The following morning, under Xiao Che's "appointment," Lin Wanwan stepped into the Imperial Study, the central hub symbolizing the highest power in the entire Liang Dynasty, for the first time as a "student."
Unlike the cozy atmosphere of Kunning Palace, everything in the Imperial Study exuded a solemn and dignified air. Towering sandalwood bookshelves were neatly stacked with a vast collection of memorials and classic texts. The air was filled with a faint blend of the scent of ink and ambergris, quiet and majestic, making one unconsciously hold their breath.
This is the "heart" of the empire, the birthplace of countless decrees that determined the fate of the world.
Lin Wanwan felt a sense of awe, almost like a pilgrim, mixed with a touch of curiosity. What would her "imperial tutor" teach in her first lesson? Would it be the Analects, the Book of Documents, or the abstruse Zizhi Tongjian?
However, Xiao Che's actions were completely unexpected.
Instead of leading her to the enormous imperial desk piled high with memorials, he took her to a side room in the imperial study. The room was furnished rather elegantly, with a large rosewood table, two embroidered stools, and writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and several delicate pastries already prepared on the table.
What surprised her even more was that what Xiao Che took down from the bookshelf was not any classics, histories, philosophical works, or collections of literature, but an ancient book with a yellowed cover and a slightly gossipy title—"Biographies of Empresses and Consorts of the Former Dynasty".
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, we... are we learning this?" Lin Wanwan pointed at the book, her almond-shaped eyes filled with astonishment.
She thought the "private lessons with the emperor" would be high-level political economy, but she never expected that the opening would be about palace secrets and unofficial history? The change in tone was too fast.
Xiao Che nodded solemnly, handed her the book, and looked as serious as if he were imparting the supreme manual for governing the country.
"A ruler must know history. So too must a successor," he said calmly. "The lessons of the past are the guides for the future. Only by understanding the successes and failures of the empresses and concubines of previous dynasties can you truly understand how to remain invincible in the harem."
He spoke with great dignity, but Lin Wanwan sensed a hint of ill intent beneath his serious expression.
She took the book with some skepticism and turned to the page Xiao Che had specified.
It was a biography of Empress Xiaociren of the previous dynasty. This empress came from a prominent family. She was the only daughter of the powerful Duke of Zhenguo. After entering the palace, she relied on her family's influence to support the crown prince's ascension to the throne. Later, she held immense power in the harem and even ruled from behind the curtain for a time, enjoying unparalleled glory.
Lin Wanwan initially found it fascinating, thinking she was reading an ancient version of a "female protagonist" novel.
However, as Xiao Che began his "explanation," she gradually realized that something was wrong.
“Look here,” Xiao Che pointed his long finger to a line of text on the page, “When Empress Xiaoci first entered the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s position was unstable. Fortunately, the Duke of Zhenguo managed to stabilize the situation by working with several powerful families in Hebei Province. This Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion is the ancestral home of the Li family, the mother family of the current Empress Dowager.”
As he spoke, his finger casually traced the area representing "Hebei Circuit" on a huge and detailed map of the Liang Dynasty on the long table.
Lin Wanwan's heart skipped a beat!
He's... giving her some pointers!
On the surface, he was talking about the Duke of Zhenguo of the previous dynasty, but in reality, he was telling her that the current Empress Dowager's maternal family, the Li family, mainly had influence in Hebei Province!
An astonishing idea popped into Lin Wanwan's mind.
This isn't a history lesson at all; it's clearly a high-level "political insider" lecture disguised as a story about the previous dynasty!
She instantly became extremely alert, reading down word by word while straining her ears to listen carefully to every single word of Xiao Che's "explanation".
Sure enough, every sentence that followed was full of hidden meanings.
“Empress Xiaoci’s power grew daily, which aroused the jealousy of the princes who were then Prince Yong.” Xiao Che’s voice was steady and clear. He pointed to a county near the capital on the map. “This Prince Yong’s fief was here. He joined forces with several senior members of the imperial family who opposed the interference of the empress’s relatives in politics and opposed the Duke of Zhenguo’s faction at every turn.”
Lin Wanwan's gaze followed his finger, and her heart skipped a beat again.
That location is the fiefdom of the current Regent, Xiao Yuan!
Her breathing quickened slightly. Xiao Che was dissecting the power structure of the entire Liang Dynasty court to her in the safest and most discreet way!
The Empress Dowager's faction, centered around her maternal family, the Li clan, held sway over Hebei and was deeply entrenched, known as the "Empress Clan."
The Regent's faction, based in their own fiefdoms, united with members of the imperial clan and held sway over the capital region; they were known as "imperial relatives."
These two forces have been irreconcilable since the previous dynasty. And he, the emperor, is caught between these two enormous forces!
Lin Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine. These most core and confidential political intelligence from the court were laid out before her in such a casual, storytelling manner by Xiao Che.
This trust is so heavy!
She looked up at the man beside her. He was focused, his profile strikingly handsome in the sunlight streaming in from the window. He seemed completely absorbed in "teaching," as if he were simply doing what a teacher should do.
A warm feeling and excitement welled up in Lin Wanwan's heart.
Is this what high-IQ romance feels like? There are no straightforward sweet words, but they share each other's deepest secrets through this "coded language," filled with a tacit understanding and excitement unique to the two of them.
"Do you see this?" Xiao Che's voice pulled her back to reality.
He pointed to the end of the page, where it was recorded that Empress Xiaoci was eventually imprisoned in the deep palace because her excessive power aroused the emperor's suspicion, and the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion also collapsed as a result.
“When the mother is strong, the son is weak; when the maternal relatives are powerful, the imperial power will fall into the wrong hands. This is an unchanging truth throughout the ages.” Xiao Che’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of complexity that was hard to detect.
Lin Wanwan immediately understood that he was not only talking about the previous dynasty, but also about his own relationship with the current Empress Dowager.
Just as she was deep in thought, Xiao Che suddenly said, "This method of checks and balances is actually mentioned in the book, but it is quite obscure. Take a look."
To give her a better view, he naturally leaned down and got close to her ear, his warm breath gently spraying onto her earlobe, bringing a slightly tingling, itchy sensation.
"To counterbalance the power of the empress's family and relatives, the previous emperor secretly promoted a group of military generals from humble backgrounds, firmly grasping military power in the capital region. Look at this part of the map..."
His finger moved across the map, pointing out several important garrisons near the capital.
Lin Wanwan, however, was somewhat distracted at this moment.
She could clearly smell the cool, imperial ambergris scent emanating from him, a scent more pleasant than any incense, lingering around her nose and causing her heart to skip a beat.
She glanced quickly and furtively at the emoji area above his head.
Upon seeing this, her cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
There, the previously normal emoji had disappeared, replaced by a cute cartoon character with a flushed face and white steam hissing from its head, like a boiling kettle!
Next to it was a line of small print that made her blush—
[So close to my wife, smells so good.jpg]!
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