Xingzhao the Emperor remained silent, very displeased.
However, he did not wish to vent his anger in front of so many people.
The old Grand Madam before him was a meritorious official he could not afford to offend, nor could he possibly offend her.
No matter what, he had to consider his posthumous reputation.
He couldn't have spent over thirty years being praised and lauded, only to be remembered by historians in his old age as one who arbitrarily punished a loyal subject.
Xingzhao the Emperor still cared about his image.
He glanced at the woman kneeling beside the old Grand Madam.
She seemed to be afraid of the cold, wearing a thick lake-blue jacket and skirt, and a grey squirrel fur cloak draped over her shoulders. Her kneeling form trembled slightly.
She sensed his gaze and, without any warning, raised her head.
At this moment, Su Xiaoqi was seething with anger.
Alas, it was all because she was still too soft-hearted.
She had originally planned to escape with a bundle of valuables, but the moment she stepped out the door, she regretted it.
She couldn't bear to abandon Shen Yun.
After much deliberation, she changed her course, went to the Duke of Yu's mansion, and invited the old Grand Madam to the palace.
She hoped to safely navigate this crisis.
Su Xiaoqi maintained a calm expression, but her heart was filled with anxiety.
However, this did not prevent Xingzhao the Emperor from appreciating her beauty: her features were flawlessly exquisite.
Especially her pair of peach blossom eyes, which resembled her so closely, as if cast from the same mold.
But the expressions in their eyes were different.
Yu Jing's was bold and fearless, while Su Xiaoqi before him was reserved and understated.
Yet, they shared one common trait: neither of them liked him.
Her eyes were deep and dark, yet clean and pure, like the sky after a mountain rain, bringing a sense of ease to whoever beheld them.
If he insisted on locking her away in the palace, those eyes would likely become as murky and faded as his own…
He took a deep breath.
She was the one who had saved his life.
Without her, he might not have survived.
She had also spared him much suffering from his illness.
Yet now, he was taking advantage of some lingering affection from his youth and his noble status to demean her.
This was not what he wanted to see.
He was simply accustomed to selfishness, and had been swayed by those around him.
He thought his favor was a kindness to her, not realizing that she did not desire it.
Xingzhao the Emperor suddenly saw things clearly.
He looked at Shen Yun, who was kneeling motionlessly on the other side.
He continued to lower his head in silence.
His current silence, though seemingly powerless, exuded a profound strength.
Xingzhao the Emperor frowned deeply. The young man knelt on the ground while he stood.
Yet, from the kneeling man, he saw what backbone and integrity truly meant.
His heart was slightly moved.
He recalled Shen Yun being appointed as the top scholar when he was first chosen.
And during his time in the Hanlin Academy, his calligraphy, his paintings.
His handling of the Jiangning Prefecture weaving case.
His disaster relief in Tongzhou, his epidemic control in Bazhou…
Every single assignment, he had completed exceptionally well.
He was indeed a capable person.
To dismiss him from office and send him back to his hometown would be a regrettable waste.
Indeed, although Xingzhao the Emperor appeared old and senile, he was, after all, an emperor who had reigned for over thirty years.
His heart still held concern for the empire.
While beautiful women were indeed alluring and worth pursuing,
if they conflicted with the well-being of his empire, they could be discarded, just as he had treated Yu Jing.
Although he had many feelings for her, upon learning she had gone to Northern Chu,
he did not attempt to detain her for the sake of national security.
In his heart, the foundation of the Great Liang Dynasty was paramount, and everything else came second.
He himself was no exception.
He could be willful, he could be swayed by lust, but he could not be foolish.
Xingzhao the Emperor remained silent for a long time.
The entire hall was so quiet that a needle drop could be heard.
Xingzhao the Emperor's gaze flickered between Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi, then, as if suddenly making a decision, he said, "You may leave the palace."
Su Xiaoqi was momentarily stunned.
The old Grand Madam, however, smiled knowingly and pulled her down to express her gratitude.
"Feng Bao, bestow upon them two coral ornaments from the South Sea and a measure of pearls."
As Xingzhao the Emperor's voice faded, the group had already exited the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Xingzhao the Emperor's body felt suddenly empty, and he slumped onto the dragon couch.
Feng Bao quickly stepped forward to support him. "Your Majesty!"
Xingzhao the Emperor raised his hand. "It's nothing, merely tired. I am old after all."
So old that they thought they could manipulate his thoughts and actions at will.
"Summon Huang Ping'er," Xingzhao the Emperor said calmly.
Feng Bao knew well that the Emperor could not deal with the Shen couple or the old Grand Madam, but Huang Ping'er, a mere eunuch, was expendable.
Soon, Huang Ping'er was found to have a pretext for his downfall by Xingzhao the Emperor.
He was given one hundred strokes of the cane and beaten to death.
The news spread quickly. Little Dengzi, upon hearing it, was so terrified that he could barely walk steadily.
Standing on the brink of life and death, he realized how risky his actions at the top scholar's mansion had been that day.
He leaned against the white jade railing, large beads of sweat on his forehead.
This unusual behavior was noticed by Feng Bao, who, with his characteristic voice, asked in confusion,
"Little Dengzi, what's wrong?"
"Godfather, your son, your son dare not speak," Little Dengzi stammered, his breath catching.
Feng Bao frowned. Little Dengzi, not daring to conceal anything, quietly recounted his warning to Su Xiaoqi that day.
Upon hearing this, Feng Bao merely said, "If there hadn't been those five hundred silver notes, would you still have said it?"
Little Dengzi thought for a moment and replied, "I would have said it. It was not His Majesty's true intention; he was misled by traitors."
Feng Bao turned to leave. Little Dengzi quickly followed, hearing a faint voice carried on the wind:
"It's rare that after ten years in the inner court, your conscience hasn't been worn away.
Hahaha, I don't need to worry about you in the future; there will be someone to look after you."
Little Dengzi did not ponder this deeply, merely offering comfort to Feng Bao, saying his godfather would surely live a hundred years and that he would repay his kindness when he became successful.
"There's no need. Just do your job diligently."
The north wind howled, and it seemed snowflakes were falling.
A timely snow heralded a good harvest; this was a good omen.
The prominent figures of the Directorate of Ceremonial hurried to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report auspicious signs.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoqi and her companions had already left the palace gates.
Snow began to fall. Su Xiaoqi felt concerned for Shen Yun, who was riding outside. With the old Grand Madam's permission, she called out to him and invited him into the carriage.
Shen Yun entered the carriage and, after lifting his robe, bowed deeply to the old Grand Madam.
"Thank you, Grand Madam, for your life-saving grace."
The old Grand Madam smiled calmly. "Why thank me? You should thank your wife.
If she hadn't rushed to find me, how would this old woman have known about these matters?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yun clasped Su Xiaoqi's hand and thanked her profusely again.
The couple escorted the old Grand Madam back to the Duke of Yu's mansion.
Madam Wen was waiting at the entrance to receive the old Grand Madam and warmly invited Su Xiaoqi and her husband inside.
She mentioned that she had not yet formally expressed her gratitude for the matters in Jiangning Prefecture.
However, both Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi were in a hurry to return; they still had matters to discuss.
The old Grand Madam understood their young sentiment and immediately advised,
"Never mind. It's snowing, so don't keep them. If the snow gets heavier later, it will accumulate and make travel difficult."
Madam Wen had no choice but to comply. With a wave of her hand, she ordered a large chest of furs to be brought forth.
She explained that these were delivered from her family's home in the northeast that day.
They could be made into fur cloaks, as the weather was growing colder.
These were fine goods.
In the depths of winter, they were essentially items that were priceless.
Especially the two pieces of red sable fur; when made into a cloak, they would be very warm.
Upon returning to their residence, Su Xiaoqi finally couldn't resist asking Shen Yun.
"Tell me, what were you thinking?"
Shen Yun glanced subtly at their room.
He sensitively noticed that a certain spot had been disturbed.
If he remembered correctly, that was where Su Xiaoqi hid her valuables.
Recalling the bundle at the very back of the carriage when they entered, and how Guò'er had held it tightly in her arms when she came down, seeming to not want him to see it.
His mind, being sharp, quickly pieced it together.
He felt both amused and helpless.
"Wife, where were you planning to pack your bags and go?"
Su Xiaoqi was unapologetic. "Hmph!" she scoffed. "Wherever I want to go, I can go. With money, I won't panic when I run, so I don't get sold by others and still count money for them."
When she had asked Guò'er to pack her bags, she had genuinely intended to flee.
Although she knew the Emperor cared for her,
she didn't believe it could withstand the Emperor's forceful measures.
Therefore, she was very anxious at the time.
She feared that Shen Yun, if he wasn't strong enough, would betray her.
So, fleeing was her priority.
But halfway there, she felt that it was too disloyal of her to run away without a word, or even without hearing the outcome.
What if Shen Yun was willing to defy the Emperor for her?
If he held firm, but returned to find she was gone,
it would only break his heart.
Thinking this, Su Xiaoqi felt a pang of reluctance, so she immediately changed her mind and found someone she believed could save Shen Yun to accompany her into the palace.
As it turned out, Shen Yun had done everything she had hoped.
When she arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it was precisely when Xingzhao the Emperor was angrily reprimanding Shen Yun.
The atmosphere at that moment was extremely tense. Su Xiaoqi did not know how much pressure Xingzhao the Emperor had already exerted on Shen Yun before this.
Yet, he had stood firm throughout. He was quite remarkable.
From that moment on, Su Xiaoqi had no regrets about finding someone to save him.
So now, being seen through by Shen Yun regarding her intention to flee, she felt a slight pang of embarrassment. She then lowered herself, softened her voice, and pouted playfully.
"Uh, well, I didn't mean to. I was just scared. I was afraid that if I entered the palace, I would never see my husband again."
Shen Yun hadn't intended to blame her. Seeing her uncharacteristically willing to yield, his heart warmed immensely.
He personally helped her remove her cloak, pulled her into his embrace, and caressed her cheek, saying,
"Wife, you did the right thing. If there's a next time, you should still run.
I can withstand pressure, but I cannot withstand the cunning and greed of those with ulterior motives."
If he were to turn back, he could reclaim her.
But it would inevitably involve suffering and hardship.
How could he bear that?