Chapter 815: Chapter 813: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Seeing there was no way to avoid it, Ye Xinyan glanced into the pavilion again. Inside the small pavilion, apart from the Emperor in the main seat, there was also the Cabinet Prime Minister Han Yanhui seated below him.

Emperor Qianqing visiting his son’s home, leading a minister along—no, strictly speaking, this was a pair of in-laws, coming to inspect the son and daughter’s household property?

But adding her and Zhou Biyao into this combination seemed inappropriate no matter how one looked at it.

Chang Garden was already small. If one bent on seeing the entire scenery leisurely, it would indeed take some time. However, from where Ye Xinyan was, entering that small pavilion was really not much of a walk.

On these few steps, Zhou Biyao tugged at Ye Xinyan’s sleeve, silently asking, “What’s going on? Who is he?”

You’re astonishingly obtuse!

Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes slightly and replied to her in a barely audible voice, “That’s His Majesty.”

“Ah?” Zhou Biyao was taken aback, seemingly unsure if she misheard or couldn’t believe it, paused her steps in confusion, and looked at Ye Xinyan.

Usually, she appeared to be smart, so how could she stumble at such a critical moment?

Ye Xinyan simply gave up, bluntly saying to her, “The one sitting in the center is His Majesty the Emperor.”

Unexpectedly, once these words were spoken, Zhou Biyao understood instantly and stumbled forward, nearly falling to the ground. Luckily, Ye Xinyan managed to grab her just in time.

Zhou Biyao walked into the pavilion, almost stiff-legged, moving awkwardly alongside Ye Xinyan until they stood in front of the Emperor.

By now, there wasn’t anyone around; the two maids were stopped by several guards about ten steps away, watching expectantly as their lady entered to meet an unknown person.

Since the Emperor hadn’t concealed his identity from them, Ye Xinyan had no reason not to bow respectfully.

As soon as she entered the pavilion, she knelt down to the ground, paying respects. Zhou Biyao followed Ye Xinyan to kneel, performing the three kneels and nine kowtows ritual with a trembling voice: “This minister’s daughter greets Your Majesty, greets His Highness Prince Yu.”

“Rise.”

The two stood up in response, obediently standing to the side.

The Emperor sat upright, seemingly absent-minded, asked Ye Xinyan, “You haven’t returned from South Zhejiang long, right? Are you here to tour or supervise the engineering progress?”

Ye Xinyan quickly bowed, replying, “I came to oversee the engineering progress. With autumn deepening, if we don’t hasten completion, many things will become difficult to manage after the freeze.”

She wasn’t wrong; generally, final stages of construction involve meticulous plastering tasks. If it freezes, it’ll have to be postponed until spring next year. In which case, Jinrong might become impatient; however, urging the project forward is Qi Younian and Yuan Shang’s responsibility. She was indeed here for leisure.

The Emperor responded with a hum, his gaze briefly scanning Zhou Biyao before looking towards Jinrong.

Jinrong hurriedly explained, “This is the second daughter of the former Prefect of Yuyuan Prefecture, Lord Zhou, named Zhou Biyao. She has worked under Miss Ye for three years, and the entire design of this garden was essentially executed under her leadership.”

“Oh?” The Emperor’s face showed slight surprise; he thought only Duke An’s bold granddaughter engaged in such activities, not expecting another young lady from a different family could mingle in the Craftsmanship Sector, undertaking pursuits unappreciated in official families.

“So she is Zhou Biyao’s daughter, impressive. It’s good to be involved in practical affairs rather than indulging in poetry and lamenting seasons. Unexpectedly, Zhou Bingyi is also quite insightful.”

In reality, a reasonable person would know—people claim the standards for noble girls include proficiency in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but how many truly excel in these? They probably couldn’t even claim superficial elegance.

The Emperor genuinely believed that someone like the second daughter of the Zhou family, capable of contributing in practical fields, deserved renewed respect.

Beside them, Han Yanhui was also a bit surprised, not expecting Zhou Bingyi to allow his daughter to publicly involve in such endeavors, and this daughter truly brought him honor, actually able to accomplish it.

Though he held a high position, he had some knowledge about construction. These construction diagrams fell under craftsmen’s responsibilities, yet executing them well was quite challenging. That a young lady could take on such a task demonstrated her extraordinary capability.

Zhou Biyao, being praised by the Emperor, was taken by surprise. Fortunately, she remembered the conduct of an official family at all times and promptly knelt to the ground: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s praise. This minister’s daughter just followed Sister Qi’s guidance in doing some things, hardly worthy of Your Majesty’s words.”

More importantly, the Emperor’s comment that her father had insight was rare praise from the Emperor, wasn’t it something she earned for her father? Zhou Biyao was so thrilled that her heart was nearly soaring.

The Emperor waved a hand, instructing Ye Xinyan to help Zhou Biyao up, saying, “You shouldn’t belittle yourself; construction diagrams are a crucial part of the construction industry. For a young lady like you to accomplish such a task is indeed remarkable. Keep doing well, and don’t be afraid of gossip.”

After saying this, the Emperor glanced at Ye Xinyan, who remained silent, pondered for a moment, then turned to Jinrong, saying, “Now that the autumn air is quite cool, your Qiuyun Mountain House seems nice; let’s rest there for a while.”

Without waiting for Jinrong to respond, the Emperor stood up directly and proceeded toward the small building by the water to the north.

Upon reaching the small building, the Emperor walked straight into the main hall, glancing casually at Zhang Cunhai as he stepped through the door.

Zhang Cunhai then stepped back half a pace, watching as Jinrong, Han Yanhui, and Ye Xinyan entered in sequence, then said to Zhou Biyao, “Second Miss Zhou, we have prepared tea and snacks in the side hall. Would the Second Miss care to rest in the side hall for a moment?”

Zhou Biyao quickly halted; surely the Emperor had something to discuss with Sister Qi, and it wasn’t appropriate for her to eavesdrop. The eunuch speaking clearly held a high status, as she had noticed earlier; even Lord Prime Minister Han showed him deference.

Such a person with such a status speaking to her so courteously, how could she not promptly respond?

“Uncle, you’re too kind, that would be best, sorry to trouble you.” Zhou Biyao, taken aback, responded using the casual terms she usually employed without realizing it.

Zhang Cunhai’s eyebrows slightly lifted; indeed, people are grouped with those of like qualities—Miss Ye was straightforward and unpretentious, and this girl following Miss Ye was also likable, suggesting that Lord Zhou was indeed good, showing excellent family upbringing.

……

Sitting in the main hall of the Qiuyun Mountain House, the Emperor no longer appeared as casual as before. Although darkness was not visible on his face, the pressure was immense.

This was still the midst of autumn, yet two braziers had already been placed inside by the eunuchs, alongside several small refreshment dishes being served like flowing water to the small tables beside the Emperor, Jinrong, and Han Yanhui.

Ye Xinyan stood pitifully to the side, waiting for the Emperor to speak. She had no idea what the Emperor wanted to say or ask her.