Spring goes and autumn comes, another year has passed.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Tian and Yan Jing'an have been living in the capital for over a year.
Yan Jing'an also worked at the Hanlin Academy for a year.
On the surface, the year was uneventful, as if everything was calm and peaceful.
The turbulent undercurrents within have already affected many people.
Many officials were stripped of their official hats and taken to the execution ground before they could even react, and the confiscation of their property was a constant occurrence.
However, the emperor prefers stability to speed in his actions, making it difficult for people to discern his true intentions for the time being.
The officials he identified were all executed after committing heinous crimes that left no room for criticism.
Boiling a frog in lukewarm water is the most terrifying method.
No one knew what the emperor was planning.
They thought that if one piece was lost, another could be placed on top.
Who could have guessed that the emperor didn't want them to change the flags, but rather to overturn the entire chessboard?
Time flies, and the year's planning is almost ready to bear fruit.
Yan Jing'an and Jiang Ting have been meeting more and more frequently lately.
Among the many talented individuals Jiang Ting sought out, Yan Jing'an was undoubtedly a key minister.
He is truly talented.
Without Yan Jing'an, Jiang Ting's plan would have taken several more years to come to fruition.
During that year, Yan Jing'an endured hardship and bided his time.
After all, he was just an unknown figure in the Hanlin Academy. In this era of praising the powerful and belittling the weak, many people were jealous of his reputation as a scholar and always tried to trip him up.
Yan Jing'an usually just laughs off these sycophants and never bothers with them.
He had long since passed the age of youthful arrogance, and when faced with these people's provocations, he would only smile and offer no further response.
Jiang Ting also secretly helped Yan Jing'an a lot.
He could not tolerate his favorite ministers being trampled on.
Their friendship was gradually deepening.
"Now it's finally time to close the net, Your Majesty. You can now begin your golden age."
In the study of the small house, Yan Jing'an and Jiang Ting discussed the current situation, both looking relaxed.
Yan Jing'an's tone was full of satisfaction.
He lived through the reigns of two emperors.
In his opinion, Jiang Ting was more capable than the late emperor.
The late emperor relied on the accumulated wealth of his ancestors to wage wars and exhaust his resources, disregarding the people, or rather, he despised them.
Those who despise the people will not gain their love and respect.
During the reign of the late emperor, many troubles occurred.
But Jiang Ting was able to sympathize with the people and was kind-hearted.
Yan Jing'an was able to spend some time with this young emperor during his lifetime, which can be considered as fulfilling a long-cherished wish.
He wanted to do something within his power for the benefit of all people, and when the opportunity came, he seized it, so the regret in his heart naturally disappeared.
The mess left by the late emperor for Jiang Ting is almost finished; only the final touches remain.
Those corrupt officials in the imperial court will soon be dealt with in one fell swoop.
Thinking that the future development would be as he had predicted, and that his years of planning would soon come to an end, Jiang Ting's eyes were very bright. The usually calm and composed man revealed a sense of high spirits.
After years of planning and scheming, the time has come to reap the rewards. He is finally about to end the twilight of his father's rule and usher in his own era.
My heart is surging with emotion, beyond words.
"Without Brother Yan, I would not have been able to travel the same distance in just one year as I have traveled in three years."
As Jiang Ting and Yan Jing'an had known each other for a longer time, they became less polite with each other.
Jiang Ting was truly grateful to Yan Jing'an.
Who says an emperor can't thank a subject?
Yan Jing'an was selfless and willing to be used by him, to be a tool in his hand, for which he was naturally grateful.
"Now that I have done what I needed to do, please grant me a favor, Your Majesty," Yan Jing'an said with a smile.
Upon hearing his words, Jiang Ting's smile faded, and he quietly looked at Yan Jing'an.
Yan Jing'an seemed oblivious to the change in his expression and deliberately bowed deeply to Jiang Ting: "Your Majesty, my health has been deteriorating lately, and I fear my time is near. I wish to spend the rest of my life with my wife. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to resign."
Yan Jing'an's illness was urgent.
This is a heavy topic, but one that cannot be avoided.
During that year, Yan Jing'an saw many doctors, and all of them gave roughly the same diagnosis—the disease he had in the womb was incurable, and his body was slowly deteriorating.
Perhaps it won't be long before he passes away.
Jiang Ting consulted countless renowned doctors for Yan Jing'an, but none of them could save him.
There are no immortals in this world; the things that ordinary people can do are nothing special.
Life and death are irreversible.
Seeing that Jiang Ting did not answer, Yan Jing'an calmly said, "My ambition has been realized. From now on, I only want to spend my time with her."
After a long silence, Jiang Ting looked at Yan Jing'an, whose face was much paler than a year ago, and slowly uttered a single word: "Okay."
Yuwen Zhuo quickly learned of Yan Jing'an's resignation.
Jiang Ting's grand ambitions are about to be realized, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for Yan Jing'an to be granted an official title and a marquisate.
But at this critical juncture, he chose to give up everything.
Yuwen Zhuo showed no sign of regret for him.
Because he knew what Yan Jing'an was thinking.
The vanity and extravagance of life cannot compare to the people who accompany you.
Yan Jing'an's health was too poor, and he did not plan to travel far anymore, wanting to spend his last days in the capital.
When Yuwen Zhuo entered, he was greeted by a smiling Jiang Tian.
She looked to be in great health and had a lot of energy.
"I just finished cooking and you came. You really know how to pick your time."
Jiang Tian's smile was so radiant.
Without a doubt, she is a beauty.
She is even more beautiful when she smiles, which is also visible to the naked eye.
Yuwen Zhuo had known the couple for a year, and he was already familiar with them and understood some of Jiang Tian's personality.
She didn't know how long her husband could hold on, and as his wife, she loved Yan Jing'an so deeply that it was extremely difficult for her to even smile.
But she smiled beautifully.
From her smile, Yuwen Zhuo sensed an indescribable desolation.
He knew that her smile was for Yan Jing'an.
He knew better than anyone how much pain she was in and how many tears she had shed.
Nodding, Yuwen Zhuo managed a smile: "Then I'm really lucky."
He went in and saw Yan Jing'an reading a book.
He has become much thinner than last year.
However, he remains a person of exceptional talent and noble character.
Just looking at his face made Yuwen Zhuo feel a pang of sadness.
But clearly his sadness did not affect Yan Jing'an.
"Why are you here to freeload again? Didn't your family agree to let you go home? Don't come to my house to freeload every day from now on."
How could Yuwen Zhuo's family possibly hold a grudge against him for a year?
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