sjar Chapter 1346 Preparing for Revenge on King Jin
Chapter 1346 Preparing for Revenge on King Jin
"Your sworn brother Jiang Lingzhou, as well as Zhou Yuhu, Bai Mufeng and other young people, are quite capable."
"The implementation of the war IOUs has been even smoother than I expected. The public has subscribed enthusiastically, and the money and grain raised in the first batch are enough to alleviate the urgent needs of the border."
Nangong Xuanyu paused, and finally dropped the black piece, making a crisp sound. Then he looked up at Shen Zhinian, his eyes filled with praise and pride: "Nian Nian's original suggestion played an indispensable role in this matter."
Shen Zhinian's eyes lit up with a smile when she heard this, but she didn't take any credit for it. She just said softly, "I just mentioned it casually. It's all because of your Majesty's wise decision and the right people that we have achieved today's results."
"Your Majesty, I congratulate you!"
Nangong Xuanyu smiled with enjoyment, but the smile soon subsided and turned into a trace of deep thought.
"I'm happy, but..."
The emperor's voice deepened. "Once the war with the Xiongnu is over, repaying the huge debt we owe will become a major concern of mine."
These words seemed to be spoken to Shen Zhinian, but also seemed to be spoken to himself.
The huge war expenses were temporarily passed on through IOUs, but it was still a debt and had to be repaid.
By then, the treasury will be empty and people's livelihood will be exhausted. How to get through it smoothly will be a great test for the emperor.
However, this worry only lingered for a brief moment on Nangong Xuanyu's brow, and a strong sense of confidence surged in his heart.
Without waiting for Shen Zhinian to speak, the emperor's tone returned to his usual calmness: "Forget it, if the enemy comes, we will fight them; if the water comes, we will block it with earth."
"Since I dare to carry out this strategy, I have a way to deal with it. Let's take it step by step."
He has absolute confidence in his abilities.
Shen Zhinian looked quietly at Nangong Xuanyu's confident profile under the candlelight, and his heart moved slightly.
She said nothing more, only nodded slightly, picked up another white piece with her fingertips, and placed it calmly: "Your Majesty is right."
"I believe in Your Majesty."
Halfway through the game, the fight between the black and white pieces became increasingly intense.
"Niannian, there's one more thing..."
Nangong Xuanyu dropped a child, his tone slightly more solemn than before: "Regarding Shen Nanqiao and Liu Shixiu's child... It's been so long, it's hard to find out who lost that evil child."
"But the spies I sent did find some clues."
Shen Zhinian paused slightly as he held the chess piece. He looked up at the emperor and asked curiously, "I wonder what clues Your Majesty has found?"
Nangong Xuanyu's voice was tinged with a hint of coldness. "Spies report that around the time Shen Nanqiao had a miscarriage at the Mountain Resort outside Beijing, someone vaguely saw someone from the Prince of Jin's Mansion lingering nearby."
As soon as the words fell, the inner room was silent.
Such vague clues cannot be used as evidence at all.
But Nangong Xuanyu and Shen Zhinian still had deep doubts about King Jin.
Shen Zhinian was even clearer in his mind.
Yes, it must be him!
Apart from Prince Jin, who else would have such a motive to use Shen Nanqiao and Liu Shixiu to deal with him?
Regardless of success or failure, you can muddy the waters and profit from it!
Unfortunately, King Jin underestimated her and Nangong Xuanyu, and this move failed to work.
Shen Zhinian sneered in his heart, a look suddenly rose in his eyes, but his face quickly showed astonishment, grievance, and a bit of fear.
She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her lips, her voice trembling slightly as she asked in disbelief, "Your Majesty, are you saying... it's His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin?"
"But, why would he do this? I... I have no grudge against him..."
She had to play dumb.
The matter of rebirth is Shen Zhinian's biggest secret, and she must never let Nangong Xuanyu know about it. She has long seen through the wolfish ambition beneath Prince Jin's gentle appearance.
If a concubine in the deep palace could see through the prince's rebellious intentions better than all the civil and military officials in the court, there is no way to explain it and it will only bring trouble to herself.
Nangong Xuanyu frowned slightly when he saw Shen Zhinian's frightened look.
He reached out, his warm palm resting on the back of her slightly cool hand, patting it gently. "I'm just guessing. Without any concrete evidence, I can't be sure."
At this point, the emperor's tone slowed down, and he spoke soothingly: "Don't worry too much, Nian Nian. With me here, no one can hurt you in the slightest."
Shen Zhinian lowered her eyelids, her thick eyelashes covering the coldness surging in her eyes. She shook the emperor's hand with her backhand, her voice still tinged with fear: "Your Highness... Your Highness just didn't expect that this matter might be related to His Highness the Prince of Jin..."
Nangong Xuanyu looked at Shen Zhinian's dependent and aggrieved look, and felt a stronger desire to protect her. He held her hand tightly and said, "I'll take care of everything!"
The next day.
After Nangong Xuanyu left, Yongshou Palace returned to peace.
Shen Zhinian stood up and sat in front of the dressing table, letting Handan comb her long black hair.
The face reflected in the bronze mirror was extremely charming, but her eyes were cold.
Shen Zhinian remembered the clues that Nangong Xuanyu mentioned last night and the "big gift" given by Prince Jin that almost doomed her.
She has never been the type to sit back and wait for death or swallow her anger.
Since the King of Jin has already made a move, how could she not "return the favor"?
However, the previous proposal of the war IOU has made Shen Zhinian's influence in state affairs clear.
Too much is as bad as too little. If he continues to be eager to interfere in Prince Jin's affairs or show excessive concern at this time, it will inevitably arouse Nangong Xuanyu's vigilance and fear.
The heart of an emperor is unfathomable, and there is often only a fine line between favor and suspicion. She cannot take any risks.
But this does not mean that Shen Zhinian has no way to deal with the seemingly gentle and harmless King Jin.
If the obvious road is blocked, there is always a crooked way to find it.
Shen Zhinian called out, "Fuqiu."
Fuqiu immediately stepped forward and said, "My Lady, I am here."
Shen Zhinian said, "Go and invite Princess Wenshu to the palace to talk to me. Tell her I've just acquired some rare peonies and invite her to enjoy them with me."
Princess Wenshu had been visiting Yongshou Palace these days, asking for advice on calligraphy and painting or chatting. Her respectful manner, coupled with careful attempts to curry favor, had become a common occurrence for everyone in the palace.
In the eyes of everyone, Shen Zhinian's invitation at this moment was just an ordinary interaction in the harem, which would never arouse suspicion, let alone associate it with Prince Jin who was far away in the court.
Fuqiu immediately understood what she meant and without asking any more questions, she simply replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"I will go to Princess Wenshu's residence and pass on the message."
Shen Zhinian nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the mirror. The coldness in his eyes gradually turned into a glimmer of strategic planning.
……
Princess Wenshu's residence.
She was reading an ancient book by the window.
Bi Hen carefully added more tea, a hint of anxiety between her eyebrows: "Princess, you have been coming to the palace frequently these days. Although the Royal Noble Consort treats you quite warmly, I always feel that there is a layer of distance between you..."