Chapter 212 Shen Nanzi's Fate

Chapter 212 Shen Nanzi's Fate

Seeing the expression on Shen Minghan's face, Shen Nanzi seemed to understand.

Thinking that Xie Yan might wake up, she pulled Shen Minghan out of the palace.

It was the darkest and quietest time before dawn outside.

The brother and sister walked down the steps and came to the base of the wall next to the steps.

Unbeknownst to them, after they left, Xie Yan woke up on the bed, followed them out of the palace, and stood beside the thick red pillar under the corridor.

“Brother, I’m so glad you’re still alive.” Shen Nanzi’s voice came clearly.

"The reason I'm asking you so urgently about your relationship with Prince Jing isn't because I'm not worried about you, but because it's a matter of utmost urgency right now."

"If Xie Yan hadn't been injured and unconscious, he would have ascended the throne today."

At the foot of the palace wall, Shen Minghan looked at his younger sister, and he understood the anxiety in her eyes.

Shen Nanzi continued, "He seems to have a lot of prestige. Imperial Censor Zhang, Zhao Zhendong, Prince Qi, even Liefeng and you, brother, all seem willing to submit to him."

Shen Minghan said, "Brother has personally witnessed his courage and skill these days. Xie Yan is indeed a rare and excellent emperor."

Shen Nanzi knew, of course, that Shen Minghan had praised Xie Yu's political abilities before they even chose him.

"But brother, have you ever thought about what will happen to Cheng'er and me after he becomes emperor?"

"Even without the Xue family and without your hatred, there is no affection between us as husband and wife."

“He will make you empress and appoint Cheng’er as crown prince,” Shen Minghan said.

Shen Nanzi shook her head, "He is the emperor, and my fate and Cheng'er's fate are still in his hands."

Shen Minghan remained silent. Shen Nanzi was right. "He is not the same towards you and Cheng'er as before. I can see that he cares about you both very much."

Shen Nanzi was not blind; Xie Yan had appeared beside Cheng'er many times.

Thinking of the guilt Xue Qingning mentioned.

I don't know why he feels guilty towards her and Cheng'er? I don't want to know.

"So what? It's probably Xue Qingning who killed him, who was determined to make Xie Hongrui ascend the throne, which broke his heart."

Shen Minghan: "No."

Shen Nanzi was surprised.

Shen Minghan said, "We had a long talk late into the night. He really didn't want to marry you back then because they had other plans."

"The marriage I arranged for you disrupted his plans with the Xue family, and he mistakenly believed that his mother had also committed suicide by swallowing gold because of the marriage between you."

Shen Nanzi stiffened slightly; Xie Yan had never told her this.

She had asked before, but Xie Yan just gave a perfunctory answer: dislike is dislike, no reason needed.

Thinking back on the past, I can't help but chuckle.

Shen Minghan continued, "On the night of the late emperor's fiftieth birthday, you got drunk and mistook him for Lie Feng, and told him the reason why you married him back then."

"He only just realized that he had misunderstood you."

I see.

Shen Nanzi recalled that it seemed that Xie Yan had indeed started acting strangely around that time.

Shen Minghan then recounted the feud between Xie Yan and the Xue family.

Shen Minghan: "The matter of me hiding troops was brought to the Emperor's attention by the Twelfth Imperial Uncle and Xue Qingning, not by him."

"At that time, he was torn between the kindness of the Xue family and his guilt towards you."

"That's why you've experienced so many upsetting things. I'm not biased towards Xie Yan, I just want you to know the whole story."

Shen Nanzi realized that this was the kind of guilt that Xie Yan felt towards her that Xue Qingning spoke of.

Why didn't he tell me?

“You two have such deep-seated grudges that he’s afraid you won’t believe him.”

Shen Nanzi lowered her eyes. Yes! Back then, they were like oil and water.

Today it was her brother who spoke and she listened; if it were Xie Yan, she would definitely have doubted it.

Someone who has been bad to her for so many years suddenly becoming nice to her and Cheng'er is probably up to no good.

Shen Nanzi lowered her head, swallowing the news that had caught her off guard.

With her hands behind her back, her shoes unconsciously kicked at the pebbles on the ground, letting the night wind blow through her hair.

After a long while, she raised her eyes, which were calm as still water.

"He was indeed not in control of his own destiny, but that's all in the past."

“I can overlook the hurt I suffered in the past, but I cannot fail to plan for Cheng’er and my future.”

Shen Minghan gazed quietly at Shen Nanzi.

Shen Nanzi: "If he becomes emperor, many more women will enter the palace. Even if he doesn't want to, there will be many unavoidable situations where he will be forced to bring in many women."

"Time is long, and people change. Father used to love Mother and us very much, but in the end, he still took a concubine."

"He allowed his concubine to oppress his mother, which ultimately led to her death from depression."

“Brother, you know that I only started to look at Xie Yan differently because I mistakenly heard him say that he would only be with one person in his life, which led to what happened later.”

"The whole thing between him and me was a misunderstanding. He was only telling Xue Qingning his life story, and I was just a self-righteous newcomer."

Shen Minghan: "What do you want?"

Shen Nanzi said, "People's hearts are fickle. If he falls in love with another woman in the future, I will become vicious for Cheng'er's sake. At that time, he will treat us the same way he treated the Xue family."

"Rather than that, I, Shen Nanzi, would rather be a traitorous minister, seize the throne, and carve out a bloody path for Cheng'er."

Shen Nanzi's words were powerful and resounding, like a stone hitting the water, creating endless ripples.

Shen Minghan's breathing became heavy, and he seemed to be in a difficult situation, remaining silent for a moment.

After a long silence, he finally said, "You only have 60,000 troops under Prince Cheng, while the rest of Yunhan and its military strength are almost entirely in Xie Yan's hands. How can you possibly defeat him?"

“So, strike while the iron is hot, kill him, and that will be the end of it. We can deal with the troubles later.” Shen Nanzi said, “Once we get the throne, we can handle many things with a clear reason.”

“The Xue family wanted to bypass the princes and let the grandson of the emperor ascend the throne,” Shen Minghan said. “And you saw the result.”

Shen Nanzi understood perfectly: "That's because Xie Yan was there. Now that Xie Yan is dead, it's not that difficult."

“A young ruler ascending the throne will attract covetousness from all sides,” Shen Minghan still disagreed.

The two siblings stood in the darkness, unaware that the figure above them turned and walked away forlornly.

Just as the two remained silent, a figure emerged from the darkness.

Upon hearing footsteps, Shen Nanzi and Shen Minghan looked up, and the other turned around.

Shen Nanzi recognized the figure at a glance and turned her head: "Brother, I've settled my sister-in-law in the Yunyang Palace in the inner palace. Go and tell her the good news. My sister-in-law has had a hard time."

Shen Minghan knew that Shen Nanzi had something to say to Lie Feng, and he himself was also thinking about his wife and children, so he nodded.

Before leaving, Shen Minghan said, "It was Liefeng who delivered the letter before I was arrested, which allowed your sister-in-law and nephews to escape danger."

He then strode away after saying that.

Shen Nanzi was slightly startled and turned around to look at the person who had come.

Lie Feng was still in full armor, with his cloak behind him and his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Upon seeing Shen Nanzi, he knelt on one knee in front of her.

"Miss!"

Shen Nanzi already knew that he had captured Xue Yubai and Xie Hongrui, and rescued Xie Yan.

Just now, my brother said that he tipped them off in advance, which gave him time to see his sisters-in-law off.

For a moment, I didn't know how to face the biting wind.