Qi Fang glanced at Wen Yuesheng, who was dressed in black, and then looked at Yan Ling, who was wearing a snowy white robe.

His expression was calm, his brows cold, like a bright moon hanging in the sky.

He paused for a moment, then turned to Wen Yue Sheng and said, “Your servant takes his leave.”

Wen Yuesheng nodded lightly.

Qi Fang walked away, passing by the distant Lord Yan. As he brushed past, he heard Yan Ling’s soft voice:

“The wind is cold tonight, remember to add another layer of clothing for the Emperor.”

Qi Fang’s steps slowed for a moment, and after hearing the female official’s quiet acknowledgment, Yan Ling continued, “Be mindful tonight. The Emperor likes to sleep with the window open.”

Upon hearing this, not only did Qi Fang look at him, but even Gu Yu, who had escorted him in, couldn’t help but glance at him.

Lord Yan was usually cold and indifferent. The only words he ever spoke to the female officials were “Thank you.”

Normally, he would give such instructions directly to the head female official, but today, he actually spoke to them.

Gu Yu, still a bit confused, looked up to see that Qi Fang had already hastily left.

When she regained her senses, she saw Yan Ling quickly stride over to Wen Yue Sheng and drape a cloak around her.

Seeing this, she immediately ordered the internal officials to withdraw.

“Your servant greets Your Majesty,” Yan Ling said as he approached.

Wen Yuesheng turned around to look at him.

He had been forbidden from entering the palace just seven days ago, yet here he was, now bringing an important message.

She turned to face him, her voice cold as she asked, “What is it?”

Yan Ling paused for a moment, then swiftly draped the cloak over her.

Standing by her side, his face and voice both softened, as if the ice and snow were melting. His voice was low and hoarse: “The plans of the noble families in the capital have all been resolved.”

The reductions in noble privileges had affected their interests.

Besides Duke Yuan’an, there were a few other people who had been moved.

In just seven days, he had cleared up all these disturbances.

The important news, however, was that the new policies had been implemented.

Yan Ling reported the matter clearly, and Wen Yuesheng nodded slightly.

Whether the new policies were being implemented or the civil exams were being reformed, there would definitely be some obstacles.

But Yan Ling was skilled, and with some time, it would all be put into action.

He had handled the issues well and reported everything to her in detail.

Wen Yuesheng cast him a cold glance. “Such matters should be written in the memorials.”

Yan Ling paused and met her gaze with his deep eyes.

Suppressing a faint smile, he took the cloak and drew her into his embrace.

Wen Yuesheng was about to speak, but he sighed softly, “In these seven days, Your Majesty forbade me from entering the palace, yet you were chatting and laughing with others.”

Wen Yuesheng: …

Which of his eyes saw her laughing with others?

“Indeed, it was my fault,” he said, his gaze sparkling as it fell on her face.

Under the large cloak, he grasped her hand, which was adorned with a Buddhist prayer bead bracelet.

The autumn wind was cold, and Wen Yuesheng’s body temperature was naturally lower than most people’s, making her hand feel like ice, as smooth as jade.

“Since you know, why don’t you let go?” Wen Yue Sheng coldly glared at him.

But he tightened his grip, whispering, “Alright.”

His words of apology and pleading were ignored during the day, yet at night, he became more persistent.

Relying on the fact that Wen Yuesheng would not kill him, he acted recklessly.

As long as he didn’t cross the line, Wen Yuesheng paid him no mind, treating him like a disobedient cat in the palace.

Yan Ling gradually grasped the right balance, edging closer to her without overstepping.

Unexpectedly, a new variable arose.

After the imperial examinations reopened, the provincial exams were held at the beginning of the year, followed by the palace exam in March.

Among the top ten of the palace exam, there was one who stood out: Fu Yubai, a young scholar who had been given to Wen Yue Sheng as a gift by a wealthy merchant in Fuzhou.

Fu Yubai had already passed the civil exams when Wen Yue Sheng left Fuzhou. Afterward, he dedicated himself to study day and night.

Such determination made him stand out in this year’s imperial examinations.

Step by step, he advanced to Wen Yuesheng’s presence.

At the palace exam, Fu Yubai performed exceptionally well.

He was ranked tenth in the palace exam, the last spot to enter the final imperial exam.

However, he was very young. It was worth noting that when Yan Ling first entered the court, he was around the same age as Fu Yubai.

Let alone the court, in the entire history of the Da Hui dynasty, he was considered exceptionally young.

His essays were excellent, and although his youth showed a lack of maturity, he still received praise from Wang Jinzhi.

Among the top ten scholars in the palace exam, only Fu Yubai and the first-place scholar received praise from Wang Jinzhi.

Such a brilliant and eager young man.

As soon as he stepped out of the Golden Luan Hall, many noble families extended olive branches to him.

Fu Yubai’s father had passed away, and he had little foundation in the capital.

If there were noble families of similar age who were willing to marry their daughters to him, it would be considered a good match.

Even Wang Jinzhi had once considered marrying his granddaughter to him, but he ultimately gave up on the idea.

The reason? Fu Yubai had never concealed the fact that he had been a gift to the Empress.

Such a revelation, coupled with his handsome appearance, led many people to believe that Wen Yue Sheng, who had been without a consort for so long, was finally going to welcome a new person into the palace.

However, there was one issue.

According to tradition, the imperial harem should not interfere with state affairs.

Now that Wen Yuesheng was the Empress, it should be the same.

Yet, someone as talented as Fu Yubai entering the harem would mean his removal from the court.

When this matter was mentioned, many people realized that the imperial harem had always been a place where many women’s talents and abilities were buried.

But Fu Yubai didn’t care about that. He didn’t want to pursue a career in the court or anything else—he only wanted to stay by Wen Yuesheng’s side.

His admiration for her was pure and unrestrained.

He was even straightforward, openly expressing his feelings when he was summoned alone by Wen Yue Sheng in the palace.

On a warm spring day, Wen Yuesheng sat behind a desk, wearing a white dress and flipping through a scroll. Her appearance was as cold as it had been in Fuzhou.

Fu Yubai looked at her and felt his heart pounding.

After confessing his feelings, many thought it was simply gratitude for what Wen Yuesheng had done for him in the past, not genuine love.

But only Fu Yubai knew the truth. It wasn’t that.

Back then, if Wen Yuesheng had not intervened, he was prepared to destroy everything along with the enemy.

He could take revenge, but someone like Wen Yuesheng only existed once in a lifetime.

Over time, Fu Yubai had matured.

People said the youth were reckless, but his experiences were not like those of ordinary young men. He had seen the world clearly.

Yet, none of that mattered. He simply liked her.

And he was willing to give up everything for that simple love.

Even those around Fu Yubai knew that he wasn’t after her title. If Wen Yuesheng had not been Empress, but still stationed in the frontier, he would have followed her there without hesitation.

He had done so before when she led troops to the border.

Back then, it was because his younger sister was still a child, and he could not abandon her to live alone, so he had stayed.

Now it was different. If there were a chance, he would not hesitate to stay by her side.

Wen Yuesheng lowered her gaze and could feel the intense gaze of the young man.

She paused for a moment, then raised her eyes and said, “Tomorrow, you will enter the Hanlin Academy.”

Fu Yubai frowned immediately, “Why? Does the Emperor not want me?”

His blunt words caused Yan Ling, who had just arrived at the palace doors, to stop in his tracks.

“Fu Yubai,” Wen Yuesheng’s voice was cold and emotionless, “No one stays in the harem.”

“Not you, nor anyone else.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Yubai’s eyes turned red.

He had always been a strong person, and after his father’s death, he had endured all sorts of oppression without shedding a tear.

Yet hearing Wen Yuesheng’s rejection now, he couldn’t hold back.

“Then it’s fine. I don’t want anything, just let me stay by Your Majesty’s side, even as a servant, a small official, anything.”

“Fu Yubai has only one request: to stay by Your Majesty’s side.”

Outside the hall, Yan Ling’s face had grown extremely cold.

These words were so similar to his own when he had first wanted to be with her, no matter what.

He wanted to send a message for the female officials to report to her.

But just as one of them moved, Wen Yuesheng’s cold voice rang out: “I will not grant such a request. Do you understand?”

Her tone was distant, almost devoid of any emotion.

The female official by Yan Ling’s side, who had seen his usual cold demeanor, was now completely surprised as Yan Ling’s expression transformed into one of warmth, like a spring breeze.

It was as though the cold, distant person just moments ago had vanished completely.

Fu Yubai finally left the hall with red eyes.

Before stepping out of the hall, his gaze fell on the person outside.

That person had a face full of trouble, with sparse and cold brows and eyes, which made Fu Yubai’s expression turn icy.

For a moment, he even wanted to rush in and ask Wen Yue Sheng why this person could, but he couldn’t. Why couldn’t he?

However, recalling the person’s distant and unapproachable demeanor, he ultimately endured the feeling.

Fu Yubai took a deep breath and strode out.

It was fine. At least he was now a bit closer to her, and there would still be opportunities in the future.

As long as he didn’t give up, no one could make him stop thinking about her.

But when he was about to leave the hall and heard her speaking to Yan Ling in her calm and indifferent voice, a pang of bitterness rose in his heart.

Inside the hall, Wen Yuesheng sat silently on the dragon throne, coldly watching the person in front of her.

Every time someone like Fu Yubai, Jiang Yan, or Lu Qinghuai came to report to her in the hall, it didn’t take long before this person would rush over as if he had caught a scent.

Not long ago, when there was water damage at the Royal National Temple, he came to her, claiming that he had no home to return to.

His residence in the capital was a gift from the late emperor, grand and luxurious, occupying almost an entire alley.

When a few rooms in the national temple were burned, he insisted on saying that he had lost his home.

Wen Yuesheng couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him.

After the matter concerning the women’s imperial examination was settled, there was much debate both in and out of the court.

He stayed in the palace to handle official affairs. After a few days, he seemed to have taken the palace as his own home.

Wen Yuesheng lived in the Quiet Palace, and he stayed in a side hall within the Quiet Palace.

The desk, bookshelves, and even the couch beside her were filled with his belongings.

His items mingled with the books she read and the things she commonly used, now carrying the fragrance of the sandalwood she frequently used.

Yan Ling also kept his distance, not forcing her to ask him to leave, tacitly allowing him to stay in the palace.

This matter was of little concern to Wen Yue Sheng, who didn’t deliberately hide it, and Yan Ling himself was even less concerned.

Thus, the previously chaotic court, with people frequently submitting petitions to fill the harem with officials, had quieted down considerably.

If the Empress truly decided to establish a successor, how could those eager to worm their way into the harem compare to the graceful and dignified Yan Ling?

Not to mention talent, even in terms of appearance, it was hard to measure the gap.

With Yan Ling residing in the palace, Wen Yuesheng had much more peace of mind, and she became even more tolerant of him.

By now, the people around Wen Yue Sheng had grown accustomed to Yan Ling often being by her side.

The court officials knew about it, but since Wen Yuesheng never gave him any official status, many understood the situation clearly, but pretended not to notice.

However, when there were intense debates about the harem affairs, Yan Ling would intentionally, before the morning court, step out of the Quiet Palace where the Emperor resided, under everyone’s watchful eyes, arriving late.

As Lu Qinghuai put it, this person was the most scheming he had ever seen.

But Lu Qinghuai knew that he could never outmaneuver Yan Ling, so whenever Yan Ling blocked his path to meet Wen Yue Sheng, he became extremely frustrated.

Every time he was annoyed, he felt better when he saw Jiang Yan also hitting a wall.

It was fine this way—let Yan Ling, that sly old fox, block all these troublemakers outside. No one could get in, so he didn’t feel particularly disadvantaged.

Wen Yuesheng didn’t understand their manipulations, or perhaps she knew but simply didn’t care.

It was only today, seeing Yan Ling deliberately block Fu Yubai’s arrival to meet her, that she coldly asked, “What is it?”

Yan Ling chuckled softly, approaching her side, and with his distinct fingers, gently massaged her as he spoke softly, “Yan Ling has something to report.”

Indeed, he had urgent matters to attend to.

Wen Yuesheng turned her ear to listen to his words, while his gaze lingered on her face, inch by inch, lingering with fragmented light in his eyes.

After leaving the hall, it happened that Di Zhu came to deliver something to him at the palace.

This time, Yan Ling nearly moved all the things left in the Yan residence to the palace.

These items weren’t many, but they nearly filled the entire side hall, and a few things that didn’t fit were placed in Wen Yuesheng’s usual study.

They were placed on the couch she usually sat on.

After Di Zhu arranged everything, as he was about to leave the palace, he couldn’t help but quietly ask, “Master… It’s been so long, and the Emperor hasn’t given you any official status?”

Yan Ling’s expression was cold, and he remained silent upon hearing this.

Di Zhu realized he had spoken out of turn and didn’t ask further.

Before leaving the palace, he finally heard Yan Ling’s indifferent voice: “Being able to have it like this is already enough.”

“Anything more would be an unrealistic wish.”

Di Zhu paused for a moment, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Yan Ling.

Everyone knew that the current Emperor was distant and unapproachable, and for someone like him to develop feelings, they had to be prepared for no response.

The bitterness was hard to express, but perhaps only he understood it.

Yet, that wasn’t how Yan Ling saw it.

Every day spent by Wen Yue Sheng’s side felt like his heart was immersed in honey. She was cold, but she hadn’t rejected him.

Today’s matter with Fu Yubai was enough to show that she wasn’t someone who would just accept anyone who came along.

That was enough for him.