On the day of the Minor Proclamation Ceremony, officials from the Court of Imperial Entertainments and the Court of State Ceremonial had been bustling about the Hall of Preserved Harmony since the early hours, arranging desks and benches, preparing the gilded proclamation scroll for mounting. It was not until the sky began to lighten that everything was finally in order.
In contrast, the area outside the Eastern Palace was rather quiet. A few palace guards stood under the corridor, silent and wordless, watching the brightly lit candles inside the hall but not daring to disturb.
From a distance, someone approached. One of the guards instinctively stepped forward to block the doorway. As the person drew nearer, he recognized them and smiled, "So it’s Lord Shen."
Shen Zhili held a thin scroll in her hands and smiled back at him. "His Highness ordered the Bureau of Operations to investigate someone several days ago. I made sure to deliver the report before the Minor Proclamation Ceremony for His Highness to review." She then peered into the hall and added, "Has His Highness been up all night again?"
The guard nodded, his expression resigned. "His Highness’s temperament is something you’re well aware of, Lord Shen." He stepped aside, knocked on the door, and announced, "Your Highness, Lord Shen from the Bureau of Operations."
After a long wait, a voice from inside granted permission to enter.
Shen Zhili pushed the door open and entered, calling out as she walked in, "Your Highness."
Ying Gua emerged from within, a loose outer robe draped over his shoulders. Seeing her, his expression turned cold. "Why did the Bureau of Operations send you?"
"I am also a member of the Bureau of Operations. Is there any reason I shouldn’t come?" she replied cheerfully, stepping forward to present the scroll. "Your Highness ordered an investigation into Meng Tinghui’s background. The Bureau of Operations transcribed it into the records last night. I, too, stayed up all night to deliver it to Your Highness before dawn."
His expression remained indifferent as he reached out to take the scroll. "You may leave now."
But Shen Zhili did not leave. She stood to the side, watching as he flipped through the pages of the thin scroll. His expression gradually grew peculiar and ambiguous.
Sure enough, after reading a few pages, he froze. It took him a long moment to close the scroll and snap at her, "Why are you still here? Do you have to meddle in everything related to Meng Tinghui?" His tone was icy and hostile.
She pouted. "Even if I have no merit to speak of, I’ve at least put in some effort, haven’t I? Is this how Your Highness treats me?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Judging by Meng Tinghui’s demeanor, one would never guess her background is so pitiable. Orphaned at a young age, she was abducted and taken to a nunnery north of Chongzhou in the Chaoan North Circuit. She was tonsured without being registered as a citizen. When she was eight, the Emperor issued an edict to abolish all temples and nunneries in the Chaoan North Circuit that were not officially sanctioned, and to re-register underage monks and nuns as citizens. At the time, Zhang Yue, the vice-prefect of Chongzhou Prefecture in the Chaoan North Circuit, failed to enforce the order effectively, leaving a large number of unregistered young monks and nuns homeless. Many froze to death on cold nights, and Meng Tinghui was among them."
His expression darkened, and he glared at her as if anticipating what she would say next.
Shen Zhili lowered her gaze to the scroll in his hand and continued, "But she was later rescued by a noble person, registered as a citizen, and sent to a newly established girls’ school in Chongzhou Prefecture." She paused briefly. "However, the Bureau of Operations was unable to uncover the identity of that noble person. For the Chaoan North Circuit branch of our Great Ping Dynasty’s Bureau of Operations, this is truly a disgrace."
He frowned sharply. "Leave the hall."
Pressing her lips together in a light smile, she retreated toward the door, saying, "If I recall correctly, the Chaoan Monk and Nun Case from ten years ago was handled personally by Your Highness. At the time, Your Highness was only fourteen, yet you made every arrogant official in the Chaoan Circuit tremble with fear. The incident shook the entire nation, and who in the court could forget it?"
He clenched the scroll tightly and repeated, "Leave the hall."Seeing that she had guessed correctly, she cut off her remaining words, a faint smile still lingering on her face as she retreated and closed the hall door.
The vermilion rings on the door trembled lightly, emitting a soft clatter.
He frowned, his right hand clenching even tighter.
How could it be...
How could Meng Tinghui be that very child?
That year, he had traveled north to Chao'an and then proceeded incognito westward. Along the way, he had encountered countless displaced young monks and nuns, and naturally, he saved as many as he could.
Had it not been for the reports submitted by the Office of Military Intelligence, he would never have imagined that Meng Tinghui was one of those he had saved.
...If my body can benefit the people, I will not hesitate to sacrifice it.
The hard lines of his brow gradually softened. In that case, these words must have been spoken to her during that journey. And along that road, it was only on that rainy night, in that dilapidated temple, that he had uttered them to her alone.
Unexpectedly, she had remembered them all these years.
He recalled the gaze she had directed at him in the main hall on the day of the palace examination.
She must have remembered him. Perhaps from the day they met in Chongzhou City, she had hoped he would recognize her.
In an instant, he began to understand her single-minded pursuit of prominence.
But his brow quickly furrowed again.
If what she truly desired was him, that was something he had neither anticipated nor prepared for.
·
From the hour of mao, palace attendants had led the top ten female candidates from the palace examination to wait outside the Hall of Preserved Harmony. Upon the Crown Prince's summons, they entered the hall one by one for an audience.
The morning sun rose in the east and slowly moved to the center of the sky, heating the bluish-gray palace bricks beneath their feet until they grew warm.
Meng Tinghui stood motionless.
It was already past the hour of si, yet no one had come to summon her. The midday sun was scorching and harsh, burning her face until it flushed crimson.
Only after the ninth candidate had been ushered in for her audience did a Yellow-robed Attendant descend the high steps of the hall and address her, "Miss Meng, it is your turn."
She took a soft breath, stepped forward, and followed the Yellow-robed Attendant into the hall.
The hall door closed slowly behind her with a solemn thud.
The blazing sunlight was blocked by the thick palace walls, leaving the interior cool and shaded. The air seemed to carry a hint of moisture, instantly moistening her dry, feverish lips.
"Sit."
Before she could clearly see the person in the hall or perform the ritual bow of a subject, his voice reached her ears—equally cool, yet tinged with a slight hoarseness that pierced straight to her heart.
She closed her eyes briefly to adjust to the dim light, glimpsed the brocade cushion and high stool placed beside her, but did not move. Instead, she looked toward the seated figure ahead and spoke softly, "Your Highness."
His thin robe outlined his firm physique beneath, the golden thread patterns on the front intricately interwoven. His bright eyes and slightly darkened complexion stood in contrast to his long legs, which were casually crossed atop the golden desk. His sharp brows and stern expression conveyed an untamed demeanor.
Her throat suddenly felt dry. She had never seen him like this, nor had she imagined he could appear so... Her fingertips grew numb. Glancing around, she realized there was no one else in the hall, and her heart began to pound.
He looked at her and called, "Meng Tinghui."
She snapped back to attention and bowed her head. "Your Highness."
"Do you want the title of Zhuangyuan so badly?" he asked bluntly, his words cutting through the air like a blade.
Her ears tingled sharply. She heard him clearly, yet it felt as if she hadn't, her expression clouded with confusion.He remained unhurried, quietly waiting for her to speak.
The hall was silent, with only the occasional rustle of birds fluttering past the eaves outside, stirring restlessness in people's hearts.
Her expression was calm as she spoke word by word, "Your subject does not merely desire the title of top scholar."
Hearing this, he showed no surprise, only asking, "What else do you want?"
A faint smile touched her lips. "Your Highness stated that the top candidate in the Female Scholar Examination would be permitted to enter the Imperial Academy and granted the position of seventh-rank Compiler. However, it is established in our dynasty that the top candidate of every imperial examination is appointed as the sixth-rank Hanlin Academy Compiler. Why should the top female candidate be relegated one rank lower?"
He toyed with the jade paperweight on the desk, speaking leisurely, "You have not yet become the top scholar and are in no position to speak of such matters."
She lowered her head. "If one must hold a position to discuss its affairs, then how did the Imperial Academy earn its reputation for Public Criticism?"
What a sharp tongue.
He set down the paperweight, rose, circled the desk, descended the steps, and stood before her. "Tell me, if I were to grant you the title of top scholar, what would you do?"
She kept her head bowed. "Your Highness just said I have not yet become the top scholar and am in no position to speak of such matters."
Before her words faded, he grasped her chin and lifted it.
Startled, she raised her eyes to meet his gaze—deep, abyssal pupils that chilled her to the bone.
His elbow slightly bent, he leaned in to study her. Memories surged from the depths of his mind, yet he could not discern her as the child from years past. His fingers remained firm on her chin as he finally spoke slowly, "Since you desire the title of top scholar so fervently, I shall grant it to you. Not only will I grant you the title, but I will also appoint you as the sixth-rank Compiler, permit you to enter the Eastern Palace as Lecturer of Classics, compile the history of the previous dynasty, allow you to observe the Imperial Academicians drafting edicts in both academies, and bestow upon you the silver Fish Pouch. How does that sound?"
Each word struck her ears, leaving her mind reeling.
Her chin ached slightly as she saw layers of profound meaning in his eyes, yet she could not comprehend them.
Such extraordinary favor...
What was his true intention?
She collected herself for a long moment, then countered without answering, "...There is a distinction between ruler and subject. Your Highness's rash behavior is highly improper."
He released her. "You do not even hold the title of scholar yet—how can you presume to call yourself my subject? Yet you speak recklessly again and again. Have you ever regarded me with respect?"
She lifted her head, gazing directly into the depths of his pupils. His heterochromatic eyes, deep and vast like turbulent waves, drenched her heart in a flood of emotion.
He raised an eyebrow, meeting her gaze.
His words seemed to mock her, she thought. Then, naturally, she recalled the incident during the provincial examination, feeling increasingly convinced that he must look down on her.
Somehow, this conviction made her all the more unwilling to show weakness. Boiling blood rushed to her head, and she leaned closer to him, staring as she said, "Your Highness has not yet ascended the throne to inherit the empire—how can you presume to call yourself the ruler? Since you are neither ruler nor I your subject, what does it matter if I am a little arrogant?"
Hearing this clearly, he opened his mouth to speak.
But unexpectedly, she suddenly drew nearer, tilting her head to kiss his left cheek.
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