A long while after he left, Fei Yanzhang suddenly spoke up.
"Brother Ye, the princes in the palace are still young, and considering the Emperor's current attitude, it would be best if Qiming does not remain in the capital."
In front of the medicine cabinet, Song Jinzhao's fingers paused slightly as he reached for the ointment, a dark glint flashing through his eyes.
Ye Liangyu did not respond to Fei Yanzhang immediately. Instead, after pondering for a long time, he silently lowered his head.
After the rain stopped, Young Master Fei summoned two burly men to carry the stretcher out, one in front and one in back. He even specifically found the largest carriage available to ensure the entire stretcher could fit inside.
The moment Song Qiming stepped into the Hanlin Academy, everyone's gaze landed on him.
Confusion, worry, helplessness, and curiosity.
Various emotions collided together; the room felt like a giant dyeing vat, the path ahead completely shrouded in dense fog, making it impossible to see what lay before them.
Dongfang Yukun and Cui Zhengyang emerged from the mist, both of their faces etched with tension and concern.
"Are Censor Ye and Lord Fei awake?"
Dongfang Yukun and Cui Zhengyang had visited the County Princess's estate the night before; at that time, Ye Liangyu and Fei Yanzhang had not yet woken up.
Song Qiming swept his gaze over the others before withdrawing it.
"They are awake. Now they just need to recover from their injuries."
The two let out a breath, their hanging hearts finally settling down.
Cui Zhengyang lowered his head and whispered softly into Song Qiming's ear.
"The Emperor just issued a decree appointing Lord Cai as the acting Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. The Censorate also received a decree, making Censor Bai the acting Palace Deputy Censor."
Song Qiming's voice was as quiet as a mosquito. He spoke with barely a breath, "I knew before I came. Lord Fei told me."
His pupils dilating, Cui Zhengyang covered his mouth in surprise. "Lord Fei already knew?"
Song Qiming gave the two of them a nod.
The newly appointed acting Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, Cai Pei, walked out from the inner hall. "Compiler Song, come in with me."
Dongfang Yukun and Cui Zhengyang were no longer as tense as before. Hearing Cai Pei call Song Qiming inside, they were mostly just curious about what the matter could be.
Enduring everyone's stares, Song Qiming walked expressionlessly into the inner hall and closed the door behind him.
Sitting face-to-face in chairs, Cai Pei let out a heavy sigh and asked, "When will Lord Fei's injuries heal?"
Song Qiming pressed his chapped lips into a straight line, biting his lip twice with his front teeth before answering, "He is injured too severely. He won't recover for at least two months, and he won't even be able to get out of bed in the short term."
He stared quietly at Cai Pei, wanting to see how he would react to these words.
Although Fei Yanzhang trusted Cai Pei greatly, Song Qiming dared not lower his guard.
In power struggles, if you relaxed your vigilance even slightly, you wouldn't even know how you died.
His teacher and Lord Fei had simply trusted the Emperor too much; their expectations were too high, which was why they had fallen so miserably.
Cai Pei sighed again. With a face full of exhaustion, he closed his eyes and only opened them after a long time.
"Did Lord Fei leave any instructions?"
Song Qiming shook his head. "He only said that the Emperor would likely have you temporarily act as Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. He told you not to visit him for the time being and to wait until the storm blows over."
Cai Pei sighed for the third time, his brows furrowed tightly, the emotions in his eyes like a tangled mess.
"I understand." After speaking, he raised his head to look at Song Qiming. "Is Lord Fei still at the County Princess's estate?"
Song Qiming blinked. "He should have returned to the Fei Manor by now."
Cai Pei nodded in silence.
The inner room fell into complete silence, and Song Qiming didn't know whether he should leave or stay.
After waiting for a good while, the other man seemed to finally snap out of his daze and waved his hand at Song Qiming. "Go out first, and do not tell Dongfang Yukun and Cui Zhengyang what I discussed with you."
Song Qiming gave a slight nod, opened the door, and casually returned to his seat to handle his official duties as if nothing had happened.
