Shen Yan's eyes darkened, but his tone remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.
"The Imperial Concubine was positioned at the front and couldn't see clearly what happened to us. She must have misjudged the situation."
"So that's how it is. Then the Imperial Concubine must have misjudged."
The emperor had no intention of digging deeper; instead, he reached out and personally lifted the inkstone.
"Minister Shen, I know the Seventh Prince's temperament; he is, after all, my flesh and blood. Although I understand you, the deed is done. If I do not punish you, how can the officials be convinced in the future?"
"Your subject understands, and is willing to accept punishment."
The emperor smiled with satisfaction, "My dear minister, you are overthinking things. I will not punish you."
"..."
The emperor turned and walked up to his high seat, sitting back on the dragon bed. "However, I have a great task for you. I wonder if you are willing?"
Shen Yan, having been prepared by Li Gong's reminder, was not particularly surprised.
"Your subject is willing."
The emperor's face was full of smiles. "The case of the embezzlement of military funds in the northern border has been unresolved for over a month. I will give you one month. If you handle it well, I will not pursue the matter of disrupting the prayer ceremony; if you do not handle it well..."
Shen Yan stepped forward, "Punishment for multiple crimes."
The emperor smiled and nodded, "My dear minister, you are indeed intelligent."
Shen Yan was neither flustered nor relaxed; his expression remained unchanged from when he first entered the hall. He took the initiative to speak.
"Since there is nothing else, Your Majesty will not disturb Your Majesty's handling of state affairs."
"Okay, you may leave."
"..."
As Shen Yan walked out of the Golden Palace, the respect and caution on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold and gloomy gaze.
Is the Northern Army facing a deficit?
Ah, it seems the emperor really can't wait a moment longer, so eager to get rid of his own flesh and blood.
Sure enough, he's almost obsessed now.
Since he's so eager, I can't let him down. I should go along with it and get rid of that person. That way, I can complete my plan as soon as possible.
He, too, couldn't wait any longer.
…
In the residence of the Junior Minister.
Meng Qingluan glanced coldly at her parents, who were sitting stiffly in their chairs, and her adopted younger brother.
He put down his teacup and ruthlessly ordered the guests to leave, saying, "Since the three of you have nothing else to do, please go back. It is not convenient for guests to stay in the mansion."
Meng's mother glanced at her through teary eyes, a hint of unreadable emotion in her gaze.
“Luanluan, I did not come here to bother you. I really have something important to tell you.”
Meng Qingluan propped her face up with one hand. "What is it?"
Meng's mother's gaze fell on the US dollars behind her. "It's not convenient to explain this to you here. Shall we go to the bedroom to talk?"
"..."
Seeing that the expression on her face didn't seem like a joke, and remembering the inexplicable pain she had experienced a few days ago, Meng Qingluan hesitated.
"What I'm talking about is precisely about your health," Mencius' mother said, as if she could read her mind, hitting the nail on the head.
Meng Qingluan stood up. "Come with me."
"..."
Meng's mother followed Meng Qingluan into the bedroom.
"Tell me about what happened to me," Meng Qingluan said bluntly.
Do you often experience heart pain, sometimes so severe that you can't breathe?
"Mm." Meng Qingluan nodded.
"When did you fall ill and feel pain? Yesterday? Or the day before yesterday?" Meng's mother asked, her heartache turning into tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yesterday, last night I was just about to rest when my heart suddenly started to ache, but I fell asleep again as soon as I closed my eyes."
“From today onwards, Xiao An will stay in your household and live with you.” Mother Meng brooked no refusal.
Upon hearing this, Meng Qingluan nearly jumped out of her chair. "Why?"
What kind of illness is this? And why does she still need to live with her adopted brother?
Is he her walking pharmacy?
Seeing that she was agitated, Mencius' mother quickly got up to comfort her, patting her back repeatedly.
"Good Luanluan, don't get agitated. Your body can't take the shock. Sit down quickly, and your mother will explain to you."
Upon hearing this, Meng Qingluan sat down in her chair, fearing for her life.
“Your illness was present from birth. When I first gave birth to you, you were so small and thin that you were smaller than most babies.”
“At that time, your face was covered in bruises and you didn’t cry or scream like other children. Even the midwife had never seen this before. She told us that you were born to be a precious baby, and that we were an unfortunate and poor family. She said that you, with such a delicate life, would not survive.”
As Mencius' mother recalled the past, tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked up, unable to speak. She tried to take out her handkerchief to wipe her tears, but found nothing; the handkerchief had fallen onto a chair in the hall.
Seeing this, Meng Qingluan, who couldn't stand men and women crying in front of her, kindly took out her handkerchief and handed it to her.
When Meng's mother took the handkerchief, her heart warmed, and she cried even harder, her shoulders trembling with sobs.
Seeing her cry even harder, Meng Qingluan felt a pang of heartache…
I felt sorry for her handkerchief.
She had just bought this, and it had just been scented with incense. The old lady then smeared her snot and tears all over it.
"Thank you..." Meng's mother said, her voice choked with emotion.
“If you really want to thank me, then don’t cry,” Meng Qingluan said, her heart aching and she was almost crying herself. “This is my handkerchief; I just bought it.”
"..."
Mencius' mother stopped crying, her sobs subsiding.
She wasn't angry at Meng Qingluan's second half of her sentence; instead, she took it as Meng Qingluan's way of making her happy.
When Meng Qingluan saw that she had finally let go of her handkerchief, she wanted to snatch it back, but then felt a little disgusted.
Finally, he urged, "Tell me quickly, what happened next?"
"later……"
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