The tea had gone cold.
The emperor frowned slightly but still picked up his teacup, intending to moisten his throat.
However, Shen Yi snatched the teacup from the emperor's hand. "Your Majesty, the tea is cold. Don't drink it. It's not good for your health."
"Bold! How dare you snatch the teacup from me?" The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression revealing an unreadable emotion. It was as if he were accusing Shen Yi, yet there was no trace of threat in his voice.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll punish you?"
An ordinary person would have surely knelt on the ground in fear at this moment, begging for the emperor's forgiveness. But Shen Yi just smiled and walked up to the emperor, then placed the teacup back in his hand.
"Your Majesty, would you really punish me?"
When the emperor took the teacup, he found that the cold tea had become warm again. His stern face immediately softened. He pointed at Shen Yi with his finger and said, "You rascal..."
It turned out that Shen Yi had used his inner energy to re - heat the tea in the emperor's cup.
After chatting with the emperor in the imperial study for nearly two hours, Shen Yi was finally allowed to leave. Watching Shen Yi's departing figure, the emperor's eyes seemed to drift into the distance. No one knew who he was thinking of.
"You really resemble me when I was young," the emperor murmured.
Seeing Shen Yi coming out, Eunuch Li at the door quickly bowed and sent off Lord Shen.
"By the way, send a cup of hot tea to the emperor. Make sure he doesn't drink cold tea in the future. It's not good for his health," Shen Yi said as if he had just remembered something. Then he turned around and instructed Eunuch Li.
"I'll remember that. It's really good that His Majesty has Lord Shen's care," Eunuch Li replied.
Shen Yi didn't stay in the palace. After leaving the palace, he went straight back to the Night's Solace Pavilion.
Sure enough...
Shen Li was no longer in the Night's Solace Pavilion.
Looking at the empty room, Shen Yi couldn't help but scold with a smile, "This little girl has run away again."
When he walked into the room, he found a note on the table. It was in Shen Li's handwriting.
"Brother, I've gone out on business. I guessed you'd be back soon. Don't worry. I'll take care of myself. Trust me."
...
In a secluded private room in the Flying Dwelling.
Shen Li had arrived there early. This private room was exclusively hers. It made her feel more at ease to invite people here for a conversation.
She had checked the doors and windows, and even rented out the neighboring private rooms, all to prevent anyone from disturbing her conversation with the upcoming guests.
Shen Li sat upright on her seat. Jiao Yue, Han Yue, and Ru Yue stood behind her with their hands behind their backs, vigilantly observing everything around them.
The sweltering weather made people feel irritable.
Jiao Yue couldn't hold back her impatience. "Miss, who on earth are you waiting for? Why hasn't he come yet?"
"You're just too impatient. It's not even the appointed time yet. Why did we come so early?" Shen Li explained.
"Ah... Why did we come early?" Jiao Yue looked puzzled.
Shen Li put a finger in front of her lips and made a shushing gesture. "Shh. My esteemed guest is here."
Immediately, Jiao Yue closed her mouth and stared with her big round eyes at the person who pushed the door open.
"Second Young Master?" Looking at the person who entered, Jiao Yue recognized his face. She never expected it to be Shen Zhang. Why would her mistress want to meet with Second Young Master Shen here?
Shen Li glanced at the three people behind her and said, "You can go out first. I have something to talk to Second Brother."
Although Jiao Yue was full of doubts, she didn't show it directly. Suppressing her curiosity, she left the private room with Han Yue and Ru Yue and guarded the door to prevent anyone from approaching.
Now, only Shen Li and Shen Zhang were left in the private room.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Second Brother, what are you saying? After all, we're family. It's just that I came early," Shen Li said as she picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Shen Zhang. "Second Brother, have a cup of tea to moisten your throat. This is top - grade Tieguanyin. Have a taste?"
Shen Zhang took the teacup with both hands. Uneasiness welled up in his heart. It was rather strange for his younger sister to invite him here today. If it were an ordinary matter, there would be no need for such elaborate arrangements.
He picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was clear, mellow, fragrant, and rich. The aroma of the tea permeated his mouth and nose, leaving a sweet aftertaste on his tongue. A sense of ease and comfort spread through his body.
A sense of elegance welled up in his heart.
Such fine tea was something Shen Zhang could never drink in the Shen family.
"Little Sister Li, if you have something to say, just say it. I'll surely do my best to help you. This is what Mother promised you, and it's also my promise to you," Shen Zhang put down the teacup. Although the tea was excellent, one should not indulge too much. What didn't belong to him should not be coveted. Keeping his true self and doing his best was the most important thing.
"Second Brother is really straightforward. Since that's the case, I'll just come straight to the point. It's about Third Sister," Shen Li said.
Mentioning Shen Zhen, Shen Zhang was shocked. He quickly asked, "What's wrong with my sister?" His anxiousness was clearly visible. Shen Li couldn't help but think of her brother Shen Yi...
She wondered what her brother would think of her sneaking out today.
"Second Brother, don't worry. Third Sister is fine for the moment. You know about the matter of Lord Ji. I was able to save Third Sister once, but it doesn't mean I can save her a second time... Arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers are the norm. You should know that Concubine Su is just a concubine. Even if she gave birth to you, you still have to call Mrs. Shen your mother, don't you?" After all this preamble, Shen Li finally got to the point. She took out a small booklet from her pocket and placed it on the table. Then she said softly, "Think about it, not just for yourself, but also for Concubine Su and Third Sister."
Shen Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Shen Li and then at the booklet on the table. "This is..."
"Second Brother, why don't you just open it and see?" Shen Li said with a faint smile as she looked at Shen Zhang. Then she picked up her teacup and took a good sip of the tea. It was truly refreshing.
Shen Zhang picked up the booklet on the table. The contents inside were like an account book. If it were an ordinary account book, it would be okay. But the things recorded on it made Shen Zhang's face turn pale with shock.
"Sister... This... This can't be true! How could Father do such a thing?" For a moment, Shen Zhang didn't know what to say. A slight cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He felt as if there was always someone staring at his back. The small booklet in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
"You mean..." A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Zhang's mind. But this thought was so astonishing that he quickly dismissed it from his mind.