The daughter of the emperor is reborn to be beautiful and cool, and the King of Zhenbei loves her wi

When Shen Nanzhi just walked into the hall, he already felt that there was someone in the inner hall.

Moreover, when they just entered the palace, Xiao Yunzi also gave her a wink. When she thought about what Xiao Chuyun had told her before, that the emperor wanted to see her, Shen Nanzhi was no longer so surprised.

It was Liu Jingya who was shocked.

But after all, she was the legitimate daughter of a noble family. Although she was surprised, she did not panic. She quickly calmed down and greeted Shen Nanzhi together.

Emperor Shunqing waved his hand: "No need to be polite."

He turned around and walked to the main seat and sat down, then lowered his eyes to look at Shen Nanzhi.

Even though he was used to seeing three thousand beauties in the harem, Emperor Shunqing could not hide his surprise when he saw Shen Nanzhi. Moreover, she was dignified and calm, and even though it was her first time meeting the emperor, she was not at all flustered and there was nothing wrong with her.

At this point, Emperor Shunqing had some understanding of why both of his sons liked Shen Nanzhi.

"Don't be nervous. I just came to take a look when I had time. Seeing the things reminded me of the people."

He was dressed in a bright yellow five-clawed dragon robe, and even if he said nothing, he was already full of imposing presence just by sitting there.

Especially those pair of peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, which looked intimidating without even being angry, and also unfathomable.

A large part of the appearance of the seventh prince Xiao Qian'an and the fifth prince Xiao Ziyi was inherited from Emperor Shunqing, especially their eyebrows and eyes.

In comparison, Xiao Chuyun has fewer similarities with Emperor Shunqing. Although Shen Nanzhi has never seen Concubine Zhen, she thinks Xiao Chuyun should look more like Concubine Zhen.

But Shen Nanzhi and Liu Jingya couldn't respond to Emperor Shunqing's words.

Liu Jingya’s identity is difficult to accept.

But Shen Nanzhi, who knew the inside story, disdained to answer it.

However, in the face of powerful forces, even though he had seen through Emperor Shunqing's hypocrisy, he had no choice but to pretend to be nice to him.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Zhen has been gone for many years. I hope you take care of your health. If she were still alive, she would definitely not want to see Your Majesty looking so sad."

Emperor Shunqing sighed, "If she were still here, I would still have someone to talk to about my innermost thoughts. In this huge harem, no one can be like her... Oh, forget it, why am I talking to you little girls about this?"

As he spoke, Emperor Shunqing waved his hand. He was wearing a mutton-fat jade ring on his thumb.

When he was talking before, his fingers were turning the jade ring intentionally or unintentionally.

But after saying this, he took off the jade ring and asked the eunuch beside him to present it to Shen Nanzhi.

"What the Liu family girl said just now is correct."

Emperor Shunqing looked at Shen Nanzhi meaningfully: "Some of the things here were used by Concubine Zhen before she died, and some were given by me later. But since they all belong to Concubine Zhen, they should naturally be given to the third brother. Take this jade ring. With it, you can not only enter and leave the palace at will, but also enter and leave Chaohua Palace at will. You can do whatever you want with the things here."

This time it was Shen Nanzhi's turn to be surprised.

Would the dog emperor be so generous?

She doesn't believe it.

Rather than believing that he gave the gift sincerely, Shen Nanzhi would rather believe that he wanted to appease the Shen family because of what the Queen Mother had done.

To be precise, it was to temporarily appease the Shen family.

Maybe in his opinion, Xiao Chuyun would not live for many days after being infected with the cold poison, and when he dealt with the Shen family, he would take this thing back anyway.

It's no wonder that Shen Nanzhi thought so darkly of him. It was mainly because the lesson in his previous life was too tragic, and in this life he had already shown signs of targeting the Shen family.

Shen Nanzhi did not respond, but said in a panic: "Your Majesty, these things are too valuable. I, your humble servant, cannot accept the gift without any merit. I really cannot afford it."

Emperor Shunqing sighed, and said with some relief: "Just take it. I can feel at ease if I put it in your hands. I won't come here anymore in the future. It can be regarded as putting my mind at ease."

Since he said so, Shen Nanzhi couldn't refuse.

The young eunuch had already pushed the jade ring in front of Shen Nanzhi.

Shen Nanzhi had no choice but to bow and accept it: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Although it's hot to hold, who wouldn't like such enormous wealth?

Moreover, the Shen family did not take anything from the royal family in the previous life, but still ended up like that. In this case, it would be a waste not to take it.

Maybe it will be of great use!

Seeing Shen Nanzhi accept it, Emperor Shunqing started to greet Shen Nanzhi: "How is the old Duke's health these days?"

Shen Nanzhi quickly lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, my grandfather's health has been getting worse over the past two years. The doctor said that he had a root cause of the disease when he was young on the battlefield, which is difficult to cure. In addition, he is still mourning for his uncles, so he now relies on medicine every day to keep him healthy."

Hearing this, Emperor Shunqing sighed and said with emotion: "When I was young, I was impressed by the old Duke's demeanor on the war horse. Even now, I still remember the old Duke's heroic appearance when he returned to the capital to protect me. Without the old Duke's loyalty and bravery, there would be no stability for me and the Great Qi."

Shen Nanzhi thought to himself: He clearly understood all these principles, and he also knew that the Shen family had no intention of rebelling up to this point, but he would not be at peace until he had absolute control over the hundreds of thousands of troops.

The Shen family, who are highly respected in the army, are thorns in his eyes and bones in his flesh.

Although she felt it was ironic, Shen Nanzhi could only express her gratitude: "Your Majesty, thank you for your concern. My grandfather will surely feel infinitely honored."

Emperor Shunqing seemed to have something else to say, but at this moment a young eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhenbei is here."

Emperor Shunqing responded.

Xiao Chuyun, dressed in dark brocade clothes, came in from outside.

"My son, I would like to send my regards to my father."

He was tall and slender, and because of his appearance, the light in the hall seemed to dim a little.

Emperor Shunqing's eyebrows were gentle, and he joked with a smile: "Are you afraid that I will embarrass your wife, so you rush to protect her?"

Emperor Shunqing's tone was so casual, and he was just chatting casually, which made Liu Jingya feel relieved.

She also followed suit and looked at Shen Nanzhi and Xiao Chuyun with a smile.

These two people, the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful. Standing together, they look like a perfect match made in heaven, very pleasing to the eyes.

Shen Nanzhi didn't think there was anything wrong at first, but Liu Jingya's look made her feel a little embarrassed, and her cheeks flushed.

Here, Xiao Chuyun had already stood up and lowered his eyes and said, "Father, that's not true. Miss Shen is here with you, and I am relieved."

As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Shunqing burst into laughter. He followed Xiao Chuyun's words and said, "I said you were protecting your shortcomings, but you didn't refute it. So it seems that you really are protecting your shortcomings."

Liu Jingya couldn't help but move closer to Shen Nanzhi, and tugged at Shen Nanzhi's sleeve with a gossipy look on her face.

Only Shen Nanzhi felt that Xiao Chuyun was trapped by Emperor Shunqing's words. It was not right to agree or deny it.

She was about to speak up to help Xiao Chuyun out, but Xiao Chuyun took the initiative to speak up: "Father, Miss Shen saved my life, and it is my duty to protect her."

This was similar to what Shen Nanzhi had guessed, and Shen Nanzhi understood it.

This should have been the answer, but for some reason, the moment Shen Nanzhi heard this sentence, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart.

There is also an inexplicable, indescribable sense of loss.

Before she could explore her heart and think about what she was expecting, she heard Emperor Shunqing say again: "What you said reminds me. The last time you were assassinated at the foot of Qingyun Mountain, although it was found out that it was the work of those idiots in the Ministry of Revenue, but since the second brother is involved, this matter can't be simple. You go and investigate again and make sure to find out the truth!"

The previous Jiangbei corruption case and the Qingyun Mountain sent assassins to hunt down Xiao Qian'an and Xiao Chuyun, all of this series of crimes were taken by the former Minister of Revenue Gao Xun.

Now there is enough evidence to prove that the Second Prince Xiao Shihua was involved in the Jiangbei corruption case, so he is obviously not unrelated to the assassination of the two princes.

Even though Emperor Shunqing knew that Gao Xun was Xiao Shihua's man, he could only turn a blind eye because there was no definite evidence at the time.

Now that Xiao Chuyun "inadvertently" mentioned this matter, it actually reminded Emperor Shunqing.

However, Xiao Chuyun did not accept the order. He lowered his eyes and said apologetically, "Father, please forgive me. I have not been feeling well these days. My leg injury has relapsed. I have to lean on a bamboo chair to enter the palace. I was already struggling to take these two steps. I cannot take on this important task with my broken body. Please forgive me."

After he reminded them, everyone subconsciously glanced outside the hall and saw his bamboo chair parked not far away.

Since he had said so much, Emperor Shunqing didn't want to argue with him. He raised his fingers and tapped the table lightly. After a moment's silence, he said, "Then let Lao Wu handle this matter. It will also be a good opportunity to train him."

The young eunuch who received the imperial eunuch bowed and retreated hurriedly to find the fifth prince Xiao Ziyi to convey the imperial will.

When these unpleasant things were mentioned, Emperor Shunqing no longer had the mood to continue joking with them.

He stood up, glanced at Xiao Chuyun and said, "It's rare for Miss Shen to come to the palace. Take her to your mother's palace to have a look around. Just don't miss the time to entertain the Northern Barbarians later."

Xiao Chuyun naturally agreed.

Emperor Shunqing then walked out of the main hall with his hands behind his back and left Chaohua Palace.

As soon as he left, the originally tense atmosphere in the hall instantly eased a lot.

Liu Jingya patted her chest and exclaimed, "Oh, if I had known that the emperor was here to meet you and the prince, why would an outsider like me come here to join in the fun!"

Although Shen Nanzhi knew that the emperor wanted to see her, she was not sure at first that it would be at this moment. She thought that he would wait until the palace banquet was over and then keep her alone to talk.

Moreover, Xiao Yunzi waited until they arrived at Chaohua Palace before reminding Shen Nanzhi, otherwise, she would not have made Liu Jingya nervous this time.

As if sensing Shen Nanzhi's gaze, Xiao Yunzi hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to explain, "Miss Shen, please forgive me. When I went to the palace gate to pick you up, I didn't know that the emperor was coming. I only found out when I got a hint from the guards at the gate when I arrived outside the palace."

If that's the case, then it's not Xiao Yunzi's fault.

Liu Jingya understood what was going on. She waved her hand and said, "I just said that casually. Besides, it's not like I lost any meat anyway."

At this point, her bright eyes rolled around, and she winked at Shen Nanzhi and said, "There's no need to talk about it before. The emperor has already said that the prince will take you around here, so I won't be an eyesore here. I just found a lotus pond in front, I'll go over there and take a look, and you can come find me later."

Just as Shen Nanzhi was about to speak, Liu Jingya had already stepped out of the door with her skirt lifted up.

They were not allowed to bring maids with them when they entered the palace. Although Liu Jingya was more familiar with the palace than she was, Shen Nanzhi was still worried, so she specially called Xiao Yunzi to bring two palace maids with her.

The other people in the hall also retreated tactfully.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Nanzhi and Xiao Chuyun were the only ones left in the huge main hall.

"Your Majesty."

Shen Nanzhi didn't think anything of it at first, but was rather embarrassed by Liu Jingya's joking remarks.

Xiao Chuyun looked at her tenderly: "I'll take Miss Shen to the inner hall to have a look."

Since the emperor had just said so, Shen Nanzhi certainly couldn't refuse.

Xiao Chuyun took her into the inner hall.

Because of the hollow carved screen, Shen Nanzhi could only see a vague shadow at the door of the inner hall.

Now that I've come in, I realize that the decoration inside is more luxurious than outside!

The floor was paved with gold bricks, luminous pearls hung on the walls, and the flower-scattered curtains outside the bed were embroidered with phoenix patterns and strung with pearls with gold thread.

Even the sheep-horn lanterns and palace lanterns used for lighting in the corners are made of crystal glass.

This is too exaggerated.

Shen Nanzhi looked around, and finally his eyes fell on a portrait hanging on the wall.

Under a broken palace wall, a slender woman dressed as a low-ranking palace maid and a skinny boy sitting in front of a stone platform carefully shared half a bowl of porridge. There were some gravel in the porridge, and it was obvious that they had just been bullied.

Needless to say, the painting depicts the situation of Emperor Shunqing and Concubine Zhen who depended on each other in the cold palace.

The placement of this painting, together with everything around it, all show how much Emperor Shunqing valued Concubine Zhen.

But if he really valued Zhenfei as much as Emperor Shunqing showed, he would not have allowed her and her son to suffer bullying in the cold palace, and eventually fall ill and die.

If he really loved Zhenfei, even if he did not protect Xiao Chuyun as well as his wife, at least he would not have the intention to kill her.

Seeing this scene on the screen, Shen Nanzhi suddenly understood why Emperor Shunqing was so fond of filling the Chaohua Palace with wealth such as gold, silver, and jewelry.

He may not have loved Zhenfei very much, but Zhenfei represented a little-known miserable time in his life.

Just as people who have experienced hunger will desperately stock up on food even if they are well off, people who have experienced cold will subconsciously stock up on cotton clothes.

After going through those difficult and hard times, Emperor Shunqing would subconsciously hoard these riches.

He did it out of guilt, and wanted to make up for the debt he felt deep in his heart towards Concubine Zhen, and also to make up for himself back then.

This is just a reflection of a corner of his heart.

This was the reason why Xiao Chuyun told Shen Nanzhi about their past at Shen’s house two days ago.

He also didn't want Shen Nanzhi to be deceived by Emperor Shunqing's pretended affection.

Shen Nanzhi looked at the painting, and Xiao Chuyun looked at Shen Nanzhi.

When Shen Nanzhi came to her senses, she raised her eyes and inadvertently met Xiao Chuyun's ink-black eyes.

His eyebrows and eyes were still gentle, but there was an indescribable sadness deep in his eyes.

"Her name is Chuntao, a name that is so common that it is even a little humble."

Shen Nanzhi nodded, indicating that he had taken note of it.

The room was filled with gold, silver and jewels. Although it was dazzling, it made her feel gloomy and suffocating.

Shen Nanzhi was about to turn around and walk to the window to get some fresh air.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, Xiao Chuyun grabbed her wrist.

Shen Nanzhi looked back in surprise and met Xiao Chuyun's deep eyes.

I only heard him whisper: "I lied in front of my father just now."

Hearing this, Shen Nanzhi raised her eyebrows. She was just wondering if he was talking about refusing to thoroughly investigate the assassination in Qingyun Mountain due to health reasons, but she saw Xiao Chuyun step forward and look down at her.

The room was full of brilliance, and Shen Nanzhi could clearly see her own reflection in those cold and deep eyes.

Then he said gently but firmly: "I protected Miss Shen not because she saved my life."