jdhmnovel Chapter 250 The Marquis Has No Clever Heart 27 (The End)
Chapter 250 The Marquis Has No Clever Heart 27 (The End)
Liang Jinglan's face flushed as she stared intently at Wen Yan.
He just wanted to stay where she was.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Wen Yan raised an eyebrow, grabbed the new emperor's ear, and said with a half-smile, "You're teasing Marquis Liang now. Looks like you don't have enough homework. Have you finished memorizing the policy essay I wrote yesterday?"
The new emperor was stunned. He covered his ears with his little hands and spoke in a clear, childlike voice, trying to rekindle the remaining teacher-student bond: "Teacher, I'm only four years old. I can't even recognize all the words."
"Oh, then I'll learn it."
"But...but I'm only four years old..."
Wen Yan rejected his coquettishness and retorted sharply: "So what if I'm four? Your teacher could compose poems at three and write policy essays at five... so age is not a problem."
The new emperor's mouth dropped open: "Teacher, you're amazing!"
"Are you envious?"
"Mmmmmmm!"
Wen Yan smiled wickedly: "If you memorize three policy essays today, you'll be just like your teacher."
New Emperor: "..."
The new emperor was taken away to study, his small body twisting and turning in Wen Yan's hands, trying to break free of his restraints.
Then he noticed with his sharp eyes that Liang Jinglan had followed.
A moment later, he was handed over to Liang Jinglan, who held him firmly no matter how much he struggled, and even made him swing like a pendulum.
The new emperor looked up at Liang Jinglan's handsome and radiant face, and accepted the ravages of fate with a blank expression.
The new emperor's studies were not solely his responsibility; the prime minister and others served as lecturers, imparting book knowledge to him.
Wen Yan was mainly responsible for practical work, such as teaching him how to manage his subordinates.
Wen Yan sat lazily in the rocking chair, unwilling to put on any pretense of being a teacher.
The new emperor didn't care. He took a small stool and sat down to the side, already used to her nonchalant attitude.
As the teacher said, people can disguise themselves as something that is beneficial to their self-development, so when judging a person, don't just look at the surface, look at their heart.
Where did I leave off yesterday?
"When it comes to how to get subordinates to do things for you."
Wen Yan tilted her head and asked, "What does Your Majesty think should be done?"
The new emperor frowned deeply: "I don't know."
"It's simple, just remember my mantra." Wen Yan straightened her head and said slowly, "If you want the horse to run, feed it some grass first; if you want things to go well, give it three whacks and then a treat."
The new emperor muttered it to himself several times, his eyes filled with confusion.
The next day, Wen Yan gave him a vivid demonstration.
"Lord Li, you have worked hard. If the shipbuilding is successful, His Majesty promises to grant you a separate family genealogy."
Abandoned by his family in his youth and harboring resentment ever since, Lord Li, who wished nothing more than to suppress all his clansmen, gleamed with pride and declared in a booming voice, "Leave it to me!"
After the court session, the new emperor summoned Lord Wu for a private audience.
Lord Wu was terrified. He had just been kept behind a few days ago to discuss the matter of suppressing local gentry. He absolutely could not accept this hot potato!
Wen Yan, with her clear and gentle voice and kind eyes, began a long narration. Lord Li's facial features changed from furrowing at the beginning to relaxing, to disbelief, and finally to ecstasy.
"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I am but a humble gentryman; I would do anything for you, even at the cost of my head!"
Lord Li was bursting with energy, eager to rush to the scene and eradicate the malignant tumors one by one.
He summarized Wen Yan's previous words, and the rewards after the deed was done were as follows: a pardon from death +1, a place to study at the Imperial Academy +1, posthumous conferment of a marquis title on his father and a conferment of a title, and a promotion in official rank +2...
It's such a joyous occasion, he absolutely has to go!
His expression was one of ecstatic joy, showing no sign of reluctance.
When you go out, you feel like you're floating.
Wen Yan stared at the departing figure, a smile playing on her lips: "This is another plan I've given Your Majesty. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can prescribe the right medicine for the illness. Everyone has desires and weaknesses. By grasping their desires and weaknesses, you can hold them, and even their spirit, in your hands..."
She told the new emperor, "Water that is too clear has no fish."
Petty corruption is acceptable, but serious corruption will get you beheaded.
Wen Yan is indeed a master of playfulness.
Evergreen, who has been a powerful figure in the imperial court for over a decade, has made every move calculated.
The only thing about her that deserves repeated criticism is that she got too close to Liang Jinglan and acted too intimately with him.
Ten years.
Wen Yan's behavior became increasingly unrestrained; it was common for them to hold hands and parade through the streets, wipe each other's sweat, and gaze at each other affectionately.
Even when escaping the summer heat at the imperial palace, two people shared a room, showing no regard for others.
The new emperor was so engrossed in flipping through the memorials presented to him that his eyes were practically blind.
His eyes, which had just begun to show their sharpness, lowered helplessly as he looked at his teacher, who was reclining in a rocking chair not far from the desk, enjoying being fed by someone. His lips twitched: "...Teacher, aren't you and Marquis Liang going to restrain yourselves a little?"
"Huh?" Wen Yan took the peeled grape that Liang Jinglan offered to her lips, fed it to him, and propped herself up: "We've already been very discreet, we haven't even kissed in front of them."
Liang Jinglan coughed lightly.
My heart ached with a mixture of shyness and longing. Time has been kind to him, leaving no trace on his face. But his youthful eyes, weathered by time, have become even darker and more profound.
Men in their early thirties possess a unique calmness honed by time, making them more mature and attractive.
After all these years, he still hasn't been able to completely get used to Yan Yan's...unconventional ways.
The new emperor placed the memorial on his desk. "It's time to find a way to shut those people up. They're always talking about homosexuality, and I'm sick of it. Teacher, do you have any suggestions?"
Wen Yan lifted her eyelids: "Yes, just reveal my gender."
"No."
What gender?
Liang Jinglan and the new emperor spoke at the same time, then both expressed their doubts.
Liang Jinglan blinked: You didn't tell him?
Wen Yan thought for a moment, then realized she really hadn't said it, and gave an innocent look: I forgot.
The new emperor stared blankly at the two of them, completely bewildered.
"Teacher, Lord Liang, what kind of riddle are you playing?"
The two looked at each other.
Wen Yan cleared her throat, stood up, and said with a serious expression, "It's nothing, I just feel it's time to tell the Emperor some truths."
The new emperor is getting nervous. Why make it so formal?
Could it be that the teacher has taken a fancy to some girl and is planning to have an affair?
No, no, no, the relationship between the teacher and Liang Hou is obvious to all.
Could it be that Marquis Liang is planning to lead his troops to expand his territory again?
No, that's enough! The territory is too vast; he can't manage it all!
Staying up all night reviewing official documents can really lead to kidney deficiency and shorten your lifespan!
But as is customary, Liang Hou had just returned from the war and would spend a year in the capital with his teacher.
Could it be that the teacher is planning to retire early, abandoning a bunch of official duties and running away, and is just informing him?
! ! ! !
This is the most likely scenario; it's something a teacher would do.
The new emperor took a deep breath, thinking he had prepared for the worst: "Teacher... please speak."
"I am a woman."
"A woman... what??"
The pitch is an octave higher!
"A woman...a girl!? Teacher, are you kidding me?"
The new emperor was completely bewildered.
It took him a while to regain his senses: "Why didn't you tell me?"
With a prosperous nation, a strong military, and an open literary atmosphere, there are quite a few women in official positions. Teachers don't need to hide their identities or live in constant fear.
He hoped that Wen Yan's answer would convince him.
Wen Yan: "...The Emperor didn't ask."
Perform consistently.
New Emperor: "..."
Good reason...that's great...
In the fifteenth year of the Qingli reign, the new emperor took office and personally exposed the alleged close relationship between the regent and the Marquis of Liang.
The courtiers were furious!
You finally have a stain on your record, and you're trying to whitewash it!
This is too much!!
The new emperor snorted coldly and said: Listen carefully to my exposé.
"The Regent originally sought to exonerate her father, enduring humiliation and hardship. After the exoneration was completed, she imparted all her knowledge to benefit the people. She was an incorruptible official..."
The ministers suffered from tinnitus.
Your Majesty, what are you saying?!
Does that mean Wen Yan is a woman?
It's one thing for us older folks to be outmatched by a little doll, but now you're telling me that this little doll is a girl??
The ministers fell silent.
As usual, Wen Yan acted as if nothing had happened, playing the role of reassurance to the court, and dressed as usual.
Liang Jinglan, on the other hand, was genuinely excited.
Decades have passed in the blink of an eye.
After the new emperor was able to take charge of things independently, the two of them decisively resigned from their official posts and began to travel around the Liu Kingdom, starting from Suzhou, the closest city to the capital. Over two years, they traveled all over the country.
After many twists and turns, they returned to the northern frontier and settled there, where they passed away hand in hand until their last breath.
A lone plume of smoke rises from the vast desert, while the setting sun casts its glow over the long river.
The place where we met is also the place where we stayed together.