Reborn Princess

Seeing this, Shen Lilan stepped forward and said, "I am here to help His Majesty grind the ink."

She picked up the ink stick and dripped a drop of water into the inkstone, then rubbed the ink stick with her white fingers.

Zhou Cechen raised his eyes and glanced at her, "Just let the servants do it."

Shen Xilan continued to grind the ink without saying a word. Seeing this, Zhou Cechen gave up and let her stay by his side.

Zhou Cechen was reviewing files. He had not returned for a few days, and several files from the imperial prison had already piled up.

Although Shen Lilan was grinding ink, she would look at him from time to time. Zhou Cechen was always very focused when handling official business, but when Shen Lilan was around, he would always pay attention to her.

Seeing Zhou Cechen holding the pen with a stern expression on his face, Shen Lilan felt the arrogance and depth of a powerful official displayed in him.

Seeing that Zhou Cechen didn't look at her, Shen Lilan deliberately lifted a strand of her hair behind her ear when he picked up the pen to dip it in ink.

Zhou Cechen put down the pen after glancing at her movements.

"Is there something on your mind, Princess?"

Shen Xilan stopped what she was doing and hesitated for a long time. She had to know the outcome of Zhou Jingmo's scheme, but now only Zhou Cechen should know. She was struggling with how to ask him so that he wouldn't mind.

Zhou Cechen looked at her changing expressions and wondered what she was thinking.

He tapped the desk twice with his fingers and said, "Come here."

Shen Yanlan did not move. She tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, did you know that Prince Xuan..."

"What's wrong with him?" Zhou Cechen raised his eyelids and looked at her.

"How did the emperor deal with this matter?" The words finally came out.

Zhou Cechen spoke to her for the second time: "Come here."

Shen Xilan slowly walked over and stood beside his armchair, and Zhou Cechen stretched out his big hand with distinct finger bones to grasp her soft hand and play with it.

"Shen Lilan, do you care about him a lot?" Zhou Cechen spoke slowly.

Shen Yanlan's hand trembled in his hand. "Your Highness, do you think so?"

Shen Yanlan twitched his hand and tried to pull it out of his grasp, but he held it tightly.

"You always plot against him. You hate him."

When Shen Lilan heard this, he stood there in a daze.

He saw it.

"No."

Zhou Cechen himself didn't notice that after hearing Shen Xilan's words, a trace of panic flashed across his eyes, and then he regained his composure.

"I hate him. I hate him to the core." When Shen Lilan spoke again, his voice was cold.

"Why?" Zhou Cechen asked her.

"Zhou Jingmo is not worthy of being a human being. He owes us." Shen Lilan answered him.

"We?" Zhou Cechen didn't know why he felt an indescribable sense of depression in his heart at this moment.

Thunder roared outside the study, and strong winds blew open the prismatic window frames of the study. Shen Lilan and Zhou Cechen both looked outside the window at the bamboos swaying in the wind.

The calligraphy and paintings in the study were blown left and right.

Shen Lilan frowned as he looked outside and saw that it was about to rain.

There was a knock on the door. "Your Majesty, I have collected some of the calligraphy and paintings that were drying outside."

Shen Lilan wanted to pull her hand away at this moment, but Zhou Cechen still held her tightly.

"Come in." Zhou Cechen said.

As soon as the servant saw Shen Lilan after entering the room, he immediately bowed his head and said, "Greetings, Princess."

"No gift."

The servant was smart. He put the handful of calligraphy and paintings in his arms into the porcelain jar behind the study, then closed the window that was blown open and walked out.

Shen Lilan watched him leave and then closed the door. The people in Zhou Cechen's yard really knew the rules.

"The princess has not yet answered my question." Zhou Cechen's words brought Shen Lilan back to his senses.

"he……"

Shen Lilan didn't know how to start. It had been more than a month since he was reborn. He must have noticed his own weirdness, but he had never asked himself about it.

"What if he killed you in my dream?" Shen Lilan looked at Zhou Cechen and asked.

It was just a dream, but Zhou Cechen saw tears in Shen Lilan's eyes.

Suddenly, an image of being pierced by arrows flashed through his mind, and Zhou Cechen tightened his grip on Shen Xilan's hand.

"Then fight back." Zhou Cechen answered her.

Hearing Zhou Cechen's answer, Shen Lilan curled his lips and smiled, "So I made plans on him."

Zhou Cechen: "The emperor was already troubled by recent state affairs. Now that Zhou Jingmo's incident happened, the emperor was so angry that he confined him to his room. However, he was troubled by public opinion, so he agreed to Zhou Jingmo's request and granted that woman the position of concubine."

Zhou Cechen pulled Shen Lilan over and asked her to sit on his lap. "You are very brave."

"But apart from losing their reputation, both of them seem to be the winners." One became related to the Shen family, and the other gained status.

"You still have the next step to take." Zhou Cechen pointed out.

Shen Lilan and Zhou Cechen were very close to each other. She looked into his eyes and answered, "Yes, this is the chance God has given me. I will make him go to hell even if it costs me my life."

Zhou Cechen covered Shen Lilan's mouth and said, "Fu Fu will live a long life."

Shen Xilan's eyelashes trembled. She tried her best to suppress the bitterness in her heart. Zhou Cechen wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I don't need to live a long life, I just want you to be successful."

Live a hundred years longer—she also wishes Zhou Cechen a long life.

Zhou Cechen didn’t know whether Shen Lilan’s so-called dream was true or false, but since she said it, it must be true.

"You have been planning this during my absence. You know that if you are discovered, you will be the one in danger."

Shen Yanlan took out a waist badge from her sleeve and said, "The prince has given me the mobilization token of the iron cavalry. What is there for me to be afraid of?"

Zhou Cechen: "Although this token can mobilize nearly 30% of the cavalry in the capital, it is only a token after all. If you are really in danger, it is just a piece of scrap metal."

Scrap metal? How could he say that about a token?

Shen Lilan returned the token to Zhou Cechen, "Now, it should be returned to its original owner."

Zhou Cechen didn't answer. "Take it. This is for you."

Shen Lilan was stunned. It was originally given to her, and she was a woman...

Zhou Cechen continued to play with Shen Lilan's hand. "I can't give you much. From now on, you are the master of this team of cavalry."

"Fu Fu, I know you yearn for a wider world and don't want to be trapped in this house. Please forgive my selfishness in trapping you by my side."

Shen Yanlan held the token in his hand and said, "I am eager to be with you at this moment, but I..."

"Take it. You know there are quite a few women who hold military power in the capital." Zhou Cechen said to Shen Lilan.

Shen Lilan was a little surprised. "Not a few?"

"The eldest princess Zhou Tangyue, the daughter of the Zhao family, Zhao Ruyun, and Madam Wu of the Yongyi Marquis's residence all hold military power."

Among all the people she had met until she was seventeen, her elder sister Shen Siyao was the most powerful woman in her opinion. Although she held great power, she was not in the capital.

Little did she know that there were also many hidden talents in the city of Yanjing.

"actually, I……"

Shen Xilan wanted to say that her father gave her the Imperial Ink Order when she got married, but at this moment, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Yanci came in from the courtyard holding an oil-paper umbrella. After putting away the umbrella, he knocked on the study door.

"Your Majesty, General Pei and Military Advisor Ji are back."

Zhou Cechen's eyes were deep, and he said, "Let them come to the study."

Seeing this, Shen Yanlan got off Zhou Cechen and said, "Your Majesty, please discuss important matters. I will take my leave first."

Zhou Cechen held Shen Lilan's hand and said, "No need. You can listen. Go to the inner room and have some tea. It's raining outside."

Shen Lilan looked at him holding her hand and nodded, "Then... I will listen to you, Your Majesty."