Chapter 7 A Secret Meeting with a Young Lady: Young Master Shen – We Meet Again…

The Prince of Wei, who had once again lured Shen Minghuai into the palace with an urgent order, was currently hiding with him behind a rockery, observing his potential future queen consort. Shen Minghuai, who had always been law-abiding and upright, and had never crossed the line, couldn't help but be deeply suspicious of this behavior.

As expected, Qian Xu's actions were impulsive, and Consort Shu was unaware of them. Upon learning the truth, Shen Minghuai took a step back, but Qian Xu grabbed him and clicked his tongue.

"What is spying? It's admiration. They won't find out."

Just then, a pair of eyes swept over them, and Shen Minghuai said leisurely, "We've been discovered."

Qian Xu stumbled and fell against the artificial hill, asking urgently, "Who's there?"

A woman in pink was staring in their direction, her golden hairpin gleaming brightly, and Qian Xu was momentarily stunned. The woman gave them a slight smile, curtsied, and then turned to leave.

“I haven’t seen that woman in the portrait,” Qian Xu also said, about to leave. “I’ll go and meet her.”

Shen Minghuai reached out to stop them, kindly reminding them, "Meeting with a mistress in private—"

"Since we're already here, why bother with these rules?"

Qian Xu pushed him back, "The three of us can't be considered a secret meeting—stand further away later."

Shen Minghuai did not respond, which Qian Xu took as a sign that he did not approve of his transgression. But he always did what he wanted, and his words and actions were the rules.

Wang Yan didn't want to go back to the garden, nor did she want to run into the two men again. She excused herself to use the restroom, but didn't know how to kill time. Suddenly, she heard men's voices approaching. It was too late to run now, so she had to find a place to hide. She was only two steps away from the bathroom when the unfamiliar voices sounded behind her.

"Please wait, my lady."

Wang Yan tightened his sleeves and turned around, offering a curtsy to the approaching man, but his gaze subtly swept past him, glancing at the person a foot away. Dressed in a moon-white, round-necked robe, the man stood tall and elegant, embodying the principle of "do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper."

Qian Xu did not notice that her gaze had shifted for a moment, and simply asked, "May I ask your name, madam?"

Wang Yan lowered her gaze and replied, "My name is Wang Yan, and my father is Wang Fuzhi, the Minister of Revenue."

During the conversation, she sensed a fleeting glance, exactly the same one she had received earlier in the Perlan Palace.

"She is the daughter of Minister Wang." Qian Xu stared at Wang Yan without any attempt to hide her gaze, her demeanor measured, her words carefully chosen, maintaining a certain distance from him in a neutral manner, befitting a typical noblewoman.

Do you know Bai Baidao from the south of the city?

"This humble woman does not recognize you."

Wang Yan became alert upon hearing this person mentioned without reason, fearing that outsiders would discover his relationship with his brother. Fortunately, the Prince of Wei only mentioned her portrait briefly—saying that Bai Baidao had painted her face full of pockmarks.

During her absence from the capital, these rumors filled the void, and he reminded her that she should find an opportunity to properly thank him. However, this Prince Wei, who was not related to her at all, was so eager to stand up for her and wanted to reason with Bai Baidao, which really startled her.

Wang Yan still kept her eyes half-lowered. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. This is just an external possession, insignificant. I dare not trouble Your Highness to make this trip. Judging people is about their hearts, not their appearance. If anyone wants to befriend me, I think it would be better to meet them directly than to collect their portraits. If they have no intention of getting to know me, why should I care about the authenticity of their portraits?"

Every sentence speaks of himself, yet none of them are about himself.

Qian Xu seemed dissatisfied with her explanation and remained silent. Wang Yan, unsure if she could leave first, could only stare blankly at her skirt in the suffocating atmosphere. After a moment, the person opposite her suddenly raised their hand as if by magic. Startled, she took two steps back and lowered her head even further.

Qian Xu withdrew his hand, looking bored, and instead praised, "It looks pretty good, but it's a little crooked."

Wang Yan then realized that he cared a lot about the hairpin, and his answer remained strictly proper, maintaining the proper distance between the people and the emperor.

"Bestowed by Consort Shu, it is naturally beautiful."

Ever since Wang Yan accepted this favor with trepidation in the Peilan Palace, countless eyes have been drawn to that golden hairpin. It felt like a thorn in his back, a sword hanging over his neck. Wang Yan missed the carefree days in Yangzhou even more.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty, please."

Shen Minghuai looked over at some point, and the head maid was still standing next to him. In the blink of an eye, two of the four left.

Wang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to have any interaction with the person in front of him, but he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He immediately called out to Shen Minghuai, who had already taken a step forward.

"Young Master Shen—we meet again."

Shen Minghuai bowed respectfully, but his intention to leave had not yet wavered. Wang Yan quickly stopped him, saying, "We met not long ago. I wonder if you remember us, sir?"

Shen Minghuai ignored her and was still leaving, but the people behind the corridor were still there, so Wang Yan had no choice but to make small talk, saying as much as she could.

"Is Young Master Shen angry that I didn't tell you my real name? Little did I know that the one I casually made up that day was actually your surname."

"How could that be?"

Shen Minghuai finally looked at him properly, his tone even more distant than that day, as if they were meeting for the first time. He had an approachable face, but in reality, no one was more difficult to get along with. Moreover, given his special status, staying to talk to him would be quite against one's conscience.

Wang Yan was usually quick to back down when faced with difficulties, but she couldn't back down now. If someone from the corridor could say a few words to Consort Shu, she might no longer have to wear the hat of a future princess.

Seeing him glance at the gold hairpin, seemingly casually, Wang Yan smiled and took two steps closer. "Is it pretty?"

"The Consort Shu's judgment is certainly not bad."

Shen Minghuai's gaze shifted to her face, but unlike the way Prince Wei and Consort Shu looked at her, it was utterly unfamiliar. If they had met outside the palace today, even if they had just brushed past each other, her gaze wouldn't have strayed even slightly. But at this moment, they couldn't be strangers.

Wang Yan looked up and asked, "Can you take a look and see if this hairpin is crooked?"

Shen Minghuai gave a slight smile, "My wife surely knows better than I do."

"Really? I don't think it suits me." Wang Yan glanced at the back of the corridor again; why was it still there?

"Whether it suits you or not is not important." Shen Minghuai really talked to her about the hairpin, and before she could react, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan disagreed, saying earnestly, "Suitability is very important. Some people cherish it like a treasure, while others discard it like trash. Suitability is the best."

Shen Minghuai fell silent. Wang Yan thought she had killed the conversation again, but unexpectedly, he still had something to say.

"Not everyone has the right to choose."

These words, uttered by him, were like a crack appearing on a frozen lake. His father was the prime minister, his aunt was the most favored concubine, and his cousin, the Prince of Wei, was the undisputed heir apparent. Surrounded by such power, he claimed he had no choice.

On the carriage ride back, Wang Yan and Wang Zhen discussed the Shen family's disaster relief efforts. The elder brother spoke highly of Shen Minghuai. The two were classmates in the inner dormitory; Shen Minghuai was the teacher's darling, exceptionally intelligent, proficient in all six arts, and always top-ranking in examinations—his talent was truly exceptional. However, for some reason, he was the only one absent from last year's upper-level examinations.

This man could be considered a chosen one of heaven, yet Wang Yan saw a hint of sadness on his face.

"Young master, you are joking. I have everything, so how could you not have it?"

Shen Minghuai gave an irrefutable reason: "Because this is the capital."

The capital city is full of rules and troubles; everyone wears a mask when they meet and associate with each other. It seems like the doors are wide open, but in reality, there are high walls on all sides. However, walls are built by people, and people can also destroy them. Didn't she break through those walls and escape to Yangzhou?

"Let's go."

Shen Minghuai replied calmly, "Easy for you to say." He had always lived within the established rules and regulations, striving to make the mundane interesting. If he could leave, he would have done so long ago.

"What's so difficult about that? Your feet are your own; who can tie you down and stop you from walking?"

Although Wang Yan had never seen him draw his sword, his guards were all incredibly skilled; at a single command, who could stop him? Unless he himself didn't want to leave.

Shen Minghuai then uttered four more words, "You wouldn't understand."

Wang Yan was speechless for a moment. "I don't understand, but if you want to leave next time, come find me, and I'll give you a nip on the back of the neck. I guarantee you'll be out of the capital as soon as you open your eyes."

Shen Minghuai's eyes flickered slightly. She thought he would show a look of disdain and then turn away, but he didn't. She didn't know how long they talked, but the person behind the corridor had vanished.

The banquet was about to begin. Wang Yan had already taken a few steps when he stopped as if remembering something, turned back, and said with utmost sincerity, "Wang Yan, the Yan of Wan Yan."

Shen Minghuai was somewhat surprised and replied, "Shen Minghuai."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I know."

The sun and moon shine brightly, the Huai River flows swiftly.

Upon entering the garden, Shang Nianyao walked straight over.

"Sister Yan, I've finally found you."

"What's wrong?" Wang Yan was in a great mood at the moment.

"It's nothing, the banquet is about to start."

Shang Nianyao pulled her to a seat and glanced at the gold hairpin again. When they came out of Peilan Palace earlier, Yuanchun was ordered to find Prince Wei, and she had secretly followed.

Qian Xu strode into the hall, a tabby cat following at his feet. Consort Shu casually asked him a question, but he feigned ignorance, though he knew without being asked that he had seen it. No one knows a son better than his mother; no one understood her son better than her.

After Yuan Chun led the palace maids away, Qian Xu finally put away his lazy demeanor. "I went to retrieve the hairpin. What else does Mother want me to say? If Mother wants to ask 'Does it look like it?' then of course it does."

Consort Shu felt a pang of pity; that incident had always been a barrier between her and her son. Now that she had a chance to bridge the gap, how could she not cherish it? Although she had never regretted what she had done.

“Xu’er…this is your father’s will.”

Qian Xu said respectfully, "Your subject knows it was Father Emperor's intention, it was just a coincidence."

"You're still blaming me for what happened back then." Consort Shu concealed her resentment in her eyes.

"Your subject dares not," Qian Xu said, about to kneel down, but his mother helped him up first.

"Although the Ministry of Revenue is not as powerful as the Ministry of Personnel, it can still help you in some ways. If you don't like this lady from the Wang family, I will speak to your father." The Ministry of Personnel is very powerful, and Consort Shu also genuinely likes that merchant lady.

"Your son dares not trouble Mother, nor dares to disobey Father." Qian Xu bowed and stood up. "The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel will ultimately belong to your son."

Consort Shu immediately understood. If a marriage alliance was to be formed, there was still a suitable candidate. It didn't matter who she married; if her nephew could marry into the Wang family before Xu'er, the position of Princess Consort would have to go to the Shang family. However, since Emperor Yue had his eye on the Wang family, this show of respect still had to be maintained, and his concern for the Wang family couldn't be neglected.

Wang Yan was bound by the rules for a whole day, and upon returning home, he took a bath and went to bed. The next morning, his mother hurriedly pulled him out of bed, saying that Imperial Physician Sun from the palace had come to visit.

"My wife doesn't look like someone who has been ill for a long time."

That one sentence completely dispelled Wang Yan's lingering sleepiness.