She only hoped that the royal family could take it.
…
The news of Shen Xin’s military power being snatched only circulated for a day in the capital before it was replaced by new rumors the next day. However, the new rumors were still related to Shen Xin.
It was said that the second day after Shen Xin lost his military power, he handed a letter to Emperor Wen Hui in front of the civil and military officials during the morning assembly, saying that he wanted to retreat to Spring City with the remaining guards of the Shen family.
Others found it unbelievable that the once famous general would end up becoming a watcher of a city in the middle of nowhere. Shen Xin must be very disappointed with Emperor Wen Hui and feel aggrieved, so much so that he made the decision in a fit of anger.
The storyteller in the teahouse recounted the scene vividly. He said that Emperor Wen Hui’s expression changed on the spot in the throne hall and he threw the letter at Shen Xin’s face. Unexpectedly, Shen Xin remained stubborn and insisted on retreating to Spring City. The emperor was naturally not someone with a good temper. No matter how many contributions Shen Xin had made in the past, it was useless. Didn’t you want to retreat to the border? Good, very good. Then go and guard that small city!
Therefore, the entire capital knew that the mighty general was leaving the capital for Spring city tomorrow.
Almost everyone in the teahouse was talking about this. Some people felt that Shen Xin had done the right thing. The mighty general had become a general without an army. Even if he stayed in the capital, no one would respect him. It was better to stay far away and avoid being talked about. Some people felt that Shen Xin had been given too much power and was arrogant. He was spared a life sentence after deceiving the emperor. But not only did he not show gratitude, but he even openly threw a tantrum at Emperor Wen Hui. If not for Emperor Wen Hui’s benevolence, Shen Xin would’ve been beheaded a thousand times.
In the Pleasure Restaurant, Ji Yushu held his chin and looked at Gao Yang. “What do you think Shen Xin is doing? Is he going to abandon the Shen army just like that?”
“If that’s the case, he’s really decisive.” Gao Yang sighed and said, “Not everyone can retreat peacefully after such a humiliation.” After taking a sip of tea, Gao Yang said to Xie Jingxing, who was silent at the side, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xie Jingxing was interrupted. He came back to his senses and looked at the two of them. “The Shen family is too fast.”
“Fast?” Ji Yushu was a little puzzled.
Xie Jingxing played with the teacup in his hand and smiled faintly. He pointed a way out for the Shen family to Shen Miao, but he did not expect the Shen family to take action so quickly. Yesterday, Shen Xin was stripped of his military power, and today, he went to court to request retreating to the far northwest. Shen Xin was a person who wouldn’t make a move unless he was confident. For Shen Xin to make up his mind in such a short time, Shen Miao must have said something to him.
Emperor Wen Hui asked Shen Xin to pack his things and leave the capital tomorrow. On the surface, he was making things difficult for Shen Xin, but little did he know that his thoughts were completely read by a little girl from the Shen family. Xie Jingxing had a feeling that in this chess game being played in Ming Qi, Shen Miao might play a crucial part. However… to him, who was about to leave the capital, this was meaningless.
“Yushu, leave the capital with me.” He said, “Gao Yang, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Ji Yushu rubbed his nose and looked a little excited. “Alright, Third Brother Xie. The pastries made by the chef here are really awful. Third Brother’s chef is the best. At least I don’t have to go hungry.”
Gao Yang rolled his eyes at him and said coldly, “You’ve eaten everything in the capital. When have you gone hungry?” With that, he changed to a serious expression and said to Xie Jingxing, “Don’t worry, leave the rest to me.”
