Chapter 257 Border Support
"If it were me, do you think I would be unprepared and let you break into the mansion so easily? Tian'er and I depend on each other for survival, and I would watch you hurt him."
Shen Anan was silent, as if thinking about the truthfulness of Shen Yunbai's words.
"If you release Tian'er, I won't make this public. If anything happens to Tian'er, Xiao Yuan's life or death is in jeopardy. You alone cannot stabilize the situation, nor can you withstand the emperor's wrath."
Shen Anan knew very well that what Shen Yunbai said was the truth, and everything she had was just relying on Xiao Yuan's power.
She turned her eyes to Chen Tian, who had already fainted, and said in a cold voice, "You'd better tell the truth. Although I can't resist the emperor, I still have the ability to perish together with him."
Shen Yunbai's forehead was bulging with veins, and his breathing became heavier due to anger. "I was not the one who poisoned Xiao Yuan. Even if he dies, it is not my fault. Why would he perish with me!!!"
"Humph." Shen Anan sneered, "So, you'd better pray that he is safe and sound, otherwise, try it."
“…”
Only women and villains are difficult to raise. Shen Yunbai was deeply touched by this sentence for the first time. Not to mention the truth, even communication has limitations.
Shen Anan had to pin this basin of dirty water on him. If he had this ability, would he have allowed the emperor to live until now?
"You let my brother go first."
Shen Anan raised his hand, and Qingfeng threw Chen Tian to Shen Yunbai as if he was throwing away garbage, “Don’t forget what you promised me, otherwise, I will come again.”
"Let's go." After saying that, Shen Anan led a group of people to leave the Shen Mansion in a mighty manner.
"Tian'er, Tian'er." Shen Yunbai was furious and ordered someone to call a doctor immediately.
He looked at the mess in the yard and the unconscious Chen Tian, like a wild beast on the verge of losing control, filled with rage.
——
In the carriage back to the mansion, Shen Anan sat blankly, and her silence made Qing An and Qing Feng feel terrified.
"If it's not Shen Yunbai, who could it be? Who poisoned him? The emperor? Half a month ago? Was it half a month ago?"
She lowered her head, covering half of her face with her hands, looking irritable and anxious.
Qing An was afraid that she would think of breaking into Fengtian Palace, so he immediately asked, "Princess, is it possible that Shen Yunbai lied?"
"No, he didn't lie." Shen Anan was very sure, "If he did it, he would have guarded the house tightly to prevent anyone from stealing the antidote, or just in case. But look at the Shen Mansion today. The servants are lazy, and the soldiers can't even guard the door."
Qing'an frowned deeply and was very anxious. He racked his brains to think about what had happened in the past half month, trying to find clues.
"Go to the Yongning Marquis' Mansion and inform Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan of the situation. Ask them to deal with the situation in the court tomorrow. Do not let the emperor find out anything unusual."
"Yes." Qing'an took the order and left.
——
Half an hour later, a seemingly leisurely figure walked into Wutong Garden at a very fast pace.
"Cousin, what's going on?"
Shen Anan shook her head and looked at the person on the bed. Ling Chenyi also walked forward quickly, with an unprecedented seriousness in his eyes.
"You can ask the imperial physician to see him. Have you asked any folk doctors? Some of them are highly skilled doctors."
"I asked everyone, but they all said they were helpless."
"Poisoning? Could it be poisoning? Where did he go before the incident?"
"I put a knife to Chen Tian's neck. It wasn't Shen Yunbai who did it."
For a moment, the conversation between the two came to a stalemate. At this time, Mo Xiang reported that Li Huaiyan had arrived, and the two left the main house and went to the outer room.
"I can support the Fourth Prince's Mansion, but I can't interfere in the court. I have to trouble you to block it. You must not disclose Xiao Yuan's current situation. Otherwise, without him in charge, we will be like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others."
"What my cousin said is true. Don't worry. We will do our best to delay the situation in the court, but I'm afraid it won't last too long. As for Xiao Yuan, we need to find a solution as soon as possible."
"Yes, I will."
The three of them fell into silence for a long time, all with worried looks on their faces.
——
After sending the people away, Shen Anan returned to the house again and sat there for more than an hour. It was not until Mo Xiang said that Qingan had something to report that she moved slightly, and her eyes showed emotions other than numbness.
"You keep watch over him."
"yes."
Outside, Qing'an's brows were tightly knitted together, and he seemed a little entangled. When he saw Shen An'an appear, he pursed his lips fiercely.
"Go ahead."
"Princess, I suddenly remembered something, but I don't know if it can be used."
"you say."
"Half a month ago." Qing An said slowly, "Except for the injury, there was nothing unusual about the master. If there is anything strange, it is that he has nightmares every night."
Shen Anan frowned and looked up at Qingan, "Nightmare? What nightmare?"
"I don't know what the nightmare was specifically, but I only know that the master would wake up in the early morning with cold sweat all over his body, as if he was very frightened. He would be scared for the whole day afterwards."
"How long will this situation last?" Shen Anan clutched the armrest of the chair and asked anxiously.
"It has always happened. I didn't know about it after you came back, but it almost always happened whenever the master stayed in the study. But the master must have gotten used to it, so he wasn't as frightened as he was at first."
Shen Anan fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.
Qing'an didn't know whether this matter would be useful or not, so he bowed and walked out.
Shen Anan began to try hard to recall. She seemed to remember that Xiao Yuan had mentioned it to her, but she couldn't remember what he had said.
Can a recurring nightmare lead to a person's demise? She clasped her hands tightly together, her expression gloomy.
——
In Fengtian Hall, the emperor glanced at the empty seats in front of him and frowned slightly, "Ling Chenyi."
"I am here."
"Where is he? Is he still sick?"
"Your Majesty," Ling Chenyi lowered his head, his mind racing, "The Imperial Physician said that the Fourth Prince needs to rest and recuperate."
"Which imperial physician said that? Call them here. They always say the same thing. What's the point of keeping them here?"
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and no one spoke.
Ling Chenyi was trying to find a way to resolve the situation when a clear voice rang out, changing the subject. "Your Majesty, today the Ministry of War received an urgent report from the border. The offensive in the Western Regions is swift and fierce, and General Qi is unable to cope with the situation. We request that the court send troops to support us as soon as possible."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was in an uproar.
The emperor frowned and said in a slightly cold voice, "Qi Jinping was defeated? What does the Western Region want to do? Do they want to tear up the contract and go to war with Daliang?"
In the past, they were just minor incidents, but now, with frequent actions in the Western Regions, the emperor could not help but consider the worst case scenario.
Another official stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the border has been peaceful for decades, and most of the troops have been transferred away long ago. If the Western Regions are determined to attack Daliang, it will be difficult to defend with the troops there alone. Please make a decision as soon as possible and send people to support us."
"Please ask the emperor to make the decision and send generals to support us." The ministers said in unison.
The emperor was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed with a cold light, "Then who do you think is the most suitable person to be sent?"
"When it comes to leading troops to fight, the Fourth Prince is the most courageous."
"Lord Li." Ling Chenyi's eyes were cold as he stared at the official who stood up to speak. "The Fourth Prince's old illness has relapsed and he needs to rest. Could it be that Lord Li is deaf and didn't hear it? If so, Lord Li should not be standing in the court and should retire early."
"This," Lord Li's face turned red after being scolded, but he was afraid of his low official position and dared not speak out, so he looked at Shen Yunbai lightly.
"Lord Li only said that the Fourth Prince is brave, but he did not say that the Fourth Prince must go. Prince Ling's reaction is a bit too radical." Shen Yunbai said indifferently.
"Minister Shen is right." Another man came out, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, all the officials who came to visit you in the past two days were turned away. If you just need to rest, why would you do this? Is there any clue?"
"What does Lord Zhang mean by this? Are you saying that the Fourth Prince and I are deceiving the emperor?" Ling Chenyi was very strong and would stop anyone who opened his mouth.
"I didn't mean that. I just found it strange. The Fourth Prince never neglected his duties even when he was injured. But now he has been absent from the morning court for several days because of the doctor's words. It is inevitable that people will be puzzled."
After hearing this, everyone in the Fengtian Hall frowned slightly, and the emperor's sharp eyes narrowed into a line as he looked at Ling Chenyi.
"Since you are resting, you naturally cannot be disturbed. Since you know the imperial physician's instructions, you still come to visit me. What are you thinking?"
On the other side, Shen Yunbai clasped his hands in front of his chest, watching coldly as those adults argued with Ling Chenyi. Then the argument slowly expanded and turned into a quarrel between factions. The corners of his lips slowly curled up into a cold smile.
"Shut up." The emperor shouted angrily, and the Fengtian Hall immediately became unusually quiet.
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