Zhou Cheng chuckled. "Haha, it does seem pretty strange in this era."
"This era? You're saying strange things first thing in the morning again, Your Highness. Here, please try my cooking first."
Zhou Cheng glanced at the sandwich's enticing golden crust, then at the evenly diced preserved egg in the congee, and nodded.
"Mm, I can tell it's good just by looking at it. You really put your heart into learning."
Sang Wen's eyes curved into crescents. "Hehe, it's all thanks to your teaching, Your Highness."
The imperial palace of Qing.
The bells announcing the end of morning court had barely fallen silent when Li Yunrui's palanquin passed through the palace gates, one after another.
Her hair was swept into a high bun, her court robes trailing along the ground as she entered the Imperial Study.
"Yunrui pays her respects to Your Majesty."
Emperor Qing kept his head lowered over the memorial he was reviewing, lifting his eyelids slightly.
"What brings you here so early? Is there something important?"
Li Yunrui straightened.
"It's about Wan'er's marriage to Fan Xian."
Emperor Qing's brush paused on the memorial for an instant, then continued moving, leaving smooth strokes of ink.
"It has been some time since I decreed their marriage. Why bring it up now? Are you dissatisfied?"
Li Yunrui lowered her eyes, her lashes trembling gently.
"It is not I who am dissatisfied." Her voice softened, carrying just the right hint of grievance. "It is Fan Xian."
"Oh? Fan Xian is dissatisfied?"
Emperor Qing finally set down his brush and slowly leaned back in his chair. He raised his eyes, his gaze like a still, deep pool whose depths could not be fathomed.
"Yes!" Li Yunrui took a neatly folded letter from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Emperor Qing took it, unfolded it, and immediately smiled.
"This Fan Xian certainly wears his heart on his sleeve. He's bold, too." He lowered his gaze to the crooked writing on the page, which looked like earthworms fighting, the smile at his lips difficult to read. "I had already heard he made quite a splash at the Poetry Gathering, but his penmanship..." He shook his head, his smile deepening. "Now that I've seen it myself, the rumors were indeed true. An utter mess."
Seeing that Emperor Qing said nothing about the Engagement Cancellation Letter itself and instead critiqued the handwriting, Li Yunrui grew slightly impatient.
She took half a step forward.
"Your Majesty," she said, a note of earnest pleading entering her voice.
"Fan Xian may have some talent for poetry, but ultimately, he is still a country bumpkin who has never received a proper royal upbringing.
"Wan'er is my only child. I owe her far too much, and I must consider her welfare.
"Fan Xian's heart belongs to someone else, and he fails to appreciate your favor. Even if he marries her by imperial decree, his heart will hardly be devoted to Wan'er.
"Besides, Wan'er has been frail since childhood. She needs a husband who can care for her wholeheartedly. Since Fan Xian is unwilling, I dare to-"
She drew a deep breath.
"I beg Your Majesty to rescind the decree."
Emperor Qing did not look at her.
His fingertip brushed lightly over a blot of ink on the Engagement Cancellation Letter, his tone as relaxed as though he were tasting tea.
"Fan Xian loves someone else, and you disapprove of him, so I must rescind my decree? And if I don't, I would be forcing people against their will?"
"I would not dare suggest that."
"I see no sign that you wouldn't dare."
Emperor Qing gave Li Yunrui a cool glance.
No one knew better than he did whom Fan Xian loved.
After all, that chance encounter at the Divine Temple had been a matchmaking arrangement he had prepared for Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er.
He had watched Fan Xian search for Drumstick Girl ever since. He had not revealed the truth, finding the whole thing entertaining.
He had not expected Li Yunrui to arrive today with an Engagement Cancellation Letter written by Fan Xian. That struck him as rather strange.
"Who gave you this Engagement Cancellation Letter?" Emperor Qing asked directly.
He knew perfectly well whether Li Yunrui had ever met Fan Xian.
Li Yunrui hesitated briefly, then decided there was nothing to conceal.
"Chengcheng gave it to me." She lowered her eyes, her tone gentle. "That child... his filial devotion is commendable. He knew I worried day and night about Wan'er's marriage. When he happened to encounter Fan Xian, he arranged to speak with him. Upon learning that Fan Xian already loved someone else and was no suitable match for Wan'er, he persuaded him kindly to write this Engagement Cancellation Letter, which eventually reached my hands."
"Chengcheng..."
Emperor Qing nodded slightly, looking thoughtful.
He did not believe Li Chengcheng could have seen through his original arrangements.
In his eyes, this Engagement Cancellation Letter was simply part of a deal Zhou Cheng and Li Yunrui had struck in secret.
He knew Li Yunrui had secretly diverted funds from the Imperial Treasury to subsidize Prince Cheng's Residence. He was also fully aware that Zhou Cheng visited Guangxin Palace every few days.
They were merely getting what they needed from each other: Li Yunrui provided the money, and Zhou Cheng did the work.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider Wan'er's marriage!"
Li Yunrui sank into a deep curtsy and pleaded once more.
Emperor Qing did not answer. He simply reached out and slowly crumpled the Engagement Cancellation Letter in his hand, tightening his fingers.
Then he casually tossed it aside.
The paper ball traced a low arc through the air and landed precisely in the wastebasket beside the imperial desk.
"This Fan Xian's handwriting," Emperor Qing said flatly as he withdrew his hand, "is truly offensive to the eye. I've stared at it for so long and still can't make anything of it."
He lightly rubbed his hands together. "Tell him to practice his penmanship properly. If he insists on writing, he should write well. He mustn't sully my eyes."
With that, he picked up his vermilion brush again and lowered his head to the memorials.
Li Yunrui stared blankly at the crumpled paper in the basket and could not help calling out, "Your Majesty!"
"Yunrui."
Emperor Qing did not look up, but his voice suddenly darkened.
"Were my words not clear enough?"
Li Yunrui bit her lower lip tightly.
"Leave!"
Li Yunrui swayed, then bowed deeply.
"...I take my leave."
She retreated three steps, turned, and walked toward the door.
She understood Emperor Qing's intentions now.
She had underestimated his resolve.
It did not matter who opposed Fan Xian's marriage to Wan'er or who pleaded against it. From the very beginning, Emperor Qing had been determined to strip control of the Imperial Treasury's finances from her and hand it to his chosen "son-in-law."
All her efforts over these past days, all her painstaking schemes... had been for nothing.
The vermilion doors of the Imperial Study slowly closed behind her with a dull, heavy thud.
Li Yunrui stood on the white marble steps.
Sunlight flooded the palace courtyard, making the glazed roof tiles glitter dazzlingly and the vermilion pillars glow with searing brilliance.
The fragility and earnest pleading on her face peeled away layer by layer, leaving only icy coldness in her eyes.
Guangxin Palace.
The moment her palanquin was lowered, Li Yunrui saw Lin Wan'er waiting before the palace entrance.
She stood beneath the covered walkway, clutching a silk handkerchief and gazing steadily toward the end of the palace road.
At the sound, she abruptly raised her head. Before she could conceal the unmistakable eagerness in her eyes, Li Yunrui had seen it all.
The chill on Li Yunrui's face quickly melted away.
She strode forward and took her daughter's slightly cool hand, her voice carrying just the right touch of reproach.
"It's windy outside, and your health is poor. Why are you standing here waiting?"
Lin Wan'er lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering gently.
"I... missed you, Mother."
Li Yunrui chuckled and led her inside, gently stroking the back of her hand with her fingertips.
"That expression just now didn't look as though you merely missed your mother." She turned to glance at Lin Wan'er, a knowing smile in her eyes. "So my Wan'er has learned to keep things from me now."
Lin Wan'er pressed her lips together sheepishly and did not deny it.
Once inside the Bedchamber, Li Yunrui dismissed the attendants and drew her down to sit beside the couch. The familiar scent of agarwood incense drifted through the room in calming, soothing wisps.
Only then did she ask softly:
"Did you come so early because something happened?"
Lin Wan'er kept her eyes lowered. After a moment, she spoke.
"I heard Third Brother say... he gave you the Engagement Cancellation Letter Fan Xian wrote."
Li Yunrui's hand paused slightly around hers.
"Fan Xian's Engagement Cancellation Letter is indeed with me." Her tone was calm. "Don't worry. You needn't get involved. Your mother will take care of everything."
Lin Wan'er bit her lower lip.
Sunlight filtered through the gauze window screens, casting hazy light and shadow across her face and obscuring her expression.
"After all, it was His Majesty's decree..." Her voice grew softer and softer. "Actually, I don't want to be too willful, either."
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