Chapter 140
Her heart trembled slightly. Seven days had passed since she left, and she had no idea why the man had chosen to set off fireworks tonight.
Perhaps it was to commemorate the deceased empress, or perhaps it was to prepare for a better life from now on, that's why fireworks were set off in the night sky, but none of that matters to her anymore.
Shen Qingnian stuck her head back into the carriage. Liu Yurou was holding the baby and gently coaxing her. Seeing that she was no longer watching the fireworks, she smiled and asked, "Was the fireworks beautiful?"
Shen Qingnian leaned over to look at Xiao Xi'er's flushed face as she slept, and she said softly, "Fireworks are beautiful, of course, but they can't compare to Jiangnan."
Shenxi is the name she chose for her baby, symbolizing the new life and hope for the three of them.
"Jiangnan is naturally the best!" Xiaoju also shrank back, her face full of smiles, her eyes filled with anticipation and longing for her new life.
The three of them smiled at each other, a shared longing rising in their eyes.
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Three years later, in the sweltering summer.
Inside the Imperial Study in the Imperial Palace.
The fragrance of ambergris mingled with a delicate jasmine scent, filling the hall. Inside, a man in a black dragon robe sat upright before a table, his somber expression radiating an aura of authority and chill.
The gentleness on Song Xuan's face was gone; his dark eyes held only coldness, like a drawn sword whose sharpness no one dared to avoid.
Such imposing presence even made the retired emperor somewhat intimidated, let alone ordinary court officials and palace servants.
With a soft 'clatter,' Song Xuan placed the wolf-hair brush in his hand on the table, and Xia Zi, who was standing guard beside him, quickly bent down and handed him the teacup with both hands.
"Please try this newly presented jasmine tea, Your Majesty," Xia Zi said cautiously.
Song Xuan brought over the tea, took a sip, and his indifferent expression softened slightly. Xia Xiazi breathed a sigh of relief and bowed as she stepped aside.
Three years ago, His Majesty plunged a dagger into his heart, the blade just an inch away from his heart. As a result, His Majesty was in a coma for ten days. When he woke up, he was like a completely different person.
They are cold-hearted and indifferent, and rarely even smile.
His Majesty's actions have also shifted from mild to radical, even obsessive. When dealing with court affairs, he is swift and decisive, showing no mercy to anyone.
At first, there were many complaints in the court, but in the end they all succumbed to His Majesty's ruthless methods. Everyone was afraid that His Majesty would draw his sword and behead someone again...
His Majesty is only somewhat kind when he is with the young crown prince. The whole capital knows that His Majesty dotes on the young crown prince and even allows him to enter the imperial study.
Every day when His Majesty returned to the Ice Palace, he always brought the young crown prince with him. As the young crown prince grew up, he looked more and more like the deceased empress.
Xiaxia even felt that the way His Majesty looked at the young crown prince sometimes seemed to be looking through the young crown prince at the deceased empress...
At this moment, a palace attendant came in to announce: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Shen is outside requesting an audience."
Song Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile. Since he beheaded Shen Zheng, a high-ranking official, three years ago, the other party had been well-behaved for a few years. In these years, he had also valued Shen Zheng quite a bit.
However, recently, Shen Zheng has started to bring up the matter of placing Qing Nian in the imperial mausoleum again, which annoys him greatly.
"Summon Prime Minister Shen to the palace," Song Xuan said coldly, his eyes filled with icy intent.
Shen Zheng entered with a stoop. In just three years, his temples had turned gray, and he looked as if he had aged ten years. Everyone thought that his hair had turned white because of the grief he felt after losing his beloved daughter.
But only he himself knew that the new emperor had put too much pressure on him in politics after ascending the throne. Although he seemed to value him on the surface, only he knew the harshness and danger involved. The new emperor even used several political events to break up many of his supporters.
He had unspeakable suffering, but he could only keep a low profile.
Shen Zheng knelt down in the hall and respectfully kowtowed to Song Xuan, saying, "Your Majesty."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Song Xuan grabbed the inkstone beside him and threw it at Chen Zheng—
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