Song Nanlou was well aware of his elders’ attitudes, but he never expected his uncle to suddenly change his mind today.
Emperor Li had passed away several months ago, so the change in Attendant Song’s stance could not be attributed to him. It must have been because of the current emperor, Wen Yanran.
Not only did Attendant Song advise his nephew on the essentials of serving as an official, but he also earnestly cautioned him to maintain the right mindset. “There are countless talented individuals in this world. If Her Majesty ultimately does not select you, do not harbor resentment. Instead, focus on studying diligently at home. If you are summoned to court, serve your sovereign with utmost sincerity and avoid the frivolous demeanor you displayed in the past.”
Song Nanlou hesitated slightly. “Are you offering such advice because you fear the Imperial Guards might treat the Song family as they did the Dong family?”
Seeing his uncle’s enthusiastic attitude, he couldn’t help but wonder whether the Song family was merely paying lip service to the Emperor because she had previously demonstrated her military power.
Attendant Song, upon hearing his nephew’s completely mistaken speculation, instead showed a pensive expression. However, based on Song Nanlou’s understanding of his elder, it was clear that the man was not worried about how Yan Xiaolou might treat the Song family. Rather, he seemed hesitant, contemplating whether he should emulate the assertive style of the Imperial Guards’s Outer Guard Commander in disciplining the unruly younger members of the family.
Song Nanlou: “…”
He now had a clear understanding of his current situation.
But true to his reputation as a seasoned court official, Attendant Song demonstrated remarkable foresight. Not long after advising his nephew, an imperial edict summoning Song Nanlou to the palace was announced. Under normal circumstances, even if someone of noble birth in the palace wished to see a young scion from an influential family like Song Nanlou, they would have to notify him several days in advance to allow time for preparation. However, the eunuch delivering the edict smilingly explained that the Song family, being an esteemed lineage with longstanding ties to the royal family, need not treat this as a formal audience. Instead, it was simply an invitation from the Emperor for Young Master Song to join her for an informal meal in the palace.
The Song family naturally had someone escort the eunuch who delivered the edict to tea. Song Nanlou originally wanted to ask his uncle a few more questions about the Emperor, but he noticed Attendant Song approaching him with a stern expression, resuming his earlier unfinished admonishment:
“You’ve always spent your time in Jianping engaged in frivolous pursuits like cockfighting and dog racing, and I never intervened too deeply. But Her Majesty is now at an age where she should be ambitious and driven – you must not engage in any sycophantic behavior to curry favor with the sovereign!”
“…Understood.”
Song Nanlou bowed helplessly. Faced with an uncle who would unhesitatingly pin the blame on his own nephew even if the Emperor were the one indulging in idle pleasures, he was now beginning to genuinely believe that the new emperor truly possessed the qualities of a wise and capable ruler.
After learning that he was to enter the palace that evening, Song Nanlou quickly freshened up and, when the time came, followed the eunuch toward Taiqi Palace.
Although he was not an official serving at court, he had heard a few rumors. It was said that the current emperor, unlike the late emperor, was quiet and gentle in temperament and disliked extravagance. From her accession to the throne until now, she had never once visited Gui Palace or Yao Palace. Even when summoning officials to the palace, she often held banquets in Western Yong Palace.
The palace attendants carrying lambskin lanterns led the way, and indeed, their destination was Western Yong Palace. Song Nanlou was ushered into a side hall, where he beheld the Emperor, whose features hovered between those of a child and a young adult. Though she had not yet reached her full height, her bearing was composed and steady – she seemed even more like a crowned adult than the late emperor had.
Song Nanlou strictly observed the decorum of a subject, refraining from looking directly at the Emperor any more than necessary. He promptly paid his respects according to ritual. As for Wen Yanran on the throne, she naturally had no such reservations and openly studied the young man from the Song family.
Truth be told, she hadn’t originally intended to summon Song Nanlou so soon. However, after learning from Tianfu Palace that he had previously declined court appointments multiple times, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity. Since her transmigration, she had always trusted the spoilers from the comment section, and many of her decisions were based on those revelations, with results generally aligning with expectations. Yet, by all accounts, the rumored Song Nanlou seemed anything but “gentle and amiable.” Instead, he carried a certain youthful defiance and unruliness.
Wen Yanran couldn’t help but wonder: among those insightful comments, were there also judgments of questionable reliability mixed in?
After all, netizens in any era might enjoy a little mischief now and then.
She observed the young man before her – his handsome features, the standard white robes of an unappointed scholar, and his tall, straight posture resembling slender bamboo. Every movement of his salutation was fluid and natural, impeccable in its execution.
“You hail from the Jianzhou Song clan, so I presume you are well-versed in your family’s scholarly traditions. With numerous vacancies currently in the court, I wonder if you would be willing to assist me in resolving this predicament?”
Wen Yanran skipped further pleasantries and directly expressed her intention to recruit him into her service.
Song Nanlou bowed once again and replied respectfully, “I am deeply honored by Your Majesty’s regard. Though I am but a commoner, I am willing to offer my humble efforts.”
Wen Yanran raised an eyebrow slightly.
As she observed the young man before her, she felt that even under the most critical scrutiny, his demeanor left no room for dissatisfaction. There was no trace of defiance or unruliness about him; on the contrary, he appeared gentle and amiable – displaying the self-restraint expected of a scion from an influential family, yet without any hint of aloofness.
After a moment of reflection, Wen Yanran felt she somewhat understood why the evaluations didn’t match the actual person. People at different stages of their lives naturally exhibited different behaviors. Those who were contemporaries of Song Nanlou could only judge him based on his current actions, whereas the readers’ comments were derived from the entirety of the work’s portrayal, inevitably aligning more closely with Song Nanlou’s inherent nature.
It stood to reason that his repeated refusals of court appointments in the past were likely due to his accurate assessment of Emperor Li’s governing capabilities. He probably believed that serving such a ruler would make it difficult to utilize his talents effectively and might even bring harm to his family, hence his choice to prioritize self-preservation. As for Wen Yanran, although she also aimed to make being a tyrant her career goal, thus far, her actions had remained relatively restrained. Moreover, given her youth, if she could display such politeness even during her rebellious adolescent phase, wouldn’t it be only natural for her to become even more gentle and amiable as she matured?
Song Nanlou could feel the gaze from the throne and the intangible pressure permeating the air.
He had previously had an audience with Emperor Li, and comparing the two, it was evident that the current sovereign carried herself with even more imperial gravitas.
Wen Yanran, having summoned him under the pretext of their families’ longstanding ties, maintained a natural and relaxed demeanor. Without making him hold his ceremonial posture for long, she smiled and granted him a seat. She then engaged this obedient minister – who had been “spoiled” for her – in a conversation about local customs and societal trends.
As a scion of an influential family, Song Nanlou had his own methods of assessing people and situations. Having socialized extensively in Jianzhou and traveled often, his perspectives were naturally broad. In contrast, royal offspring, though residing at the very center of the Great Zhou, typically lived deep within the palace walls. Even if well-versed in classics and history, their worldly insights would normally be lacking.
But Wen Yanran was different. While her grasp of classics and history was average, her understanding of many matters beyond the palace seemed almost firsthand, and her observations were consistently astute.
Song Nanlou thought to himself, No wonder Uncle holds her in such high regard. Judging by the small details, the current emperor truly seems endowed with heaven-sent brilliance.
At that moment, Song Nanlou saw a palace attendant enter the hall and announce, “The Eleventh Princess is outside the hall.”
Wen Yanran nodded slightly. “Bring her in.”
Song Nanlou had initially been puzzled as to why the Emperor would have the Eleventh Princess present during his audience.
The answer soon became clear –
Wen Yanran smiled and said, “We have heard from our brother that the Song family is renowned for its mastery of both chess and painting. Our younger sister has always been eager to improve her skills, but unfortunately, We are not well-versed in the game of Go. Would you be willing to play a round with her?”
Even if his uncle had not repeatedly cautioned him beforehand, given the Emperor’s polite request, Song Nanlou could not possibly refuse – whether out of reason, the obligations of a subject, or even considering the sharpness of the Imperial Guard’s blades. He immediately agreed with utmost amiability and obediently took a seat opposite Wen Yuansheng, who was still of tender age.
Wen Yanran nodded inwardly, thinking that compared to the rumors circulating in Jianping City, the summaries from the comment section were indeed far more reliable.
The palace attendants set up the Go board for the two to play, while the Emperor watched leisurely from the side.
Before her transmigration, Wen Yanran had actually studied Go for a time, but her skills were rather unremarkable – she could barely grasp the outcome on the board. As for Song Nanlou, he truly lived up to his status as a scion of an influential family, with an exceptionally solid foundation in the four arts of music, Go, calligraphy, and painting. He did not go all out from the start but first engaged in a balanced exchange with the Eleventh Princess for a while before seizing the right moment to win the game.
Wen Yuansheng set down her black stone, hopped off the wooden couch, and first offered a half-bow to the Emperor before saying, “I lost.”
Wen Yanran smiled. “You are still young, and you played quite well.”
Considering her own Go skills, Wen Yanran’s words were entirely sincere.
The palace attendants cleared the Go pieces. As it was now time for the evening meal, Wen Yanran took her younger sister’s hand and led her to the dining table.
The Emperor had claimed to be inviting him as a family friend, and indeed, the entire visit consisted only of casual conversation, a game of Go, and a shared dinner. Song Nanlou had initially expected Wen Yanran to test his knowledge to some extent, but even as he left the palace, she had not brought up the matter.
Song Nanlou returned home in a somewhat dazed state, accompanied by rewards from the palace.
Along with two boxes of jade Go pieces, the smiling eunuch delivered to the Song residence an appointment document for the position of Cavalry Commandant in the Imperial Guard.
When Song Nanlou saw the appointment document, the tangled thoughts that had plagued him for so long suddenly cleared. His dedication to studying military strategy was known to very few even within his own family, so it was impossible for the Emperor to have learned of it beforehand. This could only mean that she had made her judgment during the brief time he was in the palace.
Song Nanlou let out a long sigh. “To understand a person merely by observing a single game of Go… All this time, I prided myself on my skill in the game, but now I realize that only someone like Her Majesty can truly be called a grandmaster of statecraft!”
As a scion of an influential family, he had been educated in strategies of governance and statecraft, and he naturally harbored aspirations to serve in court. However, he had long believed that none of the Wen clan were worthy of his loyalty, which had fueled his growing defiance and restlessness. Yet, after meeting Wen Yanran, the frustration and discontent that had festered within him began to dissolve.
After the Fourth Young Master of the Song family accepted the court’s appointment as Cavalry Commandant, Shi Zhuhe of the Shi clan also became his deputy commander.
The two were similar in age, shared common interests and aspirations, and had both grown up in Jianping, so they were naturally acquainted. Song Nanlou was among the few who recognized Shi Zhuhe’s true capabilities, and his admiration for the Emperor’s discernment grew even stronger.
Shi Zhuhe confirmed with his friend, “My appointment… it truly wasn’t on your recommendation, Brother?”
Song Nanlou nodded, then added in a low voice, “Her Majesty didn’t even test me that day. She only had me play a single game of Go with the Eleventh Princess.”
