(I got up late today. There was a big birthday celebration at home, and I wasn't feeling well, so it was a bit late.)

Yao, the eunuch, first went to the Fan residence today, but couldn't find anyone there. He didn't know where this Director Fan, who was supposed to be recovering from his injuries, had gone. Even Lord Shangshu didn't know. The special Lady Fan was also not at home, so there was no one to ask about Fan Xian's whereabouts.

But His Majesty was still waiting in the palace, which made Eunuch Yao very anxious. After finding out that Lady Fan had returned to the Lin residence, he led the guards there. Coincidentally, they met this carriage at the intersection. If the guards hadn't recognized one of Fan Xian's close attendants, they might have missed him.

Looking at the panting Eunuch Yao, Fan Xian sighed and said, "I still have to go back to the Lin family to pick someone up. Why are you summoning me to the palace at this time?"

His Majesty's summons, and he was still responding so slowly. It really worried Eunuch Yao to death. Where had he ever seen a courtier who didn't take palace summons seriously? He had always been on good terms with the Fan residence, so he couldn't say much. He just urged, "His Majesty's decree has been out for a long time. Little Fan, if you go any later, I'm afraid His Majesty will be displeased."

Fan Xian replied with a bitter face, "Of course, I'm going." He couldn't bear to see the old eunuch standing in the snowy weather, so he invited him into the carriage. The group drove towards the palace, and he arranged for someone to go to the Lin residence to notify his wife.

"Old Yao, tell me the truth, what's going on?" Fan Xian leaned back, half-closed his eyes, and didn't even look at the head eunuch. The Fan residence had always kept these eunuchs well-fed, so he didn't bother to offer any silver notes.

Eunuch Yao didn't dare to accept silver notes from the Fan family anymore. He smiled obsequiously and said, "How would a servant like me know? You'll find out when you get there."

Fan Xian shook his head and pretended to be angry. "You're not being honest." He paused and said, "I want to ask about something."

Eunuch Yao perked up his ears, looked around the carriage to make sure there were no bystanders, and lowered his voice. "Sir, what is it? I'll tell you anything I can."

"Last time, at the Hanging Temple… how were those eunuchs dealt with?" Fan Xian frowned.

Eunuch Yao stiffened, paused for a moment, and then raised his palm and drew it across his throat.

Fan Xian's expression didn't change, but who knows what he was thinking. He knew this was the inevitable result. Assassins had emerged from the eunuch ranks, so everyone present would naturally die. I'm afraid there would be a major purge in the palace.

"What about Old Dai?"

"He's gone." Eunuch Yao sighed and said, "He's an old-timer, and His Majesty trusts him. But he was implicated and can no longer stay in the Taiji Hall… Thinking back to the past two months, because of his good-for-nothing nephew, the Censorate filed a complaint against him. He had a hard time in the palace. Later, with the favor of Consort Shu, His Majesty promoted him again."

He glanced at Fan Xian, who showed no reaction. Eunuch Yao didn't know how deep the silver-note relationship between Fan Xian and Eunuch Dai actually was.

"I didn't expect him to encounter another assassination attempt… Old Dai's luck is truly terrible. Now, all his duties have been removed, and he's been beaten with a dozen boards and exiled to the treasury. Such an old man, forced to work hard in this cold weather…" Eunuch Yao and Eunuch Dai entered the palace in the same year. Although they often competed with each other, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shared misfortune as he watched the other collapse. He wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve.

"Old Dai… just hold on for a few days. Wait for His Majesty's anger to subside. It's good enough to save his old life." Fan Xian shook his head and asked, "Who's on duty in the Taiji Hall now?"

"Hong Zhu." Eunuch Yao looked at Fan Xian's confused face and explained in a low voice, "A young kid who started running the Taiji Hall and the Secretariat this year. His Majesty likes how efficiently he works."

"Is that… Hong Zhu doing the decree announcements too?" Fan Xian asked curiously.

Eunuch Yao shook his head and said, "How could he have that kind of qualification or status?"

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The carriage was stopped by Eunuch Yao just past Xinjiekou. Deng Ziyue was a bit unhappy. After all, the square in front of the palace was extremely wide. In this snowy winter, it was too much to make the Director, who was still recovering from his injuries, walk there in a wheelchair. He was afraid the Director would catch a cold.

"Officials, there's no choice." Eunuch Yao said aggrievedly, "After the incident last time, there was a major overhaul within the Imperial Guard. Now, these soldiers are staring at everyone like wolves, with such intensity that they wish they could scare everyone entering the palace away."

Fan Xian listened for a moment and said, "Don't make things difficult for Eunuch Yao. Let's get out."

Deng Ziyue glared at the palace gate with some irritation, lifted Fan Xian out of the carriage, placed him in the wheelchair, and quickly opened the large black umbrella to shield the Director from the snow. Other officials from the Overwatch Council pushed the wheelchair from behind. Snowflakes hit the black umbrella, making a soft sound.

Eunuch Yao wasn't so lucky. He shielded his head with his hand and hurried towards the palace gate with the guards.

Fan Xian shrunk his entire body into his cloak, trying to avoid the oncoming cold wind. Half of his face was covered by the fur collar, but he still felt a chill creeping into his clothes. The sky above was dim, and the sound of snowflakes falling was desolate.

……

……

The Imperial Guards outside the palace gate completed the formalities with Eunuch Yao, and looked in surprise at the group slowly walking in the middle of the square. In the snowy weather, the group of indifferent-looking officials in plain clothes was pushing a wheelchair. Only a black umbrella was firmly shielding the person in the wheelchair from the falling snow, not a single snowflake leaking onto him.

"Wasn't the Director invited to the palace today?" the captain of the Imperial Guard asked in surprise.

"It's Director Fan."

Everyone was shocked. The captain of the Imperial Guard quickly led a group to meet them, shielding the person in the wheelchair from the wind and snow, and escorted the group to the palace gate. After a brief inspection, they were allowed to enter the palace.

——————————————————————

The north wind was blowing, and the snowflakes were falling. Deng Ziyue pushed the wheelchair along the long side path next to the main hall. As the color of the palace wall deepened, they finally stopped in front of the door on the right side of the palace wall.

Eunuchs had already raised plain-colored umbrellas, shielding Fan Xian's head, surrounding him and carefully escorting the young wounded man into the inner palace.

Deng Ziyue stood outside the inner palace gate, watching Director Fan move further and further away, surrounded by eunuchs. Although his expression was calm, who knows what he was thinking. A snowflake fell, landing just on the corner of his eye, making him squint.

……

……

"Not in the Imperial Study?" Fan Xian frowned, temporarily ignoring the biting cold wind, and asked Eunuch Yao beside him.

Earlier, the news had spread that His Majesty had been waiting for Director Fan for a long time and was already angry. The little eunuchs had received Fan Xian, so they didn't dare to be negligent. They rushed towards the inner palace as if they had wind and fire wheels under their feet, making the wheelchair creak. The eunuch holding the plain-colored umbrella was staggering. If the palace grounds weren't flat, this mad dash would have broken Fan Xian's wound long ago.

Eunuch Yao replied, panting, "In… in the Imperial Harem."

Fan Xian was slightly surprised and his expression wasn't very good. Eunuch Yao, noticing this, remembered that this young official was still recovering from injuries – His Majesty couldn't wait, but if the Director's injuries flared up again, he wouldn't have a good time either. So he quickly ordered everyone to slow down, scolded them roundly, and then asked obsequiously, turning his face to the side, "Little Fan, are you okay?"

Fan Xian nodded and said, "I'm not that delicate."

Before long, the group arrived at a place in the palace garden, not the Empress's palace, but the residence of Consort Yi. Eunuch Yao hurried forward to report, and soon someone came to escort Fan Xian inside.

The Emperor was wearing casual clothes today, sitting on a warm couch, chatting idly with Consort Yi. The Third Prince was sitting obediently to the side, copying something. Seeing the eunuchs pushing Fan Xian in, he stopped and glanced at Fan Xian.

"You're injured. Instead of staying at home and recovering, you're running around. What are you doing?"

An Emperor to a young courtier, seemingly scolding, but actually showing concern. In theory, the courtier should be moved to tears, but Fan Xian sneered inwardly. If he really cared about him, why did he wait seventeen years to show it? If he was really worried about his injuries, why was he in such a hurry to summon him to the palace?

However, he still allowed that fleeting hint of emotion to appear on his face, and then replied calmly, "Your Majesty, I'm almost recovered. I just secretly went out for a stroll, and I was preparing to go to the Lin residence to pick up Wan'er."

"Wan'er… has returned to the Lin residence? There's no one in that house… except for that fool." The Emperor didn't seem to like associating his niece with the Lin residence, and his expression was a little displeased.

Consort Yi peeked at His Majesty's face and chuckled, changing the subject, "Fan Xian, you're running around even before your injuries have healed… Aren't you afraid that Minister Fan will punish you?"

The Emperor was slightly taken aback, and then smiled, "Fan Jian… wouldn't dare."

Although it was a joke, it contained other meanings. Fan Xian's expression became serious, and he smiled without responding.

The Emperor glanced at the Third Prince, who was copying a book beside him, and said to Fan Xian, "Those few classics that you compiled in the Imperial Academy a few days ago… I've had Chengping study them these past few days. The tutor thinks they're a bit too profound. What do you think? … Chengping, go meet Director Fan."

The Third Prince's name was Li Chengping. According to Qing Kingdom's rules, the princes were very respectful to the ministers, so the Emperor's instruction wasn't surprising. The Third Prince quickly put down his pen, carefully walked in front of the wheelchair, and bowed to Fan Xian.

"This is unacceptable." Fan Xian was sitting in the wheelchair and couldn't avoid it.

"You are now the Assistant Professor of the Imperial Academy, so it's within your duty." The Emperor said calmly, as if he was saying something ordinary. Consort Yi heard it and realized that His Majesty intended for Fan Xian to be the Third Prince's teacher. Thinking of Fan Xian's literary and martial reputation, as well as his influence in the court, Consort Yi couldn't help but smile. The more she looked at Fan Xian, the more she liked him.

Seeing this expression in the Emperor's eyes, he couldn't help but laugh, "Look how happy you are."

Consort Yi was favored because, at least on the surface, she didn't hide her thoughts. She was happy when she was happy. Hearing His Majesty's teasing, she didn't panic and said with a chuckle, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for finding a good teacher for Ping'er."

Fan Xian listened to the two elders talking to themselves, feeling bitter in his heart. He wondered why no one had asked for his opinion.

The Third Prince brought the book over, and Fan Xian glanced at it briefly. He raised his head and replied, "Master Zhuang's understanding of classics is excellent. The tutor is right in thinking that the level is too advanced. However, these few chapters are just introductory material. It's not a problem for the Third Prince to be exposed to them in advance."

The Emperor and his ministers exchanged a few more casual words. Fan Xian responded carefully, but knew that the Emperor definitely had something to say to him. As expected, after drinking a bowl of hot soup, the Emperor opened his mouth casually.

"The snow has stopped outside… We should cherish the first snow, Fan Xian. Accompany Me for a stroll in the garden."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor stood up, and Consort Yi smiled and draped a crane cloak with a red brocade face and a raccoon fur lining over his shoulders.

……

……

When they left Consort Yi's residence, Shufang Palace, the snow had already stopped. The ground of the palace was damp, but there was no accumulation of snow. Only the winter trees in the garden were covered with traces of snow. The sky was a gray-white expanse, and the red walls, yellow eaves, snowy branches, and green bricks were very beautiful. There was no trace of dust in the air, and it was exceptionally fresh.

The Emperor walked ahead wearing his cloak, and a small eunuch pushed Fan Xian silently behind him. The eunuchs and maids wearing cotton jackets avoided them from a distance. Those who encountered them by the roadside stepped aside and remained silent.

"On snowy days, there's no need to kneel when you see Me." Seemingly guessing what Fan Xian was thinking, the Emperor said softly, "This is a rule I made after I ascended the throne. They kneel all day long, and they don't even think it's annoying… If they get their clothes dirty from kneeling or tear them, doesn't the Imperial Treasury have to pay for new ones?"

Fan Xian sat in the wheelchair and secretly loosened a cloth button at his collar. After the snow stopped and the wind died down, he felt a little hot. Hearing the Emperor's words, he knew that the topic was going to shift towards the Imperial Treasury, but he shamelessly refused to respond.

Seemingly annoyed by Fan Xian's silence, the Emperor asked coldly, "Where is that second son of the Fan family now?"

At this time, they had reached the most secluded garden in the palace. There was a small lake in front of them, with a stone bridge spanning it, leading to the pavilion in the center. There was some residual snow on the pavilion, but it couldn't hide the sternness of the black stones.