Shen Xining didn't say anything else, just put the book away.
"If we can see each other again in the future and the world is clear again, what will you do, Lord Shen?"
"I am just a mortal. I can do nothing about these things, and I don't want to meddle in their affairs."
Xie Zhaoan curled his lips, clearly showing that he didn't believe it.
"Lord Shen said this, even if it was me, I'm afraid I wouldn't believe it, right?"
If she had really lost faith in everything in this world, or if she really just wanted to be an ordinary person as she said, she would not have done so many things for the country and the people some time ago. Her heart is not dead yet, and she is really the daughter of Ning An.
Shen Xining didn't say anything else and closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Xie Zhaoan looked at Shen Xining's face and the mole at the end of his eye. Because of the dark carriage, it looked even more attractive and tempting. Xie Zhaoan couldn't help but think of that night when he curled up in the quilt while all the eunuchs and maids in the cold palace went to slack off. Because they were in the cold palace, even if he died, no one would blink an eye.
But that day, Princess Ning'an happened to come to the cold palace. This was her habit and routine. She cared about the people of the world. Since she was the princess's companion and was deeply loved by the current emperor, it was natural for her to wander around the palace. That day, she saw Xie Zhaoan curled up in the quilt, fed him soup and rice, gave him medicine, and ordered people to severely punish the lazy eunuch and palace maid.
The next day, someone came to renovate his house, and Xie Zhaoan managed to survive in the cold palace.
Xie Zhaoan had thought about repaying that person, but he had never found out who that person was. Now, he had met that person's daughter. Xie Zhaoan had done his best along the way, but there were many things he could not do.
After traveling leisurely on the road for ten days, the carriage finally arrived in Kyoto.
Shen Xining couldn't wait to meet the emperor, but he saw Deng Yan outside the imperial study. He had already changed into the clothes of an inner palace and was standing upright outside the imperial study. When he saw Shen Xining coming in, he winked playfully, as if they were familiar friends.
Shen Xining widened his eyes, looking at the person in front of him in disbelief. He sent him to the capital, and he was unharmed
Deng Yan smiled at her, clearly recognizing her.
"Master Shen is here. Master Shen invites you in. His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time..."
Shen Xining wanted to kill Deng Yan right now, but she couldn't. Who was Deng Yan? Or, where was this place? She couldn't do it.
Shen Xining's eyes were red. After she stepped in, the emperor hurried over to help her up.
"Aning! It's great that you're back. You've made great contributions to the flood control this time! I want to reward you greatly! Tell me, what reward do you want!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. During my travels, I saw that the people in the south of Beijing had not been well cared for for a long time because of the floods. I felt very grateful that I was born between the Grand Tutors and had a life that ordinary people had never had. If there is any reward, I would like to ask Your Majesty to open a port for the people in the south of Beijing to facilitate the people in the south of Beijing to trade with foreign merchants, so as to promote local economic development."
His Majesty nodded repeatedly.
"It's really a good idea! Aning, you really are worthy of being Ning An's daughter! But I still need to think about this matter. You also know that many ministers in this court are intertwined. This trade matter seems simple, but in fact, there are many implications behind it."
This is what rejection means.
Shen Xining pursed her lips, and the emperor waved his hand.
"In that case, how about I grant you the freedom of marriage and allow you to choose your own husband?"
Shen Xining was stunned.
Her marriage to the prince had been arranged long ago. Granting her the right to choose her own husband now would be tantamount to pushing her into the fire. Does the emperor mean to openly turn against the prince
His Majesty still had that smiling look on his face.
"It's still early now. Why don't you go back and think about it carefully? It won't be too late to give me an answer in a few days."
Shen Xining nodded, and after leaving the hall, she felt something was wrong. Something must have happened in the capital in recent days, something that posed a threat to her, the Shen family, or the imperial power.
As soon as Shen Xining stepped out of the hall, Deng Yan was standing at the door, ready to see Shen Xining out.
"Sir Shen, this way please."
"This is in Kyoto. I am no longer Lord Shen. You may as well call me Miss Shen. Deng Yan, I would like to know why you are here. Logically speaking, you should not be here."
"Sir Shen, I told you that day in the southern part of Beijing that sending me back would probably be the thing you regret the most."
Oh.
Shen Xining looked back at the plaque on the Imperial Study. The three words "Imperial Study" were made by the best craftsmen in the country. She looked at the three words "Imperial Study" on the plaque and the sign next to it that read "Listen to Everything" and "Do Everything", and her eyes reflected a strong sense of irony.
Oh.
Good, very good!
Deng Yan was still smiling, but no matter how he looked at Shen Xining's eyes, he felt it was extremely ironic.
"Sir Shen, it's getting late. The palace keys will be down soon. If you don't leave now, you will be locked up inside the palace."
Shen Xining strode out without looking back, as if he had already felt despair about everything in the palace.
After she went out, she learned the truth of the matter from the storyteller in the teahouse.
It turned out that when she went to southern Beijing, a traveling gentleman came from nowhere and claimed to be a great doctor. He now made life-extending pills specifically for the emperor. After the emperor took the pills, his health did improve a lot, but whether it was true or not was unknown.
However, the emperor seemed to agree with it deeply. He took the matter completely to heart and seemed to think that he would really live a long life. He began to sort out those people who had opposed him some time ago, especially those who were listed in the same category as the prince.
This father and son truly regarded the court as their own world. They seemed unmoved by the sufferings of the people in the world and only cared about their own interests.
Shen Xining leaned back in her seat, watching the storyteller's lips moving up and down as he told the story as if it were a joke. She only felt sad, but she laughed, her lips raised and tears welling in the corners of her eyes. She actually felt that everything in this world was absurd.