National Division

Chapter 78 The Empress Has Arrived! (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Dali Temple, government office
Upon hearing this, Zhou Liang immediately instructed, "First, take them to the duty room in the Left Office and treat them well."

In the past, Zhou Liang, as a high-ranking official, would never have taken the Shen family of Lanxi seriously.
Then, turning to the Princess Zhenguo, he said, "Your Highness, I will go and greet the Shen family first."

The Princess Zhenguo nodded slightly and said, "You go first, I'll go see Scholar Shen."

What merits does this Scholar Shen possess that makes Zhihua so attentive?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liang's expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Prisons are filthy places. Your Highness is of noble status. How can you set foot there so easily?"

"Who knows, one day I might be framed and end up in the Dali Temple. Shouldn't I familiarize myself with the prison beforehand?" Princess Zhenguo smiled lightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

This beautiful woman possessed a captivating charm and allure, her eyes sparkling with a seductive smile, yet a hint of murderous intent flickered in her words.

Zhou Liang: "..."

He gave an awkward smile, but felt a chill run down his spine, and said, "Your Highness is joking."

As the daughter of the Empress, even if all the officials in the court were imprisoned in the Dali Temple, it would be impossible for her to be imprisoned there.

Zhou Liang didn't say much more, so he cupped his hands in farewell and went to entertain the people from the Shen family.

As the Princess Zhenguo watched Zhou Liang leave, a cold glint appeared in her bright, sparkling eyes.

The Empress Dowager's reputation has been ruined by these villains.

……

……

At this moment, the sky was dark, and lanterns had already been lit at the entrance of the Dali Temple. A cool breeze blew, and the lanterns swayed in the wind, casting circles of orange light.

Shen Lin, along with Shen Zhai, Shen Zheng, Shen Qian, and others, were led into a duty room in the yamen and sat down.

Shen Zheng looked worried and said, "Father, surely Mu Zhi won't be tortured into confessing?"

Shen Qian said in a deep voice, "The imperial decree has already promoted my nephew Xian, how dare the Court of Judicial Review act rashly?"

He had seen that eunuch Gao when he was guarding the left gate with his halberd, but he had never seen him treat others with such courtesy.

Shen Lin's aged eyes, beneath his thin, sparse eyebrows, flickered, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Now that Eunuch Gao has arrived at the Dali Temple, he will certainly not allow the people of the Dali Temple to act recklessly."

At this moment, Shen Zhai's young and handsome face showed a blank expression.

They were still not recovered from the shock they had just experienced.

Shen Xian, he is only fifteen years old, how could he be so highly regarded by the Empress Dowager?
It can be said that ordinary people cannot understand the world of geniuses.

A moment later, Zhou Liang strode in from the government office. Because he had rushed to greet him several times, his official hat was tilted slightly. A smile appeared on his thin, mustache-covered face. He said, "I am honored by your presence, Vice Director Shen. I have failed to greet you properly."

Shen Lincang's expression remained indifferent as he said, "Lord Zhou, I would like to ask what crime Shen Xian has committed."

This cruel official before me has created countless wrongful convictions; he is not someone to be trifled with.

Zhou Liang smiled and explained, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I was just asking Scholar Shen to go to the Dali Temple to find out about the situation. As you know, the Yu family is involved in the Prince Qing's rebellion. A blind girl from the Yu family escaped from the capital but bribed the Water Gate Guerrilla General. The Empress Dowager was furious. As the Minister of Dali Temple, how could I not do my best to investigate? That's why Scholar Shen was implicated. This matter is purely a misunderstanding."

It could be said that Zhou Liang had been pondering this explanation for a long time.

Suo Yuanli said he would use torture in front of Gao Yanfu, so naturally he couldn't save him, but he didn't want to displease the Empress Dowager because of it.

Shen Lin's aged gaze fell on Zhou Liang's face, and he thought to himself, "This cruel official is indeed opportunistic. It seems that Mu Zhi is probably alright."

Shen Zheng also said, "Since there's nothing wrong, why not release them?"

Shen Qian said, "Yes, since nothing has happened, why not release them?"

Shen Lin's aged eyes flickered, and he suddenly recalled the calmness on the young man's face earlier. This was... confidence.
"I was just saying I wanted to let Scholar Shen leave." Zhou Liang said with an awkward smile, "Her Highness the Princess is still in the government office. Let's go see her together, Scholar Shen."

As Shen Zhai listened from the side, his heart was already churning with turmoil.

Shen Xian was arrested and taken to Dali Temple, and even the Eldest Princess came to visit him.

It can be said that this has exceeded Shen Zhai's understanding.

Shen Lin remained silent for a moment, then said, "Lord Zhou, the Shen family of Lanxi and the Yu family are engaged. Shen Xian is in Guhe County, how could he know that the court has already designated the Yu family as a traitor to Prince Qing?"

Zhou Liang smiled and said, "I think so too, but the laws of the court are such that I have no choice but to ask Scholar Shen to inquire about the case."

Shen Lin was also a cunning old fox; upon hearing this, he had already noticed the change in Zhou Liang's attitude.

He thought to himself, "It seems that Mu Zhi is even more highly regarded in the palace than I imagined."
Just then, a high-pitched voice of a palace attendant came from outside, "The Empress Dowager has arrived!" At that moment, the smile on Zhou Liang's face suddenly froze.

The Empress herself has arrived!

Who exactly is this Shen Xian? How could his relationship with her be so deep?
The Imperial Attendant, Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and now even the Empress Dowager, the supreme ruler of the Nine Provinces, have come to check on things.

But recalling the scene of Gao Yanfu serving him with writing materials, Zhou Liang felt a chill run down his spine.

Shen Zhai pinched his own thigh at that moment.

He must be overreacting; is he dreaming?

Shen Qian's face flushed red, and his beard trembled slightly with excitement.

My nephew admires him, and he's actually quite accomplished!
Shen Lin, too, calmed his turbulent emotions, a strange light flickering in his aged eyes.

The old man had lived for over seventy years. This veteran official had experienced many ups and downs and weathered many storms.

A suspicion began to form in his mind: Could it be that Shen Xian... is not the son of the Shen family of Lanxi? Or is he actually a member of the Li Jing royal family?

The thought was quickly extinguished by Shen Lin as soon as it came to mind.

How many members of the Li Jing royal family had the Empress Dowager killed? Did she ever truly care about them?

At this moment, it is almost certain that the Shen family of Lanxi has indeed produced a prime minister!
"Since the Empress is here, Lord Zhou, let's not stand there and go to greet her," Shen Lin said in a low voice, suppressing his emotions.

As he spoke, leaning on his pine cane, he arrived at the ceremonial gate of the Dali Temple, accompanied by Shen Zheng and Shen Qian.

At this moment, in front of the Dali Temple government office, a carriage draped in yellow silk quietly stopped in front of the stone steps. On the left and right, strongmen held banners and umbrellas, while guards dressed in brocade robes and holding thousand-ox knives stood guard on both sides.

With the help of the lady-in-waiting Gu Nanzhu, the Empress stepped down from the carriage. Murong Yue, dressed in a green robe and holding a whisk, accompanied her.

The female Taoist priest's face was unadorned, her features simple and elegant, yet her eyes and brows exuded an otherworldly and refined air.

Although the Empress traveled with minimal entourage, the Imperial Advisor Murong Yue and the female official Gu Nanzhu still accompanied her on her journeys.

The sky was slightly dim, and rain was already falling. The Empress was wearing a vermilion cloak, and the golden hairpins in her hair shone brightly under the glow of the lanterns in front of the Dali Temple.

"Your Majesty could have simply sent me; why did you come in person?" Gu Nanzhu said softly.

The Empress sighed, "Mr. Shen is a man of great talent and ability. He has just arrived in the capital and has already encountered such a thing. I am truly uneasy about this."

Actually, she was also a little curious as to why the Dali Temple wanted to arrest Mr. Shen.

"Your Majesty, I greet you. May Your Majesty live a thousand years." Zhou Liang and Shen Lin rushed over from the ceremonial gate, their faces full of fear. Zhou Liang lifted his official robe and bowed respectfully.

Shen Lin, along with Shen Zheng and Shen Qian, arrived and bowed to the woman, who was dressed in beautiful clothes and had a dignified appearance.

"Rise, all of you." The Empress's voice was calm and deep, showing no signs of aging. Her gaze fell on Shen Lin and the others, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I thank you. May Your Majesty live a thousand years."

Then, Zhou Liang and the Shen family members got up.

The Empress did not speak, but under the protection of Gu Nanzhu and Murong Yue, she stepped over the threshold. The lanterns shone down, revealing that her majestic and beautiful face showed no sign of joy.

Zhou Liang lowered his head, his heart pounding.

The next day, when she arrived at the Dali Temple's official hall, her gaze lingered on the plaque inscribed with "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" in the main hall of the Dali Temple.

She walked around a lacquered wooden table and sat down in a chair, her stunningly beautiful face bearing a hint of indifference from someone who had long held a high position.

"Zhou Qing, what's the story behind Scholar Shen's case? Why was he taken away by your Dali Temple people?" The Empress's voice carried a hint of sternness.

“Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding.” Zhou Liang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, I only asked Suo Yuanli, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, to invite Scholar Shen to the Court of Judicial Review for a detailed inquiry into the case. However, Suo Yuanli took it upon himself to arrest Scholar Shen and said he would torture him severely. I did not obey his orders and only temporarily imprisoned Scholar Shen without using any torture.”

Suo Yuanli stood there, stunned and bewildered in the wind.

Damn it, Zhou Liang, are you even human?

Upon hearing that no torture had been used, the Empress felt slightly relieved. She frowned slightly, cast a dignified and aloof gaze at Suo Yuanli, and asked, "Is this true?"

Beads of sweat the size of soybeans had already appeared on Suo Yuanli's forehead, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, this humble subject..."

He did do these things, but damn it, isn't this how he always did it? Zhou Liang praised and encouraged him.

Zhou Liang's expression was indifferent, and he lowered his head slightly.

(End of this chapter)