In the past, people said that she was the closest woman to the emperor, except for the concubines.

Of course, she is different from the concubines.

It is precisely because of its difference that it is unique and appears to be particularly honored.

Now, this person has become Ruyi.

No, to be precise, from the very beginning her position in the emperor's mind was not as good as Ruyi's.

She and the emperor are related by marriage, and her title of princess was bestowed by the late emperor and has nothing to do with the emperor.

And she never really got close to the government.

But as expected...

As Ziwei's lucky star, she had this opportunity.

Ye Hongzhuang was a little dazed as she thought about these things.

At this time, the guards brought Shen Qi in, "Your Highness, Master Shen Wu wants to see you!"

Ye Hongzhuang came back to her senses, looked towards the door, hesitated for a moment and said, "Let him in."

Shen Qi entered the room and knelt down, his voice tinged with tears, "Disciple greets Master, something terrible has happened in my family! Please give me some advice!"

Having followed Ye Hongzhuang for more than a year, Ye Hongzhuang is the person closest to the imperial power that he can ask for.

Shen Qi placed all his hopes on her.

Ye Hongzhuang looked at him with mixed feelings.

After a moment, he said, "I can't help you with the Prime Minister's Mansion. If you want advice, I have a few words to say to you. Please stand up."

Shen Qi felt disappointed at first, but then he felt hopeful.

Standing up and looking at Ye Hongzhuang, his eyes were full of expectation and pain after his family was broken up.

Ye Hongzhuang looked at him and said, "You chopped off Ruyi's legs. Although you chopped off the wrong person, your crime is unforgivable. This matter must be resolved, otherwise you will never be able to get out of this situation again."

Shen Qi was terrified and knelt down again, "Master, please explain clearly!"

"The northern border is cold and no one is willing to guard it. Now, if you want to come back to life, there is only one way to go."

Ye Hongzhuang looked at him and said, "Tonight, you will kneel at the gate of the palace, admit your mistakes, and ask the emperor to allow you to guard the northern border."

"If you can make a name for yourself over there, you will have nothing to do with the Prime Minister's Mansion when you come back."

Shen Qi felt cold all over when he heard this.

Although Qidu has cold winters, the coldest time is when there is only three feet of snow.

A year like this only occurs once every seven or eight years.

Sometimes, you may not see anything like this year for more than ten years.

But the northern border is different.

The northern border has been like this every year, and it will only get colder. It’s hard to keep warm even at home, let alone standing on the city wall in the midst of wind and snow?

Others didn't want to go, and Shen Qi didn't want to go either.

Ye Hongzhuang looked at him, "I know you don't want to, but if you choose to stay, just wait to be torn into pieces. I can tell you that the Prime Minister's Mansion has no future."

Her eyes were determined, and that determination was revealed in her slender, slightly upturned almond-shaped eyes. There was a kind of indifference that made people despair.

But... close to the truth.

It seemed as if the blood in Shen Qi's body had stopped flowing.

"Waiting to die in the capital, or going to the northern border to fight for a chance of survival, it's your choice."

Ye Hongzhuang looked at him and said, "This is the only thing I can do for you as your master. As long as you are willing, I can find a way to let you go. There will naturally be people over there to help you and won't make you too sad."

If you don't agree, she will get angry.

Ye Hongzhuang stared at him.

Shen Qi could only kneel down and said, "Disciple, I will listen to Master's instructions!"

Ye Hongzhuang nodded, "Since you are quite smart, I will give you one more tip."

"Your father has been deposed. He is now only a sixth-rank official in a remote place like the Ministry of Rites. So, you can't count on him anymore."

"If you brothers want to survive, there is only one way, stay away from the court and avoid the battle for the throne. If you can achieve great things from afar in your later years, you will have a chance to make a comeback."

Ye Hongzhuang said, looking at Shen Qi, "I'm telling you the truth, the emperor is asking the fourth prince to investigate the tax case. If your father's hands are not clean, then he will be dead soon."

Obviously in the house.

Although there was a red brazier right in front of him, Shen Qi felt cold from head to toe and could hardly accept this fact.

"Go ahead. You can't stay here forever. This will easily arouse suspicion."

Ye Hongzhuang issued an order to expel the guest, and finally left a sentence, "The court is turbulent, and the succession of the throne is the normal state of the ups and downs of history. Everything will happen at the right time."

“Life has its ups and downs, too.”

"I hope that when we meet again in the future, you will be a completely different person, instead of just living and dying like your fathers!"

After hearing these words, Shen Qi left.

Ye Hongzhuang said this with high spirits, but when it came to him, it took on a tragic meaning.

In fact, his mind is still confused to this day.

That day on the cold pond, his father told him to choose between the Prime Minister's Mansion and Ruyi.

There are relatives on both sides.

There are four people's chips on one side and only one on the other side.

He chose the majority.

But the result...

Leaving the princess's mansion and walking on the way home, he still didn't know what to do if he encountered such a scene again.

Sometimes, no matter what choice people make, they will regret and lose.

…

"The Prime Minister's Mansion is already in such a state, and you still want to send him away. Do you expect him to be reused?"

The prince consort didn't understand Ye Hongzhuang's arrangement and looked at her in surprise.

Ye Hongzhuang took a deep breath and said, "My brother is six years older than me. The late emperor died at the age of sixty-one."

After a pause, she continued, "If nothing unexpected happens, my brother will still be on the throne for another ten years. He will probably be in his fifties before he is willing to step down."

"Ten years is enough for Shen Cangyun to go from a fifth-rank official to a prime minister, and then to a deputy minister. It is also enough to change the dynasty..."

Ye Hongzhuang glanced at the prince consort, "What will the situation be like in ten years? Who can tell?"

"If Rong Yan ascends the throne, he will most likely not use the Shen family. But what if someone else ascends the throne? Although the northern border is bitter and cold, it is of vital importance to the emperor."

"If there is no one stationed there, the Northern Desert Cavalry will sweep down and march straight to Kyoto. It's not like we can resist them."

"I am just giving Shen Qi a way out, and also giving ourselves a way out."

"If Rong Yan ascends the throne, even if he hates the Shen family, he will let Shen Qi go for the sake of peace on the border. If he lets Shen Qi go, he won't implicate us."

"If someone else ascends the throne, Shen Qi may come back and become a general. That will be good for us."

Ye Hongzhuang sighed and said, "Although I am a princess, my last name is Ye, not Rong. I am not a real royal family. You and I only want a stable life in this world."

The prince consort fell silent upon hearing this.

After a moment, he looked at Ye Hongzhuang and said with emotion: "For so many years, thanks to Your Highness taking charge of the family, otherwise I would not know how I would have died."

Ye Hongzhuang sighed, "We are family, so let's not talk about our differences. Well, I'll go meet that lucky Ziwei star."

The prince consort looked at her and said, "Isn't it a bad idea at this critical moment? If the emperor knew..."

Ye Hongzhuang glanced in the direction of the palace and said, "There is nothing that can be hidden from my brother. Just go there openly. There is no need to be sneaky like his sons."

After saying that, he snorted coldly.

Acting secretly only proves that you have something to hide.

If you can't hide it, it will arouse suspicion.