader, in particular, had undisguised ambition in his eyes.
If I'm not mistaken, this should be Lüle.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
As Yun Qing was pondering, Xie Rang arrived at that moment. Yun Qing's gaze unconsciously shifted to him, and then she frowned, noticing the mystery on the Emperor's clothes.
Li Yunshu immediately turned her gaze to Yun Qing, almost blurting out, "Why is the pattern on my sister's clothes the same as the Emperor's?"
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