Chapter 11
Shen Nian received the imperial order to present himself at the palace. Without a word of small talk, he stood up directly and silently followed Ruan Jiqing toward Qianhua Hall.
The Meridian Gate was some distance from Qianhua Hall. Along the way, his mind kept dwelling on the man Qi Junmu.
He and the Emperor had an unspoken understanding about today’s summons. Of course, this mutual understanding hadn’t existed from the start. When he had escorted the coffin back to the capital from the northern frontier, the soldiers of the North Frontier Army had all worried for him.
He had disobeyed imperial orders twice in the north. The first time, he had refused to shut the passes as commanded. The second time, he had defied the order to return to the capital alone, insisting on bringing Shen Yi with him.
There was also a third, more subtle instance—deliberately citing heavy snow blocking the roads as an excuse to let his memorial arrive in the capital two days late, and stubbornly keeping a seven-day vigil. If judged by the severity of the offense, this last act was even more serious than the first two acts of defiance.
The Emperor could easily have accused him of commanding troops for his own power and refusing to follow orders. That was a grave charge—akin to treason in the mouths of those with ulterior motives.
This was exactly what the North Frontier Army feared. Judging by the several imperial edicts sent to the north, the new Emperor was not a magnanimous man. Shen Nian’s actions would surely be noted in his heart.
On this return to the capital, if the Emperor chose to strike directly, death would be the only outcome for Shen Nian. More critically, the North Frontier Army’s loyalty to the Shen family ran far deeper than their loyalty to the Emperor. No matter who sat on the dragon throne, they would never feel at ease with Shen Nian and would always seek ways to strip his military command.
Thus, it would only be natural for the Emperor to seize this opportunity to condemn Shen Nian and take control of the North Frontier Army.
Shen Nian had considered this outcome. He had even prepared for it. Once Shen Yi returned to the capital, he planned to submit a memorial requesting to observe the mourning period. If the Emperor cared even slightly about his reputation, he would not make a move at that time—at worst, Shen Nian’s days would be ordinary.
It was not that no soldiers had hinted they would follow him. Shen Nian was no fool. If he truly found himself surrounded by fire on all sides, he might well have entertained other thoughts.
But Emperor Jing, for all his many absurd acts, had always been generous with the borderlands. The silver and grain supplies that should have been allocated were never shorted. Da Qi was mostly peaceful throughout the land. If these people stubbornly followed him, they would be courting their own deaths and dragging their families down with them.
Having chosen to return to the capital, Shen Nian had already braced himself for the worst. Especially when Qi Junmu conferred the title of marquis on his father Shen Yi—before Shen Nian had even returned—and named Shen Nian his heir. That terrible feeling had reached its peak when he unexpectedly encountered the Emperor at the Farewell Pavilion.
He had seen the furtive, measuring glances from the surrounding court officials, the deep-seated wariness and envy hidden behind their eyes.
He knew he could not approach the Emperor to perform the formal bow. The deliberate, obvious breach of etiquette was meant to give the impression of a reckless brute not worth fearing.
It was also an indirect signal to the Emperor that his defiance carried no other meaning.
To be honest, the Emperor’s reaction at the time had surprised him a little. He had been exceptionally gentle with Shen Nian, almost doting. The thought sent chills down Shen Nian’s spine. He knew very well that extreme favor was also extreme danger.
Qi Junmu’s method was simple yet brutally effective. Shen Nian was already a figure of public attention; the Emperor’s treatment turned him directly into the center of everyone’s eyes. Shen Nian could only smile bitterly to himself. Fortunately, he still had a way out—he was not yet at the point of being discarded like a hunting dog once the prey was caught.
Shen Nian turned many thoughts over in his mind. But he never expected that Qi Junmu would appear just when his mother was deliberately making things difficult for him—and would speak in his defense.
He quickly understood what the Emperor wanted. The Emperor wanted to use him.
He was willing to be used. That would make him a favored subject until the Emperor decided to settle accounts with him. If he refused, he would only fade silently into oblivion.
Growing up on the border, Shen Nian believed he had some backbone. And then he decided to choose the first path. He thought of the northern frontier in his heart—perhaps it was desolate, the people’s skin rough, their clothes less elegant than those of the nobles in the capital—but he still wanted to return to the north rather than vanish completely.
If the Emperor was willing to use him, then he still had some way to go before losing favor. That meant he could still find a path of retreat. So when Qi Junmu issued an edict making him a marquis and specially granting him exemption from the three-year mourning period, his mind stirred, and that led to today’s act of kneeling in apology at the Meridian Gate.
He was not afraid of losing face. He was afraid of losing his life.
Shen Nian did not find this shameful. To die not on the battlefield but by someone’s schemes in the capital—that would be truly disgraceful. Once a man lost his life, nothing else mattered. Since there was a chance to live well, he would naturally seize it.
Having thought all of this through clearly, Shen Nian followed Ruan Jiqing to Qianhua Hall and spoke just as clearly, moving with remarkable speed.
When he saw the Emperor, without even raising his head to meet his gaze, Shen Nian began his performance.
He knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has come to beg you to take back the title you so graciously bestowed." As he spoke, his expression was bitter, his voice low and mournful—clearly anguished.
Qi Junmu raised an eyebrow slightly. His brows were long and narrow, slanting into his temples. This subtle lift added a touch of casual indifference to his face, making his handsome features look somewhat cold.
The Emperor seemed in good spirits. Looking at the newly minted Marquis Zhenbei, he did not directly ask for the reason. Instead, he first had Ruan Jiqing bring a chair and invited Shen Nian to sit down and properly explain what injustice he had suffered.
Seeing that he could sit instead of kneel, Shen Nian did not continue pleading or leave the Emperor a chance to change his mind. He directly performed the bow of thanks, stood up smoothly, and sat down.
But even as he moved, the look of bitter grievance on his face did not lessen by a single degree.
Qi Junmu had never seen anyone so crisp and efficient with court etiquette. His eyelid twitched involuntarily. Finally, his gaze settled on Shen Nian. "What did you mean by that just now?"
Shen Nian was about to speak, but his throat itched slightly, and he could not help coughing. It was a bitterly cold day, and he had been kneeling at the Meridian Gate for a while—chilled by the wind and frost—while the hall was so warm.
The sudden shift from cold to hot made a couple of coughs only natural.
Qi Junmu looked at this Marquis Zhenbei, who had again committed a breach of decorum before the sovereign, his expression unreadable.
After coughing for a moment, Shen Nian put on a pained face and pleaded earnestly, "Your Majesty, may this humble subject trouble you for a cup of hot water? My throat is terribly uncomfortable."
Qi Junmu felt this man was rather getting bold, but still gestured to Ruan Jiqing.
Ruan Jiqing personally brought the tea. As Shen Nian took it and drank casually, he could not help but remark, "Marquis, this tea was picked from the peak of Yunshan Mountain. Not much is gathered in a year. In the entire rear palace, only His Majesty has a little left. The Marquis is fortunate today."
Shen Nian’s expression grew serious. He looked at Qi Junmu with bright, fixed eyes. "Your Majesty, this humble subject has never been able to tell the difference between tree leaves and tea leaves. The tea in your palace must be fine tea indeed. Would Your Majesty be gracious enough to bestow some upon me?"
When Ruan Jiqing heard this, his expression changed completely. He thought to himself, this Shen Nian really doesn't play by the rules. This thing is so precious that even the Left Chancellor has never received a single bit of it—how could he have the nerve to ask for it?
Qi Junmu gave Ruan Jiqing a casual glance, then looked at Shen Nian and said, "Did you come to me for something good, or to confess your guilt?"
Shen Nian straightened his expression, put his teacup down on the small wooden table beside him, and began his confession.
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