The visitor was unkind.
Unexpectedly, it wasn’t someone from the government office, but from the palace.
Rong Juan’s first reaction was, “Then the deluxe prison travel kit I packed in advance won’t be used?”
It contained small soft items and toiletries. With his increasingly familiar relationship with the Superintendent Bureau, sending it in after an inspection wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Maybe he could even send Gu Wen in.
Then he would not only have a study companion but also someone to serve tea and water.
As soon as these words came out, the air clearly became quiet.
So the kidnapping wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, but premeditated for a long time? He even considered the step of going to jail.
The palace servants outside were urging him.
Rong Juan laughed dryly, glanced at Gu Wen, and seized the last moment to say to Xie Yanzhou: “Take good care of him for me.”
“…”
Rong Juan thought he spoke very politely this time. With outsiders present, he couldn’t use the word “guard,” which would make Xie Yanzhou look like an accomplice.
The person snatched with great difficulty must not slip away.
At the entrance of the manor, seeing Rong Juan holding a teacup in his left hand and a small teapot in his right, the eunuch who came to deliver the decree was stunned, but soon expressed understanding.
He was so scared he forgot to put down the food and drink.
Rong Juan sat in the carriage, sipping one mouthful after another. Not long after finishing the last sip, the carriage stopped.
Almost as soon as he got off, a sense of oppression hit him in the face.
The atmosphere in the palace today was extremely tense. Palace servants came and went with their heads lowered uniformly, not daring to say an extra word.
Recently, the Emperor had been moody, and the Crown Prince cruel; everyone in the palace was in danger.
Several officials were walking out of the majestic hall.
Rong Juan was curious: “Didn’t the morning court end long ago?”
The long-white-browed eunuch introduced: “They came to impeach you, my Lord.”
Rong Juan put on an “oh, I see” expression.
“Then the officials coming from the east are…”
“Also here to impeach you. So are the ones walking away by the west palace wall.”
“Oh, oh.”
Unexpectedly, the news spread so fast. Rong Juan felt his privacy had been violated.
He stood outside the hall, waiting for the long-white-browed eunuch to announce him first.
A moment later, Rong Juan walked in, seeing the chief eunuch give him a look of “good luck.”
The Emperor’s reprimand soon sounded in the hall. The Emperor was already in a bad mood, and an official hitting the muzzle of the gun naturally wouldn’t get a good face.
The Son of Heaven was furious, his voice echoing inside and outside the hall. The guards on duty trembled with fear, secretly thinking the official who had just gone in was done for.
…
Inside the hall, accusations smashed down one by one:
“In broad daylight, breaking into the Prime Minister’s manor to snatch people! Unkind as an official, unfilial as a son…”
Speaking of unfilial sons, seemingly thinking of the Crown Prince’s bastard behavior these days, the Emperor’s anger rose further.
The long-white-browed eunuch beside him hinted frantically for Rong Juan to kneel, but Rong Juan seemed scared silly, standing there like a wooden stake. Facing the barrage of scolding, when he reacted, he actually bowed first, and even got his left and right hands mixed up.
A look of utter stupidity made the Emperor, who wanted to punish him immediately, pause slightly.
The more a subject knelt there like a quail, the more it aroused his desire to punish. If Rong Juan had knelt and admitted his mistake from the start, what awaited him would be immediate punishment and a dragging out.
Tired from scolding in one breath, the Emperor picked up his teacup, his movements slowing for a moment.
The cup was almost empty.
Not long ago, the Emperor started his rap after drinking tea, accompanied by hand gestures, as if he couldn’t curse without moving.
The little eunuch nearby wanted to refill the tea several times but almost bumped into His Majesty’s arm, so he had to wait for an opportunity on the side.
However, sitting on the throne, the last thing one learns is empathy.
The Emperor didn’t say anything immediately, picking up the small purple clay teapot next to him expressionlessly.
The next second, the purple clay teapot flew out.
The little eunuch instinctively wanted to dodge, just catching the Emperor’s terrifyingly sinister look. His whole body froze instantly. With a thud, a small stream of blood appeared on his forehead.
Dizzy as he was, he had to kneel and beg for forgiveness. The little eunuch forcibly found his balance and prepared to kneel.
“Your Majesty—”
That feeling of being interrupted felt familiar to the Emperor.
Almost at the same time, a voice pleading guilty sounded: “This subject knows his crime.”
The Emperor’s attention returned to Rong Juan.
“Know your crime? I see you have absolutely no intention of repenting. You’ve ruined the court’s reputation completely. Someone, drag him out, flog him…”
“Your Majesty!” Rong Juan pulled a repeat performance with his opera voice, interrupting the Emperor’s order again: “I beg Your Majesty, considering my father’s merit in quelling the rebellion and my hard work in dampening Wurong’s arrogance once, spare this subject’s life.”
The guards had already arrived at the door. They were used to this situation. No matter how the subject wailed, the final outcome was the same.
Just as they walked straight forward, an unexpected thing happened.
Thinking of something unknown, the Emperor suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
Rong Juan wasn’t surprised by this.
To delay time and make the other party’s rationality return as soon as possible, the best way was to gather mistakes, points of interest, and things that raised questions in one sentence, leading to the next topic.
Right now, the Emperor instinctively wanted to correct the mistake: someone who had just gone to rob his own father’s manor could actually ask people to consider his father’s face without blushing or heart pounding.
Soon, the word “Wurong” triggered the Emperor’s keyword again.
Ten strokes could take Rong Juan’s life.
The Emperor wouldn’t care about a subject’s death, but he hadn’t forgotten the purpose of keeping him: to send him to Wurong to appease their anger if the situation went wrong.
Being beaten to death with random sticks would be a bit of a loss.
Finally, the Emperor suddenly found it funny. Someone with a Gold Medal of Immunity from Death insisted on dragging up merits and hard work to ask for pardon; clearly, his brain wasn’t working well.
Involving his own interests, the Emperor finally waved the guards away temporarily.
Rong Juan, however, seemed terrified and sat on the ground with a plop.
Mm, sitting is still more comfortable.
This was a posture he carefully selected. It wouldn’t cramp his legs and ensure his long robe wouldn’t lift up. Otherwise, just the outer trousers couldn’t resist the cold of the floor tiles, easily causing cramps.
This posture was very unruly.
For a subject who had already committed a crime and was scared half to death, the Emperor wouldn’t pay attention to rules anymore.
Having vented his anger, the manic depression from recent nightmares dissipated a bit.
“Speak, why did you kidnap the Prime Minister’s retainer?”
“This subject…” Rong Juan was summoned urgently, wearing no official uniform or hat. His long hair, secured only by a jade hairpin, was already a bit loose.
Strands of hair cast shadows on his cheeks, hiding the hint of ridicule between his brows.
Facing a subject who forcibly abducted a civilian man, he actually only remembered to ask the reason now.
“Because this subject wanted to anger my dad.”
These treasonous words echoed in the treasure hall. Not to mention the Emperor, even the inner attendants couldn’t help casting curious glances.
Maintaining a comfortable sitting posture, Rong Juan said indignantly: “My dad was arranging a marriage for this humble subject before, and urged me to return to the West Garden. He clearly knows this humble subject cannot marry!”
The guards waited quietly on the side.
Just because of this, he went to snatch someone?
And snatching a man? Are the officials’ sons in the capital crazy now?
Rong Juan seemed unable to catch his breath. He had been sitting straight just now, but now he wasn’t.
“This humble subject is impotent, unless using medicine! I heard children born like this in the future are also prone to illness…”
When involving offspring, the anger in the previously impatient Emperor’s eyes gradually faded, turning obscure instead.
He naturally thought in the direction of the Gold Medal of Immunity from Death.
The Emperor knew better than anyone that his subjects were all calculating. The Right Prime Minister actively arranging a marriage could only be related to this.
The father and brother couldn’t enjoy the Gold Medal of Immunity from Death, but descendants could. This was wanting to pass down the Gold Medal for generations.
At the same time, the voice below seemed to have given up completely, saying anything.
“This subject wants to let my dad know I prefer men. If he urges once, I’ll snatch one of his students. Urge again, snatch again…”
“Presumptuous!”
Rong Juan was roared at and stopped talking, but his mouth was still moving, muttering something unknown.
The guards dared not listen further.
The long-white-browed eunuch serving the Emperor was even more terrified.
Daring to act wild in front of His Majesty—did he not want his life?
However, something unexpected happened.
The Emperor, usually strict with officials, didn’t punish him immediately, only staring coldly at the subject below the steps.
Rong Juan regretted not grabbing an extra cup of tea when leaving. The half cup on the way was only enough to moisten his throat for three or four sentences.
He said hoarsely: “Actually, this subject was also forced. Colleagues in the Ministry of Rites are usually very busy, and no one is willing to teach me business. Snatching someone knowledgeable back can also help this humble subject.”
All of the above was true, but like at the racecourse last time, the only vague thing was the concept of time.
For example, the Right Prime Minister calling him back and the marriage were events from two different time periods. Connected together, the feeling was different.
The Emperor’s face clearly improved a lot.
Knowing the one below was a duck driven onto a perch to become an official, being squeezed out was normal.
His heart was now more filled with dissatisfaction toward the Right Prime Minister.
When he was willing to bestow the Gold Medal of Immunity from Death, it was based on the premise that it absolutely couldn’t be passed down. Who knew his good subject was so greedy?
The Emperor looked down at Rong Juan. Although he no longer planned to punish him, he still kept a straight face and said deeply: “As a court official, your behavior is disorderly, acting without thinking thrice. Get back and reflect behind closed doors for three days!”
Sitting for too long, his butt was a bit numb. Rong Juan didn’t stand up immediately.
With the scheming Right Prime Minister for contrast, the Emperor found Rong Juan much more pleasing to the eye now, ordering the eunuch to take him out.
The Imperial Guards outside the hall were quite shocked to see him come out unscathed.
He can walk out safely even after this?
Rong Juan welcomed the sunlight outside again. In front of the vermilion columns, several impeaching officials watched him being led out by the chief eunuch, their beards almost standing on end in surprise.
Ignoring these gazes, Rong Juan walked his own path calmly.
“My Lord, you must never be so rude in front of His Majesty next time. Just now, this servant’s heart was in his throat.”
When the Emperor got angry, palace servants easily suffered too.
The long-white-browed eunuch always spoke unpleasant words, reporting bad news but not good news every time they met.
But Rong Juan thought he was nice. Others tipped the eunuch reading the edict when promoted; he never paid a cent, yet the long-white-browed eunuch never deliberately made things difficult for him.
So Rong Juan rarely opened his purse today. The long-white-browed eunuch accepted it happily.
Amidst the polite exchange of words, Rong Juan followed his gaze and just happened to see the palace servant who had finished cleaning up the broken teapot coming out.
Thinking everyone was scolded by the Dog Emperor, he couldn’t help feeling some sympathy.
“If convenient, Eunuch, give him another good place to go.”
Money spent, pulling strings while at it, counted as maximizing benefits.
After speaking, Rong Juan left, rushing back to rest.
The little eunuch whose face was injured by the teapot stared blankly in the direction Rong Juan had disappeared. Only when that back figure vanished outside the first palace gate did he become meek again.
The long-white-browed eunuch took the money and was in a good mood, saying a few more words.
“Put more heart into your work in the future. You almost lost your life at the last palace banquet. It’s just your good luck…”
It was impossible for someone with a facial injury to serve before the Emperor. Without that earlier sentence, the place waiting for this little eunuch definitely wouldn’t be good.
…
Prime Minister’s Manor.
Rong Hengsui had been pacing back and forth for an hour.
Zheng Wan watched with heartache: “The doctor said the wound on your chest hasn’t healed yet. You shouldn’t move too much.”
Rong Hengsui’s joy outweighed his anger now.
The biggest stumbling block on his official path actually fell into the abyss first, without him needing to kick.
Zheng Wan thought similarly and was somewhat impatient.
She was too hasty before. Thinking carefully, how could a person change their nature so easily?
With Rong Hengsong’s virtue, he would make mistakes sooner or later as an official.
Just then, the person inquiring about news in the palace returned, heading straight for the study.
Seeing this, Rong Hengsui hurriedly found an excuse to go to the study too.
In the study, Rong Chenglin was writing with a brush. His calligraphy and painting were both superb; the handwriting was vigorous but not stiff.
Due to the blood relationship between father and son, Rong Chenglin naturally couldn’t go report to the officials and impeach his own son personally, so he just let a few ministers go.
“My Lord.”
Rong Chenglin put down the brush and wiped his wrist with a handkerchief. His face showed none of the joy Zheng Wan and her son had; instead, he gradually frowned.
Usually, subordinates would continue only after receiving permission from the master. But if it were relatively ideal news, they wouldn’t be so reserved.
“Speak.”
“This servant waited outside the palace and saw with his own eyes the Young Master leaving in a carriage.”
Leaving in a carriage instead of being directly imprisoned already explained that things had taken a turn.
The servant dared not look at Rong Chenglin’s expression, his head lowering further: “According to a familiar eunuch, His Majesty was furious and ordered, ordered the Young Master to return to the manor and reflect behind closed doors.”
Furious, reflect?
How can these words be connected?
After confirming repeatedly that he didn’t mishear, Rong Hengsui couldn’t hold back anymore, interrupting: “How is this possible?”
The servant couldn’t give a specific answer either.
Rong Hengsui hurriedly asked again: “Then what about Mr. Gu?!”
The Emperor didn’t avoid people when issuing the decree. It was said he didn’t mention a single word about the snatched person, let alone order his release.
The servant hesitated: “…Inside the closed doors.”
“…”
…
Carriage picked up and dropped off; under the sunset, the General’s Manor plaque shimmered with golden light.
Seeing Rong Juan return safely, although the people in the manor didn’t show it on their faces, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Professional habits drew the steward’s attention to Rong Juan’s clothes. The hem of the robe was wrinkled terribly, but the front was still very new.
Entering the palace inevitably involved kneeling and confessing guilt. Why was this robe wrinkled in the opposite direction?
Before he could think too long, Xie Yanzhou ordered the steward to notify the kitchen to prepare today’s dinner.
Rong Juan: “You haven’t eaten yet?”
It was long past mealtime.
The question wasn’t answered. Dinner was served quickly; obviously, the kitchen had finished most of the preparation.
Xie Yanzhou sat opposite the round table. At this time, the angle of the sun shifted just right to shine on the dining table. The jade pendant on his waist and the red string of the safety talisman’s outer bag seemed tied together.
Rong Juan rarely flattered himself, but Xie Yanzhou’s daily meal times were very standard. He couldn’t help wondering suspiciously: Could he be waiting for me?
Cooing sounds brought him back to reality.
On the bird stand, Yi Dian Dian and Brother Strong were gathering to peck at food.
Rong Juan wondered: “They haven’t eaten either?”
Xie Yanzhou ate calmly: “They weren’t hungry just now.”
The sparrow was still burying its head in the food, but the macaw spread its wings, looking like it wanted to come over and peck Xie Yanzhou.
Rong Juan raised an eyebrow in surprise. This bird feels like it’s becoming a spirit.
Many people in the capital were surprised right now.
High-ranking court officials had long heard what happened, but the content of Rong Juan’s punishment had only just reached the ears of various households.
Is His Majesty crazy? Entering a manor to snatch someone only gets three days of confinement at home!
And for someone who claimed sick leave every day to squat in the General’s Manor, what kind of punishment was this?
Hearing that the impeaching ministers waited outside the hall to see the Emperor again but were dismissed by the Emperor on the grounds that “even an honest official can hardly settle family affairs,” they were even more confused.
Some even thought treasonously: Could this Rong Hengsong be His Majesty’s illegitimate son?
Otherwise, why treat him so favorably?
On the other side, the Superintendent Bureau was ready for the handover. Officials’ cases would eventually be their responsibility. The cell was vacated, but the tenant didn’t come.
Bu San followed the Chief Superintendent. After hearing this shocking news, he was more struck by the consequences of Rong Hengsong’s earlier troubles.
Bu San asked seriously: “Did His Majesty promote him then?”
The official reporting to the Chief Superintendent: “…”
The Chief Superintendent’s gaze slowly moved to Bu San’s face.
Bu San shut up.
Author’s Note:
That night, Bu San thought all night but couldn’t figure out why the Emperor hadn’t promoted Rong Juan.