RPAGF Chapter 284 The Lady of Imperial Decree
Chapter 284 The Lady of Imperial Decree
Chapter 284 Lady of Imperial Decree
Shen Fuhan froze for a moment, but quickly found a reason and offered no explanation.
He said slowly and deliberately, "I will tell you after you shout it."
"I don't want to know anymore," Wen Jiayue pushed him away, "Go back now."
They stood under the eaves, where maids and servants could come at any moment. Wen Jiayue felt embarrassed if she saw this scene.
Shen Fuhan sighed and had no choice but to speak in a way that was half threatening and half coaxing.
"Ah Yue, you should know that I have plenty of ways to make you say it tonight."
Wen Jiayue glared at him angrily; all he ever did was threaten her with this!
Her eyes shone brightly with shame and anger, reflecting his image; he was all she could see.
Shen Fuhan's heart stirred slightly, and he gently stroked her eyes with his fingertips.
He greedily wished that her gaze would stay fixed on him.
Wen Jiayue blinked uncomfortably, her brows furrowing. What was he doing now?
While he was still lost in thought, Wen Jiayue pushed him away without thinking and instantly moved three steps away from him.
As she straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, she said, "My lord, it's time for you to go."
Shen Fuhan sighed softly. She had too many concerns during the day, so it seemed that nighttime was the most effective time to deal with them.
Fearing that she would grow to dislike him even more, he didn't insist any further.
"it is good."
Wen Jiayue immediately returned to her bedroom to find some peace and quiet.
Watching her retreating figure without any hesitation, Shen Fuhan's eyes darkened slightly before he turned and left.
Upon returning to the Dali Temple, he immediately became engrossed in his work, finishing all his tasks before his shift ended and heading to the palace.
In the imperial study, Li Zhixu was reviewing memorials.
Upon hearing from Eunuch Zhao that Lord Shen, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had arrived, they quickly invited him in.
Shen Fuhan bowed and got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, this case has been investigated and is now open for review."
Li Zhixu casually flipped through the pages and put them down, then smiled and said, "I naturally trust Minister Shen to handle things. I'm a little tired, so why don't you play a couple of rounds of chess with me?"
Shen Fuhan nodded slightly.
Li Zhixu stretched and stood up, looking at Eunuch Zhao: "Go to the Marquis of Jing'an's residence to deliver the imperial decree."
Just as Eunuch Zhao was about to agree, Shen Fuhan stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, this matter is not urgent. How about we wait until I leave the palace before Eunuch Zhao goes with me?"
Li Zhixu asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Your humble servant promised her that he would receive the imperial decree with her."
Li Zhixu never expected such an absurd reason, so he could only say, "Alright, alright, I'll grant your request."
Shen Fuhan thanked him and sat down opposite Li Zhixu.
"I feel that your relationship with your wife is getting better and better," Li Zhixu sighed. "I wonder if you have any secrets to share with me?"
His harem was still a mess. Consort Ming was arrogant and domineering, while Consort Pei, who was almost her equal, did not compete for anything.
He also considered promoting other concubines, but after much thought, he realized that none of the concubines' maternal families could surpass Consort Ming's in status.
Consort Ming now holds absolute power in the harem, and there's no way to suppress her.
Even though he knew she was constantly making underhanded moves, Li Zhixu could not easily deal with Consort Ming.
After all, her father was General Qi, who was fighting a war abroad. The battle at Hanya Pass had been going on for a year, and he couldn't let General Qi down. He even had to give Consort Ming endless favors.
Shen Fuhan said calmly, "Your Majesty has only one wife, while Your Majesty has more than twenty concubines. Your Majesty's method is not applicable to Your Majesty."
“That’s true,” Li Zhixu sighed. “If I had known that being an emperor was so difficult, I would have preferred to abdicate in favor of my uncles.”
Shen Fuhan looked at the small mountain of memorials and said respectfully, "Your Majesty need not belittle yourself. The world is at peace and the people are happy. We are now relying entirely on Your Majesty, and these memorials are proof of that."
Then he changed the subject: "Your Majesty has been handling memorials alone for some time now. What are your thoughts?"
“Besides being tired, I sometimes feel quite accomplished,” Li Zhixu said with high spirits. “These memorials will drift to all corners of the country like snowflakes, my orders will be conveyed to the world, and the people and officials of all corners of the country will respect me as the only one.”
Shen Fuhan nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. Your vision should be focused on the entire country. The infighting in the harem is nothing to fear. It is time to reorganize the harem after General Qi returns victorious."
Li Zhixu paused for a moment: "You mean..."
Shen Fuhan calmly said, "General Qi has committed countless crimes by relying on his military achievements. The late emperor passed away before he could punish him. This matter should be left to Your Majesty."
Li Zhixu sighed: "I... will consider it."
Shen Fuhan then dropped the subject and instead asked, "When will the Princess return to the capital?"
"My elder sister wrote yesterday, saying it will be another three or four days," Li Zhixu asked curiously, "Why did Minister Shen suddenly ask about her?"
Shen Fuhan said calmly, "Since Your Majesty is too tired from reviewing memorials, I thought it best to have the Princess return as soon as possible to help you share the burden."
In the past, Li Zhilan frequently visited the Imperial Study. When the Emperor was lazy, she would review the memorials.
As time went on, Li Zhilan began to influence state affairs.
Even if the emperor disagreed with her and tried to reason with her, he couldn't change her mind. The emperor had even complained to her privately a few times.
Now that Li Zhilan is gone, the emperor is in charge of all state affairs. He doesn't believe that when Li Zhilan returns, the emperor will still entrust such matters to him.
As expected, Li Zhixu said unhappily, "I am the emperor. I can do the work of reviewing memorials myself. Why should I ask others to do it?"
Shen Fuhan felt a slight sense of relief, but said aloud, "Your Majesty, I misspoke."
“It’s not your fault. I was a bit indecisive before and failed to get my sister out of the situation in time,” Li Zhixu reflected. “From now on, I will make my own decisions on matters of state.”
After playing two games of chess with the Emperor, Shen Fuhan and Eunuch Zhao left the palace together.
The sky darkened completely, night enveloped the heavens, stars twinkled, and the moonlight shone brightly.
Wen Jiayue was quietly waiting in her room, preparing to wash up.
She thought that by now, there would be no imperial edict today.
Unexpectedly, just as he stood up, a guard reported that an imperial edict had arrived from the palace.
Wen Jiayue hurriedly went out, along with the old lady, Shen Funian, Shen Fuyou and Shen Chengyao, to receive the imperial decree.
Shen Funian asked, "What serious incident has occurred?"
Wen Jiayue shook her head and didn't say anything more; she'd find out soon enough.
Shen Fuyou smiled and said, "What else could it be? Big brother has done another good deed."
The old lady, unusually kind, said, "Yes, Fuhan must have received the Emperor's commendation. Our Marquis's mansion is truly thriving!"
Shen Fuhan soon entered with Eunuch Zhao.
Seeing him, Wen Jiayue felt a little relieved.
The people from the Marquis of Jing'an's residence quickly filled the courtyard to kneel.
Eunuch Zhao cleared his throat and began to read the lengthy imperial edict.
Finally, he let out a long breath and announced loudly, "...By imperial grace, Lady Wen, wife of the Marquis of Jing'an, is hereby granted the title of Lady Gongren. This is the imperial decree!"