Ning Rushen was staring at the entrance when he saw Li Wuting and didn’t react for a moment—

His gaze quickly shifted to Shi Yi behind him. Shi Yi met his eyes and nodded.

Someone had asked for leave on his behalf, and he went straight to the Emperor!

This move… No wonder he went from being a “Royal Guard at the imperial presence” to a “former Royal Guard.”

Geng Yan shivered as he bowed, “Your servant greets Your Majesty!”

Li Wuting glanced over him, “No need for formalities, we meet often enough.”

Li Wuting shifted his gaze away and glanced at the thin blanket he had just put down, then stepped into the room.

Only then did Ning Rushen snap back to reality, hurriedly propping himself up to greet, “Your servant greets Your Majesty…” He was only wearing a light robe, which fell open as he got up, revealing a delicate and frosty expanse of skin.

Li Wuting’s eyelids dropped quickly, “Dispense with the formalities.”

Ning Rushen lay back on the pillow, facing Li Wuting.

Geng Yan had just come in yelling, causing his ears to ache, and he had only stood by his side, not noticing—

Now facing Li Wuting, he belatedly pulled at the thin blanket behind him, the silky fabric loosely gathered over his shoulders.

Ning Rushen adjusted the blanket and asked, “What brings Your Majesty here?”

Li Wuting then redirected his attention, “I heard that Minister Ning was seriously injured and refused medication. I came to see how you heal yourself.”

“…” Shi Yi, well done.

Ning Rushen weakly argued, “I ‘initially’ refused.”

“After so long, you should take it,” Li Wuting didn’t believe his excuses, glancing at the medicine bowl on the bedside, he commanded, “Heat up the medicine.”

Xing Lan immediately took the bowl to heat it up, “Yes!”

Ning Rushen, “…”

The medicine was quickly heated and brought back.

Seeing Xing Lan carrying the dark bowl over, Ning Rushen couldn’t help but shudder. Taking advantage of Li Wuting still sitting by the bed, he ducked behind him.

He shook his head at Xing Lan with full resistance:

Red flowers, little bridges, old granny!

Xing Lan was at a loss for a moment, “Sir…”

Hesitating, a hand suddenly reached out and took the bowl.

Ning Rushen: ?

Li Wuting held the medicine bowl, looking down at him, “Where are you sneaking off to?”

Caught off-guard, Ning Rushen: .

Li Wuting, “What, even if I personally hold it for Minister Ning, you won’t drink?”

De Quan quickly tried to smooth things over with a laugh, “Oh, Minister Ning is just too overwhelmed to move, he’s thanking Your Majesty in his heart!”

Ning Rushen: …Thank you, your whole family.

The hot medicine bowl was quietly set before him.

Li Wuting’s leisurely gaze fell upon him.

Ning Rushen braced himself, then with a grim acceptance, he leaned forward and sipped from the edge of the bowl…

A few steps away, Geng Yan jumped in shock!

His Majesty said “hold,” and you actually dared to let someone hold it up for you!

He sneakily glanced over.

Yet the person holding the bowl seemed not to mind—

Li Wuting watched him drink, the hand holding the bowl steady, even considerately adjusting to the pace of Ning Rushen’s sipping.

The person propped on the pillow obediently sipped the medicine near his hand.

For a moment, Li Wuting almost felt like he was feeding a cat.

The reheated medicine was even more bitter.

Ning Rushen sipped a few mouthfuls, the sour and bitter taste hitting him hard, and he almost saw the old granny waving at him…

His eyelashes trembled, and he couldn’t help but push the bowl away with his tongue, turning his head to catch his breath, “Bitter… Your Majesty, it’s bitter…”

Li Wuting holding the bowl, “Drink it all at once, otherwise it’s even more bitter.”

Ning Rushen swallowed hard, teary-eyed looking up at that stern face, then took a deep breath and leaned over to finish the medicine.

…

The medicine was finally consumed, bitter as deep-seated resentment.

Xing Lan took away the bowl.

Considering the Emperor was still present, she couldn’t offer Ning Rushen water to rinse his mouth, only bringing some preserved fruit, “Sir, please have this.”

Ning Rushen tearfully took it:

Great, let’s lick it!

In the brief moment he revived with the preserved fruit in his mouth, Li Wuting sat in front of him, carefully wiping his fingertips that had touched the medicine.

“How did you get injured? Didn’t know how to dodge a horse?”

“Your servant… it was when I dodged that I hit a cart.”

“…”

Li Wuting silently looked at him.

Thinking of the common meal from yesterday, Ning Rushen tentatively said, “Your Majesty, it was the Yu family.”

“Hmm.” Li Wuting responded neutrally, “What do you think should be done?”

Ning Rushen thought to himself if I knew I wouldn’t be asking you.

Meeting Li Wuting’s penetrating gaze, he hesitated, then a faint light of socialism rose in his eyes, “Naturally, to govern according to the law.”

“…”

A soft chuckle seemed to fall before him.

Then Li Wuting stood up, “Minister Ning, take your medicine well. I am returning to the palace.”

“?” Ning Rushen peered out, “Your servant sees Your Majesty off.”

Everyone in the room also busily bowed to send him off.

Li Wuting hummed, and as he turned, he glanced at Geng Yan cowering at the foot of the bed, then withdrew his gaze and stepped out of the room.

·

The next morning at the early court.

There were reports of the Yu family son causing a disturbance in the streets with horses, and the head of the Eastern City Troop Bureau neglecting his duties.

The Emperor was stern, ordering the Royal Guard to investigate thoroughly.

Some astute officials noticed that Minister Ning was not at court today and, considering that Ning’s residence was near the Eastern City Troop Bureau, they quickly understood the implications.

…

The situation in the court quietly stirred.

While Ning Rushen stayed home to recover, enjoying the peaceful days, basking in the sun, and admiring the flowers, living a tranquil life, uninvolved with worldly affairs.

His waist injury looked frightful at first but did not involve the muscles or bones.

After resting at home for two days, he was already able to walk around.

Yan Min moved a recliner into the courtyard, and Ning Rushen lay on it, drinking tea and reading.

The afternoon sun was warm, and just as he was about to doze off, the servant Yuan Liu suddenly came to report:

“Sir, Master Yu from the Yu family has come to see you.”

Ning Rushen squinted, half-asleep, “Send away the rigid ones, let in the clever ones.”

“…” Yuan Liu, “One fish~Yu, the one who bumped into you.”

Ning Rushen then opened his eyes wide, “?”

Moments later, Yuan Liu led Yu Lifeng and his son into the main courtyard.

Yu Lifeng, looking about fifty, appeared anxious. Behind him followed a dressed-up young man, the one who had run amok in the streets, in his early twenties, clearly reluctant.

Seeing Ning Rushen, Yu Lifeng hurriedly said, “Minister Ning, this unworthy father has brought his unfilial son to apologize!”

Behind him, Yu Tiao pressed his lips together, “Minister Ning.”

Ning Rushen lay lazily, scanning the two.

Yu Lifeng, flustered, continued to confess and instructed his servant to present the apology gifts, “This unruly boy has offended you. I hope Minister Ning can look at this old man’s face and plead with His Majesty for mercy!”

Yan Min immediately unceremoniously took the gifts away.

Compensation received.

Ning Rushen subtly shot him an appreciative glance, then turned to the Yu father and son, “Master Yu overstates it, the unfilial son disturbed the common people, why come to me to plead with His Majesty?”

Yu Lifeng was instantly choked up.

Yu Tiao couldn’t help but change his expression, “Dad, why do you have to be so humble? It wasn’t even my fault, rather than begging him, why not seek help from other families—”

“Shut up!” Yu Lifeng’s face changed, stopping him.

Yu Tiao reluctantly suppressed his words.

Ning Rushen looked at him and couldn’t help but remember what he had learned from Shi Yi yesterday:

The troop bureaus of the Five Cities under the Great Cheng were previously staffed by relatives and clansmen of palace ladies, commonly referred to as nepotism.

Some palace ladies were favored, with their powerful noble families behind them.

In such an environment, the children of noble families grew up still thinking it was the era of the previous emperor, living recklessly and rampantly.

A bunch of rotten second generations, nothing much to say.

Ning Rushen yawned tiredly, “It seems Master Yu has many connections, I can’t help. Yuan Liu, see them out.”

“Yes, please go slowly!” Yuan Liu gestured.

Yu Lifeng left angrily, dragging Yu Tiao with him, frustrated and furious.

·

Having sent off the Yu father and son, the following days were much quieter.

Ning Rushen lay for a few days, and his waist injury had mostly healed. But adopting a lazy attitude, he continued to sprawl out like a cat pancake in the courtyard, basking in the sun.

As he was sprawling, suddenly there was a “clang” from the wall!

He jumped up and saw Shi Yi dropping a squawking Geng Yan in front of him:

“Wow ah ah ah…”

Ning Rushen: ???

The Royal Guard was always brash, Shi Yi casually holding up an Assistant Minister without changing his expression, “Sir, he was skulking around your wall.”

Geng Yan, indignant and incomprehensible, “sei skulking!”

Ning Rushen, “…”

He looked perplexed, allowing Shi Yi to put the man down, “Never mind, he’s just retracing your path here.”

Shi Yi, “…”

Geng Yan was thumped down on the ground, pointing with trembling hands, “What kind of guard do you have, such audacity! Daring to casually throw a court official!”

Ning Rushen couldn’t say this was a former Royal Guard, so he preemptively accused, “Who let you climb my wall? You skip the proper door, are you here to assassinate me?”

Hearing this, Geng Yan suddenly became vigilant, looking around, “Right! I forgot, I wanted to see if His Majesty came today, if he did, I would have left.”

“…” Why bother.

Confirming that Li Wuting was not present, Geng Yan finally relaxed.

He voluntarily moved a small stool over, “How is your waist, how long until you return to duty at the imperial presence?”

Ning Rushen probed, “Why, did your father get into trouble again?”

Geng Yan exploded, “NO!!!”

He held back his resentment and magnanimously stated, “I’m worried about you! Last night, I was at a small gathering with a few friends, and I heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that you offended the Yu family’s son, and now the noble families under the Five Cities Troop Bureau are banding together, thinking of crushing you.”

Ning Rushen first marveled at how many friends he connected.

Curious, “How are they planning to crush me?”

“This year’s imperial examination, several families have descendants who passed the provincial exams, they say as long as they can catch His Majesty’s favor in the palace examination, they’ll have ways to suppress you, this ‘old official from the previous emperor’s era’.”

“……” Ning Rushen.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, feeling anxious?”

“I just, don’t know what to say.”

He was at a loss for words.

If he remembered correctly, the families of the Five Cities Troop Bureau were all in his common meal list.

Did they know he was their exam officer?

Did they know their newly formed alliance was about to face a lucky ‘N choose one’?

Ning Rushen moved his lips, about to say something.

His gaze shifted, and he suddenly caught sight of Shi Yi standing by. Like a gently swaying blade of grass, he was all ears to their conversation.

Knowing Shi Yi’s tendency to embellish stories.

He guessed that by the time this reached Li Wuting’s ears, it would turn into “several noble families are preparing to band together to overthrow him.”

Ning Rushen thought for a moment, then contentedly said, “That’s fine…”

It was a good opportunity to open some eyes.

“That’s fine what?” Geng Yan suddenly leaned in, his volume abruptly louder.

Ning Rushen pushed away his head, “You’re so noisy.”

“…”

Shi Yi, thoughtful, noted everything down.

·

That same evening, Shi Yi appeared on time at Yangxin Hall.

Li Wuting seemed to permit his behavior, sitting on a low couch, looking down, “How is he?”

Shi Yi reported, “Mostly recovered.”

Li Wuting hummed, “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Shi Yi recounted the conversations of the visitors from the past few days, including Geng Yan, “Assistant Minister Geng climbed the wall, rejoiced at not seeing Your Majesty, and was thrilled.”

Li Wuting, “…”

Shi Yi continued, “Then they discussed the noble families under the Five Cities Troop Bureau.”

“What did they discuss?”

“I heard that several families are preparing to band together to overthrow Minister Ning.”

Shi Yi, looking aside, noticed Li Wuting’s composed expression, giving no hint of his thoughts.

After a pause, Li Wuting slowly asked, “What was his reaction when he heard it?”

Shi Yi recalled the tone, “Minister Ning was quite satisfied, saying: That’s fine…” He mimicked it so vividly, one could feel just how pleased the person was.

Li Wuting’s gaze deepened, “Fine what?”

Shi Yi thought over the conversation, confirming there was no objection, “Fine to retire and return to his hometown.”

“…”

The conversation ended, and the space in front of the low couch fell silent.

De Quan clenched his fan, his heart skipping a beat, but before he could speak, a cold laugh fell from the front:

“Huh, I didn’t know Minister Ning thought so?”

Li Wuting’s gaze fell towards the hall door, laughing coldly as he commanded, “Summon him to the palace.”