ebookland Chapter 1429 Acknowledging Mistakes
Chapter 1429 Acknowledging Mistakes
These words were firm and unyielding, leaving no room for argument. Sweat instantly beaded on Vice Minister Zhou's forehead, and he bowed repeatedly, apologizing, "Yes, yes, yes, I know I was wrong. I will take the person away immediately and will never dare to do it again."
He dared not linger any longer and hurriedly gestured for the two women to get up. He then led his men out of the side room in a panic, forgetting even to take the teacups and snacks from the table.
When he stepped out of the side room, his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He thought to himself that Marquis Zhanyi was indeed as good as his reputation, impervious to both soft and hard approaches. He would never dare to try anything like that again.
The side room returned to silence. Zhan Yan looked at the two still steaming teacups on the table, the coldness in his eyes still lingering. He raised his hand and swept the teacups to the ground. The celadon teacups shattered into pieces, and tea spilled all over the floor, making the room even colder.
Yinghun entered upon hearing the noise. Seeing the scene, he dared not ask any questions and silently stepped forward to tidy up the fragments. Zhan Yan picked up the vermilion pen again, his gaze returning to the scroll, but his fingertips were heavier than before, clearly indicating that what had just happened had made him extremely displeased.
It wasn't that he was indifferent to women; it was just that his heart belonged only to Lin Yiwan. The backyard of the mansion was quiet, and since his marriage to Lin Yiwan, he had never taken a concubine or even a maidservant. All the servants in the mansion knew the Marquis's feelings for his wife, and no one dared to overstep the bounds.
These people dare to force women into his life, which is not only disrespectful to him but also an offense to Lin Yiwan, something Zhan Yan absolutely cannot tolerate.
I thought that after Zhou Shilang was turned away, others would take it as a warning, but I didn't expect that even after this incident, there were still people who were not giving up, only they were using more covert methods.
The next day, an imperial censor surnamed Wang sent someone to deliver a box of antiques.
When Yinghun opened the box, he found nothing but a brocade cover. Beneath it lay a woman in a thin veil, her eyes sparkling with desire. Upon seeing the box open, she began to seduce him. Startled, Yinghun quickly closed the box and immediately reported to Zhan Yan.
Upon learning this, Zhan Yan was furious.
He ordered the box of antiques, along with the woman, to be sent back to the residence of Imperial Censor Wang. He also added a note: "As an official responsible for remonstrating with the emperor, Imperial Censor Wang should be careful with his words and actions and maintain his integrity. If he dares to engage in such despicable behavior again, I will report this matter to His Majesty and ask him to make a decision."
When the Imperial Censor Wang received the gifts and the message, he was terrified, fearing that Zhan Yan would really report the matter to the Emperor, and he would not only lose his official position but also suffer a complete loss of reputation.
He hurriedly went to the Ministry of Personnel to apologize, but Zhan Yan refused to see him and only sent a servant to say, "Take care of yourself."
After two consecutive setbacks, everyone in the court saw it and understood that Marquis Zhanyi was deeply in love with his wife and was definitely not someone who coveted beauty.
After that, no one dared to force women into his life, nor did anyone dare to use underhanded means to seek official positions. Everyone honestly participated in the selection process according to the rules, and dared not make any mistakes.
However, these repeated disturbances made Zhan Yan's schedule even busier. He simply had a bedroom prepared in a side room of the Ministry of Personnel, so he ate and slept at the Ministry, saving time to return to his residence and focusing all his attention on selecting officials and investigating corruption cases.
During the day, he personally presided over the assessments, talked with newly promoted officials, and learned about the local conditions and governance.
At night, he would study by lamplight, review memorials, and investigate the corrupt accounts left behind by Liu's disciples, often working through the night.
Seeing how hard he was working, Yinghun felt sorry for him and repeatedly urged him to rest for a while. However, he just waved his hand and said, "The court has just experienced turmoil, and the governance of officials in various places is lax. If we do not select virtuous and capable people as soon as possible to stabilize the court, the people will suffer. This little bit of hard work is nothing."
In his eyes, it was a responsibility to the court, a duty to the people, and a commitment to fulfilling the emperor's trust.
His diligence and meticulousness deeply moved the officials in the Ministry of Personnel. They all changed their previous laziness and devoted themselves to assisting him in handling various affairs, which greatly accelerated the process of selecting officials.
No matter how busy he was, Zhan Yan never forgot Lin Yiwan. Every day, no matter how late it was, he would have his guards send a letter back to the manor. The letter contained nothing important, just a few words to let her know that he was doing well and that she didn't need to worry. He also told her to take good care of herself and the people in the manor and to be careful.
Lin Yiwan received his letters every day, feeling both warm and pained. She was warmed because he remembered her even when he was busy, and pained because he was working so hard that he probably didn't even have time to get a good night's rest.
She then instructed the cooks in the manor to prepare some of Zhan Yan's favorite dishes every day, and had Ling'er deliver them to the Ministry of Personnel. She also personally sewed him a knee pad, thinking that his knees might get cold from sitting and reviewing memorials all day, so she had Ling'er send it over as well.
When Zhan Yan received the meals and knee braces sent by Lin Yiwan, his fingertips brushed over the finely stitched knee braces, and the coldness in his eyes softened instantly. The fatigue of the past few days seemed to dissipate in that moment.
He picked up his chopsticks, tasted the familiar flavor, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. This smile, light yet gentle, stirred the hearts of all the servants. Only Lady Zhanyi could make the Marquis show such a gentle expression.
He carefully put on the knee brace, and the warmth spread from his knees to his whole body and into his heart.
He looked down at the letter Lin Yiwan had written, which contained only the sentence, "Take care of yourself, I'm waiting for you to come home." These eight simple words filled his heart with warmth, and all his hard work and exhaustion found their home at that moment.
He picked up his pen and wrote back to Lin Yiwan, his handwriting much softer than usual. He wrote: "The food is excellent, the knee braces are warm, everything is fine, don't worry. Once the court situation stabilizes, I will return home to be with you."
His few words conveyed his deepest tenderness and concern.
In the imperial court, thanks to Zhan Yan's decisive and meticulous approach, the selection of officials proceeded very smoothly. A group of virtuous and capable individuals emerged to fill the vacancies left by the downfall of the Liu family. These newly appointed officials were all of upright character and quite talented. As a result, the atmosphere in the imperial court was renewed, and the old practices of forming cliques and engaging in corruption and malpractice were greatly reduced.
Upon learning this, the emperor was overjoyed and repeatedly praised Zhan Yan for living up to expectations and possessing the talent to govern the country. He relied on him even more and entrusted him with more political affairs, thus making Zhan Yan's responsibilities even heavier.
Even when he was very busy, Zhan Yan always adhered to his bottom line, never showing favoritism, never breaking the law, and never getting close to beautiful women. His heart was only for the court and Lin Yiwan.
He knew that only by stabilizing the court and rectifying officialdom as soon as possible could the world be at peace and Lin Yiwan could live peacefully and undisturbed in the Marquis's mansion. This was his greatest wish at the moment.