When Shen Yuhan rushed to the imperial study, the emperor was sitting behind the desk drinking hot tea.
He caught a glimpse of Shen Yuhan from the corner of his eye. He didn't even raise his eyes, but just flicked his tea leaves before saying calmly, "My dear Shen, did what happened today make me angry?"
Shen Yuhan had made great contributions at a young age, and the emperor had always been relatively more friendly to him than to other court officials.
But this kind of closeness does not mean that he should have a relationship with the daughter of a guilty minister.
"Your humble servant dare not." Shen Yuhan was respectful, and there was no trace of impatience in his tone. "The court officials are right. I did not handle this matter well enough. Several ministers have complaints against me, and I am well aware of this. Next time, I will think carefully before taking action and will not let others find fault with me."
"So, do you have any relationship with Fang Qingyue?" This is what the emperor is most concerned about.
Fang Xifu's actions had caused the tragic deaths of many innocent officials, civilians, and soldiers, and had already touched the emperor's sore spot.
If Fang Qingyue and Chen Qiu Nian had not been engaged, and if Chen Qiu Nian had not made a small contribution at that time, he would not hesitate to attack Fang Qingyue as well.
Even though Fang Qingyue is now alone, so what if she is just an orphan?
Anyone who affects the great cause of the country should die.
"It really doesn't matter." Shen Yuhan seemed a little helpless and said, "You also know my temper. When I was fighting all over the place, the Northern Di did send me beauties. There were many who were more beautiful than Fang, and many who were smarter than Fang. But all of those women died under my sword. How could I possibly be interested in Fang?"
He lowered his eyes, not meeting the emperor's gaze, but his hands hidden in his sleeves were clenched into fists.
Although the emperor trusted him very much, there were still many doubts in the case of Fang Xifu. Even if he knew that it was Zhou Shiran's handiwork, he did not have complete evidence in his hands, so he could not present it to the emperor.
If the matter is not settled clearly, Fang Qingyue will lose her life.
He must overturn this case, and do it beautifully.
For this reason, previous patience is necessary.
"I'm glad you understand." The Emperor stood up from behind his desk and stood by the window with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing at the scenery outside. "You've achieved fame at a young age and are highly regarded. Many eyes, both inside and outside the capital, are fixed on you. It's best not to do anything out of the ordinary. If you damage the reputation you've worked so hard to build, it will be more harm than good."
Shen Yuhan knew that the emperor was warning him, and his tone became more respectful: "I understand."
"Alright, go ahead." The emperor withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "When you return home, think carefully about the interests involved and don't let me down."
After Shen Yuhan left, Eunuch Su came over to pour tea for the emperor.
The emperor still stood by the window with his hands behind his back, and said in a faint voice: "Eunuch Su, do you think Shen Yuhan is trustworthy?"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Su's legs went weak.
He lowered his head and said after a while, "I am a eunuch and dare not discuss the affairs of the palace."
The emperor glanced at Eunuch Su with a half-smile and said, "You are quite cautious in your life."
Fallen leaves drifted past the window, scattering broken pieces of gold all over the ground. The emperor's expression became more and more mysterious, and after a while he said, "Then I hope that Mr. Shen can understand my painstaking efforts."
Eunuch Su lowered his head and said nothing.
The news of Shen Yu'an's family entering the palace caused an uproar in the city.
At first, no one knew what had happened in the court, but soon, news came out from somewhere that Shen Yuhan had felt pity for the daughter of a guilty minister, and the matter became a huge uproar.
Shen Yuhan originally had a bad reputation because of his ruthless and impartial behavior in the Inspectorate.
Therefore, after the news that he had taken care of the daughter of a criminal for personal reasons spread, many people in the capital were quite dissatisfied with him.
"Prince Jian'an previously feigned fairness and integrity within the Inspectorate. My son was simply riding his horse in the street and accidentally stepped on a few people, and he then reported him to the Emperor and had him beheaded. Yet, he treated the daughter of a traitor with such care. What a hypocrite!"
"Before, I was sick, and my father had no choice but to sell fake medicine. After he was caught, he showed no mercy and directly imprisoned my father. It was pitiful that my father was old and in poor health, and he had to be imprisoned in a dungeon. Within two years, he died. This is all Shen Yuhan's fault."
…
The carriage rushed all the way to the palace, and on the way, Shen Yuhan heard a lot of people talking.
People who practice martial arts have always had sharp ears and eyes, and they could hear every word of those sounds clearly.
When Chi Feng heard those words, he was extremely angry.
The one who trampled on several people, even crushing a little girl to death, refused to repent even when he was caught. He believed that the lives of the untouchables were his to be taken advantage of.
The one who sells fake medicine has caused the conditions of countless patients at home to worsen, and many people have to spend more money on buying medicine in order to save the lives of their patients.
Now these people are speaking ill of Shen Yuhan with confidence.
But such noises became more and more frequent, so noisy that Chi Feng wanted to burn down the entire capital.
"Your Highness, those people are spreading rumors about you like this. Do you need me to take action?" Chi Feng said gritting his teeth.
"Don't worry about it." Shen Yuhan's tone remained unchanged.
He has always enforced the law impartially, and some people who think they have been treated unfairly by him would like to take this opportunity to trample him into the mud.
There was no point in suppressing these rumors. Unless he could regain his position as the head of the Inspectorate, it would be in vain.
"Oh, right." Shen Yuhan seemed to have thought of something and said, "Go tell Fang Qingyue that I've been feeling a little tired lately and won't be going to the Fang family's old house anymore."
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