Chapter 25

Chapter 25

When the Emperor and Empress publicly called upon Shen Anning by name, the entire Marquis Manor was stunned. Younger members like Fang Siyan and Lu Anran were inwardly shaken, their hearts pounding. Even Lady Xiao felt a sudden jolt of nervousness.

Beside them, Fang Shi’s heart leaped into her throat. Trembling with nerves, her face also lit up with a radiant, excited joy. She even mustered the courage to cast a direct, eager gaze towards the dais.

Even Marquis Lu Jingrong and Second Master Lu Jinghuai were somewhat overwhelmed by this unexpected honor.

Lu Suian, too, calmly turned his gaze to his wife beside him.

A moment later, he rose and calmly bowed to the Emperor and Empress, saying, "Your humble servant, along with his unworthy wife, pays respects to Your Majesty and wishes Her Majesty eternal health and peace."

As he spoke, Lu Suian’s peripheral vision subtly swept over Shen Anning.

Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, Shen Anning, whose name had been called, slowly rose from her seat. She then stepped forward, knelt, and pressed her forehead to the ground before the seats, addressing the elevated figures with utmost reverence: "Your subject, Lady Shen, pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years."

"I greet Her Majesty the Empress. May Her Majesty enjoy eternal health and peace on her birthday, and live a thousand years, a thousand times a thousand years."

Shen Anning’s etiquette was flawless; her demeanor respectful and proper as she paid homage to the Emperor and Empress, showing no signs of panic or impropriety.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was vast and magnificent; it took a hundred steps just to walk from the entrance to the center. Although the seats of the Marquis Lu family were positioned in the central upper section of the hall, they were still quite distant from the dragon-and-phoenix seats of the Emperor and Empress.

From the perspective of the Emperor and Empress, all they could see was a silver-clad figure bowing in the distance, with no clear view of her face. Empress Zhang, noticing this, spoke on behalf of Emperor Wei: "Young Lady Shen, come forward so that I may have a proper look at you."

Her gentle voice carried a subtle authority, echoing far across the vast hall.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Anning slowly rose but kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look directly at the imperial faces. She stepped forward respectfully, one step at a time, until she reached the center of the hall.

As she moved, her posture was graceful, the jade pendant at her waist and the hem of her skirt swaying subtly in harmony with her steps. Each step seemed to bloom like a lotus, exuding an elegance and charm that could not help but draw admiration.

In her past life, these mere dozen steps had left her trembling like a leaf, shaking uncontrollably.

The Emperor and Empress sat high upon their thrones, lofty and unapproachable, while the entire court of civil and military officials stood in solemn attendance. Hundreds of sharp, authoritative gazes were fixed upon her. The most outstanding and high-ranking individuals of the entire Great Yu dynasty were all gathered here. For Shen Anning, who had grown up in the countryside and whose greatest exposure to authority had been the local magistrate, such an occasion was no less than a torturous ordeal.

In her past life, she had lost all face and left the Emperor and Empress on the dais deeply disappointed.

But having experienced life and death, Shen Anning had long since grown indifferent to such pressures. She stood calmly at the center of the hall until she heard Empress Zhang’s solemn yet gentle voice ring out once more from the elevated distance: "Lift your head."

Shen Anning focused slightly, then slowly raised her face, a faint smile gracing her features.

Suddenly, a gentle, smiling countenance came into the view of the Emperor and Empress.

At the sight of the radiant face in the center of the hall, both the Emperor and Empress were visibly taken aback.

During the New Year period, the recently married couple Lian Cheng and Zhang Wan, along with Lu Suian and Shen Anning, two newlywed pairs, had entered the palace to thank the Emperor for arranging their marriages. However, just as the Lu and Shen couple were about to enter the Changqiu Palace to pay respects to Empress Zhang, they were intercepted by someone sent by Noble Consort Luo of the Zhaoyang Palace. That day, Shen Anning had sat on pins and needles in the Zhaoyang Palace for a long time. Later, as Emperor Wei was too busy to receive them, she was escorted straight out of the palace by the people of Zhaoyang Palace. Thus, she had never met the Emperor and Empress until now.

Empress Zhang had heard from palace attendants that this Lady Shen was rather ordinary in appearance. Later, rumors of Shen Anning being mistaken for a maid and ridiculed had also reached her ears. She had done her best to suppress these rumors, fearing they would reach the Emperor and displease him. She had thought it would be impossible to hide the truth today, but to her surprise, Lady Shen turned out to be far beyond her expectations—

This Lady Shen was exquisitely beautiful, her features almost indescribable. Clad in a red robe, she carried not a hint of ostentation but instead radiated a bright and dignified elegance, dazzlingly radiant for a newlywed.

What a lovely young lady.

Empress Zhang had initially feared that Lady Shen would be too plain or even coarse, bringing embarrassment to the Lu family and reflecting poorly on the Emperor’s judgment. Yet now, it was clear that she was entirely worthy.

For a moment, she gazed at Shen Anning for a long time before finally praising with a smile: "Excellent, a rare beauty indeed. A perfect match for Lu Suian, like a pair of jade figures."

As she spoke, she fixed her eyes on Lady Shen’s face and added, "You are the very image of your mother."

Even Emperor Wei could not help but scrutinize her carefully, saying with evident satisfaction, "As expected of Teacher’s descendant."

Both the Emperor and Empress were deeply impressed with Lady Shen and offered rare praise.

Shen Anning, overwhelmed by the honor, said, "Thank you, Your Majesty and Her Majesty, for your undeserved praise!"

As she spoke, Shen Anning mustered the courage to glance upward. This glance also surprised her—the Emperor and Empress, who had been confined to the imperial mausoleum for fifteen years, appeared much younger than she had imagined. For people of her parents' generation, Emperor Wei was nearly forty, yet at a glance, though the imperial crown veil obscured the upper half of his face, he appeared clean-shaven and, from a distance, resembled a dignified and imposing young man.

Empress Zhang, thirty years old, looked no more than twenty-five or twenty-six. She was slender and delicate, not stunningly beautiful, but her bearing was unexpectedly ethereal, with a subtle air of authority that contrasted with her gentle voice and stood in stark contrast to the opulent Noble Consort Luo.

Yet both carried an air of unapproachable authority.

Gazing at the perfectly matched Emperor and Empress before her and thinking of the long, entangled struggles among the Emperor, Empress, and Noble Consort in the future, Shen Anning felt a wave of melancholy.

So, even those in the highest positions could not escape bloody, dramatic conflicts. The higher the position, the more intense and brutal the struggles. In comparison, her sufferings in the Shen family might have been mere child’s play, hardly worth mentioning.

Just as she was lost in thought, Empress Zhang suddenly spoke with a teasing smile: "Have you grown accustomed to life in the capital? Has the past six months in the Marquis Manor been smooth?"

Then she added, "His Majesty has been thinking of you often these days."

Empress Zhang’s leisurely tone carried a hint of amusement.

Yet this playful remark astonished all the civil and military officials and their families present in the hall. Those familiar with Empress Zhang knew her temperament to be aloof—she was not one to speak freely or openly, and she rarely showed public support for anyone. Even when her own younger sister, Lady Zhang, made mistakes, she reprimanded her without favoritism. This was the first time anyone had seen her openly support someone in such a public setting.

Today, Empress Zhang clearly intended to stand up for Lady Shen.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Marquis Manor, especially the members of the main branch, felt their hearts leap into their throats.

After all, the turmoil caused by Fang Shi’s attempt to secure a concurrent wife for her eldest son had only recently settled. Moreover, in the more than half a year since Shen Anning married into the Lu family, she had often been punished and mistreated. Marquis Lu Jingrong had initially been unaware, but after the kneeling incident, he had heard some rumors.

If Lady Shen, having suffered greatly, were to weep and complain before the Emperor and Empress today, the entire Marquis Manor would likely face the Emperor’s displeasure and punishment.

With this thought, a cold sweat broke out on the Marquis’s back.

Fang Shi trembled faintly, even bowing her head at one point, too guilty to dare look freely toward the elevated seats or in Shen Anning’s direction.

Just then, Lady Shen smiled slightly and said, "Aside from the dry weather, which is somewhat hard to adjust to, everything else is fine."

After a pause, she even chatted casually with Empress Zhang in front of everyone, as if sharing family matters, adding, "Everything at home is also very smooth."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly curved with a meaningful depth, and she said, "My parents-in-law treat me like their own daughter, and my husband also treats me…"

Here, Shen Anning’s words briefly halted.

In that pause, Lu Suian, seated in his place, lifted his eyelids and fixed his gaze on his wife’s calmly smiling profile. He saw her face adorned with a smile as she naturally uttered four words: "With utmost care and affection."

Her composed expression showed no trace of insincerity.

As these four words fell, Lu Suian’s eyes narrowed slightly, a profound darkness flickering in his pitch-black pupils.

Meanwhile, Marquis Lu Jingrong nearby let out a long sigh of relief, soon after showing a look of contentment.

The entire Lu family collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

In the brief span of these few sentences, the Lu family had experienced what it meant to be: on tenterhooks, their hearts racing with fear. Their emotions had truly been a rollercoaster.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Anning once again knelt and kowtowed to the Emperor and Empress above, saying, "This subject thanks Your Majesty for bestowing this marriage and also thanks Your Highness for your concern."

While speaking, she turned specifically to Empress Zhang and said, "Today is Your Highness's birthday, and I have nothing worthy to give in return. I have prepared a modest gift myself, wishing Your Highness endless blessings, peace, and success!"

"It's just a simple gift, and I hope Your Highness will not disdain it."

As she spoke, Shen Anning slowly took an item from her sleeve and offered it with both hands.

Immediately, Empress Zhang's attendant came forward to receive it.

Looking at the small gift in a square brocade box—a box just the right size to hold Lu Anran's scent ball—Lu Anran, seated in the back row of the Lu family's seats, gripped her handkerchief tightly, pressing it firmly to her chest.

Her heart raced wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

She watched intently as the brocade box left Shen Anning's hands, was carried reverently by the palace maid, and presented to Empress Zhang.

Just as Empress Zhang took the box and opened it, the moment a golden glint appeared inside, Lu Anran was so nervous she squeezed her eyes shut.

Perhaps the uncertainty of what would happen made her shake uncontrollably, unsure whether it was due to fear or anticipation.

She bit her lip hard, her eyes closed, waiting for the Emperor and Empress's anger to come.

However, one, two, three—

Time ticked by, but the expected anger never came.

Lu Anran stared in confusion, then abruptly snapped her eyes open. She saw Empress Zhang holding up a golden object, studying it carefully. There was no sign of anger on her face; instead, she seemed surprised and curious, asking, "Oh, what is this?"

Empress Zhang held the object steadily, studying it.

It was too far away to see clearly, but it was clearly a golden item.

Why... was there no strange reaction on Empress Zhang's face?

Perhaps the stark contrast between reality and her imagination left Lu Anran in a state of bewilderment, unable to recover for a long time.

At that moment, Shen Anning rose slightly and smiled as she replied, "Your Highness, this is a sprig of rice crafted from gold."

Empress Zhang looked at the somewhat heavy golden rice stalk in her hand. Naturally, she recognized what it was; her implied question was, why would she receive such a gift?

The rice stalk was not too large—a small bundle, not excessively extravagant, yet still somewhat weighty.

For her birthday, she had received various precious antiques and rare treasures, but this was the first time Empress Zhang had been presented with something as straightforward as plain gold.

Thus, she was very curious.

Shen Anning straightened her back and said, deliberately, "When this subject was living rurally, among common people, there were two things considered most precious: one was gold, and the other was grain. I grew up uneducated and from the countryside, with no elegant skills to speak of. Yet, on Your Highness's birthday, I sincerely wished to offer a gift made by my own hands. Not knowing what Your Highness might like, I could only present the two most valuable things I could think of—hence this gift."

Shen Anning spoke honestly, without concealing her thoughts.

At this point, she gradually straightened her back further and said very solemnly, "Today, this subject presents this rice stalk to Your Highness, wishing for Great Yu to forever enjoy eternal peace and prosperity, for our nation to be rich and powerful, and for all its people to never go hungry. Only then can Your Majesty and Your Highness truly be at peace, now and always."

Shen Anning spoke every word clearly.

While saying this, she made no attempt to hide her modest upbringing in the countryside.

While saying this, her face was filled with sincere good wishes.

She slightly raised her head, looking up at the Emperor and Empress above, her eyes revealing a deep admiration and hope.

It was not merely the gaze of a subject showing respect to the Emperor and Empress.

It was the gaze of the common people, the masses, looking up to their rulers with reverence and expectation.

The admiration and respect in her eyes, and the hope and anticipation of the people toward their sovereign, stirred the Emperor Wei on his dragon throne, his heart surging with emotion!

The Emperor Wei suddenly slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Well said, Shen Anning! You truly live up to being the descendant of my teacher."

In the past, when Chief Grand Secretary Shen Zhong was alive, he had similarly inspired him, then the Crown Prince, with such words.

How familiar these words felt.

And how long had it been since he had heard such sentiments?

Everyone looked up and saw a rare mix of fervor, emotion, and a sense of responsibility in the Emperor Wei's typically stern and aloof expression as he declared, "Shen Anning, I promise you today: I will ensure the people of this land prosper, that all my subjects have enough to eat and meat to savor!"

"I will restore peace and prosperity to the realm!"

As the Emperor Wei made this bold declaration, instantly, all civil and military officials in the Qinian Hall stepped forward in unison, kneeling beside their seats and raising their arms in acclamation: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The cheers grew louder and louder, echoing through the grand hall without end.

As Shen Anning gracefully withdrew and returned to her seat, her eyes met those of Lu Anran, who was seated behind her.

Lu Anran's face was pale, her clear black-and-white eyes still holding a trace of confusion and resentment. The next moment, Lu Anran glanced up and inadvertently caught a glimpse of a flash of gold in her brother Lu Suian's hand, which quickly disappeared into his sleeve.

Yet, that single glance caused Lu Anran's face to turn deathly pale, devoid of any color.

It turned out that in her previous life, Lu Anran had inserted a vermilion-scented pill into the scent ball she gave Shen Anning—a cold fragrance pill, which was Noble Consort Huo's favorite scented pill in that former life.

Upon learning of this, commoners had widely imitated it, and among women, it became quite popular.

But on the cold fragrance pill Lu Anran gave Shen Anning, there was an additional character engraved: Zhen.

Noble Consort Huo's personal name was Huo Zhenzhen.

And Empress Zhang's personal name was Zhang Zhen.

Though the characters were different, they were homophones.

At the time of the Empress's enfeoffment, to avoid sharing a homophone with the infamous consort's name, she had specifically changed her name to Yuan, symbolizing gentleness and resilience.

Yet now, the name of that consort who had brought chaos to the palace and court in her previous life was blatantly presented before Empress Zhang on her birthday. What turmoil would this incite?

The outcome was predictable!

"How dare you, Shen Anning! Are you attempting rebellion?"

In her previous life, the Emperor Wei had been furious.

He furiously threw the wine cup in his hand from the high platform.

All civil and military officials trembled with fear, dropping to their knees in fear on the hall floor.

In the past life, the Emperor and Empress were so enraged that they nearly had Shen Anning executed on the spot.

Previously, even Lu Suian, ignoring the Emperor's command, rushed forward. But upon seeing the characters engraved on the cold incense pill that had rolled onto the red carpet, he was momentarily speechless. With a dark expression, he knelt in the center of the hall and explained in a low voice, "My foolish wife can't read and did not mean to offend Her Majesty."

Gazing at that timid, cowering face—so strikingly reminiscent of his late teacher's bloodline—the Emperor Wei was deeply disappointed. Ultimately, he stormed off in a rage.

From that day onward, the Emperor and Empress never mentioned the descendant of their teacher again.

From then on, Shen Anning became completely ordinary, both inside and outside her household.

Her personal maid, Bai Tao, became the ultimate scapegoat and disappeared completely thereafter.

The past seemed distant, yet it vividly replayed in her mind one by one.

Sitting in her seat, surrounded by waves of friendly and respectful gazes, Shen Anning was momentarily spaced out, unable to distinguish between reality and dream.

At that moment, a curious look suddenly came from the direction of the Emperor and Empress.

Prince Ning pointed with his chin toward the proud figure in the distance and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that the woman my elder brother tried to force on me as my consort?"

It turned out that after learning that the Shen family's bloodline still survived, the Emperor Wei had sent people to find and bring her back. He initially intended to give the descendant of his teacher—whom he had never met—upon the eldest prince. However, as the eldest prince was a year younger than Shen Anning and thus unsuitable, the arrangement was later changed to Prince Ning.

Yet Prince Ning firmly refused. After having his subordinates dig into the past dealings between the Shen and Lu families, he successfully passed her off to the Lu family.

His attendant immediately responded, "It is indeed her."

Prince Ning narrowed his eyes slightly and remarked, "She's not as bad as I expected."

-----------------------

Author's Note: I wrote more today so it's running late.

I’ll try to update before 11 PM from now on. If I finish early, I’ll post early, but the latest will be 11 PM. If I can’t post by 11 PM on any given day, I’ll give advance notice in the comments section.

Thank you all very much for your support. I'll keep doing my best!