Pei Tan spent the whole night entering the palace and waited outside the Zichen Hall for more than half a day before Zhongzong saw him.

  Zhong Zong's expression was far from being harmonious and pleasant, it seemed that earlier for half an hour he intentionally made Pei Tan suffer in the sweltering night wind.

  "Every time you come to see me, nothing good ever happens."

  Pei Tan knelt in the Zichen Hall, facing the emperor with a composed expression, his thick official robes wrapped around him, but his pale face showed no signs of sweat.

  "I didn't mean to disturb Your Majesty's rest."

  Zhong Zong said: "What's the matter, speak quickly and skip the pleasantries."

  Bai Tan did not expect that Zhong Zong would not mention the imperial marriage at all. He raised his head, and his eyes happened to meet with Zhong Zong's.

  "I wonder, Your Majesty... why you suddenly want to grant me a marriage?" It took Pei Tan a long time to finally ask this question.

  Zhong Zong's expression was calm and collected as he looked at him, "You came to the palace late at night using the special token I gave you, just to ask this?"

  "Minister Pei lowered his eyes and said, 'I don't understand.'"

  Zhong Zong walked a few steps back, looked at Pei Tan after a moment: "The daughter of the Guanglu Temple is still young and beautiful, and she's just right for you. Besides, among the young men in Chang'an, who is still single and unmarried at your age?"

  Getting married is a joyful event for most men, who would have thought that Pei Tan would specially come to the palace to ask about it.

  After a while, Pei Tan spoke up: "I haven't made any preparations for getting married."

  Zhong Zong's eyes were sharp: "What are you doing in the palace?"

  "Your Majesty, I request that you withdraw your edict."

  Inside the Zichen Hall, there was a sudden silence. Emperor Zhong smiled coldly: "All of you officials and generals, do you know that only you dare to speak to me like this?"

  The imperial edict, written in gold and jade words, how dare you ask for it to be withdrawn?

  "Your Majesty understands," Pei Tan said in a deep and measured tone, "I have something even more important."

  Zhong Zong's expression turned cold, and he looked at Pei Tan like this before saying: "Getting married won't delay the things you want to do. Moreover, this marriage was brought up by the Empress Dowager, I won't go against her wishes."

  Pei Tan's eyes widened in surprise, "Empress?" It was clear that this was something he had never expected.

  Emperor Zhongzong said, "Recently, the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan Office came to the palace. The Empress saw that he was already old and had only one beloved daughter left in his family, so she felt a pang of sympathy. For a girl's family, the most important thing is her marriage, and I think the Empress is right."

  "Your Majesty, I am at a loss and can only say: 'I just don't understand why it had to be me.'"

  Emperor Zhong's eyes had a hint of sarcasm, looking at Pei Tan he slowly said: "The Empress Dowager favors you for being warm and refined, and you are also my trusted assistant. Moreover, you have repeatedly solved major cases with exceptional abilities, making you one of the top 'good gentlemen'."

  These flattering words are truly unrefutable, especially those that praise Pei Tan's ability to solve cases. It's likely that the people of Chang'an City have the most doubts about Pei Tan's detective skills.

  Every case he cracked, either someone died or was implicated, involving a large group of powerful officials in the imperial court. The Empress said that Pei Tan's abilities were exceptional, and only then did she grant him the hand of the daughter of the Minister of the Imperial Clan Office in marriage. This kind of talk made it impossible for people to believe from the bottom of their hearts.

  "Pei Tan," Zhong Zong suddenly said, with a mysterious expression, "the daughter of the Duke of Guanglu Temple is also my niece, you know that?"

  Pei Tan slowly lowered his eyes, as the son of Crown Prince Zhang Huai and Li Shouli, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Office, he was also the nephew of Emperor Zhongzong. It was precisely because Emperor Zhongzong had successfully ascended to the throne in the midst of turmoil that Li Shouli was able to end his miserable experience and be promoted to the third rank as the Minister of the Imperial Clan Office.

  "I know."

  Zhong Zong said slowly, "It's good that you know. This marriage won't bring you any loss. Nunu is a gentle and kind girl, I've met her before, she'll make a good wife."

  It can be said that at this point, it has basically been decided and Pei Tan also knew in her heart that the marriage had already been settled and could not be changed again.

  It was already deep into the night, and Zhong Zong was also exhausted. Having survived for decades in the bloody rain of power struggles in the Tang Dynasty, he had become an old man on the decline, at least in his heart, he was already very old.

  Pei Tan slowly bowed his head and knocked on the ground in front of Zhong Zhen, then backed out of the Zi Chen Hall.

  ——

  Wei Zifu's influence on Emperor Zhongzong was very profound, and the matter of granting marriage was just a glimpse of it.

  On the way back to the Da Li Temple, Pei Tan remained silent, each person having a past they were unwilling to mention, the outwardly radiant Tang Emperor

  The room has long been unbearable.

  Pei Tan pushed open the gate of the Dali Temple and walked back to his own courtyard. In the study, a solitary lamp was lit, which surprised Pei Tan.

  The girl was dozing off at her desk when she heard the sound and woke up with a start.

  "Master, you're back?" Jing Wanyu rubbed her eyes and saw that it was indeed Pei Tan.

  Pei Tan looked at Jing Wanyu, behind her desk there was a teapot, with white smoke rising gently.

  "Pei Tan's eyes were dim: 'Why haven't you slept yet?'"

  It's deep in the night and everyone is quiet, even the guards have gone to dreamland.

  Jing Wan'er smiled: "I'm waiting for the master to return."

  Pei Tan walked into the study, Jing Yu'er looked at him and slowly stood to one side. She seemed very clear about her position and never overstepped her bounds.

  Pei Tan slowly stood still in front of the desk, "Why wait for me?" His gaze turned to Jing Wanyan.

  It's almost dawn after another hour, Pei Tan spent more than three hours before and after entering the palace. If Jing Wanyan had been waiting here all along, how long would she have waited?

  The tea on the table was still hot.

  Jing Wan'er couldn't help but purse her lips and smile slightly: "Your Excellency rushed into the palace at night, there must be something urgent. Your Excellency has been a bit restless all day today."

  Jing Wan'er had seen Pei Tan before, and the hands that held the sword in the face of life and death were very steady. She really didn't understand what Pei Tan was going through now, and this mood made her even more worried after Pei Tan entered the palace. So she couldn't help but wait in this study until now.

  Pei Tan looked at the girl's delicate face for a while, and then forced himself to shift his gaze away.

  Jing Wan'er reacted and immediately went forward to pick up the teapot, first pouring a cup of clear tea for Pei Tan.

  When a minister or son enters the palace for an audience, it is usually three bows and nine knocks, listening to the monarch's words with trepidation. Therefore, even a mouthful of water is not to be thought of as something to drink.

  Pei Tan walked for several hours, and as a mortal, he must be thirsty and hungry, his spirit exhausted. So Jing Yuanyu brewed tea here to wait for him.

  Pei Tan took a sip and tasted the rice, at the bottom of this cup was black rice, floating with red dates, Jing Yuanyu directly boiled clear congee with tea water.

  Pei Tan put down his teacup: "You don't have to do these things."

  He had never regarded Jing Wan as a maid of her caliber, and she did these things, he was instead unaccustomed to it.

  "Your Excellency is my benefactor, and it's because of you that I'm standing here today instead of being taken away by the palace. Everyone in this temple has their own duties, and I just want to do what I can."

  What can be done is that in this deep night, for Pei Tan who has been busy all day, prepare a belly-warming tea porridge.

  In Pei Tan's eyes, there was a faintly gloomy color, he indeed had a heavy heart, to the point where his thin face also furrowed his brow.

  This xuanmi tea clears heat and relieves summer heat, and can also fill the stomach. Seeing Pei Tan has already lowered his head to drink tea mouthful by mouthful, eating without speaking, sleeping without talking, Pei's upbringing is naturally very good.

  Jing Wan'er took the initiative to walk over and help Pei Tan clean up the table.

  The charcoal fire had been extinguished, and she had already heated the porridge many times that night, and the charcoal had all turned to ash.

  "You go rest." Pei Tan looked at the girl.

  Jing Wan'er smiled faintly and said after a moment, "Sir has worries, Wan'er can't help sir dispel them, but Wan'er can keep sir company."

  No one knows better than Jing Wanyi that the darkness can bring a sense of loneliness, it is a moment when even the most determined person will waver.

  Although the brown rice tea has been drunk, the problem or trouble in Pei Tan's heart has not been solved.

  After a long conversation, Pei finally spoke up again: "Do you know about Crown Prince Zhang Huai's affair back then?"

  Jing Wan'er's eyes moved: "Wan'er knows."

  It should be said that throughout the Tang Dynasty, no one would not know about this only crown prince who died a miserable death.

  Driven to the brink of despair by one's own biological mother.

  Jing Wan's heart felt a chill, and just thinking of this prince's name already gave people a sense of desolation.

  What's more important is that Crown Prince Zhang Huai and Pei Tan in front of him have a complex relationship.

  Jing Wan'er bit her lower lip involuntarily.

  "Aren't you afraid of me?" Pei Tan suddenly asked this sentence, as if it was a matter of course.

  But in fact, it may not be the case. For the "plague god" metaphor that has been passed down for generations, being afraid of Pei Tan seems to be a matter of course.

  Ke Jing Wan'er first saw Pei Tan by the Taiye Pool, where he was boating. His eyebrows and eyes were warm and jade-like. At that time, if he had only said one word, she would have been taken away by the Qian Niu Guard patrolling the palace and died inside the palace.

  Jing Yuanyu took a deep breath and smiled at Pei Tan under the lamp: "Yuanyu only has admiration for you, sir."

  Don't say you're afraid, if there's one place in this world that makes Jing Wanyan feel safe, it would be... by Pei Tan's side.

  The girl hid her emotions in her eyes.

  Pei Tan also seemed slightly stunned. He couldn't see Jing Yuanyuan's expression, but he could feel her heart, that unusual aura in the air.

  A faint ray of light has crept in through the window of the study, as if the sky is already bright. The long and tedious night finally seems to have an end in sight.

  There are always people in this world who hold power, but do not want to harm others. They are full of gentle compassion and lightly pull the dying person's hand, allowing them to be reborn.

  He still didn't know that by the pool, due to a kind thought, he had saved a girl from being killed, thus giving her the chance to entangle with him for the rest of his life.

  "Daybreak."

  "Shall I help you change, sir? I'll go fetch some water for you."

  Pei Tan was still wearing the official uniform for the morning court, which was dull and stuck to his body. Moreover, he had to change clothes during the day to handle official business in the Grand Temple.

  Jing Wanyi pushed open the window, and a wisp of wind blew in, scattering the hair by her ears. She was also a young girl at the prime age, when other girls of the same age in Chang'an City were waiting to be married with anxiety and shyness, Jing Wanyi stood alone at the window at this moment.