Chapter 28 Sneaking Over to Eavesdrop

Shen Qingci felt as if her heart was being squeezed, and the pain was almost unbearable.

She never expected that her father had long seen through Huo Yunzhan's ambition and ruthlessness, but perhaps because the incident happened so suddenly, he had no one else to entrust her to but Huo Yunzhan.

Therefore, he could only hide his deep worries and hand her over to Huo Yunzhan.

However, she was still worried about her future and had to seek help from Chu Jichen, with whom she had little interaction.

Chu Jichen watched as Shen Qingci's tears streamed down her face, and a deep pang of heartache welled up in his heart. He maneuvered his wheelchair to Shen Qingci's side, raised his hand, and wiped away the tears on her face: "I was entrusted by General Shen to take care of you, this is one of my duties."

"Secondly, after General Shen's death, I have been secretly investigating the truth behind General Shen's affairs and discovered that many forces were secretly involved in General Shen's affairs."

"But they are very well hidden, and I have not been able to find out the truth. So, I married you partly because I wanted to use you as bait to lure them into a corner and reveal their true colors."

Chu Jichen's eyes were dark and deep: "Moreover, as the regent, I naturally have the responsibility to supervise the emperor's administration and the actions of civil and military officials."

"If the emperor is incompetent and foolish, then I'll just replace him with a different one. If the ministers are treacherous and cunning, then I'll get rid of them."

"But I need an opportunity. And marrying you is that opportunity."

Shen Qingci's eyelids twitched suddenly. She never expected that Chu Jichen's motives for marrying her were so grand.

But Chu Jichen's ambitious appearance inexplicably struck a chord with her.

Chu Jichen said that the Shen family's affairs were not only possibly the result of the emperor's deliberate plot to harm them, but also involved many other forces in secret.

What about the Huo family? Was the Huo family... also involved?

Shen Qingci gritted her teeth secretly; she had to avenge the grudge from her past life.

If she could find out the truth behind the massacre of the Shen family, she would avenge them!

Shen Qingci took a deep breath: "Thank you, Your Highness, I understand."

Chu Jichen then secretly loosened his grip on the armrest. Shen Qingci must have believed him, right?

Moreover, with the truth about the massacre of the Shen family as bait, Shen Qingci would definitely not have any intention of seeking death again, right?

Chu Jichen's dark gaze fell on Shen Qingci: "There are still twenty-eight days left."

Shen Qingci was taken aback and looked at Chu Jichen with some confusion.

Chu Jichen lowered his eyes: "There are still twenty-eight days left until Huo Yunzhan's hundredth day mourning period ends."

"I have made all the preparations. On the second day after Huo Yunzhan's hundred-day mourning period ends, I will welcome you into the house."

Are you in such a hurry?

Although Shen Qingci was also eager to leave the Huo family, she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart when she heard Chu Jichen calculating their wedding day like this.

"good."

After Chu Jichen left, Wanqing rushed in and saw that Shen Qingci's eyes were red and she looked like she had been crying. Wanqing was shocked: "What's wrong, Miss? Did the Regent... bully you?"

Wanqing frowned. If the Regent had bullied her young lady, it wouldn't be easy for them to retaliate. Fortunately, her young lady and the Regent were not yet married, so they could still back out.

“It’s not the Regent.” Shen Qingci shook her head. “I just mentioned Father’s matter, and thinking of him suddenly made me a little sad.”

After all that commotion, Shen Qingci was still unsettled, so she stood up and said, "I can't sleep anymore, I want to go for a walk in the yard."

Wanqing quickly fetched a cloak and draped it over Shen Qingci, saying, "The night air is cool in early spring."

The moonlight was cool and refreshing.

Shen Qingci didn't go far. She just sat in the lakeside pavilion outside her courtyard, her mind replaying Chu Jichen's words.

Just then, voices suddenly came from not far away.

Shen Qingci looked up at Wan Qing, who was standing outside the pavilion. Wan Qing peeked out and said, "It seems that the Marquis and Liu Ruolan have returned."

Shen Qingci frowned: "Turn off the lights, so they don't find out I'm here."

At that moment, she didn't want to see those two people, nor did she want to talk to them or get entangled with them.

Wanqing agreed and quickly blew out the lamp.

Shen Qingci originally planned to wait for the two people to return to the courtyard before going back to her room.

But they stood at the crossroads between the two courtyards and suddenly stopped, as a slightly heated conversation could be heard.

Wanqing lowered her voice: "It seems like they've started arguing."

They're arguing?

Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows; if it were just ordinary conversation, she wouldn't bother listening.

But if they argue, then she absolutely cannot miss it.

"Let's sneak over and hide, and listen to what's going on."

It was already dark at night, and the yard had all sorts of flowers and trees.

Using the flowers and trees as cover, Shen Qingci and Wan Qing gradually approached the place where Huo Yunzhan and Liu Ruolan were.

Their voices gradually became clearer.

It was Huo Yunzhan who spoke: "Your two younger brothers said that His Majesty searched Consort Shu's palace and found not only the witchcraft doll, but also some letters between her and her father-in-law."

"Although there were no excessive remarks, it was not entirely without any evidence to provoke them."

Liu Ruolan frowned, already feeling particularly irritable because of what had happened that day, but Huo Yunzhan kept nagging at her.

"So what? Didn't my brother say that apart from those things, His Majesty couldn't find any other concrete evidence to prove that my father was involved in this matter?"

“If His Majesty truly has doubts, my father will immediately offer to resign and retire to prove his innocence.”

Huo Yunzhan naturally knew, but...

"His Majesty is extremely suspicious."

"What if my father-in-law proposes to resign and retire, and His Majesty agrees?"

Liu Ruolan really didn't know what Huo Yunzhan was struggling with: "If you agree, then you agree! At worst, Father will resign from his post and stay out of the limelight for a while."

Huo Yunzhan shook his head: "My father-in-law is the Prime Minister. There are far too many people eyeing that position. What if he wants to feign resignation and retire, waiting for His Majesty to be unable to handle the Regent and other court officials before recalling him? But someone will immediately fill my father-in-law's vacancy..."

Of course, none of these are the most crucial points. The most crucial point is...

“You told me before that as long as I resolve Shen Qingci’s matter, my father-in-law will recommend me for the position of Grand Master of the Palace.”

"If something happens to my father-in-law, then this position of Grand Master of the Palace..."

Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows slightly and couldn't help but smile. She knew that Huo Yunzhan wasn't worried about Prime Minister Liu at all; what he was worried about was that the official position he was about to obtain would suddenly slip away.

Shen Qingci could discern Huo Yunzhan's true intentions, and so could Liu Ruolan.

Liu Ruolan's forehead veins throbbed with anger: "You're only after that position of Grand Master of the Palace, aren't you?"

"My father went through such a terrible ordeal, and all you remember is this? Don't you have any conscience?!"