Chapter 39 Admiration

Chapter 39: A Feeling of Respect

At today's morning court, Jiang Wang couldn't help but feel everyone was looking at him strangely.

He looked down at his clothes—the same court robes as everyone else's, and he hadn't put them on backward.

He then touched his face, confirming there was nothing dirty on it.

But why was everyone looking at him with such a scrutinizing gaze, as if he were a rare animal in a zoo?

When Jiang Wang looked back, those who had been staring quickly looked away.

He frowned. How odd.

Among the crowd, only Zhong He's gaze was different—without any of the probing curiosity, instead filled with the usual warmth and concern.

He looked at Zhong He and smiled, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's voice rang out from his side.

"Minister Jiang, have you recorded everything I just said?"

"Your Majesty, I have recorded it all."

As he spoke, Jiang Wang respectfully extended the daily record book with both hands, allowing Xiao Yan to review its contents.

His demeanor was proper, his etiquette impeccable, leaving no room for fault.

Yet, it was precisely this polite and rule-abiding attitude that created an even greater distance.

Xiao Yan stared at the offered book but did not take it.

This sense of distance seemed to have started from that day.

The day Jiang Wang came to ask for a reward but didn't receive it.

The Jiang Wang of the past was vibrant like a little sun. As the Court Diarist, he might not have recognized all the court officials yet, but he greeted everyone with a smile and a friendly word.

On duty, he was always seen treating everything with enthusiasm. Even a pen or an inkstone would be insisted on being assigned its proper place.

He would angrily kick a stone that tripped him, yet smile at a flower blooming outside the window.

But since that day, Jiang Wang seemed to have become a different person, like an emotionless puppet.

He was polite to everyone, followed palace rules to the letter, and made no mistakes.

Especially toward him—Jiang Wang's proper smile and word-perfect greetings felt particularly grating.

The vitality and liveliness had vanished, replaced by a precisely functioning little cog...

Xiao Yan's heart tightened.

He did not take the offered book, merely nodding and letting Jiang Wang take it back.

Everyone knew Xiao Yan was devoted to pleasure; the morning court was now merely a formality.

The memorials the ministers wished to submit had long been handed to Chang Wenji, who would then screen them. The selected memorials would be directly presented to Xiao Yan for his vermilion brush approval.

Although this practice did not conform to the proper memorial submission process, everyone tacitly accepted it.

The ministers avoided the trouble of making disjointed reports to Xiao Yan in court, and Xiao Yan saved himself the trouble of patiently listening to their tedious chatter. Since the outcome was acceptable, it worked well enough.

But today, Xiao Yan broke from his usual routine.

The morning court had ended, yet he was in no hurry to leave. Instead, he spoke up, asking everyone to remain.

"Everyone, please remain," Xiao Yan announced loudly. "I have an announcement to make."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of surprise and confusion rose from the ministers.

What was wrong with Xiao Yan? He wasn't rushing off early.

Had he had a change of heart? Was he starting to care about state affairs?

However, under the ministers' probing and astonished gazes, Xiao Yan looked toward Jiang Wang, who was standing to the side.

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Wang instantly had a sense of foreboding.

Xiao Yan was about to start causing trouble.

Sure enough, after clearing his throat, Xiao Yan announced his "major decision."

"Minister Jiang's residence unfortunately burned down in a fire. It grieves my heart deeply. By special decree, a new residence shall be rebuilt on the original site as a show of compassion."

For a moment, everyone's eyes were filled with shock and admiration.

Not for Xiao Yan, but for Jiang Wang.

This could no longer be simply described as "caring for a minister." The Emperor's decision had placed Lord Jiang right at the center of his heart!

How on earth did Lord Jiang manage this? They all wanted to learn his ways.

As for the other protagonist of this matter, his expression was identical to that of his colleagues.

After all, he had just learned this news himself, and his surprise was no less than theirs.

Jiang Wang's cheeks flushed red as he stared dumbfounded at Xiao Yan, momentarily unsure how to express his feelings.

To say he was happy—well, that was certainly true.

After all, this was a residence for him, and a brand-new one at that. Although not even the foundation had been laid yet, Xiao Yan had promised in front of all the ministers, so in the end, it shouldn't amount to nothing.

To say he was puzzled—that was also true.

There were many ways to grant him something. The most direct would be to give him an already-built residence—the capital was large, and empty houses surely existed. Failing that, giving him silver, gold, or jewels would be convenient and quick.

But now, going to such great lengths to rebuild a new residence for him—was it really necessary?

Could it be... Xiao Yan truly held him at the center of his heart?

As soon as this thought emerged, Jiang Wang immediately shook his head, trying to dispel it.

Ugh, how mushy.

It was more plausible to guess that Xiao Yan wanted to apologize but was too embarrassed to say it outright.

After everyone had recovered from their shock, an even bigger bombshell came from Xiao Yan's mouth.

"Additionally, I specially grant Minister Jiang unrestricted access to the palace at any time, without the need for separate requests."

As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers broke into an uproar.

In all of history, anywhere in the world, which official has ever been granted such a privilege?

Lord Jiang stands alone in that.

Moreover, Lord Jiang previously claimed the "Favorite Minister" rumor was false, but now it seems it couldn't be more true.

The "Favorite Minister" himself stared, his eyes as wide as saucers, his expression one of disbelief.

What on earth is going on?

If this is meant as an apology, isn't this way too over the top?!

*

Similarly, in the Cangwu Hall, Fang Fengshi also wore a look of astonishment.

Although in everyone’s eyes, he is Xiao Yan’s closest "partner in crime," with the two sharing knowledge of each other’s affairs, in this matter, he has truly been wronged.

His surprise was no less than that of any minister present!

"Seriously, even if Jiang Wang has been ignoring you these past few days, you don’t need to go this far to win him over!"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, the penny dropped.

He grabbed Xiao Yan’s arm. "You have another plan!"

Finally, Xiao Yan glanced at Fang Fengshi, his eyes revealing a sense of relief.

"Not a complete idiot."

Xiao Yan’s going to all this trouble was naturally not merely about rewarding Jiang Wang with a residence.

Granting the estate was genuine, but more importantly, he needed a suitable excuse to get into the fire-ravaged site of Zhang Songyun’s former mansion.

He needed to locate the soul sand beneath the blue bricks in the southwest corner of the garden, buried under the ruins.

Only by finding this could he gain further clues to uncover the mastermind behind his elder brother’s murder. Rebuilding a residence for Jiang Wang served as the perfect excuse.

"Oh! It all clicked!" Fang Fengshi slapped his thigh in sudden realization. "So Lord Jiang has become your shield for this."

"Don’t put it so harshly."

For some reason, Xiao Yan found the term "shield" rubbed him the wrong way.

"But... isn’t that the truth?"

Fang Fengshi blurted out, then it hit him.

"Wait, could it be that you don’t want Lord Jiang to move out, so you’re using this as a handy excuse to make him stay?"

After all, with such a reward given, Jiang Wang would be hard-pressed to ask for anything else.

This way, he could both retain Jiang Wang and locate the poison—truly killing two birds with one stone.

"But... what’s the deal with letting Jiang Wang come and go as he pleases? Do you feel guilty about using him as a 'shield' and want to compensate him?"

Xiao Yan remained silent, though his gradually reddening earlobes gave him away.

"Still, the privilege you’ve granted is too big. Is it appropriate for someone as young as him?"

In truth, Jiang Wang wasn’t the only one with unrestricted palace access; another was Chang Wenji. However, Chang Wenji, as a Three-Dynasty Veteran, was a revered elder statesman, and this privilege had been granted by the late emperor, so nobody could say boo about it.

But Jiang Wang was still young and hadn’t made substantial contributions to the court. Granting him such a privilege would likely cause a lot of grumbling.

Xiao Yan looked at Fang Fengshi. "You’re also young, yet you can come and go to and from the palace freely, can’t you?"

"Me?!" Fang Fengshi pointed at himself. "As the Imperial Guard Commander, protecting the imperial city is my duty! That comes with the territory!"

In this regard, he and Jiang Wang aren't even in the same league.

Fang Fengshi finally sighed. "Alright, alright."

He looked at his childhood friend, who had transformed from carefree to burdened with a deep-seated vendetta. The Great Jing Dynasty appeared prosperous on the surface, but internally, it was rotten to the core, colluding with Beixiang.

Xiao Yan had been quietly gathering power and influence from every quarter, hoping to improve himself and restore the Great Jing Dynasty.

He had been biding his time, waiting for the day he could uncover his brother’s murderer and eradicate the traitors within the court colluding with Beixiang.

But when it came to matters of the heart, perhaps the weight of his responsibilities held him back, making him hesitant to move forward.

Though he himself had never been in love, there was a saying: "The onlooker sees most of the game."

Fang Fengshi patted Xiao Yan’s shoulder. "But you must also know that tall trees catch much wind."

Granting Jiang Wang such privileges would inevitably draw unwanted attention from others.

"I know."

Xiao Yan nodded.

Just two days ago, he had clearly understood that Jiang Wang’s current status remained ambiguous and that he shouldn't get any ideas. Yet, the recent coldness and distance between them had started to get to him...

After all, he had broken his promise first, so using this privilege as compensation wasn’t a big deal.

Besides, Jiang Wang was still residing in the palace for now, which was safer than living outside. Allowing him to come and go freely so he wouldn't feel cooped up.

As for security, he had already instructed Ling Hai to keep an eye on Jiang Wang's comings and goings and protect him.

Finally, Xiao Yan looked up to find Fang Fengshi staring at him with a playful, scrutinizing gaze, as if he had been watching for a while.

Xiao Yan coughed. "Enough, it’s time for lunch. Summon Jiang Wang!"

However, at noon, besides Jiang Wang, a surprise guest also arrived.

"Your Majesty," Chang Wenji arrived with a memorial, bowing to Xiao Yan. "I am a bit late. I hope Your Majesty doesn’t mind."

Xiao Yan glanced at the smiling Chang Wenji, then at Jiang Wang, who had just stepped through the door. The two arriving one after the other seemed like more than a coincidence.

If Chang Wenji knew he was late, he could have simply come in the afternoon. Why show up right at lunchtime?

Though displeased, Xiao Yan didn’t show it on his face. Whether as the frivolous Xiao Yan or the burdened one, now was not the time to have an open break with Chang Wenji.

Putting on a surprised and cheerful face, he invited Chang Wenji to sit and called for an extra set of utensils.

"Not late at all, Chancellor. You're always welcome, as I still depend on your guidance, after all."

With a wave of his sleeve, Ling Shan gave a nod. Soon after, several beautiful and alluring dancers emerged from the side and began to dance to the elegant music.

The two men drank, ate the fine food, enjoyed the dancing, and made cheerful conversation. It was a perfectly pleasant scene.

Jiang Wang, however, stood to one side as if he were invisible.

Everyone else was eating while he could only watch; they were all sitting comfortably while he remained on his feet.

The dishes on the table were cleared away and replaced with new ones, yet the old ones hadn’t even been touched—wasn’t that just wasteful?

The mingled smells of all the food made Jiang Wang's mouth water. Already hungry, he was now so weak he could barely stay upright.

So what exactly did Xiao Yan mean by summoning him here? Just to mess with him?

Jiang Wang stared daggers at Xiao Yan, his resentment almost tangible.

Author’s Note:

Xiao Yan, who previously only saw Jiang Wang as a tool, is now unconsciously developing a soft spot for him.