klisemfg Chapter 325: The Unexpected Imperial Edict
Chapter 325: The Unexpected Imperial Edict
Chapter 325: The Unexpected Imperial Edict
"It's...it's alright." Zhao Ning'er blushed and lowered her head when she saw Shen Bin smiling at her, not knowing where to put her hands, and said softly. Shen Bin didn't know what to say next, and the two remained silent.
"Young Master Shen, are you out of your mind? It's only noon, and we'll only open for business this afternoon. Could it be that you've forgotten this because you were so distracted by Ning'er?" Ji Meiqing appeared out of nowhere, covering her face and teasing Shen Bin.
Shen Bin looked at Zhao Ning'er, immediately lowered his head, his face slightly flushed, unsure of what to do. He coughed a few times and quickly went upstairs.
"Sister Ji, you..." Zhao Ning'er watched Shen Bin's departing figure, her cheeks puffed out, and looked at Ji Meiqing. Ji Meiqing made a face at her, laughing even more happily at Zhao Ning'er's angry expression. Zhao Ning'er didn't know what to do, her face turning bright red from her ears down to her cheeks.
He snorted at Ji Meiqing, feigning anger, and then went upstairs with Shen Bin in the direction Shen Bin had left. Ji Meiqing looked at the two of them helplessly, shook her head, and said, "They've just thrown out another huge bag of dog food."
"What's dog food?" Lu Yu, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, asked when he heard Ji Meiqing saying something strange again. Ji Meiqing trembled in fright and glared at Lu Yu who had suddenly appeared.
Lu Yu wasn't angry. He ruffled Ji Meiqing's hair and pulled her into his arms. Ji Meiqing's face immediately turned red, and she tried desperately to push him away, but Lu Yu held her tightly. Ji Meiqing had no choice but to stay obediently in his arms.
Zhao Ning'er went upstairs and saw Shen Bin. She noticed that he was dressed in a red scholar's robe, which accentuated his flawless, snow-white skin. Sunlight streamed in, and he picked up a teacup from the table, his long, slender fingers showing distinct knuckles. Zhao Ning'er stared at him, somewhat lost in thought. When she came to her senses, she realized Shen Bin was looking at her and quickly lowered her head, her face flushed.
She walked towards Shen Bin, staring at her toes, when somehow she tripped on the hem of his clothes and fell forward. Zhao Ning'er hurriedly closed her eyes, but the expected pain didn't occur. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a warm embrace.
"How could you be so careless?" Shen Bin said, looking at Zhao Ning'er in his arms. Looking into Zhao Ning'er's eyes, he realized for the first time that her eyes were like a pool of spring water, clear and flawless. They were so pure that they were captivating to look at, and his heart seemed to be beating a little faster.
The two were so close that they could hear each other's heartbeats. Shen Bin quickly released Zhao Ning'er once she was standing still. He then casually sat down in his chair and drank his tea, though the blush on his face hadn't faded at all.
Zhao Ning'er blushed so deeply she wished she could hide somewhere. She awkwardly walked over and sat down. Seeing a teapot with water on the table, she quickly picked it up and poured some into a cup, hoping to cool down. As she poured, she kept thinking about how Shen Bin had hugged her earlier.
"Silly girl, you can't even pour water properly, you've spilled it all." Shen Bin said with amusement when he saw Zhao Ning'er lost in thought.
"Ah? Oh dear! How did this happen? I'm so sorry..." Zhao Ning'er saw the water all over the table and hurriedly grabbed a rag to wipe it dry. She realized that she always felt flustered in front of Shen Bin, and her face turned bright red.
"Can you see me and not panic like this?" Shen Bin grabbed Zhao Ning'er's hand. Zhao Ning'er reflexively tried to pull her hand away from him when he suddenly grabbed it, but he held it tightly.
"Alright, alright, I know. I have a performance tonight, you go ahead and do your thing." Zhao Ning'er said, pulling her hand away and running downstairs. Shen Bin was left standing there, unsure what to do, and finally sat back down in his chair to drink tea.
Ji Meiqing saw Zhao Ning'er come downstairs with a flushed face. She had been sitting and lying in Lu Yu's arms, and tried to break free to tease Zhao Ning'er, but Lu Yu held her tightly, glaring at her. Suddenly, Lu Yu planted a kiss on her lips. Seeing the unexpected kiss, Ji Meiqing blushed and buried her face in Lu Yu's arms, remaining motionless.
"Oh, how annoying you are." Ji Meiqing peeked out from his arms, only peeking out when she couldn't see Zhao Ning'er and said reproachfully.
Lu Yu, however, shamelessly ignored her and pulled her into his arms. Ji Meiqing pouted, stubbornly staying in his embrace, but secretly she was delighted.
The next day.
Shen Bin changed into formal attire to attend the morning court session. The atmosphere today was not as oppressive as yesterday, and Shen Bin felt much more at ease. However, he was unhappy when he saw Wu Tian. The other officials did not mock Shen Bin as they did yesterday, but instead greeted him respectfully and bowed.
Not long after, the Emperor came out and sat on the dragon throne. Eunuch Feng held the imperial edict in his hand, and there was a murmur in the court.
"How could there be an imperial edict?"
"Who wants a promotion?"
"Who else wants to be beheaded and have their entire family executed?"
……
Shen Bin listened without saying a word; he didn't think it had anything to do with him, after all, he had only arrived yesterday. Eunuch Feng coughed a few times sternly, and the court immediately fell into an unusual silence.
Eunuch Feng glanced at the imperial edict, then at the officials in the court, looking at it back and forth several times, making everyone want to rush up and snatch the edict to examine it closely.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Considering Shen Bin's youth, talent, and good looks, and his similar age to Princess Xiangping, a marriage is hereby granted. This is the imperial decree!" The crowd prostrated themselves on the ground, hearing the Emperor's intention to make Shen Bin his consort. Envy, jealousy, and hatred rippled through the crowd. Wu Tian, standing behind Shen Bin, overheard the imperial edict and was filled with resentment.
After the imperial edict was read aloud, everyone stood up, except for Shen Bin, who remained kneeling on the ground. Eunuch Feng, unaware of the situation, shouted, "Young Master Shen, why don't you accept the imperial edict and thank His Majesty for his great favor?" His tone was filled with barely concealed anger; he wanted to warn Shen Bin to be sensible, or he would suffer the consequences.
"Your Majesty, this humble subject...this humble subject cannot accept this imperial decree." Shen Bin was somewhat flustered when he heard the sudden imperial decree. He never expected that the emperor would bestow a marriage upon him and Princess Xiangping during the morning court session.
When the emperor heard Shen Bin's answer, he still appreciated him. He was not greedy for vanity, nor did he resemble some of the ambitious and hypocritical people in the court.