Those words served as both a reminder and a warning.
Yun Yin’s fondness for Li Zhaoyi was one thing, but that fondness was confined to mere romance and pleasure. He was willing to indulge Li Zhaoyi, but that did not mean Li Zhaoyi could do as he pleased, taking advantage of his tolerance.
As his words fell, Li Zhaoyi’s eyelashes fluttered.
He whispered, “Alright.”
Compared to the pleasant surprise of gaining a promise of freedom, he seemed more affected by Yun Yin’s second half of the warning.
Yun Yin had originally thought that what was said was done, but now, seeing his reaction, he felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. However, at this moment, the carriage had already reached the Palace Gates. Li Zhaoyi said, “Then I shall take my leave now.”
His tone was still soft and gentle.
Yun Yin acknowledged with an “Mm.”
Just before he left, Yun Yin added, “Take this with you.”
Li Zhaoyi turned back. Yun Yin handed over a packet of pastries, marked with the label of the inn they had visited during the day.
Returning that day, Li Zhaoyi inevitably had to explain the situation to De Quan.
De Quan said nothing about it, but merely gazed thoughtfully at the bag of pastries.
Finally, he sighed and said, “This old servant has lived in this palace for so long, yet I have never seen the Prince pay such attentive care to another person.”
Li Zhaoyi said, “…That can’t be true.”
He did genuinely feel that Yun Yin had suddenly become much better towards him.
But Yun Yin was never a bad person to begin with. Li Zhaoyi felt that De Quan was becoming more and more like Lu Zhong; their words were growing increasingly strange.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, “At the very least, he should be more attentive to the Crown Prince Brother than to me.”
As soon as he said this, he felt something was off.
It felt sour.
Like the candied fruit he had eaten during the day.
But Li Zhaoyi felt he probably didn’t mean it that way.
De Quan gave a somewhat helpless smile.
“It’s not something to compare like that, it’s not the same thing.” He said, “My Emperor.”
Li Zhaoyi didn’t understand what the difference was.
De Quan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
In the end, he said, “Your Majesty, you only need to listen to Director Lu’s words.”
He attended Li Zhaoyi as he settled down to sleep.
Until he entered his dreams, Li Zhaoyi still hadn’t figured out what the difference was between all these kinds of ‘attentive care.’
Though he couldn’t figure it out, Li Zhaoyi’s days had clearly become much easier recently.
He still had to attend court as a figurehead, but court affairs were numerous lately, and the ministers were too busy to bother with him. After court, whether it was Lin Ping or Gu Qingdai, their teaching was patient and instructive. He didn’t struggle to keep up, nor did he feel empty.
Especially with Lin Ping.
Li Zhaoyi had an average memory, but he possessed one very prominent virtue: a proper attitude.
Content that needed memorization, he would always copy it out and recite it repeatedly until he mastered it. He never forgot to do this because he was off playing. Although he was still lacking in forming his own viewpoints, Lin Ping grew gentler towards him day by day, and Li Zhaoyi became more and more attached to him.
In the past, when he read in leisure books about children from wealthy families studying under tutors, he was always envious.
Now, he too had a good teacher. Li Zhaoyi was filled with gratitude.
Besides this, there was Lu Zhong.
Lu Zhong had come to see him two or three times recently, just a few words exchanged each time.
Li Zhaoyi cherished every single visit.
Actually, it had always been like this before too. Lu Zhong would come to see him, bring him a little trinket, and then leave. But Li Zhaoyi knew that there was still someone who cared about him, and that knowledge gave him great peace of mind.
Yet, thinking carefully, all of this was thanks to Yun Yin.
Court affairs were handled by Yun Yin for him.
His teachers were requested by Yun Yin.
The reason Lu Zhong could come to see him was because the restrictions on the Bright Clarity Hall had been relaxed recently. Originally, when Yun Yin managed the Bright Clarity Hall, he had staffed it with his own people. But now, he had selected some experienced and capable Palace Servants from the palace.
And it was precisely because of this that Lu Zhong could insert his own informants.
This last point was spoken by Lu Zhong himself.
It was still late at night when he said this.
Inside the room, Lu Zhong was using an exceptionally sharp blade to peel a pear for Li Zhaoyi. Li Zhaoyi asked, “Master, have you used this knife to kill people before?” Lu Zhong replied, “I don’t remember. I already washed it anyway.” Li Zhaoyi felt a mouthful of pear get stuck; he couldn’t swallow it, nor could he spit it out.
In the end, he obediently swallowed it. Fortunately, there was no strange taste in his mouth.
Then he watched Lu Zhong wipe the blade.
Lu Zhong was very silent; Li Zhaoyi could never tell what he was thinking.
It had always been like this since he was young.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Master, Yun Yin is really not as bad as you think he is.”
Lu Zhong said, “I have never said he is bad.”
His tone was very calm.
He paused for a while, then asked, “He said he would let you go?”
Li Zhaoyi hesitated.
He said, “I think what he meant was, I don’t have to sit on that throne.”
He paused, then added, “The condition is not to deceive him.”
“Master.” He looked at Lu Zhong. This was something he had wanted to ask for a long time. “You are one of Yun Yin’s men. Our relationship… can’t we tell him about it?”
He didn’t want to deceive Yun Yin either.
He didn’t understand why, when Lu Zhong was clearly working for Yun Yin, and he and Yun Yin were now somewhat on the same side, their relationship still had to be hidden from Yun Yin.
Lu Zhong was silent for a very long time.
After a moment, he opened his mouth to speak, but what he said was about something else entirely.
“Your birthday is coming soon,” he said.
Li Zhaoyi was stunned.
Then he honestly replied, “Yes.”
What Lu Zhong was referring to was Li Zhaoyi’s eighteenth birthday.
Because he had ascended the throne hastily, the mourning rituals were all simplified. Nevertheless, Emperor Ruide’s passing hadn’t been that long ago. Logically, a grand celebration for his birthday would seem somewhat inappropriate. But Yun Yin didn’t seem to care much.
A few days ago, the people from the Ministry of Rites had already started busying themselves for his birthday.
Li Zhaoyi was first dragged off to be measured for clothes, and then had a ceremonial crown specially made. Even though Yun Yin was already extremely busy, he would always show up punctually on these occasions, and then nitpick details that Li Zhaoyi thought were already perfect.
Lu Zhong was silent.
He said, “Eighteen already. Master will give you a gift.”
Li Zhaoyi was taken aback.
Lu Zhong said nothing more, patted his head, and got up to leave.
Li Zhaoyi pondered for days what Lu Zhong’s gift would be.
So Lu Zhong remembered his birthday after all.
But under the limitations of their circumstances, even knowing it was his birthday, all Lu Zhong could usually do was wish Li Zhaoyi a happy birthday and bring him a little good food, whatever was within his ability.
Yet Li Zhaoyi was already very satisfied.
Therefore, he was also very grateful for Yun Yin’s preparations, even a little overwhelmed.
He said, “Um… actually, it looks very nice as it is.”
He was talking about the ceremonial robes for the day.
The heavy ceremonial robes and crown were so weighty they made him feel a bit burdened, but their magnificent beauty was undeniable. Li Zhaoyi liked them, but Yun Yin wanted to make further alterations.
Yun Yin said, “Let me have a look.”
He told Li Zhaoyi to stand still while he examined him.
Li Zhaoyi stood with his back ramrod straight, almost sweating under the scrutiny.
Yun Yin said, “Leave it as it is then.”
The Palace Servants were already on the verge of breaking a sweat themselves. Hearing this, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then they saw Yun Yin reach out and adjust Li Zhaoyi’s waist sash for him. From an angle, the gesture looked ambiguous and intimately close.
They dared not look further, and hurriedly withdrew.
Being so lightly encircled, Li Zhaoyi felt the tips of his ears burn.
He whispered, “You… don’t have to do this sort of thing.”
It had been like this often recently.
With his affairs, Yun Yin always liked to handle them personally.
There was nothing overstepping any boundaries, but that feeling of having every single detail arranged and controlled by one person made Li Zhaoyi feel a very subtle sensation.
Yun Yin withdrew his hands. “There, done.”
Then he smiled slightly and said softly, “It was just a matter of convenience, passing by.”
A perfect, flawless, and unassailable answer.
Li Zhaoyi pressed his lips together, but in the end, nothing was changed.
On the day of his actual birthday, Li Zhaoyi put on that meticulously prepared set of ceremonial robes first thing in the morning.
All the etiquette had been taught beforehand by Yun Yin and the female officials. He followed the procedures step by step, accepting the congratulations of the civil and military officials. Not only within the court and the country, but even the common people all over the land were celebrating his birthday.
By nightfall, a banquet was held within the palace to entertain all the ministers. The Hall of Precious Blessings was filled with the sounds of clinking goblets and cheerful conversation. Sitting in the seat of honor at the head, Li Zhaoyi almost felt a sense of dazed unreality.
He had come to the banquet already full.
This was against the rules.
But the person most concerned with rules had coaxed him, saying, “If Your Majesty doesn’t eat now, you won’t have a chance to eat at all during the night banquet.”
So Li Zhaoyi had a bowl of sweet little tangyuan, a small dish of chicken broth-soaked tofu skin rolls, and two fragrant, crispy baked cakes. Now, smelling the aromas filling the hall, although he couldn’t eat much more, he wasn’t hungry.
He greatly admired Yun Yin’s ability to foresee the future.
Yun Yin was seated right below him at this very moment.
Actually, compared to Li Zhaoyi, he was the one attracting more attention tonight.
After all, the entire court of civil and military officials now answered only to him. Although waves of congratulatory gifts were all presented to Li Zhaoyi, whether they were deemed satisfactory was a matter where everyone watched Yun Yin’s expression, fearing he might use the occasion to make trouble and eliminate a few people.
But to the ministers’ surprise, Yun Yin seemed exceptionally agreeable today.
Not only did he not use the opportunity to stir up trouble, but he barely even spoke, acting as if he were merely a guest freeloading a meal, leisurely pouring himself wine. The ministers were bewildered and uneasy. Only Chang Zixuan, drinking at a distant seat, watched the scene with perfect clarity in his heart.
It was simply that he didn’t want any inauspicious incident to mar the little Emperor’s birthday. He wanted him to be happy.
He knew Yun Yin too well.
When this person didn’t care, and when he did care, it was like two completely different people.
If he didn’t care, the little Emperor was just a placeholder, easily replaceable. Once he cared, it became what they saw now: meticulous, thoughtful attention to detail, ensuring not the slightest discomfort for Li Zhaoyi.
It was so cloying it made his teeth ache, and he didn’t want to watch anymore.
Turning his head, however, he saw the woman sitting upright not far away.
He narrowed his eyes.
And not far off, as if sensing his gaze, Grand Princess Changping, Li Chunjin, also looked towards him, her bright red lips pressed together, her gaze as cold as frost and snow.
She was dressed plainly today.
Both being Grand Princesses, her current status compared to Wanrong’s was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Ever since the incident in the Imperial Garden that day, she had been placed under house arrest. Her husband and father-in-law were also facing obstacles in every matter at the Imperial Court. The signal was too clear; even ministers previously close to the First Prince’s faction kept their distance.
In just a few short days, the formerly glamorous Grand Princess and the Wei Clan had become like stray dogs.
Simply because they had offended the one person they should never have offended.
Their eyes met. Chang Zixuan suddenly smiled and raised his cup to her from afar.
The woman’s expression faltered for a moment, then she pressed her lips tightly and turned her head away with a cold expression.
This brief, confrontational exchange dissipated into the air like melting ice and snow.
Chang Zixuan withdrew his gaze and lazily took a sip of wine.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the last local official had finished presenting his birthday tribute and reciting his congratulatory speech. Everyone’s attention refocused on Yun Yin.
Of the entire court of civil and military officials, only Yun Yin had yet to present a gift.
What would he give?
Or rather…
Would he give anything at all?
Today’s banquet was clearly meticulously planned, anyone could see that.
By now, everyone had a general idea of what kind of figure the current Emperor was. No one believed this was Li Zhaoyi’s own intention. So then, what was Yun Yin trying to express?
The ministers couldn’t guess, and didn’t dare to.
They held their breath in suspense. Li Zhaoyi, however, was completely baffled.
He used his eyes to question De Quan beside him. De Quan silently winked at him, trying to signal something.
Li Zhaoyi…
Li Zhaoyi didn’t understand the signal.
He felt De Quan was excellent in all respects, except for one thing: whether it was meaningful glances or hints, they were all too subtle.
Looking at De Quan’s twitching eyelids, he decided to ask someone else.
But before he could find Yun Yin’s gaze, Yun Yin, preempting him, filled the wine cup in his hand and stood up.
