freenovelworld Chapter 476 Big Gift
Chapter 476 Big Gift
Shen Shuyi sat on the other side of the stone table and asked Yuping to get a pot of fruit wine for him.
Winter is very cold, but drinking wine makes people feel warmer.
Shen Shuyi drank with him in silence for a while, without any comfort, but just thinking that at least when he was reminiscing, he would not feel that he was alone in the world.
After a long time, Jiang Li finished drinking the whole pot of wine. He wiped his mouth and said in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry."
Shen Shuyi knew what he was referring to, so he did not ask further questions. Instead, he asked, "Do you hate the court? Do you hate the current emperor?"
Jiang Li's cheeks twitched slightly, and after a while, he lowered his eyes and uttered one word: "Hate."
He hated the injustice of heaven, hated Xiao Heyu for causing so much suffering for his own selfish desires, and hated Emperor Qianwu for being blind and unable to distinguish between loyalty and treachery and wiping out his entire Jiang family!
How could he not hate?
In this vast world, he is the only one left in the huge Jiang family!
"Jiang Li, you are the son of General Jiang. He in heaven would hope to see you like a raging fire, dispelling the cold winter." Shen Shuyi spoke softly and looked up at the sky.
A tear of blood dripped from the corner of Jiang Li's eye. The boy sniffed his red nose from the cold and said, "My father is a very good man."
Shen Shuyi smiled at him, looking straight at him with clear eyes: "You are also a very good person."
Jiang Li's throat was choked with sobs, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he couldn't utter a single word.
After a while, he pushed the thing wrapped in black cloth on the stone table in front of Shen Shuyi, lowered his eyes and said, "I killed Chai Bin, and I am willing to accept the punishment from the young lady."
He knew that perhaps keeping Chai Bin would be of greater use to her.
But he... still couldn't help it and chopped off his head with his own hands!
Shen Shuyi didn't touch the cloth bag in front of him. He stood up and said in a clear voice: "The end of the year is approaching, and we should give Master Chai a big gift."
Jiang Li glanced at her sideways, seeming a little surprised.
"Nine people." Shen Shuyi ordered in a deep voice.
"Yes."
"You and Jiang Li should prepare and deliver Chai Bin's head to Chai Zhi's desk. Then, keep a close eye on Chai Zhi's movements in the next few days."
After saying that, Shen Shuyi looked at Jiang Li: "Do you know what to do?"
Jiang Li stood up, holding the hilt of the sword: "Got it! Respectfully presented by the Jiang family!"
Shen Shuyi curled his lips, liking to work with smart people.
*
An hour later, Shen Shuyi took a carriage to the residence of the late Second Prince, intending to investigate the old affairs between the late Second Prince and Emperor Qianwu.
As the saying goes, the bell must belong to the person who tied it. If one wants to resolve Emperor Qianwu's hatred for the late Second Prince, it is best to start from the root of the problem.
In his previous life, he searched for old items in the tomb of the second prince.
A gold medal of immunity from death and a letter were found.
The letter was not written by the Second Prince, but by the Fourth Prince, who was the most fierce competitor for the throne with Emperor Qianwu.
[I would like to present this plaque of the Gong family to Xiao Chengzhang——Xiao Zeduan. 】
The fourth prince's maternal family surname was Gong, and Emperor Taizu had bestowed this medal on the Gong family. However, Shen Shuyi never knew why Xiao Zeduan was willing to leave this golden medal of immunity from death to Emperor Qianwu.
But no matter what, it must be the role played by the Second Prince Xiao Huaijin.
Emperor Qianwu might not even know what had happened back then, but the golden medal of immunity from death and the few words on the letter finally made the emperor get over his feelings for Xiao Huaijin.
Shen Shuyi stopped in front of the gate of the Second Prince's mansion, looking at the plaque above his head, somewhat dazed.
Usually, a prince who is favored by the emperor would be granted the title of king after leaving the palace and setting up his own government. However, this tradition stopped with the previous emperor.
The late emperor had many sons, and he was afraid that his ministers would know his intentions. In addition, he believed that he was still young and would live a long life, so he was not in a hurry to confer the throne on his sons.
So the matter of conferring the title of king fell on the head of the next emperor.
It would have been fine if none of the brothers were given titles, but Emperor Qianwu conferred titles on his brothers, including Prince Duan and Prince Fu, who were on good terms with him, and left out his own biological brother.
How could the Queen Mother, as a mother, feel about this?
Shen Shuyi withdrew his thoughts, took the empress dowager's handwritten letter and token, and entered the Second Prince's mansion with a few maids.
Perhaps because it knows the attitude of the current emperor, this mansion is indeed a bit lonely and depressed.
In addition, the entire mansion is extremely large, with very few servants and no master, so there is a sense of desolation as if the mansion is deserted and everything has changed.
"Take me to the Second Prince's study." Shen Shuyi spoke to Uncle Zhong who was guarding here.
The study was relatively clean and tidy because it was cleaned regularly, but it was too cold.
"Don't be surprised, County Lady. Although someone often comes to clean the study, there is no one there, so we have never used charcoal or heated the floor..."
"It's okay, I'll just walk around, thank you for your help."
After Shen Shuyi thanked him, he didn't hesitate and walked around the room.
The layout of the room is elegant. One glance at it and one can tell that this former Second Prince is no less proficient in the four arts of a gentleman.
Various books were placed on the entire wall. Shen Shuyi stood in front of the books and looked through them carefully for a while.
Xiao Huaijin was indeed a gentleman. Most of these books were classics, history, and collections, all of which talked about how to govern a country, be a monarch, and be a minister.
Shen Shuyi turned around and looked at the rolled-up scroll, but didn't find much.
Until she turned around and walked behind a screen, she saw a soft couch for resting, facing a painting.
Shen Shuyi stood in front of the painting and looked at it carefully.
This painting is a picture of people playing in the snow, with five men and women depicted, three women and two men to be exact.
The figures in the painting were delicately drawn. Although they were not big, Shen Shuyi could still tell who the person was by looking at their clothes and outlines.
The two men were Xiao Chengzhang and Xiao Huaijin. As for the three women, Shen Shuyi only recognized one, and that was the currently favored Concubine Rou.
Shen Shuyi looked at the painting carefully for a while. The men and women in the painting were all smiling happily. Some of them were wearing brocade clothes or cloaks, and were playing in the snow.
Xiao Chengzhang was holding a snowball in his hand and throwing it at a girl in red. A girl in a white cloak next to him was bending over and laughing.
On the other side, Concubine Rou, wearing a pink brocade dress, kicked up a bunch of snow and threw it towards Xiao Huaijin.
The group of people had a great time. They all looked like teenagers and it was obvious that they had a very good relationship.
Shen Shuyi looked at Yuping: "Please ask Uncle Zhong to come over."
After a while, Uncle Zhong came over, bending over: "Greetings, County Lady."
"Please don't be polite. Shuyi invited you here because I have something to ask you. Do you know the origin of this painting? What are the identities of these women in the painting?"
Zhong Bo looked at the painting and was in a trance for a moment.
"This painting... The Second Prince became increasingly depressed, but he loved looking at this painting the most."
"I don't know where they came from, but the women in the painting are the current Concubine Rou, Concubine Xiang, and the second daughter of the late Yin family, Yin Qiling."
Shen Shuyi searched for the name in his mind, but didn't have much impression of it. He asked, "What is the second young lady of the Yin family like now?"
"He's gone now." Uncle Zhong sighed.