Chapter 196 It’s Not That Sweet

Three days later, officials from the imperial court finally arrived in Tianshui City. Li Huaiyan went to the government office to take over. Qingfeng had packed up everything and was ready to return to Beijing.

"We can finally go back," Mo Xiang had never experienced such a bloody day in his life, and his heart was almost in his throat because of the girl.

Shen Anan suddenly thought of something, "Do you remember the small Buddhist temple that the maid mentioned the night Shen Yunbai just came back?"

That night she smelled a strong scent of incense on him, and Shen Yunbai said it was to commemorate his relatives.

"That's what happened."

"Let's go and take a look."

Shen Yunbai's identity is what Shen Anan is most concerned about now. She always feels that there is still some filth that she has not uncovered.

Maybe there will be some clues there.

In the corridor, Hua Sheng handed the plum blossom cake to Qi Jinping, "I made this. Try it and see if you like it."

"I don't like sweet food."

"I know, so I didn't put a lot of sweetness in it, just a little bit. Just taste it. If it doesn't suit your taste, I'll make it again."

Hua Sheng's eyes were full of anticipation as she looked at Qi Jinping with sparkling eyes.

"I don't like it." Qi Jinping frowned and repeated this sentence.

Although he had been at the border for several years, he was not a fool. Several chance encounters had already left him with vague doubts.

Hua Sheng held up the plum blossom cake, his eyes unable to conceal the disappointment, "Can't I even have a bite?"

Qi Jinping kept his eyes downcast, his stern features becoming even sharper.

The two of them just remained in a stalemate.

Shen Anan sighed and walked out slowly, "Hua Sheng, what delicious food did you make? Come and let me try it."

"Plum blossom...cake." Her smile was very forced. If Qi Jinping hadn't been there, she would have shed tears.

Shen Anan walked over, picked up a small piece, put it in her mouth, paused for a moment, chewed it a few times, and swallowed the broken cakes whole.

"It is a bit sweet." It was so sweet that it was sickening, and even she, who didn't dislike sweet food, found it hard to accept.

"Yeah." Hua Sheng responded softly.

"Since it was made by the princess herself, you should try a piece, so as not to disappoint the princess."

Qi Jinping looked at the plum blossom cake that Shen Anan handed to him and frowned fiercely.

Finally, he raised his hand and took it.

"Well, I'm still making pastries in the kitchen. I won't talk to you anymore. I'll leave first." Hua Sheng lowered his head and quickly left the eaves.

Shen Anan saw the water stains on her eyes.

"An An," Qi Jinping said as he pinched the pastry, his tone blaming him.

"I am Yuan'er's uncle, and I will never be able to return to the capital in this lifetime."

Not only is the girl different from him in generation and age, it is impossible for him to return to the capital, so why bother delaying her?

"Um."

Of course she knew it, but seeing that the obsession of a girl in two lifetimes came to nothing, she couldn't help but feel soft-hearted.

Qi Jinping was not opposed to getting married, but Hua Sheng's identity and age were absolutely unacceptable to him.

"Uncle, please do a good deed today. Hua Sheng is a smart girl. If you speak tactfully, she will understand."

Qi Jinping frowned, looked at Shen Anan's departing back, and finally took a light bite of the plum cake in his hand.

sweet! So sweet! !

"Can you give me a taste of the princess's plum blossom cake?"

Hua Sheng looked up unexpectedly, and Lin Ye's concerned face was reflected in her tearful eyes.

"All for you." She stuffed the basket into Lin Ye's hands and ran away immediately.

Lin Ye took it in a daze, picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, swallowed it with his neck stretched out, and muttered to himself.

"It's delicious. Actually, it's not that sweet."

The small Buddhist temple is located at the westernmost part of Shen’s house.

There were no flowers, trees, rockeries or flowing water. It was just as ordinary as a farmhouse, totally out of tune with Shen Yunbai's luxury.

The wooden door creaked as it was pushed open, and dust floated up and down in the beam of light that slanted into the room.

After Shen Yunbai left, no one came to clean the house anymore.

"Girl, is that a tablet? Why is there no name on it?"

On the square table, there were various offerings. The fruits and vegetables had long since shriveled, and the ashes in the incense burner must have been from several days ago.

Behind these things, there is a tablet, a tablet without a name.

Shen Anan stared at the tablet for a long time.

Something flashed through my mind quickly.

"Mo Xiang, have we seen a tablet without a name somewhere?"

"Is there?" Mo Xiang thought about it carefully, "Miss, you must have remembered it wrongly. How come I don't have any impression of it?"

"I won't remember it wrong." She walked over slowly, her eyes fixed on the nameless tablet.

Suddenly I had some fragmentary memories.

"I have indeed seen it." In Master Wenyin's meditation room in Xiangjue Temple, she had once glanced at it from behind his desk.

It seems like something is slowly connecting.

The concubine Shu who stayed at Xiangjue Temple every month, the nameless tablet in Master Wenyin's meditation room, and the nameless tablet worshipped by Shen Yunbai.

Is it a coincidence, or are they actually worshipping the same person?

Who is that person? Why doesn’t he have a name? Is he related to the man that Concubine Shu was in love with as mentioned by Cao Pei?

If so, who is Shen Yunbai to that man?

Cao Pei said that the man who had an affair with Concubine Shu was the fiancé of the Jiangnan woman, a Jinshi who entered the Hanlin Academy.

Is it possible that this tablet belongs to that person? That's why no one dares to give a name to it.

But Concubine Shu——

She privately felt that she couldn't be that kind of woman.

If so, she wouldn't have become depressed and eventually died suddenly. She knew too well what a torturous process it was to become depressed and eventually die! !

Perhaps these questions can only be slowly revealed after returning to the capital and visiting Xiangjue Temple.

——

Chen Tian didn't know how long he had lived in the woodshed. He only knew that the moon set and the sun rose, repeating this process over and over again.

When the door was pushed open again, he slowly opened his eyes and looked towards the light.

"We will set off back to the capital in half an hour."

He was stunned for a moment, then looked away and continued to lean against the wall.

"Actually, I have a question that I have never been able to figure out." Shen Anan walked in slowly and stood in front of Chen Tian.

"Since you are the offspring of the emperor's favorite woman, why would he be willing to let you go down in person and become a pawn in this game?"

Chen Tian didn't say anything.

Shen Anan suddenly said, "I just went to Shen Yunbai's small Buddhist temple."

Chen Tian's eyes suddenly opened, and he looked at Shen Anan with sharp eyes.

Shen Anan tilted her head to look at him and smiled, "Any reaction?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Nothing, I just want you to answer my question. When you approached me many times, I suspected you several times, but even though I knew that the emperor had an illegitimate child, I never thought it was you."

"Do you and the Emperor think I'm too stupid, or do you think you have a sure win, so you're willing to let me join the game in person?"

Chen Tian looked at her steadily, "Don't move the tablet in the small Buddhist hall!"

"Then what?" Shen An'an raised his eyebrows slightly, "Relying on the threat of a prisoner like you?"

Chen Tian was silent for a long while before he spoke in a cold voice, "You just said an illegitimate child, what's so strange about him joining the game?"

"Everyone and everything in this world is just a chess piece or tool in his hands that he can play with at will. You are, and I am no exception."

“But for you, he can disrupt the court and kill his own children one after another.” Shen Anan’s tone was as cold as winter snow.

"Why is it for me?" Chen Tian's eyes were filled with anger. "I am just a product of his despicable and shameless behavior!!"

“What’s the difference between me and you guys…!!”

"You hate him?" Shen Anan said calmly.

Chen Tian closed his eyes and refused to speak again.

"Pack up, we'll be leaving soon." She turned around and pretended to walk out.

"I don't care about the grudge between you and your son, but you can buy the Fourth Prince's Mansion a chance to breathe."

Chen Tian is the bargaining chip between her and the emperor.

Before knowing Xiao Yuan's situation, Chen Tian was the amulet.

"Oh, by the way." She paused and turned around, "My people just reported that there is news about Shen Yunbai."

Chen Tian suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Shen Anan.

"Don't worry, I haven't caught him yet. But if he attacks on the road, he will definitely be captured because he is outnumbered. I'm telling you in advance, if Shen Yunbai dies by then, don't blame me."

Chen Tian's eyes were bloodshot, "If he dies, I will die with him."

"Think about whether you can afford the consequences of my death."

"What are the consequences?" Shen Anan stood in the beam of light and glared at him. "The emperor was furious and launched a mutiny, causing great suffering and corpses everywhere?"

"Don't worry, as long as the dead aren't people I care about, I can afford any number of lives!!"

Chen Tian stared blankly at the door closing.

An unprecedented sinister and cold look slowly emerged in his eyes.

Chen Tian cares a lot about Shen Yunbai and also about that tablet.

This made Shen Anan even more confused about the relationship between them.

Qi Jinping said that the woman was not willing to stay in the palace, so Chen Tian’s birth was most likely forced by the emperor, which was why Chen Tian resented the emperor.

What about Shin Yunbai?

If we assume that the tablet is the one from the Hanlin Academy, then what is the relationship between Shen Yunbai and him?

Son, nephew, or what?

"Cousin, what's wrong with you?" A soft, white hand waved in front of her eyes.

Shen Anan came back to his senses.

"Nothing, are you ready?"