"Lord Lin, His Majesty requests your presence."
A eunuch, clad in his official attire, was led in by a servant from the household.
He had a pale, beardless face, was slightly stout, and wore a kind smile that made him appear approachable.
Lin Yan recognized this eunuch; he had been among those accompanying the Emperor during the Grand Banquet.
"Please wait a moment, esteemed eunuch. I shall change my clothes and accompany you to the palace."
After speaking, Lin Yan instructed a servant to bring tea and then headed towards her chambers.
On the way, she briefly informed the attendant beside her, Shi Qi, before going to her room to change into her official robes. She then followed the eunuch to the palace.
Walking along the long palace corridors, Lin Yan couldn't stop pondering the reason for the Emperor's summons.
She didn't believe her actions had been discovered by the Emperor. She considered herself to be quite meticulous.
Furthermore, although she hadn't intentionally practiced martial arts, the heightened senses brought by the spiritual spring water allowed her to easily detect if anyone was monitoring her.
Lin Yan was led into a magnificent, golden palace. Upon entering, she saw the figure in imperial yellow seated behind a desk.
"Your subject, Lin Yan, pays his respects to Your Majesty." Lin Yan bowed.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lin Yan stood, her eyes cast down, and remained there.
The Emperor did not speak, and Lin Yan could not either, though she could feel him appraising her.
The Emperor meticulously examined the youth before him. Not yet twenty, he was naturally a youth.
He had to admit, if Lin Yan hadn't been so young when he passed the imperial examination, he would have been the most handsome among the top three scholars.
Though his family background couldn't compare to the Zhuangyuan or the Tanhua, his talent and appearance were in no way inferior.
If he had looked like this back then, he might have been considered a candidate for a royal marriage. But it wasn't too late.
Daughters were fond of handsome men. He believed this Lord Lin would surely satisfy Fu An. As for Fu An's health, Lin Yan was merely a scholar from a humble background; could he possibly object to royalty?
"Lord Lin, you are nearly of age, are you not? Have you taken a courtesy name?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, not yet. However, my teacher has already written to say he will personally bestow a courtesy name upon me."
"Your teacher?" The Emperor had intended to bestow a courtesy name upon Lin Yan to show his favor. He hadn't expected such a lack of foresight from Lin Yan. "May I inquire who your teacher is, Lord Lin?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, my teacher's surname is Du. He is from the Du family of Yuyao and was the Zhuangyuan in the fourth year of Xingde."
"It's Meng Zhou." Minister of Rites Du Meng Zhou. Lin Yan, seen in this light, did hail from a reputable family.
"Precisely."
"Is your teacher well?" The Emperor recalled the Minister of Rites who had resigned and returned home. He had gained fame at a young age, his career had been smooth, and the Emperor was rather fond of him. However, his resolve to resign was firm, so he could only agree.
"My teacher is very well. He has been immersed in the beauty of mountains and rivers, making many friends. However, my teacher has helped me greatly, and I have never been able to serve by his side, which causes me much shame."
"You also serve the court. Then, upon Lord Lin's capping ceremony, I shall also join in the merriment and present you with a gift."
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!"
Later, after chatting with Lin Yan for a while longer, the Emperor dismissed her.
Lin Yan had visited the palace but gained no news from the Emperor. She could feel the Emperor appraising her and testing her, but his intentions were certainly not so simple. Lin Yan slipped a purse to the young eunuch who escorted her out, hoping to glean some information.
"It is a good thing. Lord Lin, please wait and see." He felt the weight of the purse and smiled with satisfaction, quickly tucking it into his sleeve.
Lin Yan was momentarily stunned. She then thanked the young eunuch and departed from the imperial palace.
A good thing? What the Emperor considered a good thing might not be good for her at all.
Upon returning, Lin Yan noticed people were monitoring her residence. She had purchased this house after Zhao Hao arrived in the capital.
Although this residence appeared to be far from the Prince of Yingchuan's mansion, the back door was separated from a small corner gate of the mansion by only a small courtyard.
Zhao Hao had someone act on his behalf to purchase that small courtyard, facilitating travel between the two.
Knowing she was being watched, Lin Yan naturally could not go there. She could only send someone to the small courtyard to deliver a message.
Knowing Lin Yan could not come, Zhao Hao was quite displeased. He increasingly found the Emperor to be an eyesore.
After Lin Yan met with the Emperor, her transfer orders came swiftly. Lin Yan was reassigned to the Ministry of Personnel as a Langzhong.
Upon receiving her transfer orders, Lin Yan went to the Ministry of Personnel to begin her duties. However, her arrival drew quite a crowd.
This was someone the Emperor greatly favored. Lin Yan's transfer orders had been personally approved by the Emperor.
Lin Yan found this situation somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall why. She realized it when she saw her former classmate during court assembly, the Tanhua who had married into the imperial family.
When Lin Yan and others had published their collected works, they had invited that Tanhua, but he had disdained them.
Later, that collection of works gained widespread recognition, greatly enhancing the reputation of their graduating class. As for the Tanhua, having no essays included and becoming the Emperor's son-in-law, questions about his literary talent never ceased.
Even though he later produced many more writings, he couldn't salvage his reputation. Consequently, he harbored resentment towards Lin Yan and Cui Ziyu.
Lin Yan noticed him this time precisely because of the look he gave her. The gaze filled with anger and disgust reminded her of his past experiences.
She also realized that her current situation bore a striking resemblance to that of the驸马. However, there were no eligible women of suitable age in the imperial harem.
Moreover, she had been circulating the reputation of being inauspicious for wives, and families who cherished their daughters would likely not marry them to her.
Ancient people were superstitious, and coupled with the saying "better safe than sorry," no one would likely risk their daughter's future on such a possibility.
Just as Lin Yan was contemplating which eligible maiden in the imperial palace might be suitable, another imperial decree was delivered to her.
This was an imperial decree of betrothal to a person Lin Yan had never expected – Princess Fu An.
In Lin Yan's perception, Zhao Hao had always been male, so when considering potential candidates, she hadn't even thought of him. She hadn't expected the Emperor's arranged marriage to be to the sole daughter of the Prince of Yingchuan, Princess Fu An, who was residing in the capital.
Lin Yan was so astonished upon hearing the chosen person that she forgot to accept the decree. It was only when someone beside her reminded her to accept it that she reacted.
She quickly raised both hands, waiting for the eunuch to place the imperial decree in them.
"Your subject accepts the decree and expresses gratitude!"
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Lin Yan performed a deep bow, "thanking" the imperial grace.