It’s not like other things; this matter concerns the very survival of an entire family. How could Wenren Ying remain calm in the face of such a crisis? Even if she could afford to ignore Cheng Wenzheng, she couldn’t bear to see the Wenren family fall. So, it was no wonder she was so worried.

“Ying’er, Ying’er…” Han Shi reached out and patted Wenren Ying gently.

“Huh? Mother, what’s the matter?” Wenren Ying came back to her senses, confused.

“What were you thinking about? I’ve called you several times.”

“Nothing much… I was just wondering, since he’s a prince, even if we offend him, could he cause trouble for our family? Especially for father…” Wenren Ying tried to express her concerns more tactfully.

Han Shi waved her hand dismissively, “You said it yourself—he’s just a prince. His elder brother, the Emperor, is still in charge. Your father is a third-rank official, after all. If that prince oversteps his bounds, the Emperor would be the first to deal with him. The Emperor isn’t one to let his sons do as they please. We haven’t done anything wrong; what could he possibly do to us? There’s nothing to worry about.”

“But what if, one day, he ends up sitting on the throne?” Wenren Ying’s voice grew muted as the others fixed their eyes on her. “I mean, what if…? You know how unpredictable the world can be. Who can guarantee what will happen in the future?”

Han Shi gently patted Wenren Ying’s head, “You silly girl, you’re overthinking this! By your logic, anyone connected to a prince or royal family should stay out of their way and just accept being bullied?”

Wenren Ying felt suffocated inside, unable to express what was troubling her.

“Seventh Sister, you mentioned how unpredictable things can be, and that’s true. None of us can foresee the future. But even if the worst happens, it doesn’t mean we can’t change it. One needs to have a sense of caution, yes, but that doesn’t mean worrying yourself sick. This doesn’t seem like the Seventh Sister I know,” Wenren Yang said slowly.

Even Wenren Xu, judging by his expression, didn’t see it as a big deal. He didn’t seem eager to let Yuan Qiyu off the hook. After all, what King Dun said wasn’t even explicit to begin with. What surprised Wenren Xu more was that Wenren Yang had taken this directly to the Emperor’s attention.

Wenren Ying felt a tightness in her chest and wondered if her fourth brother had figured something out. But then she reconsidered. While others might speculate, her fourth brother—who was known for being somewhat of a bookworm—was the least likely. “I guess it’s just that seeing King Dun so closely today—the first time I’ve been face-to-face with such nobility—I got carried away by thoughts of his imposing presence,” she explained.

“What presence? No one can compare to the Old Consort,” Han Shi said with a hint of disdain.

“Mother, you’re right.” Wenren Ying felt a bit relieved, thinking she had successfully diverted attention.

“Seventh Sister, don’t worry. You have us, after all. Whatever happens, we will face it together. I’m the one who’s been a troublemaker, bringing unnecessary problems to the family, so you all shouldn’t blame me,” Xiao Cao spoke up with a smile.

By this point, Xiao Cao had come to terms with it. Fourth Brother had done this for her, to protect her. Since he cared, she should be grateful. If she kept rejecting his goodwill, it would seem ungrateful. Once or twice might be forgivable, but any more and no one would bother to help anymore.

Suddenly, Wenren Ying’s eyes brightened. She had been thinking the wrong way—heading straight into a dead-end. Fourth Sister had already changed quite a few things. Why couldn’t she change more? Why couldn’t she heal the Emperor? With the Emperor as their greatest benefactor, what on earth would they have to fear? And if she could also heal Prince Duan’s eyes, who could possibly compete against him for the throne? The likes of King Dun, King Heng—all of them would be irrelevant! Under her plan, Emperor Chongwen and Emperor Tianshun would cease to matter!

For the Emperor Xuanren, it would be a life-saving favor, stabilizing any potential unrest. For Prince Duan, not only would she pull him out of eternal darkness, she would also restore his long-lost claim to the throne.

With such profound grace and favor, as long as the Wenren family didn’t commit treason, they were bound to be honored for decades!

The more Wenren Ying thought about it, the more excited she became. Even though there was still some anxiety, it was quickly pushed into a corner by her excitement and no longer mattered.

Han Shi was still “scolding” Xiao Cao, saying that the trouble she supposedly caused didn’t exist. Besides, what child doesn’t make a mistake or two? Just as she turned to speak, she noticed her youngest daughter’s radiant eyes, full of odd excitement. “What’s gotten into you, child? Why are you staring at your fourth sister like that? Does she have something on her face?”

“No, no, I just think Fourth Sister’s words are exactly right. As long as the whole family is united, we will get through anything.” Wenren Ying couldn’t suppress her smile, which was as bright as ever.

Everyone was a bit bewildered by her sudden mood swings, but at least this was better than her spiraling into wild thoughts.

“Alright, enough talking. Let’s eat, let’s eat,” Han Shi said, waving her hand.

At the dinner table, the conversation inevitably turned to the topic of Xiao Cao’s medicine and the technique to “reset broken bones.”

“That remedy was initially meant for mountain foraging, mainly as a defense against wild animals. Occasionally, it was used to relieve human pain. During my two to three years in the capital, I mostly used it for self-defense, but I rarely needed to,” Xiao Cao explained.

Wenren Ying was tempted to ask for some, but Xiao Cao politely turned her down with a smile. While it was a useful thing, misusing it could hurt people. She wasn’t suspecting Wenren Ying, but she preferred to avoid the risk altogether.

Wenren Ying wasn’t offended; she merely expressed some regret.

As for the technique of resetting bones, though it sounded intriguing, it couldn’t be demonstrated. No one in their right mind would want a joint popped out of place just to show it off. Even if it could be quickly fixed, the pain was still inevitable.

After satisfying their curiosity, they turned to enjoy the meal in earnest. Wenren Ying, still unable to contain her bubbly excitement, ended up eating half a bowl more than usual.

After the meal, Wenren Ying, full of joy, took Xiao Cao by the hand and suggested they rest together.

Xiao Cao was equally puzzled by Wenren Ying’s enduring excitement. But after confirming that she was physically fine, she didn’t push further.

After their afternoon nap, by the end of the Hour of Wei (around 2–3 pm), Wenren Yang took the gold pass and headed to the palace.

When Xiao Cao heard about this, she belatedly realized something. “But isn’t Fourth Brother a commoner? Many officials of lower rank don’t even have permission to meet the Emperor, right?”

At this, Wenren Ying couldn’t help but chuckle. “That was years ago. When Fourth Brother was only thirteen, the Emperor heard about his scholarly brilliance and how his knowledge impressed and sometimes frustrated many famous scholars. Curious, the Emperor summoned Fourth Brother. I guess the Emperor initially intended to test him. But you know how Fourth Brother can be—he sometimes sticks to his principles a little too much, even with the Emperor. I’ve heard that even the Emperor couldn’t avoid the same fate as those teachers, but fortunately, the Emperor is broad-minded and didn’t hold a grudge. Instead, impressed by Fourth Brother’s talent, the Emperor awarded him the gold pass, granting him special permission to meet at the palace whenever.”

“But,” Wenren Ying added with a laugh, “I heard that shortly after Fourth Brother left the palace, the Emperor somewhat regretted it. He was worried that, if Fourth Brother were to visit more frequently, they’d end up discussing scholarly matters again and he might lose face.”

Simply, Wenren Yang never had such complicated thoughts. It was as if he had completely forgotten about the golden plaque after receiving it. However, later on, someone—though it’s unclear with what intention—told him that there were many books hidden in the palace library, including quite a few banned ones. Unfortunately, even with interest, trying to act on it would have been futile. Wenren Yang just directly went to the palace and met the Emperor himself, made his request, and spoke without the slightest subtlety or tact.

Perhaps the Emperor had seen too many schemers and plotters before, as he readily agreed, allowing Wenren Yang unrestricted access to the banned books.

After that, Wenren Yang spent over half a year holed up in the palace library, causing his family much anxiety. In the end, the Emperor waved his hand and assigned people specifically to take care of him, even allowing him to live within the palace.

Due to that half year, the Emperor came to understand the Fourth Brother’s temperament well, knowing that he would never seek to serve in officialdom. Although the Emperor regretted this, he understood and didn’t push him. So, in the Emperor’s mind, the Fourth Brother held a rather special place.

Xiao Cao never thought that her little brother Xiao Si could be “so powerful.” However, it indeed turned out to be a good thing that he had left a positive impression with the highest ruler in the land.

Wenren Yang’s ‘dullness’ perhaps also translated into a certain boldness. This seemed a bit like Xiao Cao’s own nature. So, when ‘Bookwork’ Wenren walked into the palace with such brashness, he wasn’t nervous about meeting the Emperor nor did he care how others might judge his actions.

When Emperor Xuanren received the report, he paused for a moment, then smiled with a sigh, “It’s been years since the Wen family son last came to the palace, hasn’t it? I wonder what he wants from me this time.”

This sounds somewhat like the Emperor is lamenting that Wenren Yang only appears when he wants something, abandoning him after that. But those who had served Emperor Xuanren for a long time knew that, at this moment, the Emperor was actually feeling a bit nostalgic.

“The Wenren family’s children are well-mannered, they don’t trouble His Majesty often,” said the eunuch, Hong Yi.

“That’s true. This child has a simple heart, never asking for much. Were it someone else who had received a golden plaque, they might find any excuse to come into the palace several times just to stay in front of me, afraid that I might forget them.”

At this point, no one responded. Everyone knew which words were worth responding to and which were better left unsaid. The people around the Emperor were all experts in such matters.

“The Wenren family certainly knows how to raise children. That child who saved the Old Grand Princess of Dingbei yesterday, wasn’t he also from their family? Fetch Wenren Taibo. He probably still doesn’t know his child has entered the palace. Let him hear about it too.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will go arrange for it right away,” the eunuch replied.

Wenren Taibo was currently with others, reading and ranking the palace examination papers. He had been staying and working within the palace and was rather close to the Imperial study, arriving before Wenren Yang.

Wenren Taibo was very surprised to hear that his second son had entered the palace.

The Emperor ordered tea to be served and casually began chatting with Wenren Taibo, naturally bringing up the matter of saving the Old Grand Princess.

It was only at that moment that Wenren Taibo heard about this, so he offered a brief explanation to Emperor Xuanren about Xiao Cao. Although his words were modest, there was still a hint of pride in his tone.

The Emperor nodded, “After seventeen or eighteen years, you were able to find her again. This shows that this is no small stroke of fate and is a great blessing for you.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. My daughter is kindhearted, sensible, and considerate, much easier to handle than my sons. She has suffered so much outside, we as parents always wish to compensate her more, but she’s so considerate that we don’t even know where to start,” replied Wenren Taibo.

The Emperor, when not dealing with state matters, enjoyed chatting casually with his ministers. After all, everyone had children—some of whom could be sources of headaches, others sources of affection. He liked hearing his ministers share family stories, sometimes reciprocating with his own experiences of fatherhood—the joys and trials alike.

Naturally, he had also learned that such words were often best taken lightly. Parents can be harsh critics, always feeling their children fall short, while others revel in boasting, embellishing three talents to sound like twelve. As the supreme ruler, there were always those ministers who sought early favor for their children, aware of his so-called “preference” for such chats. As such, the flattery poured in.

Though the Emperor mostly treated these moments as a light diversion and didn’t take them to heart, only a few names ever truly stuck with him. Over time, even the ministers understood this dynamic, restraining themselves from going too far. The Emperor, in turn, never reprimanded them for over-exaggerating.

When Wenren Yang finally arrived and saw his father already there, he acted as if it were just another day at home. Wenren Taibo, on the other hand, could only rub his temples in exasperation at his son’s unrefined manner, while the Emperor found it rather charming in its simplicity, unchanged from years ago.

“So, young scholar, why have you come to see me today?” the Emperor asked, his tone playful and teasing.

With no change of expression or hesitation, Wenren Yang launched straight into a complaint. Yes, he made a frank and open complaint, neither subtle nor roundabout. Of course, his target was only Yuan Qiyu, and no one else was implicated.

Wenren Yang spoke plainly, stating things just as they were, with no finesse or rhetoric.

Wenren Taibo did not reprimand his son for making a fuss over a small issue. In fact, his face darkened slightly, clearly indicating his own displeasure towards Yuan Qiyu.

Those who performed excellently in the imperial examinations would naturally come to the Emperor’s attention early. Some of the papers even reached the Emperor’s personal desk. Yuan Qiyu, who had placed third in the exams, had indeed left an impression on Emperor Xuanren.

After a moment’s thought, the Emperor said, “From the examination paper, it is clear that Yuan Qiyu is somewhat arrogant. But that in itself is not a big issue—youth is often accompanied by a little conceit. However, this poor conduct and lack of caution indicate that he doesn’t take his future seriously. Who knows if he will treat his official responsibilities with the same carelessness? Very well then, let’s push his result down below the top three in the imperial exams, and we’ll see how he behaves in the future.”

The Emperor did not immediately dismiss Yuan Qiyu entirely. He believed the issue wasn’t yet grave. The Emperor had always been more lenient towards the talented, reasoning that after some tempering, Yuan Qiyu might still prove valuable. In fact, some individuals who face a downfall might climb back with even more surprising success. As for character, experience often changes people, and once they’ve reached a certain position after hardship, they tend to restrain themselves. If they don’t, then it is what it is—there are plenty of talented people in the world.

The Emperor had plenty of confidence in his judgment.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” The joy on Wenren Yang’s face was clear for all to see.

While his previous confrontation in the tea house had only been verbal agreements, Yuan Qiyu might have been able to dismiss the matter entirely if he was determined to act shamelessly. But now, things were different—the Emperor’s word was law. Even Prince Dun wouldn’t dare help Yuan Qiyu now.