Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 28

Bai Xian found that His Majesty had been distracted since he woke up in the morning, and had asked what time it was three times more than he usually did. As a personal eunuch of the emperor, even though he was puzzled, he could only swallow such an event.

Seeing His Majesty ruin two pages of writing, he walked forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the empress dowager has invited County Mistress Gu into the palace to stay. County Mistress Gu must have arrived by now."

The emperor, practicing his calligraphy, did not stop moving his brush. He only said, "What time is it?"

Asking again for the fourth time.

"Your Majesty, it is eleven."

"Yes." Jin Yang moved his wrist and slowly finished his last stroke before putting down the brush. "There has been a few days since I talked with Mother-Empress. I will visit her today."

"Yes." Bai Xian and the other palace maids and court eunuchs assisted him in changing clothes. He did not say an extra word. In the last year, the emperor had become even more authoritative. While he had never been angry at the people who served him, the people in Purple Imperial Hall did not dare to slight him, and became even more cautious.

Outside Purple Imperial Hall, Gu Cun Jing, who was on duty near Quankun Palace, saw Jin Yang come out. He stopped walking and bowed in unison with the dragon guards behind him.

Jin Yang nodded at the guards and went onto his imperial cart.

The dragon guards only straightened after the cart had moved a fair distance away. Gu Cun Jing's second in command said emotionally, "His Majesty's imperial authority has grown much in presence. He is not fickle and does not beat or kill recklessly. Even if he does not say a word, people would find it hard to meet his gaze."

The people behind Gu Cun Jing were basically all people of Gu Cun Jing's group. They all knew that the emperor's most trusted teacher was Gu Cun Jing's father, the Marquis of Ningping. However, the Marquis of Ningping was a friendly person who smiled before speaking and was different from the monarch he taught.

Was he influenced by the other imperial tutors?

His Majesty had five teachers, all of them with different personalities. Other than the Prime Minister of the Right, the other four all came from aristocratic families. Even more coincidentally, these four did not usually interact much in private, and were famed scholars in their families.

It could be seen that the empress dowager had put great effort into choosing the imperial tutors. She could have done no better for her own son.

"His Majesty grows in authority daily. This is good fortune to Great Feng, and to the people." Gu Cun Jing bowed to the heavens and then said to the people behind him, "It is also our good fortune."

Everyone smiled and agreed. Inside, they sighed. Official Gu's ability at flattering people was growing even greater. While the emperor was not present, in less than a day, Official Gu's words today would pass into the emperor's ears.

Qiankun Palace, Kangquan Palace, and Luanhe Palace were the three largest and most refined palaces in the imperial palace. Because the position of empress was empty, no one lived in Luanhe Palace.

When one travelled from Qiankun Palace to Kangquan Palace, they had to pass Luanhe Palace. Jin Yang sat on the imperial cart and looked at this slightly quiet palace. His gaze grew dark. Maybe when he was governing on his own, it would be time for the Ministry of Works to repair this palace.

The imperial cart stopped in front of Kangquan Palace. Jin Yang saw there were palace attendants and eunuchs moving items at the gates and asked the eunuch at the front, "What are they doing?"