#132: Whispering (1)

Recently, all the officials of the Privy Council have been extremely busy.

Xu Zhengning has already departed northward, and the rest of the various departments are also busy with their respective tasks day and night without rest.

Qi Yin, as the head of the Privy Council, is naturally the busiest. Besides having to manage all matters within the council, he also needs to liaise with the military department.

The leader of the military department is none other than General Han Shouye, who has always been autocratic. Although the battle at Shicheng three years ago changed his view of Qi Yin, the incident involving Jiang Yong still left a mark on him. Additionally, during this year’s Spring Examination, Qi Yin dismissed many of the Han family’s nephews, making General Han even less willing to cooperate with young Lord Qi. Every time he comes to the Privy Council, his attitude is quite rebellious.

The subordinate officials of the various departments of the Privy Council have always held Qi Yin in high regard. Moreover, they operate independently and are not under the jurisdiction of the various ministries, which makes them look down upon those from the military department. Seeing those they don’t respect dare to be disrespectful to their revered young Lord Qi made them indignant and secretly contemplating teaching them a lesson, but unfortunately, their superior suppressed these thoughts.

Although Han Shouye is overbearing and self-willed, he becomes hesitant and cowardly when facing major events. After all, he nearly had his head taken off by the young general of the Gu family. At first, he was filled with fervor about the northern expedition, but later, recalling the shadow of the past and the cunning tactics and cold blades of the Gu family, he became a paper tiger. Though appearing strong, his fervor had cooled significantly.

Qi Yin certainly knows the temperament of this elder uncle. Initially, he humbly refrained from engaging in verbal sparring, waiting until his panic surfaced before truly discussing the northern expedition affairs with him. By that time, Han Shouye rarely opposed him.

Official duties during the day generally went smoothly, but recently, every evening, the Left Chancellor would insistently demand his second son return home to discuss the progress of the northern expedition arrangements—this is probably the lingering effect after the Spring Examination. The Left Chancellor had been frightened by his son’s occasional unilateral decisions and feared he might do something out of line regarding such a significant matter as the northern expedition. Thus, he meticulously inquired about every detail to feel reassured.

Qi Yin naturally couldn’t disobey, so for another half month, he hasn’t returned to Fenghe Garden.

The little girl has been sending frequent letters. At first, they included teasing words like “liar,” but later, perhaps due to missing him dearly, the letters gradually became more affectionate. She seemed to have reread all the poems and books he once taught her, occasionally adding lines such as “Even the ends of the earth have limits, but only lovesickness is endless.” Later, it got even more dramatic, and she began writing verses of longing, like “Seeing the willows by the roadside suddenly makes me regret urging my husband to seek fame.”

The more Qi Yin read, the more helpless he felt, especially when reading the later verses of longing, he found it somewhat amusing—alas, doesn’t she know he also finds it difficult?

The human heart is probably insatiable. Before her, he had lived many solitary years and was accustomed to the monotonous life of reporting to duty during the day and working late into the night. With no expectations, his heart remained calm.

But once he tasted the joy of being with her, that previous life seemed unbearable. In the small separations repeated day after day, his longing for her grew stronger, and the desire to see her became increasingly unbearable.

However, at the same time, he also felt some comfort—even if they were apart, knowing that someone exists somewhere, doing nothing but letting him know she is there, brought him peace. The accumulated paperwork and the noisy arguments from the military department suddenly became tolerable.

It’s really quite magical.

Under the lamplight, Qi Yin picked up his pen and wrote back to Shen Xiling. Besides briefly mentioning his recent situation and instructing her to take care of herself, he also added a line of poetry at the end: “If two hearts are truly connected for a long time, why should they be together every day and night?”

As he finished the last stroke of the character “evening,” Qi Yin felt his own hypocrisy. What does “why should they be together every day and night” mean? It’s just empty talk.

He wants to be with her for a long time and every day and night.

He wants to see her.

Young Master Qi originally planned to force some hours free the next day to visit Fenghe Garden, but unexpectedly, several unexpected guests appeared that morning, thwarting his plans.

These guests were none other than the top three scholars of this year’s Spring Examination: Zhuangyuan Li Wei, Bangyan Zheng Xi, and Tanhua Zhang Deci.

According to tradition, newly ranked scholars should indeed pay respects to their mentor, especially since their mentor had sacrificed much to elevate them. Both emotionally and logically, they should visit him.

However, the timing wasn’t right. When they first passed the examination and received their appointments, their mentor was recuperating from injuries. After he returned to work, the northern expedition preparations followed immediately. Even though none of them were assigned to the Privy Council, they knew such a monumental event meant their mentor would be extremely busy. Naturally, it was inappropriate to disturb him, so they waited for half a month before respectfully visiting together.

Qi Yin had been preoccupied lately and hadn’t yet found time to meet these three. Now, seeing them arrive unexpectedly was a bit surprising. In fact, he had never met these three new scholars before. Li Wei and the others had only seen their mentor’s figure from afar on the day of the Spring Examination and hadn’t spoken to him. This was truly their first meeting.

All three new scholars showed great respect to their mentor.

Li Wei, the Zhuangyuan, is twenty-six years old, Zheng Xi, the Bangyan, is younger, one year younger than Qi Yin at twenty-three, while Zhang Deci, the Tanhua, is older, thirty-five this year. Regardless of age, they all respectfully called Qi Yin “Teacher,” which made young Master Qi slightly uncomfortable.

He coughed and waived their elaborate formalities, intending for them to address him as “Superior Officer,” but all three were persistent, calling him “Teacher” fluently. Qi Yin then remembered how, after passing his exam, he too addressed his mentor Wang Qing as “Teacher,” so he didn’t correct them further.

The three scholars offered tea to Qi Yin, and feeling that the cold and imposing Privy Council wasn’t the place for conversation, and with lunchtime approaching, they timidly asked if their teacher would honor them by dining together.

Since they had come, Qi Yin couldn’t send them back home, so he nodded. Overjoyed, they said they had reserved a spot at a nearby restaurant, awaiting their teacher’s arrival. Upon hearing the word “restaurant,” Qi Yin felt a stir, remembering that his little girl had also opened a restaurant and often hinted for him to visit and take advantage of her hospitality.

Thinking of her, Qi Yin unknowingly smiled, causing the new scholars to momentarily freeze.

However, the teacher’s smile was fleeting. They barely caught a glimpse before it disappeared. He then said, “The nearby restaurants aren’t good. Let’s go to Yi Lou instead.”

Young Master Qi’s statement was entirely false: he had never eaten at nearby restaurants nor visited Shen Xiling’s Yi Lou. How could he know their flavors? His suggestion now was simply because he missed her and wanted to try his luck, see if she was there. Even if she wasn’t, going to a place connected to her was better than anywhere else.

Though these new scholars weren’t from Jiankang and unfamiliar with the city’s culinary scene, they had heard of Yi Lou’s reputation. Many high-ranking officials liked to host gatherings there, making it a hub for the elite.

However, they had heard that reservations at such an esteemed place were hard to secure, even booking half a month in advance might not guarantee a spot. Worrying about finding no place to sit, they subtly reminded the teacher of this situation.

The teacher, however, seemed unconcerned, smiling faintly and saying, “It’s fine, let’s go.”

Yi Lou was bustling with activity.

Gilded eaves basked in the sunlight, painted beams soared amidst clouds. Upon entering the grand gate, an impressive courtyard greeted visitors, and every arrangement exuded sophistication—such as screens, flowers, porcelain vases—all elegant. On its three floors, Jiankang’s nobility and celebrities gathered, raising cups and enjoying themselves, akin to a celestial feast.

The three new scholars, neither from aristocratic families nor local to the region, had never witnessed such a prestigious scene. While outwardly maintaining composure, inwardly they were deeply shaken.

Qi Yin was also here for the first time. Although Shen Xiling had mentioned it a few times, he had never found time to visit. Today, he saw unexpected things: what Li Wei and the others noticed were the carved beams and painted pillars, but what he saw was her thoughtfulness.

He had always known this little girl liked earning silver, assuming commerce was merely a means to her, and she didn’t genuinely love it. However, today, he saw her dedication in the restaurant’s minutiae. Every corner was carefully considered, achievable only by someone truly focused.

She worked with care and joy.

Moreover, he noticed details related to him, such as a small pool with lotus flowers, genuine calligraphy works by Baopu Gong, and patterns on some railings resembling those in Fenghe Garden...

Qi Yin smiled, sharing an unspoken understanding with her.

Meanwhile, Young Master Qi stepping into the restaurant caught the eye of a sharp servant, who quickly summoned the manager. Hurrying over, recognizing this rare guest and aware of his connection with their boss, the best private room on the second floor, kept vacant for him, was promptly prepared. The manager personally escorted him upstairs.

Seeing this, the three new scholars assumed their teacher was a regular customer, feeling both envious and impressed, and followed closely.

Walking from the first to the second floor, they encountered many people. Jiankang’s nobles and officials all recognized Young Master Qi, rising to greet him. Along the way, observant officials noticed the top three scholars following him, sparking fast thoughts though no words were exchanged.

Unperturbed, Qi Yin continued greeting colleagues, then settled into the private room upstairs. After modestly declining offers, he ordered several reputed dishes. Once the manager and servants left, they began talking.

Qi Yin accepted the tea poured by Li Wei and casually asked, “How are you adjusting to court life recently?”

According to the custom of the imperial court, newly appointed Jinshi scholars are generally assigned to the Hanlin Academy. The Zhuangyuan becomes a junior sixth-rank reviser, while the Bangyan and Tanhua become seventh-rank compilers. Though their positions are not high and lack real power, they remain in Jiankang rather than being posted elsewhere like the second and third ranks.

Staying in the Hanlin Academy is merely a transition; future postings depend on the court’s arrangements and the scholars’ connections. In previous years, most aristocratic sons followed their elders’ placements, with few exceptions like Qi Yin, who moved to an unrelated office.

This year’s top three scholars, all from humble backgrounds, lack family guidance and must rely on their own fortunes for future postings.

When Qi Yin asked, the three looked at each other hesitantly before Li Wei finally responded, “...Thank you for your concern, everything is fine.”