After a moment of silence, Yun Yin spoke. “I don’t understand His Majesty well. I only heard about him from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
In his final years in the capital, he’d spent more time there than at the border.
Li Zhaoyu had once mentioned to him that he had a young half-brother confined in the Cold Palace. He’d learned of it by chance and had been determined to save him.
But at that time, the struggle for succession was intensifying. Li Zhaoyu’s maternal family was weak and in decline, Emperor Ruide was fatuous and paranoid. Li Zhaoyu could barely protect himself. The consensus among his retainers and Yun Yin was quite firm: this matter could wait until after he ascended the throne.
That was precisely why, after killing Li Zhaocheng, Yun Yin’s immediate thought was of Li Zhaoyi.
Actually, Li Zhaoyu himself knew that unless he became Emperor, merely being the Crown Prince made it very difficult to dictate a Prince’s fate.
During that period, he was already overwhelmed, his initial spirit and vigor long gone. After deciding to temporarily shelve Li Zhaoyi’s situation, he grew even thinner and more taciturn. Yun Yin observed this coldly. He wouldn’t go so far as to feel resentment towards that unrelated Prince, but he didn’t spare him much pity either.
Li Zhaoyu always wished to save the common people single-handedly, but Yun Yin believed in every man for himself.
He was stubborn and proud. Even his own father, Yun Qingyuan, couldn’t sway his thoughts. If not for Li Zhaoyu, his final destination should have been the same as Yun Qingyuan’s—dying at the border in some brutal battle. He accepted that outcome.
Yet even with Li Zhaoyu’s presence, his fundamental beliefs had never changed.
Just as Li Zhaoyu had once said with a helpless smile: “A-Yin, you and I walk the same path, but we are not kindred spirits. I have wronged you.”
All those old matters were condensed into the single phrase “heard about him.” Gu Wanling understood, however.
She sighed softly. “His Highness the Crown Prince was virtuous.”
Yun Yin said nothing.
He tapped the armrest of his chair idly. On the table beside him, a cup of tea had gone cold, untouched. In his mind’s eye, however, was Li Zhaoyi’s pure, clean face beneath the peach tree that afternoon.
–
Yun Long eventually dragged himself over with his schoolwork, albeit reluctantly.
Yun Yin had known the moment he’d seen him leave earlier that he’d been slacking off during this busy period. A quick glance through confirmed it. Without further ado, he said succinctly, “Make up everything you’ve missed within five days and send it over.”
Yun Long’s face fell. “Brother, isn’t five days a bit too short…”
Yun Yin didn’t bargain. He simply stated flatly, “Che Yu is currently stationed outside the city with the Blood Eagle Camp. They’ve had free time lately, presumably training.”
Yun Long: !
He raised his eyes abruptly, looking pitiful. “Brother…”
Yun Yin asked him, “How many days will it take to finish?”
“Five days!” Yun Long immediately swore. “No, three days! I can finish all the missed work in three days!”
Reading Yun Yin’s expression and seeing no objection, he wisely added, “I’ll go do it right now!”
He turned and fled. Gu Wanling didn’t even have time to call him back. She could only ask Yun Yin, “This… won’t it be inconvenient?”
“It’s fine,” Yun Yin said. “It’s not a special situation now, just routine training. Taking him along to mess around a bit won’t hurt.”
He stood up. “I still have official business at my residence. I’ll take my leave as well.”
“Ah—A-Yin, wait a moment.” Gu Wanling called him back.
Yun Yin stopped. Gu Wanling quickly continued: “I know you’ve been busy lately. But this matter is important after all.”
Yun Yin paused.
Sure enough, the next moment, he heard Gu Wanling say: “After you returned to the Capital, many portraits were sent to the manor, and quite a few people came to propose matches. Look, among the young ladies of the Capital’s noble families, is there anyone who catches your eye? If there is, I’ll help arrange things. This life’s important matter should be taken seriously.”
~
When Chang Zixuan made a detour to Yun Yin’s private residence, he found Yun Yin sitting alone in the long corridor, drinking.
He hefted a few scattered wine jugs nearby and was surprised to find one already empty. He let out a “Tsk,” grabbed a jug for himself, and plopped down right beside him.
“Just got back from the Yun Manor?” he asked.
“Mm.”
“Why are you drowning your sorrows here?” Chang Zixuan said. “Since you went to the Yun Manor, shouldn’t you be inside at this hour looking at matchmaking portraits?”
Yun Yin lifted his eyelids.
Chang Zixuan poured himself a cup of clear wine, showing no guilt at all about setting his friend up. He drawled lazily, “Don’t look at me like that… When I told you to go back, I didn’t know about this yet. Which family’s young lady did you choose?”
Yun Yin’s tone was listless. “Didn’t choose any.”
“I turned them all down,” he said.
Chang Zixuan was stunned.
After a moment, he said hesitantly, “…I heard that every aristocratic family in the Capital with a daughter of suitable age submitted their lists to your manor. You… turned them all down?”
That wasn’t an exaggeration. Yun Yin was twenty-four, young yet holding high office, currently at the peak of power and influence with none to rival him. And even setting aside utilitarian considerations, whether in terms of appearance or character, he was beyond reproach.
From this angle, whether the courtiers’ daily impeachments accusing Yun Yin of ruthlessness and tyranny were true or not, everyone knew the score in their hearts.
Chang Zixuan understood the noble families’ thinking. What he couldn’t understand was Yun Yin’s.
He said, “Are you planning on dying alone?”
Yun Yin didn’t answer.
He merely changed the subject of his own accord. “For the time being, I don’t plan on moving against His Majesty.”
Since he’d already discussed this matter with Chang Zixuan, it was necessary to inform him once a decision was made.
With his own people, Yun Yin was always direct.
Chang Zixuan’s smile faded.
After a moment, he said, “That ‘woman’ you brought into the manor today—it was His Majesty, wasn’t it?”
Yun Yin glanced at him, not asking how he knew, as if expecting it.
“Don’t look at me. I know what you were trying to do.” Chang Zixuan’s tone was somewhat stiff. He hadn’t originally cared much about it. “Your past with Chengyang, dragging on for so many years—you got tired of it and don’t want to be tied down by marriage. I understand that. Using this matter as a show for the noble families so they give up and stop trying every way to send people to your manor—I can understand that too. But His Majesty—”
Halfway through, he caught Yun Yin’s expression and abruptly stopped talking.
But it was too late.
“I’m curious,” Yun Yin said, looking at him suddenly. “Why do you care so much about this matter, and why so specifically target His Majesty regarding it?”
He lifted his eyes. “I shouldn’t have told you I favor men?”
Chang Zixuan’s wariness was simply too unusual. This was already his second time hinting almost explicitly.
He wanted to know why.
Chang Zixuan was speechless.
After a moment, he shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Just a gut feeling, I guess,” he said. “I find it strange too. I keep feeling like you’re going to fall for someone this time. If you ask me to explain exactly why, I can’t say. Now that you put it that way—His Majesty isn’t even a woman.”
“Just chalk it up to me being crazy,” he concluded.
Yun Yin didn’t confirm or deny it.
He stood up. Chang Zixuan, still in the midst of self-reflection, asked absently, “Where are you going?”
Yun Yin said, “Something to attend to. Finish your drink and go home yourself.”
“…Hey, so cruel. Just a little misunderstanding and you’re being petty.”
–
Yun Yin indeed had matters to attend to.
He spent that night approving all the accumulated memorials and handled official documents originally reserved for the next day, working deep into the night.
The next morning, after breakfast, he entered the palace.
Reaching Bright Clarity Hall, the eunuchs and palace maids looked somewhat surprised to see him.
Someone was about to announce his arrival, but Yun Yin stopped them. The old eunuch De Quan hurried over, saying softly, “Your Highness is here? His Majesty is still asleep.”
Yun Yin paused.
Li Zhaoyi wasn’t the type to laze in bed, just physically weak and prone to drowsiness. Most days, he rose quite early. But today was an exception. Yun Yin asked, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“Knowing he was to study under the two Great Confucian Scholars today, His Majesty stayed up half the night,” De Quan said with a smile. “Later, this servant convinced him to sleep, but I’m guessing he still didn’t rest well afterward.”
Yun Yin understood.
He glanced at De Quan again. “You were transferred here from the Eastern Depot?”
Previously, he’d instructed Mu Ke to change the personnel here, mostly just to issue a warning to the Directorate of Ceremonial. He hadn’t followed up after. Now it seemed Mu Ke had a good eye for picking people.
De Quan acknowledged he was right and led him into the outer chamber. A little eunuch served tea. Yun Yin took a sip, his gaze casually drifting to a side desk—and stopped there.
It was a rather sparse desk. Besides a stack of books and the standard writing implements, there were only a few draft papers.
The rough small portrait he’d drawn for Li Zhaoyi was placed separately to one side, held down by a paperweight, neatly arranged and obediently kept.
