Shen Nian was turning all this over in his mind, and when he saw the expectant look on the Emperor's face, his own face crumpled into a bitter expression. "Your Majesty, to be honest, this humble subject didn't really have any particular reason for entering the palace."
His tone was so forlorn that even Qi Junmu couldn't bear to hear it. He laughed and said, "What's this? My Marquis Zhenbei, who's never feared even enemy blades on the battlefield, now looks like a wronged child? Come, tell me. If someone truly has bullied my Marquis Zhenbei, I will see justice done for you."
Shen Nian had been feeling rather embarrassed about the whole thing—he'd left his house and found himself with nowhere to go in all of the vast capital. But hearing the Emperor's words of concern, he suddenly felt that his troubles weren't so shameful after all.
So Shen Nian recounted everything that had happened that day, though he left out most of the emotional turmoil.
Qi Junmu listened in silence. He could well understand Shen Nian's feelings. In his previous life, he had felt the same way toward the Empress Dowager.
He knew perfectly well that Shen Nian wasn't looking for comfort—just a way to vent.
In his past life, as Emperor, he'd had no one to pour his heart out to. In this life, he no longer cared about the Empress Dowager, nor did he yearn for the affection he'd once sought in vain.
But he could still listen to Shen Nian's heart.
When Shen Nian finished, Qi Junmu asked, "You walked all the way from the Marquis Zhenbei's mansion to the palace?"
Shen Nian blinked and nodded in agreement.
Qi Junmu glanced at his legs. "And you're not tired?"
Following this cue, Shen Nian kicked his legs a little and couldn't help but say, "To be honest, I am a little tired. I was so focused on coming to see Your Majesty that I didn't feel it along the way. But now that Your Majesty has brought it up—might this humble subject beg for a seat?"
"Of course you may sit and rest," Qi Junmu said lazily. "But there's only you and me in this hall—surely you don't expect me to fetch you a chair myself?"
"Of course not, of course not!" Shen Nian said hastily. "I wouldn't dare trouble Your Majesty! This humble subject is strong enough to move a chair on my own."
And true to his word, Shen Nian moved a chair over and sat down, feeling immensely comfortable.
He knew very well that it wasn't really physical exhaustion—it was that his heart felt completely at ease. Qi Junmu wasn't the sort of emperor who offered gentle consolation, but at this moment, his manner and his words made Shen Nian feel wonderfully at peace.
All those listless thoughts and the weariness in his heart suddenly vanished.
Qi Junmu could use people ruthlessly when it suited him, but when he chose to be warm, he was equally impossible to resist.
Just as Shen Nian was pondering all this, he heard Qi Junmu say unhurriedly, "Since Marquis Shen came neither on horseback nor by sedan chair, and the hour is already late today, and you'll have to be at court early tomorrow—why not stay here tonight?"
Shen Nian's heart tightened for a moment. He looked up at Qi Junmu. "This humble subject is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor, but... this really isn't necessary. It would be against the rules."
Qi Junmu gave him a sidelong glance. "There are guest quarters in the palace for ministers to stay overnight. It won't inconvenience anyone. Pick any one you like."
Shen Nian wanted to refuse again, but Qi Junmu was already done with the conversation. He called out for Ruan Jiqing and told him to make the arrangements.
Ruan Jiqing had no idea what the Emperor and Marquis Zhenbei were playing at. In the palace, the Emperor's word was law, as it had always been.
If the Emperor said someone was to stay, even if there was no place to put them, they'd have to dig one up. The key point was that Da Qi did have precedents for allowing male guests to stay overnight in the palace—usually favored princes (the emperor's brother) or trusted ministers.
But even so, the Emperor couldn't just say something that was plainly false. The sky was still bright—it was not so late that Marquis Zhenbei couldn't leave the palace and return home. Yet the Emperor said it was already late? This Marquis Zhenbei was clearly enjoying far too much favor—it was bordering on excessive.
Ruan Jiqing dared only to grumble about these thoughts inwardly, not uttering a word aloud.
What others thought didn't matter—what mattered was that Shen Nian understood: Qi Junmu was keeping him here simply so he wouldn't have to go back to the Shen family, even if only for one night.
That evening, Shen Nian once again got to enjoy an imperial meal. This time, however, the Emperor dining across from him didn't eat much.
The place Ruan Jiqing chose for Shen Nian to stay was just one wall away from the Emperor's own Qianhua Hall. According to Ruan Jiqing, it was close—so if anything happened at the Emperor's end, Shen Nian could arrive promptly.
The Emperor found Ruan Jiqing's arrangement thoughtful and approved it. Shen Nian naturally had no objection.
That night, for the first time, Shen Nian could not fall asleep.
Perhaps he'd slept too much during the day, or perhaps in this oppressive yet splendid place that was the palace, ordinary people simply couldn't sleep.
Lying in bed, Shen Nian's thoughts drifted everywhere—to the frontier, to the capital.
One moment, Shen Yi's face appeared before him; the next, Qi Junmu's.
His mind churned with so many scattered thoughts that he lay awake the entire night.
By the time the sky began to lighten, Shen Nian had already gotten himself ready. To his own surprise, he felt quite alert.
When Qi Junmu went to morning court, Shen Nian had already changed shifts with his colleague.
The palace was the most well-informed place in the world. Shen Nian's presence drew all sorts of looks from everyone. For an official to be allowed to stay overnight in the palace—that was the ultimate mark of imperial favor, a clear sign of the Emperor's trust, and with it came boundless wealth and glory. There wasn't a soul who wouldn't envy that.
Everyone knew Shen Nian was favored. But every time they thought it had reached its peak, he managed to do something even more extraordinary. They were all officials serving the same sovereign—why did all the good fortune have to fall on his head alone? It was truly an eyesore.
Qi Junmu hadn't meant anything special by keeping Shen Nian this time. He simply felt that Shen Nian reminded him of his own past self—someone who understood his suffering—so he'd given him a place to stay. He also wanted to send a message to the rest of the Shen family: if they couldn't keep Shen Nian, there were other places that could.
Yet even without scheming against Shen Nian, in the end, it still became yet another piece of evidence of Shen Nian's overwhelming favor.
Shen Nian himself paid no attention to all those stares. He went about his duties as usual—patrolling when he should, scolding when he should, without any hesitation. Wang Jun, however, was quite indignant on his behalf.
Shen Nian watched him standing there with a stern face, muttering under his breath, and felt his head beginning to throb. He said, "What are you mumbling about?"
Wang Jun saw that Shen Nian was finally giving him his full attention and felt that his earlier performance hadn't been wasted. He quickly replied, "My lord, your humble subordinate feels that some people have gone too far. Eunuch Ruan by the Emperor's side sent word that Prince Jin and Prince Ping had set out from Qingzhou some days ago and would soon arrive in the capital."
Shen Nian's hand paused. He said, "Prince Jin and Prince Ping rendered great service in Qingzhou. That is a good thing. It is only right that they return to the capital."
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Wang Jun finally could not hold back. "My lord, the two princes returning is certainly a good thing, but many are saying that Commander Yang will also be returning to the palace. After that, there will be no place for you here."
"There was never any place for me in the palace to begin with." Shen Nian couldn't help cracking a joke. "The ones with a place in the palace are the imperial consorts."
The words slipped out before he could stop them. Seeing Wang Jun's stunned expression and fearing he might not be able to take it, he added, "The imperial guards in the palace are all loyal to His Majesty. Whether it's the Left Commander or Marquis Zhenbei, they all serve the Emperor. Let them talk. You just focus on your duties. What's the point of arguing over all this?"
Wang Jun thought to himself, Of course I argue.
All this time, he had been currying favor with Shen Nian, hoping to climb higher.
Now that Yang Jinglei was coming back, surely many who disliked him would lodge complaints. Would he still have any good days ahead?
Wang Jun's thoughts were written all over his face. Shen Nian shook his head and said, "You and Hu Ze are both on His Majesty's records. As long as you serve diligently, chances will come your way in due time. There's no point worrying about it now."
Caught off guard by Shen Nian's words, Wang Jun looked rather embarrassed.
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