The Chamberlain’s Office, which had been reorganized, had all its members personally appointed by the Emperor, except for the Chancellor, who was recommended by Yang Yi, his choice being Xie Zhang.

The Emperor and Empress were naturally pleased with this selection.

Xie Zhang came from a distinguished family, nothing could be said against his background or character. In terms of ability, he had been an official in the capital for many years, and his resume was already very impressive.

However, the Empress still felt a bit curious, "Are you familiar with Mr. Xie? There are many capable ministers at court, why did you choose him specifically?"

Yang Yi, thinking of something, smiled with a hint of an enigmatic expression at the corners of his lips, "Mr. Xie, apart from being very talented and knowledgeable, is actually quite interesting."

The Empress was even more puzzled, "He has always been loyal and upright, not given to jokes, what’s interesting about that?"

Yang Yi did not elaborate further. Yet, his expression became even more playful and could even be described as a little cunning and mischievous.

At the end of the month, Xie Zhang assumed his new role, but the position of Chancellor was often held concurrently with other officials, so he could spend at most only half of his time in the Eastern Palace dealing with state affairs.

This half-time was sufficient to cultivate a rapport between him and Yang Yi as sovereign and minister. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

One day, Fu Zhen was having tea with the Empress in the imperial garden, when from afar, they saw the peonies blooming, as the two of them strolled slowly towards this side.

No one knew what they were discussing, but they appeared quite at ease.

Fu Zhen had not yet risen to greet them when Yang Yi’s voice reached them, "When do you plan to propose to my Aunt Ning? My Aunt Ning is of rare beauty and noble character, it would be hard to find another such woman in the world."

Xie Zhang let out a sigh, "What can I do? I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m always told there’s no rush."

Fu Zhen parted the peony leaves to see them both stopped under the plum tree, Xie Zhang’s brows furrowed with worry.

Yang Yi looked at him, "You must not be sincere enough.

"If you’re not resolute, I’ll have to find a matchmaker for her. She’s so young, with a long life ahead, how can she remain alone?

"I’ve heard the Assistant Minister of Personnel has also been widowed for many years, and he is said to have a good character, always standing up for the common people. I wonder if my aunt would be interested."

"Your Highness!"

Xie Zhang clasped his hands together, looking at him speechlessly.

Yang Yi laughed.

Fu Zhen thought he never used to smile, but now his smiles were becoming more frequent, as warm as the Empress’s own smiles.

Whatever they said next, Fu Zhen could no longer hear. They had already crossed the garden, heading towards a small Imperial Study set within it.

The Empress chuckled and sighed, "That boy, he’s worried about others while he hasn’t sorted out his own matters yet."

The words reminded Fu Zhen of something she had almost forgotten, and she quickly said, "I’ll ask His Highness about his thoughts on marriage soon. I guarantee the task will be completed promptly!"

The Empress smiled at her words, then asked, "Speaking of which, how has your mother been recently? I haven’t seen her for some time. Last time she brought me crystal pork hocks and four kinds of pastries, all very much to my taste, and I’ve been missing her."

Fu Zhen smiled and said, "Mother asked about the Empress last night, saying that when the chefs have finished creating new dishes in the coming days, she will send them to the palace to honor the Empress immediately."

Mrs. Ning had visited the palace during the Empress’s birthday banquet, discussing many topics with the Empress, and had subsequently visited the palace several times with Mrs. Pei, becoming very acquainted.

The Empress also enjoyed the dishes from Wanbin Building, and Mrs. Ning often sent dishes into the palace for her.

Fu Zhen had been aware of the ambiguity between Mrs. Ning and Xie Zhang early on, and she also believed Xie Zhang would be a good match for Mrs. Ning, but she would not influence Mrs. Ning’s decisions, so she never actively inquired about her choices.

The previous words of Yang Yi were clearly meant as a challenge, but if Xie Zhang had truly decided, he would certainly consider carefully and propose to Mrs. Ning again.

Mrs. Ning was not one to be coy; if she didn’t agree before, perhaps the time wasn’t right. Mentioning it now, she might not disagree.

In the past, when she was with Fu Yun, she had endured much hardship for her children, and now it should be their turn to support her.

Ning Jia successfully entered Imperial College and was preparing to participate in the autumn Imperial Examination next year.

Scholar Shen thought that his cohort had a good chance of passing, and if his prediction was correct, then at fourteen, he would become the youngest successful candidate in recent batches.

Though there was still a long way from passing the Imperial Examination to becoming an Imperial Scholar, it still proved his abilities, allowing him to hold his own among the capital’s youth, alongside the rewards granted to Ning Pochi by the court.