Xie Tingzhou drank a lot, and Shen Yu helped him onto the bed, lightly scratching his eyebrows with her fingertips. Xie Tingzhou closed his eyes and caught her fingers.
"Are you leaving again?"
"Yes." Shen Yu said softly: "The situation in the palace is unstable, and I have to keep watch."
"Stay with me for a little while longer, just a little while." Xie Tingzhou pulled her onto his chest and ran his fingers through her hair.
Shen Yu pressed her face against his chest and said, "Your Majesty, nothing will happen to you. Don't worry too much."
"Yeah." Xie Tingzhou felt that he was so powerless, he was in a dilemma.
Shen Yu said slowly: "When I was little, my father would coax me and sing a song to me whenever I cried. I stopped crying every time he sang. In fact, it was because his voice was rough and his five tones were not perfect. Every time he sang to me, it was very painful. I didn’t want to hear it so I wouldn’t cry, but he thought I liked his singing.”
"How to sing?" Xie Tingzhou's voice was very soft.
Shen Yu thought for a while, "I can't remember the lyrics, because he doesn't seem to be able to remember it himself. He sings it differently every time, but I remember the tune, so I'll hum it for you."
The songs she sang were very nice and soft, as if she was keeping him close to her heart.
Xie Tingzhou fell asleep peacefully amid her humming.
Shen Yu stood up and took out the corner of his clothes that was in his hand. His fingers moved as if he was searching for something, but in the end he was defeated by his will and fell asleep quietly.
Shen Yu's foundation is not as deep as Jiang An's, and less than 20%25 of the people who follow her are people who usually have some opinions about Jiang An.
Shen Yu couldn't stay outside the palace for long. Li Zhaonian gave her an hour, and she had to go back quickly.
After leaving the house and getting on the carriage, Shen Yu went back home again and met Shen Zhao face to face.
"This is a letter from Luozhou." Shen Yu put the letter on the table, "Please read it."
Shen Zhao opened it and looked at it, "Grandma is sick?"
"Yes." Shen Yu nodded, "It's a letter from shopkeeper Lu. Brother, I can't leave now. You can only go to Luozhou."
Shen Zhao hesitated, "But how can I rest assured if I leave you alone in the palace?"
Shen Yu smiled and said, "Before we met again, I came here all the way. Isn't it good? Don't worry, Xie Tingzhou is still here, he will protect me."
Shen Zhao snorted coldly, "Is he an outsider after all? How can I protect you so wholeheartedly?"
"Isn't there nothing we can do about it?" Shen Yu pulled his sleeve and shook it, "Brother, brother, big brother..."
"Stop shaking." Shen Zhao glared at her, "Don't use this trick, it will make you less cute."
Shen Yu curled her lips and said, "I know you are reluctant to let go of Miss Yu."
"It's nothing." Shen Zhao denied.
Shen Yu looked at the door, "Miss Yu?"
Shen Zhao suddenly stood up, turned around and saw that there was no one at the door, so he knew there was a trick.
"You're so brave, how dare you tease your brother."
Shen Yu's head shook when he poked her, she stopped smiling and said sternly: "It's not a bad thing that Taifu Yu was dismissed for deposing the crown prince. Now is a troubled time. It is the right choice to avoid the limelight. Brother, don't worry, I I will take care of Miss Yu for you, and the prince is a kind person and will not embarrass them."
Shen Zhao nodded, "I know."
"Grandma, please talk to me and tell her not to be angry with Ayu."
"Grandma won't do it. She loves you the most." Shen Zhao said.
It was almost time for Shen Yu to leave. She stood up and said, "Say goodbye to Sister Yu tonight. You can set off early tomorrow morning. It has been rainy recently and the road is difficult to walk. Please be careful along the way and remember to take Kong Qing with you."
Shen Zhao touched her head and said, "Brother went to see my grandmother and will come back to you."
"Yeah." Shen Yu nodded and said, "Not necessarily. Maybe it will be over soon and I will come find you."
Shen Yu left the courtyard, and Xi Xi drove her carriage to a place a hundred meters away from the palace gate.
"You come in."
Hearing this, Xi Xi got into the carriage and asked, "What are your orders, Master?"
Shen Yu said: "Tomorrow, you will watch my brother leave the city. After confirming that he has left, you can go and do something for me."
"Master's orders." Xi Xi said.
Xi Xi is smart. He understood after Shen Yu said it once, nodded and said, "I remember."
……
Xuanhui Hall was lit with candles day and night. Li Zhaonian stayed here and never left Xuanhui Hall for many days.
Empress Tongxu died young, and she later married a successor who died within two years. After that, she never had a queen, and all affairs in the harem were managed by the imperial concubine.
Previously, Emperor Tongxu's concubines came to Xuanhui Palace to cry and make trouble, but after being sent away by the prince, they did not dare to come again.
There was a couch spread out in the corner of the dormitory, and Li Zhaonian had been resting on this couch these past few days.
He lay on the couch and looked at the beams on the roof of the palace, which seemed to be decaying with the influence of the Zhou Dynasty.
He hadn't fully sat on the throne yet, but he was already starting to feel tired. He didn't understand why so many people would risk their lives to grab such an overwhelming position.
Li Zhaonian gradually fell asleep, and heard rapid breathing in his sleep.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Li Zhaonian suddenly woke up and heard the palace maid saying in panic: "Your Majesty seems to be dying."
"Nonsense!" Li Zhaonian got off the bed and rushed to the side of the dragon bed. He saw Emperor Tongxu's chest rising and falling violently, and the sound coming from his throat was like a bellows.
"Pass on the Imperial Physician!"
Li Zhaonian hurriedly helped Emperor Tongxu up and patted his back, but Emperor Tongxu didn't feel better at all.
"Shen Yu." Li Zhaonian raised his voice, "Shen Yu!"
Shen Yu pushed the door open and asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Li Zhaonian said patiently: "My father seems to be dying."
Shen Yu quickly stepped forward and observed, "It seems that he can't breathe."
She hesitated for a moment, then used the strength to raise her hand and slap Emperor Tongxu on the heart.
"Wow--"
Emperor Tongxu spit out a mouthful of black blood.
"Father!" Li Zhaonian shouted.
Emperor Tongxu's breathing slowed down after this vomiting, and he even gradually opened his cloudy eyes.
Li Zhaonian looked down and saw that the black blood was still mixed with coagulated blood clots. Emperor Tongxu must have been blocked by the blood clots just now.
"Father," Li Zhaonian said tremblingly.
Emperor Tongxu's cloudy eyes gradually focused, "Zhaonian."
He slowly raised his hand, and Li Zhaonian grabbed it immediately, "Father, my son is here."
"I have something to say, you...you stand back."
Li Zhaonian ordered: "You all stand down."
"Yes." Shen Yu led the eunuchs and maids out of the dormitory.
