"Do as you please!" An Xin closed her eyes, resigning herself to whatever he pleased...
Yan Zhen's fingers paused, then she felt a surge of annoyance. Her mind was in turmoil. One moment she was thinking: If it were another man, would she have obeyed him too? The next moment she was thinking: Why can Ling Xiyao do it, but he can't? And then she was thinking: What am I even doing?
His heart sank. He leaned down and gently kissed An Xin's forehead, whispering, "Silly girl, don't be so formal with me."
An Xin's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't open her eyes for a long time. Only when there was no sound in the room did she suddenly sit up.
At that moment, she clearly felt a tremor in her soul, something inexplicable and indescribable that left her momentarily bewildered.
She rolled off the bed, and there was still the red square box on the table. An Xin opened it casually and saw a crossbow-like object inside. It was exquisitely crafted, light and small. She picked it up and placed it on her wrist, and it fit her wrist perfectly.
That crossbow could fire five times in a row, with tremendous power. An Xin had seen a similar design in the book of hidden weapons.
An Xin paused for a moment, then casually put the things away. She sat at the table for a while, her mind a jumble of thoughts, before getting up and leaving.
××× ×××
Time flew by, and one day Anxin returned home. Dewdrop was sweeping the dust in front of the door when she saw Anxin and happily said, "Miss, you're back!"
An Xin grabbed a broom and swept alongside Lu Zhu, her gaze falling on An Youwei, who remained motionless in the yard. She whispered, "Is Dad alright?"
"Miss, guess what just happened?" Dewdrop exclaimed excitedly.
An Xin glanced at her: "Are those shirtless men here to apologize again?"
Dewdrop chuckled and shook her head, saying, "Just now, the Emperor suddenly issued an imperial edict summoning you back to the capital!"
An Xin's expression suddenly changed: "What!?"
Dewdrop said excitedly, "So we're going back to the capital again! Master's official rank has risen several levels! Miss, you don't know, but the villagers' expressions were quite interesting when they heard this news!"
An Xin suddenly dropped the broom and ran into the courtyard. An Youwei saw An Xin and stood up, saying, "Xin'er, the imperial decree..."
"Father, we can't go back to the capital." An Xin snatched the imperial edict from An Youwei's hand, glanced at it, and frowned. Although she didn't understand politics, she knew that serving the emperor was like walking on thin ice. The court was treacherous and unpredictable, and a slight mistake could lead to death. It was better to stay in this village. She believed in her own abilities and that she could support her parents and ensure they had enough to eat and wear!
An Youwei paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "Xin'er, I know that returning to the capital is not necessarily a happy occasion, but the imperial decree is hard to disobey, and defying the imperial order is a capital offense!"
An Xin looked at An Youwei's aged face. In ancient times, the most important thing for people was to pass the imperial examination and become an official. It was a great event that brought honor to their ancestors, and An Youwei was no exception.
Was it selfish of her not to let An Youwei return to the court?
But when I think about the overall situation in the court, with the left and right factions standing side by side, no matter which faction I join, the future is worrying. And under that huge power, it is absolutely impossible to remain neutral!
At that time, many things came up in a chaotic manner, and such peaceful days could never come again!
But when she thought about how An Youwei had been ridiculed endlessly since he fell on hard times, she wondered if she could really turn things around on her own.
In other words, in this feudal ancient society, no matter how rich you were, you would never gain true respect if you stayed away from officialdom!
An Xin's heart sank. She was by nature indifferent and did not pursue fame or fortune, but she could not ignore her parents' situation.
"Father, the Emperor said you would never serve as an official in the court, but now he has summoned you back to the capital. What is the reason for this?" An Xin asked, calming herself down.
An Youwei frowned and said, "Father also finds this strange. Besides, to become an official in the court, one must obtain the approval of the Right Chancellor. A few days ago, all the officials came to apologize with thorns on their backs, and now the Emperor has ordered me to return to the capital. Could it be that the Right Chancellor..."
An Xin was annoyed. She had made it clear to Yan Zhen that day that she hoped her father could live a peaceful life, but he insisted on ruining it. How hateful!
"Father, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You didn't become an official through the imperial examinations back then, so there must be a reason why you've suddenly been given such an important position. In my opinion, it's better not to obey this imperial decree!"
An Youwei's face suddenly turned deathly pale: "This is an imperial edict..."
An Xin comforted him, "Father, you just need to find an excuse to refuse. If the court wants you, they will definitely issue an imperial decree. You just need to submit a memorial. I will help you write the memorial!"
An Youwei knew that An Xin was right. He was originally a farmer who only managed to buy a minor official position by digging up an antique. Now, he was demoted and then reinstated, which was too strange!
After pondering for a long time, An Youwei finally said, "Okay."
××× ×××
Kyoto.
The curtains were drawn, and the candlelight flickered.
Incense burned in the censer, carrying a refreshing scent of camphor. A young servant carefully carried a mahogany tray into the main hall and whispered, "My lord, this is the new memorial submitted today. I have brought it to you."
On the luxurious couch, the man reclines wearily, like a datura flower blooming under the moonlight in the dead of night—exquisitely beautiful.
It was Yan Zhen.
Xiao Gongzi softened his breathing and bent down to present it to Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen raised his eyelashes slightly and said calmly, "There are undercurrents in the court. The ministers have all submitted memorials to the Emperor, saying that I am abusing my power and intend to seize the country. What do you think?"
Xiao Gongzi's face suddenly turned pale, and he knelt down with a thud, trembling as he said, "My lord, you are diligent and conscientious, and devoted to the country. Please do not listen to the nonsense of those ignorant people in the court!"
Yan Zhen raised the corner of his lips and said coolly, "Oh? Do you know what the punishment is for speaking ill of court officials?"
Xiao Gongzi trembled violently, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"
Yan Zhen casually picked up the memorials, opened a page, and said, "Treacherous officials are in power, bringing disaster to the country and its people; their crimes deserve death..." After reading a few lines, Yan Zhen tossed the memorial aside, picked up another, and slowly read, "The ruler is not a ruler, the minister is not a minister; they harbor wolfish ambitions; heaven and earth will not tolerate them..."
Xiao Gongzi was sweating profusely. These ministers were really audacious. They knew perfectly well that these memorials had to be reviewed by the Right Chancellor before being submitted to the Emperor, yet they still submitted such memorials. It seemed that they were doing this entirely to provoke the Right Chancellor.
"Your subject is willing to die for you, even in death, I would repay your kindness. I am filled with fear and trepidation, and I respectfully submit this memorial to you...?" Yan Zhen's coldness softened, a smile spreading across his face. He raised his eyelashes and asked with a smile, "What do you think of An Youwei's demotion?"
Xiao Gongzi was in a bind. Why was the Right Chancellor asking him about everything today? He was illiterate and usually bullied by everyone, so the Right Chancellor's behavior made him feel extremely apprehensive.
"Buying an official position is a taboo in the court, yet Lord An committed a crime. Being demoted is the lightest punishment he can receive," Xiao Gongzi said, wiping away cold sweat.