Chapter 102

Shen Yu pursed her lips. “I’m afraid of implicating you.”

“Smooth talk.”

Xie Tingzhou reprimanded her verbally, but his eyes softened immediately. “You know the way forward but not how to deal with the aftermath. You still need someone to clean up after you…”

“Clean up your mess,” Shen Yu finished his sentence.

Xie Tingzhou looked down at her. She was just up to his shoulder, still a young girl who hadn’t fully grown up.

“I’ve already taken care of the aftermath for you. But you’ve been to Bashan Academy several times, and people there must know you by now. Avoid going out for a while to prevent being watched.”

Shen Yu obediently replied and approached him. “I have one more question.”

Xie Tingzhou: “What is it?”

“Today’s incident caused a big stir. Are those students alright?”

Although she had involved the students, she wasn’t cold-hearted and was somewhat concerned for their safety.

“What do you think?” Xie Tingzhou glanced at her sideways. “How easily do you think the emperor can be pressured? Thousands of students forced him to issue an order. What emperor would swallow that?”

“But…” Shen Yu frowned. “If the emperor punishes them, it will cause public outrage.”

Xie Tingzhou gave her a second look, realizing she had indeed thought things through.

“The emperor doesn’t need to give the order directly. Others will handle it for him. The commander of the Imperial Guards ordered the arrest of several leading students and had each of them flogged twenty times as a warning. Later, they will beg the emperor for forgiveness.”

Shen Yu gritted her teeth. “What a good dog the emperor keeps.”

The commander dealt with the students for the emperor, so the emperor could symbolically punish someone and still distance himself from the situation.

“What exactly did you say to those students?” Xie Tingzhou asked. “They didn’t retreat even under such threats.”

Shen Yu replied, “You might not believe it, but I didn’t say anything inciting. I just told them what I saw and heard at the border.”

It wasn’t incitement; the students already had a sense of justice in their hearts.

Scholars might not fight on the battlefield, but their pens could be as sharp as warriors’ swords, sometimes even sharper.

With the Great Zhou in trouble, how could the students sit by and do nothing?

Xie Tingzhou nodded approvingly. “Those who achieve great things can’t be bogged down by trifles.”

“But what great things can I achieve?”

Shen Yu sighed, resting her head on the table. “Isn’t it strange? My father always says in my dreams that I can save more people, but I don’t know who else I can save.”

Xie Tingzhou said, “It’s a coincidence. A monk once told me the same thing.”

“Really?” Shen Yu was surprised. “Did you save them?”

Xie Tingzhou glanced at her. “How many times do you think I’ve saved you?”

Shen Yu pouted. “Your Highness’s great kindness, Shen Yu has no way to repay.”

Xie Tingzhou snorted lightly. “No way to repay, so you plan not to?”

He walked slowly to the bookshelf, his fingers gliding over the books one by one.

His fingers were long and jade-like, with thin calluses from writing, showing he was accustomed to a life of ease.

“It’s not that I won’t repay you.” Shen Yu took her eyes off his hand and thought for a moment. “It’s just that you lack nothing, and I don’t have much. I don’t know what I can give you.”

Xie Tingzhou’s hand stopped. He looked over at her. “How do you know you don’t have something I want?”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Xie Tingzhou stared into her eyes.

There’s a saying that when you have no way to repay someone’s kindness, you offer yourself. Shen Yu felt that if she offered herself, she would be taking advantage of Xie Tingzhou.

Her eyes darted around in thought, and after a moment, she nodded firmly. “I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

Shen Yu said shyly, “But I can’t give it to you right now.”

Xie Tingzhou’s breath lightened, a bit nervous. He explained, “I don’t intend to force you to repay me.”

“I understand.” Shen Yu said, “It’s just that I don’t have many banknotes with me now, and a small amount won’t interest you. I can’t withdraw a large amount from my shop in Shengjing either. I’ll write a letter and…”

“Shen Yu!” Xie Tingzhou warned.

Shen Yu was confused. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Tingzhou sneered. “How much silver are you planning to use to repay me?”

Shen Yu said seriously, “No amount of silver can repay your great kindness. I plan to give you a million taels as thanks. If that’s not enough, I can add more.”

“Miss Shen’s generosity is impressive. How dare I find it insufficient.”

How much is a million taels?

In the prosperous period of the Great Zhou during the Kaiping era, annual tax revenue was between fifteen million and twenty million taels, which was two hundred years ago. Now, the annual tax revenue is less than five million taels, and the national treasury is severely depleted.

She offered a million taels. A million taels could support many soldiers at the border, showing how wealthy the Lu family in Hezhou had become.

Shen Yu wasn’t stupid. She could tell his comment wasn’t entirely complimentary and smiled apologetically. “It’s just a small fortune.”

Xie Tingzhou raised his hand to rub his temple.

“Is your head hurting again?” Shen Yu quickly asked.

Yes, it was hurting, from her infuriating words.

Xie Tingzhou felt he needed a moment to calm down. How could someone so intelligent seem so dense now?

“Should I call a doctor?”

Xie Tingzhou: “No need.”

Shen Yu saw that he didn’t look unwell and seemed to have a good complexion, so she relaxed.

“My grandmother also often has headaches. The doctor says it’s common with age.”

Xie Tingzhou lowered his hand. “Are you comforting me or implying I’m old?”

Shen Yu quickly explained, “I didn’t mean that.”

Xie Tingzhou exhaled and looked out the window. It had been raining frequently in Shengjing these days, and moisture had gathered on the window glass.

He touched the bookshelf and randomly pulled out a book.

Shen Yu glanced up and then remembered something, realizing something was wrong. She had hidden those erotic books in there, and who knew which one Xie Tingzhou had picked up?

“Don’t—open—that,” Shen Yu shouted.

Everything seemed to slow down. She saw Xie Tingzhou’s jade-like fingers already opening the book, his cold eyes slowly lifting to look at her.

As soon as Xie Tingzhou opened the book, he saw someone leap from the desk towards him.

Feeling something was wrong, Xie Tingzhou raised his hand to stop her. “What are you doing?”

Shen Yu looked up at the book out of her reach in panic. “This book is not good.”

Xie Tingzhou half-smiled. “What’s wrong with this book?”

“It’s damp and hasn’t been dried. I’ll dry it and give it to you later.”

Shen Yu tried to grab the book, but Xie Tingzhou hid it behind him. When she went left, he hid it right, and when she went right, he hid it left.

Xie Tingzhou sensed the book wasn’t simple, opened a random page, and looked at her with a smile.

Shen Yu dared not look up, feeling incredibly embarrassed. She heard Xie Tingzhou ask, “Worried I’ll laugh at you for reading novels?”

Shen Yu looked up in surprise, hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, afraid you’ll laugh at me for not being serious.”

Xie Tingzhou casually flipped a few pages, closed the book, and put it back on the shelf.

Shen Yu sighed in relief, fearing he’d keep looking. She quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

“Your Highness, have some tea.”

Xie Tingzhou took the cup and glanced at it. “Giving something for nothing, are you poisoning me or seeking a favor?”

“Is there no other possibility?”

Xie Tingzhou raised an eyebrow. “What else?”

“For example…” Shen Yu drawled, “The tea is already cold, meaning I’m asking you to leave.”

In a flash, that figure in a blue robe disappeared through the door, not even taking the tea, laughter escaping his throat.

“No Rules.”