Shen Ci looked up at her, knowing she was suspicious. He lowered his eyes slightly and said reluctantly, "Does the princess think I want to? If my father hadn't said he wanted to please the princess, I wouldn't have agreed..."
He stopped mid-sentence, a hint of suspicion flashing in Yun An's eyes:
So it was his father's idea?
Shen Chang has always been opportunistic. When the Emperor said he wanted to bestow a marriage upon him, he didn't dare utter a single word. So it's quite possible.
However, she still hadn't completely dispelled her doubts. She glanced at the performer beside her, and suddenly had an idea: "You don't know, do you? This young master Shen is the third-ranked scholar in this year's imperial examination."
Her sudden remark left everyone bewildered, but not daring to offend her, they cautiously echoed, "The third-ranked scholar is indeed young and promising."
Shen Ci's expression was unreadable; he didn't know what she was planning and remained silent.
Yun An chuckled lightly: "To be able to pass the imperial examination with the third-highest rank, Young Master Shen's talent is beyond question. It's a pity that I, the princess, have never seen him."
Shen Ci suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, Yun An changed the subject, "Shen Ci, if it weren't for you that day, I wouldn't have been injured. I can let this matter go. If you can please me like they do, then we'll forget about it."
Her eyes held a malicious glint as she said meaningfully, "How about it?"
In her opinion, Shen Ci would absolutely not be able to bear such humiliation. To compare him to an entertainer was nothing short of an insult!
If he truly held leverage over her, he would never give in so easily.
At this point, Shen Ci could clearly see that she was deliberately making things difficult for him.
He could certainly continue to be patient and dispel her doubts...
He glanced at the actors beside him who seemed to be watching a play, a smirk playing on his lips. He suddenly stood up, his face already cold, and his voice was sarcastic: "I am, after all, the third-ranked scholar personally appointed by His Majesty. The princess has humiliated me time and time again. Does she not respect me? Or does she not respect the thousands of students under heaven who have studied hard in their studies?"
His sudden question caught Yun An off guard. When she came to her senses, she looked annoyed and said, "You!"
Shen Ci didn't intend to give her a chance to speak. He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, seemingly polite but actually sarcastic: "If one works hard to obtain official rank, only to end up like an actor entertaining others, then this humble subject must ask Your Majesty for an explanation. What is the point of the imperial examination?"
He flicked his sleeve, turned around angrily, and left.
Yun An bit her lip in anger, her voice filled with disbelief: "How dare he defy this princess like this?"
Cailian sensed something was wrong and looked worried: "Princess, it seems that Young Master Shen has gone to the palace to complain to His Majesty. What should we do?"
Yun An didn't take it seriously: "So what if I complain? When has Father Emperor ever truly been heartless enough to punish me?"
She narrowed her eyes, a cold glint in them.
Shen Ci, on the other hand, seems so confident and fearless. Could it be that he really knows something inside?
——
"Ah Ci has been clever for once." Shen Tangning smiled when she learned that Shen Ci had entered the palace.
Xue Qing frowned: "Since His Majesty is so biased towards Princess Yun'an, I'm afraid he'll only punish her lightly?"
Shen Tangning raised an eyebrow, a cryptic glint in her eyes: "This time is different."
...
Her words soon came true, and news quickly spread throughout the palace—
Princess Yun'an has been ordered by His Majesty to be confined to her quarters!
"It's just a house arrest," Xueqing said with a regretful purse.
"What's the rush?" Shen Tangning said slowly and deliberately. "This is just the beginning."
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