Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 165 Feeling Heartache for My Husband

“The Fourteenth Prince loves painting, and His Majesty specifically appointed you to teach him. I suppose no one is more suitable than you.” Dean Ge explained when she remained silent, his voice softening slightly.

"Your humble servant is terrified and will do his best," Shen Li replied politely, thinking to herself that it was hard for the Empress to go to such lengths to come up with such a reason.

That's good, she was just about to meet them.

After leaving the Hanlin Academy, Shen Li entered the palace. When she arrived at Fengxiang Palace, she saw Hanlin scholars giving a lecture. Li Che, a small boy, sat there with his back straight, listening very attentively.

She nodded to herself. This child had been hardworking since childhood and had not gone astray as he grew up. He was a good boy.

She was taken to the palace to pay her respects. Three days later, when they met again, Empress Ning was still the same as before, lacking energy and far less vibrant than Consort Zheng.

However, she didn't know that Consort Zheng had lost seven-tenths of her radiance since she entered the palace once.

Empress Ning asked her to sit down and chat about everyday matters. As they talked, the topic of Xia Yuan came up, and she asked if the Empress Ning had any good ideas. Although she asked, Empress Ning did not hold out much hope.

Zhou Zhen couldn't do anything about the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. He was a cunning old fox, and it was impossible to get him to take sides and take the initiative to investigate the case or hand the person over to the Ministry of Justice.

The emperor was even less able to speak up. After enduring so many years, the emperor had finally seen an opportunity to depose the crown prince. How could he possibly allow the crown prince a chance to breathe?

With no solution on either side, how could Shen Li possibly come up with anything?

"Your Majesty, do not worry. Everyone has weaknesses. I have already discussed this with my husband in private. He is investigating this matter with all his might, and we should know the answer soon," Shen Li said, her eyes sharp and her voice steady.

Empress Ning perked up immediately upon hearing this. Knowing Shen Li as she did, she knew that Shen Li wouldn't make promises she wasn't sure of.

"What do you need me and the Crown Prince to do?" She cut to the chase without beating around the bush.

"Find out other charges against Xia Yuan, make a big fuss about it, and put pressure on Shuntian Prefecture," Shen Li replied succinctly.

Looking at Shen Li's calm demeanor and confidence, Empress Ning began to understand her son. No wonder he couldn't let go of his old feelings; even she regretted not fighting harder for this daughter-in-law back then.

After getting to know Li Che, Shen Li realized that inviting her to teach painting was not just an excuse; Li Che genuinely loved it and painted much better than her peers.

Moreover, although this child was half a head shorter than his peers, he acted with the maturity of a young man, addressing Shen Li as Mr. Shen in a very formal manner, which made Shen Li unable to help but smile.

She now understood why Shen Yue smiled whenever she thought of the child; the contrast between that chubby little face and his serious words was striking.

Fortunately, she had gone through the same thing since she was a child, so she had a lot of patience. She finished the class meticulously without laughing once.

"Thank you, sir. I have benefited greatly from your teachings." Li Che bowed deeply to Shen Li, his voice still that of a young child, full of sincerity.

"Your Highness is too kind to me." Shen Li wanted to laugh and sigh at the same time. This child was raised to be so well-behaved and humble.

"Sir, may I call you Sister Shen after class?" Li Che raised his head and looked at Shen Li with his big eyes.

“Of course.” Shen Li also became more friendly.

Although they hadn't met often, he had held the prince when he was a child, so they were old acquaintances.

"Sister Shen, I have a favor to ask." Li Che looked around as he spoke, and only felt relieved when he saw that only his personal eunuch was there.

Shen Li was surprised: "Your Highness, just give the order."

Li Che took off a jade pendant from his body and handed it to her, saying solemnly, "Sister Shen Yue saved my life last time. How can a gentleman not repay kindness? Please give this to her as a token. If she needs my help in the future, I will do it."

Seeing this little bean sprout earnestly presenting the token as a promise, Shen Li found it incredibly difficult to suppress her smile.

“Your Highness, these are your personal belongings and they look very precious. This is inappropriate. I thank Your Highness for your kindness on behalf of my sister.” Shen Li tried her best to answer in the most proper voice.

“If I say it’s settled, then it’s settled.” Li Che pulled Shen Li’s hand, placed the jade pendant in her palm without further ado, and said firmly, “Please make sure to deliver this to Sister Shen.”

Before Shen Li could refuse again, Li Che had already walked away, decisive and leaving no room for argument.

Looking at the little boy's straight figure and then at the jade in her hand, she couldn't help but laugh this time. Since her rebirth, it seemed that no one had ever been so domineering in front of her.

I never imagined it would be a little dumpling with chubby cheeks that hadn't faded yet and whose features hadn't fully developed.

She reluctantly accepted the jade pendant and turned to ask the Empress for permission. Such a valuable item was not something she could just take out without permission. Even if she wouldn't be accused of theft, the charge of secretly exchanging it was no joke.

If she were to be targeted by any censor or official, she would be doomed.

Empress Ning was in a good mood, and upon hearing this, she simply smiled. She immediately registered Shen Li and allowed her to take the jade pendant away, and also promised not to tell Li Che.

After leaving the palace, Shen Li returned the jade pendant to her home. Shen Yue took it as a joke and put it away. Shen Li then ate a free dinner before returning to her residence.

Starting from the second day, there were more memorials impeaching the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, which greatly annoyed Emperor Cheng.

Moreover, that's not all. One after another, aggrieved parties appeared in the Shuntian Prefecture government office, all of them suing Xia Yuan.

Some say he caused trouble and assaulted people in the street; others say he forcibly took his daughter as a concubine; still others say he sued a casino for not only losing money but also vandalizing the casino.

Before the new cases could be concluded, old cases began to surface one after another, and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture felt that things were starting to get out of hand.

At the same time, he came into contact with more officials, some of whom offered him small favors to transfer cases, while others offered him small favors to suppress the matter to the end.

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was overwhelmed just by receiving these people. He had served as the Prefect of the Capital for many years, and the Capital was full of important figures. There were countless cases where both the plaintiff and the defendant had powerful connections.

He believed he could handle things with ease, but this time he was truly in a dilemma. He didn't want to offend either side, nor could he afford to.

However, after struggling with his hair for several nights, he made up his mind. If he really handed the person over, he would offend the King of Yi to death.

There would be no loss if the crown prince was not handed over; although they would be angry for the time being, it was not really a feud.

Moreover, given the current situation, it is still uncertain whether the Crown Prince can keep his position. It would be a bad deal to offend the Prince of Yi for his sake, so he has to bear the pressure no matter how great it is.

This way, you can also do King Yi a favor.

Shen Li's official position did not require her to attend court; she only needed to report to the Hanlin Academy every day. Her daily reading and writing were quite easy, which resulted in the Hanlin scholars having plenty of leisure time.

At first, they weren't very familiar with each other, but after six or seven days, those who clicked could start talking to each other.

"It's a pity that Lord Shen couldn't come with us to listen to the music. Last night was quite lively," Zhao Wencai said, stroking his beard and reminiscing.