Chapter 37
Shen Nian knew Cheng Jin's abilities better than anyone. It was just that Cheng Jin had always kept a low profile—when people mentioned him, most assumed he was merely Shen Nian's personal guard, and seldom thought to single him out for anything else.
There had been opportunities before to put Cheng Jin in the public eye, but he had refused. He said that Shen Nian had saved his life on the battlefield, and that he would follow Shen Nian for the rest of his days, going nowhere else.
Cheng Jin had been adamant on the matter, and since he insisted so firmly, Shen Nian had kept him by his side.
Now, though he didn't know where Qi Junmu had heard of Cheng Jin or why he wished to cultivate him, Shen Nian was naturally willing. The most important thing was that the Emperor had already spoken—even if Shen Nian came up with a thousand excuses, the Emperor wouldn't listen. It was better to agree smoothly and make everything look proper.
Having quickly sorted through these thoughts, Shen Nian added, "Your Majesty, Cheng Jin has been by this humble subject's side for many years. It is his good fortune that Your Majesty now holds him in such high regard. However, he is blunt-tempered, hot-headed, and lazy by nature. This humble subject fears he cannot bear the atmosphere of the court and will bungle matters."
This was simply how Shen Nian operated—whether things would actually go that way or not, he preferred to lay out the worst-case scenario first, so that when trouble came, there would be a way out.
Qi Junmu was well aware of this habit of his. When Shen Nian finished, he let out a sardonic smirk, "Such soldiers come from such generals. Cheng Jin is a man by your side; when I look at you, I know exactly what sort of man Cheng Jin is."
Shen Nian: "..."
That didn't sound like a compliment at all. In the Emperor's mouth, he was like a rat dropping that had fallen into a pot and spoiled the soup. The metaphor felt a bit odd, and the more Shen Nian thought about it, the more awkward—and even uncharacteristically embarrassed—he became.
Qi Junmu had only brought this up casually to change the subject, but when he saw the flustered, awkward expression appear on Shen Nian's face, he was quite surprised.
In his mind, Shen Nian had always been thick-skinned and sharp-tongued, a waste of that handsome, refined face. Aside from his habit of spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face, Qi Junmu rarely saw any other expression on him.
Now that Shen Nian's expression had suddenly changed, with a faint blush rising to his cheeks, it made for quite a striking sight.
Looking at Shen Nian like this, Qi Junmu couldn't help but think: if this Marquis Zhenbei could shed some of his aggressive edge and wear an expression like this more often, he could easily stir a few hearts. He certainly wouldn't still be single.
The Emperor's gaze was utterly unguarded. At first, Shen Nian had been embarrassed by the Emperor's words, but now, being studied so openly, he grew inexplicably more nervous, and the heat in his face refused to subside.
Seeing Shen Nian's face grow redder, Qi Junmu felt he might have gone too far. He cleared his throat and looked away, saying, "Just keep this matter in mind. In a few days, after I've settled on the arrangements, I'll make it public."
Shen Nian replied calmly, "Yes, this humble subject understands."
There was nothing more to say, and suddenly the ruler and subject had little to speak of. Qi Junmu took the opportunity to dismiss him.
After leaving Qianhua Hall, Shen Nian let out a long breath. He hadn't expected things to develop this way. All he could do was sigh: the Emperor's mind was simply not something one could guess.
That night, Shen Nian behaved himself and did not appear before the Emperor. He was on night duty and could rest the next day—meaning he could leave the palace for a day and return home.
In truth, Shen Nian saw little difference between staying in the palace and staying in the Shen family. To him, the palace and the Shen family were merely temporary places to sleep.
Still, because of Qi Junmu's prior warning, he kept an eye on things in the palace. Fortunately, no idle gossip had spread. Regarding Princess Yueqing, at most it was said that she had fallen ill and the Empress Dowager, out of concern, had ordered imperial physicians to attend to her.
The incident in the imperial garden where Princess Yueqing had fallen into the water seemed as though it had never happened.
This put Shen Nian somewhat at ease, yet also made him feel something was amiss. A strange feeling he'd had ever since Qi Junmu had brought up the Empress Dowager.
He prided himself on being a decent judge of character, but when it came to the most honored woman in Da Qi, he felt he couldn't see clearly. Lin En was merely the Empress Dowager's nephew, and yet she had gone to such lengths for him—it was quite unexpected.
What surprised Shen Nian most was that the Emperor hadn't bothered to hide any of this from him.
The more open the Emperor was, the more bizarre it felt. The Emperor's attitude toward the Empress Dowager was too calm—neither resentment nor affection. She seemed no different to him than any ordinary person.
Shen Nian thought: perhaps this was what made the Emperor an emperor. He himself was an ordinary man. Even after his mother Wen shi had treated him so cruelly in childhood, he would still occasionally harbor a shred of hope.
Thankfully, he had woken up in time. Wen shi could no longer hurt him.
Thinking of Wen shi led him to think of the Empress Dowager.
Before returning to the capital, he had made inquiries about the Emperor. It was said that the Empress Dowager had always doted on him and fully supported his ascension. By all logic, the bond between mother and son should have been deep.
Even if there were some conflicts, as a son, the Emperor should still respect the Empress Dowager. He wondered what had happened between them to leave them so distant now.
Shen Nian's mind was a jumble of tangled thoughts. In the end, all he could figure was that the affairs of the palace were messy, hidden, and deliberately obscured—enough to drive anyone mad with frustration.
Wang Jun was one of Shen Nian's subordinates and was also on night duty that evening. Seeing Shen Nian frowning and looking troubled, he brought over a cup of tea and asked with concern, "My lord, what are you thinking about?"
Shen Nian glanced at Wang Jun and said, "I'm thinking about Young Master Lin. Why... why does he wear a mask?" Since returning to the capital, he had been tangled up in all sorts of trivial matters, and the Emperor had pushed him into earning quite a few merits.
Moreover, he didn't understand the power dynamics in the capital, and no one dared to easily form ties with him. There were many things in the capital he didn't know, and many people he still couldn't match to their faces.
Left Chancellor Lin Xiao was the Emperor's own maternal uncle, favored by the Emperor—everyone in the realm knew that, and Shen Nian naturally did too. He also knew that Lin Xiao had a son named Lin En who kept a low profile, but he had never met the man in person, nor had he made any effort to learn about him.
Of course, more importantly, no one casually brought up Lin En either.
The imperial garden was the first time he had seen Lin En, and also the first time he learned that Lin En wore a mask.
The Emperor hadn't told him why, and he hadn't felt it appropriate to ask. Clearly, there was some matter involved that even the Emperor didn't wish to discuss.
Since Wang Jun had brought it up now, it was only natural for Shen Nian to inquire further. It was perfectly reasonable—a man like that was bound to pique anyone's curiosity.
When Wang Jun heard Shen Nian's question, his expression shifted. After carefully checking that no one else was around, he lowered his voice and said, "My lord, in the palace, you must never speak of Young Master Lin's mask."
Shen Nian's brows furrowed, a crease forming between them. "Why?" he asked.
Wang Jun pointed upward and said, "His Majesty and the Empress Dowager do not like hearing gossip about Young Master Lin in the palace."
Shen Nian's brows drew even tighter. He could understand the Empress Dowager not wanting people to discuss Lin En. But the Emperor was a man of deep and inscrutable thoughts—Shen Nian truly couldn't fathom what the Emperor was thinking.
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