"Your Highness..."
Seeing Qin Chuan walk out of the palace looking utterly dejected, Li Aniu quickly went up to help him.
In Li Aniu's memory, this was the first time he had ever seen Qin Chuan like this.
Dozens of Imperial Guards stood in neat rows in front of and behind the black-covered carriage.
Qin Chuan let Li Aniu help him into the carriage, his mind blank, unaware of what day it was.
In a daze, he heard Li Aniu ask, "Where are we going?" He subconsciously replied, "The Imperial Preceptor's Residence," and then the carriage started to move.
His mind was in complete disarray; he had forgotten how he had even managed to escape the palace...
The empress asked him if he was willing to divorce Su Ruyan.
His answer, without a doubt, was definitely no.
Su Ruyan is carrying his child. If he divorces Su Ruyan now, is he even human?
He wanted to explain, but the Empress didn't give him a chance and had him thrown out.
The moment he stepped out, he heard the sound of dishes being overturned and shattering on the ground, and the Empress's thunderous shouts at the eunuchs and palace maids...
"She's serious, we're doomed..."
With this thought in mind, Qin Chuan's steps were unsteady, his mind a complete blank. He wandered aimlessly, not knowing how he left the palace, or how he ended up back at the Imperial Preceptor's residence instead of the Prince of Yan's residence.
As he crossed the threshold of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, he stumbled and fell.
Startled, Li Aniu and Steward Zhou rushed over and helped him up.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please be careful..."
Steward Zhou is a eunuch who came from the palace. His former master was the Empress, and his current master is Qin Chuan.
By now, Steward Zhou could clearly see that the Empress had taken a liking to Qin Chuan. There was no need for surveillance anymore; serving Qin Chuan well was his only duty.
Seeing Qin Chuan like this, Butler Zhou knew that something must have happened.
After helping Qin Chuan up, Steward Zhou thoroughly examined him from head to toe, chest and back, and carefully flattered him, "Your Highness, once you get through this hurdle, you will be promoted!"
Hearing Butler Zhou say those words in his ear, Qin Chuan immediately became more alert.
Looking up at the moonlight, I couldn't help but feel melancholy and wistful...
He thought to himself, "This hurdle... is going to be tough!"
He shook his head and sighed, muttering to himself, "I never imagined that being liked by someone would be such a terrible thing..."
...
The following day, the Empress announced a one-day recess.
Some civil officials who arrived early for court were all completely bewildered.
Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, apart from the holidays stipulated by ancestral rules, you have attended the morning court almost every day. What's going on today? Why have you suspended court for no reason?
Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue only realized after receiving the Xiongnu prisoners that they had taken on a hot potato.
Before all the Xiongnu people had even been assigned to labor service, the government office's food supplies were almost gone...
These northern barbarians have an enormous appetite!
We need to get the Empress to allocate grain and funds from the national treasury...
The officials from the Ministry of Justice looked completely bewildered.
Yesterday, His Majesty ordered the Imperial Guards to imprison the entire family of Right Chancellor Li. His Majesty did not specify whether the case should be handled by the Court of Judicial Review or the Ministry of Justice.
Xiao Yue, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, has not returned yet. When asked, Xiao Yun said they were waiting for His Majesty's decree...
The head of the Ministry of Personnel was also deeply worried.
Li Zongmin had many followers, but seeing that he had been arrested for colluding with the Xiongnu, some of his followers, fearing they would be implicated, resigned one after another.
The Ministry of Personnel has the authority to approve some minor officials below the fourth rank, but it does not have the authority to approve high-ranking officials such as ministers and governors; they must ask His Majesty.
Officials in the Ministry of Rites were also worried.
The imperial examinations are just two weeks away.
In previous years, the Ministry of Rites presided over the imperial examinations in the spring. Whether there will be any new arrangements this year remains to be seen and must be reported to His Majesty…
The empress's refusal to attend court caused great distress among the officials of all departments.
After leaving the palace, some officials gathered together and began to discuss the matter.
"His Majesty has never missed the morning court session without a valid reason before!"
"Could it be that His Majesty is unwell?"
"Everything was fine yesterday, and they even went to the national treasury..."
"That's strange. I heard from Eunuch Zhang that His Majesty dined with the Prince of Yan last night..."
"Which Eunuch Zhang?"
"Zhang Cheng, Eunuch Zhang."
"Could it be that His Majesty's absence from the morning court session is related to the Prince of Yan?"
Wang Jiayin, the Minister of Rites, said something.
Wu Mengxu, the Vice Minister of Rites, continued, "Your Majesty is twenty-one years old this year. According to ancestral rules, you must get married this year. Anyone can see that Your Majesty is interested in the Prince of Yan. Could it be that the Prince of Yan did something to hurt Your Majesty's feelings and anger him?"
“Your guess is more plausible,” Wang Jiayin nodded.
Just then, an imperial censor from the Censorate walked over and shouted, "Who gave you permission to criticize His Majesty here! I will definitely impeach you!"
“Imperial Censor Lai, farewell, we’ll be dismissed now…”
Upon seeing Censor Lai approaching, the officials scattered like birds and beasts.
...
Zui Ming Ju Tea House.
This is an inconspicuous teahouse in an alley. There are two private rooms upstairs, one called "Qingquan" and the other called "Ruoshui".
Inside the "Ruoshui" private room, two fair-skinned, beardless men sat drinking tea, occasionally getting up to open the window, glance down, and then close it again.
A woman in white entered the teahouse and went directly to the "Ruoshui" private room on the second floor.
She wore a bamboo hat and a veil, and had a graceful figure, exuding the air of a chivalrous woman.
Upon seeing her enter, the two pale-faced, beardless men quickly stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Holy Maiden."
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