Chapter 74: Such Foolishness

Princess Jiahe sat to the side, watching her usually high and mighty mother, the Empress Dowager, in such a defeated state, a sense of foreboding grew in her heart, and her face couldn’t help but show a few more traces of panic: “Mother, the Regent won’t do anything rash, will he?”

The Empress Dowager coldly replied: “How would I know if he’ll do anything rash?”

“Isn’t the Regent poisoned? The antidote is in the Emperor’s hands, how dare he still…” Princess Jiahe said uneasily, “He is the Regent now, if he does anything rash, he’ll be a rebel, the imperial clan and relatives won’t tolerate him, nor will the people of the world!”

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows, remaining silent.

“If it’s really not possible, let’s seek help from the Grand Empress Dowager.” Princess Jiahe hurriedly said, “Mother, the Regent has always respected the Grand Empress Dowager, let’s go and ask her—”

“Be quiet.” The Empress Dowager coldly glanced at her, “The outcome has not yet been decided, and you’re already so panicked. If the Regent really turns vicious, are you going to go before him, weeping and begging for mercy?”

Princess Jiahe shrank back in fear, then quickly defended herself: “None of the few ministers left by Father Emperor are of any use. The eldest daughter of the Duke of the State’s family married the Regent, and the second daughter married the Emperor. Who knows whom the Shen family will be loyal to? Moreover, even if they are willing to be loyal to the Emperor, the military power of the Duke’s family has been dismantled over the years, it’s like a facade, they only have the title of Duke left, would they dare to confront the Regent?”

What loyalty to the monarch, what integrity of scholars.

If the Regent has any thoughts of seizing the throne, the only thing that will work is military power. Those so-called noble and pure scholars in the court, can they wield a bow, or carry a sword?

“You’re right.” The Empress Dowager leaned against the phoenix couch, a cold and heavy color appearing on her brow, “It’s useless for us to gather these families with empty titles and no military power. The only way now is to secretly win over several generals in the court.”

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, Consort Hui is here.”

The Empress Dowager regained her senses: “Let her in.”

“Yes.”

Shen Yan entered, surrounded by palace attendants, her luxurious court dress exuding wealth and nobility, even the red hairpin on her head showed a level of grandeur she hadn’t had before.

“The Consort greets the Empress Dowager.” Shen Yan respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager, “Has Your Majesty summoned me?”

The Empress Dowager spoke indifferently: “Have you heard about the events outside?”

“Events outside?” Shen Yan was puzzled and subconsciously looked at Princess Jiahe, “What happened outside?”

The Empress Dowager frowned: “You’ve been in the palace for so many days, haven’t you paid any attention to the major events outside?”

“The inner palace is not allowed to interfere in politics, have you forgotten, Your Majesty?” Shen Yan furrowed her brows, looking at her with an innocent expression, “Moreover, since I entered the palace, I haven’t even seen the Emperor’s face. The palace maids serving me are as silent as mutes. I wanted to invite my elder sister into the palace to catch up, but they all had a belly full of excuses.”

“How insolent!” The Empress Dowager’s face darkened, and she spoke with suppressed anger, “How dare you speak to me like this?”

Shen Yan’s red lips tightened slightly, and she knelt down uneasily: “This Consort knows her crime.”

She had only been in the palace for a few days, still getting familiar with the environment and learning the unfinished rules, where would she find the time to care about the events outside?

The Empress Dowager stared at her coldly: “Send for Shen Ning immediately and say that you are unwell, miss your family, and need to talk to your elder sister.”

Shen Yan hesitated for a moment: “Your Majesty, my elder sister has recently changed as if she were a different person. She views me, her younger sister, as an enemy and doesn’t even give face to our grandmother at home. I’m afraid I might not be able to summon her.”

“I have a way.” Princess Jiahe sneered, “Isn’t Shen Ning on good terms with the younger sister of the Left Prime Minister? We can first summon Yan Zheng into the palace for a chat, and then summon Shen Ning. I don’t believe she won’t come.”

Shen Yan thought about the time they enjoyed flowers at the Left Prime Minister’s residence. Yan Zheng was indeed quite good to Shen Ning, and Shen Ning also had a favorable impression of Yan Zheng.

Her eyes couldn’t help but darken a bit. The closest relatives of the Shen family were not as good as an outsider. Shen Ning was truly an ungrateful person.

“Princess Jiahe is right.” Shen Yan nodded slowly, “I am willing to try. Please instruct me, Your Majesty, after summoning my elder sister into the palace, what should I tell her?”

“Yanshu has been captured by the Regent and imprisoned.”

Shen Yan was taken aback. Qin Yanshu was imprisoned?

“Why?”

“Because of your sister’s incident.” The Empress Dowager coldly said, “Some people believe that Yanshu was the mastermind behind your sister’s attack in the outskirts.”

Shen Yan was shocked. Qin Yanshu was the mastermind?

This…

If the truth was indeed so, did it mean that Qin Yanshu’s goal from the beginning was to make her elder sister a concubine?

Shen Yan thought about the marriage between the Qin family and Princess Pingyao, and her heart inexplicably turned cold. So, the Empress Dowager wanted her to summon her elder sister into the palace to persuade her to intercede, to ask the Regent to spare Qin Yanshu?

“Shen Yan, what are you spacing out for?” The Empress Dowager looked at her coldly.

Shen Yan regained her senses and spoke hastily and uneasily: “Then… what does this matter have to do with Young Master Qin?”

“How could it have anything to do with him?” The Empress Dowager was furious, “The Qin family’s eldest son is as clear as the breeze and the moon, his thoughts are open and honest, he would never do such a despicable thing!”

“Yes.” Shen Yan shuddered and then lowered her eyes, “What does Your Majesty wish for this Consort to do?”

“Once Shen Ning is in the palace, talk to her properly and ask if she can, for the sake of her past relationship with Yanshu, persuade the Regent to show mercy and spare Yanshu’s life.”

Indeed, it was as expected.

Shen Yan suppressed the shock in her heart and spoke softly: “If Qin Yanshu is truly innocent, wouldn’t it be enough to just clear up the truth? Why must we plead with my elder sister?”

The Empress Dowager was extremely angry, wishing she could slap her. She couldn’t believe that the Shen family had raised such a foolish second daughter.

If the truth could be cleared up, would Qin Yanshu still need to be imprisoned?

She truly doubted whether Shen Yan was genuinely stupid or pretending to be.

The Emperor had welcomed her into the palace, and until now, she hadn’t been of any use, nor had she captured the Emperor’s heart, nor did she know how to compete for favor.

She truly doubted how she could have made such a foolish decision.

The Empress Dowager lost her patience and said coldly, “Do as I say.”

“Yes.” Shen Yan replied.

As Shen Yan left and sat in her sedan chair, she couldn’t help but ponder. Qin Yanshu’s imprisonment, did it prove that the Qin family was about to fall?

The Empress Dowager must be out of options, so she was trying to seek help from her. Since that was the case, shouldn’t she try to negotiate some benefits for herself?

Thinking this way, she instructed the eunuch, “I want to see the Emperor. Change direction and head to the Chonghua Palace.”

The eunuch following closely replied, “Your Highness may not be aware, but the Emperor has been unwell recently and is not seeing anyone.”

“The Emperor is unwell?” Shen Yan’s expression changed, “Then I should go and see him even more. It’s only natural for me, as a Consort, to attend to his illness, isn’t it? Quickly, change direction.”

The eunuch had no choice but to change direction towards the Chonghua Palace.

However, upon arriving at the Chonghua Palace and seeing the layers of imperial guards outside, Shen Yan felt a sense of oppressive and intimidating aura while sitting in her sedan chair.

The sedan chair stopped, and she hesitated for a while before getting off and walking into the courtyard. As soon as she entered, several imperial guards blocked her path.

Shen Yan tried to maintain her composure: “I’m here to visit the Emperor. Step aside.”

“The Regent has decreed that the Emperor needs to rest quietly, and no one is allowed to disturb him.” They replied.

Shen Yan was furious: “How insolent!”

The imperial guards were tall and imposing, their presence formidable, standing before her like walls of bronze and iron, preventing Shen Yan from getting any closer.

Shen Yan’s face gradually turned pale. Could it be that the entire palace was now under the Regent’s control?

If the Regent wanted to seize the throne, could he do so smoothly?

Then why had she entered the palace? To live as a widow or to be a scapegoat?