Chapter 166 Grand Opening of the Imperial Academy
Consort Shu's struggles gradually weakened, and the rhythm of her kicking legs also slowed down.
Finally, her body went limp, and she completely lost all sound.
Consort Su let go of her hands and casually threw the white silk cord to the ground.
She looked at Consort Shu's unseeing corpse, her eyes cold, and whispered in a voice only she could hear.
"At a time like this, she was still thinking of dealing with Lord Shen."
"She truly deserved to die."
After speaking, she tidied her slightly disheveled sleeves, as if merely dusting them off.
She turned and quietly departed, her figure quickly disappearing into the night outside the Cold Palace.
As if she had never been there... Consort Shu was dead.
Like a stone dropped into a lake, she sank to the bottom without even a proper splash.
Panic spread through the Palace, but the Empress quickly stabilized the Imperial Harem, publicly announcing that Consort Shu had died of illness.
However, this explanation was not very credible; who in the Palace didn't know that few who entered the Cold Palace came out in one piece?
Dying inside was the fate of most consorts.
But for someone like Consort Shu to die so quickly was quite rare.
As for someone like Consort Qing, who entered the Cold Palace and then came out well, that was simply too rare.
If it weren't for the good fortune of Prince Zhao Ying, Consort Qing's fate would not have been much better than Consort Shu's.
Emperor Ren, upon hearing the news, merely waved his hand impatiently, not asking a single additional question, and left all funeral arrangements to the Empress.
A vibrant life, a consort who once held the Emperor's favor in the Imperial Harem, thus faded away.
And within the Imperial Harem, rumors began to circulate that Consort Shu's tragic end was due to offending Lord Shen.
Now, who didn't know that Lord Shen was a favorite of the Emperor and also the teacher of the princes and princesses?
Furthermore, it was said that he was also a relative of the Empress; such a person was truly not to be offended!
Even Consort Shu and her son, who were once so powerful, couldn't defeat Lord Shen.
Everyone sighed with emotion when they discussed it privately after meals.
When Shen Yulou heard the news, he was watering a pot of clivia that he had just bought for the Princess, his heart completely unmoved.
For someone like Consort Shu, there must have been many who hated her.
Daily corporal punishment of a Palace Maid or beating a eunuch could easily make her the target of others' resentment.
Now that she was disgraced, even a eunuch could take her life.
This situation was too common in the Palace.
If she died, she died; no one cared who killed her.
He had come to understand that in this Palace, if one wasn't ruthless, one couldn't survive... Consort Shu's death was just a minor incident that occurred in the Imperial City during this period.
And the real main event had only just begun today.
The Imperial Academy, auspiciously opened today!
Early in the morning, the entrance of the newly renovated courtyard next to the Ministry of War office was already bustling with carriages and luxurious vehicles.
Xpeng, BYD, Chery... oops, I got carried away, it was various exquisite carriages vying for attention.
Each carriage was extremely valuable, and the young masters and mistresses who disembarked from them all had extraordinary statuses.
In addition to the eighteen legitimate princes and princesses, there were also fifteen high-quality students carefully selected by Shen Yulou.
These children were all treasures of princes, dukes, and powerful court officials.
Shen Yulou's admission standards were very simple and direct.
First, the family had to be rich and powerful; his targets were almost exclusively first-rank officials and imperial relatives.
Second, the parents shouldn't be too clever, preferably the kind that could be easily fooled. Of course, those who could become first-rank officials were not simple people.
However, how could such important figures have time to personally teach their children? Most were brought up by their wives or housekeepers, and Shen Yulou specifically chose families where the wife was in charge.
After all, he was a professional at dealing with women.
Third, the children should not be too young, nor too old; too young and they couldn't accomplish anything, too old and they were hard to brainwash.
Of course, there was an exception, and that was Li Hui's son.
This was the only heir of the top master on the fengyun ranking, a future super bodyguard, and it was essential to cultivate a relationship from a young age; this was called angel round investment.
By keeping Li Hui's son by his side, wouldn't the couple treat Shen Yulou as an honored guest?
The second-ranked master on the fengyun ranking had already died. Now, with one first-ranked and one second-ranked, at least his own safety would be guaranteed.
Moreover, Madam Li's skill with hidden weapons and Qinggong truly made Shen Yulou envious. Before, Shen Yulou had no interest in martial arts, as he knew it required hard work and was a skill best learned from childhood.
To achieve Li Hui's level, he probably had no chance in this lifetime.
But if he could learn even a smattering of Madam Li's Qinggong and hidden weapons, he would have the ability to protect himself.
Like Wei Xiaobao in The Deer and the Cauldron, learning it was a life-saving skill.
He would have to ask Madam Li to give him some private lessons later.
These noble ladies and madams, who usually didn't go out, were now extremely polite to Shen Yulou.
"Lord Shen, my son is in your care. This is a small token of my respect..."
"Lord Shen, this is for the children's snacks. Please don't think it's too little..."
A group of richly dressed noble ladies, wiping away tears, reluctantly sent their children inside.
When they got close to Shen Yulou, they skillfully slipped banknotes into his sleeve, their movements natural and fluid.
And Shen Yulou maintained his usual style.
No initiative, no refusal, no responsibility.
He wore a professional fake smile on his face, speaking official platitudes.
"Ladies, rest assured, we have a fully enclosed, militarized management system, guaranteeing to cultivate your sons and daughters into pillars of Da Hun!
In a month, the children will have a holiday for family visits, and by then, you will surely see their changes!
Please return, everyone. If you need to visit or send supplies, please apply one day in advance."
Finally, all the children were brought in.
With a clang!
The cast-iron gate, even thicker than the Palace gates, was personally closed by the Ninth Prince and secured with three large locks.
Outside the gate were the reluctant parents.
Inside the gate were a group of lambs about to enter a den of demons.
As soon as the children entered the courtyard, they were instantly stunned by the sight before them.
In the center of the courtyard stood a colorful, oddly shaped building.
There were also trampolines that could make people jump really high, and all sorts of strange and unheard-of playthings.
"Sir, what is this?" A chubby little boy pointed at a slide, his eyes full of curiosity.
Shen Yulou smiled like a kind kindergarten principal.
"This is called a slide. You slide down from the top, like flying."
"That's a trampoline, this is a soft play area, and there are climbing frames..."
The children had never seen anything like this!
Their eyes were wide with excitement, and they cheered loudly.
Instantly, the sadness of leaving home was thrown to the back of their minds, and they rushed forward like mad.
For a moment, the entire Imperial Academy was filled with joyful air.
Shen Yulou didn't interfere; he just let them play, play hard, until they were exhausted.
An hour later.
When all the children were exhausted from playing, Eighth Prince Zhao Lü cleared his throat and shouted loudly with full vigor.
"Stop playing! Sir is about to speak! Everyone gather!"
The children gathered sparsely, each showing signs of fatigue.
They were tired from playing earlier, which had consumed a lot of their physical strength.
Shen Yulou was leisurely reclining on a specially customized rattan chair, his legs crossed.
In his hand, he held a cup of top-grade tea, the same kind as the imperial tea (a gift from a student's parent), savoring it slowly.
He scanned the group of golden branches and jade leaves below, and slowly began to speak.
"Welcome, everyone, to our park