In the imperial palace of the capital city.
Xiao Tianchi had been staying in his bedroom in seclusion for nearly two months under the pretext of fasting and praying.
During this period, it was always Shen Lingyun who was in charge of handling government affairs.
At first, she was full of misgivings and acted with restraint. Gradually, she became more and more at ease. In many cases, she could pick up the pen and write the official comments without consulting Xiao Tianchi.
Perhaps it was the nourishment of power that made Shen Lingyun more energetic and confident day by day. It seemed that she had returned to the noble and elegant young lady of the Shen family as she was in the past.
It was also the opportunity to handle the court affairs for Xiao Tianchi that allowed her to get the outside news immediately from the memorials that came in like snowflakes.
She knew that during this period, Xiao Tianye had won over several military governors in the south of the Yangtze River and taken control of the prefectures south of the Xijiang River. He had proclaimed himself emperor there, made Concubine Feng his empress, and established Xiao Yixuan as the crown prince.
She also knew that now the south bank of the Xijiang River was under the control of the troops in Xiao Tianye's hands. He openly defied Xiao Tianchi and even sent troops from time to time to harass the villages on the north bank of the Xijiang River, trying to force Xiao Tianchi to send troops to suppress them so as to confirm the rumors they had spread in the south.
— Those baseless charges that the flood in Cangzhou was caused by Xiao Tianchi's usurpation of the throne!
On the night when she learned that Xiao Tianye had made Concubine Feng his empress, Shen Lingyun couldn't fall asleep at all. She sat in bed all night.
When Xiao Tianye had questioned the identity of Xiao Jingcheng and imprisoned her in the cold palace, when he had abandoned her and fled with Concubine Feng, she had already given up all expectations for this man.
She just didn't expect that he could go so far.
She didn't know the inside story of the flood in Cangzhou, but she didn't believe that this disaster was caused by Xiao Tianchi. The sudden appearance of the so - called villagers from Cangzhou on the way when Xiao Tianchi was going to the sacrificial altar, and the yellow talismans that the astrologers had found all over the capital city could explain everything.
Moreover, she believed that Cheng'er was still alive and was looking forward to his appearance.
What about Xiao Tianye?
He was so eager to make Concubine Feng his empress and establish their son Xiao Yixuan as the crown prince.
This almost cut off all of Cheng'er's future.
And what about Xiao Tianchi?
He had told all the people in the city that she had rather die than suffer humiliation and had committed suicide on the day when the army had broken into the palace. In this way, he not only preserved her reputation but also indirectly explained Cheng'er's identity.
After all, if she had really had an affair with Xiao Tianchi, she would have been eager to marry him and become his empress.
She had finally understood who really cared about her and Cheng'er.
...
In the Zichen Palace, the calming incense was burning. Wang Hengyong placed his fingers on Xiao Tianchi's wrist to feel his pulse. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and said, "Your Majesty is almost fully recovered."
Eunuch Wang was so overjoyed that he couldn't help wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve: "Great! Your Majesty can finally show up and go to the court to meet the ministers!"
Shen Lingyun was sitting beside them, holding a medicine bowl in her hand. Xiao Tianchi laughed and said, "Wang Zhi, if you say so, our Lord Shen will be unhappy. If it weren't for her these days, the court would have been in chaos long ago."
Knowing that Shen Lingyun didn't like to be called Mrs. Shen, as early as the second day when she had started to handle the court affairs for him, Xiao Tianchi had called her by these three words.
Eunuch Wang slapped his own mouth and apologized to Shen Lingyun with a smile: "Look at my mouth. I really don't think before I speak. Lord Shen, please don't take it to heart."
Shen Lingyun looked up at Xiao Tianchi: "Even if you're recovered, you still have to take the medicine."
"Okay, okay, okay." Xiao Tianchi reached out his hand, took the medicine bowl from her, tilted his head and drank it all in one gulp. Then he turned the porcelain bowl upside down and smiled at her, "Can Lord Shen rest assured now?"
He had been in "seclusion" for nearly two months. Even for fasting and praying, as an emperor, he had done enough. It was time for him to show up.
After drinking the medicine, he stood up and said to Wang Zhi, "Help me change my clothes. I'm going to the imperial study to meet those people who have been making a fuss outside every day to see me."
Eunuch Wang answered with a bow and quickly got busy. For a moment, the Zichen Palace became lively.
Xiao Tianchi spread out his arms and changed into the emperor's daily robe. The dragon robe embroidered with a majestic golden dragon made his slightly pale face look more imposing. Although his figure seemed much thinner than it had been more than twenty years ago, no one dared to underestimate him.
While he was changing his clothes, Shen Lingyun and Wang Hengyong were quietly watching on one side.
Her gaze swept across his broad shoulders and slender waist, and finally landed on his sharp eyebrows.
This was Xiao Tianchi.
The so - called Emperor of the Northern Sheng Dynasty.
But if it hadn't been for that arrow that had almost taken his life, he should have been the lord of the world.
After fastening his belt, Xiao Tianchi turned around and looked at Shen Lingyun, as if he had something to say.
Seeing this, Wang Hengyong winked at Eunuch Wang. Then Eunuch Wang led all the eunuchs in the room out. Only Shen Lingyun and Xiao Tianchi were left in the room.
"Since I'm fully recovered, I can handle the court affairs by myself from now on. You don't have to stay in the side hall to take care of me anymore," Xiao Tianchi said. "Thank you for your hard work these days."
After saying that, he was about to step out.
"Xiao Tianchi." Shen Lingyun called him.
Her expression was calm, and it was hard to tell her mood.
"You indulged me to handle the court affairs for you, indulged my ambition, and let me manipulate your court. Now you just want to dismiss me with a simple 'thank you for your hard work'?"
Xiao Tianchi stopped in his tracks. He paused for a moment and then turned around, with a somewhat careless smile on his lips.
"Then what does Lingji want?"
Shen Lingyun took a step towards him and looked directly into his eyes: "You've called me Lord Shen for almost a month. What position, rank, and salary does this 'Lord Shen' hold in the palace?"
The distance between them was so close that Shen Lingyun could clearly see how many wrinkles there were on Xiao Tianchi's slightly pale face and how many gray hairs there were on his temples.
It was also close enough for Xiao Tianchi to smell the faint and elegant fragrance from her body and to see the flames hidden in her amber eyes, which were exactly the same as Xiao Jingcheng's and as bright as jewels.
Xiao Tianchi suddenly laughed.
This was the Shen Lingyun he knew.
Not the listless young lady of the Shen family who had married his elder brother, nor the magnanimous and cold - hearted empress who had restricted herself with the rules of the harem, and certainly not the poor woman who had been imprisoned in the cold palace, abandoned by Xiao Tianye, and at a loss and vulnerable for the sake of her son.
"You've handled the court affairs for me for so long and written so many official comments," Xiao Tianchi said slowly. "From today on, you'll be a fifth - rank secretary in the Department of State Affairs, with a monthly salary of a hundred taels of silver and fifty dan of grain."
Shen Lingyun took a step back to keep a distance from him, bent her knees, and saluted Xiao Tianchi.
"Your servant, Shen Lingyun, thanks Your Majesty for the imperial grace."
Xiao Tianchi said, "Lord Shen, come with me to the imperial study."