For several consecutive days, Ye Mian reported to work at the Hanlin Academy like clockwork.

The coursework at the Shuchang Academy was not a bit lighter than that at the Guozixue. Aside from refining his mastery of the classical canons and histories, he also had to learn the composition of official court documents—handling various genres such as edicts, proclamations, memorials, judicial verdicts, and policy strategies. After several days straight of this, Ye Mian was driven dizzy, his eyes swimming with dizzy spirals.

The academy instructor stood at the front with an incredibly solemn expression. “When the Emperor rules the realm, his words are divine… To reverberate throughout the four frontiers, what is there but edicts and strategies?… You must strictly draft your presentations in accordance with historical precedents.”

All kinds of imperial proclamations spoke on behalf of the Emperor. In writing them, they not only had to adhere strictly to the stylistic formatting but also had to display an imperial grandeur from the very first stroke. The rhetoric had to be utterly magnificent, elegant, and densely packed; moreover, the entire piece had to be written in parallel prose, with historical allusions cited at every turn.

If Ye Mian had to put it bluntly, it was just deliberately refusing to speak like a human being.

After ten days on the job, the Hanlin Academy’s ten-day recess finally arrived.

Wei Angyuan had organized a gathering at the Weizhen Restaurant by the Jingjin River. The moment they left their offices, Ye Mian and Ruan Yunsheng rushed straight over.

The manager of the Weizhen Restaurant bowed and scraped as he led the two of them to an elegant private room on the second floor.

Before Ye Mian even stepped through the door, he heard his brothers inside gossiping about him.

Wen Xun asked, “Why aren’t Ye Mian and Yunsheng here yet?”

Li Zhao replied, “Yunsheng will definitely be here in a moment, but Brother Mian might not be. This brat is like a new official full of zeal; he treats his duties as if he’s pumped full of adrenaline. For all we know, he might be pestering some old Hanlin scholar right now to teach him how to write edicts~”

The others inside burst into laughter.

“Don’t even mention him,” Wei Angyuan added. “Our Tongzheng Office isn’t far from their Hanlin Academy. The afternoon before last, out of goodwill, I went to check on him and Yunsheng, thinking we could grab lunch together. He, on the other hand, stubbornly refused to come out, claiming he had already agreed to eat with several other Shujishi from his academy and told the two of us to suit ourselves!”

Li Zhao said sourly, “Oh? He’s made new acquaintances so quickly?”

Wei Angyuan said, “I took a stealthy peek into their dining hall, and there were quite a few newcomers—all brilliant young scholars who know their books. Ye the Fourth was wearing a wide grin as he socialized among them, looking just like a butterfly flitting through flowers!”

With a loud thud, Ye Mian kicked open the half-closed partition door of the private room.

“Who is it?” Wei Angyuan barked sharply from inside.

“Your butterfly!”

Ye Mian swaggered inside.

A few breaths later, Wei Angyuan registered the response. Grabbing a large white pear from his right-hand side, he hurled it straight at him, saying resentfully, “You loose-tongued brat! Next time you come to my house, let’s see if my mother thrashes you or not!”

The young noblemen burst into roars of laughter.

“Exactly whose tongue is loose here? Gossiping about me behind my back—this time I caught you red-handed!” Ye Mian lunged toward Wei Angyuan, pinning him down onto a Maitreya daybed and giving him a thorough wrestling.

Furious, Wei Angyuan shouted for Li Zhao and Wen Xun to help him. Outnumbered six hands to two, Ye Mian thrashed around while laughing, calling out for Ruan Yunsheng to rescue him.

Ruan Yunsheng had absolutely no intention of joining their antics. He had spent the entire day at the Hanlin Academy copying verified records of national history, so busy that he hadn’t even had time for pastries or tea. At this point, he was so starved that his eyes were seeing stars. The moment he entered the private room, he collapsed semi-paralyzed onto a couch, shiveringly grabbing two pieces of bean cake and stuffing them into his mouth, looking remarkably pathetic and miserable.

The group rowdily fooled around upon meeting, and the chaos only subsided once the dishes and wine were fully laid out.

Both Wei Angyuan’s and Ye Mian’s clothes had been crumpled like dried pickled vegetables. Since there were no outsiders at today’s gathering, they simply stripped off their outer robes and tossed them onto a low couch.

Li Zhao sat next to Ye Mian. Raising an eyebrow, he asked him, “So, how about it? Little Fourth Ye, now that a ten-day period has passed, do you still feel that entering the court to serve is better than going to school?”

Ye Mian remained stubborn. “Naturally, it’s absolutely wonderful!”

“Oh—” The group chorused in a wave of booing jeers.

Ruan Yunsheng also wore a mocking look. “For the first three days, this guy was the very first to arrive at the Shuchang Academy to report his attendance, and the instructor praised him endlessly. After that, he got later day by day. Recently, he’s started entering the courtyard right on the nick of time; by the next ten-day period, he’ll likely be late!”

Ye Mian perked up. “That absolutely won’t happen! Being late means a deduction from my salary!”

He had carefully studied the regulations of the Ministry of Personnel’s “Evaluation Laws.” When grassroots officials like them were late, their money was docked according to the exact hour, yet they didn’t get a single copper coin of overtime pay for working late! At the end of the month, getting a “diligent” written on your evaluation counted as your verbal commendation… What a monstrous feudal exploitation!

Ye Mian grumbled volubly, “My monthly stipend is a mere four taels of silver. I was planning to buy gifts for my parents, brother, and sister-in-law after getting paid. I’ve already picked out the items, and the money is so tight that there isn’t a single copper left over. If I’m late just once, my mother’s silver hairpin will have to turn into a wooden one!”

He also had to buy one for Zhuang Xu, and that guy was incredibly picky and terribly difficult to please.

Wen Xun looked utterly fascinated. “How can you send gifts with a monthly stipend? What can that tiny bit of silver buy? It’s not even enough for you to have a meal of tea and pastries.”

Ye Mian replied, “You guys don’t understand; this is called a sense of ritual.”

In his past life, his brother had used his very first monthly salary after starting work to buy gifts for the entire family. His parents had been exceptionally happy that day, and he himself had been green with envy while clutching his new gaming console.

Hearing this with fresh interest, the group clamored and raised a ruckus, demanding that Ye Mian buy gifts for them as well.

Ye Mian laughingly cursed and told them to get lost.

The group rowdily refused to drop it, ultimately forcing Ye Mian to promise them that he would use his second month’s stipend to buy them gifts.

Li Zhao was the most enthusiastic coordinator, shouting loudly, “Press thumbprints! Press thumbprints!”

Furious, Ye Mian cursed, “Can’t you guys even trust me over a mere four taels of silver?”

Wei Angyuan countered, “We really can’t trust you… If you ask me, you’ll probably only manage a perfect attendance record for the first month. It’s not like we haven’t been through this ourselves; we’ve eaten half a year’s more salt than you in this regard!”

After being relentlessly teased by them, Ye Mian finally admitted helplessly, “Going to work is indeed a bit dull, huh.”

“Is it just dull?” Li Zhao wailed with a sigh. “It’s practically a miserable life!”

At the mention of this topic, everyone grew highly animated and began airing their grievances one after another.

Wei Angyuan said furiously, “To make it in time for the rewards period, the Ministry of War delayed reporting the military merit register for half a month. When the higher-ups questioned it, they actually claimed that we were slow in copying and had caused a backlog of memorials! The Ministry of Rites kept changing the procedure for the suburban sacrifices over and over again; I transcribed it eight times for them, only for that wretched clerk to change it right back to the first draft! And then there’s that damned Imperial Astronomical Bureau—the moment the hour of Shen arrives for us to leave office, they come over to deliver memorials on celestial phenomena. Logically, they should be received tomorrow, but they insist that there’s a celestial anomaly and it must be expedited!”

Wei Angyuan slammed his wine cup heavily onto the table. “A celestial anomaly! Why doesn’t a bolt of nine-fold heavenly thunder strike those dogs dead!”

Wei Angyuan ranted endlessly. Without eating more than a couple of bites of food, he had already cursed out the entire Three Departments, Six Ministries, Nine Directorates, and Five Satrapies.

Ye Mian had never seen such a display before. He was left utterly stunned and hurriedly poured some fruit wine for him to soothe his throat.

The others, however, were entirely unfazed, nodding along like chicks pecking at grain; it was obvious they frequently gathered to vent like this.

Li Zhao was not to be outdone either. “If you ask me, those bastards from the Court of Judicial Review are the most…”

“Ahem!” Ye Mian let out a cough and glared furiously at Li Zhao.

Li Zhao quickly caught himself. “Those… those masterfully capable talents…”

The group clapped their hands and erupted into roars of laughter, doubling over with mirth.

Li Zhao looked at Ye Mian gloomily. “No, really, can’t you go home and persuade Brother Jing? Ever since he was promoted to Chief of the Court of Judicial Review, those living-yamas at the Court have acted as if they’ve taken Five Minerals Powder—working from dawn till dusk and dragging out prisoners in the middle of the night! When those prison carts pass through the inner city gates, twelve documents have to be verified. In the dead of night, our eyes are nearly going blind from checking them!”

Ye Mian couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing this.

Li Zhao grumbled in dissatisfaction, “They want to display their diligence in front of Brother Jing, so why are they taking it out on us Guards of the Palace Gates? A few of my brothers on duty with me even drew a ‘Picture of a Hundred Ghosts Fetching Prisoners at Night.’ We’re just waiting for the New Year to paste it right onto the doors of their Court of Judicial Review!”

Ye Mian placed a piece of rosy goose breast into his bowl with a pair of chopsticks, asking caringly, “The results for the literary exam of the military triennial civil exam should be posted soon, right?”

Li Zhao chewed on the goose breast. “They’ll be posted the day after tomorrow.”

Ye Mian nodded, not worrying overmuch about it.

Most sons of military commanders attended the Military Academy. The Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry took a long-term view and sent Li Zhao to the Guozixue to study. It was only that Li Zhao himself acted recklessly; over the past two years, he had associated with quite a few wealthy, profligate dandies who flattered him, idling away his days with them. Otherwise, he might well have clinched a spot in the top tier of the civil exams.

It had been a long time since the brothers had gathered together so completely. Ye Mian in particular had been preparing for the exams, so the others hadn’t dared to disturb him. Now that he was finally free, they locked him by the neck and forced him to drink several rounds.

At the start of the hour of Xu, everyone was making a merry racket.

Wen Xun’s face carried a drunken flush, his outer robe half-off and hanging loosely on his body, and he was missing one shoe. He was stepping with one foot on the couch, gesturing wildly at the sky while cursing his direct supervisor, when a dull toll of a bell suddenly drifted in from outside.

Dong— Dong— Dong—

Wen Xun let out a wine burp and cursed, “What are those old monks at Ciyun Temple doing tolling the bell in the middle of the night?”

“Exactly, did they eat too much vegetarian food or what?”

Yet the tolling of the bell did not stop amidst their joking… Instead, each strike grew louder than the last, solemn, heavy, and urgent—utterly unlike the peaceful harmony of the temple’s usual Buddhist chimes.

The smiles gradually froze on everyone’s faces.

The bell tolled exactly forty-nine times.

“A national mourning!”

“Something has happened in the palace!”

Wen Xun was so startled that he nearly fell off the low couch, the flush on his face turning into a deathly pale at some unknown point.

Everyone scrambled to their feet, tumbling and crawling to find their clothes and shoes, their minds instantly turning entirely lucid without even needing a sobering soup.

“Return to our manors immediately!”

While trembling as he tied his robe belt, Wei Angyuan barked a strict instruction to them, “Once you return to your manors tonight, none of you are allowed to go back out to pry for news! If there is any word from my father, I will dispatch a reliable person to inform your estates.”

The group hurriedly gave their assent, but Li Zhao shook his head with a solemn look. “I’m afraid I have to return to the Guards of the Palace Gates.”

Ye Mian also wore a shocked and grave expression. He threw on his clothes in a few swift motions; without any time to fasten his pouches and ornaments, he scooped them up in a chaotic bundle and shoved them into his bosom.

As they flew down the stairs, the restaurant main hall, which should have been alive with clinking glasses and lively chatter, was now an absolute mess of discarded dishes and broken platters. The manager, who had been full of flattery just moments ago, had no time to exchange courtesies with them now; he was trembling as he directed several waiters to remove the row of red lanterns hanging beneath the main signboard.

The main street was in an even greater state of utter chaos. Officers from the Warden’s Office rode on galloping horses, beating gongs in a dense rhythm while roaring, “Curfew tonight! Return home immediately! Violators will be executed!”

The commoners wrapped their cloaks over their heads as they fled toward their homes. A young child who had been brought out to eat wontons was terrified, shrinking into his father’s arms while wailing loudly. The shop owners along both sides of the street were also frantically dismantling their colorful commercial banners with panicked expressions.

Ye Mian and the others didn’t even have time to say a proper farewell to one another. Stumbling into their respective carriages, they commanded their drivers to whip the horses to a full gallop.

When Feng Jin saw Ye Mian emerge, he was on the verge of tears. Ye Mian pinched his cheek to comfort him. “Don’t be afraid, we’re going home.”

Ye Mian ducked into the carriage. Before they had even covered half the distance, the entirety of the brilliant, radiant, and bustling imperial city plunged completely into pitch darkness. Only an occasional white lantern that had just been hung out swayed in the wind, casting a faint, pale-green, cold light that felt desolate and eerie.

Ye Mian had always harbored a dread of ghostly and supernatural things. Dropping the lifted carriage curtain, he swallowed hard in nervousness.

Just as his skin was crawling with goosebumps, the carriage came to a sudden, violent halt.

Feng Jin also shouted inside toward him, “Fourth Young Master!”

Ye Mian jolted in terror!

He hurriedly threw back the curtain.

Several guards from the manor of the Princess Royal leaped down from their horses and cupped their hands toward Ye Mian. “Fourth Young Master, the Prince Consort must remain in the palace tonight, and he has commanded us to come quickly to receive you. The Prince Consort said it matters not whether you return to the Ye Manor or the Princess Manor, but if you return to the Ye Manor, the four of us must accompany you.”

Ye Mian thanked them with a solemn expression. “I am returning to the Ye Manor.” He then asked them in a hushed whisper, “Exactly what has happened?”

The guard had likely received instructions from Prince Consort Rongnan, and seeing Ye Mian pose the question, he did not hold back.

He simply took a step forward and lowered his voice, saying, “The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace has passed away.”