When Shen Li opened her eyes, there was not only the gatekeeper beside her but also her cousin, Hua Rong.
Hua Rong smiled gently and draped his coat over Shen Li. "Why aren't you asleep so late? Do you have something to talk to your cousin about?"
Shen Li liked Hua Rong's straightforward personality. She simply put on his coat and replied with a big smile, "You're so perceptive, cousin. I do have something to discuss with you."
Hua Rong thought Shen Li wanted to talk about the affairs of the housekeeper, so he sat casually and poured a cup of tea for her. "You can decide whatever you want about the housekeeper. If you have any questions, you can ask me."
Shen Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Hua Rong's misunderstanding. She shook her head. "No, the matter I want to talk about is even more significant. It's about the revival of the entire Hua family."
Obviously, Hua Rong was extremely surprised. He quickly closed the door and sent the people outside the room away, not even leaving their personal maids.
Shen Li calmly sipped her tea, as if she hadn't just said such a bombshell.
"Just leave this matter to your cousin. You just take good care of the household and look after our grandmother. It's too dangerous for you to get involved. One wrong step and you could lose your head."
Shen Li had been through so many dangerous situations, and having died once, she was no longer afraid of death. She looked at Hua Rong seriously. "Cousin, you're having a tough time in the court these days, aren't you?"
During the court session today, Hua Rong was impeached by some court officials, and the emperor almost exiled him to a far - off border. It seemed that the emperor was trying to gradually undermine the Hua family, and Hua Rong felt more and more out of place in the court.
But he still didn't want to tell Shen Li about these difficulties, so he shook his head. "Li'er, it's not that bad. The Hua family is a noble family. It's not as dire as you said. I'm just muddling through in this official position."
As he said this, he even forced a smile, but these words only confirmed Shen Li's suspicions.
Suddenly, she took out her token. "Cousin, I can help you revive the Hua family. The Hua family must have had an army before, and I have a way to help you form your own private army. When that time comes, it will be the moment for the Hua family's comeback."
Hua Rong blinked at the token, as if trying to confirm its authenticity. If someone could really help form a private army, the revival of the Hua family would be just around the corner.
"Cousin... Is this... for real?"
Shen Li nodded firmly and generously showed the token to Hua Rong. "Although I'm a woman, it doesn't mean I can't do anything."
This heroic and determined look on Shen Li made Hua Rong stunned for a moment, and then he smiled understandingly. "It's your cousin who is useless. I originally wanted to protect you, but now I need your help instead."
His smile was a bit stiff. He poured himself tea and drank it one cup after another, looking rather dejected.
Shen Li seemed to understand his feelings. She patted Hua Rong on the shoulder. "Cousin, you definitely have the ability to shoulder the responsibility of the entire Hua family. But we all need to cooperate to achieve better results, don't we?"
Hua Rong suddenly stood up. "Cousin, you don't need to comfort me. A real man can bend and stretch. I should thank you for your help. Let's just settle the matter of forming the private army. I'll need your help a lot."
This sudden formality made Shen Li a bit uncomfortable, but it was also a situation she had expected. After all, she wasn't an ignorant little girl.
She also stood up and put down the teacup. "Cousin, if the emperor wants to exile you to the border, just go."
Hua Rong thought for a moment and immediately understood. There were frequent upheavals on the border, and there were countless homeless civilians and soldiers who had survived the war. They were exactly the targets for forming a private army.
"Well, your cousin will have to endure hardships there. Haha. Don't worry, cousin. Judging from the emperor's determined attitude, it's just a matter of time before he exiles me to the border. But he definitely won't expect that you're helping me form a private army."
Just then, Hua Rong's personal servant was asking for permission to enter outside. Hua Rong left first and told Shen Li to rest well.
After Shen Li finished washing up and was lying in bed, she suddenly felt a cold gust of wind. Wearing only her inner clothes, she felt really cold, so she got up to close the window.
But when she got to the window, she felt something was strange. She remembered clearly that she had closed the window herself before going to bed. How could it be blown open?
As if realizing what might be happening, Shen Li quickly took a step back and was about to call for her maid. But before she could say a word, her mouth was covered by a big, calloused hand. Although she was panicked, she forced herself to stay calm.
The man just silently hugged her. After a long while, he said, "Don't shout. I'm Xuan Yuan Jue."
Shen Li's eyes widened. So it was Xuan Yuan Jue? The hand covering her mouth slowly let go, and she asked, "What do you want at this late hour, Mr. Xuan Yuan?"
Shen Li didn't know why, but since she came to the Hua family mansion, she had this urge to say goodbye to her past. Unconsciously, she became cold towards Xuan Yuan Jue. After all... they didn't have any special relationship, did they?
Xuan Yuan Jue seemed to be holding back his emotions. He said in a hoarse voice, "You left without even saying goodbye to me. You just said you were coming here. You really made me search hard for you."
Shen Li was stunned. She didn't expect Xuan Yuan Jue to come and question her about this. She said coldly, "Mr. Xuan Yuan, we don't have any special relationship. Why should I tell you everything in detail?"
Xuan Yuan Jue suddenly burst into laughter. No special relationship? Then what about all the experiences and words they had shared? At first, it was just a game for him, but why did he end up taking it seriously?
Suddenly, he stuffed a pill into Shen Li's mouth. Shen Li quickly opened her mouth to spit it out, but the pill seemed to disappear as soon as it entered her throat.
Even in the dark, one could see Xuan Yuan Jue's gloomy face. His thin lips moved slightly. "Don't waste your effort. This pill melts as soon as it enters your mouth. It will disappear without a trace in your throat, and you won't be able to spit it out. And only I have the antidote. Even if you call for help now, it won't save you."
No matter how Shen Li thought about it, she didn't believe that Xuan Yuan Jue would harm her. But at this moment, she had to be on guard. "Xuan Yuan Jue, what on earth are you doing? Why are you feeding me this pill for no reason?"
Why? It was for... the inexpressible feelings in his heart. He just said coldly, "This pill won't do you any harm. It will just make you fall into a dream immediately, and you'll experience three lifetimes in the dream."
It's just that these three lifetimes will be with me... Xuan Yuan Jue held back the last sentence. He would also take the same pill later. Let him be a bit indulgent just this once.