Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Your Majesty, do you want to leave the palace?" Shen Chuning asked softly.

"Leave the palace?" Mo Ruxing sighed slightly, a trace of longing and helplessness flashed in her eyes, "If possible, I really want to go back to Jiangnan to take a look, but now once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. I'm afraid that even if I die, I can't even bring my body back." Her voice was low and sad.

Shen Chuning looked at Mo Ruxing, a determined light flashing in her eyes: "What's the point of getting out with a corpse? I mean getting out alive."

Mo Ruxing looked at Shen Chuning in surprise, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes, but then she shook her head: "His Majesty sends people to deliver poison every day. The palace is heavily guarded. It is too difficult to sneak out of the palace. I can't implicate innocent people for my own freedom."

"Don't worry about it. Just tell me whether you want to leave the palace or not." Shen Chuning asked anxiously.

Mo Ruxing was silent for a moment, then nodded firmly: "Even if only corpses are left, we must get out."

"Then how much money do you have available now?" Shen Chuning continued to ask.

Mo Ruxing thought for a moment and replied, "There are about three million taels of silver notes. However, the jewelry awarded by the palace cannot be sold. The jewelry sent to the palace by the Mo family over the years can be sold for about three to five million taels. They are all in Chunxi Palace. If needed, I can let Amber go back secretly to get them."

Shen Chuning thought for a moment and then said, "This may not be possible, so don't hold your hopes too high. But let's prepare it first. If I need it, I'll come to you for it."

Although Shen Chuning told him not to have too much hope, Mo Ruxing became more lively because of these words.

After coming out of the cold palace, Shen Chuning asked Birui to go out of the palace to do some business first, while she went to the imperial study.

At the door of the imperial study, Dequan was waiting outside the palace with a sullen face. When he saw Shen Chuning, he immediately smiled and said to her, "Miss Shen, you're here. Is there any good news from Master Mo?"

Shen Chuning nodded.

Dequan was very happy when he saw this and said to Shen Chuning, "The Ninth Miss of the Shen family is really capable! His Majesty is very angry and even reprimanded several ministers at the morning court! If you can persuade Master Mo, His Majesty will definitely calm down."

Shen Chuning replied modestly, "Your Excellency, I am very grateful for your kindness. I wonder if it is convenient for you to see Your Majesty now?"

Dequan quickly replied, "That's convenient. I'll pass the message on right away."

Afterwards, Dequan walked into the imperial study, and after a while came out to ask Shen Chuning to come in and meet the emperor.

Shen Chuning straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down before following Dequan into the imperial study.

Along the way, she kept her head down, not daring to look straight ahead. She could only stare at the floor tiles under her feet, and her palms gradually began to sweat.

After entering the imperial study, Shen Chuning knelt on both knees and respectfully performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows, shouting, "Long live the emperor."

Emperor Jing stopped writing the memorials he was reviewing, raised his eyes slightly and looked at Shen Chuning, a faint smile on his lips, and said, "When did Shen's Xiaojiu become so obedient? Get up!"

Then he instructed Dequan who was standing beside him, "Dequan, give Miss Shen a seat."

After expressing her gratitude, Shen Chuning stood up and sat on the embroidered cushion that Dequan had brought.

Emperor Jing put down his pen, his eyes fell on Shen Chuning, and asked in a relaxed tone, "I heard from Dequan that you went to the cold palace this morning? Did you help persuade Concubine Hui?"

Shen Chuning nodded and replied softly: "Your Majesty, An Ning has already persuaded Mo to agree."

When Emperor Jing heard the words "Mo Da Ying", he was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "The title is not important. As long as she can figure it out, it will only take a word from me to restore her honor and favor."

"Yes, Your Majesty is wise, but... ten million taels of gold is really too much. Even two Mohists may not be able to collect this much." Shen Chuning stammered.

After hearing what Shen Chuning said, Emperor Jing was delighted. He felt that Mo Ruxing seemed to be showing signs of relenting, so he softened his tone. "If you can't come up with it, you can sit down and talk slowly. I don't care about the life and death of the Mo family. Look at Concubine Hui's expression. It's clear that she would rather die than pay."

"Yes, Concubine Hui has admitted her mistake. But as for the amount, can you reduce it a little, or pay it off over several years?" Shen Chuning looked at Emperor Jing cautiously and asked tentatively.

Emperor Jing was concentrating on the silver needed to rebuild the imperial mausoleum as listed by the Ministry of Works, and was secretly calculating in his mind.

He slowly said, "Six million taels of gold must be paid in one lump sum. If it is to be paid in three years, then eight million taels of gold must be paid, of which four million taels must be paid in the first year, and two million taels must be paid in each of the next two years. No less."

After hearing this, Shen Chuning showed an embarrassment on her face and said softly, "Your Majesty, you know that after two years of floods and droughts, business has been very difficult. The Mo family doesn't have much money now."

Emperor Jing snorted coldly and said firmly, "I can't say any less! If Concubine Hui wants to die, that's fine, but does she think that if she dies, the Mohist School will be able to escape this disaster? If I can support one Mohist School, I can naturally support a second one."

Shen Chuning quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Doing business does require a certain amount of talent. Over the years, I'm sure many people have made money for you, but in the end, none of them are as smooth as the Mo family, right?"

Shen Chuning's words really touched Emperor Jing's heart.

Over the years, those idiots not only did not make any money, but instead made him pay money to fill their losses.

"The money can't be any less. If you have any other requests, please let me know. The position of Imperial Concubine is still vacant. As long as the Mo family can come up with the money, we can really grant her the position of Imperial Concubine."

Emperor Jing thought for a moment and continued, "If she can give birth to a son, the position of Imperial Noble Consort is not impossible to her. The key is whether she is obedient."

However, Shen Chuning frowned. She reminded Emperor Jing, "Your Majesty, why do you think the Imperial Concubine drank the medicine sent by Eunuch Dequan so readily? Ever since the death of the late Crown Prince, the Imperial Concubine Hui has been feeling deeply guilty. She has long lost the will to live and only wants to die. To be disrespectful, even if you offered her the position of Empress, I'm afraid she wouldn't be interested in it at all."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing couldn't help but shout, "She actually despises the position of Empress! How did you convince her? What exactly does she want?"