These words were meant for Gu Chaobei to hear, but whether Gu Chaobei understood them was another matter. When heaven distributes intelligence to people, it often takes away a portion of emotional intelligence.
Gu Chaobei was only somewhat dissatisfied with the fact that he didn’t know Shen Guiyan very well. Even listening to Shen Guiwu speak made him uncomfortable.
Being siblings was so amazing, was it? Knowing some things from the past was so amazing, was it? He was the one who would accompany Yan’er for the rest of her life—was there any need to show off?
Shen Guiyan only felt moved. She bit her lip as she looked at her own brother, feeling that this sense of having someone to rely on was truly wonderful. Fortunately, she couldn’t read minds and didn’t know what Gu Chaobei was thinking. If she knew, she might not be able to resist committing the offense of disrespecting the throne.
“It’s about time. This subject should take his leave.” Shen Guiwu stood up. “Tomorrow this subject will report to General Yuwen.”
“You’ve worked hard.” The Emperor nodded slightly, holding Shen Guiyan in his arms. Only after Shen Guiwu’s figure could no longer be seen did he lower his head with a dark expression and ask, “What else are you afraid of?”
“Hmm?” Shen Guiyan shifted her body sideways, resting her belly on his thigh to save some effort. “This subject doesn’t fear many things—just what Second Brother mentioned. But it’s much better now. At least I don’t need to sleep with a dagger anymore.”
Gu Chaobei looked at her with amusement. “What good would your dagger do you? If I hadn’t been reluctant to hurt you back then, how could you have injured me?”
Thinking back to their first encounter, Shen Guiyan suddenly became a bit curious. “Why did Your Majesty come to the Shen residence back then?”
Gu Chaobei’s gaze shifted away as he looked elsewhere. “A whim.”
That truly could be called fate. Shen Guiyan didn’t ask further. She reached out to embrace him and changed the subject. “Looking at this subject’s condition, in three or four more months it will be time to give birth. Has Your Majesty thought of a name for the child?”
Gu Chaobei snorted lightly. “Why would I need to think about it? Those people at the Scholars’ Bureau arranged the generational names long ago. When the time comes, we’ll just go pick one.”
Feeling slightly disappointed, Shen Guiyan still obediently nodded. “Alright.”
The Emperor and his consort sat embracing each other, watching the dusk in the sky gradually darken from orange. Baoshan and Zhuiyun watched from a distance, somehow also feeling moved.
In the palace quarters, at least these two could trust each other. How wonderful.
In Tongtian Temple, Shen Hanlu faced the green lamp and ancient Buddha, having spent the entire day chanting curses.
Curses of malediction.
What immortals or Buddhas existed in this world? If they really existed, she had been kneeling here cursing Shen Guiyan every day—why was it useless?
With a creak, the door opened. Xiuping came in carrying food. “Master, please have some first.”
The High Priestess still held a decent position in this dynasty. The food she received didn’t shortchange her at all. But Gu Chaobei had said she could only say what he prescribed and do what he prescribed. This made her like a puppet, helping him eliminate dissidents.
But what benefit did she get? Not only was she thrown into this Tongtian Temple, but once she left, the Empress position would most likely still fall to Shen Guiyan.
She was unwilling! How could she be willing?
“Your Ladyship.” Seeing that she didn’t move, Xiuping quickly said, “Second Young Master Shen Guiwu has returned to the capital. Didn’t His Majesty say to have you go to the Imperial City tomorrow? You are now the High Priestess representing heaven’s will. Your words carry weight wherever you go. If you have grievances in your heart, it wouldn’t hurt to vent them in the rear palace tomorrow.”
“Why wouldn’t it hurt?” Shen Hanlu angrily swept away the bowls and chopsticks. “This palace cannot say much or do much. What could I do even if I went to the rear palace? I can’t use heavenly mandate to make the Emperor keep me in the rear palace!”
Xiuping pressed her lips together and held Shen Hanlu’s hand. “Your Ladyship, please calm down. Although you cannot return to the rear palace, you can still influence it, can’t you? Remember before you left the palace, you said Imperial Concubine Fu couldn’t become Empress? She fell ill for several days after returning. Even Scholar Fu didn’t pay as much attention to her, and people in the palace all felt that although her background was impressive, she was difficult to entrust with great responsibility.”
The words of authoritative people were terrifying. Even random nonsense would have a large group of people believing it deeply. What they believed in was not those words, but the authority itself. They completely stopped using their own eyes, ears, and minds to see, hear, and think.
Shen Hanlu calmed down a bit, frowning in thought. “You mean for me to say that others also cannot become Empress? His Majesty won’t let me do that. If I really said it, who knows what would happen.”
“That’s not what this servant means.” Xiuping’s eyes shifted as she said softly, “Now Master’s family wealth has been scattered, and there isn’t much money left from what was earned. Why not make good use of your identity to rake in a fortune or two? Then find an opportunity to escape the capital and wouldn’t you be able to live a carefree and comfortable life?”
Hearing this, Shen Hanlu found it truly made sense. She couldn’t help but look at Xiuping a few more times. “You’re very clever.”
Xiuping smiled. “This servant only asks that Master grant this servant freedom when the time comes.”
Stroking her chin in thought, since her words carried such weight, they were naturally valuable. But she couldn’t let people know that this High Priestess was fake—otherwise, never mind money, she wouldn’t even have her life.
“I’ll think about it more.” Shen Hanlu said.
Xiuping smiled and withdrew. Looking left and right, she passed through the front hall of Tongtian Temple and went to a secluded place. Someone was already waiting there.
The next day when she got up, Shen Hanlu put on the priestess outfit and prepared to go to the Imperial City. The journey had been going well when the carriage broke down.
“Master, this servant flagged down a carriage that’s also going to the Imperial City. Please share the ride.” Xiuping said.
A High Priestess was the same as a spirit medium—there was no need to worry about propriety regarding showing her face in public. Spirit mediums didn’t count as women, so naturally there weren’t many rules. Therefore, seeing that there was a man in the carriage, Shen Hanlu still got in.
“This humble one comes on the orders of National Uncle Wen to ask the High Priestess to say a few words.” The person in the carriage said softly, “Please accept half of this token of appreciation. After you’ve spoken, the other half will also be yours.”
Just when she was thinking about buyers, someone delivered themselves to her door. Shen Hanlu was somewhat surprised, and after the surprise came panic.
National Uncle Wen’s people? That was someone in opposition to the Emperor. She herself was currently on the Emperor’s side.
Looking at what was handed over, banknotes of five hundred taels each, several of them—this was much easier than selling brassieres or anything else.
Shen Hanlu straightened her back with a serious expression. “I am one who receives heaven’s mandate. Gold and silver vulgar objects naturally do not catch my eye.”
The visitor chuckled lightly. “High Priestess, you also rose to power by relying on Grand Empress Dowager Wen back then. How much weight you carry—would the National Uncle not know? To not take advantage of benefits and instead help that Emperor who has no real power—isn’t that too much of a grievance?”
Shen Hanlu trembled slightly, frowning as she looked at him. The carriage rumbled along all the way to the palace gate.
“Master.” Xiuping smiled as she pulled back the curtain and helped Shen Hanlu down.
Her face was somewhat pale, and her eyes were full of hesitation. But Xiuping acted as if she hadn’t noticed Shen Hanlu’s abnormality and helped her walk inside.
Shen Guiyan was in Grand Empress Dowager Nian’s palace. Grand Empress Dowager Nian looked at her belly and sighed lightly. “Once this child is born, this dowager will have the Emperor make you Empress.”
Her heart jumped. Shen Guiyan looked up at Grand Empress Dowager Nian.
Grand Empress Dowager Nian coughed lightly and rolled her eyes. “This dowager doesn’t feel sorry for you. I just want the first child of my imperial family to be legitimate. Anyway, it’s something owed to you. Didn’t you have fortune tellers say from childhood that you had the fate of an Empress? There’s no harm in making it come true.”
“But…” Shen Guiyan was somewhat helpless. “His Majesty has also mentioned this matter, but many ministers in the court opposed it, saying this subject has no merit or contribution and is insufficient to be made Empress.”
“Hmph, that group of old things are guarding it for Wen Xiuli. Before Wen Xiuli became paralyzed, she didn’t want you to become Empress. Once she fell, those old fellows instead rallied together under that banner.” Grand Empress Dowager Nian sneered. “The rear palace is the Emperor’s rear palace alone, yet everyone wants to stick their foot in. If this dowager were the Emperor, I would also be angered into becoming cold-blooded and ruthless.”
Shen Guiyan smiled helplessly. Grand Empress Dowager Nian looked up at the window. “However, the Empress position is not easy to sit in. So many people want to fight you for it, so many people want to make things difficult for you. Once you take that seat, you can no longer hide on the side and avoid everything like you do now.”
“This subject hides now because this subject has a vulnerability.” Shen Guiyan lowered her head and touched her belly. “Once the child is born, it will be fine.”
Grand Empress Dowager Nian nodded. “At that time, this dowager believes you will also better understand His Majesty’s heart.”
Hmm? Shen Guiyan looked at Grand Empress Dowager Nian in confusion. Right now… she already understood enough, didn’t she?
“Grand Empress Dowager.” Nanny Qiujin rushed in, glanced at Shen Guiyan, and said directly, “Reporting to the Grand Empress Dowager, five trusted subordinates of National Uncle Wen have arrived at the imperial palace. After His Majesty received them, the High Priestess suddenly said she heard heaven’s mandate and wants to set up an altar to perform rituals and display heaven’s will.”
Shamanistic ritual? Shen Guiyan found it somewhat amusing. Shen Hanlu had only been quiet for a few days—why was she making a fuss again? National Uncle Wen hadn’t come yet, so obviously it wasn’t time for her to appear. This performance today was definitely not the Emperor’s intention.
“Let’s go take a look.” Grand Empress Dowager Nian patted her clothes and stood up. “Fortunately, this dowager is still young. Walking around and looking at things isn’t a bad thing. If this dowager were old and she still made such a fuss, I would beat her to death with my cane.”
Shen Guiyan stood up to support the Grand Empress Dowager and went together. Walking along the road, Grand Empress Dowager Nian took her hand instead. “You are even more precious than this dowager. Be careful.”
Her heart warmed. Shen Guiyan nodded, looking at Grand Empress Dowager Nian’s beautiful profile, unable to help feeling moved.
The High Priestess setting up an altar to write heaven’s will—naturally both the rear palace and the officials in the palace rushed over.
Gu Chaobei’s expression didn’t look good. Obviously his attempt to stop her had been unsuccessful. Shen Hanlu was already standing in the open space in front of the court hall. She took out a roll of white paper and tossed it toward the sky. Then using ink she carried on her person, she randomly smeared it for a while.
No one could see clearly what she was doing, but when she raised that white paper again, the paper was clean and blank without anything on it.
“I hear heaven’s words and come to transmit heaven’s will.” After dawdling for a while and seeing that people had gathered almost completely, Shen Hanlu reached out her hand. Xiuping quickly handed her a pot of water.
She poured the transparent water onto the white paper. On that long roll of white paper, eight large characters actually appeared.
“The phoenix takes flight; the benevolent one becomes Empress.”