This was the first time in all these months that Qi Junmu had brought up Shen Yi with him.
They had always avoided the topic of Shen Yi, since the Shen family still had unsettled accounts with Emperor Jing. Bringing him up inevitably meant bringing up Emperor Jing—and no matter what the world said, Emperor Jing was the sovereign, and Qi Junmu's father. There were many things that could not be easily spoken of.
Perhaps both were reminded of their own fathers, and a heavy silence fell between Qi Junmu and Shen Nian.
After what felt like a long while, Shen Nian was the first to snap out of it. He said with proper seriousness, "Your Majesty, regarding what happened that day with Commander Yang at the Marquis Zhenbei's residence, it went like this..."
Shen Nian recounted the events of that day, making no effort to hide what he had said to Yang Jinglei.
After hearing him out, Qi Junmu laughed and said, "To be honest, I never expected Yang Jinglei to go to the Marquis Zhenbei's residence, nor did I expect you to give him guidance."
"This humble subject is utterly loyal to Your Majesty. Commander Yang is a man you hold in high regard. Even if I hadn't spoken, he would have figured it out on his own." Shen Nian declared his loyalty while also slipping in a bit of flattery.
Fortunately, while the flattery wasn't perfectly aimed, it didn't land on the wrong foot either. The Emperor's expression remained neutral as he said, "I had intended to put him in charge of the North Mountain Imperial Guard, but now that won't be possible."
Shen Nian hadn't expected the Emperor to share this with him, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The Emperor waved his hand, dismissing him.
After Shen Nian left, the Emperor remained seated without moving. Having lived a second life, Yang Jinglei's fate had now changed—and perhaps it wasn't just Yang Jinglei. Many others might follow.
A man who had endured trials and returned to stand in the world once more saw things with far more detachment, and his decisions became far more ruthless.
Yang Jinglei might have been nothing more than a fleeting notion, but he would never again earn the Emperor's trust.
It was unfair to Yang Jinglei, but Qi Junmu did not regret it.
Thinking of Yang Jinglei, Qi Junmu's mind drifted back to Shen Nian's words, and from there to Shen Yi and Emperor Jing.
He wondered whether one day, he and Shen Nian would end up like them—sovereign and subject, spending a lifetime of suspicion and wariness toward one another.
Shen Nian had no idea that Qi Junmu was brooding over such things. After leaving Quanhua Hall, he was consumed with regret—regret that he hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut in front of Qi Junmu, spouting all that nonsense.
If the Emperor were the least bit petty, he'd be a dead man.
Commenting on the Emperor's appearance was one thing to do in private—but to say it to his face, and compare him to others? Wasn't that just asking for death?
Shen Nian stewed over all this gloomily, and finally found some small comfort in the thought that the Emperor was at least magnanimous enough not to punish him. Whether that was a good thing or not, he couldn't say.
Lost in these thoughts, Shen Nian nearly collided with a young gentleman at the corner of an alley—a fair-faced lad with rosy lips and gleaming white teeth.
This young gentleman was dressed entirely in white, holding a folding fan that he swayed back and forth, looking thoroughly dashing.
After steadying himself, the young gentleman caught sight of Shen Nian and his eyes lit up. "Marquis Zhenbei."
His tone was certain, his voice crisp and clear.
Shen Nian studied him, feeling a flicker of recognition but unable to place where he had seen him before. Frowning, he asked, "Who are you? Why have I never seen you in the palace?"
The young gentleman smiled, a touch of pride in his brow. "The palace is vast, with so many people—can you possibly know them all?"
Shen Nian replied coolly, "There are indeed many people in the palace, but not many who dress like you. Who are you really? This path leads out of the palace, and I've heard of no young lord entering today. If you don't tell me the truth, I'll have the imperial guards arrest you for questioning."
Seeing Shen Nian's stern expression and the hint that he might resort to force, the young gentleman looked vexed for a moment, then frowned and said, "I am Fuhua."
"Fuhua?" Shen Nian was taken aback, then furrowed his brow. "I have never met Princess Fuhua, so I cannot tell whether you speak the truth. If it's convenient, please come with me to see the Emperor."
"I was heading out of the palace to visit my cousin Lin En," Fuhua said, not expecting Shen Nian to be so strict. She quickly produced the Empress Dowager's token. "Here, take a look. This is the Empress Dowager's token."
Shen Nian said, "Would the Princess really leave the palace without a single attendant? You'd better come with me."
Fuhua wasn't the type to throw her weight around or be unreasonable. Seeing that Shen Nian wouldn't budge, she thought for a moment and said, "Fine, I'll go with you then."
After making a full circuit, Fuhua and Shen Nian appeared once again at Quanhua Hall.
Qi Junmu stared at Fuhua in her male attire, blinked in surprise, then frowned. "Fuhua?"
Fuhua nodded. The Emperor's brow remained furrowed. "You're a princess—what is this getup?"
Fuhua pouted and said, "The Empress Dowager has been urging me to visit Cousin Lin En lately, but I didn't want to bring a huge entourage and make a spectacle of it. So I planned to slip out quietly today, but I ran into Marquis Zhenbei on patrol. He was afraid I was lying, so he brought me here."
Shen Nian stepped forward and knelt. "This humble subject did not recognize Princess Fuhua, and so brought her before Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty and Her Highness's forgiveness."
"No harm done—it's your duty." Fuhua smiled. "Your Majesty, please don't blame Marquis Zhenbei either."
"When did I say I was going to blame him?" Qi Junmu said crossly, "If anyone deserves blame, it's you. If you're going out of the palace, change your clothes. This is improper."
Fuhua looked reluctant. Her eyes darted toward Shen Nian, and she said, "Your Majesty, I am leaving the palace on the Empress Dowager's orders to visit Cousin Lin En. I think dressing like this is best. Why not have Marquis Zhenbei accompany me to see my cousin? That way, if anyone sees us, there'll be no gossip."
Shen Nian naturally did not want to go.
Even if Fuhua was dressed as a man, she was still a woman—and a princess.
But before he could refuse, Qi Junmu spoke up. "Nonsense. Why should Marquis Zhenbei go to the Lin residence for no reason at all? If you want to go, change your clothes. If not, stay in the palace."
Seeing the Emperor's sour expression, Fuhua left in a huff.
After she was gone, Qi Junmu looked at Shen Nian and said, "Fuhua has been spoiled by the Empress Dowager. Don't take today's matter to heart."
Shen Nian said, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for getting me out of that situation."
Qi Junmu nodded. He didn't dismiss him, not wanting him to run into Fuhua again and invite idle gossip.
Qi Junmu knew Fuhua well—she wasn't a frivolous person. If she truly didn't want to be discovered, she would have slipped out of the palace long ago.
After all, she had the Empress Dowager's token. Given that, today's incident might well have been deliberate on Fuhua's part.
By dressing this way, any imperial guard she encountered would have to verify her identity.
Was Fuhua's little performance just now meant to show that she had no interest in Lin En? But as a princess, with the Empress Dowager and the Lin family constantly pushing the match, she couldn't say it outright, so she staged this scene.
Maybe she couldn't bring herself to tell the Empress Dowager, or perhaps the Empress Dowager wouldn't give her a chance to refuse—so she came to him instead.
Realizing this possibility, Qi Junmu felt a headache coming on.
Shen Nian stood beside him, watching. After a long moment, he pressed his lips together.
---
After that, the weather in the capital grew hotter by the day.
Before the Emperor had a chance to confirm Fuhua's true intentions, Shen Nian, on his day off, suddenly showed up at the palace seeking an audience.
Qi Junmu assumed, as last time, that Shen Nian had suffered some grievance at the Shen family and had come to mope around.
But when he summoned him in, Shen Nian knelt on the ground, presented the military tally, and said with a grave expression, "Your Majesty, this humble subject begs you to take back my title and allow me to return to the status of a commoner."
Qi Junmu had been drinking tea at the time, ready to listen to Shen Nian's complaints and mentally preparing some words of comfort. Caught completely off guard, he spat out a mouthful of tea, spraying water all over himself and the desk.
Coughing and sputtering in disarray, he didn't even bother to clean up. "What did you say?"
What is this all about again? What has gotten into Shen Nian this time?
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