Phi-Fic Chapter 521 No Blame
Chapter 521 No Blame
Nanxing was just about to take Su Qianqian's pulse when Shen Cuo came back.
He said to Su Qianqian who was sitting there, "Qianqian, let's go back." Shen Cuo's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of indifference.
"Okay." Su Qianqian responded simply. She stood up gracefully and gave an apologetic smile to Shen Teng and Nan Xing who were still sitting there: "Then I'll take my leave first."
After saying that, she quickly caught up with Shen Cuo who had already walked out the door. She followed Shen Cuo in small steps, and the two of them walked out quickly, as if they had something urgent to do.
When Concubine Jin learned that the Emperor had gone to Ganquan Palace and that Concubine Xian was not in the palace, she was overjoyed.
"Humph, isn't it just giving birth to a son? Look how proud she is. One moment she gets entangled with the guards, and the next moment she disappears without a trace. I think she is afraid that the matter will be exposed, so she eloped with the guards."
"Mrs. Xianfei, humph."
It was not even noon yet, but Concubine Jin couldn't wait to run to Ganquan Palace.
When she entered Ganquan Palace and saw the palace maids kneeling on the ground, the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up. She wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief and forced the smile back, then twisted her waist and entered Ganquan Palace.
"Oh, what's going on?"
"Why are you all kneeling on the ground?"
"You guys, have you made the Concubine Xian angry?"
As she spoke, she walked inside, entered the hall, and glanced at the emperor in feigned surprise.
"Yes, the Emperor is here."
After that, she quickly bowed and said, "I, your concubine, greet the emperor. Long live the emperor. Long live the emperor. Long, long live the emperor."
Li Hongting suppressed the anger in his heart. He had spies in Ganquan Palace and knew everything Lu Shian did.
He knew exactly where Lu Shian had gone. He knew that this woman was very courageous, but she actually didn't take him, the emperor, seriously.
Lu Shian had just left when she received the news and came here. She had caused a lot of trouble just a few days after she was released from confinement.
Now some are even more daring and dare to disguise themselves as eunuchs and run out of the palace.
He was very angry and didn't know where to vent his anger when he saw Concubine Jin coming in from outside.
He knew at a glance what Concubine Jin was going to do.
In the past, Li Hongting would not mind if Concubine Jin acted a little bit, but even though she could act a little bit, her skills in bed really satisfied Li Hongting.
To him, Concubine Jin was just a toy. As long as she was obedient, he would keep her by his side.
But today Li Hongting was very unhappy.
But seeing Concubine Jin coming forward without any eyes, the suppressed anger finally found an outlet.
"What are you doing here?"
Concubine Jin was still intent on making fun of Lu Shian, and didn't notice that Li Hongting's face looked very ugly at this moment.
She walked up to Li Hongting with a smile and stroked his dragon robe: "Your Majesty, I am here to apologize to the virtuous concubine."
"Apologize, huh?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, where is the virtuous concubine? Call her out quickly. I will give her the betrothal gift and apologize to her right away."
"Then tell me first, how are you going to apologize?"
"Of course I sincerely apologize to Her Majesty the Concubine. Alas, Her Majesty the Concubine has always had a bad temper, and I don't know if she will forgive me."
"Since entering the palace, Concubine Xian has been taking care of her pregnancy. How do you know that she has always had a bad temper?"
"It was last time. Last time, the virtuous concubine was so scary that she frightened me to tears..."
"Really? Since you know she has a bad temper, do you come here empty-handed to apologize?"
"This..." Concubine Jin's eyes rolled around, "It was my fault for not thinking it through. I will have someone take the Dongzhu that the emperor gave me as a reward and give it to the virtuous concubine."
"You are so brave."
Li Hongting roared, and Chen'er on the little bed was frightened and then burst into tears.
Lu'er hurried over and picked up Chen'er.
Jin Jieyu was also frightened by Li Hongting's shout, and she fell to her knees at Li Hongting's feet.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong..."
Chen'er's crying made Li Hongting regain some of his sanity. He glanced at Jin Jieyu coldly and said, "If I wasn't afraid of scaring Chen'er, I would have to give you a beating today."
Jin Jieyu was so frightened that her face turned pale and her eyes were filled with tears. Li Hongting felt a little distressed when he saw her like this.
"Go back, and don't come out without my permission."
"Yes……"
After Concubine Jin left, Li Hongting took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.
Lu Shian is not someone else. She is soft-hearted and does not respond to tough tactics. She has been patient for so long and should not fail at this moment.
When Lu Shian returned to Ganquan Palace, the scene before her made her heart tighten. Almost everyone in the palace knelt on the ground.
Because they had been kneeling for too long, some palace maids and eunuchs were shivering with cold.
In the hall, Li Hongting was sitting on the throne in a gorgeous dragon robe, while the nanny beside him was softly coaxing the little prince Chen'er.
When Lu'er saw Lu Shi'an coming, she kept winking at her.
Lu Shian lowered his head silently. He had no more excuses at this moment.
She looked down at the eunuch's attire on her body, knowing that today would not pass easily.
She slowly walked to the center of the hall and bowed deeply, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
"You're back?" There was a hint of elusive emotion in Li Hongting's voice.
"Yes, I'm back." Lu Shian answered cautiously.
"Did you enjoy your trip?" There seemed to be something hidden in the emperor's question.
"I did not leave the palace for pleasure." Lu Shian explained hurriedly, trying to keep his voice calm.
Li Hongting raised his eyebrows slightly and uttered a puzzled "Oh?", waiting for her further explanation.
Lu Shian took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to say, "Today I am going to the Shen family not for fun. To be honest, I did have business dealings with the Shen family before. This time I am going there to formally terminate these cooperations."
As Lu Shian finished his words, the hall fell into silence, with only Chen'er's occasional babbling breaking the solemn atmosphere.
Li Hongting then slowly raised his eyelids, and glanced at Lu Shian with a gaze as sharp as lightning, but with a hint of elusiveness.
His eyes seemed to contain endless words, but he simply asked: "Did the Shen family agree?"
Lu Shian's heart seemed to be touched gently at this moment. She raised her head and faced Li Hongting's gaze, her voice soft and slightly apologetic.
“It seems that something has gone wrong with the Shen family’s business. When I met the head of the Shen family today, his face was full of worry, and he seemed to be troubled by some problems.
When I proposed to withdraw from the cooperation, Mr. Shen seemed extremely reluctant and even tried to retain me.
However, my status as a concubine is clear, and this is not something that Master Shen can decide."
Li Hongting waved to Lu Shian, his gesture carrying both the majesty of an emperor and a special gentleness. "Come here."
Lu Shian's heart tightened, but she still walked to his side obediently and stopped in front of him, waiting for what might happen next. There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, not knowing what the emperor would say next.
First, there were rumors that she had a secret meeting with the guards, and now she was caught sneaking out of the palace. No matter who she was, the emperor would not forgive her today.
"I know you don't like being restrained. If you want to leave the palace in the future, just leave openly." Li Hongting's words were like a spring breeze, which surprised Lu Shian greatly.
"Your Majesty, you, don't you blame me?" Lu Shian couldn't believe his ears.
She had thought that her act of leaving the palace without permission would lead to severe punishment, but she did not expect to be greeted with such tolerance and understanding.
Li Hongting said earnestly, "How could I not know your temper? It is really hard for you to stay in the palace all day."
His words were mixed with helplessness and doting, which made Lu Shian feel unprecedented warmth.
Since Li Hongting ascended the throne, Lu Shian clearly felt that he had changed. He was no longer the man who could be approached at will, but had become an emperor with supreme power, exuding a majesty that looked down on the world.
This change not only made Lu Shian feel alienated, but also made her realize that the distance between them was no longer as easy to cross as before.
When Lu Shian came back from outside today and saw Li Hongting sitting in Ganquan Palace, he thought for a moment that he would be severely punished.
However, instead of blaming her, Li Hongting gave her a privilege she had never had before.
At this moment, Lu Shian suddenly developed different feelings for Li Hongting. She began to reflect on the past, recalling their past, and found that it had always been Li Hongting's one-sided efforts.
However, because she was pursuing her ideal life, she kept her distance from Li Hongting and sometimes even put the blame on him, thinking that he was hindering the life she wanted.
Now, facing Li Hongting like this, Lu Shian's deep emotions gradually changed.
She began to re-examine her relationship with Li Hongting and her expectations for life.
Apart from taking her as a concubine, Li Hongting did not do anything to let her down.
Even in such a complicated situation, he still maintained his respect and understanding for her. Even when Li Hongyu rebelled, Lu Shian chose to protect himself, and Li Hongting never complained about her from beginning to end.
His tolerance and generosity filled Lu Shian's heart with complicated emotions.
At this time, the atmosphere in Ganquan Palace seemed particularly peaceful. Li Hongting sat there, looking gently at Lu Shian who was standing not far away. Lu Shian's eyes seemed a little dazed, as if he was lost in memories.
Only then did she realize that she had been ignoring Li Hongting's efforts for her and had never even responded to him. Comparing their efforts for each other, Lu Shian felt ashamed of herself. Looking at Li Hongting today, a different emotion from the past was quietly sprouting in her heart.
In fact, Lu Shian had already fallen in love with Li Hongting, but she had never discovered it.
Li Hongting frowned slightly when he saw this: "Is it not possible?"
"I thought you would like this." Li Hongting's voice was tinged with doubt.
Lu Shian suddenly laughed, starting with a soft laugh, and gradually the laughter became louder. The laughter was like a spring breeze, blowing away the dullness in the hall. Seeing her smile so happily, Li Hongting also breathed a sigh of relief.
"I haven't seen you laugh so happily in a long time." He said softly, with a hint of emotion in his voice.
Lu Shian bowed to Li Hongting with a respectful and sincere attitude: "In the past few years, things have not been going well in Dayuan Kingdom. I think maybe we can do business."
"Doing business?" Li Hongting's eyes lit up.
He had no doubt about Lu Shian's ability to make money. Everything she handled could bring good returns.
At first, he had intended to let Lu Shian take over the business of the Prince's Mansion, but seeing that she had no such intention and was still on guard against him, he did not mention it again. Unexpectedly, today, she actually took the initiative to make this suggestion.
It seems that his silent tolerance and dedication have finally paid off at this moment.
"How does Shi'an want to do business?" Li Hongting asked, his tone full of expectation. As long as he can make money, the problem of the empty treasury of Dayuan Kingdom can be well solved. If he can raise enough funds, it is not impossible to spare the Shen family.
"Your Majesty, can you trust me?" Lu Shi'an asked. What she needed to confirm was whether Li Hongting could give her full trust and support in this matter.
"Of course." Li Hongting answered without hesitation. He had absolute confidence in Lu Shian's ability, and her willingness to help was what he wanted most.
"Then please give me a privilege, Your Majesty." Lu Shian made her request. She knew that in order to achieve her goal, she must have a certain degree of autonomy and flexibility.
"What privilege? Tell me about it." Li Hongting asked curiously, wanting to know her specific thoughts. He always tried his best to meet Lu Shian's requests because he believed that she would not disappoint him.
"I want to use a city as a pilot. Your Majesty, give me a year. After a year, I promise that I will make a big difference to this city."
Lu Shian suddenly had a bold plan. Perhaps she could change the quality of life in a city through her own efforts.
If possible, we can use this method to drive the entire Dayuan Kingdom in the future.
"Okay." Li Hongting agreed without thinking.
"I will do my best." She added silently in her heart, I just hope that you can spare the Shen family by then.
"only……"
"Just how?"
"But in this case, I'm afraid I still can't break off all ties with the Shen family."
"The Shen family is big and powerful, and they are involved in a wide range of business. If we cooperate with them, I believe we will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Li Hongting nodded to agree to Lu Shian's request. Li Hongting thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, I will draft a memorial and ask the Ministry of Revenue to fully cooperate with you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Li Hongting was very happy that Lu Shian was willing to help. Not only did he stay for dinner, he also had two drinks. You know, he doesn't drink easily.
But he didn't stay overnight.
Before leaving, he held Lu Shian's hand, his eyes full of tenderness.
"I really want to stay with you. But I feel bad that you haven't recovered yet."
Lu Shian smiled reluctantly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for caring about me."
After sending Li Hongting out of Ganquan Palace, Lu Shian stood outside in a daze. A gust of cold wind blew and she felt very cold.