The imperial court was divided into three platforms and six departments. The most mysterious of the three platforms, the Ziwei Platform, was located in the palace and was the most enigmatic.
In the Jade Void Palace, the purple bronze incense burner emitted wisps of smoke. As the Empress's black shoes rolled over the stone steps, Chu Xinglan, the official in charge of the Purple Palace, was copying the "Yellow Court Classic".
Her long hair was unbound, cascading down to her waist like a silver waterfall formed from moonlight, and her skin had a pale, jade-like hue.
Her brow bones were very high, making her gray eyes appear even deeper, and her lips were naturally slightly downturned, forming a sharp arc.
The wrist holding the brush hovers three inches above the Chengxintang Xuan paper, and pine soot ink falls from the tip of the brush, spreading into an ink butterfly on the character "灵" in "心神丹元字守灵".
The calligraphy was ruined. Putting down the purple jade brush, Chu Xinglan bowed and said, "Your Majesty."
Qin Minghuang's gaze fell on the ink stains that had stained the "Huang Ting" (a classic Chinese text), "Does the official understand his mind-reading ability?"
“When a Buddhist monk advances to the second rank, he will gain supernatural powers, one of which is telepathy.”
"Are there any other methods besides this?"
"When the cultivation of physiognomy and magic reaches its deepest point, they lead to the same destination, despite their different paths."
"What if they are not highly skilled in martial arts?"
Chu Xinglan pondered for a long time, "Has Your Majesty ever heard of the mountain spirit crying at the moon?"
The night rain tapping on the window is the whisper of heaven and earth, and the snow-laden branches are the murmur of the mountains.
There may be people in this world who are born with extraordinary talents, like the mountain clouds that understand the secrets of every raindrop.
"If not for exceptional talent?"
This time, Chu Xinglan remained silent for an even longer period of time. "Human hearts are like wind and snow passing by in a crack; one might suddenly realize something in a moment."
Talent, sudden enlightenment?
Qin Minghuang clenched her hands behind her back, lost in thought.
After the Empress left, Chu Xinglan lost all interest in copying the calligraphy.
Pine needle snow water was poured into a Ding kiln white porcelain cup. The Junshan silver needles floating on the surface stood upright like swords, but suddenly scattered. Her brows furrowed tightly.
At the Pei residence, Prime Minister Pei Xuanyun, dressed in casual clothes, sat upright in the main hall, his fingertips tracing the rim of his cup. He never expected that his residence would welcome this guest.
After leaving the office, I heard an interesting story: at the birthday banquet of the eldest granddaughter of the Duke of Zheng, his son went to the banquet but left his page and returned alone.
When questioned, the son hesitated for a long time before finally revealing the truth: he had been drugged, and the drugging was specifically targeted at him, the prime minister.
Unexpectedly, not long after, one of the parties involved showed up at the door.
Qin Zhaoyue was so embarrassed that she almost dug her toes out of a three-bedroom apartment.
Who knows? They drugged someone's son at noon, and then showed up face-to-face with him that evening.
“This… Lord Pei, these are pastries from the Imperial Kitchen, a gift from the Empress Dowager.”
"Thank you, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you to my residence?"
Qin Zhaoyue, who made that suggestion, naturally knew where the key point lay, and explained the strategy of making an example of someone in just a few words.
Pei Xuanyun rubbed his knuckles together, lost in thought and remained silent. This was not like His Majesty's usual style.
Qin Zhaoyue squinted, growing increasingly impatient.
She disliked dealing with this cunning old man who couldn't utter a single word, and who would rather just give a straight answer on whether it was a deal or not!
Just then, a gurgling sound rang out, sounding extremely abrupt in the silent hall.
Pei Xuanyun snapped out of his reverie, "If Your Highness doesn't mind, why not have some simple food and drinks at my residence?"
Qin Zhaoyue hesitated. In this day and age, it was considered impolite to visit someone's home without presenting a formal invitation, let alone having dinner with them.
However, since the old man hadn't given a direct answer, it couldn't be considered that the task was completed. Thinking of the Qingluan Guards who had come with her, she nodded in agreement.
Pei Xuanyun instructed the steward, and servants were to prepare the meal.
In the backyard bedroom, Pei Xueqiao was facing a bronze mirror, sometimes revealing her arms, sometimes lifting her inner shirt.
The pageboy beside him was dumbfounded, his lips pressed tightly together, not daring to utter a sound.
The young master suddenly disappeared halfway through the banquet, and returned to his residence on his own.
Upon returning, he refused to utter a word about the reason, only staring at himself repeatedly in the bronze mirror. This…
After staring at him for a while, Pei Xueqiao couldn't help but ask, "Ayan, I'm not exactly weak, am I?"
"What are you saying, young master? You can ride a horse and shoot arrows, how could you say such a thing?"
“Right!” Pei Xueqiao’s tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.
"Who is slandering you, young master? That person must be jealous of your talent. You need not take it to heart."
This… probably isn’t it. Pei Xueqiao glanced at her small belly in the bronze mirror, remembered what that person had said, and asked again:
"Have you ever seen anyone with eight-pack abs? Do you think I should learn some martial arts?"
Ayan looked at him strangely. “Young master, I’ve heard that martial arts training starts from childhood and requires honing one’s physical strength. Besides… you are a scholar.”
That makes sense, but Pei Xueqiao had never suffered such humiliation before, and it was hard for her to accept it.
Just then, a servant came to announce that the master had a guest and that the young master should dine by himself.
Who is it?
"Sixth Princess".
Pei Xueqiao stumbled and almost fell. How did she get here?!
Qin Zhaoyue stared blankly at the dishes on the table.
Steamed sea bass, seasonal side dishes in a four-cornered box, plus a pot of lotus root soup, that's it?
"To say it's just simple food is really true. Surely it's not that simple, for a prime minister like Lord Pei?"
Qin Zhaoyue's first reaction was that this old man was trying to gain fame, but there was no need for that in front of a powerless princess like her.
"Due to the severe flooding, the meals were simple."
"I've heard that Lord Pei is a master calligrapher. He can write a few pieces of calligraphy at will, and I'm sure scholars all over the world will flock to him."
"That's one way. We're raising funds, so we can use that to supplement our household income."
"So, Lord Pei is willing to help?"
"In times of crisis, I will do my part."
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