Zhou Qingci stared intently at Shen Mingzhu's office, as if waiting for the person inside to judge him!
[Guagua, who exactly is Lord Zhou's biological father?]
[Hehe~ Speaking of which, this Lord Zhou actually has some connection with you, host!]
Shen Mingzhu was somewhat bewildered.
[Guagua, he's not my cheapskate dad's illegitimate child, is he? My parents are super loving! Don't scare me!]
Su Huaiyuan spat out his tea this time!
He hurriedly and frantically wiped the wet documents.
Su Huaiyuan: ...
She's truly Lord Shen's sweet little darling!
I wonder if Lord Shen knows that his little darling thinks of him this way.
[Host, what are you thinking! Lord Shen is still very virtuous!]
That's good, that's good, don't scare me!
[Quickly tell me who it is!]
At this moment, the entire Hanlin Academy was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and everyone was straining to hear who this man of great importance was.
[This man is none other than Prince An, Yan Lingfeng, the younger brother of Emperor Jingyuan! Ta-da! Surprised? Unexpected?!]
[Host, you are the Crown Princess, and you will marry Crown Prince Yan Beichen in the future. Zhou Qingci will be your cousin inlaw!]
Clang!
The teacup in the next room was broken!
The entire Hanlin Academy was so frightened that no one dared to move!
This must be a royal secret!
Will all those who know about this be secretly eliminated?
But loyalty to the emperor and love for one's country are the duties of a subject. Should this matter be reported?
Zhou Qingci: I'm actually a member of the imperial family?
Waaaaah...
I probably won't have to leave the Hanlin Academy!
Zhou Qingci felt relieved.
After tidying himself up, he went back to his work.
At this moment, Shen Mingzhu was eating snacks in her room, continuing to gossip with the system.
[Guagua, do you think Zhou Qingci will try to acknowledge his relatives if he finds out about his true lineage? After all, that's Prince An, the Emperor's own brother!]
Yes, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Zhou Qingci.
Will he go and claim his relatives?
If he recognizes his relatives, he might become a young prince!
[Host, Prince An has sons and daughters, and quite a few wives and concubines. I wonder if Prince An still remembers this fleeting romance with his mother. However, Zhou Qingci is currently unaware of his background. Even if he finds out, it will depend on his choice!]
The key is to establish kinship; there needs to be some kind of token, right? It can't just be words.
All the officials in Hanlin nodded in agreement.
Some of the closer friends had already gathered in groups of three or five and started discussing it quietly.
Of course, everyone concealed the sensitive words.
"Lord Wang, I have a friend who recently learned about his background. It turns out his biological father was a high-ranking official. What do you think about him acknowledging his ancestry?"
Really? Does your friend want to acknowledge his ancestors?"
...
Shen Mingzhu arrived in less than a day, and the entire Hanlin Academy has changed!
It is said that scholars have integrity, but at this moment they are gathered together like the old women in the mansion, gossiping.
Eating melons can be an extremely wonderful thing.
They love gossiping!
It seems they need to communicate more with Shen Xiuzuan in the future.
Looking at Shen Xiuzuan's room, it was clear that the old fox was indeed shrewd. Grand Scholar Su must have known about Shen Xiuzuan's special qualities, which was why he arranged for Shen Xiuzuan's office to be next to his.
Su Huaiyuan, seizing the opportunity, is definitely going to make it black sesame filling!
"Bang bang bang!"
Soon, a knock came at Mingzhu office door.
"Lord Su?"
"This is a compilation of ancient texts, which is something our Hanlin Academy has been busy with recently. You can take a look and get a general idea."
Shen Mingzhu nodded.
"Yes, Scholar Su, I understand."
Su Huaiyuan placed down the documents and left.
Shen Mingzhu took the documents from the table and saw that the Hanlin Academy was currently compiling "Travels in the Great Yan," a classic work full of humanistic care and geographical knowledge.
Shen Mingzhu glanced at it and immediately lost interest.
[Guagua, when am I getting off work?]
[Host, it's almost there, just a little longer.]
Everyone: ...
The workday quickly came to an end, and Shen Mingzhu left the Hanlin Academy and hopped into her own carriage.
"Shaoyao, let's go home!"
"Yes, Miss."
Su Huaiyuan barely caught a glimpse of a flash as Shen Mingzhu vanished from the Academy, leaving no one a chance to respond.
If you're not proactive about leaving work on time, there's something wrong with your mindset!
She had just arrived home when she was informed that the emperor steward, Eunuch Wang Defu, had arrived!
It turns out that Shen Mingzhu has been rewarded for presenting sweet potatoes today!
Wang Defu is the chief eunuch serving Emperor Jingyuan. He had served Emperor Jingyuan since childhood and held a very high position. Even the concubines and princes in the harem had to give him some face.
When Wang Defu saw Shen Mingzhu, his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.
"Lord Shen, how was your first day at the Hanlin Academy? Are you adjusting well?"
Shen Mingzhu smiled gently.
"Thank you for his concern, his Majesty. Thank you for your concern, Chief Steward Wang. Everything is fine, and I am adapting very well."
Wang Defu: "That's good, that's good!"
Shen Mingzhu thought: I didn't do anything. I took a nap, went shopping, had a meal, took a beauty nap, ate some melon, and then went home after get off work.
If things continue like this, Shen Mingzhu thinks it's fine; she can accept this job.
"Lord Shen, this is a bodyguard His Majesty has given you. He will protect you from now on, so you can rest assured!"
[Host, this is Long Er, the deputy commander of Emperor Jingyuan's Dragon Shadow Guard.]
"Ah, Guagua, do you think the Emperor sent him to protect me or to spy on me?"
Wang Defu gave an awkward smile and wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead.
Suddenly inspired, he shouted,
"Lord Shen, receive the imperial edict!"
Then everyone knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
"By the grace of Heaven and the Emperor, it is decreed that: Shen Mingzhu, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, is hereby granted the following for her meritorious service in presenting sweet potatoes. One hundred taels of gold, a set of gilded filigree and kingfisher feather headdress, a pair of gold bracelets, a double-sided jade screen, a fire fox cloak, two bolts of shimmering brocade, and ten bolts of Suzhou brocade."
Shen Mingzhu's eyes widened as she listened to the string of rewards.
[Guagua, I made it! I made it!]
Wang Defu was secretly pleased to hear Shen Mingzhu's innermost thoughts.
"If it pleases her, that is enough."
"Your subject receives the imperial decree."
Holding the edict and glancing at the treasures in the hands of the eunuchs behind her, Shen Mingzhu's face lit up with a radiant smile.
What a way to end such a wonderful day—with a reward!
Shen Mingzhu's eyes gleamed as she looked at the fiery red fox fur cloak. So vibrant, so beautiful! She heard that this cloak was impervious to both water and fire, a rare and precious treasure. Wearing it would certainly make her the most noble lady in the capital.
And then there was the shimmering brocade. Only five bolts had been presented as tribute this year. Consort Li had tried every trick in the book to win Emperor Jingyuan's favor—and had received only one bolt. Yet here, Shen Mingzhu had been given two.
Seeing such treasures, Shen Jiaojiao's envy burned bright.
After the imperial edict was read, Mother Shen stepped forward and presented several silver notes to Steward Wang, who accepted them with a polite smile.
Shen Mingzhu huffed inwardly. Why isn't eunuch Wang leaving? She wanted nothing more than to lie down and count her new riches. He had no sense of propriety!
Wang Defu: …