Receiving such unexpected news, Yanshu was naturally surprised and quickly asked, "Are you really that Grand Scholar of Zhongji Hall who had a relationship beyond revolutionary friendship with the Empress Dowager back then?"

The system replied, "That's right, he's the top scholar from the 10th year of Xuande, who became Prime Minister in his thirties due to his talents, loyally served the Empress Dowager, and then resolutely resigned and returned home after developing feelings beyond revolutionary friendship with the Empress Dowager, fearing it would implicate her. That Grand Scholar of Zhongji Hall, Qi Shuguang."

Yanshu: "..."

Tsk, looking at this train-like super-long prefix adjective, it was indeed the Grand Scholar she had always been most curious about.

But... why would the Emperor suddenly invite him to the capital?

Isn't this a bit too abrupt?

Then she heard the system say, "Grand Scholar Qi is truly a man of great learning and talent. After resigning from his official post, although he returned home to become a teacher, he quickly attracted many students due to his unique perspective and knowledge. After a few years, he simply opened an academy. The students he taught all entered official careers successfully and became talented individuals, making him very famous in Langya. He himself is a great scholar and famous teacher, and this time the Emperor is inviting famous scholars from various places, so why couldn't he be included?"

Yanshu: "!!!"

This really proves the saying that gold will shine wherever it is!

This Grand Scholar Qi is too capable!!!

Moreover, hearing this makes one even more curious about him!

However...

In any case, isn't this too coincidental?

Last night when the Emperor asked her, she had just secretly thought about it, and this morning he really summoned the person?

Why does it feel a bit strange somewhere?

Then she heard the system say, "After the incident at Songhe Academy back then, the Emperor took it over for the court. Now that the renovation is complete, it's appropriate to use the names of famous scholars to promote and restore people's and students' confidence in this academy. However, the list of invitees was recommended by the Ministry of Rites and local education officials. The Emperor issued the edict after reviewing it, so it's probably just a coincidence."

Yanshu: "...I see."

She was just thinking, could the Emperor have mind-reading abilities?

And even if he had mind-reading abilities, he probably wouldn't deliberately bring the Empress Dowager's former love interest close, right?

Thus, her doubts were resolved, but this news still made her eyes light up—

Doesn't this mean that next month the Empress Dowager will have a chance to meet the person she regrettably missed in the past?

Tsk tsk tsk tsk, just thinking about it is exciting!

However, I wonder if this Grand Scholar is married?

If he already has a wife and children, it's better not to meet.

Then she heard the system say, "He's not. After Grand Scholar Qi returned to his hometown, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to education and didn't have time to deal with marriage matters. Of course, it's also possible that he never met anyone he fell for again. Anyway, he has been spending his days with students for the past ten years or so."

Hearing this, Yanshu couldn't help but sigh—

Not having met anyone he fell for in over ten years, could it be that he had true feelings for the Empress Dowager?

Ah, it's really lamentable.

But of course, the Empress Dowager is the Empress Dowager after all. Madam Mu could remarry, but the Empress Dowager is different.

That kind of coincidental reunion of a broken mirror plot, she could only fantasize about in her heart, and definitely wouldn't dare to hope for it to become reality.

So, that thought she had last night was just a passing fancy, and she didn't dare to mention it to the Emperor at all.

But anyway, two people who once secretly had feelings for each other meeting again after many years is still something to look forward to.

Thinking of this, she quickly asked the system again, "Does the Empress Dowager know about this news yet?"

The system: "Not yet. The Empress Dowager hasn't been in the mood to care about political affairs these past two days. Seeing that Madam Mu is leaving in a few days, the Empress Dowager is focused on saying farewell to her good friend."

Yanshu: "That's true. Besides, it's only early May now, and Songhe Academy won't open until June. There's still a month to go. Moreover, it's not certain whether Grand Scholar Qi will come or not."

"However, if he does come, giving the Empress Dowager an unexpected surprise at that time might be even better. Anyway, keep a close eye on it and let me know if there's any news."

The system: "No problem."

With that, this distant prospect of gossip was temporarily heard.

Yanshu then got up to dress, wash up, and put on makeup. After getting ready, she leisurely ate breakfast.

Hmm, it's currently the season when fish and shrimp are at their most delicious. The kitchen had deboned and sliced carp, made a soup and cooked porridge with it. Eating a bowl of fish slice porridge, the fragrance of rice mixed with the savory aroma of fish meat, thick and creamy, was most delicious.

There were also dumplings made with fresh shrimp, each one full of sweet freshness and crisp texture, making one feel utterly satisfied.

In addition, she also ate a freshly fried youtiao, crispy and delicious, and drank a bowl of sweet soy milk, making her stomach very comfortable.

After filling her stomach with a breakfast that combined northern and southern cuisines, before she could think about what to do next, she saw a palace maid from the Palace of Benevolent Peace come to say that the Empress Dowager had summoned her.

Yanshu didn't know why, but could only quickly respond and go to the Palace of Benevolent Peace.

When she arrived, she saw that Madam Mu was also in the hall, talking with the Empress Dowager, while her daughter Ni Xiangwan was playing with Xiao Lanyun on the side.

After being reunited with her parents, the little girl's carefree smile was even more beautiful.

Yanshu felt gratified in her heart and first bowed to the Empress Dowager, "This concubine pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "Rise. I called you here because there's a matter I want to entrust to you. In a couple of days, there will be a Dragon Boat Festival water performance and a banquet at Jinming Pool. I don't have the energy for it right now, so you take care of it."

Yanshu was stunned. Does this mean... she wants her to manage affairs?

Tsk, this is really rare.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. In the imperial harem now, besides her, there's only Consort Wang who's responsible for striking the night watches.

She's the only idle person, and they can't ask Consort Wang to take on multiple roles.

She could only quickly respond, "This concubine obeys the command."

After she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager nodded. Then Madam Mu said to her, "By the way, this subject's wife still needs to thank Your Highness. If it weren't for your recommendation of Imperial Physician Jiang that day, I don't know what would have happened to my daughter."

After saying this, she specially bowed to her, with a very sincere attitude.

Yanshu hurriedly replied politely, "Madam is too kind. At that time, I just happened to think of it and mentioned it. The credit goes to Imperial Physician Jiang. Of course, it must also be due to the blessings Madam has accumulated from her daily good deeds that your daughter could safely escape danger."

These words were appropriate and pleasant to hear. The Empress Dowager nodded on the side.

She thought to herself that this girl seems carefree and silly, but actually has some brains.

No wonder the Emperor chose her as a shield.

Of course, Yanshu couldn't hear these words.

Then she saw the Empress Dowager suddenly speak to her again, "That day I was anxious and almost misunderstood you. Don't take it to heart."

Tsk, is the Empress Dowager apologizing to her?

Yanshu was flattered and hurriedly lowered her head, saying, "How dare this concubine?"

In her heart, she couldn't help but sigh - the Empress Dowager is an upright person, no wonder she could become the Empress Dowager.

Just then, a palace maid entered the hall and reported, "Your Highness, Academy Judge Zhang has come to check your pulse."

Oh? Zhang Shengkang is here?

Yanshu immediately composed herself.

The Empress Dowager also nodded and said, "Let him in."

The palace maid responded and went out to relay the message.

Soon after, the seemingly righteous Academy Judge of the Imperial Hospital, Zhang Shengkang, entered the hall.

After paying his respects, he immediately checked the Empress Dowager's pulse. After a while, he said, "Your Highness has been in good health recently. As the height of summer has arrived, you must be careful to eat less raw and cold food, and not catch a chill."

The Empress Dowager nodded and then said to him, "You might as well check Miss Ni as well. They're about to set off on their journey in a few days, and I don't know if her body can withstand it."

Zhang Shengkang agreed, and Madam Mu quickly called her daughter over.

After taking her pulse, Zhang Shengkang nodded and said, "Judging from her pulse, Miss Ni's health has greatly improved. As long as she doesn't overexert herself on the journey, there should be no problem."

After saying this, he sighed and said, "It seems that Imperial Physician Jiang is indeed superior in skill, one must admire him."

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager nodded.

However, Yanshu raised an eyebrow inwardly - would this person be so generous as to praise someone with higher medical skills than himself?

[Of course not.]

The system immediately chimed in, [This person has felt something was off ever since he found out that Jiang Nianqi had awakened the Ni family's daughter. The day before yesterday, he even arranged for someone to spy on the Jiang household in the middle of the night.]

Yanshu immediately became nervous, [Did he discover anything?]

System: [Nothing was discovered. Imperial Physician Jiang isn't stupid - how could he be discovered so easily and still survive in the palace?]

Yanshu silently breathed a sigh of relief. [That's good then.]

However, this showed that Zhang Shengkang was truly skilled at pretending, having fooled someone as capable as the Empress Dowager into trusting him deeply for many years.

Just as she was thinking this, she heard the Empress Dowager say to Zhang Shengkang, "I didn't expect someone as young as Imperial Physician Jiang to be so talented. It's a good thing for the Imperial Hospital to have such talent. As the director, you should cultivate and develop people like this - both the court and the common people need such individuals."

Zhang Shengkang bowed and said, "To be honest with Your Majesty, there is currently a vacancy for the position of Chief Physician at the Imperial Hospital. I was considering that perhaps Imperial Physician Jiang could be suitable for the role."

The Empress Dowager looked pleased and nodded in approval.

Yanshu, however, didn't believe it.

— The Chief Physician was already a fourth-rank position. Would Zhang Shengkang really be so kind as to promote such a young rival?

It was probably just said for the Empress Dowager's benefit.

But then, unexpectedly, Zhang Shengkang asked her, "Speaking of which, Imperial Physician Jiang happens to be off duty today. I wonder if Consort Yi knows where he received his training?"

Yanshu immediately realized this was a probe directed at her.

So she smiled and said, "I don't know about that. I only know he's not from the capital, and his hometown is probably somewhere in the Southern Yue region. But does this have anything to do with appointing him as Chief Physician?"

Zhang Shengkang hurriedly explained, "It's just that this isn't a decision I can make on my own. I'll need to discuss it with several imperial physicians and officials from the Ministry of Personnel. Knowing where he trained would help in introducing him."

— This explanation was actually somewhat far-fetched. As the director, how could he not know where such an outstanding talent under him had trained, and why would he specifically come to ask a palace consort?

The Empress Dowager glanced at Zhang Shengkang with a suspicious look.

Seeing this, Yanshu quickly added, "Well, when he's on duty, Director Zhang can ask him personally. Though he's probably quite busy these couple of days - I heard his home was burgled in the middle of the night, so he's likely at the Metropolitan Police to report it."

At these words, Zhang Shengkang paused.

The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "Is the city's security still so chaotic?"

Yanshu hurriedly explained, "I've heard it's improved a lot recently, but there are always some petty thieves around."

Madam Mu also said, "There are such small-time thieves everywhere, it's unavoidable."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "That's true."

As she finished speaking, Zhang Shengkang bowed his head and said, "I won't disturb Your Majesty any further. I'll take my leave now."

The Empress Dowager made a sound of acknowledgment, and he hurriedly left the hall with his medicine box.

System: [Very good. The position of Chief of the Imperial Hospital has been vacant for many years, and he's been trying to secure it recently. Fearing the Empress Dowager's suspicion, he'll probably behave himself for a few days now.]

Yanshu: [Hmph, protect our treasure Imperial Physician Jiang!]

She knew that after the incident with the Ni family's young lady, Imperial Physician Jiang could no longer hide his brilliance. Given Zhang Shengkang's jealous nature, he would certainly take notice of him.

But from what she could see now, the Empress Dowager still trusted Zhang Shengkang, so small tricks probably wouldn't shake his position.

Instead, it might alert him and arouse his suspicion about Imperial Physician Jiang's background.

This matter would need to be carefully planned.

After bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, Yanshu returned to the Palace of Sweet Dew.

Not long after, Fu Hai led two men to seek an audience with her.

"Your Highness, these two gentlemen are managers appointed by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. With the Dragon Boat Festival water games approaching, apart from the essential military drills organized by the Ministry of War, there will also be some water performances for the emperor and officials to enjoy. These two gentlemen would like you to review the arranged performances to see if they are suitable."

Yanshu: "..."

She had just agreed to the Empress Dowager's request, and people were already here? The efficiency was too high.

She nodded and said alright, and the men handed her a list of proposed performances.

Taking it and glancing over, she saw it included water acrobatics, water puppet shows, water singing and dancing, and other crowd-pleasing performances. It was quite good.

However, the puppet shows consisted of eight or nine old-fashioned plays like "Emperor Huan of Han's River Tour", "Emperor Wen of Wei Raising an Army", "Emperor Wu of Jin Attending a Meeting", "Liu Bei Crossing the Tan Stream", and so on.

So she said, "These stories are fine, but they're mostly what men like to watch. If you could add a few romantic stories like 'The Legend of the White Snake' or 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl', the ladies would probably enjoy it more."

"Also, there will likely be many children there. Why not prepare a few mythological stories like 'The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea', 'Sun Wukong Causes Havoc in the Dragon Palace', or 'Chen Xiang Splits the Mountain to Rescue His Mother'? I'm sure they would like those."

Hearing this, the two managers from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices immediately said, "Your Highness's words are most wise. We will arrange it right away."

Yanshu made a sound of agreement and continued looking down the list, when she was suddenly taken aback—

What?

They had even arranged for storytellers?

And among them was actually a book by the Carefree Scholar???

There, in black and white, were listed the titles "The Romantic Scholar and the Beautiful Lady", "The Shrewd Wife Cleverly Manages Her Philandering Husband", and the recently published "The Plum Blossoms Twice, the Flower is at Its Prime"!

Yanshu: "..."

What in the world?

Seeing her look of astonishment, Fu Hai, as one of the few people who knew about her alter ego, hurriedly explained, "I've heard that this scholar's works are very popular lately. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices probably arranged this thinking the audience would enjoy it."

As he finished speaking, the two managers also nodded and said, "General Fu is correct. Every year, many commoners vie to watch the water games. This Carefree Scholar's books are currently the most popular both in and outside the city, and they have great educational value. So we specially made this arrangement, thinking the common people would probably like to hear them, aiming for the emperor and the people to enjoy together."

Fu Hai quickly added, "Mainly because we heard the Empress Dowager really likes this scholar's works."

The other two immediately agreed.

Yanshu: "..."

Well, for the sake of making the Empress Dowager happy, she would have to endure the embarrassment.

But while the first two were fine, "The Plum Blossoms Twice" was somewhat inappropriate.

— After all, Madam Mu would be present. It was one thing for her to be embarrassed, but it was better not to embarrass the person involved.

So she said, "Actually, I've read them too. 'The Romantic Scholar and the Beautiful Lady' and 'The Shrewd Wife Cleverly Manages Her Philandering Husband' are quite good, and they also fit well with the current trend of strict official conduct in the court. Let's skip the last one, as it might cause controversy."

Although the Emperor was open-minded, there were inevitably some people who would take issue with the matter of widows remarrying.

The two immediately nodded in agreement and crossed out that title.

Next, they selected several songs and dances, as well as shadow puppet shows like "Three Trips to the Flaming Mountain" and "Zhu Bajie Carrying His Bride", which the children would surely enjoy watching.

With that, the cultural performance section was settled.

Fu Hai was about to lead the men away when Yanshu asked, "Um... should we also take a look at the menu while we're at it?"

At these words, the two managers' eyes lit up with delight, "That would be wonderful. We were afraid of disturbing Your Highness's rest, so we didn't dare to ask..."

Yanshu waved her hand, "It's no trouble, just bring it over."

Compared to other matters, food was the most important thing, so of course she had to carefully review it!

The men immediately agreed and rushed off to fetch the menu.

...

And so, with everything arranged, three days later, the palace residents set out early for the Golden Bright Pool.

The fame of the Golden Bright Pool was known to all in the capital.

— It was an artificial lake dug on the orders of the founding emperor to observe naval battles. The pool was so large that it could accommodate dragon boats and warships.

Later, to share the enjoyment with the people, the founding emperor ordered the surrounding walls to be demolished, making the Golden Bright Pool the first royal garden without walls.

Best of all, it was located in the center of the capital, making it very accessible to the people.

Normally, civilians and tourists often came to the lakeside to enjoy the cool air and scenery. Every Dragon Boat Festival, during the water games, the entire city would empty out to watch, truly exemplifying the emperor's desire to share joy with the people.

However, this was Yanshu's first time here.

She was already full of curiosity.

As soon as she got off the carriage, she looked around and saw a rainbow bridge gallery in the pool, with vermilion-painted railings and wild goose pillars, which was what the common people called the Camel's Hump.

At the head of the bridge was a building complex of five connected halls, majestic and imposing, which was where the emperor and consorts would view the spectacle each year.

By now, painted boats and warships were already neatly lined up along the shore, making people eagerly anticipate the upcoming scenes.

Yanshu followed the imperial procession and the Empress Dowager into the hall.

Speaking of which, there were now only her and Consort Wang left in the imperial harem. Especially today, as Consort Wang had claimed illness and didn't come, so apart from her, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, there were only the accompanying palace servants.

Fortunately, there were still Xiao Lanyun and Madam Mu with her daughter to fill out the numbers, so it didn't seem too sparse.

However, today there were still ministers bringing their families to attend, and they were already waiting on the side.

After everyone was seated, they came forward one by one to pay their respects.

The first to appear, as always, was the Grand Princess and her husband, close relatives of the royal family.

Behind them followed the Ankang county lord and his wife, along with their two children - their six-year-old son Yao Mingxu and four-year-old daughter Yao Minghan.

This large family with its thriving offspring immediately livened up the hall.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and Consort Yanshu," the Grand Princess said cheerfully, leading her extended family in a bow.

Yuwen Lan politely replied, "Aunt, there's no need for such formality. Please be seated."

The family complied and took their seats.

Yanshu quietly observed that the county lord and his wife were smiling, occasionally exchanging glances. Their relationship seemed even sweeter than before.

Ahem, it seems the treatment for the county lord was quite effective.

Imperial Physician Jiang truly blessed countless families.

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Indeed, he had personal experience with this. That Imperial Physician Jiang had truly helped many people.

As the adults took their seats, the two young Yao children immediately began playing with Xiao Lanyun and Ni Xiangwan.

The hall was soon filled with laughter and merriment, creating a very lively atmosphere.

The Empress Dowager sighed meaningfully, "It's always more lively with more children around."

She glanced at the Emperor as she spoke.

[Isn't this young man in a hurry yet?]

[Why not let Zhang Shengkang take a look?]

[If there's an illness, it should be treated. Is guarding against her really more important than having an heir?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

To be honest, he found himself at a loss for words for a moment.

True, initially he had indeed been guarding against the Empress Dowager, especially after the Eastern King incident, his wariness of the Empress Dowager had once been very intense.

However... it was no longer necessary now.

Seeing that he had already sown seeds so many times, presumably when the time was right, there would be results.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Yanshu again.

Yanshu: "..."

Look at that, every time the Empress Dowager spoke like this, he would come to peek at her.

But this wasn't something she could control.

Even seeds need time to sprout, don't they?

It hadn't even been a month yet, how could it be so quick?

The hall became a bit awkward for a moment, but fortunately, ministers began to come forward to pay their respects one after another, diverting everyone's attention.

Yanshu had now attended quite a few banquets and was familiar with most of the court officials.

However, today was a bit strange, as the Minister of Works had come with puffy eyes.

— Had he been secretly crying again last night in some secluded place?

System: [Speaking of which, this is your fault. He's a fan of your books, and these past two days he's been completely immersed in your new novel, crying several times over the twists and turns of the main characters' love story.]

Yanshu: "..."

So he cried like this just from reading her novel?

Tsk tsk tsk, how touching.

She felt both moved and sympathetic, thinking that perhaps she should give him an autograph one day to console him?

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He wanted to advise her against it. If the minister really saw her handwriting, he might become even more heartbroken.

Next, the paper-eating Marquis of Guangyang made his appearance.

— It hadn't been long since the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, yet this gentleman had lost another round of weight.

The Empress Dowager was very concerned and quickly asked, "Marquis of Guangyang, are you truly ill? How have you become so thin? You mustn't hide your illness and avoid treatment."

Seeing this situation, before the Marquis could say anything, his wife hurriedly replied with a worried expression, "The Empress Dowager is right. The Marquis has had a very poor appetite lately. He has seen a doctor and taken medicine, but there's been no improvement."

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan also became a bit worried.

He thought that if things really didn't improve, he should remind him not to eat those strange things...

But before he could speak, he heard Yanshu think, [Today I specially had the imperial chefs prepare something suitable for him. Let's see how it works?]

Yuwen Lan swallowed his words and immediately became curious —

She had specially prepared something?

What kind of food could be suitable for the Marquis of Guangyang?

Could it be food made of paper?

Tsk, how would others eat that?

Just as he was thinking this, palace servants began to bring in several dishes of snacks.

Among them, one dish was actually made to look like a book using pancakes, with words written on it using spinach juice, making it quite a novel sight.

Yuwen Lan paused, quickly glancing to the side.

He saw the Marquis of Guangyang's eyes were already fixed intently, his heart excitedly thinking, [What, what, what is this? Is it edible? It looks like it might be very delicious!]

He thus quickly said, "Please be seated. Have some snacks and tea. Don't stand on ceremony."

The Marquis of Guangyang complied and immediately sat down to eat.

In the blink of an eye, he had eaten two small pancake books, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.

[Mmm, this texture is indeed much better!]

Yanshu finally felt relieved.

Now the Marquis's wife should know what to feed her husband, right?

— Ahem, although the big pancakes from her hometown might be a bit tough to chew, they're still very nutritious.

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan also felt quite gratified.

— His beloved consort was kind-hearted and considerate, truly touching.

Next, an announcement was heard from outside the hall, "The Marquis of Loyal Righteousness seeks an audience..."

Yanshu was startled. The Marquis of Loyal Righteousness? Isn't that her father?

Sure enough, she soon saw her parents enter the hall together, both dressed in formal attire, solemnly bowing to them.

Yanshu was suddenly delighted. She didn't know her parents would be coming today!

Come to think of it, because men from outside the palace weren't allowed to enter the inner palace, although she had already seen her mother and grandmother, she still hadn't seen her father.

Unexpectedly, she was seeing him today!

It truly made her happy.

Seeing this scene, the monarch on the throne was in a good mood.

He nodded and said, "No need for such formality. Please be seated."

The Li couple complied and sat down in the hall.

The Empress Dowager even specially granted permission for Madam Zhu to sit next to her daughter.

Yanshu snuggled up to her mother contentedly, her heart filled with joy.

After that, several more groups of people arrived. After they had all paid their respects, they also took their seats.

When the time was about right, two painted boats sailed into view on the water in front of the hall, and the first performance of the day, a water dance and music show, began.

This scene was a first for both Yanshu and her mother Madam Zhu, and they watched with great interest.

However, not long after, the Minister of Revenue entered the hall and requested the Emperor's instructions, saying, "Your Majesty, the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Salt Administration Bureau wishes to seek an audience."

As it was a day for the emperor and his officials to enjoy themselves together, and it was a newly appointed official, Yuwen Lan naturally wouldn't refuse. He nodded and said, "Let him in."

The Minister of Revenue complied, and soon led in a man in his thirties or forties.

The newcomer introduced himself, "Your subject Luo Zhixue pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Luo Zhixue?

Yanshu paused, feeling that this name sounded familiar.

She remembered that her father had a friend who seemed to be called by this name.

Then she heard the System say, [That's right, this is the person who borrowed twenty taels of silver from your father to go to the capital for the imperial examinations, causing your father to have an argument with your mother, and then after passing the exam with high honors, he pretended not to know you and never paid back the money.]

Yanshu paused.

Hey, isn't this a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road?