bookrebus Chapter 228 Things Husbands and Wives Should Do
Chapter 228 Things Husbands and Wives Should Do
Because of the lack of direct evidence, neither the Dali Temple nor the Flying Fish Guard could arrest the Grand Secretary for investigation, thus allowing Zhou Zhen to remain safe for the last period of time.
Just because Zhou Zhen cannot be investigated doesn't mean his servants cannot be investigated. The Flying Fish Guard and the Court of Judicial Review have a clear division of labor in this matter.
The Flying Fish Guards arrested people one by one inside Zhou Zhen's residence and collected evidence of crimes outside, while the Court of Judicial Review was responsible for the investigation.
With such an investigation, things from decades ago could be unearthed, how could the entire family possibly remain innocent?
Even though the emperor didn't say anything to stop it, the ministers, who were good at guessing the emperor's intentions, all understood that Zhou Zhen's time as chief minister was up, and he was likely to die as well.
As the chief minister, one can rival the emperor, but a subject is still a subject, and there will always come a day when his glory fades, and when that day comes, all that awaits him is the collapse of his empire.
"See? Being a powerful minister isn't easy. Whether you do it well or poorly, you can't escape your fate," Shen Li said while Gu Chang'an was playing chess.
“Ah Li is right. Throughout history, how many powerful ministers have met a good end?” Gu Chang’an placed a white piece in agreement.
“We two must find a way out for ourselves.” Shen Li lowered her voice and said, “The current emperor is old, but we are still young. If another emperor were to take over, he would definitely think that you are too powerful and threaten his position.”
Gu Chang'an laughed upon hearing this: "Why is it that when it comes to merits that threaten the master, I'm the only one? At that time, A-Li will probably be at the height of her power, and may be even more feared than me."
"I probably won't. I just want to stay in the Hanlin Academy for three years and then go to the Ministry of Rites to oversee the imperial examinations." Shen Li rolled her eyes and said, "The risk is minimal."
"Not necessarily." Gu Chang'an shook his head again: "Ah Li is just saying this now, but she'll be the first to get restless when something big happens."
"..." Shen Li was indeed a little guilty.
Whether it was the war in the North or this plague, she seems unable to sit still, and she can't guarantee she can change anything if something happens again.
You can't be too absolute in your statements, or you might end up feeling embarrassed.
Seeing her guilty smile and helpless expression, Gu Chang'an doted on her and handed her some snacks to ease the awkwardness.
Shen Li was still grateful for her thoughtfulness, but Gu Chang'an had clearly underestimated her shamelessness. Instead of reaching out to take it, she opened her mouth and said, "Ah, husband, please."
Gu Chang'an did as she said without hesitation. Before he could even process what she was doing, his hand was already outstretched. He could only laugh and cry at the same time.
"Mmm, so sweet, I want more." Shen Li said, leaning forward and taking a white piece from the chessboard with her other hand.
After finishing a pastry, when Gu Chang'an's gaze fell on the chessboard again, he was first puzzled, then incredulous, and finally looked at her with a smile: "A-Li, what did you do?"
"You're mistaken. This spot is mine, not yours." Shen Li touched her nose, avoiding his gaze.
“It’s very dark.” Gu Chang’an said knowingly, his words carrying a double meaning.
Shen Li covered her face with one hand, promising to play properly next time and never be seduced by good looks again. With her abilities, she would never stoop to cheating.
However, her chess skills almost always halved when she played chess with Gu Chang'an, as she often made mistakes because she teased him without thinking carefully.
But looking at Gu Chang'an's doting and gentle demeanor, she found it really hard to calm down and focus on the game.
This is not something a married couple should do!
"Your Majesty will return to the capital in half a month. I haven't taken A-Li out for a stroll since we arrived at the temporary palace. How about tomorrow?" Gu Chang'an asked.
“I’m free to wander around by myself. My husband should focus on governing the country. If you have any free time, please take a nap.” Shen Li said, then looked at the chessboard again and said, “Let’s stop playing. I’ll consider it a win. Let’s go to sleep.”
Gu Chang'an didn't expect her to be so brazen in her shamelessness. Was this still the strict and somewhat rigid A-Li he remembered?
However, he liked it very much. Such a lively and girlish demeanor made it clear that she was rich, happy and content.
"Okay," he replied gently.
The next day, preparations for moving back to the capital began. There were many items inside and outside the mansion, so preparations for returning to the capital needed to be made early.
Autumn has already arrived, and Shen Li watched as time flew by; a year had passed since her rebirth.
This year has seen a great deal of change. With Zhou Zhen gone, the Crown Prince won't be able to keep up for long. Sure enough, this Crown Prince is just as incompetent as I remembered.
Without her and Gu Chang'an, and without marrying Lin Wan'er, his foundation had crumbled by more than half, and now his last reliance was about to collapse as well.
Shen Li was in a very good mood.
It can be said that she has been in a good mood lately, so she painted a picture. Although it was not done for a long time, it is one of her proudest works.
"Miss, Miss Cheng requests an audience," Peony announced as she entered.
She lost her voice for several days because of that incident, and only recently recovered.
"Please come in quickly." Shen Li felt it was a coincidence, and upon seeing Cheng Ruojin, she said, "Perfect timing, I was just about to go find my sister."
"I've come to see my sister because I have some good news to tell her." Cheng Ruojin's eyes were full of joy.
Shen Li asked curiously, "What is it?"
"My marriage to the Xiao family," Cheng Ruojin reminded her.
Shen Li was taken aback: "It's done?"
She wondered if her maternal grandfather had made the decision on his own without listening to her cousin Xiao Qi's opinion.
"Would I look like this if it had worked out?" Cheng Ruojin waved her hand and said, "It didn't work out. My father wrote to me saying that the Xiao family had no intention of proposing marriage and had clearly rejected the matchmaker."
"Uh..." Shen Li was unsure whether she should congratulate him or express her regret.
After all, this doesn't sound like a good thing.
"I've thought it through. I only want to find my soulmate before I marry. If not, I won't marry," Cheng Ruojin said cheerfully.
"At worst, I can study hard and pass the imperial examinations in the future, so I won't have to rely on men to make a living."
"Have you thought it through?" Shen Li suddenly felt a greater appreciation for her.
It takes great courage to choose not to marry, no less than her decision to pursue officialdom.
"I've thought it through. Either I'll get married happily, or I'll stay at home happily. I'm not going to spend my days in the inner quarters with a stranger." Cheng Ruojin's attitude was very firm.
Peony, standing nearby, strongly agreed with these remarks.
"Then I wish my sister happiness, whether she meets the one she loves or not." Shen Li asked Shaoyao to bring a scroll and opened it.
When Cheng Ruojin saw the scroll fall, she was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. She was amazed by Shen Li's superb painting skills and moved that the person in the painting was herself.
She had only casually mentioned wanting to stay amidst the mountains and rivers that day, but unexpectedly, she appeared in the painting. The woman in the painting is just like herself right now, sunny and cheerful, with a pure and beautiful smile.
"Is this a portrait of me?" Cheng Ruojin was somewhat flattered.