CH 15

On the second day after the imperial examination cheating was solved, Emperor Jia Ning issued an imperial decree. Dismissing Du Zeru from his post as Minister of the Minister of Household Affairs, deporting his family to the north of the desert, stripping Qi Shan of his succession rights to the title of Marquis of Zhongyi, reprimanding the Marquis of Zhongyi for his incompetence in teaching his son, and fining him a thousand taels of silver, and placing the army in the northwest under the command of General Shi Yuan Lang.

Qian Guangjin, who was still a junior Minister of the Household, was promoted to Minister of the Household by the Emperor Jia Ning. On the same day that the top three ranking in the Imperial examination came out, Ren Anle, who was praised by all the officials and the public, was also appointed as the Minister of the Da Lisi.

Since then, Ren Anle has never been absent from a gathering of eminent scholars or a poetry banquet for noble women. All the banquets were honoured to invite her to attend.

It had only been three months since she had entered the imperial capital to serve in the name of the fierce female bandit that the city disliked.

The spring breeze was so fast that she saw all the flowers of Chang'an in one day.[1]

[1]春风得意chūn fēng dé yì flushed with success; proud of one's success (in exams, promotion etc)

Every three years, a grand banquet is held on the banks of the Qin River for the successful candidates. The young man and official's son on high horses and in red robes often turn a river of romance attracting countless daughters.

Despite the twists and turns, this year's examination did not detract in any way from the popularity of the several exam candidates who passed the examination. Especially notable was the famous Wen Shuo, who was applauded by the Emperor during the Imperial Examination, which became a well-known story.

On this day, a group of exam candidates who passed the imperial examination paraded through the imperial capital to the sound of gongs and drums, with Wen Shuo at the head of the group dressed in a crimson zhuang yuan[2] robe, as gentle as a crown jade. Wherever he passed, the flowers thrown from the hands of the noble women in the street restaurant laid a foot on the floor.

[2]状元 zhuàng yuán- top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system); (fig.) the most brilliantly talented person in the field; leading light  

In the evening, the Emperor gave a Qionglin banquet[3] at the palace. Even the Crown Prince, who rarely attends banquets, was graciously entertained. The news from the palace was that the prince was overwhelmed with joy, and all of the wine toasted by the scholars was unrefused.

[3]琼林宴 The Qionglin Banquet was a banquet for the new scholars after the palace examination, which began in the Song Dynasty.

Under the starry moonlit sky, Ren Anle was accompanied by this grand and lively Qiong Hua ceremony and rode into the palace in a carriage at a slow pace.

Inside the carriage, Yuan Shu blinked her eyes and looked at Ren Anle, who was dressed in a navy blue robe, shaking her head and sighing.

She was hoping that Ren Anle would wear the clothes and ornaments sent by the Crown Prince to the palace, so that the princesses and noble women would be jealous. But she didn't know that Ren Anle had already put the gifts in the treasury and sealed them, and instructed them to be used for her future trousseau.

Hey, my silly young lady. I've never seen such a sincere girl like you.

While the imperial garden was noisy and joyous, the Emperor chose to summon Ren Anle in the quiet Guanxin Garden.

The Guanxin garden is at the western end of the imperial city and is lit up by several palace lanterns. But as night falls, it is difficult to see the thousand miles of grassland at the foot of the Fuling Mountains as usual. This garden has been a favourite of the Emperor in recent years, and whenever he is not summoning courtiers for state affairs, he always chooses this place to rest.

There are hundreds of rumours about Ren Anle in the capital. The normally placid Wang An could not help but feel an itch in his heart. When he found out that Emperor Jia Ning had announced Ren An Le's entry into the palace on this day, he begged to come along.

At this moment, the old prince, who was sipping the fine wine from the inner palace, stroked his beard and said to Emperor Jia Ning, " Your Majesty, this time the zhuang yuan is deserving of his name. Wen Shuo's reputation as the right minister was not tarnished."

Although he is young, Wen Shuo has the talent to govern the world, and with his loyalty to the Crown Prince, he will become a pillar of Great Jing in the future.

Emperor Jia Ning nodded his head with slight emotion, "He saved the crown prince's life at the beginning, and now it seems that it is the fate of the two of them. I have been on the throne for sixteen years, but I have yet to see anyone as intelligent as this child ......"

"Not so much, the girl's intelligence was probably not under Wen Shuo ......" Wang An was slightly drunk and suddenly took a sip. Only halfway through his sentence did he suddenly realize that he had violated the emperor's taboo and put down his wine glass embarrassedly, "Your Majesty ......"

Emperor Jia Ning waved his hand and took a sip of his wine, "There is no need for Wang An to be concerned." He paused, then narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "This is the truth. I knew back then... if Di Ziyuan had been raised by the Di family, I am afraid there would have been a second Di Chengtian in this world."

Wang An swallowed his saliva, deeply convinced that he had been wise all his life, but in his old age, he was too quick to speak. He wanted to pound out all the books he had read in his previous life, and turned over countless thoughtful and profound topics in his mind in an attempt to make up for his mistake. Who knew that the emperor's heart is a needle at the bottom of the ocean, and the old gentleman sitting across from him has no intention of revealing it easily.

"She is now raised by the imperial family in Mount Tai. Wang An, do you think it is a pity?"

The old prince's heart was beating like a drum as he replied, "Naturally not. The Di family committed treason back then, and for you to keep Di Ziyuan alive is already extraordinarily kind to the Di family."

"Ziyuan, Ziyuan, it's really a good name. Born like the head of the Di family..." Emperor Jia Ning gave a faint smile and said, "But I'm afraid that Di Chengtian doesn't care to accept this kindness from me."

At these words, the astonishment on King An's face could not be concealed, and he said in a startled voice, "Your Majesty, the head of the Di family is still alive?"

Emperor Jia Ning's eyes darkened, his fingers unconsciously rubbed the jade ring on his hand. After half a second he said in a deep voice, "Naturally, she is dead."

Wang An let out a long breath and took a sip from his wine cup to hide his discomfort.

Ten years ago, the entire Di family was beheaded and 80,000 soldiers died in the northwest. If Di Chengtian were still alive, with her reputation, Yunxia would have been at war long ago. How could there be peace in Dajing today?

When Di Chengtian disappeared after the collapse of the Taizu, no one knows whether she is alive or dead, so why can Your Majesty say so?

The doubts were suppressed to the bottom of his heart. Before Wang An had time to come up with a scene to ease the atmosphere, the voice of the inner servant had already sounded at the entrance of the garden.

"Your Majesty, Lord Ren wishes to see you."

"Let her in."

Emperor Jia Ning commanded in a deep voice. While Wang An was thinking about setting up a longevity tablet for the living Bodhisattva who had saved the suffering, he raised his eyes towards the entrance of the garden.

The woman approaching walks in a dragon's stride. Under the moonlight, she is dressed in an ancient navy blue dress, making people intuitively guess what kind of appearance she should have.

Ren Anle walked across the path and appeared in front of them. Wang An was stunned. Her eyebrows were indifferent, her eyes were solemn, and her aura was heavenly. She's indeed extraordinary human. It's just that the look was born too ordinary.

It's a pity that ...... between Wang An's sighs, Ren Anle had already walked not far from the two of them and paid a courtesy in the direction of Emperor Jia Ning, "Ren Anle meet Your Majesty."

There was a moment of silence before Emperor Jia Ning said indifferently, "Get up."

Ren Anle rose and cupped her fist in the direction of Wang An, sharp and valiant: "Greetings, Wang An."

Wang An froze slightly, smiled and nodded.

Emperor Jia Ning pointed in the direction of the chair opposite him. Ren Anle sat down smoothly and nonchalantly, without the slightest hint of fear and honour of seeing the face of Heaven. When he saw this scene, Wang An hastily poured wine and turned his head to one side.

Emperor Jia Ning's face did not change as he said, "Ren Qing has solved the case of cheating in the imperial examination and has given the capital's scholars a clear mind. Zhen should thank Qing."

The old prince disagrees inwardly. The emperor must have had a grudge against the ringing of the Qinglong Bell and wanted to settle the score afterwards, but he did not expect that Ren Anle would become famous and that she would be able to win the hearts of all the people, and now he could not touch her easily. With that in mind, he can't help but gloat a little.

"His Majesty's words are heavy. If it were not for Your Majesty's generosity and the cooperation of the officials of the Da Lisi, it would not have been possible for An Le alone to bring this case to light. His Majesty's rule over the Dynasty is clear and bright, and it is only then that the fruits of today will be seen." 

Listen to this, it is beautifully said. Ren Anle looked like a person of integrity at first glance. The words of praise she uttered, even if they were exactly the same as those of those who spent all their time patronising him, were particularly pleasing to the ears.

Sure enough, Emperor Jianing's complexion was quite relieved and he said, "I am impressed by Qing Ren. I thought that Qing was only general, but now it seems that entering the court as an official doesn't count as burying Qing. The only thing is..." the Emperor gave a slight pause and trailed off, "I heard that the 30,000 navy divisions of Anle Fortress were trained by qing, if I let qing go back to Jinan to help General Ji train the naval divisions ......"

Wang An's heart shuddered and he looked towards Ren Anle ——

"Your Majesty, please don't..." Ren Anle waved her hand repeatedly, "My bandit den is far less prosperous than the imperial capital. Besides, Anle has been fighting for several years and is full of bruises and broken bones, so it is enough to retire in the capital."

The mouthful of wine in Wang An's mouth almost spat out. Ren Anle was still only eighteen years old! How could they, old men with half a foot in their coffins, be ashamed of themselves?

Emperor Jia Ning was also stunned, the coldness under his eyes dispersed, and his smile gently rose, "Secretary Ren is joking. You are a great talent of the country. I am very pleased that you are willing to stay in the imperial capital to assist me. You have done a great service in solving the case. If you have any requests, I will grant them."

Ren Anle is indeed talented. Moreover, her personality is to his liking.

Ren Anle's lazy sitting body suddenly leaned forward and her indifferent eyes became bright, "Is this true, Your Majesty?"

The two could feel Ren Anle's instant joy overflowing into her words. Cold sweat broke out as Wang An thought of her marriage proposal in the imperial court three months ago.

Emperor Jia Ning's eyes narrowed slightly. His hand tapped on the stone table and said, "Except for one thing, the crown prince consort position is not allowed."

Ren Anle's mouth twitched and she leaned back with a sigh, "Ai, this servant knew that His Majesty was teasing this servant. Forget it, this servant has nothing to ask for."

This is not the tone of speaking to a ruler of a country, but the Emperor was extremely impressed. Seeing Ren Anle's dejected face, he said curiously, "Ren Qing, is the crown prince so good in your eyes?"

Although he was honoured by the Crown Prince's popularity, he really couldn't see how his son could make Ren Anle, who has been on the battlefield, to look like this!

Ren Anle rubbed her chin, met the eager eyes of Emperor Jia Ning and Wang An, and slowly said, "His Royal Highness has a face like jade. The husband Anle has longed for since she was a child is like him."

Poof ...... Wang An finally failed to keep the royal manners he had maintained for more than ten years and spewed out a mouthful of wine!

A face like jade? Emperor Jia Ning thought back to the Prince's resemblance to Taizu's appearance and was silent, wondering in his heart. Could it be that the taste of women from that nook in southern Jin are quite different?

As the wine was becoming intoxicating, the singing and dancing in the imperial garden ceased. The summon was quite satisfactory to Emperor Jia Ning, and he acknowledged Ren Anle's position in the capital. After a few words of ceremony, he let Ren Anle and Wang An to withdraw.

Emperor Jia Ning remained seated on the stone chair. After a long time, the wine jug was empty. Zhao Fu Xing stepped forward and persuaded in low voice, "Your Majesty, it is late at night and it is cold, drink less."

Emperor Jia Ning did not speak, but suddenly raised his head and looked to the secluded northern side of the Imperial City and muttered in a quiet voice, "Zhao Fu, do you think...is Di Chengtian dead, or is she alive?"

Zhao Fu's heart shuddered.

"If she is alive, how can my country still be so secure?"

"If she is dead, then zhen ......" Emperor Jia Ning rose abruptly, his brows solemn and cold "Is possible to get out of this siege!"

Zhao Fu followed Emperor Jianing's gaze and landed on the northern palace of the imperial city, and his expression changed slightly.

That is the Zhaoren Palace Hall, the place where the Taizu died.

Almost no one in the world knows that when Tai Zu passed away, he was not accompanied by his Empress and imperial concubines, his royal son and princesses ...... but by the head of the Di family, Di Chengtian.

No one knows that sixteen years ago, in front of the tomb of Taizu, Di Chengtian vowed never to set foot in the imperial capital again in this life.

Twenty years ago, Di Chengtian's martial arts skills had already reached the level of a grandmaster, and it was difficult to find an opponent in the world.

This is... the real reason why Emperor Jia Ning had not left the imperial capital for ten years.

He had won over the Di clan, making Dajing a royal family ever since, but he had trapped himself in this city forever —— a siege in the name of Di Chengtian's devotion to the world.

The palace servant led Ren Anle out of the Crown Heart Garden. Having been here once before, Ren Anle dismissed the palace servant and walked outside alone.

The palace was magnificent at night and the paths were secluded, but it was clear that Ren Anle had overestimated her ability to read the paths and in half a minute she was lost in the twists and turns of the palace.

She sighed and was about to call someone to take her out when she noticed a silhouette standing still in the pavilion not far away.

The pavilion is guarded by imperial guard......? She didn't want her reputation for stealing incense and jade[4] to be spread throughout the capital the next day. Ask for a meeting? Clearly not in keeping with her usual acting style.

[4]偷香窃玉 偷香竊玉 tōu xiāng qiè yù unmarried young men and women in private love; men and women secretly in love

Ren Anle smiled smugly as she raised her chin and eyebrow.

In the Tianjian Pavilion, Han Ye stood quietly, holding Wen Shuo's examination paper for this year's exam in his hand. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and he had a gentle expression on his face.

Suddenly there was a rustling of leaves, and Han Ye frowned and looked up to see - above the fence - a woman in an ancient navy blue dress sitting cross-legged, smiling radiantly.

Oh! Ren Anle whistled. She didn't know that the cold, old-fashioned crown prince would look so adorable when he was drunk!