Although she appeared calm and composed on the surface, Fang Qingyue felt a little melancholy in her heart at this moment.
Facing the praise from Cheng's parents and Cheng Qingyuan, she couldn't help but think of the time she had spent in the capital and the man she loved and hated.
Late at night, the wind from the capital blew into Shen Yuhan's room with a hint of chill.
The candlelight flickered in the wind, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, illuminating a haggard face.
Shen Yuhan leaned against the table, the wine glass in his hand empty and full, full and empty again.
His eyes were dull as he stared at the candle on the table, as if trying to see something from the dancing flame.
"Qingyue..." he muttered to himself, lowered his head and took another big gulp of liquor.
This has been his state for several days.
Ever since he learned that Fang Qingyue was missing, his heart seemed to be hollowed out. He was depressed and lived in a daze every day. Only alcohol could temporarily numb the heart-wrenching pain.
The men sent out still did not bring back any good news, as if Fang Qingyue had just disappeared.
And he himself seemed to be trapped in a cage with no exit.
"Again..." Shen Yuhan pushed the wine jug away tiredly. His eyelids gradually became heavy. He tilted his head, leaned on the table, and fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he seemed to have returned to the past.
Fang Qingyue's smile was like the warm sunshine of spring, shining into the cold wasteland in his heart.
She was decocting medicine for him in the yard, turning the herbs lightly with her hands. When she turned her head, she smiled at him and said, "Shen Yuhan, you are not in good health. You must take good care of yourself. Don't be lazy anymore."
Her voice was gentle, a little teasing, but also full of concern.
Shen Yuhan smiled slightly, walked forward, and reached out to touch her face.
But just as he was about to touch her, Fang Qingyue's figure suddenly became illusory and turned into a wisp of smoke that dissipated into the air.
Shen Yuhan was suddenly startled and woke up from his dream.
He was breathing heavily and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Looking around, the empty room was silent, with only the wine jug on the table still lying there quietly.
Without Fang Qingyue, her figure was just a dream to him.
Shen Yuhan's heart sank suddenly, and a bitter feeling surged in his heart.
He rubbed his forehead vigorously, sighed, and said softly in a self-deprecating tone: "It turns out... it was just a dream."
He sat for a moment, his mind blank. The alcohol had not yet completely worn off, and the exhaustion still made him breathless.
He now understood that Fang Qingyue was not by his side, whether in dreams or in reality.
She had left without a trace, leaving him with only a heart full of regret.
At the same time, there was an undercurrent of unrest in the imperial court of the capital.
Ever since news of Shen Yuhan's tough performance in front of the Marquis' Mansion a few days ago spread, Lord Shen has been harboring resentment, believing that Shen Yuhan's arrogance in the court was too much and could not be tolerated.
In the past few days, Lord Shen has frequently submitted memorials to the court to impeach Shen Yuhan.
He accused Shen Yuhan of acting domineeringly and interfering in state affairs, and even hinted that Shen Yuhan was seeking personal revenge in an attempt to weaken his influence.
There was a panic in the court, and many ministers echoed the Marquis. They seemed fair on the surface, but in fact they had selfish motives. They took this opportunity to put pressure on the emperor, hoping to weaken Shen Yuhan's power.
However, Shen Yuhan is no ordinary person.
Although he was sad in his heart, he still responded appropriately to the open and covert attacks in the court.
"Prince Shen acts arrogantly and disregards the rules of the court!"
Lord Shen loudly accused in the court, shaking the memorial in his hand, and said angrily, "If such a person is not disciplined, I am afraid he will endanger the country in the future!"
Shen Yuhan stood quietly in the center of the hall, expressionless, letting the ministers around him talk about it.
Faced with the Marquis's aggressiveness, he said calmly: "I have absolutely no intention of offending you. As for my actions, they are simply fulfilling my duties and I dare not slack off in the slightest."
"As for Lord Shen's words about being 'arrogant', I really don't understand where he is wrong. If there is anything wrong, I am willing to confront Lord Shen in court. I hope Your Majesty will understand."
He spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, appearing neither weak nor losing his composure.
There was silence in the hall. Many ministers kept their heads down and remained silent, secretly wondering how to proceed.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne and watched coldly with a stern expression on his face, and was not in a hurry to express his opinion.
Everyone knew Shen Yuhan's abilities and his role in government, but there was clearly something wrong with Shen Yuhan's condition these days.
Prince Shen, who had always been calm and composed in the court, looked a little haggard today, with a hint of fatigue between his brows.
"My dear minister Shen, please stay." The emperor waved his hand, signaling the ministers to leave the court.
After the ministers filed out, the emperor looked at Shen Yuhan. His tone was no longer as serious as before, but rather concerned. "I see that you have been in a bad mood these past few days, and you don't seem to care about what happened in the court today. What is it that has disturbed your mood?"
Shen Yuhan was slightly stunned, then lowered his head and said: "I am fine, it's just some trivial matters at home that disturbed my mind."
"I have not dared to neglect the affairs of the court, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
The emperor looked at Shen Yuhan with a scrutinizing gaze and said calmly, "Family affairs? I heard that you caused quite a stir in the city a few days ago, and it was said to be related to Shen Qiu Nian. Is this true?"
Shen Yuhan's heart tightened, and he looked up at the emperor. Although he hesitated, he finally nodded and admitted: "It is true, but I have already dealt with it. I dare not trouble Your Majesty again."
The emperor dropped a memorial on the table, his eyes coldly sweeping over Shen Yuhan standing below him, and said calmly, "This is a recent report from the Jiangnan water town. Bandits are rampant, the people are living in dire straits, and the officials sent by the court are helpless. This incident cannot be underestimated, and I want you to go and suppress it."
As he spoke, he pushed the memorial with his hand, and it fell to the ground with a soft sound. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. The ministers did not dare to speak, and watched the scene in silence.
Shen Yuhan was slightly startled and frowned almost imperceptibly.
He took a deep breath, bowed his head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have been busy with some trivial matters recently and I am afraid I am unable to do it."
"The situation in Jiangnan is of great importance. I am afraid I cannot handle it."
"If Your Majesty permits, I would like to recommend the Third Prince to go. The Third Prince has always been steady and prudent. This time he goes to Jiangnan, he will definitely be able to quell the chaos."
As soon as the words fell, the emperor sneered, his voice revealing obvious displeasure: "Shen Yuhan, have you become so evasive now?"
"When you were leading the troops, did you ever say you were incapable of doing so?"
"Now it's just Jiangnan, and you're retreating? Could it be that your mind is no longer on state affairs?"
Shen Yuhan's heart sank, knowing that the emperor was angry, so he stopped refusing.
He lowered his head and said calmly, "I dare not, but I feel that the Third Prince..."
Before he could finish his words, the emperor slammed the throne heavily and said in a cold voice, "No need to say more! I have already made up my mind about this matter and leave it to you. I don't trust anyone else, only you, I can trust you!"
Although the emperor's words were filled with anger, Shen Yuhan could clearly hear the meaning behind them.
On the surface it seems like you trust him, but in fact you are putting pressure on him.
The emperor knew that he was in a low mood and had lost interest, but he still asked him to handle the affairs of Jiangnan personally.
"Your Majesty...I accept your order."
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