Extra 9 Grandma 2
His straightforward agreement actually startled Xiao Yuluan. She raised her eyes and carefully examined the young official standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was respectful and hadn't overstepped the bounds.
A faint sense of amusement surfaced in her heart once again. Xiao Yuluan didn't show it on her face, and simply said, "Since that's the case, please sit down."
The palace servants quickly and silently prepared the tableware and chairs. After Zhou Yun'an thanked the emperor, he sat down at a lower position slightly away from the imperial desk, his back straight and his posture impeccable.
The hall was silent for a moment, with only the slight sounds of palace servants serving dishes.
Xiao Yuluan suddenly spoke, "I've heard about the twists and turns of your imperial examination journey. You passed the imperial examination at the age of nineteen, but because your grandparents and parents died one after another, you were only able to take the Spring Examination at the age of twenty-eight. Your family must have been quite wealthy, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to support you studying for so many years. Why did your mother stay up all night spinning and weaving?"
Upon hearing this question, the attendant who had been calm and composed since entering the palace trembled noticeably. After a breath or two, he took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty."
Zhou Yun'an's voice deepened slightly, with a barely perceptible hint of difficulty. "I... am not the biological child of the two elders of the Zhou family who passed away one after another. They are actually my great uncle and aunt."
He paused briefly, as if calming himself, before continuing, "My biological father was a bastard of the Zhou family. Because... he was disliked by my grandfather, he left home early to start his own family. Our family didn't have much wealth, and it was only through my parents' hard work that they could barely support my studies."
"When I was young, I was lucky enough to pass the imperial examination and became famous. But at that time, my uncle and aunt were still childless..."
He paused for a moment, his frustration and the manipulation of fate evident. "The elders of the clan have decided to adopt me into the eldest branch of the family."
Xiao Yuluan's chopsticks paused slightly. Born into the royal family, she was accustomed to the internal strife and calculations of aristocratic families. At this moment, she instantly understood the trade-offs and heartache behind this adoption.
It's called "adoption," but how is this different from "picking fruit"? Why didn't they help him a little in his early years? Why did they want to adopt Zhou Yun'an when he was young and passed the imperial examination?
"How old were you when you were adopted?"
"I was the first in the imperial examination at the age of sixteen, was adopted at the age of seventeen, and won the title of first place in the provincial examination at the age of nineteen."
In other words, the eldest branch of the Zhou family only supported Zhou Yun'an to study for two years, but they produced a juren, and then dragged Zhou Yun'an down for nearly ten years.
She looked at Zhou Yunan, and a hint of pity appeared in her eyes. Isn't this young Master Zhou's luck really too bad?
"These people in your family are a burden to you..."
Understanding the emotions in Xiao Yuluan's eyes, Zhou Yun'an gave a wry laugh, then forced a smile and said, "Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Although my uncle's family wanted to rely on me to bring glory to the family, they passed away one after another as soon as I passed the imperial examination. In the end, the Zhou family also fell into my hands."
Zhou Yunan said this without any concealment. The last sentence revealed a lot of information. It was obvious that he was not a soft persimmon and he was just lying in wait before.
"It seems I underestimated Lord Xiao Zhou." The pity in Xiao Yuluan's eyes faded and turned into admiration. "It's remarkable that you can endure adversity and seize opportunities when they arise."
Just at this moment, the meal that had been prepared long ago was brought up and arranged one by one. Because Xiao Yuluan had been away for many years and knew the sufferings of the people, her dinner as an emperor only consisted of three dishes, one soup, and a dessert.
She picked up her chopsticks and gestured for Zhou Yun'an to eat. "Let bygones be bygones. Now that you stand before me, your future is bright. Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhou Yun'an picked up the chopsticks, ate quietly, and then did not say another word.
After dinner, he swiftly left with the manuscript.
Under the cover of night, Zhou Yun'an walked quickly along the corridors along the palace walls. The cold winter wind blew on his face, but it couldn't blow away the eagerness in his heart. He gathered the sleeves of his official robes to suppress his slightly trembling fingertips.
He would climb up this towering tree step by step...
Clinging to the Crown Prince? He had considered it. But the Eastern Palace was now overflowing with talent. Former officials of Prince Zhao's palace, the influence of the Yang and Xi families, nobles like Xue Chen who had staked their claim early on, and the top scorers in the first two examinations had already filled the positions around the Crown Prince.
As a top scholar who was "late" for nearly ten years, no matter how talented he was, squeezing in would only be icing on the cake. It would be extremely difficult for him to stand out.
But it is different here, Your Majesty.
Everyone thought the empress was old and would soon return to power. But what Zhou Yun'an saw was an emperor with a sharp mind and experienced tactics, who would still hold supreme power for the next three years!
More importantly, because she was about to abdicate, many forces that had originally surrounded the emperor and were vying for power had begun to quietly turn away, leaving a gap for a "latecomer" like him to fill!
A tarnished reputation? He didn't care. Being accused of being opportunistic and a sycophant? He cared even less.
The ten years he lost must be made up as quickly as possible.
What he wants is not the reputation of being a clean official, but real power and position, a stage where he can realize his ambitions and no longer be controlled by others.
What he needs to do is to become one of His Majesty's most useful and trusted ministers in the remaining few years.
When His Majesty abdicates, his name, Zhou Yun'an, must be deeply imprinted in the core of power of the new dynasty!
As long as he doesn't use the power of the empress to do anything that would harm his country and the crown prince, even if the crown prince succeeds to the throne, he will not be harmed at all. Then he can serve the new dynasty wholeheartedly, so what's the harm?
In the darkness of the night, he looked back at the Minghua Palace which was still brightly lit, with a hint of heat in his dark eyes.
Xue Chen rushed to the Shen Mansion in a hurry. Shen Yushan had caught a cold again in the past two days, so he did not enter the palace again.
Hearing his cough, Xue Chen slowed down his words and frowned, saying, "A civil official is a civil official. With your physique, I'm afraid you'll have to walk ahead of me."
Shen Yushan was sitting on a warm couch wrapped in a thick fur coat, reading a book by candlelight.
Hearing Xue Chen's rough words, he raised his eyes, a helpless smile appeared on his pale face, and his voice was slightly hoarse due to coughing: "Lord Xue... cough cough... have you come to curse me to die early?"
Xue Chen sat down opposite him with great confidence, picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of hot tea. Only then did he feel that the chill from the long journey had dissipated a little.
He glared at Shen Yushan: "I'm here to warn you! If you continue to stay at home sick like this, someone in the palace will take advantage of you!"
Shen Yushan's hand holding the book paused slightly, then he turned the page nonchalantly, saying in a calm tone, "Marquis Xue is referring to... Sheren Zhou?"
"Who else but that pretty boy!" Xue Chen got angry when he saw his nonchalant look. "Your Majesty has been asking him to play chess with you lately. That was your job in the past. How can you still have the mind to read a book here?"
Shen Yushan was silent for a moment, then gently put the scroll down. He looked up at Xue Chen with a deep gaze, "Marquis Xue, Your Majesty is the ruler, and we are the ministers. Who Your Majesty wants to use and who he wants to play chess with is not for you and me to say."
"Bullshit!" Xue Chen slammed the table. "Don't try that on me! Don't tell me you can't see that guy has ulterior motives! He's someone who's trying to curry favor with powerful people..."
"Xue Chen." Shen Yushan interrupted him, "Since you know he's the one trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful, what are you worried about?"
He paused, covered his lips and coughed twice before continuing, "Is Your Majesty someone who is so easily deceived?"
Xue Chen was choked by his question and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He knew Xiao Yuluan was not an ordinary woman, but... concern made him confused.
Shen Yushan looked at him like this, sighed softly, and said in a softer tone: "I understand your thoughts. But some things cannot be rushed or forced."
Xue Chen scratched his hands irritably and let out a deep breath. He knew that Shen Yushan was right, but he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.
He is already seventy years old, but he is still like a young boy when encountering these things.
He stood up suddenly. "Alright, alright, I knew I couldn't convince a slow-talking doctor like you! I'm leaving now, so... you better take care of yourself! Don't die before me!"
After saying that, without waiting for Shen Yushan's response, he rushed out again in a hurry.
Just as he reached the door, Shen Yushan called him again. Xue Chen turned around and looked at the thin old man sitting on the bed. He looked so weak just because of a cold.
"Xue Chen, don't you think... this is actually a good thing?"
Shen Yushan just stared at Xue Chen and couldn't help but speak out what was in his heart, "I know my body. I've been busy with government affairs these years, and it has damaged my foundation to some extent. Although I'm more than ten years younger than you and Your Majesty, I'm afraid my lifespan won't be as long as yours. And you must have contracted a lot of illnesses on the battlefield when you were young, right? Maybe one day..."
The old man on the bed paused for a moment. "Emperor Yang died at the age of seventy-three, and his mother, Madam Zhang Laoguo, lived to be eighty-three. Your Majesty is in good health now, and your life span will surely be much longer. When both of us pass away, who will be by your side?"
Xue Chen's burly figure froze at the door. Shen Yushan's words, like a fine needle, unexpectedly pierced the deepest part of his heart, instantly cooling his irritability and jealousy, transforming them into a cold, bitter clarity.
He slowly turned around and looked at the Shangshu Ling who was lying on the warm couch. His face was not good but his eyes were clear. Yes, they were not young anymore.
The hidden wounds he had sustained on the battlefield ached dully on rainy days, growing more painful each day. Shen Yushan, a scholar, seemed to be getting weaker year by year.
They accompanied her through her youth, missed a period of middle age, and were together again in old age. They grew up together from youth to old age, but in the end... they were no match for the years.
And Your Majesty, although she is also approaching seventy, she is vigorous and healthy, and she also has the Zhang family's longevity legacy. If they were to pass away one after another, leaving her alone...
Shen Yushan looked at his changing expression and knew that he had figured it out. His voice became deeper and deeper:
"Zhou Yun'an may have ulterior motives, but if he can truly earn His Majesty's favor, and after we leave, he can chat with His Majesty, play chess, and relieve his boredom... that wouldn't be a bad thing. At the very least, His Majesty won't be so lonely around him."
Xue Chen was silent.
He remembered that he was a military general, and apart from fighting and caring directly, he was not good at those elegant and interesting things.
Shen Yushan could indeed accompany His Majesty in discussing poetry, songs, and court affairs, but his body...
And Zhou Yunan is still young, talented, and good-looking. He can indeed provide some fresh companionship that they cannot give.
A mixture of helplessness, relief, and deeper worry spread throughout his heart.
He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumped, and his voice became a little hoarse: "Damn it... I'm really... old."
This time, he didn't roar or leave in anger. He just looked at Shen Yushan deeply, his eyes were complicated and difficult to describe, and finally turned into a sentence:
"You... take good care of yourself. I... know what's going on."
After saying that, he turned around, his steps no longer as hurried as when he came, but with a hint of heavy fatigue, he slowly blended into the night outside the door.
Shen Yushan looked at his departing back, coughed lightly a few times, and his eyes showed a bit of melancholy and a sense of relief.
As he gets older, more melancholy comes to his heart. In the past two years, the old faces in the court have passed away one by one, and there are more and more new faces. Shen Yushan has to admit that he is getting old.
He coughed heavily a few more times, and the things that were once uncertain suddenly became certain.
Zhen'er must be his child, otherwise why would she be in such poor health and pass away so early? It must be his bloodline that harmed her... If she was like her mother, she would be healthy by now...
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