Shen Yu vaguely remembered such a thing. At that time, his mind was in a mess. Now that he thought about it, there was indeed a slippery feeling.
His thoughts unconsciously drifted to the night before.
Beneath him was a soft bed, and in front of him was a hot breath. He was like a fish thrown to the surface of the water by the wind and waves, bobbing up and down with the waves.
In a daze, a man's low voice sounded in his ears, "A Yu, I brought the ointment sent by Imperial Physician Gu. You won't feel uncomfortable this time …"
It was cold and hot.
The wind and waves became stronger.
Shang Junlin's heart itched when he saw the scarlet color crawling up his porcelain white skin.
He had seen Shen Yu's calm and self-controlled side, and he had also seen his absent-minded side. Regardless of whether it was the former or the latter, his heart was filled with love.
"Next time, I'll ask Imperial Physician Gu to send more." Shang Junlin leaned close to Shen Yu's ear and whispered, "Fortunately, I put away the ointment last time."
"Your Majesty, what do you think of Imperial Physician Gu's ointment?" Shen Yu pushed Shang Junlin away. He didn't want to be so close to him.
"What do you mean? His duty is to take good care of A Yu's body. "
Shen Yu looked at him faintly, "Does that include this?"
Shang Junlin held back his laughter and nodded.
Shen Yu, "…"
Shen Yu was speechless.
"Alright, I'm just teasing you. I'm not that stupid. I won't bring this matter to Imperial Physician Gu." Shang Junlin smiled and pinched Shen Yu's earlobe.
Shen Yu's leg was still uncomfortable, and he didn't want to discuss this topic with the culprit. "Your Majesty, have Miss Fang and the others' official positions been confirmed yet?"
It had been a few days since the results of the court examination were released. The other candidates who passed the court examination had all taken up their positions. Jiang Huaiqing and He Chengyu had also taken up positions in the Hanlin Academy. Only Fang Jiayi, who had placed second, had yet to come up with a plan.
Originally, Shang Junlin wanted to take up a post in the Hanlin Academy, just like the previous Banquet Champion. However, he was met with fierce opposition from the courtiers. The Hanlin Academy was the starting point for one to enter the Cabinet. They felt that it was enough to find a leisurely official position for Fang Jiayi. There was no need to put her in the Hanlin Academy.
Of course, there were more ministers who hoped that Shang Junlin would retract his order. They could not accept being an official in the same court as a woman. Not everyone had bad intentions towards the woman, but many people were unable to change their preconceived notions in a short period of time. Before the incident, it was undoubtedly a fantasy for a woman to be an official.
Speaking of this matter, Shang Junlin rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. "The others didn't have any problems. They were even willing to take a step back and give He Chengyu and Jiang Huaiqing higher official positions. Only Fang Jiayi refused to budge."
Shen Yu: "What do they plan to do with Miss Fang? Something that has already been announced to the world can't be retracted. "
Shang Junlin: "They want me to bestow her a county lord or some other title of nobility."
Shen Yu: "Giving her a title of nobility but not giving her any real power. Not only does this shut the mouths of the people, but it also achieves their goal. It's a good suggestion that kills two birds with one stone."
Shang Junlin: "Currently, only the Prime Minister is willing to let Fang Jiayi enter the Cabinet as an official. The other two still refuse to budge."
The Dahuan Cabinet had a lot of power. It had reached its peak during the reign of the previous Emperor. After Shang Junlin ascended to the throne, he took back a lot of power. However, some of it was still in the hands of the Cabinet.
Other than the Prime Minister, the other two ministers in the Cabinet were all from aristocratic families. If Shang Junlin wanted to do something that harmed the interests of the aristocratic families, the first obstacle he would encounter would be them.
Both sides refused to budge. Now, the matter had entered a stalemate.
Although Fang Jiayi was an exception this year, the triennial Qionglin Banquet still had to be held.
In previous years, it was held by the aristocratic families. However, because of Fang Jiayi's matter this year, Shang Junlin simply threw the matter to the Ministry of Rites.
On one hand, the Qionglin Banquet was a large-scale banquet held to congratulate the high school students. On the other hand, it was an opportunity for the students who had yet to enter the officialdom to familiarize themselves with the official officials of the Dahuan Cabinet.
In order to show the importance of the banquet, the princes would usually attend. Shang Junlin didn't have any children. His brothers and relatives had been sent far away by him. He would either send his ministers to represent him or go personally.
"Qionglin Banquet? Does Your Majesty want to go? "Shen Yu heard Shang Junlin mention it and asked.
"I plan to go. A Yu will go with me."
Shen Yu knew why Shang Junlin chose to go personally. Too many things had happened in the imperial examinations this year. The Emperor's presence could not only show the importance of this matter, reassure the students, but also suppress the arrogance of some aristocratic families.
Shen Yu was also a man. When Shang Junlin wanted to bring him along, no one objected. The main reason was that they knew that Shang Junlin wouldn't listen even if they did. Moreover, they would offend Shen Yu, who was highly favored by the Emperor. It wasn't worth it.
After the relevant regulations were finalized, the students also received the news.
"This year, His Majesty will bring His Majesty along. I finally have the chance to see for myself what the rumored His Majesty looks like."
"Don't you want to see His Majesty with your own eyes?"
"If you can enter the imperial court as an official, you will have the chance to see His Majesty. The chance to see His Majesty is even rarer. "
"I heard that the fraud this time was discovered in time because of His Majesty. Otherwise, we would all be in trouble."
"His Majesty is willing to bring His Majesty to the Qionglin Banquet. It seems that the rumors are true. His Majesty really values His Majesty."
"Isn't the imperial harem forbidden from interfering in politics? Even if His Majesty dotes on His Majesty, he shouldn't bring His Majesty to such an occasion, right? "
"Why shouldn't he? His Majesty brought His Majesty to the court examination."
"Speaking of which, it seems that no official is impeaching His Majesty."
"Isn't that so? They're all focused on the second place. When compared to Miss Fang's matter, I'm afraid that other matters are nothing in their eyes."
"His Majesty is really going to use female officials? It feels so strange."
"These things aren't for us to worry about now. Let's focus on what's at hand."
"That's true. It's the Qionglin Banquet. I wonder if the poem is true. Will Miss Fang attend that day? I wonder what kind of woman she will be."
"She's a very capable and responsible woman. She's not afraid of power. If she can enter the imperial court as an official, I believe that she'll be a good official."
The person who spoke had witnessed the farce at the Yingxing Tower with his own eyes. He had a good impression of Fang Jiayi. He was sure that in that situation, even a man might not have done as well as Fang Jiayi.
The Fang Residence.
Lord Fang had long predicted that his daughter would encounter great resistance if she wanted to enter the imperial court as an official. He just didn't expect it to be so difficult at the beginning.
"After the Qionglin Banquet, there will be a conclusion to this matter." Lord Fang sighed as he looked at his determined daughter.
After the Qionglin Banquet, the appointment of an official couldn't be delayed any longer. Although it seemed that the aristocratic families were suppressing Shang Junlin, that was only because Shang Junlin didn't want to push the aristocratic families too hard.
"Father has already done a lot for me. I'll walk the path in the future on my own."
From the moment she had this dream, Fang Jiayi knew that the path she had to walk was destined to be bumpy and full of thorns. In the past, she didn't dare to tell others about her dream because she knew how unbelievable and shocking it was. She thought that her dream would remain a dream for the rest of her life. She didn't expect that she would have the chance to make it a reality.
It was so rare that the first people to tell her that she wasn't indulging in fantasy were the two men who stood at the peak of power in the Great Huan Dynasty. From that moment on, she made a decision. She must walk a new path for all the women in the world!
Soon, it was the day of the Qionglin Banquet.
Shang Junlin changed into a less formal imperial robe. Shen Yu wanted to experience the atmosphere among the students, so he didn't wear the robes that represented his status as an emperor.
A white wide-sleeved robe was draped over a light blue gauze overcoat. His long hair was unbound and draped softly behind his back. His facial features were exquisite, his eyes dark and bottomless. He had a faint smile on his face and held a folding fan in his hand.
The Qionglin Banquet was held outside the palace. There was a special residence for it. Shen Yu and Shang Junlin got on the carriage and slowly drove out of the palace.
"It's all thanks to Miss Fang. Otherwise, His Majesty would have been impeached by the Imperial Censor for taking me to the Court Examination." Shen Yu sat in the carriage and looked at Shang Junlin.
"That's right. With Fang Jiayi's incident before, they chose to ignore the Court Examination."
Shang Junlin was basically reviewing memorials in Yuzhang Palace. Shen Yu occasionally glanced at them. Most of the memorials were about Fang Jiayi. Shang Junlin was too lazy to deal with them, so he asked people to take them out and put them aside.
"Your Majesty, you can distribute these unimportant memorials to the ministers. If Your Majesty is worried about the aristocratic families, you can promote a group of officials with clean backgrounds." Shen Yu suggested.
"The Cabinet originally had the power to deal with these matters. However, the aristocratic families have been growing in power these years. If I give all the power to the Cabinet, I won't be at ease. A Yu is right. When I train a group of officials who are useful, I won't be as busy as I am now."
When Shang Junlin first ascended the throne, he suffered a lot in the hands of the aristocratic families. Later, he used bloody means to suppress a group of ambitious people and slowly gathered the power of the Imperial Court into his own hands.
The appointment from the Imperial Court had not been announced yet. Jiang Huaiqing was still living with He Chengyu. He originally planned to rent a house for himself, but He Chengyu persuaded him not to.
"Huaiqing, are you not used to living here? Or do you find me annoying? "When He Chengyu said this, the corners of his eyes drooped slightly, giving off an inexplicable feeling of being abandoned.
Feeling guilty, Jiang Huaiqing hurriedly explained, "No, why would I find Brother Chengyu annoying? I'm just afraid that you will find me troublesome …"
"Why would Huaiqing cause me trouble? It's clearly Huaiqing who has helped me a lot, "He Chengyu interrupted him," Moreover, Huaiqing has also given me money for food and accommodation. You can even help me from time to time when you're living here. Why would I find you troublesome? "
He Chengyu calmly sized up Jiang Huaiqing and continued, "If you have a place to live outside, I have nothing to say if you want to move out. However, you don't even have a place to live. Moreover, I'm used to having Huaiqing by my side. If you really move out, I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt in a short period of time. It won't be too late for Huaiqing to consider this matter after the appointment from the Imperial Court has been announced."
Jiang Huaiqing thought about it. That was true. During this period of time, he had become used to living and eating with He Chengyu. If he really moved out, whether the new place was to his liking was another matter. First, he himself would be very uncomfortable.
Just as He Chengyu had said, he wasn't living in his house for free.
The two of them arrived at the Qionglin Banquet together.
One was the Zhuangyuan while the other was the Tanhua. As soon as they entered, they were surrounded by people.
Some people wanted to get closer to He Chengyu, while others wanted to find Jiang Huaiqing. The two of them were slowly separated by the crowd.
Yi Jianming's followers finally found an opportunity. They looked at each other and sent someone to secretly follow them.
Shen Yu got off the carriage and separated from Shang Junlin, walking into the crowd.
Jiang Huaiqing was talking to the people who kept coming up. Suddenly, he felt a pat on his shoulder. He turned around and suddenly met a pair of smiling eyes.
"… Brother Yu?"
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