This time, the look Zhou Beichen gave Roupin was not only filled with disgust, but also with coldness.
"Princess Rou, you are guilty of deceiving the emperor."
With such a big hat put on her, Concubine Rou held on tightly. She didn't dare to faint, for fear that if she did, she would never wake up again.
She cried and crawled to Zhou Beichen's feet and grabbed his trouser leg.
"Your Majesty, that's not the case. It's the princess who's lying. Didn't you hear anything just now?"
Shen Nian’an: “…”
He shook his head. It had come to this, and he was still pimping. He was only bringing himself to death.
Taking a step back, Zhou Beichen didn't want to get too close to Concubine Rou, as she was crying and felt unlucky. He pointed at Zhou Zhaonuan, took a breath, and said with contempt.
"Her? She can't even speak clearly. How can I believe that she would lie to me?"
"Also, you just said that Shen Nian'an didn't teach the princess well, but during this period, it was me who taught the princess. Could it be that you mean that it was me who asked Nuannuan to say that?"
Concubine Rou was so frightened that her face turned pale.
"No, no, please, Your Majesty, have mercy and spare me."
Curling his lips, Zhou Beichen spoke impatiently.
"Show mercy? Too late! Come here, Concubine Rou is trying to kill the heir to the throne. She is guilty of insubordination and is banished to the cold palace."
The most devastating thing for a person is not to kill him, but to destroy his heart.
Concubine Rou was carried away by the guards, and Zhou Beichen breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to have no one bothering him.
Shen Nian'an watched all this secretly at the door, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Now, her position in Zhou Beichen's heart is finally a little different from before.
On the way back to Qianyuan Hall, Zhou Beichen picked up Zhou Zhaonuan and Zhou Zeyun one by one.
Noticing that Zhou Zeyun seemed unhappy, Zhou Beichen asked directly.
"What's wrong with Hanhan? Are you unhappy? Tell me and let father hear it."
Little Zhou Zeyun looked up at him, pursed her lips, and spoke slowly.
"Father, is being an emperor tiring? Is it frustrating? Are you constantly being plotted against?"
Zhou Beichen's whole body stiffened. He was stunned by the question. In his ten years as emperor, no one had ever asked him this question.
After a long while, he finally answered.
"Being an emperor means you have supreme power, standing above everyone else. Being an emperor isn't tiring in itself, but being a good emperor who works diligently and loves his people is tiring. As for the annoyance you mentioned, everyone in this world has worries and feels annoyed. As for being schemed against, it's precisely because I'm the emperor that they scheme against me, because I'm worthy of being schemed against."
After saying this, Zhou Beichen looked quite happy, as if he was not sad or uncomfortable because he had to rush to get to the official office every day.
Being an emperor is tiring, isn't it inevitable?
"When in a position, one should plan the affairs of the state."
After hearing this, Zhou Zeyun thought it made sense and nodded in agreement. His father was quite powerful.
Seeing his son's look of admiration and worship, Zhou Beichen suddenly felt elated.
The next day, Fengyi Palace.
When it was still dawn, the queen was letting two or three palace maids dress her up. Han Xin ran in quickly, leaned over and whispered in her ear in a low and cautious voice.
"Your Majesty, news just came from the Pepper Room that Madam Xu was seen bringing medicine into the bedroom after the Emperor left yesterday. I believe Concubine Shen took the medicine."
The Queen's eyes changed. "Tell our people to keep a close eye on her. Make sure she sees Concubine Shen drink the medicine herself. I want to be absolutely sure."
"Yes, yes, I will find someone to tell her right away."
Han Xin left, and the queen was very upset. Originally, she had no children for so many years, and neither did other concubines. She felt balanced in her heart, but now.
The queen became more and more irritated. "I'm so disappointed, so disappointed."
She shouted, "My Lady, here I come."
The Queen looked at her, a ruthless look flashing in her eyes. "Han Xin, after the concubines leave, I will leave Concubine Shen here. Go to Qianyuan Palace to find the Emperor and tell him that Concubine Shen is here. I want to get closer to the eldest prince and princess. See if I can get those two children to come over."
Han Xin didn't know what the queen was planning, so she could only nod.
Besides, last night, after Zhou Beichen left, Shen Nian'an asked Aunt Xu to bring in the boiled medicine. Regardless of whether she drank it or not, she still wanted it just to pretend.
Late night.
"My lady, here comes what you want."
Aunt Xu came in from the back door. She brought a cage with five mice in it, a male, a female, and three baby mice. Looking at the five gray guys in the cage, Shen Nian'an was not afraid. She asked Aunt Xu to take out the medicine she had prepared in advance, pour it on the steamed meat, and serve it to the mouse. As expected, the mouse did not die.
But that’s not all.
We have to wait a few days until the mouse becomes pregnant and see if the mother mouse can give birth to another litter of puppies.
Nanny Xu couldn't understand why Shen Nian'an had to go to such lengths to solve a problem that could be solved by just finding an imperial physician. She could see that she was hesitant to speak, so Shen Nian'an explained.
"In this harem, the Emperor is practically trying to beat me to death. Even though the Empress is polite to me and the other concubines have sent me gifts to congratulate me on leaving the cold palace, deep down, they're just dying to chop me into pieces. The Empress just sent the medicine, and if I immediately call the Imperial Physician, what if he's in cahoots with the Empress and I'm outmaneuvered? I'm afraid I'll be left with no place to bury my body. If I really implicate my two children, it won't be worth it. I'd better wait before calling the Imperial Physician."
After paying respects to the queen in the morning, as expected, once the other concubines left, Shen Nian'an was left in Fengyi Palace.
Originally, it wasn't a big deal, and the queen looked amiable, but for some reason, Shen Nian'an felt that there was a trap, a big one.
"Han Xin, serve tea to Concubine Shen."
The queen's appearance is not particularly stunning, but she is the type that is pleasing to the eye. At this moment, she looks gentle and kind, like a fairy who has fallen into the mortal world.
"Thank you, Queen."
"It's okay, it's just the two of us, you can do whatever you want."
"Thank you very much, Her Majesty, for your consideration."
Seeing that Shen Nian'an didn't look stupid, the queen simply got straight to the point.
She sat up straight, looking righteous and dignified, thinking entirely of Shen Nian'an.
"Princess Chen, I believe you listened to what I said yesterday, and you drank the medicine."
Seeing that the queen was staring at her intently, Shen Nian'an didn't care about her, and just nodded regardless of whether the old lady did it or not.
When she nodded, the queen showed a relieved expression. Although it was only a moment, Shen Nian'an still caught it. She had known for a long time that this queen might not have a very good heart.
"Just drink it, just drink it. If you get pregnant again someday, you'll be a hero to our royal family. After all, these princes and princesses all came from your precious belly."
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