jdhmnovel Chapter 1428 Pampering Her
Chapter 1428 Pampering Her
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Zi'er felt a little tired and gently closed her eyes. Yingyi wiped the corner of her lips, put the bowl of porridge aside, tucked her in, and sat on the pear wood chair by the couch, still staring at her intently, as if he wanted to make up for all the time he hadn't seen in the past three days.
Zi'er closed her eyes, but she wasn't asleep. She could feel Ying Yi's gaze beside her, a gaze filled with tenderness and worry. A sweet feeling welled up in her heart, mixed with a touch of bitterness. She and Ying Yi had never expressed their feelings for each other intensely.
But now she knows that she is the most important person in his life!
Yingyi watched as Zi'er closed her eyes and her breathing gradually became steady. Knowing that she was tired, he softened his breathing and remained sitting on the pear wood chair, watching over her.
The sky outside the window gradually brightened, and sunlight streamed into the room through the window frame, falling on Zi'er's face and giving it a faint golden glow, and also falling on Ying Yi, making his shadow long.
For three days, he stayed up all night, never closing his eyes or leaving her side. He had only one thought in his mind: to stay by her side and wait for her to wake up. He was usually cold and hard, and knew nothing of tenderness, but when he met Zi'er, he gave her all his gentleness and tenderness.
He thought that for the rest of his life, he would stay by her side, protect her, and never let her suffer any more grievances or harm.
Zi'er seemed to sense his feelings, and a faint smile appeared on her lips, carrying a hint of sweetness even in her sleep.
Looking at her smile, Yingyi's eyes were almost overflowing with tenderness. He reached out and gently took her hand, which was exposed outside the quilt. Her hand was slightly cold, so he wrapped it tightly in his palm to warm it.
The candlelight inside finally went out, and sunlight filled the entire room, warm and bright. Yingyi, who was by Zier's bedside, holding her hand, also fell into a deep sleep.
About five days later, Zi'er's injuries gradually healed, and news also came from the assassins.
Lin Yiwan looked at Zhan Yan in surprise: "What did you say? The Prince of Dongping actually forced Grand Secretary Liu to resign in court?"
Zhan Yan nodded; "Yes, not only did they force Grand Secretary Liu to resign, but they also removed all his disciples from their respective positions!"
Lin Yiwan seemed to be deep in thought, thinking that the Prince of Dongping had already concluded that the attack on the Li mother and daughter was the work of the Liu family.
She frowned and said, "It seems the court is about to be in turmoil. Has Father entrusted you with the important task of re-selecting officials?"
Zhan Yan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his dark eyes filled with a coldness. Hearing this, he nodded slightly: "Father Emperor did indeed entrust this matter to me, in addition to investigating the corruption cases left behind by the Liu family's disciples in various prefectures. Recently, the memorials from the Ministry of Personnel have piled up to my waist."
Lin Yiwan looked at the faint dark circles under his eyes and felt a pang of sadness. She reached out and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes: "Then you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself. I will take good care of Zi'er here. You don't need to worry about the affairs of the manor. Just focus on handling the affairs of the court."
Zhan Yan held her hand, his fingertips stroking hers, and his tone softened: "With you here, I am naturally at ease. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to the manor for the next few days, so please be careful in everything you do. If there is any movement, have the guards send me a message immediately."
From that day on, Zhan Yan devoted himself entirely to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites. During the day, he checked the resumes of officials and personally presided over the selection and assessment. At night, he also reviewed the memorials submitted from various places and investigated the corruption cases left by the Liu family. He didn't even have time to go back to his residence for a meal.
He would usually only have Shadow Soul deliver some simple meals to the government office, and he would only rest for a couple of hours in a side room of the government office.
The leisurely atmosphere of the past was completely gone in the courtyard of the Ministry of Personnel. Officials who came and went were all in a hurry and did not even dare to speak loudly.
Zhan Yan sat upright at the desk in the main hall, with a thick stack of official rosters spread out in front of him. He held a vermilion pen between his fingers and glanced at the names on the list. Anyone whose qualifications did not match or whose character was questionable was crossed out with a stroke of the vermilion pen, without showing any leniency.
The selection of officials was divided into written examinations and policy discussions, with an additional on-site questioning. Zhan Yan personally presided over each examination, and those who gave perfunctory answers, engaged in empty talk, or had impure intentions were all dismissed on the spot.
After a few days, the officials in the Ministry of Personnel were all terrified, and no one dared to think about using back channels or connections anymore. They only dared to honestly follow the rules.
But the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. Zhan Yan holds the great power of selecting officials, and with the downfall of the Liu family, many important positions in the court have become vacant. Many people are envious and want to curry favor with the Marquis of Zhan Yi's family and place their own people in various positions. After several attempts to test him were coldly rejected by Zhan Yan, they began to have other ideas.
That afternoon, Zhan Yan had just finished a policy essay assessment and was sitting in a side room reviewing the exam papers when Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, walked in with a smile. Behind him were two maids, both with delicate features and slender figures, carrying teacups and exquisite pastries.
"My lord, you must be tired after working all day. This is some tea and snacks that I had prepared. Have these two maids serve you some so you can rest for a while." Vice Minister Zhou smiled obsequiously, his eyes constantly glancing at the two women, his meaning clear.
Zhan Yan lifted his gaze from the exam paper, his cool eyes sweeping over the two women.
The two women immediately curtsied, lowered their eyes, and looked shy and timid, their voices so soft they could melt water: "This servant greets Your Highness."
The voice was sickeningly sweet, and Zhan Yan's brows furrowed instantly, a coldness spreading across his eyes, and the air pressure around him suddenly dropped a few degrees.
He put down his vermilion brush, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and said in a deep voice, "I don't need anyone to serve me here. Lord Zhou, you should take him back."
The smile on Vice Minister Zhou's face froze, assuming that Zhan Yan was just being coy.
He quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Your Excellency has been working too hard these past few days. You should have someone considerate to take care of you. These two maids were carefully selected by me. They are gentle, quick and efficient, literate, and can even grind ink and prepare paper for Your Excellency to help you relax. Please keep them by Your Excellency's side."
As he spoke, he gave the two women a wink, and they immediately stepped forward to help Zhan Yan up, saying, "My lord, we'll serve you some tea."
"Insolence!" Zhan Yan shouted coldly, his voice not loud, but carrying a terrifying authority.
The two women trembled with fright, immediately withdrew their hands, and knelt on the ground with a thud, their faces ashen, not daring to lift their heads.
Minister Zhou was startled by the rebuke, his fawning expression fading slightly as he awkwardly asked, "My lord, what are you doing?"
Zhan Yan's gaze was like a cold blade as he looked directly at Vice Minister Zhou: "As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, your primary duty is to assist me in selecting officials and rectifying officialdom, not to ponder these unorthodox ideas. I will let today's matter slide for now, but if there is a next time, don't blame me for dealing with it according to the law!"