Chapter 404: Indeed A Bit Hasty

Chapter 404: Indeed A Bit Hasty

The next day, Tang Shuyi went to the palace to teach Li Jingyi, with Ye De waiting for her early at the palace gate. The two, being acquaintances, chatted as they walked towards the Imperial Study.

Tang Shuyi inquired, "Has Your Majesty been well these days?"

Ye Debao wavered for a moment but ultimately shared, "His Majesty is well, it's just that he has been too dedicated, leaving him with little time for rest."

Tang Shuyi acknowledged this with a nod, understanding the pressures that weighed on Li Jingyi. Upon entering the Imperial Study, Li Jingyi immediately stood up to greet her, his eyes involuntarily scanning behind her.

However, the figure he longed for was absent, and a shadow of disappointment crossed his face. Tang Shuyi noticed but pretended otherwise. Now in her teens, it was crucial for Yu Zhu to be cautious of her reputation—being brought to the palace too often could be detrimental.

Li Jingyi was aware of this propriety as well, but it had been a long while since he last saw Xiao Yu Zhu, and his yearning was evident.

After some light conversation, the master and pupil settled down, and Tang Shuyi began the lesson. Afterwards, she couldn't help but advise him, "Your Highness carries a heavy burden, but you must not push yourself too far. You know the principle of moderation."

Li Jingyi nodded, "I understand, but there's so much to do, I wish to finish it all at once."

"The vast empire of Daqian," Tang Shuyi looked at him earnestly, "even if you finish today's tasks, there will be more tomorrow. It's endless, and you will never finish."

Li Jingyi pursed his lips in silence, to which Tang Shuyi added, "As I have told you before, Your Highness, tasks must be prioritized. A ruler must also know how to delegate, not attempt to do everything alone."

Li Jingyi nodded, "I will remember that."

Indeed, he had been somewhat impatient.

After a bit more conversation, Tang Shuyi went to the Cining Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager greeted her with a smile, "Why didn't you bring Yu Zhu along?"

Tang Shuyi replied, "I will bring her to pay her respects in a couple of days."

The Empress Dowager understood that this was for Yu Zhu's reputation and considered suggesting an engagement between the children. Yet she recalled Xiao Huai's words—if Yu Zhu were to marry Li Jingyi, she would have to be his only consort.

Now, Yu Zhu was too young to enter the palace, and the future was uncertain. If they were to be engaged now and circumstances changed later, it would not bode well for Yu Zhu. Still, seeing Jingyi's daily toil, she felt a pang of sympathy.

With a deep sigh, the Empress Dowager resolved to let fate take its course, believing in the fortune of her descendants.

After more conversation and being entrusted with many pastries for Yu Zhu, Tang Shuyi sat in the carriage, pondering over the Empress Dowager's long sigh. Some matters allowed for leniency, others demanded firmness.

In ancient times, a woman's marriage was akin to a second life—if chosen poorly, she might endure a lifetime of misery. As parents, they couldn’t live their children’s lives, but they could ease their future by being thorough and responsible at every step.

Days later, Li Jingyi summoned the Ming family to the palace. The Mings rose before dawn, each taking great care with their appearance before setting out together.

Before boarding the carriage, Ming Er Laoye cautioned Ming Da Laoye, "When we meet His Majesty, you must maintain proper decorum. He is the Emperor first, our nephew second. Moreover, he has been formally adopted by the carefree Prince."

Ming Da Laoye's face showed his discontent, "Since when did you become so naggy? I'm not a child of three."

After speaking, he boarded the carriage with displeasure. Ming Er Laoye's brow furrowed deeply as he watched his brother's carriage pull away. He too boarded his carriage, but with a now firmer resolution.

Upon arriving at the imperial palace, Elder Master Ming and Second Master Ming went to the imperial study, while Lady Ming and the others went to the inner palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.

In the imperial study, Elder Master Ming and Second Master Ming immediately prostrated themselves in greeting upon seeing Emperor Li Jingyi, who rose to assist them to their feet, then scrutinized them closely.

He had been just over four years old when calamity struck. For many, memories from that tender age fade into obscurity, but the incident was so cataclysmic that it altered the course of his life, plummeting him from heaven to hell. Thus, he remembered every detail of that year, including these two uncles.

They had aged considerably, yet traces of his late mother could still be discerned in their features. Thoughts of his mother brought a twinge of pain to his heart, which he swiftly composed before saying, “You have both endured much hardship over the years.”

“Your Majesty, you cannot fathom the suffering our Ming family endured at that time…”

Elder Master Ming spoke with a face full of grievance, but before he could finish, Second Master Ming interrupted him, “All is in the past, we thank Your Majesty for vindicating our family.”

Emperor Li Jingyi's gaze lingered between the two for a moment before he said, “Indeed, bygones are bygones. The Late Imperial Consort Ming... has been properly reinterred by me.”

When Elder Master Ming heard him refer to the Late Imperial Consort Ming rather than 'Mother Consort', his expression momentarily stiffened, while Second Master Ming appeared unfazed.

After conversing briefly, Emperor Li Jingyi inquired about their future intentions. Neither was of great age, and both had held official posts before; presumably, they did not wish to remain idle indefinitely.

Upon hearing this, Elder Master Ming’s face lit up with eagerness, yet knowing he could not brazenly declare his ambitions, he replied, “Whatever Your Majesty decrees shall be our command.”

The emperor nodded, then turned his gaze to Second Master Ming, who clenched his fists before saying, “Our ancestral home is in Huangping. The events of that year greatly affected our old estate. I wish to return to Huangping and do something for the Ming clan there.”

Understanding his intent to take up an official role there, Emperor Li Jingyi responded, “I understand.”

Elder Master Ming looked at Second Master Ming in astonishment, thinking him surely senseless for preferring Huangping over the capital. Second Master Ming felt his gaze but pretended ignorance.

The emperor gave them both an imperceptible glance, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. He had already planned unburdensome, powerless positions for them. However, if Second Master Ming truly wished to return to Huangping, he could be granted a post with some authority.

Meanwhile, in the Empress Dowager’s palace, as the Second Lady Ming fervently praised her daughter Ming Yu’s beauty, the Empress Dowager observed that while Ming Yu was indeed beautiful, she lacked the grace in her speech to match the daughter of Lady Ming.

The Empress Dowager knew the Second Lady Ming’s intentions without asking and simply smiled in response to her words, choosing not to engage further. Internally, she sighed once more, pitying Emperor Li Jingyi's fraught romantic path.

[Author’s Note: My health has not fully recovered, leading to fewer updates recently. I hope for your understanding.]