"Since the Eldest Princess has rescued Lianxin, why will you not allow her to return to the Shen Estate? What exactly are your intentions?"
Shen Yuan is truly a talent—he knows he has no leg to stand on, yet he persists in making baseless accusations.
"Imperial Eldest Princess, I must speak for the sake of justice. Since you know Lianxin is a servant of the Shen family, you should have sent her back. Why have you made her your own personal maid?" The Emperor finally regained the initiative in the conversation. "Lianxin is but a fragile girl, and she has done you no wrong."
Seeing the Emperor speaking on his behalf, Shen Yuan grew emboldened. He stepped to Lianxin’s side, grabbed her hand, and pulled her behind him. "With me here, I will not let anyone bully you, not even the Eldest Princess!"
Gu Zhaoyan raised a hand to rub her brow. She had seen fools before, but never one quite this foolish.
"Lord Shen, are you incapable of understanding plain speech? It was the Eldest Princess who saved me, and it was her kindness that allowed me to stay and serve by her side." Lianxin wrenched her hand away from Shen Yuan, the infatuation of her youth vanishing in an instant. "I was a first-class maid in your courtyard. If you had only asked, even if your parents had tried to hide it from you, would anyone else have dared to keep the truth from you?"
"Lianxin, have you been threatened by the Eldest Princess? Do not be afraid, I can—"
"Shen Yuan, you would do better to simply admit it. You knew from the very beginning that your parents had sent Lianxin to a brothel. But, as a master, would you really have caused a scene with the parents who raised you for the sake of a servant?" Gu Zhaoyan tapped her fingers rhythmically against the table. "I did what you dared not do. Instead of gratitude, you choose to cast blame. Your parents certainly raised you well."
Shen Yuan’s face turned deathly pale. He stood there, flustered and at a loss for how to reply.
"Since everyone is here today, I will speak my mind completely." Lianxin might be a maid, but she possessed backbone. "The Master and Mistress were never satisfied with this marriage arrangement. But they dared not clash head-on with the Eldest Princess, so they sold me to a brothel instead. That way, Lord Shen would vent all his resentment upon the Eldest Princess!"
"Nonsense! My parents are not such people. Lianxin, you are being insolent!"
"It is you who are being insolent!"
Gu Zhaoyan slammed her hand on the table. The moment she stood up, everyone standing in the courtyard knelt. "Shen Yuan, if I truly were to take you as my Imperial Son-in-law, wouldn't your entire family end up climbing over my head? Emperor, do you still not see it? If the Shen family dares to scheme against me like this, they will dare to do the same to you next!"
"How could that be..."
"Emperor, setting aside our status, we are born of the same mother. Even if we were to have a falling out, in the eyes of the world, the bond of blood can never be severed."
The Emperor opened his mouth, lowered his head to ponder for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table. "Shen Yuan, you are insolent!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." Shen Yuan immediately gathered his robes and knelt. "Your subject was only too agitated upon seeing Lianxin; I spoke without thinking..."
"Today, there are many members of the Shen clan outside the hall—young women not yet wed, young men not yet married. Shen Yuan, as the next head of the Shen family, to be so offensive in front of the Emperor and myself for the sake of a maid... does this mean all the men and women of your Shen clan share the same temperament?"
As soon as Gu Zhaoyan finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall turned icy. Those who had been standing with the Shen family quickly distanced themselves. After all, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be askew.
Gu Zhaoyan was never just dealing with Shen Yuan; she was dealing with the entire Shen clan, aiming to sow discord and internal strife. It took almost no effort to achieve the desired effect.
"Your subject is terrified. Your subject deserves death."
Only now did Shen Yuan realize that the person standing before him was the all-powerful Eldest Princess of Dayan, not the one he had held in such utter contempt.
"Shen Yuan, now that I wish to annul our marriage, do you have any objections?"
"Your subject dares not object. Your subject is willing—willing to accept your arrangements." If Shen Yuan dared to say another word, he knew that if he walked out of this hall today, tomorrow he would hear reports of his own legs being broken by his parents. As the next successor, he understood that the family interest must come first.
Three opponents, and one was already broken. The remaining two would be simple.
"Song Hesheng." Gu Zhaoyan took the initiative. "Do you still remember your wager with me?"
Song Hesheng bowed, cupping his hands. "I dare not forget; I have kept it firmly in my heart."
"Emperor, has the renovation schedule for the Imperial College been finalized?"
The facilities at the Imperial College were dilapidated. Every year, when the rains came, it caused all sorts of trouble for the scholars. Unable to bear watching them pursue knowledge in such poor conditions, Gu Zhaoyan had allocated funds for repairs, only to be met with opposition from a group claiming that renovations would disrupt the College's geomancy. In her past life, she had actually believed them, only to discover later that they were concerned she would uncover their profiteering. To say nothing of other things, the money from the College's food budget alone was a lucrative source of grease for their palms.
The Emperor had happened to read a memorial yesterday opposing the renovations. "Er... for the time being..."
"It seems they still oppose it, then?" Gu Zhaoyan shrugged and looked at Song Hesheng. "I wonder, Lord Song, if you have any interest in taking on this matter?"
"It would be my honor to relieve the Emperor of his burdens. However, the renovation of the Imperial College is truly..."
"What? Does Lord Song find the matter too trivial?"
"Of course not. I only wish to do something more beneficial to the people." Having experienced the Eldest Princess’s might before, Song Hesheng glanced down at Shen Yuan, who still dared not lift his head. He couldn't help but swallow hard. "Furthermore, I am unfamiliar with construction matters."
"The Imperial College is the highest institution of learning in Dayan. Every year, half of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations come from there. Through their own efforts, they slowly become the pillars of the court. But before they become officials, they are students, and they are the people. How can you say this has nothing to do with the livelihood of the people? Your father often visits the Imperial College; why are you unwilling? Or could it be that you have a conflict with your father?"
"Your subject..."
If Shen Yuan was filled with dread, Song Hesheng was gripped by fear.
"Besides, since Grand Tutor Song is so studious, as his son, you must be equally clever and eager to learn. If you don't understand, you can learn, can't you?"
"The Eldest Princess is right to reprimand me. Your subject..."
"I am merely clarifying the cause and effect of the situation. I am not reprimanding you. You scholars are always so fond of twisting words." Gu Zhaoyan shook her head, looking helpless. "If you were to become my Imperial Son-in-law, and you went around misinterpreting every casual word I spoke, I would be unable to defend myself even with a thousand mouths."
"It is your subject’s fault, it is your subject’s..." Despite his vast store of knowledge, Song Hesheng found himself at a loss for words to respond.
"As long as you take it to heart and correct yourself in the future, that will suffice. Truly, I feel that letting you be my Imperial Son-in-law would only bury your talents."
"Pfft."
Hearing this, the Emperor couldn't hold back a laugh.