Chapter 405 Rumors Spread!
The court has been in a state of stagnation for three days, and the court officials are getting anxious.
Those who support them are even more anxious.
The concubines of the harem and the officials of the former court all came to Shen Lanxi, demanding to see Emperor Renxiao.
"Shen Lanxi, you're blocking us from seeing His Majesty. Are you plotting a rebellion?"
"We want to see His Majesty, but Shen Lanxi, you won't let us see him. Did His Majesty ask you to harm him?"
“Shen Lanxi, you are a woman, yet you have dared to interfere in politics. This is simply outrageous.”
"Take down Shen Lanxi, uphold the law and order, and restore peace and tranquility to our Great Zhou Dynasty."
...
"My lord, if they keep making such a fuss, things might get complicated," Che Mingyuan said worriedly.
Shen Lanxi said with a half-smile, "Go ahead and make a scene. This fire isn't big enough yet; it's not time to put it out."
Che Mingyuan's face was full of worry, and even though Shen Lanxi thought he was being long-winded, he still had to talk.
"My lord, it is easier to stop a river from overflowing than to silence the people!"
Shen Lanxi: "Just wait and see, there will be a good show to watch in a few days."
~
"My lord, the Prince of Zhennan has arrived and requests to see you," the Imperial Guard announced.
Shen Lanxi: "Bring him in."
Zhou Ruyuan stared at Shen Lanxi in a daze. Although they had just met before, it felt like a very long time had passed.
Looking at Shen Lanxi sitting right in front of the desk, Zhou Ruyuan felt as if he were very far away from her.
"Lanxi".
Shen Lanxi looked up: "Prince Zhennan, please call me Lord Shen or Duke Juding."
A look of pain flashed in Zhou Ruyuan's eyes as he said with difficulty, "Do we really have to talk like this?"
Shen Lanxi: "If you're not satisfied with the way I address you, you can call me Big Sister, just like Yuan Tang does."
Zhou Ruyuan froze, his hand under his sleeve suddenly clenching.
"Lanxi, Yuan Tang and I have a misunderstanding. I won't touch her."
Shen Lanxi interrupted, "Whether you misunderstand or not, it has nothing to do with me. If the Prince of Zhennan has come to me just to say something ambiguous, then please leave. I am really busy with official duties."
Zhou Ruyuan was somewhat embarrassed. It was no use saying anything now; the damage had already been done to Lan Xi.
He was filled with regret. If he had realized his own feelings sooner, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way...
"Sir, the third round of patrols for today has ended." Wei Dongzhu entered.
Zhou Ruyuan stared at him intently, his fists clenching again.
Shen Lanxi: "After a cup of tea, we will begin the fourth round of patrols."
"yes".
Wei Dongzhu did not leave. Instead, as if asserting his sovereignty, he walked to Shen Lanxi's desk, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.
Zhou Ruyuan gritted his teeth and turned his gaze away.
"I have come to see my father, the Emperor."
Shen Lanxi: "When the Prince of Zhennan arrived, did he see the document personally written by His Majesty at the palace gate?"
Zhou Ruyuan remained silent.
He had seen it, of course, but his mother was anxious and had secretly sent people to urge him more than ten times. She was afraid that something might happen in the palace, and if he arrived too late, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Shen Lanxi: "His Majesty has stated that he will not see anyone unless it is a matter of great importance to the court. I wonder if the Prince of Zhennan has something important to discuss?"
Of course not.
Zhou Ruyuan: "I heard that my father is unwell, so I came to visit him."
Shen Lanxi: "The second clause in the document states that concubines, princes, and princesses are not allowed to visit him."
Zhou Ruyuan frowned: "As a son, how can I not come to visit my father when I learn that he is unwell?"
Shen Lanxi said calmly, "I am only acting according to His Majesty's orders. I hope Prince Zhennan will not make things difficult for me."
Zhou Ruyuan looked at her quietly and asked, "Could you please pass on a message to my father?"
Shen Lanxi: "Please speak."
"I hope Father Emperor will take good care of himself and recover soon." Zhou Ruyuan changed the subject and continued to ask.
"If I can't see my father, can I see my mother?"
Shen Lanxi: "No, His Majesty has decreed that the inner palace be closed."
Zhou Ruyuan's eyes darkened: "Could it be that it brought a message to my mother?"
Shen Lanxi: "Okay."
Zhou Ruyuan: "Just like I told my father, tell my mother to take care of her health and not to worry too much."
Shen Lanxi: "That's fine, I'll pass it on."
Zhou Ruyuan glanced at Wei Dongzhu, but still couldn't help frowning and said, "Could you please dismiss everyone else?"
Shen Lanxi: "No."
Wei Dongzhu calmly poured himself another cup of tea, glancing at Zhou Ruyuan with a provocative look in his eyes.
The latter's expression turned ugly in an instant.
Wei Dongzhu did it on purpose, absolutely on purpose.
Shen Lanxi: "Your Highness, please speak frankly. Wei Dongzhu is no outsider."
Zhou Ruyuan's face darkened even more.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Lanxi simply told him to leave.
"Since the Prince of Zhennan has nothing more to say, please leave. I have many other matters to attend to."
Zhou Ruyuan felt a tightness in his chest, and a dull ache.
If the Shen family hadn't met with this misfortune, they would undoubtedly be the envy of everyone, a perfect couple. But now, they are on the verge of war, as if they've joined opposing sides and are ready to fight to the death at any moment.
Zhou Ruyuan once again experienced the feeling of something that should have belonged to him becoming someone else's property.
Wei Dongzhu spoke a while after Zhou Ruyuan left.
"I didn't like the way he looked at you just now."
Shen Lanxi smiled faintly: "Treasures and jade are exquisite and precious, and everyone who sees them wants to keep them for themselves. He originally thought I was just a stone, and he didn't care about losing an ordinary stone. But if a beautiful jade is found inside that stone, the person who lost it will definitely regret it and even want to take it back."
Wei Dongzhu: "You mean, if you were really a stone, he would never look at you like that?"
Shen Lanxi: "That's natural."
What kind of twisted logic is that?
But after careful consideration, it makes a lot of sense.
However, he disagreed with Shen Lanxi's statement. Whether she was a stone or a beautiful jade, she was who she was.
No matter why Zhou Ruyuan was clinging to her, he wouldn't allow it.
Afterwards, several court officials went to the palace gates again to demand an explanation from Shen Lanxi. As a result of Shen Lanxi's disappearance, rumors began to circulate among the people.
"It's been a long time since His Majesty held court in the morning. Could it be that His Majesty has met with some misfortune?"
"It's also possible that he was placed under house arrest by Shen Lanxi, who harbors resentment because of the Wei family army case back then and is deliberately seeking revenge."
"This is definitely not something a mere woman could do; Shen Lanxi must have someone behind her."
"His Majesty is probably in grave danger!"
Fueled by the rumors, some people couldn't sit still any longer.
The fifth prince, who was thousands of miles away, used the pretext of attending to the ailing emperor to rush from his fiefdom to the capital.
Zhennan Prince's Mansion
"Where is the Prince?" Shen Yuantang asked the guard, accompanied by two maids carrying food boxes.
Two guards stood on either side of the doorway.
"His Highness has ordered that no one is allowed to enter the study."
Annoyance flashed in Shen Yuantang's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
"I personally prepared a few of my signature dishes for the Prince. You all hurry and inform him. If the dishes get cold and the Prince feels unwell after eating them, see how he punishes you!"
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