Chapter 147 Within and without the game, each pursuing their own agenda

Upon returning to the main courtyard, Shen Qingci went straight to her bedroom and buried herself in piles of account books.

Chu Jichen did not leave. Instead, he had the steward move all the memorials and secret reports that he had not yet finished reviewing that day to another desk in the bedroom, separated from her by a display shelf, and they each went about their business.

The room was warm and quiet, with only the occasional rustling sound of the two people turning over papers.

Shen Qingci's mind was not entirely focused on the account books.

She raised her eyes and looked through the gaps in the display shelf at the man opposite her who was intently reviewing memorials with his eyes downcast. She was a little curious: "Why didn't Your Highness go to your study today?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen did not raise his head, but a faint smile appeared on his lips: "I like... staying where you are."

His voice was deep and magnetic, and it sounded particularly clear in the quiet study, "Even if it's just like this, each doing our own thing and not interfering with each other, I... will feel happy."

Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

She forcibly suppressed the strange emotions in her heart, her voice carrying a deliberate probing tone: "Your Highness deals with confidential matters of the court. To leave them like this in front of me, aren't you... afraid I'll peek?"

"Heh." Chu Jichen finally raised his head, his deep phoenix eyes filled with undisguised laughter and indulgence.

He casually picked up a memorial stamped with the word "confidential" in red ink and handed it to her directly from a distance.

“There’s no need to peek.” He said with a smile. “Qingqing can look whenever she wants. This Regent’s Palace is your domain.”

As Shen Qingci looked at the memorial he handed over, her heart became increasingly complicated.

Just then, the butler hurriedly walked in from outside, bowed to Chu Jichen, and looked somewhat solemn.

Seeing this, Chu Jichen said to Shen Qingci, "You keep an eye on things for now, I'll be right back."

After saying that, he maneuvered his wheelchair and left the study with the butler.

Shen Qingci watched his departing figure, then looked down at the memorial in her hand, remaining silent for a long, long time before finally putting the memorial back in its place.

She slowly stood up and whispered to Wanqing, who was waiting outside the door, "Wanqing, send a message to Zhuque and ask her to... find me some more contraceptive medicine."

"Miss?!" Wanqing exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes widening. "But...didn't the Prince already have Physician Li prepare a contraceptive for you?"

"I heard from Physician Li that he has almost finished developing the prescription. Although he can't guarantee it will be 100% effective, the medicine is mild and will not harm the prince's health. The prince himself said that all medicines have some toxicity, so why should you, Miss, harm your body further?"

Shen Qingci shook her head, a coldness and determination that no one could understand flashing in her eyes.

"Wanqing, I just... don't want to hand over the initiative regarding the 'child' to any man."

“For them, having one more child or one less child might not make much difference. But for us women,” her voice lowered, with a barely perceptible tremor, “the difference is worlds apart.”

"The reason I so decisively aborted my child with Huo Yunzhan was because I didn't want to be tied to a man I no longer loved by a child, and to be manipulated by him."

Chu Jichen...

In the Yunmeng Tower, the natural intimacy and tenderness he showed when he held that child was a thorn in her heart.

As long as this thorn remains, as long as the deep-seated hatred in her heart remains unresolved, she... will never be able to bear his child.

Seeing her mistress's resolute expression, Wanqing knew that further persuasion was useless, so she could only reluctantly agree, "Yes, this servant understands."

...

The next day, Chu Jichen indeed brought Shen Qingci new news.

“My men have already rescued the fake ‘Nanzhu’ from the Shuntian Prefecture prison, just as you planned.”

Shen Qingci looked up: "Was it all right?"

"Hmm." Chu Jichen nodded, but a playful smile appeared on his lips. "However, it wasn't just my men who made a move last night."

Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately guessed: "Whose forces are they? Prime Minister Liu? Or... Huo Yunzhan?"

Chu Jichen looked at her, his eyes full of approval: "Qingqing, why don't you guess?"

“It’s Huo Yunzhan.” Shen Qingci said almost without hesitation. “Prime Minister Liu is shrewd and calculating. There are many suspicious points in this matter. He won’t make a move easily.”

"As for Old Madam Huo, she was already terrified and only wanted to keep the peace. Only Huo Yunzhan," a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes, "has a guilty conscience and is most concerned about the life or death of 'Nanzhu,' so naturally he will be the first to be restless."

“Qingqing guessed right.” Chu Jichen laughed. “Although he sent a lot of people, they were all a rabble and naturally no match for my men. Now, that fake ‘Nanzhu’ has been settled in an absolutely safe place.”

"Huo Yunzhan's attempt to break into the prison failed, and he must be furious. This morning he sent someone to the Shuntian Prefecture to hold him accountable."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci scoffed, "Of course he's afraid. Whether he knows whether this 'Nanzhu' is real or fake, after my outburst, the entire capital is probably convinced that it was Huo Yunzhan who killed Huo Yunting by killing his brother and then impersonated him."

"Now, it all depends on... the Liu family's attitude."

She stirred up trouble in front of Liu Ruolan, and now was the best opportunity for Liu Ruolan to completely get rid of Huo Yunzhan and escape the quagmire of the Huo family.

She could easily position herself as a victim, pretending to have been deceived by Huo Yunzhan until now, in order to gain sympathy and smoothly get a divorce.

“I just don’t know,” a meaningful glint flashed in Shen Qingci’s eyes, “whether Liu Ruolan…is willing to let go.”

After all, that scumbag and bitch couple are back to normal now.

Chu Jichen looked at her confident and composed demeanor, his eyes full of amusement.

However, Shen Qingci's focus had already shifted from the Huo family's internal strife to the grander strategic game at a higher level.

She slowly raised her eyes and looked at Chu Jichen, her expression becoming serious: "But compared to the Liu family's attitude, I am actually more concerned about the reaction of another person."

"Emperor Yongming".

She said, enunciating each word clearly, "These past two days have seen such a huge uproar in the capital, with 'Nanzhu' even publicly accusing Huo Yunzhan of murdering his brother and seizing his title. These matters must have already been reported to His Majesty, right?"

"What is his attitude?"

This is the most crucial and dangerous part of the entire game.

Emperor Yongming had long been secretly colluding with Huo Yunzhan and Prime Minister Liu.

Now that the Huo family has been embroiled in such a huge scandal, even involving serious crimes of "deceiving the emperor" and "treason," Emperor Yongming's attitude will directly determine the future course of this game.