nashuaworldcup Chapter 446 Meeting the Eldest Princess
Chapter 446 Meeting the Eldest Princess
Soon, the body of Wen's father was taken away by the Ministry of Justice.
Wen Jiayue didn't shed a single tear; she only sighed inwardly.
Seeing that her niece hadn't spoken, Rongniang assumed she was sad and quickly comforted her, "There's nothing to mourn about your father who can't even remember your birthday. Be good, Yue'er. With your uncle and aunt here, no one can bully you!"
Hearing these words, Wen Jiayue felt a lump in her throat.
She hugged her and whispered, "Thank you, Aunt."
"Why is she still crying?" Rongniang asked in a flustered manner. "What should I do? I don't know how to comfort a young lady!"
She has a straightforward personality and only one son. Faced with her delicate and sweet niece, she was at a loss for what to do.
Shen Fuhan stepped forward and put his arm around Wen Jiayue's shoulder.
"Aunt, don't worry. Yue'er was touched by you. I'll take her back to the house for a moment. Please have a seat."
Wen Jiayue followed Shen Fuhan back to the bedroom.
Shen Fuhan wiped away her tears with the back of his hand and asked in a low voice, "I didn't stop Zhang Shi, do you blame me?"
Wen Jiayue shook her head.
She had long since lost all affection for the Wen family, and they deserved this fate.
only……
Wen Jiayue said unhappily, "I still have to observe nine months of mourning for him."
According to the law, unmarried women must observe a three-year mourning period, while married women must observe a nine-month mourning period.
You absolutely cannot get pregnant during this period, otherwise people will gossip about you behind your back.
Shen Fuhan hugged her and asked in a deep voice, "You want to have Mu Mu that much?"
Wen Jiayue retorted, "Don't you want to?"
"I want to, but I want even more," Shen Fuhan gently kissed her temple, "to be with you."
However, observing nine months of mourning is indeed quite long. In addition to not being able to have sexual relations, one cannot even wear brightly colored clothes, eat meat, or attend banquets, including wedding banquets.
According to the fourth brother's idea, he definitely wanted to marry Miss Xie as soon as possible.
Shen Fuhan pondered to himself how to reduce the number of months.
The following day, the holiday ended, and all the officials went to court.
Aside from some major national events, the most frequently mentioned topic was the sentencing of the eldest princess.
The folk tales and plays about the Princess and Shen Fuhan have been performed for months and have already spread to every household.
Therefore, the ministers had not forgotten this matter, and with Shen Fuhan's instruction, they all submitted memorials to offer their advice.
The emperor reassured him, "This matter has not yet been investigated and needs to be postponed for a few days. My beloved ministers, there is no need to be anxious."
The ministers, having to give the emperor face, stopped mentioning it.
The emperor asked, "Do any of my ministers have anything else to report? If not, the court may adjourn."
The Minister of Justice stepped forward and spoke of something that seemed unrelated to the Princess but was actually closely related to her.
"Your Majesty, yesterday, Wen Xingzong, a mathematics scholar, was tragically murdered by his wife, Zhang. These two are the parents of the woman who poisoned Shen Shaoqing."
Shen Fuhan also stepped forward, bowed, and reported: "This case occurred at the residence of Marquis Jing'an. Your Majesty, I failed to stop it in time. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Upon hearing this, the emperor understood immediately. He already felt guilty towards Shen Fuhan, so he turned a blind eye to it.
"The wicked will be punished by the wicked; this case should be handled as usual."
The Duke of Ningguo stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, the mathematics scholar Wen Xingzong deserved to die. It would be unreasonable for the Lady of Jing’an to observe nine months of mourning for him. Your Majesty, I humbly request that the mourning period be shortened by a few months.”
Shen Fuhan retorted, "My wife is only being filial; there's no need for that."
The emperor waved his hand: "Listen to my word, observe three months of mourning. Minister Shen is not young anymore. Other ministers of this age have at least three legitimate children. It's time for you to have a child to inherit the Marquis's mansion."
Shen Fuhan never expected the Emperor to tease him like that, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "Your humble servant obeys."
Upon hearing the emperor mention his heirs, the other ministers, quick-witted as ever, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, it's time for your harem to have more children!"
"Your Majesty, shall we hold a selection of candidates this year?"
"emperor……"
The rather chaotic court session ended, and the ministers left the palace to return to their respective duties.
Shen Fuhan stayed behind as instructed by the Emperor and went to Hanliang Palace.
After a long silence, the emperor finally said, "Minister Shen, do you blame me for not giving you an explanation sooner?"
Shen Fuhan lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty has your own considerations, and this humble subject dares not."
“I have made up my mind many times, but I have also changed my mind many times,” the emperor sighed. “When I was young, my elder sister treated me very well. Because of our childhood friendship, even if my elder sister committed a heinous crime, I could not bear to put her to death.”
Shen Fuhan said indifferently, "His Majesty is a man of deep feelings."
"As an emperor, what I should discard most is precisely emotion," the emperor murmured. "I shouldn't have done this..."
Shen Fuhan fell silent and did not respond.
The Emperor's consideration for family ties stemmed from his ignorance of Li Zhilan's ulterior motives and her treacherous ambitions.
What he needed to do was to let the emperor know.
After leaving Hanliang Palace, Shen Fuhan headed to Dali Temple.
After quickly dealing with the backlog of official duties from the past two months, it was time to go off duty.
Shen Fuhan told Sibai to go back to the Marquis's residence and tell him that he and Linghe were going to the Imperial Prison.
Inside the imperial prison, the candlelight was dim, and the further one went in, the quieter it became. Li Zhilan was imprisoned in the deepest part.
Shen Fuhan stopped outside the prison and sized up Li Zhilan.
She had her back to him, her back ramrod straight, seemingly indifferent even though she knew someone was coming.
She was dressed in clean red clothes, not even changing out of her prison uniform. Her hair was styled and even adorned with several silver hairpins.
Instead of straw, the prison was covered with several soft mats and two fluffy quilts.
It can be said that, apart from lacking freedom, Li Zhilan was still the glamorous Princess Yongzhen.
Shen Fuhan withdrew his gaze and glanced at the meals placed outside the cell.
He had Ling He deliver this, and it hadn't been touched at all.
Since he wouldn't listen to reason and would have to suffer the consequences, he decided to be blunt.
Shen Fuhan ordered, "Open the door."
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Li Zhilan paused for a moment before finally turning around.
Even without makeup, her bright and beautiful face was filled with arrogance. She said in a low voice, "What brings Lord Shen to see me?"
The jailer opened the door.
Shen Fuhan calmly said, "I saw that the Princess was living too well, so I came here specifically to upset you."
Li Zhilan's expression changed: "What do you want to do?"
She bluffed, "I have not yet been convicted. If anything happens to me, the Emperor will not let you off easily!"
Shen Fuhan wasn't afraid at all. Ever since he returned to the capital, Li Zhilan's letters had stopped reaching the Emperor.
He naturally had ways to keep the emperor from knowing Li Zhilan's situation.
Shen Fuhan gestured for Ling He to stuff the food into her mouth.
Li Zhilan looked terrified and struggled desperately, but she was no match for Ling He. She was quickly stuffed inside and eaten clean.
She wanted to vomit, but Ling He didn't give her a chance and forced her to swallow it all.
Li Zhilan's eyes widened in fury: "What did you feed me?!"
Shen Fuhan said calmly, "It's just a little bit of bone-corroding powder added."
"The Emperor will not allow you to do this!" Li Zhilan said angrily. "Aren't you afraid of the Emperor's wrath?"
"Having avenged our great grudge, it would be worth it even if we were to perish together," Shen Fuhan turned around. "Your Highness, rest assured, I will come to see you often these next few days, even if you are struggling in your death throes."