Chapter-3. Meeting the Emperor
The two were summoned to the Tranquil Longevity Palace.
There have been twelve emperors in the Xia Dynasty. The current emperor is called “Tai’an”. He has a sturdy figure, a square face and white ears. He looks like a very dignified and kind monarch.
Shen Mingyu thought so too, but that was before the system talk about the turbulent plot about the future. He didn’t know that Emperor Tai’an was the origin of the “Dragon Vein Disaster” and was the driving force behind Yin Junheng’s disaster.
At this moment, Shen Mingyu followed Yin Junheng and kowtowed to Emperor Tai’an very seriously. Emperor Tai’an smiled and asked him to stand up, asked him a few questions, and rewarded him with some things.
On the surface, he was asking Shen Mingyu to pay attention to the relationship between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Prince’s Mansion, not to favour one over the other, and to go home often after getting married.
Secretly, it extended to the politics of the previous dynasty.
Although Shen Mingyu is a modern person, he has watched a lot of costume dramas and naturally understood what Emperor Tai’an meant.
He also understood more about the source of Yin Junheng’s unreasonable dislike for him.
No one wants their marriage to become a tool, especial a tool that brings no direct benefit to them.
Thinking about this, Shen Mingyu unconsciously glanced at Yin Junheng standing beside him.
At this time, Yin Junheng stood with his eyes lowered, his eyes looking at his nose and his nose looking at his heart. He looked like he was sitting in meditation, indifferent and closed, as if everything in the outside world had nothing to do with him.
Shen Mingyu pursed his lips slightly and quietly withdrew his eyes.
Emperor Tai’an didn’t really like Crown Prince Yin Junheng, and he had no preference towards Shen Mingyu, the second son of the Shen family, whom he had never met. He just wanted to use the marriage to better bind his relationship with the Shen family. The Shen family had just produced a foundation-building cultivator not long ago, who was directly taken away by the mysterious sword sect on the other side of the continent.
Emperor Tai’an, who was desperately seeking immortality, was naturally very envious of this.
He didn’t notice Shen Mingyu’s little action.
After saying this, Emperor Tai’an waved his hand, intending to let the two of them leave. However, before leaving, he seemed to remember something and said to Yin Junheng, “You have been away from home for many years and rarely come to the palace. Since the establishment of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, even I have seen you less and less, let alone your mother. These days, she has been mentioning you in front of me all the time. I miss you very much. Now that you are married, you should take the Crown Princess to see her.”
Originally, Yin Junheng’s expression was just indifferent, but after hearing what Emperor Tai’an said, a hint of intolerable deep coldness flashed in his eyes.
But soon, he lowered his eyes to hide the coldness in his eyes, and said indifferently and respectfully: “Father is right, I will go to see mother in a while.”
Emperor Tai’an nodded with a hint of satisfaction and said, “Go ahead.”
After leaving the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, Yin Junheng did not go to pay his respects to his mother immediately. Instead, he stood under a corridor next to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity and looked at the sky quietly for a while.
Shen Mingyu didn’t say anything, just stood aside and waited quietly.
Suddenly, Yin Junheng retracted his gaze and said calmly, “Be careful with your words and actions later, understand?”
Shen Mingyu looked at Yin Junheng’s handsome and indifferent profile and responded softly.
Yin Junheng flicked his long sleeves and left.
Shen Mingyu followed silently.
In the middle, there is a very small and subtle episode.
When Shen Mingyu followed Yin Junheng through the corridor to the palace of Yin Junheng’s biological mother, Concubine Shu, a young eunuch hurried past Shen Mingyu and bumped into him lightly.
In just that instant, a cold tube-like object was stuffed into Shen Mingyu’s hand.
Shen Mingyu’s heart trembled. He raised his eyes and wanted to look at the little eunuch again, but he had already run away.
Shen Mingyu: …
After a moment’s silence, Shen Mingyu looked at Yin Junheng’s back again.
Yin Junheng did not look back.
Shen Mingyu pursed his lips, calmly threw the tube-shaped object in his hand back into his sleeve and hid it, then he slightly quickened his pace and caught up with Yin Junheng.
He didn’t notice at all that Yin Junheng paused for a moment after he touched the little eunuch.
Shen Mingyu never thought that Concubine Shu would so beautiful.
The moment he saw Concubine Shu, Shen Mingyu suddenly understood why Concubine Shu who had a low status and could not be crowned as empress, while Yin Junheng was able to successfully ascend to the throne of crown prince.
Because this imperial concubine is so beautiful…
She wore a snow-white silver fox cloak over a plain light blue palace dress with a lotus pattern outlined in silver thread, and a light layer of makeup, which was enough to make her look beautiful and charming.
Her hair was like clouds, and her delicate face was as white as jade without any trace of time. She looked at most like Yin Junheng’s eldest sister.
But when Yin Junheng saw this beautiful mother, Shen Mingyu clearly felt that the surrounding aura had become a little colder.
But soon, Yin Junheng bowed with an expressionless face and said, “Your son greets you, mother.”
Shen Mingyu quickly followed suit and saluted.
Concubine Shu said softly, “Heng’er, there’s no need to be so polite.”
As she said this, she was about to walk forward to help Yin Junheng up, but unexpectedly, as soon as she stretched out her slender hand, Yin Junheng stood up on his own.
Concubine Shu’s movements paused slightly, and she smiled helplessly, and could only turn around to help Shen Mingyu up.
As he got closer, Shen Mingyu smelled a faint, yet rich and sweet fragrance coming from Concubine Shu.
It smells like flowers and incense.
But no matter how much you smell it, it doesn’t smell particularly natural.
Shen Mingyu felt a little strange, but still said politely: “Thank you, mother.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Mingyu felt a slight chill on his back, and a cold gaze was cast at him from behind.
Shen Mingyu pursed his lips unconsciously.
Fortunately, Yin Junheng and Concubine Shu were not focusing on him. After a few polite exchanges, the three of them sat down and Concubine Shu began to talk to Yin Junheng in a soft and gentle voice about family matters.
Shen Mingyu remained silent, just sitting there and listening quietly.
As I listened, I began to understand some clues.
In the conversation between Concubine Shu and Yin Junheng, she kept talking about Yin Junheng’s younger brother, the seventh prince, named Yin Junrong. It is not known whether it was intentional or unintentional.
But Yin Junheng was used to it by now. He put away the cold and stern air in his body and returned to his calm state. He held a bowl of tea, lowered his eyes, and took a sip occasionally.
Furthermore, he didn’t even look at Concubine Shu’s eager expression.
After concubine Shu talked about the Seventh Prince’s family affairs for a while, she changed the subject and sighed, “Since the Prime Minister proposed that all adult princes build residences outside the capital, Rong’er has moved out. But Heng’er, you know, he was sick when he was a child, and he was often by my side, so he became a little naughty due to my pampering. I always worry–”
“Mother, if you have anything to say, please speak directly. It is getting late, and I have to go back to practice Shadow Cavalry.”
Yin Junheng interrupted Concubine Shu coldly, his brows slightly furrowed, obviously unable to bear it any longer.
Concubine Shu was silent for a moment in awkward silence, and looking at Yin Junheng’s indifferent expression, she finally slowly told the truth.
“Rong’er… I heard that he has been hanging out with some low-class people in the north and south alleys of the city these days, and has picked up many bad habits. He even doesn’t come to see me for more than a month. Mother is very worried. And Heng’er, you also know that your father has been taking more and more golden pills in the past two years, and his temperament is changeable. Mother doesn’t dare to leave the palace easily…”
As Concubine Shu talked on and on, a hint of sadness unconsciously appeared on her beautiful brows. However, Yin Junheng seemed to hate to see Concubine Shu making such an expression, and the disgust in his eyes grew deeper.
After hearing the last part, Yin Junheng asked, “Does mother want me to go see Jun Rong?”
Concubine Shu nodded.
Yin Junheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Okay.”
Concubine Shu was stunned for a moment, showing a surprised expression: “Heng’er, did you agree?”
Yin Junheng’s fingertips gently stroked the black gold ring on his index finger. After a long while, he raised his eyes and looked quietly at the Concubine Shu opposite him. He said slowly, “But I also need your help with something, mother.”
Facing Yin Junheng’s deep, indifferent eyes that seemed to see through everything like a mirror, Concubine Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile and said, “Heng’er, you are joking again. What can your mother have——”
“Immortal Seeking Order.”
Concubine Shu suddenly fell silent.
Seeing Concubine Shu’s face turn pale in an instant, Yin Junheng actually curled up his lips into a playful but cold smile at this moment.
The atmosphere in the palace was silent.
When Concubine Shu moved her rosy lips and wanted to say something to persuade her to stay, Yin Junheng said first: “It’s just a used Immortal Seeking Order. Are you reluctant to part with it?”
His eyes were sharp, and his tone was somewhat aggressive.
Concubine Shu’s expression became even uglier.
Until Yin Junheng raised his chin slightly, sat back in his chair, and lightly uttered the last fatal sentence.
“I’m afraid Jun Rong’s matter is not that simple, right?”
All the expressions on Concubine Shu’s face were completely frozen, and the eyes that were pretending to be weak suddenly tore apart at this moment, revealing a trace of poisonous hatred.
Shen Mingyu, who was not far away, saw all of this. When he saw Concubine Shu’s eyes like that, his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He immediately lowered his eyes, not daring to look again.
On the contrary, after seeing Concubine Shu’s eyes, Yin Junheng’s original cold and twisted aura immediately disappeared into another kind of calm indifference.
The two sides are in a stalemate.
In the end, no one knew how much time had passed, so long that Shen Mingyu felt that everything around her began to expand and become empty, when Yin Junheng finally reached an agreement with Concubine Shu.
Concubine Shu compromised.
Soon, a maid brought a brocade box.
Yin Junheng took the brocade box without even looking away, and without even a perfunctory greeting, he stood up and left.
Seeing this, Shen Mingyu could only bow hurriedly and leave with Yin Junheng.
As Yin Junheng stepped out of the palace gate, Concubine Shu hurriedly shouted behind him in a hoarse voice: “You must protect Rong’er’s title!”
Yin Junheng paused for a moment, then walked away without looking back.
Concubine Shu stared at Yin Junheng as he left from behind, grabbing the palace door nervously, and biting her beautiful lips.
If she had known this…she shouldn’t have used the Immortal Seeking Order like that.
Now, there is no use regretting.
The carriage drove out of the palace gate.
Yin Junheng sat opposite Shen Mingyu, saying nothing, with an indifferent expression, but his slender fingers unconsciously stroked the brocade box on his knees.
The emotions in his eyes at this moment were very subtle, with a hint of relief, mixed with a touch of complex coldness.
Slightly absent-minded.
Shen Mingyu looked at his nose with his eyes, and his heart with his nose, without saying a word.
Because he knew that sometimes the more a person knew, the faster he died.
In particular, the secret he knows is very likely Yin Junheng’s biggest secret.
Suddenly, Yin Junheng, who was sitting opposite Shen Mingyu, seemed to remember something. He looked up and looked at Shen Mingyu in front of him quietly for a moment, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he said casually:
“You will go back in three days. Do you want me to accompany you?”
Shen Mingyu:?
Shen Mingyu silently raised his long eyelashes and glanced at Yin Junheng opposite him. He didn’t understand why Yin Junheng asked this question at this time.
Could it be that… Yin Junheng knew about that little eunuch?
But judging from Yin Junheng’s attitude, it doesn’t seem like that.
Shen Mingyu pondered for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said softly: “If Your Highness is free, it is Mingyu’s honour. If there is official business to arrange, then official business is more important.”
Yin Junheng said calmly with an ambiguous tone: “You are quite virtuous.”
Shen Mingyu couldn’t figure out what Yin Junheng meant, so he could only purse his lips and remain silent.
Fortunately, after Yin Junheng asked this question, he did not continue to embarrass him. Instead, he turned his head and continued to linger with the brocade box in his hand with a thoughtful expression.
There was a brief silence.
Shen Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief and simply stopped caring about Yin Junheng’s every move. He just lowered his eyes, leaned slightly against the wall of the carriage, and took a temporary rest.
I don’t know how long it had been, Shen Mingyu was a little drowsy, and suddenly, a familiar electronic sound rang in Shen Mingyu’s mind.
“Host, host! How did you do on your mission?”
After Shen Mingyu heard the system’s voice, he was speechless for a moment, and said helplessly: “System, why did you only appear now?”
The system choked for a moment before stammering, “I’m busy with something.”
I was originally going to help Shen Mingyu find a solution, but I was temporarily tripped up by a few friends and suddenly forgot about time.
Oh, I am ashamed…
Shen Mingyu could sense the guilt in the system’s words, so he stopped asking questions. After thinking for a while, he just said, “I’m curious about something. System, can you help me answer it?”
System: “yeah ask.”
Shen Mingyu then systematically explained the subtle relationship between Yin Junheng, Concubine Shu and Emperor Tai’an.
After listening to this, the system was silent for a long time, then sighed and said, “It’s all bad fate.”
Shen Mingyu waited quietly.
The system glanced at Shen Mingyu, and then slowly explained to Shen Mingyu the whole story.
RGBWBiZCDMKRQfWJhMBPhYQJrUejRD
