TFSRITA Chapter 35

Song Yu’s throat tightened, and he instinctively nodded. However, after nodding, a wave of intense sorrow hit him, as if countless tiny needles were stabbing at his heart, causing it to ache terribly.

For a moment, both of them fell silent.

Yan Qing wanted to leave but found she couldn’t move her feet, just standing there, staring at his wet clothes.

It wasn’t until Zhu Yin approached and said, “Your Majesty, it’s time to return,” that Yan Qing snapped out of it. She allowed Zhu Yin to support her as they made their way back to the selection area.

Behind her, Song Yu watched her retreating figure, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

He felt powerless.

His prepared pledge was rejected.

Yet, the millions of people depending on him forced him to continue.

Song Yu took a deep breath and turned to leave.

As he moved from the Imperial Garden to the Outer Court, he occasionally encountered a few eunuchs who looked at him with surprise. “Oh, why does this young master look so downcast?”

“Could it be that the Emperor has punished him?” one of them asked.

Before he could finish, another eunuch reminded him, “Are you foolish? He’s the eldest son of the Duke of Gong. If it weren’t for the Emperor’s intervention, he would already be the Duke’s heir. How could the Emperor punish him? The Duke holds military power!”

“So impressive!” the young eunuch exclaimed, his mouth agape.

Song Yu, who was already some distance away, heard their conversation. A bitter smile crept across his thin lips. He placed his right hand over his chest and pressed down firmly, feeling a bit less pain. He muttered to himself, “Impressive or not, it’s still powerless!”

For the first time, he felt anger towards the imperial power.

Author’s Note: Recently, I started reading a book by the author “Dian Jia,” but it updates only twice a day, and each chapter seems to be about two thousand words. Didn’t they promise daily updates of ten thousand words? Where’s the explosion of updates? o(╥﹏╥)o

 

The selection ended, and those who were not chosen were sent away in large numbers, with no chance to return until the next selection, which would be at least five years away. By then, the candidates would have changed.

Yan Zhen left the palace with the eliminated maidens, calmly stepping into her waiting carriage amidst the envious gazes of others.

After all, she was the second daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence, and the Prime Minister still cared about her reputation.

However, upon returning to the Yan residence and seeing Prime Minister Yan, Yan Zhen felt a bit nervous.

As expected, Prime Minister Yan’s expression was not pleasant. He looked at her solemnly and asked, “What happened? Why were you eliminated?”

Inside the palace, no one dared leak any information. Emperor Ji Yecheng had already issued orders. Yan Qing had only mentioned it verbally, but to ensure nothing went wrong, she had borrowed Emperor Ji Yecheng’s authority to have Jiang Wende warn everyone involved.

Even Consort Xian and Consort De were treated equally.

To avoid collective punishment or being implicated by others, everyone was on edge, and those in the know were cautioned and monitored. Consequently, no word of this incident leaked out.

Even the Prime Minister was unaware of the details.

But he knew his second daughter, standing gracefully with her fair and beautiful face, especially her eyes which seemed as delicate as a lotus after rain, should not have been overlooked.

Yet, Yan Zhen, avoiding his gaze, said softly, “I don’t know…”

Prime Minister Yan felt disappointed but, after all, she was his daughter. He said sternly, “In that case, stay at home and be at ease. I’ve found a good husband for you. With the autumn examinations coming up, if he ranks in the top three, I’ll finalize this matter.”

“No!” Yan Zhen instinctively protested, her delicate face frowning and her lips tightly pressed together, clearly showing her dissatisfaction. “I don’t want to marry him!”

“Yan Zhen!” Prime Minister Yan’s voice grew stern, his anger evident as he looked at her. “You’re saying you won’t marry him even though you don’t know who he is?”

Yan Zhen stubbornly replied, “I won’t marry him, even if he is the top scholar!”

Having finished her forceful declaration, she quickly fled when she saw Prime Minister Yan’s anger.

As she ran, her eyes were still red, and she looked quite aggrieved. The drawback of ancient times was the strict adherence to parental orders. But she liked Song Yu, not the man chosen for her! Song Yu had already become a top scholar at fourteen, dazzling all of Chang’an. How could she look at anyone else after seeing such a gem?

Yan Zhen was filled with grievance and resentment. In Prime Minister Yan’s eyes, only the legitimate daughter mattered. They were all his daughters!

Wiping away her tears, she remembered the woman she saw after falling into the water the other day. With a bit of makeup, her appearance was exquisite and charming, with no trace of gloom. She looked like she was living well. Why should she be sent to the palace to accompany such a person?

Since Prime Minister Yan disregarded their father-daughter relationship, she wouldn’t worry too much either!

Returning to her room, Yan Zhen threw herself onto the bed and wallowed in her misery for a while, her expression gradually changing.

Song Yu fell ill for several days after returning home.

It wasn’t because he was physically weak, but because his heart was empty. After falling into the water and not paying attention, he returned home and remained distracted, feeling heavy-headed upon waking from a nap.

This situation worried the Song family greatly.

The entire household fussed over him, which made Song Yu feel quite guilty. He forced himself to recover a bit.

At this time, his servant, Song Chuan, reported, “Young Master, Ziyun requests an audience. Should you… see him?”

Song Chuan spoke softly. Since Yan Qing entered the palace, the Song family no longer supported his interactions with the Yan family, believing it was for their good. Their past romance was well-known throughout Chang’an.

Yan Qing, being the Prime Minister’s daughter, was a perfect match for the renowned Song Yu. Therefore, no one opposed their future union.

However, after Emperor Shun’s actions, separating the two, people’s previous expectations were dispelled. Now, as Song Yu was single again, he was a coveted bachelor in Chang’an, with many noble girls interested in him. If it were discovered that he still had dealings with the Yan family, it could lead to rumors. The Song family could withstand such rumors, but Yan Qing, under the Emperor’s watch, could not.