Yue shi glanced at the Empress Dowager, then tilted her chin toward Lin En, signaling him to speak.
Lin En blinked his star-bright eyes, then looked at the Empress Dowager and softly called out to her.
The Empress Dowager raised her eyes to meet his worried gaze. Her heart eased, and she sat up straighter. She beckoned Lin En closer and said, "I am fine. It is just that this cold weather makes me restless."
Lin En acknowledged the order.
Fuhua quickly chimed in from the side: "Imperial Mother, if you're feeling troubled, why not let Auntie tell us a story? I love hearing Auntie's stories the most."
Yue shi wore a smile on her face. She waved her hand and said with a self-deprecating grimace: "Princess, please don't make me lose face in front of Her Majesty. It's not that my stories are any good—it's just that the Empress Dowager is being gracious."
The Empress Dowager finally smiled. She shook her head and said: "If your stories aren't good, then there aren't many people in this world who can tell stories at all."
Ruyan took the opportunity to replace everyone's tea with fresh brews. Hearing this, she laughed and said: "Madam, Her Majesty loves hearing your stories the most. You'll have to finish one today before you leave—otherwise Her Majesty will keep thinking about it and won't even enjoy her meals."
"Look at you—no wonder you serve by Her Majesty's side. Pretty as a flower, and so sweet-tongued too." Yue shi said cheerfully.
The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and said: "Stop praising her already. The smile on her face is about to burst from holding it in."
Ruyan grinned and said: "Your Majesty, what Madam said is the truth. And this servant's good manners are all thanks to Your Majesty's teaching." With this kind of lighthearted banter, the gloom on the Empress Dowager's face finally lifted, and the hall grew lively once more.
The Empress Dowager had Fuhua seated on her left and Lin En on her right.
Now and then, Lin En would secretly steal a glance at Fuhua, then quickly lower his head again—the fair, delicate tip of his chin flushing faintly pink, a clear sign of how shy he was.
Yue shi observed the situation clearly, and the smile in her eyes deepened. The Empress Dowager was also pleased with this—yet she still felt a trace of worry. Lin En clearly had feelings for Fuhua, but Fuhua seemed to see him only as an ordinary older brother, with no other intentions.
The Empress Dowager wanted to form a marriage alliance—not create a grudge.
---
While Renshou Palace was filled with warmth and cheer, Qi Junmu was in Qianhua Hall, gazing at the three men kneeling before him. He did not ask what had happened—he simply looked at them.
Qi Fan and Wen Yao were grimacing in pain, their faces all scrunched up and their eyes brimming with tears. But the strange thing was—apart from their slightly disheveled hair, there wasn't a single mark on their faces.
In contrast, Shen Nian was much calmer. He said nothing, simply kneeling upright with his back straight. There was blood on his nose, and the left corner of his mouth was split—clearly, he had been beaten.
Hearing Qi Fan and Wen Yao whimper again, Qi Junmu frowned and said coldly: "The two of you teamed up to beat him to this state, and you still have the nerve to play the victim?"
At these words, Wen Yao straightened up excitedly. But the moment he moved, he felt pain all over and couldn't even speak. Tears welling up, he said: "Your Majesty, he's the one who hit hard—how can you blame us?" He had always had a bit of baby fat, and with tears in his eyes, he looked especially pitiful.
Qi Fan, beside him, grimaced and nodded in agreement—it really was Shen Nian who had hit them hard, and they weren't lying. His whole body ached so much it felt like his bones were coming apart.
They spoke earnestly, but Qi Junmu didn't believe them—at least on the surface, Shen Nian's injuries were clearly worse.
Qi Junmu looked at Wen Yao and said slowly, word by word: "Are you saying I don't have eyes? That I can't see who has the wounds?"
"No, Your Majesty," Wen Yao said, deeply wronged. "We only hit him twice—and he let us hit him on purpose! He punched us hard—you can have someone check our injuries if you don't believe me."
Qi Junmu glanced at Shen Nian, who still didn't move and offered not a single word of defense.
The Emperor studied the situation and said: "Then let's have the injuries examined." With that, he gestured, and had Ruan Jiqing take the men to the side hall to strip and be inspected.
Qi Fan and Wen Yao, groaning and limping, leaned on each other as they followed Ruan Jiqing out. Before long, Ruan Jiqing returned with several eunuchs and the two men.
Ruan Jiqing's expression was complicated: "Your Majesty, the Heir and the Imperial Uncle... their bodies are completely clean—no injuries at all." Not even a red mark on their skin.
Wen Yao and Qi Fan exclaimed in unison: "That's impossible!" They were in excruciating pain—how could there be no wounds at all?
Then both turned to glare at Shen Nian—convinced that he had done it on purpose.
Qi Junmu sneered: "You beat someone, refuse to admit it, and even gang up to lie—truly shameless. Go receive your punishment shortly."
Having said that, the Emperor turned to Shen Nian, his expression softening considerably: "Marquis Shen, what exactly happened today?"
Shen Nian had been expressionless the whole time, but now, at the Emperor's question, his eyes suddenly reddened—as if a deeply hidden wound had been accidentally uncovered.
Qi Junmu was also startled by his expression. His lips moved, but he said nothing more.
Wen Yao and Qi Fan's faces showed a trace of guilt.
Shen Nian lifted his head, held back the tears in his eyes, and said with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Uncle and the heir of Prince Ying said that my father was never favored by the late Emperor. They said that in the late Emperor's eyes, the Shen family were nothing but pawns stationed at the northern border—expendable and insignificant. They also said that the reason I remain unmarried at this age is because everyone in the capital knows that in Your Majesty's eyes, I am nothing more than a grasshopper after autumn—my days are numbered. So no one is willing to marry their daughter to me, because that would clearly be selling their daughter for status—and sending her to be a widow. I couldn't bear to hear it, so I went up to argue with them. But they outnumbered me, and I ended up with these injuries on my face instead."
Qi Fan and Wen Yao, who had vastly outnumbered him: "..."
Shameless. Absolutely shameless in both words and deeds.
They were the ones hurt more! All they had muttered were some rumors from the streets. They hadn't even said it so bluntly—only that Shen Nian might be riding high now, but who knew what the future held? After all, Shen Yi had once been Emperor Jing's study companion, and yet when he died, he had nothing—couldn't even make it back to the capital.
Who knew that when they said those words, Shen Nian himself would happen to be right there?
And the most critical part—Shen Nian had thrown punches the moment he heard them. When did he ever "go up to argue"?
He had beaten both of them and several of their servants till they were crying for their mothers—why didn't he mention that?
He was clearly lying through his teeth.
A cold glint flashed in Qi Junmu's eyes. He suddenly raised his voice: "Guards! Take Qi Fan and Wen Yao out for caning. Marquis Zhenbei himself will oversee the punishment."
The implication was clear: how many strokes would be given, and whether they would be real or fake—it all depended on Shen Nian's mood.
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