Eight years after the Emperor’s ascension to the throne, the country was peaceful and prosperous.

The once timid young Emperor had grown into a man with a sharp demeanor and dedication to governing well. Over the years, he had become increasingly unpredictable.

Ye Xian stood in the study, listening as the Emperor reviewed memorials: “This person is utterly stupid, not even as clever as Lord Ye’s parrot.” After speaking, he tossed a memorial to him.

Ye Xian caught it, opened it to see the name, and immediately understood the Emperor’s meaning. He slowly closed it.

“The censor Zhao is impeaching Lord Chen for having his disciples throughout the court, like Zhang Julian in the past,” Ye Xian said slowly. “This official does not share that view.”

Zhu Jun’an looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

Then he turned to ask the eunuch beside him: “Where is the Grand Secretary?”

The eunuch replied: “In response to Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary is discussing matters in the Cabinet.”

Zhu Jun’an nodded and said: “Issue an edict for him to come here after he finishes.” Then he bent back over his desk to continue reviewing memorials.

Ye Xian remained silent for a while before withdrawing.

Outside, the stars were sparse, and dusk was falling.

The guard beside him brought over a cloak for him to wear and quietly asked: “Marquis, is His Majesty suspicious of Lord Chen, or is he protecting him?”

If he was protecting Chen Yan’yun, why show Ye Xian this memorial? If he was suspicious, why summon Chen Yan’yun?

Ye Xian just smiled and sighed: “His Majesty is very capable; his cunning now surpasses even mine.”

“And you, will you tell Lord Chen?”

Ye Xian shook his head: “Chen Yan’yun doesn’t need our concern.”

He currently controlled the government, no wonder the Emperor was wary. Although there was the precedent of Zhang Julian, when a person reaches that position, many things become inevitable. As the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, how could Chen Yan’yun not wield great power?

But as long as he remained, Zhu Jun’an would not truly be suspicious of Chen Yan’yun.

Ye Xian saw Chen Yan’yun approaching from a distance, surrounded by people. Seeing Ye Xian, Chen Yan’yun asked quietly: “Marquis, why are you still in the capital so late? Is there urgent business?”

Ye Xian replied: “Nothing urgent, just His Majesty showing me some memorials.”

Chen Yan’yun thought briefly, then nodded: “Marquis, be careful on your night journey home.” Without saying more, he walked past him toward the main hall.

Outside the imperial city stood a lone willow, and with the Academy Lane just ahead, Ye Xian finally felt some relief.

From the Heir’s wife’s room came the tender sound of a child reading.

Seeing him return, the three-year-old young heir reached out to his father: “Father, Yi’er wants to be held…”

Lady Luo quickly stood up, her face slightly flushed.

Ye Xian raised an eyebrow: “What is it?”

He took the child into his arms. The child wiggled happily, grabbing at Ye Xian’s hair.

Looking at the Marquis’s jade-like face, Lady Luo twisted her handkerchief and said softly: “This concubine was teaching Yi’er to recite…”

“I heard. What was he reciting?”

Yi’er immediately began to show off: “Recalling Lord Gonglin of bygone days, when Little Qiao was married, with heroic bearing, feather fan, and silk headband, amid talk and laughter, warships turned to dust. Dreaming of the fallen kingdom, one with deep feelings would laugh at me for graying early, life is like a dream, one cup poured to the moon over the river.”

Young as he was, Yi’er was very intelligent and could memorize things after just a few repetitions.

Ye Xian’s expression darkened upon hearing this: “Why teach him this?”

Seeing he seemed displeased, Lady Luo became more anxious: “This concubine only knows a few poems, the ones my father enjoyed. If you are displeased, I won’t teach him anymore…”

Ye Xian restrained himself, but still sighed: “I’m not criticizing you, just noting that it was recited incorrectly.”

Lady Luo looked at him in confusion.

Ye Xian sat down and beckoned to her: “Come sit.”

Lady Luo hesitated.

Ye Xian’s tone grew colder: “Are you afraid I’ll eat you?”

Lady Luo had no choice but to sit beside him, smelling the faint scent of soap on her husband, and moved slightly closer to him.

Ye Xian pointed at the book, teaching her sentence by sentence until her pronunciation was completely correct, showing remarkable patience. Yi’er looked from his mother to his father, then crawled into his father’s lap, bottom first.

Ye Xian strongly disliked children.

But he had never been impatient with Yi’er.

It was at this moment that he told the nurse: “Take Yi’er away. Today I will properly teach my wife to read poetry.” Then he said sarcastically to Lady Luo, “What could you learn from that uncultured father of yours? He barely knows a few characters, yet dares to read Su Dongpo?”

Lady Luo knew he was looking down on her lack of education.

“If the Marquis disdains this concubine, then this concubine… will not teach anymore.”

Ye Xian frowned: “What are you saying? Have I offended you?”

Lady Luo pressed her lips together without speaking, afraid of displeasing him again. She sat with her back perfectly straight, more tense than if she were standing. She was thin, her slender neck appearing exceptionally fragile.

Ye Xian’s tone softened somewhat: “Never mind, do you still want to learn?”

Lady Luo nodded.

She liked him so much, naturally hoping to be as close to him as possible.

After finishing the poetry lesson, they had dinner. Ye Xian went to pay respects to the old Marquis, with Lady Luo accompanying him. The old Marquis had been ill recently. Ye Xian attended to him at his bedside for a long time before returning. When he returned, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep leaning against the couch.

Luo Yuan called to him several times but couldn’t wake him.

Ye Xian leaned against the welcoming pillow, his usually cold eyebrows appearing much gentler, his handsome profile casting shadows from his long eyelashes.

He rarely showed intimacy with her; only at times like this was he most unguarded.

Luo Yuan put down her needlework and had the maid take Yi’er to the warm room to sleep.

But the sleeping adult had no way to move. Though he looked thin, he was much heavier than her.

Luo Yuan also lay down on the couch, holding onto his sleeve, carefully resting her head against his arm. Afraid of weighing him down, she carefully maintained a side-lying position.

As if he were embracing her.

Luo Yuan closed her eyes contentedly and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she found herself truly in Ye Xian’s embrace. He was holding her, and she could still smell his pleasant scent. Startled, she looked up to find her husband’s cold face watching her: “Sleeping like this, aren’t you uncomfortable?”

Luo Yuan hurriedly tried to get up, but her back hit the small table and she fell back into his arms.

Ye Xian said from above her head: “Why are you panicking? So clumsy. Did you hurt yourself?”

He held her as he sat up. Luo Yuan shook her head and said: “It’s not serious,” but dared not look him in the eye.

Ye Xian nodded; if she wasn’t hurt, it wasn’t his concern. He got up, and Luo Yuan helped him put on his court dress, sending him out before returning.

In the morning, she held Yi’er to visit Lady Gao, smiling all the while.

Lady Gao knew her daughter-in-law well. Whenever Ye Xian showed her the slightest kindness, she would be ecstatic. But Ye Xian was truly aloof; even when he was kind to others, it was in the most subtle, imperceptible way. People who didn’t understand him might even think he was hostile.

She smiled and asked Luo Yuan: “Why so happy?”

Luo Yuan pressed her lips together, just shaking her head: “Mother, I’ve prepared a nourishing soup for you. Please try it.”

Lady Gao didn’t ask further, instead discussing Luo Yuan’s visit to her parents’ home.

Luo Yuan was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wuding. She had two younger sisters born to her father’s second wife. Both had married in the past two years. The day after tomorrow was the Marquis of Wuding’s birthday, and they all needed to return to celebrate.

Luo Yuan was reluctant to go back. When she married, she had been celebrated and envied. But over the years, everyone knew about her poor relationship with the Marquis, even rumors that the Marquis never spent the night in her quarters. Her position in her natal home was awkward, making her stepmother’s two daughters even more smug.

Lady Gao said: “I’ll have Ye Xian accompany you.”

Luo Yuan shook her head: “Let’s not, he’s busy every day.”

Lady Gao scoffed: “What could he be busy with? I’ve decided. Besides, it’s been some years since he accompanied you back.”

The next day, Lady Gao indeed had Ye Xian accompany her.

While Luo Yuan was packing, he waited beside her with nothing to do.

Hearing that Ye Xian had accompanied her back, the Marquis of Wuding personally came out to welcome them. Ye Xian now served as Vice Minister of War, holding a lofty position in court. Knowing his temperament, Luo Yuan feared he would have nothing to say to the Marquis of Wuding, so she asked: “Would you like to rest first?”

Ye Xian coldly shook his head: “No need, don’t worry about me.”

Without looking at her, he walked ahead with the Marquis of Wuding, smiling.

The Luo family servants were all watching, clearly seeing that the Marchioness was not favored. Luo Yuan sighed inwardly and went to pay respects to her stepmother.

Her two younger sisters were talking with the Marchioness of Wuding. When the second sister saw her approach, she smiled and said: “Our Marchioness of Changxing has returned. Elder sister, come join us.”

Luo Yuan paid respects to her stepmother, who responded coolly: “Sit down.”

The third sister was somewhat warmer: “Elder sister, what about that matter I asked you about last time?”

Luo Yuan replied indifferently: “I haven’t asked yet. The promotion for the Fifth Brigade’s position isn’t under the Marquis’s jurisdiction.”

How could she possibly burden Ye Xian with these personal favors? Besides, even if she asked, Ye Xian wouldn’t help her.

The third sister shook her head: “Our elder sister climbs to a high branch and forgets us? I hear the elder sister isn’t happy with the Marquis of Changxing’s household. The Marquis doesn’t favor you; you might as well offer him those two maids of yours. They seem quite decent.”

These were the usual taunts. Luo Yuan remained silent.

Arguing never led to any results, and she didn’t like explaining herself to others.

She was used to it.

The second sister peeled and ate five-spice peanuts while saying: “Elder sister if you have no say in the Marquis’s household and need anything, you can come back and ask your younger sister. I may not have much, but I can at least give my elder sister money for clothes.”

Luo Yuan dressed simply because Ye Xian preferred simplicity.

Luo Yuan frowned slightly: “This doesn’t require the second sister’s concern.”

Ye Xian was speaking with the Marquis of Wuding and came looking for Luo Yuan. Hearing the conversation inside, his face immediately darkened.

He waved away the maids blocking him and strode into the hall: “What are you all discussing? Sounds lively.”

Seeing Ye Xian arrive, Luo Yuan anxiously stood up.

But Ye Xian took her hand and had her sit down.

Ye Xian smiled at the second and third Miss Luo, his eyes ice-cold: “Please continue.”

The Marchioness of Wuding sat up straight and stammered: “How did the Marquis come in? The maids didn’t announce you…”

The smile disappeared from Ye Xian’s face, his tone turning cold: “I want you all to speak!”

The second and third Miss Luo were frightened to their feet. The Marchioness of Wuding quickly tried to smooth things over: “Marquis, don’t be angry. We were just joking with the Marchioness. For the sake of an elder like me…”

But Ye Xian coldly replied: “What kind of elder are you, that I should consider your face? Though my Marquis of Changxing’s household is kind, there’s no reason for the Marchioness to be bullied. Make them apologize.”

Luo Yuan clutched at his hand, wanting him to let it go, why bother with them?

But Ye Xian looked at her: “Don’t interfere. We’ll do as I say.”

In the end, he forced the second and third sisters to apologize to her.

The Marchioness of Wuding was too frightened to speak again.

The next day, he took her back to the Marquis of Changxing’s mansion and questioned her: “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Luo Yuan said quietly: “I didn’t want to quarrel with them… Besides, you… you don’t care about these things.”

When her mother was alive, she often said that harmony was precious and that one should endure when possible.

Ye Xian looked at her coldly, barely restraining himself: “Your personality… makes me want to…”

Luo Yuan felt disappointed. Was he dissatisfied with her again?

Why was Ye Xian never satisfied no matter what she did?

“It’s one thing if I bully you, but how could I not care if others bully you?”

She had been feeling dejected, but hearing these words from Ye Xian, she looked up at him in surprise. Ye Xian turned his head away, not looking at her, and said, “Forget it, go to sleep.”

His tone was gentler than usual.

Luo Yuan held his hand and said softly: “Marquis, thank you.”

After a moment of silence, Ye Xian said: “Your personality… is completely different from hers. If anyone dared to bully her, she would pay them back a hundredfold. Even if not immediately, she would plan her revenge for later.”

Luo Yuan was stunned. Who was the young master talking about?

He had never told her.

“But you, after all, have someone protecting you, so you don’t need to endure anything,” Ye Xian looked at her. “Remember that?”

Luo Yuan nodded, feeling a warm comfort.

Yes, someone was protecting her.

Even if he said nothing and did nothing, he understood.

Yi’er was brought over, and Ye Xian held the child while teaching him to read.

She embraced his waist from behind.

Ye Xian’s body stiffened, but he didn’t push her away.

Luo Yuan smiled slightly. Finally, he had come to like her a little too.