"But are the lives of tens of thousands of people in Yanzhou just going to become sacrifices to power?"
Shen Huaixu's fists, hanging tightly at his sides, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his voice was full of resentment and indignation.
Shen Jintang tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a strange expression and a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
She didn't know how much of his action was genuine and how much was feigned.
Is he genuinely speaking out for the people, or does he have ulterior motives?
What's the point of yelling at me?
Shen Jintang lightly touched her temple with her fingers, the movement seemingly casual, yet revealing a nonchalant detachment.
Shen Huaixu suddenly stared intently into Shen Jintang's eyes and said, word by word, "You have a way."
This is not a question, but a firm affirmation.
He firmly believed that Shen Jintang would be able to find a solution.
Shen Jintang shook her head slightly, a helpless smile curving her lips: "I do have some, but it won't work."
"Trying anything as a last resort!"
Shen Huaixu slammed his hands on the table in front of Shen Jintang. The tabletop trembled slightly, and a few drops of water from the teacup spilled onto the mahogany table, spreading out as a water stain.
Shen Jintang simply smiled, her tone light and casual, as if she were talking about something insignificant: "Kill the Crown Prince, and everything will be resolved."
"Are you out of your mind? How dare you say such things?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Huaixu's pupils constricted slightly. He hurriedly glanced around and, seeing that no one was approaching, breathed a sigh of relief, a layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Shen Jintang, however, maintained his calm demeanor, his voice as if he were recounting something completely ordinary: "The Ministry of Revenue dared to embezzle disaster relief silver because the Crown Prince was its powerful backer. With the Crown Prince dead, the Princess will naturally have no more worries, and this matter can be thoroughly investigated. The embezzled silver and the corrupt officials behind it will also come to light."
She paused, met Shen Huaixu's gaze, and her eyes revealed a hint of coldness: "As long as the Crown Prince is alive, the power struggles in the court will forever remain a deadlock. In the eyes of these powerful figures, the lives of ordinary people are nothing more than insignificant pawns."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Cousin, you've been in court for so many years, can't you even see this much?"
Shen Huaixu took a step back and looked up at the sky outside the window. The gray sky seemed to be suffocating him.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, the breath spreading through the air as if to release all the resentment in his heart.
"Hahahaha..."
Suddenly, he laughed, his laughter filled with disdain and helplessness, as if mocking the corrupt court, or perhaps self-mocking his own powerlessness.
He laughed loudly, turned around and walked out, his steps somewhat unsteady, yet revealing a resolute determination.
Xinghui only came in after seeing Shen Huaixu leave.
She looked at Shen Jintang, her eyes filled with worry, and asked softly, "Master, are we really not going to do anything about it?"
Shen Jintang closed her eyes, a trace of sorrow flashing between her brows, as if she was somewhat exhausted by the heavy situation.
She sighed softly, so softly it was almost inaudible, as if even her sigh carried a hint of helplessness.
After a long while, Shen Jintang slowly opened her eyes, her gaze deep and firm. She looked at Xing Hui and asked softly, "Did the Crown Prince go to the East Palace?"
Xinghui seemed to instantly understand what Shen Jintang meant.
Gu Zhixing might be the key to breaking through; his subtle relationship with the Crown Prince could be crucial in changing the situation.
Xinghui quickly replied, "The young master just left not long ago; Chongyang went to see him off."
Shen Jintang gently tapped the table, the crisp sound echoing in the room, as if tapping on the heavy situation, or as if tapping on her own heart.
——
These past few days, Gu Zhixing has been teaching at the Eastern Palace, and everything has gone relatively smoothly.
The Crown Prince was quite lenient with him, not only refraining from making things difficult for him, but also not saying much about him bringing Ye Qingzhou and Gu Yanqing to the Eastern Palace to study with him.
When Ye Qingzhou's father learned that Gu Zhixing was making great progress in his studies and achieving outstanding results, he couldn't help but feel a bit bitter and jealous when he looked at his own son.
So he asked the princess for a favor, allowing Ye Qingzhou to live and eat with Gu Zhixing and prepare for the imperial examination together.
General Ye patted Ye Qingzhou on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You used to study under Prince Gu. Now that Prince Gu has achieved academic success, you should naturally strive to improve yourself as well!"
In this way, Shen Jintang, who originally only needed to make a study plan for Gu Zhixing, suddenly had one more person in the plan.
However, the results were surprisingly remarkable.
Although Ye Qingzhou was still not as good as Gu Zhixing in academics, his progress was remarkable.
On this sunny afternoon, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice of the Princess's residence, casting a pattern of light and shadow on the floor, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere.
Ye Qingzhou rushed into the study excitedly, approached Gu Zhixing, and said with undisguised pride, "Boss, do you know what? My dad actually praised me yesterday!"
Gu Zhixing was engrossed in his book when he heard this. He frowned slightly, glanced at Ye Qingzhou, and said with a hint of helplessness, "I know, but then you made General Ye so angry that he almost fainted."
Ye Qingzhou looked completely innocent: "I didn't say anything wrong! I just casually mentioned that my recent progress is because I'm your 'favorite'!"
Gu Zhixing's face instantly darkened, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes, yet also a touch of helplessness.
He put down his book, coughed softly, as if he wanted to explain something, but didn't know where to begin.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
