When Xiao Yan heard her voice, he quickened his steps. When he reached her side, he hurriedly helped her down from the three steps, his eyes full of affection for the little girl.
“Be careful, don’t fall.”
After steadying her, Xiao Yan turned to the pavilion and said, “Greetings, Madam.”
“Come and sit.”
Seeing Xiao Yan holding the little girl as they entered, Rong Yue was surprised at their closeness but, upon seeing that Xiao Yan had let go of her hand and was respectfully bowing to her after entering the pavilion, she didn’t think much of it. She was simply pleased. “I was just talking about you with Tang Ning earlier, and I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon.”
“What were you saying about me?” Xiao Yan asked with a smile as he sat down beside her.
Rong Yue replied gently, “It’s nothing more than the matter with the Lu family. This girl has been worrying about you, she’s been distracted these past few days.”
Xiao Yan glanced at Tang Ning, who was gazing at him with concern in her big eyes. His expression softened slightly, and the seriousness that had been with him earlier in the palace faded away.
“The matter with the Lu family has been settled. His Majesty has not allowed for a deeper investigation. I’ll just consider it a waste of effort; there’s nothing important to it.”
Tang Ning frowned. “Is it really settled?”
Xiao Yan nodded. “At most, in three to five days, the Ministry of Justice will announce their decision.”
“Is Lu Zhao taking all the blame?”
Xiao Yan hummed in affirmation.
Tang Ning couldn’t help but purse her lips. “What about Lu Chongyuan? Is he completely free of blame?”
“That’s what the Emperor desires,” Xiao Yan said with a light sneer.
This time, even Rong Yue couldn’t help but frown, feeling that the case was being handled in a very frivolous manner.
Even she, an outsider, could see that the case regarding the grain supply couldn’t possibly have been handled by Lu Zhao alone. Moreover, Lu Zhao was a member of the Lu family. Even if it was only his fault, the Lu family couldn’t possibly be entirely blameless, yet the Emperor had spared them.
“Truly absurd!”
Rong Yue was displeased, but since the Emperor’s will had been issued, there were some matters that were beyond their control. She sighed softly. “Does this have any impact on you? The aristocratic families have never been forgiving, and the Lu family is particularly vengeful. Do you think they’ll seek revenge on you?”
Xiao Yan said quietly, “They will certainly try to take revenge, but for now, they don’t dare to act.”
“After Lu Zhao is convicted, Lu Chongyuan will still be able to stay in the court, but the reformist faction will not let go of the opportunity to impeach the Lu family. And with the situation regarding the Guo family and King Cheng, the Lu family is seriously weakened. Dealing with the Censorate is already enough of a headache for them. They won’t have the time or energy to deal with me in the short term.”
Lu Chongyuan must hate him to the core, but he was not an impulsive person. If he wanted to act, it would be with a decisive strike to suppress him completely. A few small tricks wouldn’t harm his foundation and would only serve to make the Lu family a laughingstock.
Rong Yue relaxed slightly upon hearing this. “That’s good. But you still need to be careful. The power of these aristocratic families is not something ordinary people can match.”
Xiao Yan nodded. “I know.”
Tang Ning sat quietly, listening to the conversation between Xiao Yan and her aunt. Her eyes suddenly shifted, and she spoke up, “Brother, do you have anything to do today?”
Xiao Yan looked at her. “Nothing. Why?”
“Then will you accompany me to the Cao family?” Tang Ning asked. “The people from the Bureau of Construction came yesterday and said the academy will be finished in a few days. I want to ask Lord Cao if the headmaster he mentioned before will be coming to the capital, and also to discuss the Wen De Monument with him.”
“Earlier, you said you’d have Lord Cao and a few scholars help finalize the list of instructors for the academy. Once the academy is built, that list must be decided and made public as soon as possible, so the students can be admitted.”
Once the instructors were in place, the students would be more willing to attend.
Xiao Yan understood that this was an important matter and naturally agreed, “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Tang Ning, seeing him agree, turned to Rong Yue. “Aunt, Brother and I are going to the Cao family. We might be delayed discussing the academy’s matters, so don’t wait for me for dinner. I might come back later.”
Rong Yue nodded. “Go ahead.”
Tang Ning lightly tugged at Xiao Yan’s sleeve. “Brother, let’s go.”
Xiao Yan, feeling a bit helpless, replied, “There’s no need to hurry…”
“The sooner we go, the sooner it’ll be settled.”
Seeing the little girl eager to leave, Xiao Yan had no choice but to turn and say, “Madam, we’ll take our leave now.”
As the two figures, one tall and one small, walked out, they passed a bridge beside the pavilion. The little girl turned around while walking backwards, speaking to Xiao Yan, mumbling non-stop.
The tall figure shifted to block her, reaching out to lightly pat her forehead, then gently pushed her shoulder to turn her around.
“Watch where you're going.”
Faintly, Xiao Yan’s voice, tinged with a smile, could be heard.
The little girl mumbled, “I’m watching!”
Rong Yue smiled in contentment. “These two siblings have such a good relationship.”
Nian Xia, who had been serving Tang Ning closely before being transferred to attend to Rong Yue after the incident with Granny Jiang, couldn’t help but frown. She always felt that the young lady and the Supervisor were too close, and just a few nights ago, she had even seen Tang Ning hugging Xiao Yan.
Nian Xia hesitated, then spoke, “Madam, about the young lady…”
Before she could finish, Hua Wu, who had been smiling beside her, suddenly slammed her tea cup onto the table with a thud and turned to look at her. There was a hint of coldness in her usually warm eyes.
Rong Yue turned to her. “What’s wrong with Tang Ning?”
Nian Xia swallowed the words she had been about to say. “It’s nothing, Madam. I was just saying, the young lady reminded you to take your medicine on time. It’s getting cold.”
Upon hearing this, Rong Yue immediately smiled. “That girl, even when she’s out, she’s acting like a housekeeper. Give it to me, I’ll drink it. That way, she won’t keep nagging me when she comes back.”
After Nian Xia had served Rong Yue the medicine and left with the bowl, she didn’t get far before running into Hua Wu.
Hua Wu was shorter than Nian Xia, younger, and spoke with a bit of youthful playfulness.
“Nian Xia, the young lady has a good temper and treats us servants well. She has never been harsh with us, and we live better than the daughters of ordinary noble families. But as servants, we should still know our place, don’t you think?”
Nian Xia’s heart trembled. “I just worry the young lady is making a wrong choice…”
“How the young lady walks her path is for her to decide. As a servant, all we need is loyalty,” Hua Wu said, her tone unexpectedly commanding despite her small frame and childish appearance.
Nian Xia fell silent for a moment. “I understand.”
Hua Wu smiled at her, then turned to leave. After walking a few steps, she heard Nian Xia whisper, “But Hua Wu, Xiao Yan is still a eunuch…”
Hua Wu turned her head. “So what if he’s a eunuch?”
Even if Lu Zhinian had a few extra bits, it didn’t necessarily make him a good person. All Hua Wu knew was that Supervisor Xiao treated her young lady well and would protect her with all his heart. The young lady was happy and relaxed with him.
The little girl spoke seriously, “As long as the young lady likes him, don’t say he’s a eunuch, even a turtle would do.”
Nian Xia: “…”
After Hua Wu warned Nian Xia, she skipped away. Nian Xia left with a dazed expression, and the hidden Cang Lang, who had been watching, burst out laughing.
He had avoided the two of them earlier to give them privacy, but when he saw Hua Wu confronting Nian Xia, he was curious and approached. He never expected to hear such “shocking words.”
“A turtle…”
He chuckled to himself as he left. When he saw Xiao Yan helping Tang Ning into the carriage, the words Hua Wu had said suddenly popped into his mind, and he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Xiao Yan frowned and glared at him.
Cang Lang quickly waved his hands. “It’s nothing, nothing. I just accidentally inhaled some wind.”
Xiao Yan, still confused, got into the carriage. Once the curtain was drawn, Cang Lang cracked the whip and the carriage started moving. Cang Lang sat on the shaft, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
He couldn’t stop thinking of Hua Wu’s serious little face, and he couldn’t help but laugh again.
He hadn’t noticed before, but that little girl was really amusing.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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