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

After Shen Yuan received Su Qinghe's letter for help, he hurried to Chenghuan Palace, but was stopped by Zhu Xiaobiao at the door. He just happened to hear Xie Chengze's angry voice.

In a moment of desperation, he had no choice but to resort to this last resort. He shouted loudly at the door of the bedroom, interrupting Xie Chengze's order to punish Su Qinghe.

The hall was silent for a moment. Zhu Xiaobiao, who had gone in to report, turned back and said to Shen Yuan, "Sir Shen, His Highness has allowed you to come in."

As soon as Shen Yuan entered the hall, he saw Su Qinghe kneeling on the ground in a humble posture with his face prostrated. His already thin body looked even more frail and thin against the backdrop of white clothes, which made people feel unbearable to see.

What mistake could a usually gentle and polite person make to deserve such humiliating treatment?

Noticing Shen Yuan coming in, Su Qinghe raised his eyes slightly and glanced at him. His warm and friendly moon-like eyes were now filled with visible grievances after being humiliated, which made Shen Yuan frown.

He couldn't help but look at Xie Chengze lying on the bed, but his peripheral vision inadvertently caught a glimpse of a number of long scrolls hanging deep on the right side of the bed.

The scrolls were filled with portraits of men, with ridiculous words describing their family background, body shape, etc.

what are these?!

Why is there still——

Shen Yuan was a little confused. He calmed down a little and decided to deal with Su Qinghe's problem first. "Second Prince, I wonder what mistake did Second Young Master Su make that made you so angry?"

Xie Chengze:?

Who is angry?

Shen Yuan came at a really bad time. If he hadn't just interrupted me, perhaps I would have "forced" Su Qinghe to be friends with me. Although a forced melon is not sweet, at least it can quench my thirst!

After they are together, Su Qinghe will definitely discover his good points!

Muttering to himself, Xie Chengze asked unhappily, "What does Lord Shen want to see me about?"

"There is some progress in the assassination case. I would like to have a private talk with Your Highness." Shen Yuan glanced at Su Qinghe who was kneeling on the ground, obviously implying that "irrelevant people" should leave the bedroom immediately.

How could Su Qinghe not understand what Shen Yuan meant? Shen Yuan came here specially to save him, so he took a deep breath and said to Xie Chengze, "In that case, I will withdraw first."

After he finished speaking, he was about to stand up when he heard Xie Chengze quickly say, "No, there is no outsider here, it's okay for Master Su to listen."

No outsiders?

Isn't that one's own people?

Shen Yuan and Su Qinghe felt their hearts sink at the same time.

Su Qinghe bit his lip. The Second Prince was clearly declaring to him that Shen Yuan was his. Was it not enough to humiliate him, but he also wanted to show off to him?

Shen Yuan also had an unclear expression and frowned.

When did Xie Chengze and Su Qinghe become close friends? They clearly had no contact before, even in their previous lives...

Shen Yuan suddenly remembered that Xie Chengze hated Su Qinghe very much in his previous life, to the point where he would mock her every time he looked at her.

But Xie Chengze had executed Zhu Xiaobiao and Jing Ze in his previous life, but in this life he spared their lives and even took them into Cheng Huan Palace and trained them to be his own people. Then Su Qinghe...

Wait? Is he planning to... recruit Su Qinghe?

Why?

The only place where Su Qinghe could be of use was probably the Su family behind him. However, perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, Su Qinghe was the most beloved son of the Su family patriarch, and being on good terms with him would definitely bring many benefits, but Shen Yuan knew very well that Su Qinghe was just a gorgeous flower in an expensive vase placed on the desk by the Su family patriarch. With his mediocre talent, he could not bring any benefits to the Su family at all, except -

The value of marriage brought about by “great favor”.

A favored illegitimate son of a prominent family may be able to marry the daughter of a higher-ranking official, and then the two families can rely on each other and win together in the officialdom.

There is no way Xie Chengze didn't know.

Unless, what Xie Chengze is interested in is the value of the marriage.

The Su family controls the public opinion of scholars all over the world. When he was in Yizhou, Xie Chengze was extremely good at guiding public opinion among students and ordinary people. If Xie Chengze set his sights on the Su family, and he was notorious and could not be liked by other members of the Su family, then Su Qinghe would indeed be a good gap.

Shen Yuan's eyes couldn't help but sweep across the scrolls on the right, and sure enough, he found Su Qinghe's scroll among them.

Xie Chengze...could he be planning to marry a male prince's consort?

When he thought of this possibility, and then thought of Su Qinghe's humiliated and aggrieved look just now, Shen Yuan instantly became angry and felt inexplicably irritated.

So, Xie Chengze just wanted to force Su Qinghe to enter the palace as a concubine?

But after spending the past six months together, Shen Yuan didn't think Xie Chengze was someone who would force others. He could obviously become friends with Su Qinghe, and with his own matchmaking, it might not be impossible for him to take over the Su family's power. Why use such a method that would harm others and not benefit himself?

Or……

Xie Chengze, just happened to fall in love with Su Qinghe at first sight?

Shen Yuan felt as if a heavy stone was stuck in his heart, and he was a little upset. He clenched his fists and just wanted Su Qinghe to leave as soon as possible. He said in a stiff tone, "The assassination is related to your safety. How can you act so rashly? Please ask your highness to send the second young master Su away!"

"No." Xie Chengze turned over and didn't indulge him at all. "You can say it or not. If you don't want to say it, just leave and don't disturb me and Master Su."

Don't disturb him and Su Qinghe?

Are you thinking that he is ruining his good deeds?

When I used him as a shield, I didn't see him being so ruthless!

Shen Yuan laughed out of anger and couldn't help but provoking him, "It seems that Your Highness doesn't care who assassinated him at all. Why is that? Isn't Your Highness afraid of being in danger again? Or is this assassination case actually related to Your Highness..."

"Shen Yuan!" Xie Chengze suddenly sat up from the bed and interrupted him guiltily, "Don't be so presumptuous!"

This guy clearly knew that he had a hand in the assassination, and now he is saying it so bluntly, he is trying to threaten him!

but why?

He didn't provoke him, and Shen Yuan knew that sending Wuhen to assassinate him would be very helpful for him to clean up the corrupt officials. According to his character, he shouldn't come to him and tell him directly.

But he suddenly came here aggressively...

Xie Chengze frowned, and his eyes suddenly swept behind him, and he saw Su Qinghe kneeling on the ground with a worried look.

Shen Yuan didn't come to me earlier or later, but he came to me when he summoned Su Qinghe...

Is he afraid that he might do something bad to Su Qinghe?

But Su Qinghe didn't stand in his way, so why would he do anything bad to Su Qinghe? Or did Shen Yuan still think that he was the moody Second Prince who would bully Su Qinghe without reason?

Xie Chengze was a little annoyed for a moment, and immediately lost interest in continuing to make friends. He waved his hand and said, "You all go down."

Was he being too hasty? He should wait until his "injury" healed before going to find Su Qinghe in person.

Anyway...he has another way.

Seeing that Xie Chengze had ordered everyone to leave, Shen Yuan immediately turned around, leaned over, pulled Su Qinghe up, and walked out.

But maybe because he had been kneeling for too long, Su Qinghe's body was slightly unstable and he fell on Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan raised his hand to steady his arm and asked in a low voice, "Can you still walk?"

Su Qinghe nodded with a wry smile, "It's okay, I'll feel better after taking a few steps."

Shen Yuan supported Su Qinghe as he walked out of the bedroom. The servant of the Su family who followed Shen Yuan to the door hurried forward and took Su Qinghe from Shen Yuan's hands.

Seeing his young master's pale face, the servant couldn't help but ask distressedly, "Young master, did the Second Prince torture you?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Su Qinghe quickly covered his mouth, then looked at Shen Yuan apologetically, "Brother Shen, I'm sorry for bothering you just now."

"It's okay. Just now you and the Second Prince..." Shen Yuan wanted to ask some details, but looking at Su Qinghe's red eyes, he was speechless for a moment.

Forget it. Even if they were childhood friends, Qinghe was, after all, a man of integrity. It was hard for him to talk about being forced into marriage by the Second Prince. He had better not bring it up without considering the Prince's wishes.

So he changed his words and said, "In the future, when the Second Prince summons you to the palace again, you should pretend to be sick and not show up. I'm sure that if you do this many times, he will lose interest."