Shen Ru thought that the man had no ill intentions, so he stopped Han Jiang and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Han Jiang frowned, but it was not easy for him to follow him directly.

"Please come this way, young lady." The middle-aged man turned and looked at Shen Ruyi with a smile.

Shen Ruyi followed him upstairs, entered a teahouse, and then came to the door of the private room.

"Please come in, young lady. My master is waiting for you inside."

The middle-aged man stopped and stood guard at the door.

Shen Ruyi took a look inside and her intuition told her that the person inside was not an old beggar, but someone in the palace.

After all, every move of this middle-aged man is too special.

He is a eunuch.

Shen Ruyi didn't see it at first, but after taking two steps, she felt it -

This person is most likely Eunuch Yuan who just returned from the inn.

Then, it is not difficult to guess who is inside.

Shen Ruyi took a deep breath, walked into the house and knelt down, "Your Highness, your servant greets you."

Outside the door, Eunuch Yuan was stunned.

He originally thought that Shen Ruyi followed him up because she mistook him for an old beggar.

But he didn't expect that she saw through him.

This girl is really smart.

By the window, the emperor stood in casual attire with his hands behind his back. The dim light from the candle on the table made his back look particularly majestic. His aura alone was enough to make people respect him.

Shen Ruyi was attracted by his aura. Not only did she not lower her head, she couldn't help but look at him.

The emperor turned around and his eyes fell on her face.

Eunuch Yuan has followed him for many years, so it is impossible for him to directly explain his identity to Shen Ruyi. The only possibility is that Shen Ruyi guessed his identity.

I haven't seen it, but I guessed it.

Such a smart little girl, no wonder Lao Jiu would fall in love with her...

The floating thoughts came to an abrupt end the moment I saw her eyes clearly.

There was a hint of shock in the emperor's eyes, and he almost couldn't help but go forward and pull her up himself.

He raised his feet, then came back to his senses and said, "Get up and come to my side."

picture!

So similar!

Not just similar, it was exactly the same as when he met the late queen!

How could he believe that Shen Ruyi and the late queen had no relationship by marriage?

The emperor's heart trembled and his eyes turned red in an instant.

After twenty years of yearning for it, when I look back I can only recall my youth. I only remember the apricot blossoms and drizzle in the south of the Yangtze River that year.

The late Queen Wanru stood on the bow of the boat, raised her lips to him, and smiled like a painting, "Sir, do you want to cross the river? If it's not raining, it's one cent, if it's raining, it's three cents. Seeing that you are gentle and suave, you look pleasing to the eye, so I won't charge you."

She is a lady from the Cao Gang and is proficient in all kinds of martial arts.

She is also bolder than ordinary women.

Just one glance and he was moved.

He didn't pay a penny on that boat trip, but he left his heart on the boat and vowed to protect her for the rest of his life.

However, he did not expect that Western Qin would invade and he would lead his army there.

When she came back, she had already died at the hands of Nanyan's assassins.

Even though he later defeated Southern Yan and killed his enemies to avenge her, she was gone and even her soul never appeared in his dreams.

In the blink of an eye, the prince has grown up to this age.

The emperor's eyes were filled with tears as he looked at the girl in coarse clothes in front of him, as if he was remembering his sweetheart from his youth.

"What's your mother's name?"

After a long while, his voice trembled.

Shen Ruyi was extremely surprised.

She also didn't expect that the first thing the emperor asked when he saw her was his mother's name.

It has been sixteen years since her mother, Mrs. Shen, passed away.

Her mother died when she was born.

Never seen it either.

There was a portrait of Shen Cangyun hanging in her room, but the artist wasn't very good at drawing the portrait, so it was hard to tell what the real person looked like...

All these years, her mother only existed in her imagination.

When I am sad and upset, I always want my mother to be by my side in my dreams at midnight. Even when I was on the verge of life and death last time, I held Rong Yan's arm and called out for my mother.

Shen Ruyi shed tears and lowered her eyes and replied, "Your Majesty, my mother's name is Su Wanyi."

"Wen Yi?"

The emperor pondered over the name.

Wanru, graceful.

No matter how you listen, they seem like sisters.

But why haven’t I heard Wanru mention it?

Moreover, one has the surname Bai and the other has the surname Su, which is very strange.

"Who is your mother?" the emperor came back to his senses and asked.

Shen Ruyi's voice was hoarse and she choked up a little. "She's from Qinghe County, Nanzhou. I heard that she grew up there."

The emperor fell silent after hearing this.

Qinghe County in Nanzhou is the territory of the Cao Gang, and the home of the late Queen Bai Wanru's maternal grandfather is located there.

That year, he went to Jiangnan and also visited Qinghe County.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ruyi's mother also came from Qinghe County, and her surname was Su.

Then, she might be Queen Wanru's cousin.

However, there seemed to be something wrong with what Shen Ruyi said.

The emperor was thoughtful. He came back to his senses and motioned her to sit down. He asked, "Why did you just say that you heard your mother grew up there?"

That's a strange thing to say.

Shen Ruyi said, "Because I have never seen my mother, I only heard it from hearsay. It is said that although my mother grew up in Qinghe County, she is not from Qinghe County. She was adopted by my grandfather, so she has the surname Su."

“So that’s how it is!”

The emperor suddenly realized and his mind became clear.

Madam Shen is indeed the Queen’s sister!

Of the girls in the Bai family, one was raised at home, and the other was adopted by her parents and stayed with her eldest brother-in-law!

So, one is called Bai Wanru and the other is called Su Wanyi!

No wonder Shen Ruyi looks so much like Empress Wanru!

The emperor's heart was filled with turmoil. His eyes fell on the girl in front of him again and he asked, "Are you unhappy about being married to the prince?"

“…”

Shen Ruyi was of course dissatisfied.

But can this dissatisfaction be expressed?

But after hesitating for a moment, she still told the truth: "Ruyi loves the Ninth Prince, and the Ninth Prince saved Ruyi's life, so she was really shocked to receive the imperial edict."

"But since the emperor has made this arrangement, it must be out of considerations at a higher level, so I can't say I'm particularly dissatisfied."

The emperor snorted, "You are honest and courageous."

It’s comparable to Laojiu.

Shen Ruyi said: "I dare not deceive the emperor."

The emperor nodded and looked out the window.

The box was very quiet. The emperor didn't speak, and Shen Ruyi didn't know what to say, let alone say more.

A big fire was burning in Yingchun Tower below, lighting up the windows red, and snowflakes were floating in from the front, giving a very eerie feeling.

It seems like hell lies ahead.

It seems like celebrating.

Shen Ruyi was a little dazed for a moment, but suddenly she heard the emperor say, "Just marry him, the prince won't touch you. If you want to get what you want, you have to be patient."

Shen Ruyi came back to her senses with a start.

When she raised her head, she saw the emperor looking at her, his unfathomable gaze falling on her face, "Judging from your reaction at the Gu family, you should be able to keep your composure."

“…”

Shen Ruyi didn't understand what he meant.

But she could only nod and said, "I don't understand, but...I will follow the emperor's instructions."

There was only one thing she was clear about:

She offended the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Shangshu Mansion, the Second Prince and Concubine Li.

Now, in the whole world, the only one who can truly protect her is the emperor in front of her.

If she offends the emperor again, she will face death.