How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

"It was announced to the world that Imperial Concubine Hua had passed away, but I secretly looked through the medical records of the Imperial Hospital and found that there was no mention of Imperial Concubine Hua's condition. Even the medicines used were all tranquilizers."

Shen Yuan looked at Xie Chengze, "Do you know anything?"

Xie Chengze shook his head, "I didn't inherit the second prince's memory, so I don't know."

Shen Yuan nodded. It seemed that he could only look for clues elsewhere.

"Do you suspect that she didn't die of illness?" For some reason, when Xie Chengze mentioned Concubine Hua's illness, he suddenly felt a tightness in his heart. An unspeakable emotion surged in his heart, making him feel depressed for a while.

"I got some information. Although the palace is tight-lipped about Concubine Hua's affairs, there are always some who say that Concubine Hua fell ill due to depression and eventually died of depression."

Is it depression?

But Concubine Hua has always been open-minded and generous, so why would she be depressed?

Shen Yuan pondered, "I remember meeting the Second Prince when I was young. He was not a harsh or sinister person, and he had a good relationship with Concubine Hua and the other princes. But later I learned that the Second Prince and Concubine Hua had long since separated, and the harem was very secretive about it. No matter whether it was the concubines or the princes, they kept their mouths shut and were unwilling to say more."

This was something he had to squeeze out of Concubine Rou in his previous life.

Combining his experiences in this life, Shen Yuan even wondered if the second prince was switched when he was a child, and Xie Chengze was the real second prince, and that second prince was just a substitute who looked like Xie Chengze.

After all, compared to the Second Prince, the Xie Chengze in front of him was more like the "Second Prince" who played with him when he was young and who left a deep impression on him.

But obviously not, there was only one body that looked like this, so he had just ruled out this possibility.

"Do you think that Concubine Hua's death was related to the Second Prince?" Xie Chengze rubbed his chin and thought, "Could it be that she was mad at the Second Prince during his rebellious adolescence? But if that was the case, why would she leave Wuhen Wuji to him?"

Or is maternal love inherently complicated?

Just like his mother, although she couldn't return to be with him, he knew that she loved him.

But compared to loving him, mom has other things she thinks are more important to do.

So, could it be that Concubine Hua regretted entering the palace as a concubine? She missed the old world, the freedom she once had, and felt that the Second Prince was the chain that locked her wings?

Xie Chengze's head ached from thinking so much, he lay back on the heated kang and decided not to think about it anymore. Instead, he asked, "Why did you suddenly start investigating Concubine Hua?"

Shen Yuan choked.

Seeing Shen Yuan remained silent, Xie Chengze looked at him in confusion, "Why aren't you talking?"

Shen Yuan didn't know where to start. Should he start with the prince's unacceptable feelings, or with the prince's words "He has hated me for ten years, or maybe he has never hated me"?

I always feel that I shouldn't say it, but if I don't say it, I'm afraid Xie Chengze will be caught off guard and fall into the prince's trap.

"I haven't found out yet. Anyway, stay away from the prince." Shen Yuan had no choice but to say this.

Xie Chengze had a conditioned reflex when he heard the word "Crown Prince". He narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "Master Shen, you are very strange?"

"Are you afraid that the prince will know that you are running around and serving two masters?" Xie Chengze said sarcastically again.

"Don't talk nonsense." Shen Yuan pulled the quilt over Xie Chengze's face, covering his eyes to hide his slightly red ears, "I never said that I served the prince."

Xie Chengze immediately pricked up his ears: Huh?

His heart suddenly started beating faster. "Who do you serve?"

"Isn't it someone who has been using me as a shield?" Shen Yuan held the corner of the quilt, refusing to let the young man break free from the quilt to see his face.

It must be that the kang was too hot, because he felt his cheeks burning and the fever took a long time to go away.

"Ahem..." Xie Chengze coughed a few times guiltily, his ears starting to turn red. "Why are you serving him? He doesn't plan to become the emperor, so there's no future for you to follow him."

"What Shen wants is never a future." The man shook his head, a hint of tenderness in his eyes, "but that everyone has a house, everyone has land, and the people live and work in peace and contentment."

Xie Chengze's bright eyes peeked out from the edge of the quilt, and he whispered, "What a coincidence, me too."

This is why he chose to believe Shen Yuan. He is just that kind of person, upright and loyal. He will not be blinded by power. All he wants is peace in the world and for the people to live and work in peace and contentment.

"Then how do you plan to recruit them?" He said in a very good mood, "I am very generous, so I will cooperate with you."

"Then thank you, Your Highness." Shen Yuan bowed in a pretentious manner. "The servant that the boss mentioned must be Wuji, right? You can let him show up in front of the boss inadvertently tomorrow, and I will take care of the rest."

"Okay." Xie Chengze nodded, but soon remembered something and frowned again.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his expression, Shen Yuan felt something in his heart, "Are you worried about the matter in Pingcheng?"

"Yeah." Xie Chengze made a bitter face, "If you want to relocate so many people, it will cost money."

But his useless father was so poor, he had to find ways to make money on his own.

Emperor Jian, who was far away in the capital, sneezed. He didn't know how Xiaoze'er was doing or whether he had found Shen Yuan.

"It's okay." Shen Yuan joked, "Just rob a few houses and you'll find it."

Xie Chengze immediately glared at Shen Yuan. This bastard actually used his words to make fun of him?

"After all, confiscating property is only a temporary solution, not a fundamental solution. We need to allow the people of Liaozhou to have a long-term livelihood like the people of Yizhou!"

In fact, he has already thought about it, but he still needs the cooperation of some people.

Thinking of this, Xie Chengze couldn't help but smile cunningly.

If this smile was on the Second Prince's face, Shen Yuan would only feel sick, but when it was on Xie Chengze's face, he just found it very interesting.

Young people always have a lot of clever ideas, which makes people want to get close to him and follow him to see what else he can do.

"There is no rush. It's getting late. Your Highness should go to bed early." Shen Yuan tucked the corner of the quilt for the young man and said in a tone that seemed to be both joking and serious, "If you need me to do anything, just ask. You can even treat me like an old cow."

He stood up and walked towards the window he had come from. When he was about to climb out, he slowly added, "Also... Second Prince came down to save me. I am very happy."

Xie Chengze opened his eyes slightly and immediately looked towards the window, but the man was nowhere to be seen. He only heard a staggering sound outside, as if he was in such a hurry to escape the scene that he didn't notice the sound of the snow under his feet slipping.

He couldn't help but chuckle, the corners of his lips curled up further, his eyes seemed to contain all the stars, as bright as the night sky after snow.

He murmured, "What a coincidence, me too."