Chapter 539: Persuasion
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu Niaoniao was stunned. “He came so quickly?”
From the time Shen Zhuo sent someone to invite her to the residence for a chat until he personally appeared, less than ten minutes had passed.
Granny Xiu Yan frowned.
“The Crown Prince was here long ago, but he didn’t come in.”
Yu Niaoniao was enlightened. It seemed that Shen Zhuo had long known that she would not see him, so he deliberately asked someone to come and put on an act first. Regardless of whether she would see him in the end, he would come personally.
She put down her paintbrush. “If it’s a blessing, it’s not a disaster. If it’s a disaster, I can’t avoid it. Lead the way.”
Granny Xiu Yan said, “Should we send someone to invite His Highness back?” Yu Niaoniao looked at the sky outside.
“He should be back soon. There’s no need to send someone just to look for him.’
“Aye. ”
In the flower hall, Shen Zhuo was looking at the banana tree outside the window in a daze.
When he saw Yu Niaoniao appear, his eyes immediately lit up.
Yu Niaoniao looked rosy and her eyes were bright. She did not look sick at all.
However, Shen Zhuo still asked with concern.
“Niaoniao, I heard that you were sick, so I specially came to visit. How’s your condition? Do you want the imperial physician to take a look at you?”
Yu Niaoniao bowed. “Greetings, Your Highness. May I know why Your Highness has come personally?”
Seeing that she was so distant, Shen Zhuo could not help but feel a little sad. “I came to see you. Are you still angry with me?”
Yu Niaoniao said, “His Highness is of noble status. How would I dare to be angry with you?”
Shen Zhuo took a step forward. “Niaoniao.”
Yu Niaoniao immediately retreated.
“This is Duke Lang’s Palace. I’m the Princess Consort, and you’re the current Crown Prince. If you don’t want rumors of the Crown Prince bullying the wife of a subject, please respect yourself and don’t forget your status.”
Shen Zhuo had no choice but to stop. “Niaoniao, do we have to go to this extent?”
Yu Niaoniao said, “Isn’t this what the Crown Prince wants?”
Shen Zhuo said, “You have to believe me. No matter what I do, I’ve never thought of hurting you. You’re the person I want to protect the most!”
“Protect?” Yu Niaoniao seemed to have heard a funny joke. The corners of her mouth twitched as she smiled.
“Is your so-called protection deceit and exploitation?”
Shen Zhuo begged, “I apologize for my previous mistakes.
Yu Niaoniao looked at him steadily.
In the past, she treated him as family and trusted him from the bottom of her heart. But now, he had become a stranger in her eyes.
She asked slowly, “At this point, don’t you know what you did wrong?” Shen Zhuo remained silent.
Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and said what she had suppressed in her heart.
“Your concealment and deception have indeed disappointed me, but you had your reasons. Although I couldn’t accept it, I could understand.”
“What I really can’t accept is that you took the credit for Duke Lang. It was clearly not your achievement, but you took it for yourself.”
“Your actions were really despicable.”
“I couldn’t even believe it.”
“Brother Junzhi, who was once glorious, gentle, and humble, could actually do such a shameless thing. Every time I think of it, I feel embarrassed for you.” Shen Zhuo was extremely embarrassed by her words, and his pale face turned even paler.
He said with difficulty, “In the end, you’re still doing it for Xiao Juan.” Yu Niaoniao felt that he was really hopeless.
“Even if it’s not Xiao Juan, even if it’s just an ordinary citizen, you shouldn’t have done such a thing. You’re the Crown Prince. You should be open and aboveboard, not like a thief who steals others’ things!” Shen Zhuo laughed self-deprecatingly. “So in your heart, I’ve already become a thief.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “I’m just stating the facts.”
“What a good saying!” Shen Zhuo stopped smiling. “Since you want to talk about the matter with me, I’ll talk to you about serious matters. Qirui Garden is a business under your name, right? You created Duke Lang in Liaodong, right? This show reflects the important ministers of the Imperial Court. Your reckless discussion of the country’s politics has already caused an extremely bad influence on the people. I can order someone to seal your theater at any time!” Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before laughing.
“Heh, after talking for so long, His Highness the Crown Prince is here for Qirui Garden. You said that it reflects the important ministers of the Imperial Court.
Do you have evidence? I don’t think you’ve personally seen Duke Lang in
Liaodong, right?”
As she spoke, she took out an opera ticket from her sleeve and placed it in front of Shen Zhuo.
“Your Highness, please take a look. What’s this line on the opera ticket?”
Shen Zhuo looked down and saw a line of small words on the bottom left corner of the opera ticket—
This story is purely fictional and, if there are similarities, they are purely coincidental.
Yu Niaoniao said, “Do you see that? If there’s a similarity, it’s purely a coincidence!”
Shen Zhuo was not frightened by her methods and said coldly.
“It’s just a word game. This kind of cleverness can’t change the fact that you’re talking nonsense about the government.”
“I order you to close the Qirui Garden immediately. If you don’t obey, I can only send someone to capture everyone in the theater. I believe you don’t want to see that happen, right?”
Yu Niaoniao clenched her fists and her expression turned extremely ugly.
She didn’t think she had done anything wrong, but in a feudal society, imperial power represented everything.
The other party was the Crown Prince. Once the other party made up his mind to seize Qirui Garden, she could not stop him.
Shen Zhuo looked at her face and softened his tone.
“I specially came to look for you today to talk to you calmly. As long as you’re willing to stop running the show and promise not to interfere in politics in the future, I can pretend that nothing happened.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “Is this a threat?”
Shen Zhuo said, “No, this is just persuasion.”
Yu Niaoniao let out a disdainful sneer. “As expected of the Crown Prince. Dream on.”
Shen Zhuo did not mind and advised unhurriedly.
“Those people in Qirui Garden are different from you.”
“You are the Princess Consort of Lang County. Ordinary people can’t touch you.
You have the right to be willful.”
“However, those people in Qirui Garden are only commoners. They do not have the ability to protect themselves. A casual sentence from me could take their lives.”
“You’re kind by nature. I’m sure you don’t want them to be implicated and imprisoned, right?”
Yu Niaoniao could not speak.
Although she was angry, she could not implicate the innocent.
At this moment, a low voice came from outside the door.
“What right does His Highness have to arrest and imprison them?”
Yu Niaoniao looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Juan striding into the flower hall.
She immediately forgot her anger and ran over happily.
“You’re finally back!”
Xiao Juan said, “I was delayed on the way just now. I came back a little late.”
At this point, he looked at Shen Zhuo, who was standing not far away.
“I didn’t expect His Highness to suddenly visit.”
“I heard that you wanted to capture the people from Qirui Garden just now. May I know the reason? I’d just come back from Qirui Garden. I’d watched their new play.”
“It was acted well. Although it’s exaggerated, it’s basically in line with the truth..”
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