Upon hearing this news, Shen Shi felt a strange emotion rising within him.
From the moment Prime Minister Zhang, unaware of Prince Su's identity, forcibly abducted his concubine in the street, to Prince Su's unexpected arrival at his door, and then to the concubine feeling humiliated and committing suicide by jumping into the river, everything seemed so coincidental.
If it were someone else, it wouldn't matter, but Shen Shi is by nature the most suspicious person and the least likely to believe in coincidences.
As the saying goes, everything is possible with human effort. With so many coincidences coming together, it's hard not to suspect that it was intentional.
Any scheming or manipulative act must have a purpose. If Prince Su did this intentionally, what would his purpose be?
This plot point is not in the original text, and Shen Shi had no close contact with Prince Su. Without knowing his character, it is difficult to make a guess.
Driven by a determination to get to the bottom of things, Shen summoned Prince Su the very next day.
Shen Shi still held a certain amount of respect for his uncle, who held high power and had made great contributions on the battlefield.
The meeting was not held in the main hall, but rather in the imperial study.
With Wang Xi's announcement, "Prince Xuansu requests an audience," a burly middle-aged man strode in with an imposing air.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well." Prince Su greeted Chen Shi.
Seeing his casual way of greeting, Shen Shi immediately realized that this person had a carefree personality.
The emperor, seated above, nodded slightly and said, "Imperial Uncle and I are family. There is no need for such formalities. Please rise."
Upon hearing this, Prince Su stood up, but before he could even regain his footing, Chen Shi cut to the chase and asked, "Uncle, do you know why I summoned you here today?"
"I have some suspicions." Prince Su was indeed a straightforward person, making no attempt to hide his true thoughts.
Having spent so long in the treacherous world of ancient times, Chen Shi was still a little unaccustomed to suddenly encountering such a sincere person.
But this feeling of unease is only temporary, and once it passes, a huge surprise will follow.
Shen Shi, who never showed his emotions, tried his best to maintain his calm expression. "What is your guess, Uncle? Tell me."
Being an emperor is great; you can command others anytime, anywhere. Chen Shi felt like she was completely immersed in it.
Prince Su was not too surprised by his words. In any case, he had come here to petition the Emperor, so it was better for Shen Shi to ask first, saving him the trouble of bringing it up himself.
Prince Su changed his previous attitude of accompanying him. He lifted the corner of his robe, knelt down in front of Shen Shi, and kowtowed three times. Then, with a resolute expression of facing death, he said tragically, "All that I have done is for the Emperor, for the sake of my Shen family's empire."
As expected, Prince Su's answer was exactly what Shen Shi had anticipated. However, Shen Shi never easily trusted people, so he remained silent and looked Prince Su up and down with a suspicious gaze.
"Is it to be loyal to me, or to protect the Shen family's empire? If it's for the Shen family's empire, there's more than one member of the royal bloodline. The difference between the two is like heaven and earth. Uncle, you'd better make it clear. Don't just say nice things in front of me and then think you're just scheming for yourself."
After speaking, Shen Shi's sharp eyes shot towards Prince Su with a dangerous glint in them, like those of a wild beast.
Upon receiving the Emperor's questioning gaze, Prince Su, fearing he would lose Shen Shi's trust, hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please understand. I have been fighting on the battlefield since I was fifteen years old, all for the sake of ensuring the continuation of our Shen family's dynasty. This action was truly out of necessity!"
"Since I have wronged you, then Imperial Uncle, you must explain your predicament. Why can't the Shen family's empire continue?"
Shen Shi's question hit the nail on the head, and even Prince Su, who had been well-prepared, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
But he knew in his heart that from the moment he stepped into the Imperial Study, he had no other choice. The Prince Su, who had fought on the battlefield and killed without blinking an eye, felt a sense of fear welling up in his heart at this moment.
Perhaps it was out of fear of imperial power, but more so out of uncertainty about whether Shen Shi would listen.
Prince Su knew in his heart that whether he succeeded or not, he only had this one chance. So he carefully considered his words before finally gritting his teeth and stamping his foot to speak.
"If I may speak out of treason, whether the Shen family's empire can continue depends on Your Majesty's attitude toward Prime Minister Zhang. If Your Majesty is determined to purge the Zhang family and their cronies, the Shen family's empire will naturally be as solid as a rock. However, if Your Majesty continues to let them go unchecked, it is not impossible that the empire will eventually fall into the hands of the Zhang family."
It took immense courage for Prince Su to force himself to finish saying those words.
The moment the words left his mouth, the teacup he had been holding smashed to the ground, and at the same time, an enraged voice rang out: "Insolence!"
"Do you mean I would be so foolish as to hand over the dragon throne to Prime Minister Zhang?" Prince Su's words infuriated Shen Shi, who did not believe he was that muddleheaded.
Unexpectedly, Prince Su completely ignored his anger and spoke again: "Your Majesty is not being incompetent, but Prime Minister Zhang is too lawless. If he is not restrained, he may cause a great disaster."
"Take this incident for example. Prime Minister Zhang's arrogant behavior is enough to show his disrespect for the royal family. The face of the royal family is the face of the emperor. Prime Minister Zhang has no fear of the royal family. This is a great disrespect to His Majesty."
After listening to Prince Su's long explanation, Shen Shi jokingly said, "Uncle, you are quite good at giving examples."
His initial anger was merely a pretense, intended to gauge Prince Su's resolve. After a series of tests, his response pleased Shen Shi, and his attitude naturally softened.
"It's just some heartfelt words." Prince Su was clearly a person without a sense of humor, and he did not respond to the joke in Shen Shi's tone at all, but still gave his blunt advice.
For such a straightforward and simple person, beating around the bush is obviously not an option, so Shen Shi went straight to the point: "Since Imperial Uncle is so loyal, why don't you tell me what I should do with Prime Minister Zhang?"
Seeing that the emperor had adopted his suggestions, Prince Su's heart was filled with hope.
"In my humble opinion, now is a good opportunity. Offending the royal family is a serious mistake at any time. Why not take this opportunity to give Prime Minister Zhang a good warning?"
His eyes lit up at the mention of Prince Su, and Shen Shi understood at a glance, "This whole affair involving Prime Minister Zhang was orchestrated by the Imperial Uncle, wasn't it?"
"Your Majesty is indeed a man of extraordinary wisdom and strategy; I admire you greatly." Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Prince Su readily admitted it.
"Imperial Uncle, all of this was for the sake of the Shen family's empire?" Shen Shi raised his eyes and looked at Prince Su with a complicated expression.
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