Chapter 539 Zhou Xinrou's Plans!
"His Majesty has arrived..." The old woman in the backyard was about to rush forward with joy when Shen Lanxi looked at her coldly. The old woman immediately trembled, her legs went weak, and she hurriedly knelt on the ground.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Shen Lanxi strode forward, asking as she walked, "I heard Mother wasn't feeling well today?"
The old woman dared not be as careless as before and hurriedly said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am feeling a little unwell. It's an old ailment. The princess forbade me from telling Your Majesty, saying that Your Majesty is busy with state affairs."
Before Shen Lanxi even reached the door, two old women, one on each side, had already bent down and opened the door.
"I brought imperial physicians and miraculous medicines from Medicine King Valley with me this time. If Mother feels unwell again, call the imperial physicians immediately and do not neglect her."
"Yes, I understand."
The old woman originally wanted to say a few more words on Zhou Xinrou's behalf, emphasizing that Shen Congwen's meddling had nothing to do with their princess. However, seeing Shen Lanxi's imposing demeanor, she dared not utter another word.
May Mother be well!
Zhou Xinrou struggled to get up from the bed.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. Long live the Emperor..."
Shen Lanxi seemed surprised that her mother would do this, and slowly helped her up.
"Mother, aren't you making your daughter feel bad? Get up quickly!" With a gentle lift of her hand, Zhou Xinrou was already sitting on the couch.
"Mother, are you blaming me for not bestowing generous rewards upon the Shen family during the coronation ceremony?" Shen Lanxi asked, concerned about her mother's reaction.
Zhou Xinrou looked distressed, her face filled with unbearable sorrow.
"I dare not. I am merely a princess of the former dynasty, and I have no royal blood. How could I possibly blame Your Majesty?"
A hint of sarcasm flashed in Shen Lanxi's eyes, then she said respectfully, "Mother, are you blaming your daughter for this?"
"A daughter is her mother's bloodline. If a mother says she is not of royal blood, then I am naturally not either."
Zhou Xinrou immediately retorted: "No, you are of the late Crown Prince's bloodline, so you must also be a member of the Huang family. It was Emperor Renxiao who usurped the throne, otherwise you wouldn't have ended up in the Shen family. You should be the most noble princess of the Great Zhou."
Shen Lanxi lowered her head, and Zhou Xinrou could only see the top of her head from her angle.
"Mother, isn't my current status more noble than that of a princess?"
Zhou Xinrou shook her head with a bitter face, and said in a worried tone, "Outsiders don't know that you are of royal blood and that you are a woman. So many people secretly oppose your ascension to the throne and wish they could get rid of you as soon as possible!"
Shen Lanxi snorted coldly and turned to the side.
"So what if I'm a woman? If they're not happy, let them stand up. It's time to cleanse the area in front of the palace gates again."
Hearing her say that, Zhou Xinrou seemed to be angry, her chest heaving.
"My child, why can't you understand your mother's words? What I mean is to give you a good opportunity to admit that you are of royal blood, and take this opportunity to expose Emperor Renxiao's crimes!"
So that was her real purpose.
Shen Lanxi's eyes flashed, and she said, "Mother, if I said that, how would you face yourself?"
"Does marrying a woman twice and confusing the royal bloodline sound better than a woman ascending the throne?"
Zhou Xinrou quickly replied, "No, Mother could say that she had already discussed it with your father, and that she had no choice but to marry me in order to preserve the bloodline of the former crown prince."
"By then, the Shen family will also be credited for protecting the late Crown Prince's orphan and preserving the Crown Prince's bloodline. We will then bestow some honors upon the Shen family as a way of repaying their kindness."
Shen Lanxi's eyes were sharp. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I have just ascended the throne and my foundation is not yet stable. If I announce this matter to the world now, it will surely give Zhou Ruyuan, who is eyeing me covetously, a handle to use against me!"
Just as Zhou Xinrou was about to retort, she heard Shen Lanxi say, "Even without Zhou Ruyuan, other ambitious successor vassal kings would seize the opportunity to unleash their murderous atrocities."
"Logically, they are the true legitimate heirs of the royal family. They are men, and in their hearts, it is the man who should be emperor to be in accordance with the will of Heaven. We can talk about bloodlines, but not now. We must wait until I have secured my throne and eliminated Zhou Ruyuan and the powerful vassal kings."
Zhou Xinrou's back gradually softened until she leaned against the soft pillow.
"You're right!"
Shen Lanxi: "The reason I did not bestow a great title upon the Shen family or bring them into the palace is that when it came time to clarify the bloodline, I wanted to openly and legitimately welcome my mother into the palace with the rites due to an empress dowager."
In other words, entering the palace now would be illegitimate and improper.
Zhou Xinrou hesitated when she thought of the title "Empress Dowager".
Lanxi is right. It would be rather awkward for her to enter the palace now and be given any honorary title.
Then there's the Shen family; they definitely can't enter the palace.
"Then your mother will wait for you here."
Shen Lanxi: "Thank you for your understanding, Mother. If Grandmother holds a grudge..."
Zhou Xinrou: "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mother."
Zhou Xinrou slowly raised a smile and said with concern, "The people around you are all too cold and hard; not one of them is considerate. A few days ago, I had my nanny buy some people from the brokerage firm and carefully teach them. They've all learned the rules quite well. When you go back, take them all with you!"
Footsteps approached from outside, and Shen Lanxi turned to look. The area outside was packed with people; a rough count revealed at least twenty.
These people all have a solid lower body, with their heads lowered and shoulders bent, exactly like the posture of kneeling, which shows that they have undergone long-term training.
"Okay, thank you for your concern, Mother."
Seeing that she did not refute, Zhou Xinrou felt that this daughter was still in the palm of her hand.
What daughter would disobey her mother?
"Do we still need those bodyguards?" Zhou Xinrou asked casually.
Shen Lanxi said with a guilty tone, "It was useful, but it caused a lot of damage, and I'm still recovering from it."
Zhou Xinrou had already received a reply; she asked this question to see if her daughter would lie to her.
In retrospect, there was no deception.
very good!
"I don't have much to do in the capital. I spend my days recuperating in the residence and rarely even leave the inner quarters. You can use the guards I left in the capital before. Let them protect you well in place of Mother!"
From now on, these people will be her eyes, her ears, and her mouth.
...
When Shen Lanxi arrived, there were only a few people; when she left, she brought a large group with her.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with these people?" Che Mingyuan frowned.
Shen Lanxi's eyes darkened: "Send all the guards to Tianjin to gather information, and the eunuchs and palace maids... Isn't the palace under renovation? Let them find the secret passages and secret rooms!"
Che Mingyuan's eyes lit up: "This does show His Majesty's trust."
Their emperor seemed not to trust his mother, but he didn't say so explicitly, and those around him couldn't ask too many questions.
But there was one thing he understood very well. His Majesty would not use these people, and it was very likely that their final fate would be to disappear one by one within the palace walls.
...
Wei Dongzhu hesitated for two days before approaching Shen Lanxi before the agreed-upon three-day deadline with Shen Yuantang.
"Shen Yuantang wants to divorce Zhou Ruyuan and move from the Prince of Sin's Mansion to the Shen family."
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