CH 41

The young emperor tilted his head slightly and looked at Lin Wei Xi with open curiosity.

It wasn’t necessarily a good thing to receive the Emperor’s curiosity. Lin Wei Xi lowered her head further, revealing only her slender neck. Gu Hui Yan glanced at her and said, “that’s my wife.”

The Emperor looked at her curiously a few more times before saying, “You may forgo the formalities.”

Lin Wei Xi stood up along with everyone and the Emperor stepped forward to greet Empress Dowager Qian. The Emperor and Prince Yan were here, so the seating order naturally had to be rearranged. Lin Wei Xi took the opportunity to walk to Gu Hui Yan, silently disappearing under his imposing aura.

Gu Cheng Yao had also followed Gu Hui Yan and the Emperor to visit the Empress Dowager. He watched Lin Wei Xi eagerly walk in his direction and stop in front of him.

Gu Hui Yan wore a first rank Prince’s black python garment while Lin Wei Xi looked gorgeous and tender dressed all in red. He was tall and lean while she was curvy. Standing next to each other, they radiated harmony.

An inexplicable feeling he didn’t understand rose within Gu Cheng Yao. Seeing Lin Wei Xi automatically walk to Prince Yan, Gao Ran also headed towards Gu Cheng Yao, unwilling to lose. After she settled into her position next to him, she realized that he looked a little distracted. She couldn’t resist whispering, “Shizi?”

Gu Cheng Yao returned to his senses to find Gao Ran looking at him with concern. He smiled gently, easily concealed his emotions, and tried to pacify her with a gaze, “I’m fine. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are here. I’ll tell you when we return home.”

The Emperor helplessly sighed at this, “Uncle Yan is right. It’s just that, tomorrow Zhen◇ has to go to Wenhua Pavilion for lectures. There’s no time for the drill grounds.”

Gu Hui Yan paused momentarily and smiled again, “Grand Secretary Zhang is dedicated to Your Majesty and strictly abides by his duty as a teacher. This is a blessing for the country.”

Lin Wei Xi didn’t miss the fact that the Emperor addressed himself with “I” in front of Prince Yan, nor did she miss Prince Yan merely calling Grand Secretary Zhang’s strict discipline “a blessing to the country”, devoid of any personal opinion. Grand Secretary Zhang shouldered the responsibility of being the Emperor’s teacher. He also wholeheartedly wanted to groom a virtuous and wise monarch for the Qi Dynasty. Hence, the Emperor’s discipline was very complicated and strict. From the books he read to the words he practised, to even what he did during court sessions, everything was strict and regimental. From an adult’s perspective, Grand Secretary Zhang was doing this for the sake of the Emperor. But from the perspective of a twelve year old child, this was most likely a pain in the neck.

The Emperor reluctantly sent Prince Yan out. He glanced at Lin Wei Xi again and said, “Uncle Wang just got married. Zhen is a junior and wasn’t able to congratulate you on the day of. It’s truly unfortunate. Zhen doesn’t have much of a greeting gift. It’s only a pair of jade Bi for Aunt Yan. Zhen hopes that Aunt and Uncle Yan live a long and happy life together in harmony.”

Lin Wei Xi was caught off guard when she was addressed. She had never spoken to the emperor before, so she almost stumbled, “Your Majesty, this official’s wife lacks the ability… “

The Emperor smiled kindly at Lin Wei Xi. The young man had fair skin which made his smile look elegant and neat, “Aunt Yan, you don’t need to do this. Zhen has always respected Uncle Yan. This is Zhen’s congratulatory wedding gift to the both of you. Auntie should just accept it.”

Lin Wei Xi looked at Gu Hui Yan. He nodded slightly, so she said, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty.”

Lin Wei Xi and Gu Hui Yan made small talk with the Emperor while Gao Ran and Gu Cheng Yao had to stand at a respectful distance and watch from the back. Gao Ran couldn’t say a word. She watched the two of them stand side by side from behind, and thought to herself for some reason, that Gu Cheng Yao was only a Shizi and when people brought him up, they’d always refer to him as Prince Yan’s son. Gao Ran used to be extremely proud of her identity. But now it was hard for her to understand her own feelings.