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

"What does she want?" Emperor Jing frowned, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, can you let the Queen leave the palace?" Shen Chuning asked cautiously.

Emperor Jing pondered for a moment and said, "I allow her to return home to visit her relatives."

Seeing that Emperor Jing didn't understand what she meant, Shen Chuning bit her lip and mustered up the courage to speak again: "Your Majesty, please spare the Empress' life."

Emperor Jing's face turned gloomy in an instant. He clenched the ring in his hand tightly, and his eyes revealed majesty and anger.

"There are two paths before her. It's her choice whether to live or die," he said coldly.

Shen Chuning's heart tightened, but she did not back down.

She took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty, your goal is the silver, not the Empress's life. But the Empress clearly has no will to live. If she dies, how can the Mo family obediently hand over the silver and just excuse it with a loss? If this continues, not only will you lose the silver, but you will also lose your life. Isn't it a waste of time?"

After hearing what Shen Chuning said, Emperor Jing's expression became even uglier.

"Then tell me what to do?" Emperor Jing asked gritting his teeth.

Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Shen Chuning, he had to admit that she made sense.

Shen Chuning breathed a sigh of relief, she knew that Emperor Jing had begun to waver.

She said cautiously, "Why don't you let the queen leave the palace? It will be like buying her life."

As Shen Chuning spoke, she observed Emperor Jing's expression, fearing that she might anger him.

"No, there has never been a precedent in my Great Yong Dynasty for a concubine to leave the palace alive." Emperor Jing refused without thinking.

Shen Chuning curled her lips and thought, of course there is no such thing. Didn't Concubine Duan Jing move out of the palace and live on Prince Rui's farm directly after Prince Rui died? It all depends on whether the emperor in power wants to release her.

But Shen Chuning thought that Prince Rui’s death might also be related to the struggle for the throne, so she didn’t mention it.

"Of course, Her Majesty cannot leave the palace as Concubine Hui or Lady Mo. She can just announce to the public that Her Majesty has passed away and secretly leave the palace under a different identity." Shen Chuning said.

Her words made Emperor Jing laugh. "Shen Chuning, don't push your luck. Don't think that just because you're the Shen family's daughter, I have to spoil you. You've already thought of a way out. Was this your idea or the Mo family's?"

Shen Chuning quietly wiped the sweat from her palms on the hem of her clothes, swallowed her saliva and said, "It was An Ning's idea. I haven't told the queen about this yet."

Emperor Jing stared at Shen Chuning and asked, "Is this the result of your persuasion?"

Shen Chuning could only bite the bullet and say, "A Ning only came up with this unseemly plan because you saw that Your Majesty was determined to die. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my youth and ignorance."

Emperor Jing remained silent, as if he was carefully considering what Shen Chuning said.

After a moment, he slowly asked, "How much silver can the Mo family come up with?"

Hearing this, Shen Chuning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that her plan was half successful.

So, she thought for a moment and said, "The Mo family is not well off either. In the first year, we can provide two million taels of gold. In the next eight years, we can provide one million taels each year, for a total of ten million taels of gold."

After listening to this, Emperor Jing fell silent again.

He stared at Shen Chuning quietly, his eyes sharp and deep, making Shen Chuning feel a little uneasy.

However, Shen Chuning was not intimidated by this atmosphere. She firmly endured Emperor Jing's gaze and did not say another word.

Finally, Emperor Jing broke the silence and said calmly, "Too little, and for too long."

Shen Chuning had no choice but to speak again: "In the first year, three million taels of gold; in the next five years, one and a half million taels per year, for a total of ten and a half million taels of gold. Your Majesty, this is five hundred thousand taels more than your original request."

After listening to this, Emperor Jing asked, "After Concubine Hui leaves the palace, who will guarantee that I will receive the subsequent silver? Can I still send people to capture her?"

Facing this question, Shen Chuning smiled and replied, "Isn't it true that I am still here? And the Shen family is so big."

When Emperor Jing heard this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I don't know when you will be able to become the master of the Shen family."

Shen Chuning twisted her fingers tightly and replied softly, "Then my own master can always do it."

"What use is there for me to have a little girl like you? Are you worth 7.5 million taels of gold?" Emperor Jing asked back.

Shen Chuning took a deep breath and held up three fingers. "I swear in the name of the Shen family's legitimate daughter that if I can't give Your Majesty 1.5 million taels of gold every year for the next five years, I will do whatever Your Majesty wants me to do. Even if I'm sent to marry a foreign prince, I will have no complaints!"

At this moment, Shen Chuning, who swore an oath in the imperial study, had never thought that her words would come true and she would really embark on the road of marriage in the future.

Emperor Jing rubbed his brows and said tiredly, "You go back first, let me think about it."

Shen Chuning stood up obediently, bowed to Emperor Jing, and left.

When she reached the door, she stopped, turned around and reminded, "Your Majesty, you have to think quickly. If the Queen drinks all the medicine for 49 days, your money will be gone." After that, she turned and left.

……

When Shen Chuning returned to the Shen family, she unexpectedly met Yun Zian at Mrs. Shen's house.

At this moment, Yun Zian no longer had his usual carefree and relaxed demeanor. His clothes were no longer neat and looked a little messy. His face had become sallow, with a blue tint under his eyes. His beard looked like he hadn't shaved for several days, and his lips were even chapped and peeling.

Before Shen Chuning came back, Yun Zian paced back and forth in the room anxiously.

When Shen Chuning pushed open the door and came in, Yun Zian saw the box in her arms at a glance. His legs suddenly went weak and he almost fell down.

Seeing this, Shen Chuning hurriedly ran a few steps and quickly supported Yun Zian who was about to fall to the ground.

"When did uncle come?" Shen Chuning said as she helped Yun Zian walk to a chair and sit down.

"I happened to have some business to attend to in Bianjing. After hearing the news of the Crown Prince's death, I was worried that something might have happened, so I hurried to the capital to check on the situation. Upon arriving, I heard that Concubine Hui had been banished to the cold palace. Your mother said you went to the palace this morning. Did you see Concubine Hui? How is she doing now?"

Yun Zian was extremely anxious, and his concern for Mo Ruxing was beyond words, and he didn't even bother to hide it.

Shen Chuning hurried to comfort Yun Zian: "My entry into the palace went smoothly today. I met the Empress. Although the conditions in the cold palace are a little simple, the Empress has money in hand, so she will have no shortage of food, clothing, or other necessities."

Yun Zian patted his chest as if he had been pardoned, "That's good, that's good."

"It's just..." Shen Chuning stammered.