Chapter 051 The Ambitious Regent 13
When Consultant Shan said this, he must have felt very happy.
Before, in the isolated bamboo house in the mountains, as time went by, Jian Ziyan seemed to gradually let down his guard towards him and began to try to accept his kindness and feelings.
Even though he didn't feel in his heart that Jian Ziyan was willing to respond to his feelings, Jian Ziyan's gradually softening attitude also encouraged him. He also wishfully believed that as long as he was given more time, he would be able to warm Jian Ziyan's heart again and wait for the day when he would respond to him.
But since returning to the palace and learning so many secrets, he felt more and more anxious that Jian Ziyan had always been so far away from him and would never be able to respond to his feelings.
Especially at this moment, his mind was clearer than ever before.
"In the heart of the regent, there is room for the people of the world, the country, and Qing Jie six years ago, but there is no room for himself, let alone a consultant Shan." Consultant Shan held Pei Mingjue's shoulder and said bitterly in his stunned state, "Has the emperor not figured it out yet? The reason why the regent is trying to please you and protect me is the same as the reason why he bowed his head to the late emperor to protect you. Every time he compromises, it is not for himself."
Pei Mingjue gave a bitter smile that was uglier than crying.
If Consultant Shan could figure it out, why wouldn't he understand it too?
But after experiencing so many shocks, he was extremely eager to find a reason, a way that would allow him to do something for Jian Ziyan.
But now Consultant Shan ruthlessly crushed his last glimmer of hope.
Jian Ziyan struggled throughout his life in this magnificent and huge cage. Even though he knew he was going to die soon, he wanted to leave a spark of life for the country. He didn't want to lose a powerful general of Dajing because of his own reasons.
"teacher……"
Pei Mingjue's voice was soft and hoarse. He placed the back of his cold, gray hand against his cheek and looked at Jian Ziyan with eyes full of tenderness.
"You are the most gentle person, but this gentleness is for everyone in the world. Just like no one can own the moon, no one can own you."
Consultant Shan felt that he was even a little abnormally calm, and a look of worry appeared on his face. He hesitantly called out, "Your Majesty..."
"Hush." Pei Mingjue said softly, "Since the teacher doesn't want to go with you, you should go out first and don't disturb the teacher's rest."
Consultant Shan felt more and more uneasy. He wanted to say something, but when he saw Pei Mingjue standing still and looking at Jian Ziyan with tenderness on his face, he knew that he would not be able to listen to anything he said.
After Consultant Shan left, Pei Mingjue took the medicine brewed by Jiuye Lian beside him and drank it down in one gulp without hesitation.
Then he propped up Jian Ziyan's neck with his forearms, gently held his lips, and carefully passed the medicine in his mouth to him. At the same time, he used two fingers to gently press Jian Ziyan's throat to help him swallow and prevent him from choking.
After repeating this several times, Jian Ziyan drank all the medicine, and his face briefly regained some color, and his expression became a little calmer.
Pei Mingjue wiped the corners of his mouth carefully, then knelt beside the bed and leaned his head on the place closest to Jian Ziyan, like a baby bird that was kicked out of the nest before it had fully grown its wings, leaning against the nest aggrievedly and greedily begging for the big bird's mercy.
"Teacher, Qing Jie knows you don't want to see me, but while you're asleep, let me be a little unrestrained, okay? I'll leave here before you wake up, and I'll never let you see my face again."
He closed his eyes, but the scene in his dream where Jian Ziyan leaned down to shade him from the sun emerged involuntarily in his mind.
His eyes suddenly became hot.
Maybe the teacher didn’t know that the first time he saw the teacher was not that time, but in the Golden Palace where he was conferred the title of top scholar.
At that time, he was full of gloom. Although he was the crown prince, he was like a rat that had just crawled out of a ditch. He looked at the elegant and refined top scholar in the palace, and it seemed as if his eyes were filled with the shadow of the red robe.
But to Pei Mingjue at that time, Jian Ziyan was a very distant existence, and he didn't even dare to imagine that he would have any connection with him.
So when Jian Ziyan, dressed in white, personally bent over to shade him from the sun and said that he would be his tutor from now on, he was so overwhelmed with surprise that he could not utter a word and could only make clumsy expressions.
When Pei Mingjue thought of this, a smile appeared on his lips.
In front of the teacher, he always seemed clumsy and childish. He could not do anything well and had to ask the teacher for help with everything. The teacher did indeed always tolerate him and teach him.
If not... I believe they would have maintained this way of getting along until he ascended the throne and became prime minister. They would always abide by the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects and would never have any suspicion or doubt. He might have buried this thought deep in his heart forever until they both grew old. Even before his death, the teacher's memory of him would not contain the slightest bit of gloom.
Thinking of this other possibility, Pei Mingjue was deeply immersed in his own imagination, looking a little dazed.
Until Jian Ziyan's hand moved slightly, he opened his eyes, looked at Jian Ziyan with reluctance, turned around and left.
…
Jian Ziyan thought he would see Pei Mingjue's face again when he woke up, but he only saw the familiar curtain.
Although he was a little surprised, he no longer had the energy to care or be angry. He was quite calm and just couldn't help coughing a few times.
The tightly closed curtain was pulled open in an instant. Jian Ziyan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Consultant Shan's face full of surprise and joy.
"It's you?" He was quite surprised.
"You're awake." Consultant Shan realized that his voice was trembling slightly, and quickly cleared his throat. He walked in quietly and looked at Jian Ziyan steadily, "You can't move now. What do you want to do? I'll help you."
Jian Ziyan smiled faintly.
Due to the torture of illness, his face was thin and pale, and he had long lost his dazzling appearance, but his foundation was so good that even now, he still had a unique beauty of simplicity.
This smile was like a flash of a flower, pure and fragile, making Consultant Shan reluctant to look away.
"Help me sit up." Jian Ziyan said.
Consultant Shan followed his instructions and helped Jian Ziyan up very carefully, as if he was holding the most precious porcelain.
Consultant Shan sat by the bed, not knowing where to start. Instead, Jian Ziyan took the initiative to ask, "Did the emperor go to court?"
Consultant Shan carefully glanced at his expression and saw that he was calm and showed no signs of being angry, so he answered cautiously.
"The court has already been dismissed, and I am discussing matters with several ministers in the imperial study."
Seeing that he was so restless, Jian Ziyan stopped talking about this topic and asked, "Did you suffer any punishment when you came back this time?"
"No." Advisor Shan shook his head firmly, "The emperor didn't have time to deal with me, and later he found out... and released me."
As he spoke, he quietly pulled down his sleeve that might reveal the wound.
Jian Ziyan saw his actions but said nothing. He raised his thin wrist to take the teacup on the bedside.
Consultant Shan quickly poured him lukewarm water. All the food, clothing and daily necessities in Yanfu Palace were of the best quality, including the water, which was replaced at all times to ensure that Jian Ziyan could drink water of the right temperature whenever he wanted.
Jian Ziyan took a sip, but it did not relieve his thirst at all. Instead, the smell of blood became stronger and stronger. He knew that his time was up.
But he did not show any strange expression, and was calm as if nothing had happened. He put the teacup back and looked into Consultant Shan's eyes.
"The general also knows about those things, right?"
Consultant Shan was like a child whose secret had been exposed. He looked at Jian Ziyan helplessly for a long while before hesitatingly saying, "The Emperor did not tell me everything. It was just that later on, there were some things that I sent my men to investigate..."
"Why are you panicking? I don't blame you." Jian Ziyan said, "In fact, the so-called truth is not much different from people's speculation. Everyone in the world knows what happened. Are you the only one missing?"
Although Jian Ziyan's tone was calm, Consultant Shan still heard a hint of helpless repression and self-mockery in it.
"You are right." He said firmly, "Now everyone knows that the Regent Jian Ziyan is devoted to the country and the people, and is loyal to Dajing. It's just that the current emperor was deceived by a villain and punished the loyal minister by mistake. The emperor has already issued an edict of repentance, admitted his mistakes to the world, and cleared the name of the Regent."
Jian Ziyan was stunned.
"I'm not trying to speak well of the emperor. I just don't want you to feel resentful, although this is inevitable anyway." Advisor Shan said bitterly, "But I want you to know that your reputation is intact and you are still a good official in the hearts of the people."
Jian Ziyan's eyes flickered, showing neither joy nor anger, just fatigue.
"A reputation of innocence is not something that can be earned with words. If you are not innocent to begin with, what is the point of having such a reputation?"
"No!" Consultant Shan said anxiously, "You were forced into it. You never used the methods that people speculate. How can you not be innocent? How can you not deserve to be cleared of your name? Now we are just letting the world know the truth. Don't... overthink it."
At this moment, Consultant Shan hated himself very much for being obsessed with martial arts since childhood, but he had not learned much knowledge about it, so now he didn't know how to comfort this person.
Jian Ziyan said nothing. Perhaps he was extremely exhausted. He had nothing to say about his reputation, the royal family, or even to the people in the world who had misunderstood him so deeply. He just sat quietly on the head of the bed, his face as calm as an ancient well.
Consultant Shan stared at him blankly, with desire and regret surging in his heart. Suddenly, his head heated up and he couldn't help but blurt out the words that he had been expecting thousands of times.
"How about I take you away? We don't want the emperor's things. Let's hide in a place where he can't find us. Stay away from the palace from now on. I won't let you be hurt by the people and things here again."
He felt a little regretful after saying this, but he looked into Jian Ziyan's eyes with great determination, expressing his determination.
Jian Ziyan's eyes finally showed some movement, and his clear and bright eyes fell on Gu Shishan, as if he could see through all the thoughts in his mind at a glance.
Consultant Shan was more nervous than ever.
What if Jian Ziyan agreed? He must also want to leave the palace very much. What if there is a slight possibility that he is willing to go with him...
"I can't walk anymore."
Consultant Shan's heart sank, and all his tension and anticipation fell away heavily.
Jian Ziyan's voice was extremely hoarse, but it seemed to contain an invisible force: "If I wanted to leave, I had countless opportunities to leave during the three years when the emperor left the palace, but I chose to stay."
"Why?" Advisor Shan asked anxiously, "Now no one can restrict you, and the emperor has gradually grown into a wise ruler. There should be no one or anything in the palace that you care about, right?"
Jian Ziyan sighed, and when Pei Mingjue was not around, he finally revealed a complicated look.
"Qing Jie..." He murmured the name, but did not continue. Instead, he said, "Guo Shishan, you are a general of Dajing. I saved you not just because I felt sorry for you. You have had the talent to lead troops in battle since you were a child. This has been confirmed many times in the subsequent wars. You are a rare general. Dajing needs you. As a person like you, it is inappropriate to have private thoughts."
Consultant Shan's expression twisted for a moment. He couldn't tell whether it was heartache, sadness, or anger that was rippling in his heart at this moment: "In your heart, is there really only Dajing and the people? As a living person, how can you not have a thought for yourself?"
Jian Ziyan looked at him and said, "I have. If I had no selfishness at all, I wouldn't have studied so hard for ten years. If I had no selfish desires at all, I wouldn't have endured those insults and lived in this world."
Consultant Shan asked, "What is your selfish motive?"
"My selfish desire..." Jian Ziyan was in a daze for a moment, then his eyes regained clarity. "My selfish desire was to have my reputation as a wise minister recorded in history books."
At this moment, the exhaustion brought by the illness seemed to disappear from him. A bright flame ignited in his eyes, burning his weak and pale appearance. A power bursting out from his soul emerged.
"Having ascended the throne, I have been granted a salary to support the virtuous, to live a simple life with simple quilts and simple food. I have done all this, and I should be worthy of heaven and earth. Even though death is inevitable, I have a clear conscience."
Consultant Shan stood there in a daze, shocked by this unique selfishness.
"Why... why?" He asked in astonishment, "Everyone wants to be a wise minister, but no one... can do what you have done."
"Why? Because I'm Jian Ziyan." Jian Ziyan's face revealed a bit of arrogance, "I've been living under someone else's roof since I was a child, and no one cared about me. At that time, I swore that one day I would make the whole world remember my name. Although it was just a childish idea, it was the reason that kept me alive."
Advisor Shan pursed his lips as he recalled the life of the Regent he was investigating.
Jian Ziyan's parents had both passed away and his family was penniless. His relatives sold him to a wealthy family to be a schoolboy when he was very young. That family was a well-known local bully. They relied on their wealth to be the local tyrants, so naturally they would not treat a bought child very well.
After spending his childhood in beatings and scolding, the talented Jian Ziyan gradually learned to read and write by eavesdropping on his master's lessons and practicing with sand and stones. He then managed to steal his indentureship and escape.
The subsequent investigation is not very clear because of the long time ago. We only know that he wandered alone until he was adopted by a private school teacher several years later. From then on, the world had one more brilliant and talented top scholar.
"I no longer live on this reason." Jian Ziyan said, "And my selfishness is just like a dream that I have woken up from. I no longer have any obsessions."
"But what if I am obsessed?" Consultant Shan couldn't control his surging emotions, his voice trembling, "I have been looking for you for so many years, and now you want me to watch my savior die?"
Jian Ziyan was silent for a moment, his expression softening.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I think it might be harder for you to get over it if I died alone with just the two of us.”
Consultant Shan finally couldn't help it. Even though he was seriously wounded and dying in a battle at the border, and even though he was tortured several times and almost lost half his life, he still shed tears, even though he had never cried in his life.
Even at this time, Jian Ziyan was still so gentle and considerate of others.
[Advisor Mountain Forgiveness Value is Full]
"Is there anything else you want to do?" Consultant Shan asked hoarsely, "I'll get everything for you."
Jian Ziyan groaned: "Then, find me some writing brushes and ink."
…
After Consultant Shan brought the best pen and ink, Jian Ziyan, who was originally on the verge of death, miraculously stood up.
He didn't even need the support of Consultant Shan. He walked slowly to the desk, step by step, and his eyes glowed brightly as he looked at the pen and ink.
He was silent for a long time, then suddenly picked up a pen and dipped it in ink. As he wrote, handsome and majestic handwriting appeared on the paper, which was somewhat arrogance that was inconsistent with his personality.
The advisor to the first-rank general Shan personally served the writing brush and ink. Pei Mingjue, who had returned quietly, hid himself outside the hall and showed his obsession, which attracted the attention of the palace servants around him.
Everyone was deeply intoxicated by the grace of Jian Ziyan's calligraphy. Even those who had never seen the top scholar of that year could easily imagine his unrestrained, calm and extraordinary temperament.
How could they have ever thought that such a man would do such a despicable thing to curry favor?
【419: “There are still two days left in the countdown.”】
After getting his pen and ink again, Jian Ziyan no longer looked like a man who was poisoned and dying. He seemed to have endless energy. He would pick up the pen as soon as he opened his eyes every day. If it weren't for Consultant Shan's interruption, he would have kept writing until the tip of his pen became rough.
Pei Mingjue seemed to have completely disappeared in front of Jian Ziyan, and Jian Ziyan did not ask about him again. During the break, he picked up the teacup and took a sip, and suddenly his expression froze.
Just then, Consultant Shan's voice came: "There is someone outside the door who wants to see you."
Jian Ziyan silently drank the blood-stained tea in one gulp and asked, "Who is it?"
"Shangguan Lin." Consultant Shan said, "Do you want to see him? If not, let him leave."
Jian Ziyan was stunned for a moment and said, "Let him in."
…
When Shangguan Lin saw Jian Ziyan again, it seemed like a lifetime ago. He only walked halfway, but when he saw Jian Ziyan's pale, haggard, and thin appearance, he froze in place, and his eyes gradually became red.
"I'm not dead yet, so there's no need to rush to mourn." Jian Ziyan said, "Are you meeting me just to cry?"
"No, it's not." Shangguan Lin wiped his eyes in panic. He didn't know why, although the Regent was only a few years older than him, he always felt as immature as a child in front of him. He couldn't help but be extremely restrained in every move.
"My Lord Regent, I came here this time to thank you."
"Thank you?" Jian Ziyan repeated the word, no longer feeling surprised, "It seems you also know something."
Shangguan Lin came to Jian Ziyan and stood awkwardly. It can be seen that he was very shy, but he still bravely raised his eyes and looked at Jian Ziyan.
"Eunuch Chen Huihai told the emperor some things before he passed away. I was fortunate enough to be present at the time and only then did I know that the person who had helped me was the Regent. I really shouldn't have been able to thank you all this time."
As he spoke, he clasped his fists together and bent his tender waist, as green as a bamboo, with piety and respect.
"To repay your kindness, sir, I will not hesitate to die."
Jian Ziyan's gaze fell on the top of his black hair, and his eyes were dazed for a moment.
"Since you have this intention, please promise me one thing."
Shangguan Lin immediately straightened up and listened carefully to Jian Ziyan's instructions.
Jian Ziyan looked at the young man's handsome and upright face, his clear and honest eyes, and said, "What I asked you to do is to take over his position as the Right Prime Minister. Don't give it to others."
Shangguan Lin was startled and his eyes widened in shock.
"This is the reward I need." Jian Ziyan asked calmly, "Can you do it?"
Shangguan Lin felt a great honor and shock enveloping him. He shouldered the heavy expectations and responsibilities and lowered his head solemnly.
"My Lord Regent, I will do my best."
Jian Ziyan nodded calmly, as if he had anticipated this result.
Watching the Regent start to grind ink again, his pale and slender fingers pressing on the inky inkstone, revealing an unusual beauty, Shangguan Lin did not dare to look at him anymore and quickly shifted his gaze to the Regent's face.
Jian Ziyan lowered his eyelashes, his body was thin and slender, but he had a unique and extraordinary look, as if he was so cold that he didn't seem to be from the mortal world.
people.
Shangguan Lin was somewhat dazed. He subconsciously asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time: "May I ask the Regent King... I was just a most insignificant official back then. Why did you notice me and help me to this point?"
Jian Ziyan stopped grinding the ink. He did not look up at Shangguan Lin, but said, "At the beginning, I didn't want to help you. I just wanted to help my former self."
That look of being so weak and powerless, yet trying hard to grab something, isn't that how he used to be?
Shangguan Lin realized something, and a look of heartache gradually appeared in his eyes.
[Shangguan Lin's forgiveness value is full]
He was immersed in his own imagination and did not notice Jian Ziyan's face suddenly turned pale.
Jian Ziyan covered his stomach with one hand using his robe as cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
He maintained a steady tone: "You can go now."
Shangguan Lin felt guilty for his absent-mindedness and was embarrassed to disturb Jian Ziyan's recuperation. He was about to say goodbye when he saw Jian Ziyan's body go limp and he fell downwards.
"Lord Regent!"
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