Chapter 480

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"The Empress really knows how to conduct herself; I believe we need not fear being left without support in our old age while staying in the palace."

Consort Xian gently waved the round fan in her hand, strolling through the main hall, with various items sent by the Imperial Household Department before her eyes—everything for food, clothing, and daily use was complete.

The attending maids spoke flattering words about their mistress, regardless of how they discussed the Empress in their hearts; on the surface, they were all complying with their master.

After all, the relationship between their mistress and the Empress was not something they could meddle in; a servant must have the manner of a servant, and those who meddled too much had already been sent back to the Imperial Household Department. Those remaining were all clever people who knew how to read others' expressions.

The round fan in her hand was embroidered with clusters of flowers; Consort Xian waved her hand listlessly, "Send them to the Ku Fang first, then keep whatever is usable inside."

Such goodwill cannot be taken for granted; Consort Xian felt she and the Empress were growing increasingly tacit. The Zheng Family outside the palace was flourishing day by day, and forming a marriage alliance with the Shen Family was indeed the right move.

All that remained was to wait for the Empress's faction to completely rise to power, then she could peacefully serve as an Imperial Noble Consort.

There were not few consorts in the Huang Hou who thought like Consort Xian; most were elderly, having bustled about in the palace for years without making a splash, and could only resign themselves in the end.

As for the newcomers who had just entered the palace, they were all full of vigor and ambition; praising the Empress with a few words truly showed they knew how to conduct themselves, not seeming sincere at all, but rather more like sarcastic remarks.

"Even after receiving benefits, they still can't keep their mouths shut; our mistress is truly wronged."

Hongguo, who had gone out on an errand, couldn't help but complain to Lvying; there were some things they servants knew but shouldn't mention to their mistress to avoid spoiling her mood.

Lvying smiled and pulled Hongguo to calm her down, "What's the point of arguing with them? It's just sour grapes."

When it was time to enjoy oneself, she didn't hold back at all; these people were also quite something.

Lvying and Hongguo, as two close palace maids serving Shen Yao, were responsible for countless palace duties daily; they knew better than anyone what kind of people were most numerous in the Huang Hou, like some things that wouldn't bear close scrutiny.

The two young ladies gathered together to chat and laugh, soon suppressing this gloom.

Hongguo regained her spirits and brought the soup prepared by the small kitchen into the hall.

Because both young masters had left the palace with the Emperor, Fengyi Palace was very quiet now.

Shen Yao was lying alone on the couch resting; hearing footsteps at the doorway, she slightly lifted her eyelids, "What's wrong?"

She had been handling palace affairs for quite a while, and had been busy last night because of this morning's matters, causing her to sleep poorly and feel a bit sleepy.

"It's nothing; I've just brought the honey soup the mistress loves to drink. Would the mistress like to try some?"

This soup wasn't casually brewed; it was prepared by the Imperial Physician with many precious medicinal ingredients, and a single bowl could fetch a high price.

Shen Yao, for the sake of her health, had to drink a bowl of nourishing Qi and Blood every now and then.

Nowadays, other expenditures in Fengyi Palace were relatively average, but food and drink ranked first in the Huang Hou.

"Serve a bowl."

Having rested for quite a while, she was a bit hungry; she raised her hand to touch her belly, Shen Yao leaned against the couch, with a soft pillow carefully sewn by the palace maids beneath her.

A few strands of her tied-up hair fell mischievously, lightly brushing over Shen Yao's beautiful face, adding a touch of disheveled beauty.

Extending her jade finger to receive the soup Hongguo had served, Shen Yao held the spoon and scooped it, "Send a letter to outside the palace; have She Shi enter the palace early tomorrow morning."

The Emperor was not here; she was the greatest authority in the palace.

Calculating the time, those sent by the Shen Family to Jiangnan had already returned to Jingcheng several days ago; if there was any definite news, it was time to give herself some indication.

Hongguo turned her head to send the news through special channels to the Shen Family outside the palace.

The three Shen men—father and sons—were all packed off into the group leaving the palace, leaving only the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled among the crowd:...

"This, Eldest Sister-in-law"

Cheng Shi looked at She Shi beside her; the fingers under her handkerchief couldn't help but tighten.

"It's nothing; the mistress is seeing me, she must have something to say," otherwise she wouldn't have summoned her into the palace.

Thinking over the major and minor events of the Shen Family during this period, She Shi soon fixed her gaze on the study in the front courtyard.

She definitely wouldn't participate in political matters between men, but before Shen Changyu left, he had once said a few inexplicable words to her.

Considering it carefully now, it should be to convey a message to the Empress through her mouth.

Tsk tsk tsk

She Shi calmly arranged the family affairs, especially regarding Lady Shen, "Second Sister-in-law, please take more trouble; Mother's health is poor, and she must not go out recently."

The implication was to keep an eye on the unruly Lady Shen and not let this person run away.

Cheng Shi nodded obediently, "Eldest Sister-in-law, rest assured," even if she herself got into trouble, Lady Shen must not be allowed to go out.

Speaking of this grandmother of the Shen Family, she was quite troublesome; the matter of the Yuan Family had been many years ago, yet she still kept thinking about overturning the case for them.

If it weren't for the Eunuch above still being alive, and her husband still having an elder brother who could suppress him on his head, Cheng Shi would sooner or later have her mouth worn loose by Lady Shen.

"Father-in-law and the others went out this time to better protect the Imperial Carriage and the two noble young masters."

We inner chambers women staying at home must not add trouble to them."

So she hoped that when she was not in the Shen Family, this Second Sister-in-law who usually seemed to like playing dumb could remain steady, to prevent someone from taking advantage of their unpreparedness to do something underhanded and catch the Shen Family off guard.

After all, the main force of the Shen Family was now outside, and the entire household was managed by the inner chambers women.

The two sisters-in-law usually didn't say much, but now they had spoken quite completely.

When it was time to rest at night, Cheng Shi's head was filled with the words She Shi had said, and she slept soundly in a daze.

Cheng Shi:...

Early the next morning, She Shi changed her clothes and entered the palace, while Cheng Shi took people to the Main Courtyard, ostensibly to take care of Lady Shen, but secretly to prevent Lady Shen from sneaking out and causing trouble for them.

The two sisters-in-law had clear division of labor; when She Shi returned in the evening, everything was normal.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, what did the Empress in the palace say?" Cheng Shi was curious what the two of them had actually talked about, to actually keep someone until evening.

You must know that previously when they entered the palace, they only stayed for half a day, basically rushing into the palace and rushing out again.

Today was different from the past; could it be that the Empress really had important matters to explain? Then she should have followed them in too.

At this moment, Cheng Shi's imagination ran wild, even forgetting that She Shi had entered the palace at the Empress's summons, not on a normal day for visiting the palace.

"Her Ladyship said nothing at all, only that the palace wasn't busy and she wanted to inquire about the Shen family's situation."

She Shi tacitly concealed certain secrets that could not be spoken of outside, turning instead to tell Cheng Shi about topics that weren't important but were trivial and time-consuming.

Cheng Qi had his attention diverted just like that; when he returned to his room and lay down to sleep, he suddenly woke with a start, "Eldest Sister-in-law is truly cunning, even keeping it from me."

I almost got fooled by Eldest Sister-in-law—how could Her Majesty the Empress possibly only talk about the Shen family? She must also discuss court matters.

Ai yo wei

Did I really miss something?

Whether I missed it or not, anyway the matter is past; She Shi couldn't possibly tell Cheng Shi the details in private, and Cheng Shi, if he had a bit of sense, would know he shouldn't meddle.

The two sisters-in-law simply considered the matter finished, continuing to lie low in the Shen Mansion waiting for the three who went out to return.

Shen Yao in the palace was also waiting for the two children to return to the palace, but Shen Yao relied on the system to help, able to timely learn of the two children's outing movements, including the level of danger around them.

"Is someone still preparing to make a move?" Shen Yao had the palace affairs account books spread out flat beside her; as for the Imperial Household Department's methods of falsification, they really had a trick or two. Ever since Shen Yao discovered the obvious bug, they began switching their approach, trying to make up for it in quantity, continuing to embezzle while trying to maintain quality as much as possible.

The fat rats that eat well aren't yet due for harvesting; Shen Yao could only patiently raise them.

"Not only that, they're divided into several waves of forces," the system analyzed the portion of people planning to make a move, discovering that many among them were fish that slipped through the net left behind by the previous Emperor.

Shen Yao sneered, "They suffered losses before and urgently want a victory to retrieve their declining momentum."

This outing from the palace gave them an opportunity; as long as they deal with the two children, more precisely, as long as Yu Cheng loses his chance to ascend the throne, they can immediately turn things around, and the families that were suppressed can climb back up.

"Host, it seems the plan we formulated at the beginning wasn't wrong."

These people left behind are like time bombs waiting to explode; no one knows when they'll suddenly blow up. Taking this opportunity to dig out and handle another wave is also clearing obstacles for the road ahead.

"Yes, just wait for them to make a move, to let the Emperor realize the danger." The Emperor naturally wouldn't let these people go.

After all, they even wanted to assassinate him; this creature called the Emperor cherishes his life above all. Any danger that could affect their lives would be strangled in the cradle.

Just this rabble gathered together? They definitely wouldn't be a match for the Yulin Guard and the Shen Family.

With the heart that was raised now mostly put down, Shen Yao rested assured staying in the palace waiting for news.

Jingcheng was calm and peaceful, because the main figures weren't here.

But around the outskirts of Jingcheng, as several key places for the Emperor's inspection, just the atmosphere was enough to make one suffocate.

The Emperor brought several young and beautiful Imperial Consorts, staying on the sedan chair all day eating, drinking, and seeking pleasure; occasionally he'd ask two sentences about the two children he brought out, and the rest of the time he was being carefree.

Yu Cheng and Yu Xi hadn't left the palace; they finally got such an opportunity, and they were practically eager to hang their heads outside the carriage.

Shen Chunbai, as the children's maternal grandfather, along with Shen Zhangyu and Shen Zhanghe, the two of them, worried themselves sick.

【86】 Shen Chunbai, as the children's maternal grandfather, along with Shen Zhangyu and Shen Zhanghe, wore themselves out with worry, paying attention to the children's situation from the moment they opened their eyes to the moment they closed them, practically wanting to tie the children to right before their own eyes.

"Father, the Emperor is still absurd." It was clearly an outing from the palace for inspection, yet it was made into something like pleasure-seeking, without any of the earlier seriousness.

Shen Zhangyu looked down on the Emperor more and more; perhaps this was what "familiarity breeds contempt" meant. The Emperor was also an ordinary person, with the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and the desires of eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating.

Looking from afar, he seemed exceptionally wise and martial; up close, he was just so-so.

"Don't talk too much about the Emperor's affairs. We went out this time for the sake of the two children."

The bodyguards stationed around the Emperor were the most numerous, next were the two children.

Did you think the Shen Family came along to protect whom? Naturally, it was for the most important blood relationship.

"Father, son knows, but..." Shen Zhangyu pursed his lips; some words weren't suitable to say anymore.

How could Shen Chunbai not know that Shen Zhangyu was unhappy in his heart? But can a subject speak of the Emperor's faults? Even if there were problems, he could only hold them in his heart.

"Zhangyu, you are a good one, knowing the weight of things, understanding that some words shouldn't be spoken outside."

During this period, try to keep a closer eye on Zhanghe, and let him manage fewer matters in the team.

Among the court officials who came along this time, there are not a few, and there's no shortage of manpower around the Emperor either.

Our Shen Family is already very conspicuous in the court; if we go out and jump high again, that would be seeking death.

The longer Shen Chunbai stayed in the court, the more he understood the bloody cruelty behind the court.

It seems that our father and son being able to go out on military campaigns is a good thing; otherwise, in that court turmoil, our Shen Family, even if not dead, would have to shed a layer of skin.

Shen Zhangyu nodded in agreement, indicating that he would seriously watch over Shen Zhanghe and not let this person casually cause trouble and show off, especially since there were still two children in the team.

The father and son didn't spend much time talking, because each still carried a mission on their person.

Well, after chatting for a couple of sentences, they each went their separate ways, only to meet and talk again when resting in the evening.

Yu Cheng and Yu Xi sat together; the carriage went forward with a Concern Concern sound, and the space inside was exceptionally spacious.

"Older brother, how long until we return to the palace? I miss Mother Empress."

Yu Xi was an optimistic and cheerful little girl; she said whatever she liked and would never hide it in her heart.

Yu flipped through the books he brought out; the tutor had already lectured on the content above, but to consolidate his learning, he would still review the old to know the new in private.

"It's only been a few days since we came out; I heard we have to wait some more time. You miss Mother Empress, so why not write those calligraphy and paintings? When we return to the palace, you can show them to Mother Empress."

After hearing Yu Cheng's boring words, Yu Xi couldn't help but wrinkle her little nose.

Hmph!

Older brother really doesn't know how to speak; she doesn't want to study, and she isn't a bookworm.

She complained a little that Older brother, since going to He Lan, hadn't played with her much. Yu Xi lay sideways in the carriage, rolling around left and right for a while, unable to quiet down, making Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji unable to help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji, as the senior palace maids entrusted by Shen Yao with the important task of personally caring for the two children, truly followed wherever they went.

This time leaving the palace, they were even more spirited to the fullest, afraid that one wrong step would cause trouble.

Seeing the two young masters talking and laughing, Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji felt even more gratified.

Not affected by the Emperor's absurd behavior, the master could be more at ease in the Huang Hou.

"It should be time for lunch. I'll go check; you stay here and guard the young masters."

Xiao Fu said a word quietly to Xiao Ji, then turned around and walked out of the carriage.

Not long after, the carriage stopped, and people around began walking back and forth.

Xiao Fu brought the palace attendants serving her back with the already-prepared meal.

The steaming meal quickly roused the appetites of the two children, who had been hungry for half a day; they gathered around and gulped it down, then Yu Cheng was pulled by Yu Xi off the carriage to stretch their legs.

From the imperial carriage not far away came a clamor of voices; Yu Xi curiously glanced twice, but Yu Cheng, quick-eyed and quick-handed, pulled her away and ran to one side.

Yu Xi:... Huh?

"Father Emperor is busy; we won't go disturb him," Yu Cheng understood far more than Yu Xi; besides, the tutor of He Lan was truly capable and was sincerely cultivating Yu Cheng.

"What is Father Emperor busy with? He hasn't seen me for several days," Yu Xi puffed her cheeks; clearly it was she who wanted to come out and play, and Father Emperor had promised to accompany her, but what happened? Father Emperor himself had a grand time.

Father Emperor, you don't keep your word!