Yan Xiaohan stood not far from Emperor Changzhi, his gaze sweeping across the ministers, finally resting on the slightly plump back of the emperor. He had no expression, appearing cold, but paradoxically, this seemed more genuine than the ministers feigning emotional complexity.
Fu Shen cast a distant glance, their eyes meeting midair. Yan Xiaohan slightly nodded. The night before departure, Yan Xiaohan told Fu Shen: “Just go south with peace of mind. I’ll guard the rear for you, you don’t need to worry about anything.” At that time, Fu Shen said nothing, just smiled and tilted Yan Xiaohan’s chin for a kiss. Seeming both unknowing and yet possibly aware of the truth.
The spring breeze swept across the wilderness. Yan Xiaohan watched the gradually distant command flag, silently completing the unfinished words from the previous night in his heart. When you return, I will give you a clean court.
The letter arrived together with the military report, and because there was a risk of it being secretly opened, Fu Shen could not directly express his feelings, so he sent a “wild goose letter” in this way. Only the two of them could understand the true meaning of “wild goose” through their tacit understanding. The wild goose is a bird of loyalty, mated for life, flying together across the vast sky.
On this night, when Yan Xiaohan was tossing and turning, unable to sleep due to the family letter, on the other side of the capital, there was also someone sleepless in the Xue Shangshu’s residence.
Recently, the Censorate had impeached two officials from the Six Ministries. After the emperor read the report, he permitted the two to temporarily suspend their duties and reflect behind closed doors, with the case to be investigated by the Court of Judicial Review. This was originally a normal procedure, and the “impeachment” was merely minor issues that no one took seriously. However, to everyone’s surprise, the Court of Judicial Review uncovered the truth – they found evidence of the two officials accepting bribes and perverting the law.
