Chapter 39 Inviting a Handsome Young Man
He Wen was pushed away, but he did not give up. He soon tried to grab Song Mingjiao's arm again, but he was worried about Song Mingjiao's injury, so he didn't dare to use force or push.
"Lord He wants to be an honest official. What does my health have to do with Lord He?"
Song Mingjiao didn't even want to say the word "my dear", and there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
He still remembered that in the last world, "He Wang" obeyed him in everything and even begged him to leave.
When he came to this ancient world and met Prime Minister He Wen, who looked exactly like "He Wang", Song Mingjiao initially thought it was a coincidence and a continuation of their old relationship.
But now it seems that even if two people look exactly the same, they are not the same person after all.
Song Mingjiao felt a little tired and was too lazy to confront He Wen anymore. His wide and soft sleeves fell down along with his arms.
The little emperor was no longer stubborn and didn't want the prime minister to check his injuries. He stopped resisting at all. However, He Wen, who was kneeling on the ground, was not as confident as before.
He gently lifted up Song Mingjiao's arm, only to find that the scar was extremely noticeable on Song Mingjiao's delicate skin. For some reason, it even made his heart ache.
"I know I was wrong. I was judging others with my own petty mindset, thinking that General Gu had picked up bad habits outside and was a bad influence on Your Majesty."
He Wen spoke in frustration. By this point, he already knew the misunderstanding was a misunderstanding. Eunuch Zhao and Gu Linyuan were probably discussing the ointment, not the "cream" he'd been imagining.
He Wen felt ashamed. He had always been a self-disciplined gentleman, but for some reason, he had been thinking of things that were disrespectful to the emperor's ears recently.
Song Mingjiao snorted softly. He didn't actually understand what He Wen meant by "bad habits." Although he loved teasing people, in reality, Song Mingjiao always showed a naiveté and dullness that didn't match his experience.
But this did not prevent Song Mingjiao from flicking his sleeves, throwing away He Wen's hand, and sitting back in the chair behind the desk.
He Wen was still feeling guilty, so he naturally followed along.
Song Mingjiao was annoyed by him, and his thoughts were a little confused at the moment. He wanted to kick He Wen, but he felt that this would damage his image as an emperor and make him look like an irritable person who couldn't control his emotions.
So, Song Mingjiao simply turned a blind eye and started reading the memorials by himself, no longer paying attention to He Wen.
"General Gu at least knew how to catch me when I was about to fall, and at least knew how to apply medicine to me. Why not ask Eunuch Zhao to go to the General's Mansion tomorrow and give me a reward?"
Song Mingjiao was talking to himself and didn't look at He Wen, but he never put down his sleeve, revealing the red and swollen scars, which repeatedly whipped He Wen's self-blame.
He Wen knew that His Majesty was angry and was deliberately ignoring him.
"I know I was wrong. Tonight I will go back and gather talented people to find a cure for all your majesty's ailments, especially a medicine that can relieve pain. I will also find some new things for you. It is my fault that you have made your majesty feel depressed in the palace."
He Wen earnestly comforted them with every word, and even considering his background as a member of a noble family, he might actually think that the emperor's lack of entertainment life was the fault of his subjects for not working hard enough.
"Every memorial is longer than my imperial edicts! They're filled with eulogies, nonsense, and never get to the point. It's a complete waste of my time."
Song Mingjiao was already unhappy at the moment, and seeing this memorial full of beautiful articles but with few useful words, he became even angrier. He suppressed his anger and casually wrote "read" on it, then picked up the next one.
What a coincidence, it was given by an acquaintance.
He no longer concealed his dissatisfaction in his heart, and directly drew a turtle next to it with a brush, and then threw it into He Wen's arms.
That’s right, this memorial was submitted by He Wen, and it was also a pitiful memorial that was implicated by the master himself.
"I will return immediately and discuss with the Minister of Rites the matter of the regulations for submitting memorials."
The little emperor said this very pertinently.
In fact, when the Secretariat was reviewing memorials for the emperor, they often complained to He Wen that many of their colleagues did not have anything important to report every day. Just to make their presence felt in front of the emperor, they liked to write memorials of greetings, or mixed a lot of greetings into formal memorials.
It is normal for the young emperor to be annoyed by the slow pace of the discussion before getting to the point.
He Wen opened the memorial that the emperor had sent back to him. There was still some wet ink on the lower right corner. It was in the shape of a small turtle. It was vivid and very cute. You could even tell that it was showing some ferocious and aggressive posture.
Not only did He Wen not feel humiliated, he actually felt that this was a reward from Song Mingjiao.
Especially compared with Gu Linyuan just now. What Gu Linyuan got was just an ointment given by the emperor casually, but what He Wen got was a picture drawn by the young emperor himself!
"Your Majesty's painting skills are superb. When I return home, I will place it in the hall of my palace, where I can admire and worship it day and night."
He Wen said in a low voice, carefully placing the memorial into his wide sleeves. He felt a sense of security against his skin.
Song Mingjiao was annoyed and poked the white paper several times with the brush.
So annoying!
He was humiliating He Wen! He was punishing He Wen! Why was this person still so happy?
Now Song Mingjiao felt that He Wen was exactly the same as in the previous world, and he always annoyed him at certain times.
Song Mingjiao took a deep breath.
Forget it, don’t bother with those pedantic people from ancient times.
He Wen coaxed the little emperor many times, and stayed with him at the same time. After dealing with most of the memorials on the table, he saw that Song Mingjiao's originally tense face gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth showed a curve again.
"Stand up, Prime Minister. You've been kneeling for so long, it seems I'm being unsympathetic and abusive towards my subjects."
"I have done something wrong before, and I have angered Your Majesty, and I shall be punished. If anyone is being disrespectful and gossiping, please do not let Your Majesty hear about it. I will deal with it myself."
Song Mingjiao snorted lightly, and after thinking that He Wen was sincerely admitting his mistake, he lowered his sleeves that had been deliberately exposed for a long time to cover the white curve.
Although the weather is not cold now, Song Mingjiao still feels a little itchy when the wind blows after being exposed outside for too long, especially on arms that have been coated with ointment.
But Song Mingjiao didn't notice that when he covered his arms, He Wen, who was standing up next to him, seemed to have a hint of regret in his eyes.
"It just so happens that the Prime Minister is here today. My sixth brother is now old, and it's time for him to enter the court and participate in government affairs. What are your suggestions on the specific arrangements?"
After hesitating for a long time, Song Mingjiao finally got to the point that he wanted to discuss with He Wen today.
He Wen thought he had made the little emperor happy and could start a conversation between them, but he didn't expect that the little emperor actually wanted to talk to him about someone else, even though that person was the emperor's younger brother.
But He Wen knew his duty as a minister, so he suppressed some inexplicable emotions in his heart, thought for a moment, and said thoughtfully: "Sixth Prince? He is indeed old enough. When Your Majesty was your age, he was already studying under the late emperor in the court."
Don’t act like you’re watching me grow up, I’m small and you’re big!
Song Mingjiao glared at He Wen and said nothing.
In this world, he was a young emperor, and those who could reach such high positions in the court were generally veterans. Therefore, Song Mingjiao had heard this kind of talk a lot along the way. He was extremely sensitive about the topic of his young age.
When He Wen saw the emperor's glare, he could see some anger in his eyes. He was stunned for a moment, unable to figure out how he had made the little emperor unhappy.
"Then I think the Prime Minister is very experienced, so I'll leave it to you to arrange it. Don't let my brother suffer any loss."
"Yes, I have heard that the Sixth Prince is fond of strange and unusual armor. In my opinion, it would be better for him to go to the Ministry of Works for training first. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"It's all right. You can decide for yourself."
"Yes, I obey your command."
In this way, the destination of the Sixth Prince Song Chengnian was decided by Song Mingjiao and He Wen.
It is not known whether the two of them were satisfied or not, but Song Chengnian was very dissatisfied when he heard the news later.
Song Chengnian was in his own house. He broke several teacups and had a gloomy face. He didn't look like the obedient younger brother in front of Song Mingjiao at all.
"Your Highness, be careful not to drop it on your hands. Hey, Your Highness, that tea set next to you was given by His Majesty. When you came to the palace last time, you said you liked the tea brewed with it. If Your Highness breaks it, and His Majesty won't be able to see you next time, and he blames you, what should you do?"
Song Chengnian was furious and glared at the teacup in his hand. Finally, he reluctantly put the teacup back on the table.
"Blame? My dear brother, do you still have the heart to blame me now? Hasn't he been fooled by those ill-intentioned people and lost his mind?"
"Ministry of Works? Who doesn't know that among the six ministries, the Ministry of Works is basically the least prominent one? Why not just banish Gu Liu outside the capital?"
"It was that bitch He Wen who proposed this in front of my brother? How dare he? On what basis? Why should my brother accept his opinion?!"
Song Chengnian's tone grew increasingly aggrieved, and in the end he could no longer conceal his jealousy. His expression was so terrifying that even the eunuchs serving beside him didn't dare to persuade him.
"Every one of them only knows how to fawn over the Emperor! First, they're talking about this top scholar from some unknown country village, and now I hear the Emperor gave him that private house in the capital? Is he worthy of it?!"
"And now He Wen is even more hateful! Just relying on his little merit as a follower of the emperor, he thinks being the prime minister is so great? He's only a few years older than my brother, but he always acts like an elder and acts arrogantly in front of me."
Song Chengnian cursed all the people who were close to Song Mingjiao during this period.
"Haha, sooner or later we'll drive them all away!"
Under the cover of night, from the Sixth Prince's mansion came the sound of low, dark, yet gnashing curses and the constant sound of things being thrown. It was not until dawn that the situation gradually subsided.
*
However, Song Mingjiao had no idea about what was happening in his good brother's house.
During this period, he changed his previous official attitude with He Wen and summoned people into the imperial study from time to time.
Every time in the court, the little emperor sitting high on the dragon throne in the Golden Palace would often call the prime minister to ask for his opinion.
Those who were unaware simply thought this was a model of harmonious relationship between the emperor and his subjects. Even He Wen's residence had seen a surge in visitors these days. The prime minister was already a figurehead, and with Jian in the emperor's good graces, it was only natural that many sought to curry his favor.
However, He Wen always maintained his previous style and ignored all those who tried to get close to him. This move was widely praised by the censors, who praised the close relationship between the emperor and his minister.
But no one knew that every time his name was called, He Wen looked at the emperor sitting high on the platform, and the pearl curtain in front of him would sway gently as he turned his head.
Even though He Wen knew that he couldn't hear the sound because of the distance, he still felt that the crisp tinkling sound, often accompanied by Song Mingjiao's gentle and smiling voice, was transmitted into his ears.
No one knew that when Song Mingjiao met He Wen in private, the meeting place was no longer limited to the imperial study.
Song Mingjiao would occasionally go out of the palace in disguise without saying hello to anyone, and would suddenly show up at the Prime Minister's Residence, even in casual clothes, holding a folding fan made of jade bones, with his hair raised high, and a silk ribbon wrapped around his hairpin, which fluttered gently in the wind.
With her high ponytail, the doorman thought she was a rich young man who had sneaked out from somewhere.
"I'm here to see your Lord He."
The doorman was supposed to follow his master's orders and not open the door for any guests, but when he saw Song Mingjiao's temperament and the familiarity in her tone when she said He Wen's name, he hesitated for a moment.
When Song Mingjiao smiled at him, he was stunned and ran to He Wen to report in a daze.
Fortunately, the doorman went to report, because he found that his master was concentrating on writing and frowned when he was interrupted by the message. However, after hearing the doorman's description, he immediately put down his pen and came out to greet him as quickly as possible.
When He Wen just came out, he saw Song Mingjiao standing at the gate of the mansion, bored. The man was kicking stones under his feet and gently shaking his folding fan, looking very youthful.
For a moment, He Wenduo wished that the person in front of him was not the emperor high above in the Golden Palace, but a boy next door.
But soon, he was shocked by his own rebellious thoughts, and quickly shook his head and suppressed them in his heart.
"I pay my respects to—"
Before He Wen finished speaking, Song Mingjiao held his arm. Then Song Mingjiao put his finger on He Wen's lips, blinked, and said, "Shh, don't say too much, and don't reveal my identity."
Song Mingjiao's fingers were long and slender, even a little warm, and her skin was so delicate that He Wen felt that his lips were rougher than hers.
How can the emperor's dragon body be damaged?
This was the first time that Song Mingjiao took the initiative to touch He Wen with her body close to his.
He looked at the man who was standing stiffly in place, waving the folding fan in his hand with a look of triumph, feeling very happy and humming a little tune. In the shocked eyes of the servants in the Prime Minister's Mansion, he swaggered past He Wen and strolled around freely like the owner of this mansion.
Song Mingjiao ignored He Wen's introduction and guidance and explored the Prime Minister's Mansion on his own. To ordinary people and even officials, this Prime Minister's Mansion was already very large, with small bridges, flowing water, winding corridors and rockery. But to Song Mingjiao, who lived in the imperial palace, it was just so-so.
"It was my negligence. I didn't know Your Majesty was coming, and I didn't make more arrangements in the mansion so that Your Majesty could enjoy it in peace."
"What arrangements do you want to make?"
Song Mingjiao was walking in front, smiled lightly, then stopped, closed the folding fan with a swish, turned around and placed the fan against He Wen's chest.
Only through a thin layer of clothing, He Wen seemed to be able to feel the coolness coming from the jade bone.
"My dear minister, are you trying to plunder the people's wealth to curry my favor?"
"I would never dare!"
He Wen quickly lowered his head and answered.
But the emperor glanced at him and didn't look angry. He just snorted softly and continued to walk forward. He Wen had no choice but to follow him.
Traveling incognito, without guards, and dressed like an ordinary teenager are all very subtle hints.
He Wen thought the little emperor wanted to do something, but he didn't expect that after walking around, Song Mingjiao actually returned to the reception room and talked about political affairs with He Wen.
Song Mingjiao looked meticulous and did not slack off in his efficiency just because he was outside, making people think that this was not the Prime Minister's residence, but the palace.
But He Wen, who was accompanying him, inevitably lost his focus. He had been accompanying Song Mingjiao all the way and had made various plans and assumptions. After giving them enough psychological hints, he suddenly found that the stone could not be put down.
Did the emperor go all the way out just to change places with him and discuss serious matters?
Instead of talking privately as he thought, or even taking further...actions?
But the facts proved that Song Mingjiao really seemed to be just visiting the minister's house in the most formal and ordinary way to express the emperor's concern and attention, nothing more.
After that, Song Mingjiao would not only make sudden incognito visits to He Wen's residence, but also invite him to the Imperial Garden, leave the palace in the middle of the night to visit the Lantern Festival, or order He Wen to ride a horse and follow him during the autumn hunt, and he would often accompany him.
The emperor would always call He Wen in various informal private occasions, even on many days or places with special meanings.
But it only stops there.
The subsequent development was just like that incognito visit. After He Wen accompanied Song Mingjiao and satisfied her playful nature, Song Mingjiao would always start the "talk about serious business" mode anytime and anywhere.
This went on and on, making He Wen's heart beat fast and he had no idea where to put it.
If He Wen had tossed and turned in bed at night after Song Mingjiao bestowed the jade pendant upon him last time, this time, even during the day, He Wen would often be in a daze, thinking of the person who lived far away in the deep palace.
He Wen even dug out the book "Biography of Flatterers" which he had never read before. You know, he only read books like the Four Books and Five Classics and books about virtuous ministers and famous generals. There was absolutely no precedent in the He family tradition of using one's beauty to serve the monarch.
But after opening "The Biography of Flatterers", He Wen was surprised to find that the development of each story was so similar to his current relationship with the emperor.
The only difference was that his little Majesty had never given him any verbal hints.
He Wen couldn't guess the emperor's thoughts, but at this moment he couldn't guess his own thoughts even more.
Because he discovered that if the emperor really did invite him one day, he wouldn't feel embarrassed, humiliated, or ashamed of his ancestors or the previous emperor. Instead, he would feel fortunate, even... greedy.
——The lights in the Prime Minister’s Mansion were on all night long.
However, Song Mingjiao was sleeping soundly in the bedroom.
Counting the days, if he continues to tease her like this, He Wen must have been driven crazy by him and must be in a state of panic every day, right?
Song Mingjiao covered his mouth and laughed secretly several times.
It’s fun, really fun!
It really has to be the ancient world.
Every time I see He Wen wanting to say something but not daring to, and hesitating to speak, while he can always make invitations unscrupulously but never take responsibility, this feeling is great.
Eunuch Zhao standing next to him was completely confused. The emperor seemed to be in a very good mood recently, but Eunuch Zhao didn't notice what new and interesting thing had caught the emperor's eye.
"Then add more fuel to the fire."
Song Mingjiao muttered to himself and made the next decision.
*
During this period, as He Wen came into more and more contact with the emperor, he suddenly discovered that there seemed to be some discordant voices around him.
It's very mild, only said in private, and not even allowed to be made public.
He Wen thought, how dare someone spread rumors about him and the emperor? This is indeed a necessary process in "The Biography of Flatterers", but now, he and Song Mingjiao have not even started a relationship!
On this day, when He Wen passed by a restaurant, he met the top scholar whom he had not seen for a long time. Oh, no, he should be called the editor of the Hanlin Academy now.
Shang Nanxuan looked very bad, with dark circles under his eyes and a gloomy expression, and there was no trace of the arrogance he had shown during the palace examination.
He Wen just glanced at it lightly and didn't take it to heart, and continued to enter the restaurant as usual.
He felt that he had misunderstood the relationship between the emperor and Shang Nanxuan. Look, Song Mingjiao had invited him so many times in recent days, but nothing happened. He thought it was the same with Shang Nanxuan.
Unexpectedly, after three rounds of drinks, there was a loud noise coming from the next room. The sound was so loud that even He Wen could vaguely hear it.
The colleague across from him saw the Prime Minister's gloomy face and hurriedly called the waiter in: "Go quickly and tell the people in the next box to quiet down so as not to disturb our distinguished guest."
But unexpectedly, when the waiter pushed the door, the sound from the side also happened to come in.
He Wen heard the word "Your Majesty". With years of experience in the court, He Wen used his sixth sense to sense that something was wrong.
"Wait here, I'll go see what's going on."
"Yes, Lord He. This restaurant is usually very quiet. I don't know what happened today. I hope Lord He will forgive me." The colleague who hosted the restaurant smiled repeatedly.
"Nanfeng? That's not unusual. Officials in the court do it. How do you know that the one above isn't interested?"
"Look at the bracelet on my hand and the jade pendant. These are all royal items and belong to that person." It was Shang Nanxuan's voice.
"This mark, wow, it's truly a royal pattern. Lord Shang, I never knew you had such good fortune?" someone complimented.
"If His Majesty really values you, why are you like us, unable to attend court meetings and see His Majesty?" someone questioned.
Shang Nanxuan's face twisted in a distorted way after being touched, but he quickly recovered and said, "Your Majesty wanted to train me. Otherwise, with my background, how could I have won the first place in the palace examination at that time, surpassing the runner-up and third place? It was all thanks to that person who revealed it to me—"
Before Shang Nanxuan could finish his words, the door of the box was violently kicked open and He Wen walked in with a sullen face.
"Shang Nanxuan, do you know what your punishment is for making irresponsible remarks about your Majesty and defiling His Majesty's reputation?"
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