The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 10

Then… A-Jin is going to start teaching Your Majesty, my sister, how to review memorials and handle state affairs, yes?” Zhou Jin’s voice was very seductive as it sounded next to Shen Lingyan’s ear, causing Shen Lingyan’s body to tremble. In a panic, she struggled out of Zhou Jin’s grasp and ran far away, not even noticing the phoenix hairpin fall from her head.

Zhou Jin bent down, picked up the hairpin, and examined it closely for a long time, her gaze unprecedentedly gentle. She softly tucked the hairpin into her long sleeve, and then continued to follow Shen Lingyan with her usual flippant demeanor, eager to instruct her.

Arriving in the sleeping quarters, Shen Lingyan sat upright at the desk, but Zhou Jin pressed against Shen Lingyan’s back like a cunning fox. Her cascading hair lightly brushed Shen Lingyan’s cheek, and the faint body fragrance was impossible for Shen Lingyan to ignore, causing her mind to become utterly chaotic.

As a result, when Zhou Jin talked about the complicated backgrounds of various prominent families, Shen Lingyan could not say she didn’t hear any of it—she simply couldn’t understand it at all.

Zhou Jin looked at the confused and shy eyes of the person beneath her, knowing full well she shouldn’t continue fooling around. So, she stretched out a finger, hooked Shen Lingyan’s chin, and touched her nose to Shen Lingyan’s nose: “Sister… don’t be distracted anymore. If you can’t figure this part out, it will be difficult to handle things later.”

This was the truth. The court was full of complex powers. It was not enough to merely look at an official’s ability and background; one also had to analyze their ancestors and descendants—whether they were capable and useful to the court.

Shen Lingyan was completely overwhelmed by Zhou Jin, her composure collapsing. She grabbed Zhou Jin, bit her lower lip, and warned her next to her ear, “I hope Your Royal Highness the Regent… will mind your manners!”

Zhou Jin smiled and nodded in agreement, then actually sat down beside Shen Lingyan and began teaching her seriously. The summer breeze gently blew in through the window, and the young maidservants standing nearby fanned them with silk fans. The scene was unusually harmonious. Shen Lingyan also pulled herself together and studied these matters until the sun rose higher and it was noon. Only then did the two of them come back to their senses.

“How is it? Does Your Majesty have any more questions?” Zhou Jin pointed to the few officials she had used as examples and also supplemented the list of founding fathers, among whom were Kang Sheng and Dai Junwu.

“So that’s how it is… the descendants of the founding fathers probably cannot be offended,” Shen Lingyan seemed to be yearning for more. This was far more stimulating than studying history. The people Zhou Jin spoke of where people she had personally seen, and now she was an Empress who was superior in status to those people—it felt fantastic.

Zhou Jin shook her head, not entirely agreeing with Shen Lingyan’s words. She rubbed Shen Lingyan’s head, not with her usual flirtatious or flippant manner, but with a genuine, friendly tenderness: “Not so. If Your Majesty becomes strong and powerful, the descendants of those founding fathers will be nothing but ants under your feet.”

Zhou Jin spoke these words in a very gentle tone, but the word “ants” caused a chilling fear to rise in Shen Lingyan’s heart. Zhou Jin was still the same Zhou Jin: scheming and ambitious. In this contest for power with Zhou Jin, Shen Lingyan was truly at a disadvantage.

Shen Lingyan nodded, offering no comment on this viewpoint. Instead, her expression gradually stiffened. She didn’t know if Zhou Jin noticed. Zhou Jin merely picked up a writing brush with her fair, slender hand, dipped it lightly in ink, and left a few bold strokes on the rice paper, writing her own name, which left Shen Lingyan staring in a daze.

The calligraphy was beautiful, and the hand was beautiful, but this perfectly normal action caused Shen Lingyan to blush increasingly. She quickly told Yun Zhu to prepare the meal to avoid Zhou Jin’s gaze and the awkwardness.

Dish after exquisite and delicious dish was served. Zhou Jin just watched Shen Lingyan eat without touching her own chopsticks, as if watching Shen Lingyan eat was enough to fill her.

Shen Lingyan felt extremely uncomfortable being watched, yet she didn’t want to rush her meal and be hungry in the afternoon, so she began talking to distract Zhou Jin’s attention.

“How do you plan to organize the Flower Appreciation Banquet?” Shen Lingyan pondered for a long time before asking this. It wasn’t that she genuinely wanted to know Zhou Jin’s arrangements; everything was still for the sake of her own plans being fully prepared.

Zhou Jin, like a caretaker, picked up a cloth to wipe Shen Lingyan’s mouth, and then patiently answered her: “It’s Your Majesty’s palace. However it is held, the officials and ministers will only praise it and say nothing else. You could have everyone sit on the ground and drink freely, or sit in pavilions and towers to admire the scenery of the Imperial Garden…”

Zhou Jin spoke quite rhythmically, but she was mostly talking nonsense. If the Empress’s Flower Appreciation Banquet were held and the attending officials didn’t even have a stool to sit on, it would certainly be a huge international joke.

Shen Lingyan shot Zhou Jin a reproachful look, then began to think to herself. Since Zhou Jin had no excessive demands, she should strike first. She suggested, while gauging Zhou Jin’s expression, “Then… I will handle the rest?”

Shen Lingyan couldn’t bring herself to poison someone, but she had been planning to embarrass Zhou Jin for a long time. Zhou Jin did not miss the cunning look in Shen Lingyan’s eyes, but she was curious to see what kind of trick the innocent white rabbit would pull. So…

“Fine, Your Majesty can do whatever you wish, and I will listen only to you on how to arrange it. However… we must finish lunch now and hurry up to review the memorials, so we can make time to think about how to arrange the Flower Appreciation Banquet.”

Zhou Jin lightly tapped Shen Lingyan’s head with her finger, then drank a few sips of soup herself, waiting for Shen Lingyan to review the memorials.

Although Shen Lingyan didn’t know why Zhou Jin wasn’t eating, she continued to happily eat on her own. Before long, Shen Lingyan maintained the last vestiges of her etiquette, rubbed her full belly, a look of satisfaction evident on her face. Drowsiness immediately followed a full meal, but looking at the memorials covering the table and the expectant, energetic Zhou Jin, Shen Lingyan suddenly felt… maybe being a slacker wasn’t so bad after all.

However, Shen Lingyan instantly dismissed this thought. The original owner’s slacker life wasn’t exactly comfortable. If she wanted a life of endless food and drink and happiness, she had to strive first.

Shen Lingyan simply brought out the words that encouraged her during her college entrance exams to encourage her current self. The inherent pressure of the college entrance exam immediately chased away her drowsiness. After sitting for a while to digest, she immediately stood up to review the memorials. Zhou Jin watched, brought her a cup of clear tea, took the silk fan from the maid, and gently fanned Shen Lingyan…

Outside, the cicadas in the trees chirped endlessly. Shen Lingyan was originally savoring this summer afternoon moment, but she was greatly annoyed by an unexpected visitor.

“I beg Your Majesty to make a decision for this old minister…”

Outside Shen Lingyan’s sleeping quarters, an official in his fifties was kneeling. Ignoring his age, he kept kowtowing, waiting to be summoned.

“Who is it this time?” Shen Lingyan frowned.