Reborn Princess

Shen Yanlan swallowed and immediately looked away.

Zhou Cechen took down the pajamas hanging on the screen and put them on. He looked at Shen Lilan while tying the belt.

Shen Xilan felt Zhou Cechen's gaze, and she turned her face away again to accuse him of his bad behavior.

"What's wrong?" he asked knowingly.

"Why is your face so red?"

Shen Lilan blinked and said, "It's a bit hot..."

Zhou Cechen nodded slowly and then leaned closer to Shen Lilan's face. His nose was about to touch Shen Lilan's nose when he stopped.

"is it?"

Shen Lilan smiled stiffly and nodded: "Yes."

Even when Shen Lilan was carried back to the bed by Zhou Cechen, Shen Lilan's face was still red.

After getting on the bed, Zhou Cechen held Shen Lilan in his arms.

"Now that we are lying together, I feel at ease."

"I have to go to court tomorrow, so you should get some more sleep tomorrow morning."

Shen Lilan asked: "What... happened to you?"

She never dared to ask.

Zhou Cechen paused for a moment and then said, "After I dealt with the matter in Luzhou, I rushed back as fast as I could. Unexpectedly, I was assassinated on the way. I was hit by an arrow in the shoulder and rolled down the cliff."

"He was then rescued by villagers in the mountain village. After being unconscious for nearly seven days, he woke up and rode back as fast as he could."

"It's a pity...I couldn't save you."

Shen Lilan shook his head, "If it weren't for you tonight, I would be in great danger."

She reached out and touched Zhou Cechen's shoulder. His white pajamas were slightly torn open, revealing a scar on his shoulder that had not yet healed.

Shen Xilan reached out to touch it with trembling hands, but she didn't dare to.

Zhou Cechen seemed to know Shen Lilan's concerns and worries, and he held her hand in his.

"Zhou Chao's rebellion this time was nothing more than a pipe dream. Although the war did not expand, it brought a lot of harm to the Great Qi."

"If you shoot Zhou Chao to death with one arrow, you will be a hero of the entire Great Qi."

Shen Lilan asked him tentatively: "What about Zhou Tangyue?"

Zhou Cechen said: "Don't worry, I won't let her live."

"I will make her pay you back double for the suffering she caused you this time."

Zhou Cechen stroked Shen Xilan's hand and said, "But I didn't know that the princess is so good at riding and shooting." At this point, Zhou Cechen's eyes darkened.

"I took you to the horse farm when we first got married. Who said you couldn't do that? Huh?"

Shen Xilan said: "I grew up in the desert. I could ride a horse at the age of five, so naturally... I can." She said the last word very quietly, feeling a little guilty.

Zhou Cechen smiled and nodded.

"I didn't mean to hide it from you, but... when we first got married, I didn't know you well enough, and I..."

"I know."

"Then I wonder if I could have the honor of having the princess play polo with me in the spring?"

Shen Lilan nodded: "Of course."

Zhou Cechen patted Shen Lilan's back gently and said, "Go to sleep and have a good rest."

……

At night, after Shen Lilan fell asleep, Zhou Cechen looked at her face in the moonlight.

He felt like he was dreaming, but reality told him that this was not a dream, it was real.

The twists and turns he experienced in the past month made him feel scared but also grateful.

Even though he doesn't believe in gods or Buddhas, he now wants to thank the heaven and earth.

……

The next day, in the court, Zhou Hengyan sat on the dragon chair and looked at the officials standing in the hall. He said: "Prince Huaiyuan Zhou Chao's rebellion caused the rebellion and put the people in dire straits. I am very sad and angry, so I want to depose his position as a vassal king, strip him of his title, demote him to a commoner, and not allow him to be buried in the imperial mausoleum."

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

……

Zhou Cechen stood beside the Crown Prince, who was at the forefront of all the officials. He said, "I have something to report."

"explain."

"The princess secretly detained my princess and joined forces with Zhou Chao. She is an accomplice in treason and should be sentenced to death."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone started talking to each other in low voices.

"The princess is a noble person. How can you condemn Ding'an to death based on his one-sided statement?"

Zhou Cechen glanced at him and the man looked away.

"This matter concerns the royal family's reputation. Your Majesty, please investigate it thoroughly."

Zhou Hengyan glanced at Chang Cisheng, and Chang Cisheng understood and took out a piece of paper.

"Here is the evidence, everyone, please take a look."

Chang Cisheng took the paper and showed it to the officials one by one.

All the officials were suddenly in an uproar.

This... This not only contains all the dealings between Zhou Tangyue and Zhou Chao, but also the officials who participated in the treason.

"The Censor of the Supervisory Yuan, the Three-Department Envoy, the Transport Envoy..." must all be among them.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" A voice was heard kneeling down and begging for mercy, and then other people recorded in the book knelt down and begged for mercy one after another.

"Your Majesty, spare your life!"

Zhou Hengyan sneered: "There are more than 30 people recorded in the book. A dozen of them were challenged in the past few months. Now... they are all here."

Zhou Hengyan looked at the man kneeling on the ground and said, "The virtues of an official are loyalty, honesty, integrity, prudence, and diligence."

"And what about you? You are corrupt and have the intention of treason, yet you are still here to cry out to me for justice. Come on, throw you all into jail."

In the court, those people were dragged out.

Zhou Hengyan said: "Zhou Tangyue's crimes are grave, he should be executed."

Shen Yizhou looked at Zhou Cechen with deep eyes.

"I will reward those who have made great contributions in defending the city this time!"

……

After the court session, Zhou Cechen went to the imperial study and Shen Yizhou followed him.

"How is my sister?"

Zhou Cechen glanced at him and said, "No problem."

Shen Yizhou then said, "When my sister married you, I was trapped in the war and couldn't come back, otherwise I would not have let her marry you so easily."

Zhou Cechen didn't say anything.

Shen Yizhou patted his shoulder and said, "However, I still admire you when it comes to government affairs. Fortunately, this plan was successful."

Zhou Cechen looked at him and said, "Thank you very much for your support, General Shen."

Shen Yizhou said: "You don't have to thank me, just think of it as doing it for Da Qi and for my sister. I will do the same."

Zhou Cechen walked into the imperial study. Zhou Hengyan was sitting at the desk. When he saw Zhou Cechen come in, he immediately stood up.

"How are you?"

Zhou Cechen shook his head: "No problem."

Zhou Hengyan slammed the table and said, "A bunch of rubbish actually made you fall off a cliff."

Shen Yizhou followed Zhou Cechen in and heard what Zhou Hengyan said. He looked at Zhou Cechen.

Zhou Cechen said calmly: "I'm fine."

"I came here to ask for a favor from my brother."

Zhou Hengyan said: "You say."

"This time my princess shot the rebel leader Zhou Chao to death with one arrow. She has made great contributions in redressing the injustice, so I ask the emperor for an imperial decree."

"Of course, even if you don't ask me for this favor, I will still confer the title of First-Class Imperial Consort on Princess Ding'an."

"Also, I will give her ten thousand taels of gold, and confer the title of second-class imperial consort to her mother, Li."

Shen Yizhou glanced at Zhou Cechen, and then said, "Your Highness, I, Shen Yizhou, pay my respects to His Majesty."

Zhou Hengyan said, "Stand up. You and Princess Ding'an are both great contributors this time. You are also great contributors. What reward do you want?"