Chapter 109 Soft Heart
The emperor's expression, which had just relaxed, turned extremely gloomy. "Are you doubting me?"
Xiao Yuan said nothing, stood up calmly, bowed to the emperor and prepared to leave.
"Stop right there!" The emperor yelled angrily, "I'm telling you, I'm the emperor. Even if I killed her, it's still within the bounds of the relationship between the emperor and his subjects."
His voice echoed in the imperial study for a long time, but did not stop Xiao Yuan from leaving. He was so angry that he overturned the dragon table and was very angry.
The chief eunuch bravely stepped forward and stroked his back. His scalp felt numb, but he did not dare to say a word to persuade him.
The emperor glanced at the two palace maids and eunuchs in the hall with a cold gaze, narrowed his sharp eyes, and winked at the chief eunuch.
The chief eunuch bent over and called the two men out. They only yelled out half a sentence of begging for mercy before becoming quiet again.
The emperor sat in the dragon chair for a long time before he gradually calmed down his anger. He asked the chief eunuch, "Has he been with Miss Shen these days?"
"Yes, I heard that since the Shen family got into trouble, the Fourth Prince has been accompanying Miss Shen, and the two have a very good relationship."
"Humph, for a woman, he is willing to risk everything." The emperor, still angry, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, after all, I am sorry for them and their son. I will tell Zhou Yunfeng to stop. Concubine Shen is guilty and should be executed immediately."
"Yes." The chief eunuch bent over and went out to order someone to go to the Dali Temple to deliver the message immediately. When he came back, the emperor was staring at the dragon case in a daze.
He smiled and said, "The Emperor loves the Fourth Prince. One day, the Fourth Prince will understand."
"If I rely on him, I'm afraid he will almost drive me off the throne."
He was so presumptuous today, firstly to test him, and secondly to arouse his guilt so as to save the father and son of the Shen family. If he wanted a commoner who had lost his official power, he could give him the money.
As long as his goal is achieved, it's just two lives, and he doesn't want to be separated from his own son because of this.
But thinking of his doubts and bold attempts, the emperor narrowed his eyes dangerously.
He couldn't bear to kill him. Concubine Ning was the last chance he gave him. If he continued to be stubborn and insisted on the death of Concubine Shu...
When Xiao Yuan came out of the imperial study, Ling Chenyi was waiting there, "You are really bold today. In Fengtian Palace, you can't say those words. Now the emperor is in his prime and holds great power. How can you challenge him!"
Xiao Yuan seemed not to have heard what he said. He frowned and asked, "Didn't I tell you to take the jade pendant and mobilize the troops? Why are you still here?"
Ling Chenyi sighed, "I wanted to go, but unfortunately someone got there first and it didn't work out."
He glanced at the carriage, Xiao Yuan frowned, walked over and opened the curtain, and saw Shen Anan leaning against the wall with her hands tied, and his pupils shrank.
He turned around and looked at Ling Chenyi, his face was indescribably cold. Ling Chenyi waved his hand quickly, "Don't get angry first, listen to me."
Xiao Yuan coldly withdrew his gaze, jumped onto the carriage and untied the thick rope on Shen Anan's hands. Looking at the red marks left by the rope, he exuded a strong sense of hostility.
Ling Chenyi explained quickly, "I originally arranged for people to wait with the jade pendant on the road that the Second Prince must take when he returns to the palace, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to exchange the real jade pendant on his waist. Unexpectedly, Miss Shen had the same idea as us. Except for Uncle Zhong, the skills of the people in the Shen Mansion are very average. I was worried that something might happen to her, so I resorted to this desperate measure."
If he couldn't get the jade pendant, he could think of another way. But if something happened to the girl under his nose, he didn't have the courage to explain to Xiao Yuan.
After hearing Ling Chenyi's words, Xiao Yuan's expression became even colder, and he stared at Shen Anan.
"My Shen family has already troubled you a lot, and I don't want you to be in danger because of the Shen family again." Shen Anan's voice was not loud, and her tone was calm and gentle.
Moreover, if Ling Chenyi hadn't interfered, she might not have succeeded. Thinking of this, she gave Ling Chenyi a bad look.
"You're still glaring at me," Ling Chenyi said, smiling, "Even if I don't stop you, if you have the jade pendant, how are you going to rescue people from the prison, and how are you going to get your father and brother out of the capital smoothly?"
"Since I have done it, I have naturally arranged it well in advance."
She had already made arrangements inside and outside the city, and was at least 70% sure that she could get her father and brother out of the capital safely.
But...she herself might end up in the Dali Temple.
But so what? Her father and brother can’t hold on for much longer.
The two of them talked back and forth for quite a while, but Xiao Yuan didn't say a word. He sat in the carriage with a gloomy face. The cold atmosphere made the two of them gradually stop talking.
Ling Chenyi jumped onto the carriage and said, "What a coincidence. I'm going there for the same purpose as you."
However, their plan was not to take the jade pendant to the Dali Temple to release the person, but to kill him with one strike.
"Xiao Yuan risked his life to help you in this matter. How could you act on your own without telling him? If something unexpected happens, can you be worthy of him?"
He thought that if anything happened, Xiao Yuan would go crazy, so even if he was tied up, he stopped Shen Anan's fatal plan.
Shen Anan did not argue this time.
She glanced at Xiao Yuan and felt guilty for the first time. She lowered her head and said nothing.
Ling Chenyi continued, "He openly challenged the emperor in the court and was summoned to the imperial study. It would be a miracle if he could come out alive..."
"Ling Chenyi," Xiao Yuan glanced at him coldly, not letting him continue speaking.
Shen Anan felt even more guilty, and lowered her voice, "I told you last night that the Shen family is no longer valuable. You don't have to bother with it anymore and get into trouble."
"I told you my feelings last night." Xiao Yuan was very angry, but when he saw Shen An'an with her head down, he barely suppressed his anger.
He was very angry at what she said, but he also thought that although she was unwilling to accept it, she at least appreciated his kindness, and knew that she was too guilty to look at him, so this was progress.
Shen Anan wanted to refute something, but when she looked up and saw Ling Chenyi staring at the two of them with gossipy eyes, she swallowed back her refusal.
After all, they are brothers. Wouldn't it be a bit disrespectful to Xiao Yuan to reject him in front of Ling Chenyi? After all, he has made a lot of efforts for the Shen family. It would be better to wait until there is no one around before talking about it.
"What should we do now?" Ling Chenyi turned the fake jade pendant in his palm.
Just as Xiao Yuan was about to say something, a shrill greeting was heard outside the carriage. Xiao Yuan's eyes moved slightly, and he lifted the curtain to look at the young eunuch kneeling on the palace road.
He was still holding the document representing the emperor's oral order, "Why are you leaving the palace at this time?"
"Replying to the Fourth Prince, I am here to deliver a message to the Dali Temple on the orders of the Emperor."
Upon hearing this, Shen Anan immediately leaned towards the window where Xiao Yuan was. He glanced at her sideways, patted her back silently, and continued to ask.
"What message?"
"This..." The young eunuch paused, looked around, and when he saw that there was no one around, he quickly stood up and walked to the carriage, lowering his voice and saying, "Grant the death of Concubine Shen, and give a fair trial to the Shen family father and son."
"Okay, go ahead." Xiao Yuan concealed the expression in his eyes, lowered the curtain and sat down.
Shen Anan fell down and sat down beside him, as if she was still a little dazed, her almond eyes fixed, and she didn't speak for a long time.
"Why? Can't bear to part with Concubine Shen?"
She then raised her eyes to look at Xiao Yuan and shook her head, "The Emperor wants Zhou Yunfeng to release my father and brother?"
This should be what a fair trial means, but didn't he hand his father and brother over to the Dali Temple with the intention of killing them? Why is he suddenly letting them go?
Xiao Yuan nodded, "He's fine, but his official position is most likely lost, and so is Concubine Shen."
"The official position doesn't matter." She let out a long sigh, and suddenly felt that the Shen family's decision to retreat from the capital in the previous life was the right choice. Living in peace and security is far better than staying in the capital and living in fear all the time.
As for Concubine Shen,
She lowered her head slightly, thinking of her grandmother's body. She was afraid that her aunt's departure would be a fatal blow to her grandmother.
"How did you do it?" Ling Chenyi suddenly asked curiously.
"I see that the emperor has made up his mind to deal with the Shen family this time. What did you say in the imperial study? Why did he suddenly change his mind?"
Shen Anan also looked at Xiao Yuan immediately. She also wanted to know so that she could understand how much favor she owed him.
"He didn't say anything." Xiao Yuan turned his eyes to look at the shaking curtain, "He just mentioned my mother."
Losing his mother at a young age has been a knot in his heart for many years, and it is also the knot that caused the discord between him and the emperor. The emperor felt guilty every time he mentioned it, but he never took advantage of this guilt and never mentioned it in front of him.
Today he risked his life to question, if his mother's death was really related to him, he would definitely feel guilty, and he could use this guilt.
But it also proves that he is indeed involved in his mother's death.
He lowered his eyes, making it impossible for people to see his expression, but the people sitting in the carriage were all people who knew him very well. Shen Anan knew that he was in a very bad mood at the moment, and could even be said to be sad.
Her heart trembled violently, and inexplicable emotions surged in her chest like waves.
She knew what the death of Concubine Shu meant to him, and realized that this love would be difficult to repay.
"Thank you." She was silent for a while before finally squeezing out these two words.
Xiao Yuan had regained his composure and pursed his lips lightly, "I was just testing him. I didn't expect him to have a change of heart and let your father and brother go. It was just a coincidence."
He did not lie to her. His original plan was to use the Second Prince's jade pendant to mobilize troops into the capital. If the prince's private troops entered the capital, he could legitimately send troops to suppress the rebellion. In times of chaos, anything could happen.
For example, the Zhou family died in a chaos of swords while trying to protect the prisoners. Another example is Xiao Ze's generals and followers. Xiao Ze will not sit idly by and watch his power being eliminated, so he can only go with the flow! !
It was indeed beyond his expectation that the emperor would suddenly release Shen's father and brother.
"No matter what, I thank you. I will remember this favor on behalf of the Shen family."
"You should remember more than just this." Ling Chenyi said in a sarcastic tone.
She didn't know, but he guessed what Xiao Yuan's original plan was. In their plan, this was definitely not the right time to mutiny. However, because of the Shen family, Xiao Yuan changed his mind and intended to mutiny in advance! !
The jade pendant should have been prepared long ago in case of emergency.
Xiao Yuan's cold gaze swept over Ling Chenyi, successfully making him shut up.
"The emperor is increasingly wary of me and is planning to support the second prince to fight against me. What I have done is also for myself."
The early mutiny was indeed due to the Shen family, but it was also due to changes in the situation, the emperor's suppression, and Xiao Ze's growth, so he naturally would not wait any longer.
The emperor's temporary action avoided a riot in the court.
Shen Anan didn't say anything else, but she kept this friendship in her heart. It had nothing to do with the grudges between men and women. This was a debt owed by the entire Shen family, and she should be grateful.
Ling Chenyi half teased, "It's rare, when one day I can see Miss Shen without thorns, gentle and lovely, why, did you suddenly find your conscience."
His words were quite sarcastic. Shen Anan knew that he and Xiao Yuan had an unusual relationship. It must be because Xiao Yuan was resentful of taking risks for the Shen family.
She looked away calmly without saying anything, silently accepting his ridicule.
She even believed that if anything happened to Xiao Yuan, he would most likely use her to pay for Xiao Yuan's life. Thinking of this, she looked at Xiao Yuan, and the string in her heart was plucked fiercely.
Is it really because he said last night that he liked her that he did so much for the Shen family?
Apart from this, she really couldn't think of any other reason, but how could it be? How could he like her when he hated her so much?
Master Wen Yin said that fate is already determined, and what can be changed is only the process, not the direction.
After many twists and turns, the Shen family eventually fell into decline. She and Xiao Yuan also tried their best to change, but in the end, they still had to be entangled with each other for various reasons.
So, her efforts were in vain? It's just that they reach the inevitable ending through different processes.
Her eyes gradually became hazy. She looked at Xiao Yuan, but also seemed to be looking at others through him. A mist slowly rose.
Xiao Yuan frowned, thinking that she was uncomfortable because of Ling Chenyi's words, and shot a cold look at Ling Chenyi on the side.
"Tsk, you woman, why are you still complaining?"
Xiao Yuan knocked on the carriage and it stopped immediately. This was a routine that Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan were very familiar with.
"Okay, I'm leaving. I value women over friendship. When she doesn't treat you well, don't drag me out to drink." As he said that, he jumped off the carriage, not forgetting to glare at Shen Anan.
I thought this girl was different from others, but she was so stingy. She couldn't even say a word to him and she kept complaining to Xiao Yuan.
"Hmm?" Shen Anan lifted the car curtain and looked out, meeting Ling Chenyi's resentful gaze, not knowing what had just happened.
"He hasn't arrived yet, why did he go down?"
"He feels bored and goes downstairs for a walk." Xiao Yuan said calmly.
"Oh." Shen Anan lowered the curtain, thinking that it was such a cold day, and wondered what Ling Chenyi's habit was that he would not sit in a warm carriage.
"How many days will it take for my father and brother to return home?"
"I'll go take a walk later and should be able to go back tomorrow."
"Thank you." Apart from this, she didn't know what else to say.
They had never been together like this before, so she felt a little restrained.
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