Chapter 51: The Empress's Promise

At this moment, the Empress’s expression grew considerably more serious; she had never expected Lu Wenyong to offer such high praise. Even Qin Zhenjun, standing nearby, cast a look of surprise. Not even the old master had anticipated that Lu Wenyong would value his Xuan’er so highly.

One must understand that Lu Wenyong’s two disciples were no ordinary figures—calling them outstanding talents of the age would not be an exaggeration.

“Could it be that this rascal Lu wants to take Xuan’er as a disciple? But surely three lines of couplets alone aren’t enough for that,” Qin Zhenjun thought to himself, his eyes narrowing unconsciously.

At this moment, the Empress finally spoke, a stunning smile lighting up her exquisitely beautiful face. Her phoenix-like eyes sparkled with interest as she said, “This Shen Xuan truly possesses such skill. To be so esteemed by Master Lu, he must indeed have genuine talent.”

Hearing the Empress’s praise, Lu Wenyong humbly replied, “This is merely my personal opinion. Whether this young Shen truly has real skill still requires Your Majesty’s personal examination in time.”

Lu Wenyong himself did not understand why he had spoken so candidly. After all, today was only the first time he had met Shen Xuan. Yet somehow, this calm-faced, steady-tempered youth gave him an inexplicable sense that the boy’s future would be extraordinary. Lu Wenyong believed this must be intuition.

“Of course, I trust Master Lu’s judgment. With the autumn examination approaching, if Shen Xuan truly has talent, I will surely employ him,” the Empress said solemnly, waving her hand.

“Your humble servant will express Xuan’er’s gratitude to Your Majesty on his behalf,” the old master quickly stepped forward and bowed, thanking her.

The Empress said nothing further, only nodding with a smile.

“The hour grows late; I must return to the palace. You should all head back as well,” she said calmly as the sky darkened.

“We will escort Your Majesty!” Qin Zhenjun and Lu Wenyong said in unison.

Once the Empress and her entourage disappeared from view, Qin Zhenjun and the others straightened up.

“I never expected such a coincidence—that Her Majesty would happen to be at Xuan’er’s tavern,” Qin Zhenjun exclaimed in amazement.

“That’s a good thing. At least it gives Her Majesty an impression of young Shen, which will surely benefit him in the future,” Lu Wenyong said casually, smiling.

---

“Hmm, I agree with that,” Qin Zhenjun nodded, expressing his approval.

“Well, I should return to the academy. Today, that old fellow kept me occupied all day. I still have many things to sort out,” Lu Wenyong said as he turned and headed off, grumbling.

“What do you mean by that? How did I delay you all day? It’s clearly your greed for food!” Qin Zhenjun retorted, displeased, stepping forward a few paces.

“I don’t care. I’m just blaming you. Who told you your grandson’s grilled skewers are so delicious?” Lu Wenyong shot back.

“Hey, you rascal Lu, are you playing tricks on me again?” Their voices carried far in the night as the two old men bantered playfully.

“Your Majesty, do you really hold such high regard for Shen Xuan?” Sitting in the carriage returning to the palace, Nangong Wan curiously asked the Empress beside her.

The Empress looked at the couplets Shen Xuan had composed that Lu Wenyong had just handed her, replying without looking up, “It’s not so much favor as interest. It’s rare for Master Lu to praise someone so highly; naturally, I must pay attention.”

“I don’t know if Shen Xuan has talent, but his medical skills are impressive. Judging by Master Qin’s condition today, he truly has recovered,” Nangong Wan said, shaking her head with some surprise.

“You’re right. Perhaps the Imperial Medical Academy might not be a bad choice for Shen Xuan,” the Empress said thoughtfully, closing her eyes for a moment in agreement.

“Then why not issue an imperial edict to assign him to the Imperial Medical Academy? If the Empress personally commands it, I’m sure Shen Xuan would not refuse,” Nangong Wan suggested.

“Enough. Let’s observe a bit longer. How to arrange things for Shen Xuan will wait until after the autumn examination,” the Empress decided, rejecting the proposal.

“Your Majesty, should I send a few people to watch over Shen Xuan?” Nangong Wan blinked her beautiful eyes hesitantly.

“Send two experts, but have them be discreet. Don’t let him know they’re watching. I have a feeling Shen Xuan is no ordinary person,” the Empress replied directly.

“Yes!” Nangong Wan nodded seriously.

---

Within the city prison’s damp and gloomy dungeon, in a cell housing over a dozen prisoners, Han Yu curled up, looking quite miserable as he hid in a corner atop a pile of straw.

His once tidy black hair was disheveled, and the once delicate face was now unrecognizable, bruised and battered in patches of blue and purple—a truly frightening sight.

“Am I doomed to be locked up here forever?” Han Yu’s gaze was vacant. His body trembled uncontrollably as he murmured in a barely audible voice.

“Look at that kid over there. He’s been in for a few days, yet still looks like he’s about to die,” a fierce-looking man in the cell sneered, speaking disdainfully to an old man beside him.

“What else can it be? He just can’t accept it yet. After some time, he’ll get used to it. If not...” the old man opened his droopy eyes and smiled darkly, his wrinkled face showing a hint of amusement as his hoarse voice trailed off.

“If he can’t get used to it, what then?” the big man asked curiously. He hadn’t been in this prison for two years and clearly lacked the old man’s experience.

“Either death or madness,” the old man said with a grim sort of humor.

“That’s truly miserable. But you know, even though that kid’s face is beaten beyond recognition, his skin’s surprisingly soft,” the big man nodded in agreement, his gaze toward Han Yu growing greedy as he spoke with interest.

“Heh, if you’re thinking what I think, you’d better hurry. Otherwise, this kid won’t look human for much longer,” the old man said dismissively, clearly accustomed to such matters.

In this dungeon where no sunlight reached, if one didn’t find some outlet for their anger and frustration, they would surely go mad.

“Heh heh, of course I know that,” the big man said, rising to his feet with a lecherous grin as he advanced toward Han Yu.

Hearing the footsteps, Han Yu turned his vacant eyes in disbelief, only to see a large man with a vicious face approaching with ill intent.

“You! What do you want?” Han Yu shrank back, his voice trembling with fear.