Chapter 063: Peace Talks

Upon returning that day, Lu Xian, known for being stingy, was so happy that he bought a jar of Jinling Spring wine from Youhuang Pavilion with his own money.

The young servant was stunned: “Are you running a fever?”

Lu Xian poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip with great satisfaction, and said, “Evil people will eventually meet their match. It’s not that retribution doesn’t come, it’s just that the time hasn’t arrived yet! Hahaha…” He thought to himself that it would be even better if a fight broke out.

The young servant, who had been worried that Lu Xian might be ill, now realized that he was just having one of his usual fits of madness. The servant’s mouth twitched slightly, and he silently closed the door, leaving Lu Xian to laugh foolishly by himself in the room.

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The next morning, there was a grand court assembly.

After the assembly, it was still early. Xie Wei was pulled aside by several officials from the Ministry of Personnel for a brief conversation before he could leave. After some thought, he decided to visit the National History Museum.

Unexpectedly, he saw two figures at the bottom of the steps of the Huangji Hall when he looked up.

The person on the left had a dignified appearance and was speaking to the person on the right with a casual smile. This was Chen Ying, the current Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice. The person on the right, who was somewhat unfamiliar, wore a dark official robe, had a stern and cold expression, and gave off an impression of aloofness and severity.

As Xie Wei walked down the steps, Chen Ying noticed him and smiled, saying to the person on the right, “Let’s discuss this matter further when I return to the Ministry of Justice.”

Chen Ying then walked towards Xie Wei.

Xie Wei glanced at the person behind Chen Ying and was surprised to see that the person also turned to look at him and nodded slightly. Although Xie Wei did not know this person’s identity, he returned the nod out of courtesy.

Chen Ying stopped in front of Xie Wei, bowed, and said, “I’ve heard that you’ve been very busy lately, teaching the princess in the palace. I didn’t dare to visit you rashly. When might you have some free time?”

Xie Wei asked, “Who was that person just now?”

“Just now?”

Chen Ying instinctively looked back. The person he had been speaking to was now walking towards the palace gates, hands folded in his sleeves, looking upright and proper, showing no signs of being targeted by the Jinyiwei.

Chen Ying’s voice took on a playful tone as he mentioned this person.

“He’s the newly appointed Director of the Jiangxi Bureau of Clean Government, named Zhang.”

Although Xie Wei held a nominal position, most of the affairs of the court passed through his hands, so he had an impression of most matters. When Chen Ying mentioned this person, Xie Wei remembered.

It was because he had drafted the transfer order himself. He said, “Is he the one who impeached Commander Zhou?”

Chen Ying observed Xie Wei’s expression and smiled, “That’s him. You might not know, but this person is quite capable. He is very knowledgeable about criminal law and has all the statutes memorized. However, he has a stubborn and difficult personality and doesn’t get along well with others. He has only been at the Bureau of Clean Government for a few days, and the Jinyiwei’s Northern Surveillance Office has already invited me to several banquets. I’m currently undecided on what to do. What do you think, Master Xie?”

This Zhang Zhe was originally a Censor of the Ministry of Justice. After impeaching Commander Zhou, he offended the Jinyiwei. Shen Lang, in the cabinet, had once scolded him for being inflexible and causing trouble.

After all, the Jinyiwei only served the emperor.

Despite being furious, Shen Lang still transferred Zhang Zhe to the Bureau of Clean Government in the Ministry of Justice, promoting him from a seventh-rank to a sixth-rank official. Although it was a promotion in name only, it showed that he still had some favor from the emperor.

Here’s a translation of the provided text:

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Another matter…

Xie Wei’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Chen Ying and said, “Minister Zheng of the Ministry of Justice is getting old. Last year, he submitted a request for retirement to the emperor, but it was rejected. The emperor said that if Minister Zheng retired, it would be difficult to find a suitable person to manage the Ministry of Justice. However, this year, the term of Gu Chunfang, the Censor of Henan Province, is coming to an end. It was Gu Chunfang who strongly recommended Zhang Zhe, who was originally just a clerk, to enter the officialdom. You can drink the wine and attend the banquets, but you need to weigh the matter yourself.”

Chen Ying’s heart tightened.

He understood the underlying meaning of Xie Wei’s words. Gu Chunfang would soon become his direct superior, and Zhang Zhe might be untouchable. Thinking about his previous plans, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath and bowed to Xie Wei, “Thank you for your guidance, sir.”

Xie Wei responded indifferently, “I’ve been busy lately. Come visit me in a few days.”

Chen Ying replied, “Yes.”

Xie Wei said no more, turned away from Chen Ying, and headed towards the Wuying Hall.

The National History Museum, under the jurisdiction of the Hanlin Academy, was located in the east and west corridors of the Wuying Hall. It was mainly responsible for compiling the national history and biographies of meritorious officials.

After the morning court session, the compiling officials were drinking tea in the hall.

Usually, they would discuss court affairs or interesting news from various places. If they were in the mood, they might even recite poetry or talk about literature.

But today was different, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Zhang Zhong, the chief compiler of the National History Museum, looked at the eight volumes of “Admonitions for Women” on the table, his face turning purple with anger. When he reached out to flip through the top volume and found it stained with mud as if it had been thrown to the ground, his eyes flared with anger.

The young eunuch who delivered the books couldn’t help but shrink his neck.

The next moment, there was a loud bang as Zhang Zhong slapped the table and stood up, shouting, “This is outrageous! Who dared to throw the books issued by me and even had the audacity to return them to me?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside the National History Museum, “Chief Compiler Zhang, calm down.”

The hall fell silent.

Zhang Zhong turned to look at the door and saw Xie Wei walking in. He restrained some of his anger but still spoke with irritation, “Master Xie, you came just in time. Look at those female students in the Fengchen Hall. They don’t respect their teachers or study properly. Who gave them the courage?!”

Xie Wei glanced at the eight volumes of “Admonitions for Women” in front of Zhang Zhong, raised an eyebrow slightly, and sat down at the head of the row of chairs. He calmly said to Zhang Zhong, “I apologize. It was I who gave them the courage, and I who threw the books. I didn’t expect it to make you so angry, which makes me a bit uneasy.”

W-what…

Zhang Zhong felt a buzzing in his head, almost unable to believe what he had heard. After the words sank in, he looked at Xie Wei’s calm and smiling face and felt a wave of panic. His back hairs stood on end, his legs went weak, and he almost couldn’t stand steady.

While Zhao Yanhong was lecturing on the “Book of Songs” in the hall, Jiang Xuening was listening absentmindedly.

After Xie Wei left yesterday, the entire Fengchen Hall felt a bit strange.

The next class was arithmetic taught by Sun Shu, a young and relatively inexperienced scholar from the Imperial Academy. Perhaps because of his youth, he was the most humble and made an effort to ensure everyone understood his lessons. This was a relief for Jiang Xuening, who had been feeling frustrated with the other teachers, and it gave her some hope for her time as a companion reader in the palace.

However, after class, everyone started arguing.

It all began because Xie Wei had thrown away the “Admonitions for Women” issued by Master Zhang before his lecture yesterday and told them all to do the same.

Jiang Xuening’s book was thrown by Xie Wei, so it didn’t count.

But the princess had thrown her own book.

The remaining seven companion readers had not made any move at the time.

Among them, the timid Yao Rongrong was worried and said, “Master Xie told us to throw it away, and the princess also threw hers. We didn’t move at all. Isn’t that bad?”

Chen Shuyi immediately mocked her, “Why didn’t you throw it then?”

Yao Rongrong blushed and didn’t dare to speak again.

Zhou Baoying blinked and said, “I wanted to throw it too, but when I saw none of you did, I raised it and put it back down.”

Chen Shuyi sneered, “Does Baoying want to defy the rules too?”

Everyone could hear the malice in her words.

Xiao Shu, who had been silent, frowned at Chen Shuyi’s tone and unexpectedly turned to Jiang Xuening, “What does Miss Jiang think?”

Jiang Xuening didn’t expect Xiao Shu to ask her and didn’t know her intention. But since Xie Wei had thrown her book, she felt it was his responsibility, so she honestly said, “If you want to throw it, throw it. If not, keep it.”

Xie Wei didn’t seem to care either.

Her answer was essentially non-committal.

Xiao Shu gave her a deep look and then said to everyone, “Lectures in Fengchen Hall follow Master Xie’s lead. Although the other teachers are knowledgeable and experienced, the emperor doesn’t even remember their names. Admonitions for Women’ was not in Master Xie’s original curriculum; it was Master Zhang’s decision. We didn’t know before, but now that we do, we should correct it. We are here as companion readers for the princess. If the princess threw her book and we did nothing, it would seem like the princess is here for us, not the other way around.”

Chen Shuyi was shocked that Xiao Shu would say this and stood up abruptly, “Are you also in favor of throwing the book? But I saw you sitting there without any action. Now you analyze the pros and cons, which is surprising.”

Xiao Shu remained calm and said, “I just think throwing the book is somewhat disrespectful.”

Yao Xi tentatively asked, “So what do you suggest, Sister Xiao?”

Xiao Shu replied, “We are just here as companion readers. Offending the teachers too much is not good, especially by throwing books. I think we should collect the books and return them to Master Zhang. If he doesn’t ask, it’s fine. If he does, we can say it was Master Xie’s instruction, so we are not being disrespectful. What do you all think?”

This was a compromise.

Xiao Shu had already explained the pros and cons earlier, and the previously hesitant group was mostly convinced and nodded in agreement.

Only Chen Shuyi had a cold smile on her lips, looking at Xiao Shu without speaking.

In the end, everyone returned to Fengchen Hall and collected the books that had been thrown outside and those on the desks. Chen Shuyi did not join in, so only eight volumes of “Admonitions for Women” were sent back to Zhang Zhong at the National History Museum.

Chen Shuyi’s book remained on the corner of her desk.

One could only wonder what Zhang Zhong’s expression was when he received the books.

Jiang Xuening, lost in thought, glanced at Chen Shuyi’s seat in front of her, then looked away, her gaze falling back to the open “Book of Songs.”

Today, they were studying “Cutting the Taro.”

She stared at it for a while, but her mind wandered to Xie Wei’s changing expression when she said “farewell” yesterday. Feeling a bit confused, she blinked, picked up a small brush, dipped it in ink, and began to fill in all the squares in the characters of the poem.

By the time she had filled in the squares from “Cutting the Taro” to “The Mountain Has Fusu,” Zhao Yanhong had finished his lecture. Although it was not yet time to end the class, he waved them off for a break and left after packing up his things.

As soon as he left, Zhou Baoying jumped up and called Fang Miao, “Quick, let’s play chess!”

Fang Miao sighed and set up the chessboard but didn’t want to play anymore. She tried to pull others in, “You guys play with her!”

Zhou Baoying stomped her foot in frustration, “The next class is music, and Master Xie always comes early. Hurry up!”

Everyone laughed.

In the end, Xiao Shu kindly sat down to play with her.

Shen Zhiyi, who had been watching them play chess for the past two days, had started to understand a bit. Seeing the two set up, she wanted to call Jiang Xuening over to watch, but when she turned to look at her, she noticed something was off.

Everyone else had a zither on their desk, but Jiang Xuening’s desk was empty.

She walked over, puzzled, “Ningning, didn’t you remember that Master Xie is teaching music today? Where’s your zither?”

Jiang Xuening was still filling in the squares in the “Book of Songs” and felt a bit bitter at the question. She didn’t know how to answer: should she say that she had been lazy and left the zither with Xie Wei to avoid carrying it back and forth, and then in her anger, she had completely forgotten about it?

Her fingers holding the fine brush paused.

A drop of ink spread on her fingertip, but she still held on, not letting go.

Xie Wei came from the National History Museum, walking slowly. When he reached the hall’s entrance and looked inside, he saw the young girl holding a brush, sitting there with an open “Book of Songs,” all the characters with squares around them filled in. His gaze lingered on the page for a moment.

She still has a mischievous side…

He waved to stop Shen Zhiyi from saluting him and walked over to Jiang Xuening’s desk. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Today we are learning the zither, but Miss Jiang’s zither is still in the side hall. If you have nothing else to do, why not come with me to retrieve it?”

His voice was soft.

Jiang Xuening turned her head and saw Xie Wei: he must have just come from court, still in his court attire, a dark robe with cloud and thunder patterns at the edges, a waist belt, and a black seal hanging from it, covered by a black outer robe. He exuded an indescribable aura of dignity, making her feel like she was seeing the Xie Wei from her previous life.

But his gaze on her was very calm.

Jiang Xuening slowly put down her brush and stood up, wanting to refuse.

But Xie Wei didn’t give her a chance to refuse, simply saying, “Come with me.”

After all, it was the zither given to her by Yan Lin. Jiang Xuening hesitated for a moment but eventually followed Xie Wei, silently walking behind him through several corridors to the side hall.

There were no eunuchs serving at the moment.

Xie Wei stepped forward and pushed open the door. When he looked back and saw her standing at the door, he remembered that she had done the same the first time she came to the side hall. He wanted to say something but swallowed his words.

He walked in and took down the two zithers hanging on the wall.

Only then did Jiang Xuening move and enter the side hall.

She recognized the zither case from Jiao’an and saw Xie Wei place the zither on the desk. She softly said, “Thank you, Master Xie,” and reached out to take the zither.

Unexpectedly, Xie Wei looked at her and said, “Do you think I really brought you here just to get the zither?”

Jiang Xuening paused.

Xie Wei noticed the ink stain on her fingertip, frowned slightly, and pointed to the copper basin for washing hands nearby, “Over there.”

Following his gaze, Jiang Xuening saw the ink on her hand and realized Xie Wei was telling her to wash her hands. She felt a bit frustrated but didn’t want to argue with him, so she walked over and put her hands in the water.

The ink was thick and hard to wash off.

Jiang Xuening washed her hands expressionlessly for a while before lifting them out of the water, only to find there were no towels on the rack.

Xie Wei, who was tall and had been leaning against the desk watching her, picked up a white silk handkerchief from the desk and handed it to her, just like the day they were attacked under the Cengxiao Tower.

Jiang Xuening silently took it and wiped her hands.

Xie Wei waited until she finished before reaching out to take the handkerchief back, folding it neatly and placing it back on the desk. He pressed it lightly with his fingertips, turned to look at her, and sighed, “Are you still angry with me?”