freenovelworld Chapter 179 Meeting the Eldest Princess (1)
Chapter 179 Meeting the Eldest Princess (1)
Half an hour ago, at Hanliang Palace.
Shen Fuhan reported a recent major case to the Emperor.
Just as he was about to bow and leave, Li Zhixu said, "Minister Shen, I wish to leave the palace for a while. Would you be willing to accompany me?"
Shen Fuhan frowned: "Why does His Majesty suddenly want to leave the palace?"
“I’m getting a bit tired of staying in the palace,” Li Zhixu sighed. “The harem is too chaotic, and I can’t have a single day of peace. So I thought I’d like to leave the palace to clear my head.”
Last month, he selected more than twenty concubines, but before he could even recognize them, two murders occurred in the palace.
He had not yet established an empress, and the highest-ranking concubine, Consort Ming, was arrogant and domineering. After entrusting the affairs of the harem to her, she made a complete mess of things.
Consort Xu has a good temperament, gentle and dignified. However, if she were to manage the harem beyond Consort Ming, it would lead to another bloody storm.
The harem had always been a chaotic and corrupt place, and Li Zhixu was constantly troubled by this matter.
Shen Fuhan pondered for a moment and said, "As long as Your Majesty brings enough guards to protect you secretly, I will not stop you."
Li Zhixu immediately laughed and said, "Very well, I will bring fifty guards. Minister Shen, you must not go back on your word."
After saying that, he looked behind the screen and called out, "Royal sister, come out quickly! I have won! You must leave the palace too!"
Before Shen Fuhan arrived, the two made a bet on whether Shen Fuhan would accompany him out of the palace.
Li Zhixu was betting on the outcome.
If he wins, Li Zhilan will have to accompany him.
If Li Zhilan wins, he will take a treasure from the private vault.
Shen Fuhan frowned even more. Was Li Zhilan there too?
Li Zhilan gracefully emerged from behind the screen.
He concealed his expression, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Princess."
Li Zhilan smiled and said, "I just wanted to use Lord Shen as a bet. Would Lord Shen mind?"
“Of course not,” Shen Fuhan straightened up. “It would be my honor.”
"Lord Shen certainly has a sweet tongue." Li Zhilan's gaze slowly swept over his lips before shifting away.
Two quarters of an hour later, the three of them left the palace together.
Li Zhixu had already changed into casual clothes and was holding a folding fan, exuding the charm of a dashing young gentleman.
After strolling around the streets for a while, Li Zhixu learned that his elder sister's pleasure boat was nearby, so he suggested that they go for a boat trip on the river.
As the pleasure boat docked, two men in brocade robes were seen drinking on the second floor.
Li Zhilan was taken aback. She had allowed two male concubines to leave the mansion today, but she hadn't expected them to know how to enjoy themselves and choose to come to her pleasure boat!
She glanced at Shen Fuhan and said cover-up, "I don't know what kind of guards they are, daring to drink and make merry on my pleasure boat. Zhuyu, throw them off!"
Shen Fuhan glanced at them calmly without saying a word.
The three boarded the painted boat.
Although Li Zhixu was the emperor, he rarely left the palace and had never seen such a luxurious painted boat before. He looked it over inside and out.
Shen Fuhan had no interest whatsoever. He stood on the second floor, gazing into the distance from the railing.
A breeze blew across the river, causing his light blue robes to flutter, making him appear even more tall and handsome.
Li Zhilan walked over, her hands, painted with bright red nail polish, gripped the railing, and spoke with a smile.
"Lord Shen, you have quite the refined taste. Aren't you cold?"
“It’s not cold,” Shen Fuhan said calmly. “If the Princess finds it cold, she may return to her cabin first.”
Just as Li Zhilan was about to reply, her gaze suddenly paused, and she raised her eyebrows slightly.
She spoke slowly and deliberately: "Lord Shen, look, this lady in the teahouse looks very familiar."
Shen Fuhan looked in the direction she was looking, not understanding what was going on.
Inside a private room on the second floor, a gentle-looking woman rested her chin on her hand, gazing blankly at the river. It was Wen Jiayue.
Why did she leave the manor today?
He glanced at her briefly before looking away, and said calmly, "Your Highness has a good eye; she is indeed my wife."
"It's quite a coincidence to run into her here," Li Zhilan said with interest. "How about inviting her to join us on a pleasure boat trip, Lord Shen?"
Shen Fuhan remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Why is Lord Shen hesitating?" Li Zhilan asked jokingly. "Are you afraid I'll eat her up?"
Her smile remained unchanged, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
Shen Fuhan explained, "I was just wondering, you seem to have only met my wife twice, so how come you are so familiar with her appearance?"
His tone was slightly confused, as if he were genuinely just curious.
Li Zhilan's smile froze on her face, and she hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Madam Shen is beautiful and has a face that could topple kingdoms. I was immediately struck by her beauty when I first saw her at the New Year's Eve banquet."
After saying that, she immediately ordered the painted boat to dock.
"Zhuyu, go to the second floor of the teahouse and bring Madam Shen over."
Shen Fuhan lowered his eyes to look at the rolling river, and ripples appeared in his eyes.
When Li Zhixu returned after his rounds, the painted boat was just docking.
He hurriedly asked, "Why are we docked? Are we done playing?"
Shen Fuhan gave a brief explanation.
Li Zhixu said in surprise, "It's such a coincidence that Madam Shen is here too."
He glanced at Shen Fuhan, who seemed indifferent, and asked in bewilderment, "However, why doesn't Minister Shen go to greet the Madam?"
Li Zhilan raised an eyebrow at him and echoed, "Yes, why isn't Lord Shen going?"
Shen Fuhan countered, "It's just a few steps, why should we go?"
As she spoke, Wen Jiayue lifted her skirt and stepped onto the painted boat, walking very carefully.
Shen Fuhan watched silently, his hand gripping the railing tightly.
Before long, Wen Jiayue went up to the second floor.
She took a deep breath and curtsied, saying, "Your subject, Lady Wen, greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess."
Compared to the anger and hatred she felt during their last meeting, she was now able to better conceal her true emotions.
But the hatred in her heart was still churning, making her heart beat faster and unable to calm down for a long time.
But it's just a meeting, what's there to be afraid of?
Li Zhilan lazily said, "Please get up." Wen Jiayue straightened up and looked up with a smiling face.
She glanced at the three of them and paused, momentarily stunned.
The young master those two men were referring to was actually the Emperor.
She thought Shen Fuhan and Li Zhilan had come out alone, and that the young man was just trying to cover their tracks.
It now appears that the two of them accompanied the Emperor on his outing outside the palace.
However, the emperor was dressed in ordinary clothes, seemingly not wanting to reveal his identity, so she was unsure whether she should bow or not.
Shen Fuhan said, "The boat is full of palace guards, so just bow as usual."
Wen Jiayue bowed respectfully as instructed.
Li Zhixu said, "No need for formalities."
She straightened up and remained silent for a moment.
The other three also fell silent, with only the wind howling on the river.
Li Zhilan suddenly chuckled.
"What's wrong? Now that there's another person, you two have become mute?" she suggested. "It's windy on the river, let's go to the cabin to talk."
Wen Jiayue raised her eyebrows slightly. Li Zhilan's words made her, the newcomer, seem like an outsider.
As she was pondering, Li Zhilan suddenly took two steps forward and affectionately took Wen Jiayue's hand.
"I have long wanted to get to know Madam Shen, but unfortunately..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wen Jiayue had already pulled her hand away.
Li Zhilan's smile immediately faded.
She was always the one being flattered, but the first time she took the initiative to hold someone's hand, she was met with indifference.
Li Zhilan narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing the Wen family, whom she had never taken seriously before.
The daughter of a minor official, with a worthless life, how dare he shake off her hand?
If the Emperor and Shen Fuhan hadn't been there, she would have slapped him long ago!
Li Zhilan held back for a moment, then asked, slowly and deliberately, "What's wrong with Madam Shen?"