9th Birthday
With the support of Grand Tutor Xu, other neutral ministers also expressed their opinions, believing that the assassination case should be investigated first before other matters.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Zhou Mingyuan could only reluctantly shut up, kneel on the ground, and say no more.
Li Zhaoyi looked at Shen Zhiyuan, her heart filled with gratitude. She cleared her throat and said firmly, "I already know what you said.
Lord Shen is loyal and dedicated, and his achievements are remarkable. I will never dismiss him. Lord Shen will lead the investigation of the assassination case, in conjunction with the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice. We must find the true culprit and bring him to justice!
As for the rumors, I believe that those who are innocent will be cleared of their wrongdoings, and there is no need for further explanation. "Withdraw from the court!"
After saying this, she stood up from the throne and walked out of the hall quickly with the help of the eunuchs.
When she reached the palace gate, she turned her head to glance at Shen Zhiyuan and met his gaze.
After returning to the Yangxin Palace, Li Zhaoyi's heart was still pounding.
She walked to the window and looked at the sky outside. The scene in the court was replayed in her mind again and again. Shen Zhiyuan stood in front of all the officials.
The way he argued for her, his determined eyes, and his steady voice all made her heart beat more and more intensely.
She knew that her feelings for him were growing deeper and deeper.
From the initial dependence, to the later appreciation, to the current affection, she can no longer deceive herself.
But she also knew that between them there was the status of monarch and subject, as well as the secular perspective, and this relationship was destined not to be recognized.
"Your Majesty, Lord Shen requests an audience." The eunuch's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Li Zhaoyi was delighted and said quickly, "Please invite him in."
Shen Zhiyuan walked in and bowed, “Your Majesty.”
"Mr. Shen, please don't be so polite." Li Zhaoyi quickly helped him up. Looking at his pale face, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you tired from talking so much in court? Are your wounds hurting?"
Shen Zhiyuan looked at her concerned eyes, and a warm feeling rose in his heart: "I am fine, Your Majesty, don't worry. I came here today to discuss with Your Majesty the direction of the investigation into the assassination case."
Li Zhaoyi nodded, pulled him to the desk, and looked at the files of the assassination case together.
She looked at Shen Zhiyuan's serious analysis and listened to his clear and logical suggestions.
"Mr. Shen," Li Zhaoyi suddenly spoke in a gentle voice, "Thank you for coming to court today."
Shen Zhiyuan raised his head and looked at her with gentle eyes: "Your Majesty, there is no need to thank me. I just did what I should do. Protecting Your Majesty and assisting Your Majesty is my duty."
Li Zhaoyi looked at him, wanting to say something but not knowing how.
When the autumn wind blew the ginkgo leaves onto the windowsill of the Yangxin Palace, Li Zhaoyi belatedly remembered that today was her sixteenth birthday.
The desk was piled with newly received memorials, with the document reporting victory in the north on top. The Huns had retreated three hundred miles away, and the first school had finally been built in the refugee resettlement site.
These things that should have made her happy, now felt bland.
Her fingertips slid across the red-ink comments on the memorial, and she suddenly remembered that on her birthday last year, her eldest brother secretly took her to the imperial kitchen to make osmanthus cake, while her third brother played the piano beside her. Even her father put aside his official duties and played with her until late at night.
But this year, she is the only one left.
When the court went to court in the early morning, all the officials submitted congratulatory messages, all of which read "Happy birthday to Your Majesty, and may the country be peaceful and the people be prosperous." The wording was neat, but it was formulaic and distant.
No one remembered that she was just a girl who had just turned sixteen, and she also wanted a piece of sweet cake and a sincere "Happy Birthday".
"Your Majesty, it's time for dinner." Eunuch Zhang came in with exquisite dishes. Chicken, duck, fish and meat were placed on the gilded plates, but none of them were her favorite.
Li Zhaoyi shook her head, her gaze fixed on the dark night sky outside the window: "Let's retreat, I'm not hungry."
Eunuch Zhang felt sad when he saw her lonely look, but he could only respond and leave, leaving only a lonely lamp to accompany her in a daze at the desk.
After an unknown amount of time, there were slight footsteps outside the hall. It wasn't the eunuchs' footsteps, but rather someone was deliberately making his steps light.
Li Zhaoyi looked up and saw Shen Zhiyuan standing at the door, holding a wooden box in his hand, his figure looked particularly gentle under the candlelight.
"Mr. Shen?" She was a little surprised. He should have been recuperating in his mansion at this hour. "Why are you here so late?"
Shen Zhiyuan walked in, placed the wooden box on the table, and said in a softer voice than usual: "I heard that today is your majesty's birthday, so I came here specially to see you."
Li Zhaoyi's heart skipped a beat and her fingertips curled up slightly. It turned out that someone still remembered her birthday.
"Your Majesty, guess what's inside?" Shen Zhiyuan looked at her surprised expression, a smile flashing in his eyes.
Li Zhaoyi carefully opened the wooden box. Inside was a palm-sized wooden horse. The wood carving was not very delicate and the edges were a bit rough, but it was obvious that it was made with care.
The horse's mane was patterned with fine wood, and the horse's tail was wrapped with a red rope, just like the one her eldest brother had carved for her when she was a child.
"This is..." She picked up the little wooden horse, stroked the rough wood grain with her fingertips, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"I heard that Your Majesty liked to ride a wooden horse when he was a child, so I tried to carve one." Shen Zhiyuan looked at her red eyes and lowered his voice, "My craftsmanship is not good, Your Majesty, please don't despise me."
"I don't mind, it's very beautiful." Li Zhaoyi sniffed, trying hard not to let tears fall, but her voice was still choked with sobs, "Thank you, Mr. Shen."
This was the first birthday gift she received today. It was not the gold, silver or jewelry sent by officials, nor was it the exquisite ornaments in the palace. It was just an ordinary wooden horse, but she felt it was more precious than anything else.
Shen Zhiyuan looked at the way she held the wooden horse, and a soft feeling welled up in his heart.
During these days, he watched her trying to maintain the majesty of the emperor, watched her argue with old ministers in the court, watched her stay awake all night for the refugees and soldiers' pay, and almost forgot that she was just a child.
Today, when I passed by the market, I saw a carpenter carving a wooden horse. Suddenly, I remembered that Eunuch Zhang mentioned that Your Majesty loved this the most when he was a child. So I couldn't help but buy a piece of wood and started carving it clumsily.
"Happy birthday, Your Majesty," he said softly, with a hint of tenderness in his tone that he himself was not aware of.
Li Zhaoyi raised her head and looked into his eyes. The candlelight reflected in his eyes looked like starlight.
At that moment, she suddenly wanted to put aside all her identities and concerns, and say to him like an ordinary girl, "I'm so lonely," and "I don't want to be an emperor, I just want someone to love me."
But when the words came to her lips, she swallowed them back. She was the emperor and he was his subject. She couldn't be so willful.
"Mr. Shen, please sit down." She quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and pointed to a chair beside her. "I...I'll ask the kitchen to make something to eat. You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"No need to trouble Your Majesty." Shen Zhiyuan shook his head and his eyes fell on the memorial on the table.
"I came here to discuss the progress of the assassination case with Your Majesty. The Dali Temple discovered that the assassins' weapons bore the seal of the Ministry of War. I suspect..."
"Mr. Shen," Li Zhaoyi suddenly interrupted him, her voice soft, "Today... can we not talk about state affairs?"
Shen Zhiyuan was stunned. Seeing the pleading in her eyes, his heart softened and he nodded: “Okay, let’s not talk about state affairs.”
The hall fell into silence, with only the occasional spark from the candlelight.
Li Zhaoyi held the little wooden horse in her hand, her fingertips repeatedly stroking the red string on the horse's tail. Suddenly, she said, "Mr. Shen, did you know? When I was a child, my eldest brother also carved an identical wooden horse for me."
"Oh?" Shen Zhiyuan looked at her and motioned for her to continue.
"At that time, the Emperor was still alive, as were my eldest and third brothers. Every birthday, we would play in the Imperial Garden. My eldest brother would carry me on his back and run, my third brother would play the piano for me, and the Emperor would smile and watch us play."
Li Zhaoyi's voice was filled with nostalgia, but her eyes gradually dimmed. "But now, they are all gone."
Shen Zhiyuan felt a little pain in his heart when he saw her desolate look. He knew that this young emperor, though seemingly strong, actually hid too much loneliness and pain in his heart.
He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only whisper, "Your Majesty, although they are gone, they must hope that Your Majesty will be well, that they can protect this land, and that they can live happily."
"Are you happy?" Li Zhaoyi smiled bitterly, "After becoming emperor, I seem to have forgotten how to be happy.
Every day I have to deal with endless memorials, contend with the open and covert infighting in the court, worry about the war in the north, and think about the food and clothing of the refugees... Sometimes, I really feel so tired."
This was the first time she revealed her vulnerability in front of others. She did not have the majesty of an emperor, but only the fatigue and helplessness of a young girl.
Shen Zhiyuan looked at her, was silent for a moment, suddenly stood up, walked to her, and patted her shoulder gently, his action carrying a cautious comfort: “Your Majesty, I know you are tired.
But you've done a great job, truly. The refugees now have a place to stay, the war in the north has taken a turn for the better, and the court is gradually becoming more clean and orderly... All of this is thanks to your majesty."
His palms were warm and strong, and a reassuring warmth came through the thin dragon robe.
Li Zhaoyi raised her head and looked at his face so close to her, and her heart suddenly started beating faster.
She could smell the faint scent of ink on him and see the tenderness in his eyes. At that moment, she suddenly wanted to lean on his shoulder and have a good cry.
But she still held back. She gently pushed his hand away, lowered her head, and said in an unnatural voice: "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Shen. I will continue to work hard."
Shen Zhiyuan looked at her red ears, a hint of smile flashed in his eyes, but he didn't point it out. He just turned around and picked up the wooden box: "Your Majesty, it's getting late, I should go back. If Your Majesty likes this wooden horse, you can keep it."
"Yes." Li Zhaoyi nodded and held the little wooden horse tightly in her hand, "Mr. Shen, be careful on the road."
Shen Zhiyuan bowed and turned to leave the Yangxin Palace. Seeing his figure disappear at the door, Li Zhaoyi breathed a sigh of relief, but she found that her palms were already sweating.
She looked at the little wooden horse in her hand, her heart feeling warm, yet a little bitter.
She knew that her feelings for Shen Zhiyuan were growing deeper and deeper.
Late at night, Li Zhaoyi placed the little wooden horse next to her pillow and closed her eyes.
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