readytorunbook Chapter 145 Ah Li, don't rush, leave it to me.
Chapter 145 Ah Li, don't rush, leave it to me.
In his previous life, the Crown Prince had already married Lin Wan'er as his Crown Princess, so he naturally had no other thoughts. But in this life, he couldn't even get close to Lin Wan'er, so he had to choose a suitable Crown Princess again.
They might suddenly realize that Shen Yue is even more suitable than Lin Wan'er. After all, the power of military generals in the current dynasty is limited. They can only command troops but not mobilize them. Even if they want to rebel, they will be suppressed by civil officials mobilizing troops.
Shen Yue is different. She represents the Shen family. Marrying her means you can firmly grasp the entire Shen family and Gu Chang'an. She is a true power holder.
How could he not be tempted by such a temptation?
Shen Li's eyes blazed with anger. This bastard really dared to dream big, setting his sights on Yue'er. It was utterly despicable.
That's a pit of fire; whoever falls in will be drained of all their value.
She needed to act quickly and not give Li Heng even the slightest chance to plead for an imperial decree from His Majesty; otherwise, once the decree was issued, it would be almost impossible to reverse the situation.
"You stay in the car, I'm going back to see your brother-in-law about something." This time, it was Shen Li's turn to leave.
Shen Yue, who had been smiling, was taken aback. Why was she suddenly leaving?
However, before she could even ask Shen Li, she had already gotten out of the car and walked to the back.
There were many memorials piled up in front of Gu Chang'an. His furrowed brows relaxed when he saw Shen Li enter, and the coldness between his brows quickly dissipated.
"Ah Li is back." As Gu Chang'an spoke, he gestured for Shen Li to sit down.
"Husband, I have something to say." Shen Li sat down to the side, not taking the initiative to approach him for the first time in many days, her expression very serious.
"Ah Li, you speak." Gu Chang'an could tell she was in a hurry, so even though he was a little flustered by her anger, he didn't say much.
Shen Li recounted what had happened and her analysis.
Gu Chang'an narrowed his eyes, closed them briefly before his anger surged up, and when he opened them again, all that remained was calm.
"Don't worry, A-Li. This isn't something they can accomplish in a day or two. We'll figure something out." Gu Chang'an quickly comforted her, "We'll find a way. Leave it to me."
“Then I will trouble you, my husband.” Shen Li’s eyes still held some tenderness when she looked at him, but turned cold the moment her gaze shifted away. “But I can’t do nothing. He needs to pay the price for it.”
She can handle herself calmly, but when it comes to those around her, she can't tolerate it for even a few days.
Li Heng should be thankful that he is the crown prince of his court, and that he is not in front of Shen Li at this moment.
"Ah Li, you must tell me what you need me to do, and I will definitely cooperate fully." Gu Chang'an sat forward and took her hand.
At this point, you can't persuade them otherwise, and if they don't vent their emotions, they'll easily get sick from holding it in.
At noon, they would stop to cook. The procession was naturally different when the emperor traveled, and even the person tending the fire was the imperial chef.
Of course, the imperial chefs only cooked for the emperor and his ministers who could be rewarded; most of the accompanying troops ate their own meals.
Shen Li was also among those rewarded, but she ate absentmindedly.
Finally, a long table was set up by the river, and the dishes on it were very elaborate, no different from what was usually eaten in the palace.
During the banquet, Empress Ning sent someone to take special care of Shen Yue, taking the opportunity to show her great affection for Shen Yue and mentioning that she was of marriageable age.
The emperor nodded in agreement, indicating that he had taken the matter to heart, but after reviewing the candidates in his mind, he still couldn't find a suitable one.
Shen Zizai was the first Grand Secretary to head the Ministry of Rites since the founding of the dynasty, a position that ordinary families could not afford.
They must at least be from noble or marquis families.
Consort Zheng noticed something amiss, but she didn't point it out. If she did, and the emperor agreed, they might really catch a big fish.
The Prince of Yi also felt a sense of crisis. No wonder some officials in the court and the countryside submitted memorials saying that the Crown Prince should appoint a Crown Princess as soon as possible to establish the foundation of the country.
So this was Li Heng's real plan.
The Empress's intention was clearly to test the waters, to see if anyone would point it out, and also to see if the Shen family had any objections.
Shen Li and Shen Yue ate elegantly at the table, rarely even raising their heads to participate in this kind of conversation.
But seeing that Shen Yue had no intention of speaking, Shen Li tugged at the hem of her clothes.
"Your Majesty, I do not wish to marry. I wish to lead troops into battle," Shen Yue said, remembering her sister's instructions.
Emperor Cheng just laughed when he heard this: "You've been playing with swords and spears since you were little, it's time to find a husband and settle down."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Children speak without thinking. To be honest, Your Majesty's parents started looking for a husband for this girl before the new year. They don't need someone rich or noble, as long as the two children are in love," Shen Li said from the side.
Shen Yue's puzzlement was practically written all over her face. How come she hadn't heard about this? Had her sister been keeping it from her all along, or was she just making things up?
"Oh? So it seems that Minister Shen attaches great importance to this matter. Then the Empress and I need not trouble ourselves with it," Emperor Cheng said with a smile. It's best not to marry into a family of high social standing.
If both parties have made outstanding contributions, their union would only make him uneasy.
Empress Ning gave a forced smile; her first move was to test the Shen family's reaction. Shen Li's statement that family background was unimportant clearly indicated her disagreement.
Seeing Empress Ning's unpleasant expression, Consort Zheng immediately laughed, knowing she couldn't be the only one suffering at Shen Li's hands.
"For this hunt, I have prepared a deer king. Whoever shoots the deer king will be the champion of the hunt, and I will grant him one favor," Emperor Cheng promised during the banquet.
Upon hearing this, both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yi were eager to try, since no other ministers would compete with them. It seemed that the deer was prepared for them, and it would come down to who was more skilled than the other.
This is a great opportunity to steal the spotlight and overshadow the other party.
After dinner, during the rest period, Emperor Cheng sat by the river fishing. He had summoned Gu Chang'an to fish with him. The two were surrounded by Imperial Guards, all at least fifty meters away.
"Gu Qing, before lunch you told me that the draft of the new tax law had been completed, is that true?" Although Emperor Cheng's voice was calm, the timing of his choice of time revealed his urgency.
"Yes, I will polish it when I get back and then send it to the cabinet." Gu Chang'an's voice was gentle, like a clear spring in front of him, unhurried and unhurried.
"Very well, after this law is implemented, I promise you that no matter who tries to harm you, I will protect you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gu Chang'an was about to get up.
"No need for formalities. You are in charge of two departments at the same time, and the burden on your shoulders is heavy and you are working hard. There is no need to stand on ceremony like this." Emperor Cheng raised his hand.
Gu Chang'an then sat back down and said, "Your Majesty, I have a case I would like to ask for your advice on."
"Oh? There are cases that even you, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, can't handle?" Emperor Cheng became interested and, not caring that his words might scare away the fish, said, "Tell me about it."
"Just a few days ago, a group of students who came to the capital to take the imperial examination got into a fight in the theater. Normally, they should have been beaten and locked up, but I was concerned because they were there to take the exam."
"If I were to be flogged and imprisoned now, I would surely miss the imperial examination. Wouldn't that be a waste of all my years of hard study?" Gu Chang'an said, his words tinged with difficulty.