This day, as evening approached, Yi Yanguan returned to the capital, having traveled for three days.
After bathing, Yi Yanguan went to his study and began to handle the official duties that had piled up during his absence.
"Master."
Wen Feng, holding a sachet, carefully placed it on the desk in front of Yi Yanguan.
The sachet had fallen from the clothes his master had just changed out of after bathing. Wen Feng knew, with the certainty of his toenails, that it was undoubtedly related to Miss Xie, as his master had been carrying it with him constantly.
Yi Yanguan put down his brush, picked up the sachet, and a slight smile touched his lips.
Wen Feng lowered his head and retreated to wait outside the door.
Yi Yanguan took out the contents of the sachet. It was the fish woven from wild grass by Xie Jiang that day.
He rubbed the grass-woven fish with his thumb, and as if remembering something, the gentle smile on his lips gradually disappeared.
He held the grass-woven fish in his palm, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the back of his chair.
After a while, he stood up and walked to the bookshelf, retrieving a box from a hidden compartment.
He opened the exquisite and delicate red lacquer box to find a grass-woven bird inside.
It was identical to the bird Xie Jiang had personally woven and Yi Yanguan had rejected that day.
However, the bird in the box had been placed there for a long time, and it had dried out, its color even changed.
Yi Yanguan picked up the bird, placed it in his palm, and after looking at it for a while, put it back.
Then he also placed the fish inside, arranging it side by side with the bird.
Last time, he had chosen the bird, and the outcome had not been good; this time, he had chosen the fish, hoping for a different ending.
Just as Yi Yanguan was putting the box back into the hidden compartment, he heard Wen Feng reporting from outside.
"Master, Prime Minister Xun is here."
"Please invite Prime Minister Xun in quickly." Prime Minister Xun had come to see him as soon as he returned to the capital, so it must be something urgent.
Yi Yanguan gave the order, then hurried out of the study, preparing to go out to greet him.
The Right Prime Minister, Xun Geng, had arrived in a hurry. Before Yi Yanguan had even left the courtyard, he saw Xun Geng's slender figure.
"Prime Minister Xun."
Yi Yanguan stepped forward and bowed.
"The Heir Apparent has finally returned to the capital."
Xun Geng scrutinized Yi Yanguan from head to toe. Seeing that he appeared to be perfectly fine and showed no unusual signs, apart from a slightly thinner face and no lingering illness, Xun Geng nodded, his heart finally at ease.
As Yi Yanguan invited Prime Minister Xun towards the study, he asked, "Prime Minister Xun, is there something urgent that brings you here?"
Xun Geng waved his hand at him, "It's nothing critical. I merely heard that you suddenly vomited blood and then hastily departed the capital to seek a poison doctor, and you have been absent for so long. I was worried your condition might have worsened."
As he spoke, he looked Yi Yanguan over again. "Now, it appears that this poison doctor indeed possesses miraculous healing abilities."
Yi Yanguan lagged half a step behind, inviting Xun Geng to enter first. "Thank you for your concern, Prime Minister Xun. My health is temporarily stable."
After Xun Geng was seated, he frowned and asked, "Does the poison doctor have no method for a complete cure?"
However, it was not entirely unexpected, as even Master Xu's medical skills had not been able to perform miracles. No matter how renowned the poison doctor, they would not possess true divine arts.
Yi Yanguan said calmly, "I have been taking the poison doctor's medicine recently, and I have improved considerably. We shall proceed with the treatment slowly."
Yi Yanguan did not tell Prime Minister Xun the truth. Not everyone liked to hear the truth.
While Prime Minister Xun's concern about his condition worsening was genuine, he likely did not wish for him to fully recover.
Therefore, Yi Yanguan chose to say what Prime Minister Xun most wanted to hear.
He would not die anytime soon, nor would he be cured easily.
This was the state the Emperor found most satisfactory, and it was also a situation that Prime Minister Xun and a group of elder officials could grudgingly accept.
Yi Yanguan spoke with great nonchalance, as if he had grown accustomed to his illness and had even lost the desire to strive for a cure.
"It's good that your condition hasn't worsened. Stabilize it first, then treat it slowly. You are still so young; you will surely find a way."
Xun Geng spoke words of comfort, but in his heart, he was truly relieved.
Wen Feng brought in some tea and refreshments before retreating to wait outside the door.
Xun Geng began to discuss some recent court affairs with Yi Yanguan.
Xun Geng greatly admired Yi Yanguan's abilities and had often thought how fortunate it would be if Yi Yanguan were the Emperor's biological son.
In his lifetime, he would surely witness the Great Yu Dynasty usher in unprecedented prosperity.
Alas...
The sun had completely set, and lamps were lit in the study.
Wen Feng entered for the third time to refill the tea.
After taking a few sips of tea to moisten his throat, Xun Geng suddenly brought up the matter of the Emperor repeatedly mentioning his intention to establish a Regent in recent months.
"The Emperor already has five adult princes, and he could establish a Crown Prince and entrust the state affairs to him." Yi Yanguan's attitude remained consistent with his past stance; he believed the Great Yu Dynasty did not need a Regent.
Xun Geng's expression darkened, and he shook his head. "The Emperor has no intention of establishing a Crown Prince."
At least, the Emperor had no plans to appoint a Crown Prince for the next few years. The memorials submitted by the court officials requesting the establishment of a Crown Prince were all thrown into the stove by the cartload to be burned as firewood.
The adult princes had all been so thoroughly reprimanded by the Emperor that they wished they could walk with their tails between their legs.
Was the Emperor's intention not clear enough? He did not wish to meticulously manage state affairs, but he also did not want to truly relinquish imperial power.
The Emperor was determined to pursue the path of longevity, and no amount of life-risking remonstrance could turn him back. Many court officials could barely remember what the Emperor looked like!
As the superior goes, so the inferiors follow. The court and the country were in a state of utter disarray!
The prosperity of earlier years had long since vanished, and many regions were even beginning to teeter on the brink of collapse.
It was fortunate, in retrospect, that Prince Yu had put forth Heir Apparent Yi. Although no one had initially expected Heir Apparent Yi to turn the tide.
Yet, no one had anticipated that Heir Apparent Yi would truly clean up the mess bit by bit and gradually reverse the almost collapsing situation.
In the past two years, the Emperor had increasingly relied on Heir Apparent Yi, entrusting almost all state affairs, big and small, to him.
He had even proposed several times to enfeign Heir Apparent Yi as Regent.
If not for the fact that such matters were not easily forced, the Emperor would have likely issued a direct decree long ago.
Xun Geng had long since lost hope in the Emperor and no longer expected him to change his mind.
The Left Prime Minister, Gong Yiming, had been so heartbroken by the Emperor that he had shut himself in his residence and refused to come out.
Since the Emperor was willing to hand over state affairs to Yi Yanguan, and Yi Yanguan possessed sufficient talent and strategy to bear such a great responsibility, why not take a step back and let Yi Yanguan be Regent?
Someone had to manage state affairs.
The Emperor himself neglected court affairs and refused to appoint a Crown Prince; this was the best solution.
"We have repeatedly petitioned the Emperor to establish a Crown Prince, but the Emperor's mind is made up; who can change it?"
Xun Geng tried to persuade Yi Yanguan, appealing to his sense of duty, to accept this heavy responsibility.
In the end, Yi Yanguan could no longer refuse and merely said that the matter was of great importance and he would need to consider it further.
Since Yi Yanguan had shown some willingness, Xun Geng did not press the issue further.
Thus, the matter was temporarily set aside.
Xun Geng, having spoken for a long time and his throat dry, picked up the freshly refilled tea. "Heir Apparent Yi and that poison doctor, Young Master Xie, seem to have a rather good personal relationship?"