Chapter 89
They said they were going to call Xu Xuan, but in the end he didn't come to the Eastern Palace. Instead, they met together in the Cabinet.
Wei Luo personally appointed Xu Xuan as the Crown Prince's study companion, thus effectively making him an official under the Crown Prince. Therefore, he not only had to handle criminal cases within his own department but also assist Wei Luo in supervising the capital's investigations.
With limited energy, and faced with such a busy schedule, there was no time left to bother Shen Yao.
Shen Yao hadn't seen him for several days.
Although Xu Xuan was never seen in person, not a single letter was missing.
He seemed to have truly gone mad, writing to her every day, urging her to uphold feminine virtues and maintain her purity, and even sending her several large books, such as "Rules for Women," "Admonitions for Women," and "Biographies of Exemplary Women."
Shen Yao chuckled and simply put it away.
Of course, Wei Luo also wrote a letter, telling her that Xu Xuan wouldn't be able to return for a while, and that she shouldn't worry and should take good care of herself.
Shen Yao burned the document immediately after reading it.
Several days passed peacefully.
One morning, the Crown Prince's Palace suddenly sent someone over and handed her a letter, saying, "His Highness requests that you come in person."
Shen Yao was surprised. She opened the letter and saw that Xu Xuan said he was short of clothes and asked her to send some.
The letter did not specify that she should go there in person, so Shen Yao asked the eunuch, "Is there a mistake?"
The eunuch replied with a smile, "That's right, actually His Highness misses the young lady."
Shen Yao blushed and hesitated, "But I'm a little scared to go there so openly."
The eunuch retorted, "What's there to be afraid of, young lady, when you're openly delivering clothes?"
*
Upon arriving at the East Palace, Shen Yao, carrying a bundle, waited for Wei Luo in the warm pavilion.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't Wei Luo who arrived first, but Xu Xuan.
Shen Yao jumped up in surprise and asked anxiously, "What are you doing here?"
Xu Xuan was clearly taken aback, and said coldly, "If I don't come, who will? Do you expect Your Highness to come?"
Shen Yao's face turned pale. Seeing him approach, she immediately handed over the bundle and stepped aside.
Xu Xuan immediately flew into a rage, pointing and cursing, "Chen Yao, you really are... why are you hiding?"
Shen Yao didn't say anything or move an inch.
Xu Xuan's expression became complicated.
There was a small stool nearby. He placed the package directly on it, gave her a cold glance, and began to take off his clothes.
"I'll change my clothes. You can take them back and have them washed."
Shen Yao replied from afar, "I know."
"Also, have you read all the books I gave you?"
"...I saw a little bit." Shen Yao lied without changing her expression.
How much is one point?
Shen Yao swallowed hard, her mind racing. "A little bit is a little bit."
Xu Xuan sneered and questioned, "You probably didn't read it at all, did you?"
Shen Yao slightly raised her chin. "Whether I look or not is none of your business."
He pondered for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "It's my fault. I failed to discipline you properly, which led you to commit such a grave mistake. I am unworthy to be a judge."
Shen Yao asked in surprise, "What do you want to say?"
After changing his clothes, he sat down on a stool and straightened his clothes. Shen Yao waited quietly by his side.
He said, "Come here."
Shen Yao didn't go over; instead, she remained motionless like a stone statue.
Xu Xuan chuckled, looked into Shen Yao's eyes, and said, "That's it. The husband is supposed to be the head of the household, but you never listen to me. This is the wife's rudeness, and even more so, the husband's failure."
Shen Yao: "..."
He continued, “When you married me, you were overjoyed. But I neglected you and treated you coldly because of my own selfish desires. That’s why you hate me, resent me, and then fall in love with someone else. I have nothing to say and no way to defend myself because I can’t escape responsibility for all of this. So, I will treat you well from now on. If you want to pursue love, you don’t need to look elsewhere. I can give it to you.”
Shen Yao couldn't hold back any longer, "No, I refuse. What I did in the past was not my true feeling. Things are different now, and there's no going back."
"Chen Yao, I've already backed down, don't push your luck—"
"Master Xu," a eunuch's voice came from outside the door, "Are you ready? Someone from the Ministry of Justice is looking for you."
Xu Xuan replied to the outside, "Okay, I'll be right there."
*
They went their separate ways.
Shen Yao tidied up the dirty clothes and packed them into a bundle. Wei Luo entered the room and asked with a smile, "How is it?"
Shen Yao chuckled softly, "What did Your Highness say?"
"I said... never mind, are you hungry?"
I'm not hungry.
She brushed a strand of hair from her forehead before asking Wei Luo, "Where was Your Highness just now?"
"In the cabinet." Wei Luo coughed a few times. "What, you don't believe me?"
Shen Yao turned her head away. "Your Highness is a very busy person, how could I not believe you? It's getting late, if there's nothing else, I'll go home first."
He grabbed his clothes without blinking and headed for the door.
Wei Luo was startled. He took a big step, grabbed one of her wrists, and pulled her into his arms with a strong pull. He comforted her gently, "I really didn't lie to you. I really came from the Cabinet."
Shen Yao gave a cold snort, struggled to break free but failed, so she gave up and stood there trying to calm herself down.
Wei Luo continued, "The eunuch said you were coming. When I was about to go back, people from the Ministry and the Academy came to discuss government affairs, which delayed me. So I didn't leave, which is why I asked Xu Xuan to come over. I was afraid you would be waiting too long."
Hearing his words, Shen Yao's expression remained unchanged. Instead, she raised her eyes and asked, "You said someone came. Who came, and what did they discuss?"
Wei Luo's expression changed slightly. "These are all matters of state, and it's not appropriate for me to discuss them with you."
Shen Yao immediately became furious, and then waves of sorrow welled up inside her. "In the end, Your Highness has never believed me. You still see me as a member of the Shen family, always on guard against me and testing me... Actually, that's true, rulers have always been like this, I was too naive."
"Chen Yao, what are you saying? When have I ever been wary of you? A few days ago, you left without even leaving a message. When I came back, I saw the empty palace. Do you know how heartbroken I was? Was it that I was wary of you, or that you never trusted me at all?"
Shen Yao was speechless and choked with sobs. After a pause, she finally couldn't help but shed tears. "You don't know how wronged I've been these past few days. Xu Xuan is always lecturing me, spouting off about etiquette and morality, which makes me feel ashamed and speechless. The thought of having to continue to be with him makes me want to slit my throat."
Wei Luo's breath hitched. Seeing tears streaming down her face, he immediately softened and comforted her gently, "It's all my fault. Don't be angry. Getting angry will only make you feel worse."
"Anyway, nobody cares."
She murmured.
"Of course I am! Don't I feel bad about it?"
He kissed her forehead, a warm and tender touch that vanished in an instant, leaving Shen Yao's heart feeling ticklish and sour, as if being teased by a feather.
She tilted her head back and kissed him deeply.
Wei Luo said, "If you are willing, I will take advantage of this inspection in the capital to transfer Xu Xuan to a local post."
Shen Yao asked, "Is that alright?"
"Yes, as long as your father agrees and the Imperial Concubine agrees, I can certainly do it."
Shen Yao frowned. "But if we're moved to another place, does that mean I have to go with them?"
"You can just not go."
"But if Xu Xuan insists, I have no reason to refuse. Even if I refuse, my father probably... isn't there any other way?"
“Yes,” Wei Luo said with a smile. “At night, we can find someone to take a stick and cripple the person once and for all.”
Shen Yao: "...Uh, this is too cruel. He doesn't deserve this."
Wei Luo gently rubbed her cheek. "Then tell me, what should we do, Your Highness?"
"Who is His Highness?"
She pushed the man hard, her face flushing red.
Wei Luo laughed and said, "After this month, I will be out of mourning."
"...Ah, so fast."
Wei Luo shook his head, "How is it fast? I feel like every day is an eternity."
"I don't think so."
He chuckled, pinched her cheek and twisted it. Shen Yao winced in pain, slapped his hand away, and muttered, "I have a question I want to ask, is that alright?"
Wei Luo was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Alright, Your Highness, please ask."
"His Highness will be out of mourning at the end of the month, will he be selecting a consort then?"
"Yes, probably after the capital inspection is over."
Shen Yao asked, "When will the capital inspection end?"
"It will be finished by the end of the month, but there will still be some leftovers, though those are almost over."
Shen Yao didn't quite understand what "picking up lost items" meant, but when she heard him say that, she suddenly felt very sad. She hadn't felt it before, but now she suddenly realized that the Milky Way between the two of them had suddenly become bright.
It turns out that from the very beginning, they were separated by the two sides of the strait.
Seeing her pale face, Wei Luo teased, "Choosing a concubine is my business, I haven't even worried about it, what are you worried about?"
Shen Yao snorted, "You're getting married, what are you worried about on your wedding night? I think I should congratulate Your Highness in advance. Remember to send me some wedding candy so I can share in the joy."
Wei Luo couldn't help but slap his forehead and exclaimed, "My God, Shen Yao, listen to your own jealousy! It's not even a question yet, and you're making me sound like a heartless man."
"Men are all heartless."
She stared at him, her desire to beat him up growing stronger.
She said, "Your Highness, I have another request. May I ask?"
Seeing the look in her eyes, Wei Luo suddenly sensed something was wrong and refused, saying, "No."
"But I haven't said it yet!"
Wei Luo raised an eyebrow and said, "You asked me that yourself just now."
Shen Yao choked, about to retort, when Liu Heng entered the room. Their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away. Shen Yao lowered her head slightly, and Liu Heng said, "Your Highness, the officials and the court staff are all here. It's time to go over."
Wei Luo responded and told him to leave.
He then said to Shen Yao, "You go back first. I'll keep Xu Xuan in check to prevent him from going back and causing trouble. If you have any ideas, feel free to write to me, and I'll do my best."
Shen Yao nodded and gave a gentle smile. "I understand. Since Your Highness is going out, I will also be leaving now."
Shen Yao clasped her hands in farewell to him and followed the eunuch out.
Wei Luo went directly to the Ministry of Personnel to discuss matters.
*
The system of the capital inspection required officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital to submit their own memorials, and their retention or dismissal was decided by the emperor.
For officials of the fifth rank and below in the capital, the Ministry of Personnel, together with the Censorate and the officials in charge of seals of the various departments, would jointly examine them. The Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate would then evaluate the officials based on the evaluation given by the officials in charge of the government office where the official was located and the inquiry forms filled out by the officials of the Censorate after consulting with them.
"黜陟" refers to the removal and promotion of officials.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Personnel, Wei Luo waved his hand, exempting the officials from formalities.
He said, “You gentlemen are in charge of the capital inspection. Although I am entrusted with the imperial order, I am only assisting in the administration. All matters still require the hard work of you gentlemen.”
The Crown Prince spoke politely, and Yang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, immediately stood up and said, "Your Highness, I would never dare not do my best to share your burdens."
Wei Luo smiled and gestured for Vice Minister Yang to sit down before asking, "Have you finished reading the officials' evaluations and interview reports?"
"Yes, the results are in."
When the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate presented the investigation report, Wei Luo opened it and saw that it was filled with names. He flipped through it, frowned, and looked up to ask, "How many people are there in total?"
The Imperial Censor replied, "Two hundred and twenty-three people."
Wei Luo froze, exclaiming in disbelief, "How can there be so many?"
The censor said, "The number of officials under investigation in the capital is about a thousand. They were all evaluated based on their performance. Compared with the number of people dismissed in previous years, it is not a large number."
Wei Luo gave him a deep look but didn't say anything.
As the censor said, the number of more than two hundred people who failed the capital examination was not large. However, Wei Luo carefully examined the list and found that the majority of those who failed were officials who had made censorship decisions, namely those from the Six Ministries and the Censorate. These people all had one thing in common: they were close to the Grand Secretary.
For example, the censor of the Ministry of Justice who impeached Deng Yan last time was prominently listed among them.
Admittedly, the Beijing Inspection has been distorted and has become a tool for factional struggles.
From Wei Luo's political standpoint, the actions of Yang and Yu, the two leaders of the Beijing Inspection Commission, were only beneficial to him, and not harmful.
He could have easily stayed out of it, using the national legal code as a private weapon to indirectly attack the prime minister's party and reap the benefits.
But is that really true?
As the crown prince, how can he openly disregard the law? What about all the Confucian classics he has studied for the past twenty years?
What was the purpose of the emperor sending him to oversee the capital inspection?
For a moment, Wei Luo was plunged into deep confusion...
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