After saying that, he suddenly reined in his hostility and looked at Ye Xi seriously.
"From now on, call me A Yuan."
Ye Xi was taken aback. Seeing Yi Yuan's serious expression, for some reason, she thought he looked a bit cute.
Unable to help but break into a bright smile, Ye Xi's eyes curved into crescents.
"Okay, A Yuan."
Saixing: Miss has finally been charmed away.
Lin An, Ling Yan: No, the prince didn't seem to be like this before.
Mian Xiao: Tsk tsk~ How mushy.
But she subconsciously glanced at Ling Yan beside her.
It was a night with warm breeze, twinkling fireflies, a moment when ambiguity was in the air and hearts were stirred.
Over there, Hun Yuan came out looking a bit pale. He hastily greeted them and was about to leave.
Yi Yuan and Ye Xi exchanged a look and then, with great tacit understanding, went their separate ways. Yi Yuan accompanied Hun Yuan, while Ye Xi went back to the courtyard to check on Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning was in a daze, holding a long, slender wooden box in her hand. Presumably, there was the hairpin that Hun Yuan had promised her inside.
Seeing that Jiang Ning didn't look too well, Ye Xi stepped forward and took her hand, saying gently,
"Although it's already midsummer, the night breeze can still be cool. Let's go inside first."
Forcing a smile, Jiang Ning tightened her grip on the wooden box and silently followed Ye Xi into the house.
"What are your plans for the future, Miss Jiang? Are you going back home?"
Ye Xi asked.
Shaking her head blankly, Jiang Ning traced the wooden box with her fingertips, her voice growing softer.
"I don't know either. When I came here, I thought it would be extremely difficult to see him, and it would take at least a year or two. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, I..."
I have to go back and get married...
Jiang Ning couldn't go on.
She had traveled across mountains and rivers alone, determined not to return home until she saw Hun Yuan. But actually, she was just making an excuse for herself, an excuse not to go back and get married.
But her parents doted on her so much. How could she, for her own selfish desires, ignore her parents and let them be laughed at and gossiped about, sighing and frowning every day?
Moreover, the man she had been waiting for would never be hers. This man had just said in person... that he only regarded her as a younger sister.
Jiang Ning closed her eyes painfully.
This was something that outsiders couldn't really interfere with. Ye Xi sighed a few times with her. Then she suddenly said,
"Since you've come all the way to the capital with so much difficulty, it would be a pity to go back without seeing anything."
"In my opinion, why don't you find an easy job and stay here for a while to see the prosperity of this place. If things go well, you can even bring your parents here. Wouldn't it be wonderful for the whole family to be happy together?"
These words were just an excuse for Jiang Ning, giving her some time to ease up.
"I just don't know what you're good at. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."
Gratefully looking at Ye Xi, Jiang Ning's mind was in a whirl.
She wanted to say that getting married early or late was all the same, and if she gave in now, her parents would be happy earlier. But she also felt that the world was constantly changing, and no one knew what would happen in the future. If she gave in now and there was a turning point later, she would surely regret it for the rest of her life.
She might as well take a gamble.
Suddenly, her eyes became firm. Jiang Ning said,
"When I first entered the palace, there was an aunt from the weaving bureau who really liked me. Not long after, there was an epidemic in the palace. Before she passed away, she passed on to me her secret techniques of spinning and weaving brocade. In the years after I returned home, I often studied them and even worked in a shop in the town. I was appreciated by the shop owner..."
Saying that, she took out a silk handkerchief and said,
"Look, this is what I can weave. Since those materials are extremely expensive, this handkerchief was given to me by the shop owner as a token of gratitude for my hard work when I left. I'm not familiar with this capital, so I don't know if my skills are good enough. Please help me find a suitable and reliable job."
Ye Xi's eyes immediately lit up.
She took the silk handkerchief and examined it carefully. It felt soft to the touch, was light in texture, and was woven with fine and delicate patterns with hidden floral designs. She didn't know what special techniques were used in it, but it even gave off a soft glow under the candlelight. If made into clothes, it was bound to attract everyone's attention.
"This silk handkerchief is really well - woven. It truly lives up to the skills passed down from the palace."
Then she joked with Jiang Ning,
"If you just leave like this, your shop owner will probably cry."
Jiang Ning smiled shyly,
"To be honest with you, miss, he really did wail. Since these materials are difficult to make and I'm the only one in the town who knows this craft, only about ten bolts can be produced in a year, and they're always in great demand. I even sneaked away in the middle of the night when I came to the capital. Otherwise, I might still be in the town now."
At this, everyone burst out laughing.
Ye Xi exclaimed that she had found a precious treasure. She herself was planning to buy a shop anyway. Since Jiang Ning had this skill, it would be a waste not to use it. Anyway, her fortune - telling business wouldn't need a very large place. In the future, the front yard could sell silk and cloth, and the backyard could receive customers for fortune - telling. If she didn't do this business in the future, it would also be good to resell or rent it out.
The previous gloom was swept away. Ye Xi and Jiang Ning immediately began to discuss in detail the matter of opening a cloth shop together.
The next day -
The memorials accusing Ye Pengcheng and Cao Dexiu rained down on the court like flying pieces of paper and quickly piled up.
The Censorate was extremely dutiful, listing a whole bunch of charges. Along with the secret affairs that Yi Yuan had "accidentally" revealed, such as Ye Pengcheng secretly accepting benefits from concubines and framing others to amass wealth when he was in charge of the palace sacrifices, and even daring to use supernatural matters to influence the emperor's judgment, all these were presented in front of Emperor Zhaohuan.
Emperor Zhaohuan was furious on the spot and immediately issued an order to dismiss Ye Pengcheng from his post and detain him in the Supreme Court for trial. Except for Ye Xi, who had already severed ties with the Ye family, the rest of his family were confined to their mansion, waiting for punishment.
A group of court officials led by Prime Minister Shen Jichu strongly impeached Grand Tutor Cao and Cao Dexiu for their poor family education, allowing their son to have an affair, having bad family traditions, and being unworthy of their positions. Even the queen and the crown prince were affected and couldn't stay out of it.
The disciples of Grand Tutor Cao, together with Cao Dexiu, strongly refuted that Prime Minister Shen had exaggerated the charges. Among thousands of people in the world, there were good and bad ones, and no one could guarantee that everyone in their family was as noble as Confucius or Mencius.
For a moment, there were sharp - tongued debates and strong arguments.
Emperor Zhaohuan felt his temples throbbing. He couldn't help but shout,
"Enough!"
The court officials who had been arguing red - faced instantly fell silent like cicadas in winter.
Scanning the crowd with a majestic look, Emperor Zhaohuan rubbed his aching temples and said,
"Grand Tutor Cao came to the palace to plead guilty yesterday and voluntarily demoted himself as a punishment." Then his voice sank, and the might of the Son of Heaven pressed down like an avalanche.
"But the grand tutor is the teacher of both me and the late emperor. If the grand tutor is not upright, then wouldn't me and the late emperor be even more immoral?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone below knelt down in unison, all saying in one voice: Your Majesty, you're being too serious. We dare not.
"Humph -"
Emperor Zhaohuan naturally knew that they didn't dare. There were two factions in the court, standing against each other. But the younger generation of the Cao family was mediocre and was gradually declining. If something happened to Grand Tutor Cao, the Shen family would become too powerful, and the court would surely be in turmoil.
Squinting his eyes slightly, Emperor Zhaohuan thought secretly: Concubine Shen must not have any more offspring.
"Cao Sheng acted foolishly. Naturally, the grand tutor and Jinziguanglu Dafu Cao Dexiu are at fault. Each of them will have their salaries withheld for half a year. Cao Sheng is not allowed to take the autumn imperial examination this year. If he shows improvement in his conduct, he will be allowed to take the exam again in three years."
"All you ministers, do you have any objections?"