Chapter 71
These words caused another uproar in the room.
Gu Shuan's narrow eyes swept over her coldly, wondering what she was planning this time.
Emperor Zhaowen was also puzzled and asked in surprise, "With such an opportunity, why do you only ask for a cup of wine?"
"This humble woman only asks for this cup of wine. There were many misunderstandings between me and His Highness the Crown Prince in the past, but I have now completely repented. After drinking this cup of wine, we will truly go our separate ways."
This unprecedented reward is utterly unbelievable.
But this reward itself requires no cost to the emperor; it is merely a matter of uttering a word.
Emperor Zhaowen pondered for a moment, still somewhat disbelieving that the woman before him had no other intentions: "Just this?"
Lin Yi raised her head slightly, her gaze falling on the emperor's bright yellow dragon robe. "If I had to say, what I ask for is not just this cup of wine. Starting with this cup, I hope that in the future, when people in Mingzhou mention me, they will think of Qiu Qingye, the young mistress of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, and have no connection whatsoever with His Highness the Crown Prince. My relationship with the young marquis is loving, and I do not want him to harbor any resentment. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."
Emperor Zhaowen believed half of her explanation that they could settle their score over a cup of wine. It was common knowledge, even to him, the emperor, that the eldest daughter of the Qiu family had once harbored feelings for the crown prince; the Imperial Concubine Shu had also considered him years before. However, he had heard of her poor reputation and thus declined.
The other half stems from the emperor's innate intuition and suspicious nature.
However, he still granted permission to drink this glass of wine.
Before long, a palace maid brought over two cups of sake on a beechwood tray.
Under Gu Shuan's complex gaze, Lin Yi calmly extended his hand: "Please choose first, Your Highness."
Her expression was calm, without the slightest hint of guilt, as if she genuinely just wanted a drink. Gu Shu'an, however, never dared to be careless with this woman. Even when reaching for the wine cup, his eyes were fixed on the person opposite him, constantly on guard, fearing that she might do something unexpected.
Lin Yi simply smiled and said, "This humble woman respectfully greets Your Highness the Crown Prince, wishing you all your wishes come true and that you enjoy good health and longevity." With that, she picked up the wine cup closest to her and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing, she even tilted the cup, not spilling a single drop, to show her sincerity.
Seeing that she had finished her drink, Gu Shuan picked up his own glass. The clear wine swirled slightly in the glass, reflecting Gu Shuan's furrowed brows. Looking at his own downcast eyes reflected in the wine, he finally raised his glass and asked, "What exactly is your purpose?"
"Just as I said, I want to sever all ties with Your Highness and never have anything to do with you again."
Gu Shuan snorted coldly, "You'd better keep your word." Then he also drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing that he was drinking heartily, Lin smiled innocently at him.
The wine was clear and refreshing. At palace banquets, toasts and drinking were inevitable, but to prevent anyone from getting too drunk and causing disrespect before the emperor, the wine was always light and intoxicating. After drinking the wine, Gu Shu'an felt a flush on his face, as if he were somewhat unable to hold his liquor. Upon closer inspection, however, the sensation was so faint as to be almost imperceptible, so he dismissed the unusual feeling.
Everyone watched as Qiu Qingye and the Crown Prince drank together and returned to their seats, as if a cup of wine had erased all past grievances. The crowd found it rather dull. From then on, Mingzhou City had one less topic of conversation.
After the noble ladies finished their performances, several officials took the opportunity of the palace banquet to present treasures to the emperor and his concubines.
Lin Yi thought that given Xie Chengnan's lazy nature, he would definitely disdain doing something that was suspected of "climbing the social ladder".
Although he knew that he had been busy for several days before the palace banquet, seemingly looking for something, he did not know that it was actually something he had found to give to Emperor Zhaowen, nor did he know what it was.
Xie Chengnan presented a landscape scroll, unlike the paintings sold in the market or those by famous artists. This "scroll" had a yellow silk background and depicted the entire territory of Anguo. The mountains were embroidered with layers of silk threads and velvet, using the softest material to sculpt the hardest rocks, ranging from jet black to deep green to bluish-yellow, with their heights constantly increasing. The peaks of the northern mountains were even adorned with fine white sand. The rivers in the painting were inlaid with polished lapis lazuli, and the borders and coastlines were joined together with fragments of broken mother-of-pearl. The entire scroll was three-dimensional, and it was called a "painting" because its base was soft enough to be rolled up and carried like a scroll.
This landscape scroll, comparable to a stereoscopic 3D painting, was something Lin Yi had only ever seen in AI, even in the real world. Seeing the real thing for the first time was enough to elicit undisguised surprise, let alone the characters in the book who would never have encountered modern technology in their lives. Everyone who saw it was amazed.
Besides being ingenious and original, Lin Yi couldn't think of any other words to describe it.
Relying not on technology, but solely on a craftsman's heart and superb skills, this is perhaps the kind of craftsmanship only the ancients could create. The fact that Xie Chengnan found such an artwork demonstrates his dedication.
Lin Yi could see it, so how could the others not know?
Emperor Zhaowen looked at the landscape painting with obvious delight and ordered it to be presented to him for closer inspection.
After looking at it for a long time, he finally ordered it to be properly placed on the bookshelf in the Imperial Study so that he could admire it every day.
The emperor's delight had not yet faded as he smiled and looked at the young master left behind by the Marquis of Yong'an.
After a long while, Emperor Zhaowen casually asked, as if chatting about everyday matters, "You'll be eighteen this year, won't you?"
"My birthday hasn't come yet," Xie Chengnan replied.
"There's no need to wait any longer. Xie Yanzhe has been gone for so long, and the position of Marquis of Yong'an has remained vacant. You've been managing all the affairs of the Marquis's residence, so it doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later. -- Shu'an, go and draft the imperial decree."
Emperor Zhaowen lightly tapped the table with his left hand, striking it a few times without slowing down or pressing down. His gaze swept over Xie Chengnan and finally landed on the Crown Prince: "The heir of the Marquis of Yong'an, aged seventeen, has strictly adhered to ancestral teachings and cultivated virtue and conduct. He is hereby granted permission to inherit the title of Marquis of Yong'an, with an annual stipend equivalent to that of a prince."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
He was enfeoffed as a marquis before he was eighteen, which, although inherited, was unprecedented in Anguo, not to mention that he was specially allowed to receive an annual salary of the caliber of a prince.
Gu Shu'an knew that tomorrow morning's court session would once again provoke a heated debate among those old fogies.
Those present were not entirely convinced, feeling that Xie Chengnan was merely a young boy who had not yet reached adulthood, and that he was able to enjoy double salary and a golden seal simply because he had presented a treasure that pleased the emperor.
Even those from humble backgrounds who rose to officialdom, despite studying diligently for over a decade, could not compete with those whose fathers were marquises. Even after the marquises died, their fathers could still secure a marquisate for their sons to inherit years later.
Xie Chengnan, who was at the center of all this envy and resentment, simply bowed and accepted the imperial decree according to the rules.
"My lord, thank you for your kindness."
A clear, melodious voice echoed through the hall, causing the nearby candlelight to flicker. When Xie Chengnan looked up, the flickering flame caught his eye, revealing no trace of joy, as if the outcome was entirely within his expectations.
Emperor Zhaowen observed this and thought to himself, "He is indeed someone who remains unperturbed by favor or disgrace."
As soon as Xie Chengnan sat back down, people came to offer their congratulations.
He reverted to his previous lazy demeanor, clinking glasses with people as if he had no backbone, accepting everything regardless of whether the person's wishes were genuine or just empty flattery.
This time, the dilapidated Yong'an Marquis's mansion would soon no longer have to fall into ruin. But Lin Yi, sitting next to him, was not very happy.
Xie Chengnan was indeed happy to inherit the title of Marquis, but she still remembered the lonely and desolate ending of that person at the end of the story.
For a man, achieving high rank and great deeds is indeed a worthwhile life, but she truly hoped that Xie Chengnan could live a life as leisurely and free as he is now, rather than becoming the emperor's sword or even shadow.
As the palace banquet drew to a close, the emperor chatted casually with his ministers, then seemingly inadvertently brought up another matter.
"I have recently heard of an incident where envoys from Xili entered our Da'an under the guise of seeking peace, but along the way they recklessly rode their horses, trampling seedlings and attacking farmers, and their words were also very disrespectful to our dynasty..."
"Today's palace banquet is informal, so let's all share our thoughts on this matter."
With the emperor speaking, ideas naturally flowed from all sides.
Some argue that diplomatic relations between the two countries are paramount, and perhaps the envoy's behavior was simply undesirable and did not represent the Xili's stance. Others believe that every word and action of the envoy represents the attitude of the nation, and his actions must have been at the behest of Xili. Even if not, it proves that his desire for peace and goodwill is insincere, and he should be treated the same way, not treated too well at various post stations. Still others feel that precisely because of this, he should be treated with even greater courtesy, demonstrating the magnanimity of a great power.
Emperor Zhaowen seemed very tired, and listened with his head propped up without commenting.
After several rounds of debate, the voices gradually fell silent.
After a while, Emperor Zhaowen said, "Marquis Yong'an, why don't you speak as well?"
Xie Chengnan had just been ennobled, but he wasn't in a hurry to show off. While the other officials discussed the matter, he quietly ate the dishes at the banquet, occasionally whispering something to his wife. His relaxed and casual demeanor suggested they weren't discussing how to revitalize the marquis's mansion, but rather commenting on which dish was particularly delicious.
In fact, the palace banquet lasted for a long time, and some dishes had already gone cold, past their optimal time for consumption.
Emperor Zhaowen chose to confer a marquisate at a palace banquet, not because of the gift that pleased him, nor was it a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had pondered this matter for a long time. The Crown Prince appeared powerful in court, but his position was actually unstable. The long-standing case involving the Zhan family was like a powder keg buried deep in the shadows of the court, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. The Crown Prince always lost his composure when this case came up. Just thinking about it gave Emperor Zhaowen a headache. He was the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, the future successor to the throne; what kind of woman couldn't he have wanted? Yet he had set his sights on that troublesome orphan from the Zhan family. Even Qiu Baekje's daughter was better than her!
His good son even wanted to overturn the Zhan family's case. Leaving aside the fact that there was already evidence of the Zhan family's treason, even if there were doubts, he personally determined the case; how could he not know? Not ordering the execution of the entire family was already an extraordinary act of mercy. Now, to demand an overturned case and the truth—where did that leave his father's face and imperial authority?
But after all, he was the son he had doted on since childhood. Even as an emperor, he had the heart of a parent. Although he was angry, he still had to plan for him.
The fact that the Sixth Prince was tasked with preparing this palace banquet was a warning to him.
As for Xie Chengnan, Emperor Zhaowen wanted him to become an assistant to the Crown Prince, just like he had with Xie Yanzhe before.
Moreover, although this young man appeared lazy on the surface, his occasional displays of talent were quite remarkable. With a little nurturing, he would surely be of great use in the future. A capable minister needs time to grow up, and Xie Chengnan could wait, but his health might not be able to hold out until the Crown Prince was fully established. That's why he had the idea of making an exception and granting him a title.
The reason for asking this question is to see if I have chosen the wrong person. If this young man answers well, I can take this opportunity to help him establish prestige in the court.
If Xie Chengnan thought about it carefully, he would soon be able to figure out the key points, but his mind was not on that right now.
As soon as Emperor Zhaowen uttered the words "Xi Li," he became distracted, his thoughts wandering uncontrollably.
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