"good!"
Seeing that the people in the hall were quite disorganized, Shen Jinchen didn't say much and went into the inner hall.
After Shen Jinchen left, Cen Xi turned her gaze to Su Nianniang.
"Nianniang, why are you bowing your head so low? Raise your head and answer me clearly what you want. If you make it clear, I will let you go."
"Yes! Your Majesty, this servant... this servant stayed because I felt the palace was good. If Your Majesty feels it is inappropriate, this servant... this servant will resign today."
Today's situation makes Cen Xi's purpose obvious: she can't stay here any longer, and now there's only one way out—to leave the palace.
"Oh, so you just think the palace is nice? That's great! What do you think of His Majesty's demeanor? Does it make your heart pound?"
Cen Xi looked at her lazily, snorted, and then suddenly squatted down with a smile and whispered in her ear.
"No, Your Highness, this servant... this servant has never had any improper thoughts, Your Highness, you have misunderstood."
Upon hearing Cen Xi's words, Su Nianniang was so shocked that she almost bit off her tongue, her face filled with disbelief.
"I didn't ask anything, why do you look like that? What, you really have taken a fancy to His Majesty and want to become his concubine?"
Cen Xi stood up lazily, looked down at the woman who resembled her somewhat, and smiled meaningfully.
"No... Absolutely not, Your Majesty. My heart has always belonged to my husband. That's why I came to the palace. He once said that the imperial palace in the capital is the most prosperous and dazzling place. If I were lucky enough to pass the imperial examination, I would like to come and see the palace."
“This servant has always remembered his words, so after coming to the capital, this servant wanted to enter the palace to serve and see this prosperity for him. I have absolutely no intention of leaving. I beg Your Majesty to see this clearly.”
Cen Xi's words were like a knife to the heart, and Su Nianniang immediately broke out in a cold sweat. She knew very well that if she didn't answer well, she might die without a burial place.
So he carefully considered his words and answered Cen Xi's question cautiously.
"So that's how it is. Then why didn't you say so before? It was possible to explain before, but now that the Women's Medical Bureau has moved to the National Women's Prison, you're still acting like this. How can people not think too much? Sometimes, Nianniang really needs to explain the reasons. Otherwise, it's very dangerous if people can't guess your intentions."
When Cen Xi heard her say that, her lips curled up and a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
“This is just a small matter, Nianniang… Nianniang is of low status and did not want to trouble Your Majesty, so I kept this matter to myself. I did not expect Your Majesty to misunderstand. Nianniang is guilty beyond redemption and begs Your Majesty to punish me.”
Su Nianniang's lips trembled, her head was lowered, and she didn't dare to look at Cen Xi at all. Even after explaining, she was still afraid that Cen Xi would pursue the matter.
"Oh, I see. I didn't expect you to be such a deeply affectionate woman. That scholar Liu is truly blessed. Since you are Xiaoyu's biological mother, how could I bear to punish you? Are you sure now that you want to stay in the palace as a maid?"
Cen Xi didn't know whether she believed her or not, but her tone was much better than before, and she even seemed to be thinking about Su Nianniang's future.
"No, that's enough. My face is indeed out of place. If I stay in the palace any longer, I'm afraid I'll annoy Her Highness. I'd better leave the palace. My husband won't blame me."
Su Nianniang looked at Cen Xi with pity and kowtowed repeatedly, begging to leave the palace.
"Are you really going to leave the palace?"
Cen Xi frowned, unsure how to figure out what this woman was thinking.
Previously, she was certain that this woman might very well have other thoughts about Shen Jinchen.
Given her current state, she's uncertain again.
"Yes, a few months is enough. I can give an explanation to Liu Lang. Your Majesty, please let me leave the palace."
Su Nianniang looked at Cen Xi with a determined expression.
"So what are you planning to do after leaving the palace? Get married or something?"
Cen Xi looked at her inquisitively, waiting to see how she would answer.
"This servant only loves Liu Lang in this life and will never marry again. This servant wants to go to the Imperial Women's Academy to continue studying medicine and open a pharmacy to make a living. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."
Su Nianniang glanced at Cen Xi with a melancholy expression, then slowly began to explain her plans.
"What about Xiaoyu and Jiuyi? You abandoned them back then. They are your and that Scholar Liu's children. Don't you want to raise them?"
Cen Xi still couldn't believe that her entry into the palace was due to her relationship with Liu Xiucai. If that were true, how could she abandon her son and daughter?
“Jiuyi will be much more successful in the Duke of Wen’s mansion than with me, her mother. And Xiaoyu, didn’t Your Majesty bestow upon her the title of Princess of Nan’an? Such a high status is something I never dared to dream of before. How could I dare to keep them by my side? Please believe me, Your Majesty, I have absolutely no improper thoughts about His Majesty.”
Su Nianniang smiled and answered gently and appropriately, leaving no room for criticism.
Upon hearing this, Cen Xi smiled. Su Nianniang's answer was flawless, but a voice in her heart told her that she was just being perfunctory.
She actually coveted Shen Jinchen, but she had no evidence and couldn't find anything unusual about him.
What should she do? Cen Xi was undecided. She wasn't a soft-hearted person, but she couldn't bring herself to punish someone without any evidence.
After pondering for a long time, Cen Xi still couldn't make a decision. At this moment, Imperial Physician Sun finished taking the pulses of all the palace maids in Kunde Palace and came to say goodbye to her.
Cen Xi didn't want to keep them any longer, so she said to Su Nianniang:
"Alright, let me think about where you're going. Once I've decided, I'll have Qingyi inform you. You can go back with Physician Sun today."
"yes!"
Su Nianniang kowtowed to express her gratitude, and as she got up, she stole a glance at Cen Xi's expression before following Physician Sun away.
Cen Xi, however, entered the inner hall with even more questions.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that her complexion was not good again, Shen Jinchen pulled her into his arms and asked.
"Did you hear what I said outside just now?"
Cen Xi turned around to look at him.
"I have heard some things. Do you think that Su Nianniang has ulterior motives for staying in the palace and wants to seduce me?"
Shen Jinchen asked with a smile.
"Otherwise what? Then what do you think her purpose was in the palace? Was it really just to help her deceased husband see the magnificence of the palace, as she said? Do you believe that? Tell me the truth, did she ever show up in front of you?"
Cen Xi looked at Shen Jinchen with a mix of provocation and jealousy, waiting for his answer.
"No, if you don't like it, just send her away. She's just a country bumpkin, why are you so upset? Your Majesty only knows how good your husband is now, and you're already jealous of other people's idle chatter."
Shen Jinchen cupped Cen Xi's face in his hands, smiling happily. He noticed that since ascending the throne, his Empress had become increasingly humane. She even knew how to be jealous now; that was quite good.
"I did want to deal with her, but I had spent some time with her children and treated them sincerely. It would be hard to just punish their mother like this."
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