Chapter 68 Aunt

"Since you dare to say this in front of me, I guess you already have an idea, right?"

He stopped beating around the bush. He knew this girl had come today for more than just a simple "admonition." She must have some ulterior motive!

Shen He smiled slightly.

She was so frank that she didn't seem like a subject, but rather like an equal ally.

"It's not really an idea, just some superficial views." Her voice returned to a steady state, with the confidence of someone who had a plan in hand.

"Your Majesty, the only solution now is to take advantage of the situation."

"We can take advantage of the momentum from the Renxinzhai fire and the jade bracelet case."

"First, weaken the entrenched influence of the Empress and the Third Prince within the Imperial Hospital, remove the personnel they have planted, and reclaim some of the hospital's real power."

Directly pointing to Fengyi Palace and Xiao Jingren! No reservations!

"Secondly, use this opportunity to teach the East Palace a lesson."

Emperor Xuanhe tapped his knuckles lightly on the armrests of the dragon throne. Hearing her speak, he couldn't help but frown and asked, "What about the fire? What about the account books..."

He paused, his voice lowered and scrutinizing.

"What does it have to do with the prince?"

Upon hearing this, Chen He was not at all flustered. Instead, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly.

That smile was faint, but it carried a hint of understanding that seemed to know everything.

She lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the gleam that flashed across her eyes.

When I looked up again, everything was clear and calm.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Her voice was calm, and held a strangely soothing power.

"The fire at Renxinzhai, and the account book recording the medicinal material transactions..."

"Indeed, it has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Emperor Xuanhe frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure and doubt flashed in his eyes.

If it has nothing to do with it, why bother criticizing it?

Is this girl being mysterious, or does she have other intentions?

Shen He seemed to see through his thoughts.

She smiled gently, and the sound was like broken jade falling on a plate, crisp, but with some indescribable meaning.

"Your Majesty, what I'm referring to is not the dirty things that happen in the court..."

Her voice was lowered, with a deliberate, suggestive mystery.

"But..."

She paused deliberately and clearly saw that the inquiring light in Emperor Xuanhe's eyes had become even stronger.

She was keeping them on suspense! She was controlling the rhythm of the conversation! This seemingly fragile girl was intelligent beyond her years!

Chen He met Emperor Xuanhe's gaze and slowly uttered two words.

The voice was light, yet it seemed to carry a tremendous force: "Love affairs."

"Love affair?" Emperor Xuanhe raised his eyebrows, with the ending of his tone rising slightly.

With a subtle hint of surprise and a bit of exploratory playfulness.

From the conspiracy case to the harem struggle, to this romantic affair? What is this girl from the Shen family up to?

The emperor on the dragon throne leaned forward slightly.

His eyes were as sharp as torches, as if he wanted to see through Shen He inside and out.

"Things like this..." He paused, a hint of scrutiny in his voice, "You knew about this too?"

The emperor's tone was condescending, yet also contained a hint of curiosity about the source of her information.

How could a girl like her easily know about the crown prince's private affairs?

Upon hearing this, Chen He did not feel the slightest bit of embarrassment about having his privacy intruded upon. Instead, the faint curve at the corner of his lips deepened a little.

With a clear understanding of people's hearts and just the right amount of respect.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

She bowed slightly, her voice steady and soothing.

"It's just that the crown prince acted inappropriately."

"A little bit of romance, a little bit of transgression..."

Her voice remained calm.

"It can't shake the country's foundation."

She was reassuring the emperor! She knew exactly what the emperor feared most! As long as it didn't endanger the stability of the country, other things could be tolerated, even used!

The scrutiny in Emperor Xuanhe's eyes did not diminish in the slightest because of her words.

He leaned back on the dragon chair, his knuckles tapping unconsciously on the armrests.

"Since we can't shake the country..."

His voice was inexpressible, "Why would you do this?"

Chen He raised his eyes and met those deep imperial eyes.

His eyes were clear, yet sharp as a blade.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Her voice suddenly became more stern.

"Since this subject has touched the Empress and the Third Prince Xiao Jingren..."

She uttered the two names clearly, and each word seemed to hit the cold tiles of the imperial study.

"The water in the bowl must be kept level. Your Majesty gave me the pen, and I use it very smoothly."

Emperor Xuanhe's eyes suddenly fixed!

His fingers tapped the armrest and paused.

In the imperial study, the air seemed tense again!

The emperor thought for a moment and said softly, "Go on."

This is the default.

"third,"

Her eyes fell on the light coming in from outside the hall, with a barely perceptible hint of hope.

"Nominate Chu Yue and Zhou Yan'an."

"Give him some real power, or even put him in an inconspicuous position."

"But let them..."

"Appearing in the sight of court officials and in the eyes of the poor scholars of the world!"

“We must give hope to those talented people who have been buried and suppressed!”

This is her ultimate goal! Not for power itself, but to ignite that spark!

Use these two people as benchmarks to tell the world that the emperor should start to reuse people from humble backgrounds!

This is not only a conspiracy to suppress the aristocratic families, but also the most important move to cultivate new forces in the future! *

The imperial study fell into deathly silence again.

Emperor Xuanhe looked at Shen He as if he was truly getting to know the girl in front of him for the first time.

Her ambition, her strategy, her courage...

Far beyond his imagination!

Emperor Xuanhe's eyes, as deep as an ancient well, were fixed on Shen He's face without blinking.

It was as if he wanted to see through her entire body, from inside to outside!

He was examining, weighing, and judging. Was the girl's proposal bold, arrogant, or a necessary path?

Chen He looked back calmly, without any fear.

That calmness and confidence actually made the emperor on the dragon throne feel dazed for a moment.

After a while.

Just when Shen He thought he was going to get angry or scold her for overestimating her abilities.

Emperor Xuanhe suddenly laughed softly.

That laughter carried a hint of melancholy, a hint of nostalgia, and a hint of indescribable complex emotions.

"Oh……"

He shook his head slightly, as if he was thinking of some people and things from long ago.

"Your temper..."

"You really look like your aunt."

Aunt?! At this critical moment, he actually mentioned Aunt?!

Shen He was suddenly stunned!

My heart felt like it was gently bumped by something.

The aunt who has lived in Jing'an Temple in the mountains all year round, accompanied by green lamps and ancient Buddhas, and rarely returns home, is Chen Liqin!

She subconsciously raised her eyes and looked carefully at Emperor Xuanhe.

Seeing this, my heart skipped a beat again!

Emperor Xuanhe's eyes were no longer as sharp and scrutinizing as before.

Deep in his eyes, there was a faint, almost imperceptible layer of softness and reminiscence.

It was as if I saw the shadow of another person through her.

After being reborn, her insight into human nature is no longer comparable to that of the ignorant girl in her previous life!

This subtle change in expression couldn't fool her!

The tone Emperor Xuanhe used when he mentioned his aunt was definitely not just a simple acquaintance!

There is clearly a story hidden there! There is love hidden there!

Chen He's heart suddenly tightened.

My aunt's figure involuntarily appeared in my mind.

Because she had no biological mother to take care of her and her stepmother was sweet on the outside but kind on the inside, the only person in the Shen family who truly cared about her was her aunt, besides her father.

even……

Her aunt had once held her hand and said solemnly, "He'er, our Shen family's 'Qin Zi Jue' will be passed down to you in the future."

Qin Zi Jue! That was my aunt's life's work! And she was a mysterious existence to outsiders! My aunt had already identified her as the successor!

The warmth of that time is still in my heart.

But when I think of my past life...

My aunt was such a stunning person, but she ended up dying tragically in the wilderness, with no trace of her body left!

Chen He's heart felt like it was being pierced by countless fine needles!

pain!

Pain that goes deep into the bone marrow!

She suppressed her surging emotions, her fingertips curling slightly.

Her voice had a barely perceptible tremor and a hint of cautious exploration.

"Do you know my aunt?"

The gentle expression on Emperor Xuanhe's face froze in an instant.

He looked at Chen He, his eyes became extremely complicated, as if he had thousands of words to say, but in the end it only turned into an almost inaudible sigh.

“More than that…”

"know."