Li Chenxuan trembled all over, "You... you said..."
"The top scholar of the college entrance exam, Li Chenxuan, you have not disappointed me."
The young girl looked at him with a smile, her gaze gentle.
Her exceptionally beautiful face was even more stunning with this smile.
Li Chenxuan's heart stirred slightly, and he quickly lowered his head, "Your Majesty, did you specifically come all this way for my affairs?"
"Yes, aren't you happy?" the girl asked.
Li Chenxuan shook his head, "No, I am very happy."
The girl smiled, "I've already said there are no monarchs or subjects here."
"I... I just can't believe it." To achieve top scholar in one attempt.
The girl said, "Although not as good as the Prime Minister, you are still very good."
Hearing this, Li Chenxuan shook his head, "How dare I compare myself to the Prime Minister."
Hua Yunjin became the top scholar at fifteen and was known as a prodigy.
The essays he wrote had not been surpassed to this day.
He was eighteen this year, a full three years younger and three years later in meeting His Majesty.
"Where is Fang Hui?" the girl asked.
Upon hearing this, Li Chenxuan replied, "My sister went to see the results of the exams. She should be back soon."
Li Fanghui, standing outside the door, could no longer peek from outside. In fact, she had seen the Empress enter just now and had been waiting outside. She didn't want to disturb her brother, as she knew he harbored some feelings for the Empress.
"Chenxuan, sister has good news to tell you." Li Fanghui walked in, feigning ignorance.
Upon seeing the young girl sitting on the stone chair in the courtyard, she was taken aback and quickly curtsied, "This subject greets Your Majesty."
The girl waved her hand, "Get up. Today, there are no monarchs or subjects here."
Li Fanghui rose, looking at the empty stone table before the girl, and secretly thought that her brother was truly dense. She stepped forward and curtsied, "Your Majesty, I happened to make peach blossom cakes today. Would you like to try some?"
"Alright!" The girl did not refuse.
Soon, Li Fanghui brought out the peach blossom cakes. The girl looked at them, her eyes flickering. She picked up a piece and took a bite, the faint scent of peach blossoms lingering on her tongue.
"This is very delicious."
The girl ate a bite and then put down the half-eaten peach blossom cake.
A fleeting light crossed Li Fanghui's eyes.
At this moment, the girl stood up and said, "There is a palace banquet tonight. Fang Hui, you must come too."
Li Fanghui was flattered. She could never have imagined being invited by the Empress. "This subject will surely attend."
The girl left.
Li Fanghui let out a sigh of relief and looked at her brother, who was still gazing towards the door. She reached out and gave him a playful jab, "Why aren't you getting ready properly? You have to attend the palace tonight?"
The Empress, who had been silent since leaving Li Chenxuan's residence, was observed by Xue Yan. Xue Yan didn't know what to say. Suddenly, she noticed a shop selling peach blossom cakes. She remembered that the Empress had eaten a lot of them last time. She couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, shall this servant buy some peach blossom cakes for you?"
Xue Zining paused, looked up at the peach blossom cake shop, then withdrew her gaze and said indifferently, "Never mention peach blossom cakes again."
The past was the past; it was not worth dwelling on.
Xue Yan silently noted that Her Majesty had changed her affections and no longer liked peach blossom cakes.
The palace banquet that evening arrived soon. Without the Regent King this time, the banquet felt much more relaxed.
Xue Zining felt a bit dizzy after a few cups of fruit wine, but she did not let Xue Yan support her, walking out on her own.
As she walked, she noticed what appeared to be fire. Fire was forbidden in the palace. Who dared to be so bold?
"Feng Wu."
Feng Wu appeared before her and said, "Your Majesty."
"Go and bring the arsonist to me."
Shortly after, Feng Wu arrived, carrying someone. Feng Wu threw the person to the ground.
Xue Zining saw clearly that it was a rather young boy, perhaps fifteen years old. "Who are you? Why are you setting fire in the palace?"
The boy was startled and looked up. A glint flashed in his dark eyes. Under the dim candlelight, Xue Zining saw the boy's face clearly.
She was taken aback, "You..."
Seeing her, the boy quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, forgive me. This subject did not do it intentionally. This subject..."
"What is your name?"
The boy trembled all over and said, "Your Majesty, this subject is Qing Yi."
Xue Zining was surprised, "You are Qing Yi?"
The boy's voice held a tremor, "Yes, this subject is."
"Why are you here?" Xue Zining's voice was cold.
The boy was shaking uncontrollably, clearly terrified. Xue Zining sighed, "Tell me, and I will not blame you."
The boy raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion. "Your Majesty, Qing Yi is an orphan, without parents. The only person who was good to Qing Yi is no longer here. Qing Yi... Qing Yi wants to burn some paper money for him."
Xue Zining looked at the boy and said faintly, "For whom are you burning paper money?"
The boy looked at her and whispered, "It is Yan Zhao."
Xue Zining was startled. She looked up and realized that this was Yan Palace, the residence she had bestowed upon Yan Zhao to humiliate him.
"You... you did not leave?"
The boy shook his head, "This subject has nowhere to go, so I stayed here. Today is the seventh day of Master Yan's passing. This subject thought to burn paper money for him. I did not expect to attract Your Majesty. It is this subject's fault, please forgive me."
Xue Zining walked into Yan Palace. This was the first time she had set foot here since Yan Zhao's death.
She seemed to smell his presence again.
"Your Majesty... it's a bit messy inside. This subject thought to tidy up some of Master Yan's clothes to burn for him, as it must be very cold below." Qing Yi said from behind her.
Xue Zining looked at the bed, where indeed there were some clothes. Several of them were ones she often saw Yan Zhao wear.
Suddenly, she saw a black cloak underneath.
For some reason, it looked familiar. She stepped forward and picked up the cloak. It wasn't just familiar; she had truly seen it before.
It was on that night when Xue Yan, disguised as Zhu Keyu, infiltrated the Tingwei prison.
She trembled, holding the cloak, and asked, "Is this also Yan Zhao's?"
Qing Yi looked at the cloak in her hand and nodded, "It belongs to Master Yan, but Master Yan only wore it once."
It was on that night that he had touched her dragon bed, almost mistaking Zhu Keyu for the Empress, causing a scene.
She unfolded the cloak and, sure enough, saw a tear on one corner, made by the dagger she had concealed in her sleeve at the time.
Yan Yi's words echoed in her mind, "Although Young Master stood against you, what he did was not..."
"Your Majesty..."
Qing Yi looked at her lost in thought and couldn't help but call out softly.
Xue Zining came back to her senses, looked at the cloak in her hand, placed it on the bed, and said, "You may burn it!"
Qing Yi was taken aback, "You are not going to blame this subject anymore?"
He saw the girl turn and walk towards the outside.
Leaving Yan Palace, the wind blew past her body. She raised her head and looked at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky.
She couldn't help but ask in her heart, "Yan Zhao, why? In your previous life, weren't you only trying to take my life? What is the use of doing these things in this life?"
"Your Majesty..."
She turned and looked at the boy walking towards her. She knew that only the boy before her could soothe the panic in her heart.
"Yunjin..."
Hua Yunjin looked at the girl standing in the moonlight, gazing at him, a faint melancholy flickering in his clear eyes.
"Your Majesty, do not fear. I am here," the boy said, word by word, standing before her.