Chu Ruoyan and Yan Zheng exchanged a glance. At this moment, the emperor summoning him was unlikely to be for anything good.
"Eunuch Yin," Chu Ruoyan stepped forward and whispered, "Might I ask why His Majesty has summoned the Marquis of Anning?"
Yin Shun smiled and replied, "The emperor's divine will is not something this old servant dares to speculate upon. However, I must soon deliver another decree to the residence of the Marquis of Pingjing..."
They were all clever people, and with these words, the implication became clear. The emperor summoning both Yan Zheng and the Marquis of Pingjing to the palace could only mean one thing—the battle at Hangu Pass!
"Thank you, Eunuch Yin!" Chu Ruoyan curtsied, and Yin Shun hastily returned the gesture.
Yan Zheng gazed at her, his eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts, and only said, "Wenjing misses his mother dearly. If you have time, accompany him to visit her."
Chu Ruoyan understood immediately. "Rest assured, I will take him there today."
After a shared nod, Yan Zheng followed Yin Shun and departed.
Nearby, Yulu was utterly confused. "Miss, what did the marquis mean by that?"
"The emperor urgently summoned him and the Marquis of Pingjing to the palace solely to mediate the matter of Hangu Pass. The Son of Heaven intends to act as guarantor, but Yan Zheng alone cannot refuse—he needs the support of the court officials."
"But... what does that have to do with Young Master Wenjing's mother? Didn’t she pass away long ago?"
The maid still couldn’t piece it together. Chu Ruoyan reached out and flicked her forehead lightly. "Silly girl, Sister Rong may be gone, but the Rong family remains! Grand Tutor Rong holds great prestige in court. If he is willing to step forward, there might still be a sliver of hope!"
Yulu finally grasped the meaning and exclaimed in admiration, "Miss, you’re incredible! The marquis only said one sentence, and you figured it all out. Isn’t this what they call... a meeting of minds?"
A meeting of minds?
More like they were both sharp enough to read between the lines.
Chu Ruoyan chuckled. "Enough flattery. Go fetch Wenjing at once."
After bidding farewell to her aunt and Lady Cao, she took Wenjing into the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Yan Wenjing listened to her explanation and said earnestly, "Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll definitely convince Grandfather to agree!"
Chu Ruoyan shook her head. "No, you mustn’t say a word about it."
"Auntie?" Yan Wenjing was puzzled.
She patted his head gently. "I’ve heard your grandfather is a man of unwavering integrity, unyielding even under pressure. With such a temperament, begging and pleading will only backfire. What you must do is..."
She leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear. Yan Wenjing’s eyes brightened with each passing moment. "Alright! I’ll do exactly as you say!"
The Rong Residence.
As expected, the servants hesitated when they heard visitors from the Yan family had arrived.
Chu Ruoyan didn’t press them, only smiling. "Steward, if Grand Tutor Rong refuses to see us, so be it. But Wenjing is his own grandson—surely he won’t turn him away?"
The steward glanced at the small child and sighed. "Very well. Wait here while I inform the master."
Before long, he returned. "The master says he is occupied with official matters today and cannot receive guests. If Young Master Wenjing wishes to pay respects to his late mother, this servant will escort you both to her former residence. Otherwise, you may take your leave."
Chu Ruoyan paused, silently impressed. Grand Tutor Rong had even anticipated her pretext.
Fortunately, she had prepared for this. She gave Wenjing’s shoulder an encouraging pat, and the child stepped forward, his voice soft and sweet. "Uncle Steward, I want to see Grandfather!"
The steward’s heart melted instantly. "Young Master, the master truly is busy..."
"It’s alright! I’ll just stand in the courtyard and look at him from afar!" Wenjing clasped his hands together pleadingly. "Please, Uncle Steward?"
How could the steward resist such an earnest plea? Reasoning that it was just a grandson wanting to see his grandfather, he relented. "Very well, Young Master. Follow me."
The study of the Rong Residence.
Grand Tutor Rong was reviewing texts sent over by the Hanlin Academy.
In his fifties, he was lean and carried himself with the dignified air of a scholar.
When the steward brought Yan Wenjing in, he was momentarily taken aback before frowning. "Wenjing is here?"
The steward bowed nervously. "Yes, the young master insisted on seeing you, so I took the liberty of bringing him in..."
Grand Tutor Rong’s gaze shifted past them to Chu Ruoyan standing behind.
"Forgive my presumption, Grand Tutor," she said, curtsying gracefully. "This humble one is Chu Ruoyan, wife of the Marquis of Anning."
Grand Tutor Rong did not acknowledge her, merely dismissing the steward with a wave. "Leave us."
Once the steward withdrew, he motioned for Wenjing to approach. "Come, let your grandfather have a proper look at you."
Wenjing obeyed.
After studying him for a long moment, Grand Tutor Rong remarked, "You’ve grown taller. And thinner. What brings you here today?"
Wenjing shook his head. "Nothing important. I’ve learned to write new characters and wanted to show you!"
"Oh?" The grand tutor’s eyebrows lifted with interest.
It was well known that aside from his love for chess, calligraphy was his passion.
With his grandfather’s help, Wenjing climbed onto the writing desk, picked up a brush, and carefully wrote four characters...
"Loyalty. To. The. Monarch. And. Love. For. The. Country."
Grand Tutor Rong read each word aloud, his expression tightening instantly.
Wenjing looked up innocently. "Grandfather, did I write well? Third Uncle taught me."
"Him?" Grand Tutor Rong blurted before falling into a heavy silence.
The study was steeped in quiet for a long while.
Finally, the old tutor sighed deeply. "'Loyalty to the monarch and love for the country'—indeed. Wenjing, wait outside. Your grandfather needs to speak with your aunt."
Wenjing nodded obediently and left.
Once alone, Grand Tutor Rong studied Chu Ruoyan intently. "Lady of the Marquis of Anning, if I recall correctly, you haven’t been married into the Yan family for long."
Chu Ruoyan inclined her head. "Indeed. My husband returned from defeat in battle, and the Dowager fell gravely ill. I was wed into the family to bring auspicious fortune."
In just a few words, she had laid bare the Yan family’s plight.
Grand Tutor Rong had intended to dissuade her, reasoning that her ties to the family were too shallow to warrant involvement. But hearing this, he could only murmur, "The general and his sons... were truly loyal souls."
Chu Ruoyan knew instantly—this man was privy to the truth!
Her expression turned solemn. "Grand Tutor, if you know the Yan family is loyal, why did you heed the Marquis of Pingjing’s words and send that woman A-Jiao before the emperor?"
Grand Tutor Rong remained silent.
Chu Ruoyan’s voice rose. "Grand Tutor! My husband is innocent! He has always been loyal, even when his legs were crippled on the battlefield! Knowing this, how could you stand by and do nothing? Must you watch as the descendants of loyal souls are wronged and perish in the capital?"
"Impudence!" Grand Tutor Rong snapped, his brows knitting together. "The intricacies of court affairs are beyond the understanding of a mere woman! The Marquis of Pingjing has sworn to implicate Yan Zheng. Without a thorough investigation, not only will the Yan family’s loyalty be tarnished, but the civil officials will seize the chance to strip the military of its authority. If the court falls into chaos, won’t that invite foreign threats?"
Chu Ruoyan’s heart turned cold.
So for the sake of political stability, he had sent A-Jiao to the emperor, allowed suspicion to fester, and let Prince Yu torment Yan Zheng to such a state...
"Grand Tutor Rong!" Her lips parted, her voice trembling with sorrow. "Then you must know... Yan Zheng's hands can no longer even steady a chess piece."
Grand Tutor Rong shuddered and closed his eyes.
Chu Ruoyan pressed on, "Now that the truth has come to light, the Emperor has summoned him and the Marquis of Pingjing to the palace—you know full well what this means! Grand Tutor Rong, I ask you plainly: Will you truly stand by and do nothing? The Marquis of Pingjing did not just slaughter the Yan family's hundred thousand soldiers—he also murdered Yan Zheng, your own son-in-law, and left Wenjing an orphan without father or mother!"
