Unexpectedly, after listening with full concentration for half the day, he had been tricked. Just as Yan Yihuan was about to slap the table, Shen Zhaoquan’s voice came from behind him,
“Lord Ming, His Majesty asks you to come over now.”
Ming Zhang was clearly laughing more freely than Yan Yihuan. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and left. The surroundings suddenly quieted down, and only the sound of constant arguments from the imperial study could be heard.
Yan Yihuan sat alone in a daze for a while. As if thinking of something, he imitated Ming Zhang and lifted his head to gaze into the distance. Yet even when his eyes passed over the palace walls, he could see nothing but the endless blue sky.
If he returned home, he would have to marry Big Brother Xu. Although he had said those words to the Emperor, when he thought about it carefully, he himself was not truly willing.
He knew that Xu Xinyao had never felt that way about him, nor did he.
Yan Yihuan had realized from a young age that his family had no intention of letting him enter officialdom. Otherwise, why would they place such importance on his two elder brothers’ studies, yet be so indulgent with him?
This marriage alliance with the Xu family made Yan Yihuan even more certain: although his family doted on him, they also regarded him as useless, and had long since planned to settle him into a wealthy household.
Although he knew it was for his own good, to have him leave the capital sooner and return to Linjing, Yan Yihuan still felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart.
Thinking it over carefully, he had once longed to go back. Yet from an unknown point of time, he no longer often had that thought.
Yan Yihuan leaned against the edge of the table, tilting his head as he tried to look inside through the window. It was crowded and dark, he could not see that familiar figure. He sighed again and sat back down.
The emperor must be growing tired of him. Perhaps in a couple of days, when the emperor has some free time, he(YYH) could speak with him(LXM) again. Although he could not be with the emperor, he also did not wish to marry Xu Xinyao.
“Unable” and “Unwilling” are different.
“Third Young Master.”
This long-unheard address startled Yan Yihuan and instantly pulled him back from his thoughts. When he looked closely, the one standing beside him serving tea and pastries was none other than the eunuch named Gao Yu, whom Yan Yihuan still clearly remembered had once claimed to be Li Xuanjing’s man.
Yan Yihuan immediately grew tense, the tips of his ears heating up. Although he had yet to do anything, he looked extremely guilty.
“Third Young Master need not speak, just listen.” Gao Yu, with his back turned to the people in the distance, carefully arranged the refreshments while lowering his voice to the utmost,
“His Highness asked me to inform you that the young master of the Xu family has gone missing.”
What!?
Yan Yihuan’s heart jolted. His eyes flew wide at once, but Gao Yu shot him a look, signaling that there were others behind them, and continued, “Young Master Xu never checked out of his room at the inn. The servants who came with him panicked and were about to report it to the authorities when they happened to run into our people, who helped investigate. Who would have thought they would find this.”
Gao Yu spoke quickly, then secretly took out a white jade pendant from his sleeve. Yan Yihuan recognized it at once. It was indeed the piece Xu Xinyao often wore.
What made his scalp prickle was that the grooves of the pendant were clogged with grime. On closer inspection, it was a dark red stain, like dried blood.
“This…”
Yan Yihuan was about to look more closely when something flashed before his eyes. Gao Yu had already put the pendant away, “His life or death is now uncertain.”
With those words, the refreshments were also arranged. Gao Yu could not linger too long, so he bowed and withdrew, leaving Yan Yihuan alone, shaken and anxious, yet at a loss as to what to do.
Regardless of how he felt about the engagement, Xu Xinyao had indeed come to see him. His father had even written specially, instructing him to receive the guest properly. Yet on the very first night, things had ended on bad terms.
Afterward, he had been secretly relieved that Xu Xinyao never got the chance to bring up the betrothal. He had simply pretended not to know, only asking Ming Zhang to pass along a message, saying that he had been busy lately and had no time to leave the palace.
Yan Yihuan had assumed that if Xu Xinyao could not wait for him, he would return to Linjing. Who could have expected news like this instead?
Shen Zhaoquan was seeing the Minister of Revenue out. As he did so, he casually turned his head and glanced at Yan Yihuan sitting alone outside. At that glance, he froze, then looked again more closely.
If not for the wind rustling the leaves on the trees, he might have almost thought everything before him was frozen in place. Yan Yihuan looked dazed, his face ashen, even his usually rosy lips drained of color, as though he had been badly frightened by something.
After a brief moment of thought, Shen Zhaoquan immediately pulled aside the young eunuch standing guard by the door and asked,
“Did something happen over there just now?”
Anyone assigned to duty here, even a gatekeeper, was sharper than most. The eunuch quickly replied, “Grand Historian Yan was just chatting with Lord Ming for a while. Both of them looked quite relaxed.”
“And after that… nothing else seemed to happen.” It had been a busy day, and the eunuch had not had time to keep watch the whole while. He glanced over there again, and his eyes suddenly lit up when he noticed the pastries on the table. “It was just that a menial eunuch brought Grand Historian Yan some tea and snacks, then left.”
“Which one?”
“Gao Yu.”
Menial eunuchs rarely appeared before the hall, though, they might be assigned there on occasion when things were busy. Shen Zhaoquan would not normally remember someone of such low rank, but after a moment’s thought, he instructed the eunuch to find out why it had been Gao Yu.
Yan Yihuan gradually came back to himself. He suddenly stood up, knocking over the teacup and spilling its contents. He let out a small cry, which made Shen Zhaoquan, who had been about to leave, turn back and head toward him.
“Did you burn yourself?”
“No.” Yan Yihuan retreated two steps in a fluster, “The tea had already gone cold. I’m fine.”
“Then go change your clothes quickly.” Shen Zhaoquan was just about to call a eunuch over when his sleeve was suddenly grabbed. He turned his head and met a pair of eyes filled with urgency and helpless confusion.
“Eunuch Shen, I want to leave the palace.”
“Why?” Shen Zhaoquan was surprised, and all the more certain that something had happened earlier. “Did something happen just now?”
“I… I…” Yan Yihuan knew that speaking of it would cause a great uproar. He did not dare meet Shen Zhaoquan’s gaze and could only lower his head. “His Majesty hasn’t spoken to me these past few days, and I was just reprimanded earlier. I… I just want to go out for a walk.”
That was indeed not untrue. There was a knot between the two of them, and before it could be untangled, one state matter after another had pressed down on them until there was barely room to breathe. Shen Zhaoquan could not say much, and so he tried to comfort him.
“Grand Historian Yan knows that His Majesty has been restless day and night these past few days. If you’re feeling stifled, you could go take a walk in the imperial garden. It’s full of spring right now and very peaceful.”
Yan Yihuan still clutched Shen Zhaoquan’s sleeve and refused to let go, “What is there to see in the imperial garden. Last time His Majesty said I could rest for five days, but in the end I never did. I don’t dare say it to His Majesty. I beg Eunuch Shen to help me.”
Shen Zhaoquan knew there must be something weighing on his heart, and thought that perhaps he should find an opportunity to inform the Emperor. He was just about to nod in agreement when the sound of porcelain being smashed to the ground rang out from inside the imperial study. Both of them were startled and instinctively turned toward the window.
“Grand Historian Yan, His Majesty is probably in a great rage. This servant must go at once.”
Yan Yihuan was not one to pester needlessly. He only looked at Shen Zhaoquan with pleading eyes as he let go.
Although pressed for time, Shen Zhaoquan still said, “If I find an opportunity, I’ll mention it to His Majesty.”
Yan Yihuan hurriedly nodded and urged him to go quickly, saying he would go change his clothes himself, then turned and headed toward the rear of the hall.
