Qi Junzhuo pressed his lips together. "Imperial Brother, I understand your care for me. But I cannot rely on your favor to forget the proper duty of a subject."
Qi Junmu sighed. Qi Junzhuo's stubborn, twisting nature—he had not been able to straighten it out even before he died in his previous life. Back then, Qi Junzhuo had gone missing while fighting on the western border, and he had sent people to find him.
But before they could find him, he had died.
Now he thought about it: the reason he had been so enraged by Wen Wan was not only because he had been drugged but also because he had been emotionally unstable ever since hearing of Qi Junzhuo's disappearance. When Wen Wan provoked him, the anger rushed to his heart, and his body simply gave out.
Qi Junzhuo saw that the emperor was lost in thought, his expression both sorrowful and angry. He felt a sudden ache in his heart and called out, "Imperial Brother."
Qi Junmu looked up, his expression softening. "What do you think of Shen Nian?"
In his previous life, the two had gotten along quite well. Qi Junzhuo had loved military strategy since childhood and had always wanted to go fight at the border. He had sought advice from Shen Nian many times, and Shen Nian had also looked out for him.
Qi Junzhuo spoke in a low, muffled voice. "Today was the first time I saw Young Marquis Shen. He looks decent enough, but I don't know his character yet. However, I have heard that his mother does not like him."
Everyone knew that when Shen Nian was six years old, Shen Yi had taken him to the border, leaving behind in the capital Shen Nian's grandmother, his mother Madam Shen, and his younger brother Shen Qing. During all those years, Shen Nian had never returned to the capital. It was said that Madam Shen doted on her younger son and was completely indifferent to her eldest son.
Later, Qi Junmu came to think that "indifferent" was an understatement—Madam Shen seemed to loathe Shen Nian. In the end, the relationship between mother and son became quite strained, as if they were enemies. When Shen Nian left the capital later, he even gave up his title, and the marquis's mansion was taken back by the emperor.
Shen Nian's mother and her younger son, Shen Qing, became ordinary commoners.
Now that he thought about it, the Shen family's domestic affairs were rather interesting.
"I find him quite interesting. Keep an eye on him for me." Qi Junmu lifted his gaze and smiled slightly.
Qi Junzhuo was a little puzzled but didn't ask further. He simply acknowledged the request.
Only then did Qi Junmu change the subject, talking about the affairs of Prince Jin's mansion. He went into such detail that the fastidious Prince Jin didn't know what more to say.
At the same time, in Renshou Palace, the Empress Dowager had naturally heard that Qi Junzhuo had been summoned by the emperor again. Lately, Qi Junmu had been bestowing things on Prince Jin's mansion every few days. Word had it that the emperor personally oversaw every tiny detail of Prince Jin’s mansion, down to the last blade of grass and every single tree.
This made the Empress Dowager very uncomfortable. She had endured humiliation for over a decade to reach her current position. And yet Qi Junzhuo—the emperor's favor toward him was unparalleled in all of Da Qi. Even she, his own mother, could not compare.
Now hearing about this again, she lifted her fingers delicately and said indifferently, "The emperor has been stubborn since childhood. Once he sets his heart on someone, he opens up completely. Ten horses couldn't pull him back. He was like that before, and now that he's emperor, he's still the same. I wonder who he takes after."
Ruyan smiled and said, "Empress Dowager, our emperor is gentle and kind-hearted. One can only hope that no one with ill intentions takes advantage of him."
The Empress Dowager gave her a look. Ruyan felt a chill run down her spine and broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly knelt down, slapped her own mouth, and said in panic, "Empress Dowager, please forgive me. This servant was just babbling nonsense. The emperor is wise and sharp—ordinary people wouldn't dare look at him twice, let alone harbor treacherous thoughts."
The Empress Dowager said, "Get up. I know you said this out of concern for the emperor. He has just taken the throne, and his position is not yet stable. Now treating his brother so unequally—people will surely gossip."
Ruyan said, "The Empress Dowager is wise."
The Empress Dowager gave a reserved "Mm."
"What wisdom do I have? The emperor has his own ideas. Running out on a snowy day—not afraid of catching a cold. Never mind. Send someone to find the left chancellor and have him come here. There are some things I shouldn't say too directly. It would be better if the left chancellor speaks."
Ruyan acknowledged the order and stood up.
After Ruyan left and only the Empress Dowager remained in the room, she gave a soft snort. "A brother? The son of a woman less worthy than a maidservant—I don't know what kind of brother that is to the emperor."
Qi Junmu knew nothing of what happened in Renshou Palace. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
He treated those who were good to him well in return—this was the most important lesson he had learned across two lifetimes.
In the following days, the most talked-about topic in the capital was Shen Yi's funeral.
The burial site for Shen Yi was chosen by Qi Junmu. As a marquis, his resting place was no ordinary plot. Qi Junmu chose a spot not far from Emperor Jing's mausoleum, so that Shen Yi, a minister who had protected the empire, could continue to guard Emperor Jing's spirit in death.
On the day of Shen Yi's burial, Qi Junmu wrote an elegy but did not go in person.
The next day, news spread throughout the capital that Shen Nian had been forced to kneel in the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion by his mother, Madam Shen, on charges of unfilial conduct.
Qi Junmu heard about this in the palace and asked Ruan Jiqing, "They say the heir to Marquis Zhenbei is unfilial. In what way is he unfilial?"
Ruan Jiqing wrinkled his finely shaped brows and said, "It is said that Madam Shen is angry because the Young Marquis failed to protect the old marquis on the battlefield, so she punished him."
Qi Junmu was so angry that he laughed. This hadn't happened in his previous life. Just how much did Madam Shen loathe Shen Nian, to ruin his reputation like this? Now that Shen Nian was someone he had his eye on, Madam Shen had overstepped.
So Qi Junmu said with a cold laugh, "Since this matter is so interesting, let's go join the fun."
Ruan Jiqing was alarmed. "Ah? Your Majesty wants to leave the palace? This servant will make preparations immediately."
Qi Junmu said, "No need. Just the two of us." What would be the point of bringing too many people?
Ruan Jiqing's face twisted with worry. The emperor leaving the palace was no small matter—all kinds of security preparations had to be made in advance. If the Empress Dowager found out that the emperor was acting on a whim like this, half of Ruan Jiqing's head would be gone.
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