After the lantern festival, Ye Zhiqiu regarded Le Ning's appearance as just a small episode.
However, unexpectedly, on the day after the lantern festival, there were quite a number of people gathered outside the private school. The students were all huddled on one side, curiously peering to see what was going on.
Ye Zhiqiu frowned slightly at the sight of the guards in front of the door. The private school he taught in was located on the outskirts of the city. Generally, not many people passed by here. But today, there were so many people gathered in front of it.
Judging from their looks, it didn't seem to be a good thing.
"Teacher Ye!"
Just as Ye Zhiqiu was wondering about the origin of these people, a soft and somewhat playful voice suddenly rang in his ear.
Ye Zhiqiu turned around and saw a little girl running towards him. The hairpin on her head jingled with her movements.
"Le Ning?" When the girl got closer, he finally recognized who it was. It was the little girl he had met on the day of the lantern festival.
He had thought that there would be no more intersections after that day. But unexpectedly... they met again today, and under such circumstances.
"Yes! I told Teacher Ye last time that I would surely repay you for saving my life. So I'm here today!" Le Ning tilted her head, blinked at Ye Zhiqiu, and said with a big smile.
But Ye Zhiqiu didn't look very happy. She followed his line of sight and saw the circle of guards. Immediately, she understood his concerns.
So she took a few steps forward, stood in front of a guard with her hands on her hips, and said angrily, "I've already said that I don't need so many guards following me. Teacher Ye is not a bad person. You all step back!"
"But, Your... Miss." The leading guard knelt on one knee and didn't dare to look Le Ning in the eye. He was about to say something but quickly changed his words. He said respectfully, "Our duty is to protect the safety of the young lady."
"...You!" Le Ning didn't know what to say after hearing his words. She puffed out her cheeks and struggled for a long time before finally uttering just this one sentence.
At this moment, someone walked out of the private - school building. A maid supported her hand and carefully followed her into the courtyard.
"Le Ning, don't be rude." The woman slowly said this. Her voice was not loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly. There was a hint of authority in her tone.
As soon as Le Ning heard this, she immediately stopped saying anything. She lowered her head and walked to the woman's side. Bowing her head, she said softly, "Yes, Mother..."
Ye Zhiqiu was a bit stunned at the sudden appearance of this woman. So many things had happened today. This grand occasion didn't seem like they were just here to give a gift of thanks.
The woman slightly lifted her chin. The guards beside her immediately understood and dispersed the people around the private school. The children waiting to go to school went back in twos and threes.
In a short while, only a few of them were left in the courtyard. No one spoke. The only sound in the empty courtyard was the wind.
When most of the people had dispersed, the woman gave Ye Zhiqiu a gentle smile. Her almond - shaped eyes squinted slightly. At this moment, she looked like a fox wagging its tail.
"Le Ning is a playful child. Thank you, Teacher Ye, for saving her on the day of the lantern festival. I'm here today to give you a gift of thanks." She said this in a slow and steady tone.
Ye Zhiqiu wasn't interested in the gift of thanks at all. Saving her that day was just a simple act of kindness. He hadn't cared about it then, and he cared even less now.
So he replied, "It was just a minor act of kindness that day. I don't need any gift of thanks. I still have classes to teach for my students. Please leave."
Ye Zhiqiu was being quite blunt in issuing the order to leave. Although the woman had spoken politely, this grand occasion didn't seem like they were just here to express gratitude.
Instead... it seemed more like a threat.
"Teacher Ye, don't be so hasty to refuse. Why don't you listen to what the gift of thanks I've brought for you is before making a decision?" The woman's expression didn't change in the slightest at Ye Zhiqiu's order to leave. Instead, she said this with a smiling face.
As she spoke, the guards around them all placed their hands on the swords at their waists. This was a blatant threat.
Ye Zhiqiu knew that he couldn't escape this time. He looked around, but there was no gap for him to get away. It seemed that this time... he had no choice at all.
Seeing this situation, he didn't say a word. Instead, he locked eyes with the woman and waited for her next words.
"Our Le Ning has reached the age to have a teacher. I've requested an imperial edict from the emperor to make an exception and let you enter the palace to be Le Ning's teacher. Your status and treatment will be that of a grand tutor. This is an exception and the best gift of thanks. What do you think, Teacher Ye?"
The woman said this with a fake smile. As she spoke, a maid on the other side was waiting with the imperial edict in her hand.
Looking at this situation, Ye Zhiqiu never expected that the little girl he had casually pulled to safety on the day of the lantern festival would bring him such a big trouble.
Moreover, he thought that things might not be that simple.
How could a mere teacher from the outskirts of the city be allowed to teach the princes and princesses in the palace? This matter... was not as simple as she made it sound.
The woman could tell from Ye Zhiqiu's expression that he had concerns. She looked at the newly - painted nail polish on her fingertips and said in a slow and steady tone, "Teacher Ye, you don't need to give an answer so quickly. But your answer concerns this entire private school. I hope you'll think it over carefully."
After saying this, she tilted her head and gave Ye Zhiqiu a smile. There seemed to be a hint of amusement in her almond - shaped eyes, but Ye Zhiqiu could clearly see the coldness and threat in them.
The woman was threatening him with the entire private school.
The more so, the more it proved that her purpose of getting him into the palace was not pure.
But for now, Ye Zhiqiu had no choice.
"I... agree." He was silent for a moment before finally uttering this answer. His voice was low, and it was hard to tell his mood at the moment.
But the woman didn't care about Ye Zhiqiu's mood. She only knew that her goal had been achieved.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Teacher Ye. I'll send someone to pick you up and enter the palace in a few days. For a long time to come, you'll live in the palace." She slowly walked up to Ye Zhiqiu. As she passed by him, she whispered this in his ear.
She deliberately emphasized the last few words, as if she was stressing something.
Ye Zhiqiu didn't say a word. Instead, he watched her leaving back with his eyes slightly squinted.
This woman was more dangerous than he thought.
Le Ning, who was following the woman, looked back in Ye Zhiqiu's direction. There was a hint of worry in her big almond - shaped eyes. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn't. She turned her head and followed the woman away.
When she got back into the sedan chair, Le Ning lifted the curtain and looked in the direction of the private school. She frowned slightly and said, "Mother, Teacher Ye doesn't seem very happy."
"As long as he can enter the palace and accompany Le Ning, that's enough." She reached out and gently stroked Le Ning's hair. Her voice became a bit softer. The scabbed wound on her wrist was revealed from under her wide sleeve.
Le Ning lowered her eyes. After thinking for a while, she looked up at her mother and showed a bright smile. "Mother is right."
By the time the sedan chair reached the palace, it was almost evening. The sedan chair was stopped. The maid lifted the curtain and said respectfully to the woman, "It's the Empress Dowager."
"...You take Le Ning back to the palace first." After hearing the name of the empress, the woman was silent for a while. Then she said to the maid.
After giving the instructions, she got out of the sedan chair and immediately saw the figure of the empress in the garden.
She slowly walked towards the garden. Standing at a proper distance, she curtsied and said in a low voice, "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."
Shen Mingyue turned around and looked at the imperial concubine standing in front of her. They had known each other for more than a decade, but somehow, she no longer seemed to be the person Shen Mingyue had known.
"Shiyao, why did you ask the emperor for an edict to hire a teacher from outside the palace for Le Ning?" Shen Mingyue took a step forward. She frowned as she said this.
The emperor didn't like Shiyao in the first place, especially because of Le Ning. Her current actions would only make the emperor dislike her even more.
All the efforts Shen Mingyue had made over the years to bring the emperor and Shiyao together would be in vain.
Shen Mingyue didn't understand why Shiyao would do such a thing. As soon as she got the news, she wanted to see Liu Shiyao immediately. When she arrived at the imperial concubine's palace, she was told that Shiyao had already left the palace.
So she had been waiting here for a long time, just to find out the reason for her actions.
After hearing Shen Mingyue's words, Liu Shiyao just slightly curved her lips. Her expression was the same as usual. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I just thought that the emperor's heart is entirely on the empress. The emperor probably won't care about Le Ning's teacher. Instead of letting an unknown - quality person teach Le Ning, it's better for me to choose a teacher myself."
When Shen Mingyue heard this explanation, she felt a bit powerless. Over the years, she had tried every means to mention Shiyao in front of the emperor, but in Liu Shiyao's eyes, this was how she saw her.
She suddenly felt that all her efforts were in vain. Shen Mingyue took a few steps back and said seriously to Liu Shiyao, "Fine, I understand. You may go back."
Shen Mingyue deliberately emphasized the word "I", which was also a hint to the other party that from now on, their relationship was only that of the empress and the imperial concubine, and nothing more.
Liu Shiyao bowed and said in a low voice, "Yes."
After saying this, she turned around and left.
Her current situation was very dangerous. She couldn't have too many entanglements. She had known Shen Mingyue for so many years, and at this time, she couldn't drag her down.
Only by cutting off all relations with her was the best way to protect her.
Liu Shiyao looked at the road ahead. Every step she took was extremely firm.
From now on, every decision she made had no room for choice.