Chapter 80 The ending: The lady was in such a hurry.

"Don't send me any rejection letters when the time comes; just consider them lost on the way!"

While the people in the two mansions were busy with various tasks, the two women were the most leisurely. Wang Yan would also visit the Shen mansion from time to time, and Han Xiwan would hold her hand and familiarize herself with every corner of the mansion in no time, and then pester her to make all sorts of little trinkets. One day, a little girl picked up the small wooden sword that Shen Minghuai had carved for her, tugged at Wang Yan's sleeve, and asked her to teach her how to use a sword.

Wang Yan patted her head and asked curiously, "This is no joke. Why does A-Wan want to learn swordsmanship?"

Han Xiwan pondered for a long time, "Because I want to be like my mother and sister Wenxuan, without needing anyone's protection, and become a capable person."

Wang Yan lowered her eyes and smiled gently, telling her earnestly, "A-Wan is still young, and needing protection doesn't mean she's not capable. Look at that flower lantern, A-Wan made it better than me. Being able to create something in what you love makes you a capable person."

Han Xiwan's brows furrowed, and she beamed with joy. "Really? Ah Wan is quite capable too?"

"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, ask your brother."

Han Xiwan released Wang Yan's sleeve and ran to Shen Minghuai, who was painting, patting her chest and promising him, "Awan is also a capable person, and can share your burdens, brother. If there is anything you need my help with, just tell me."

Shen Minghuai smiled and said softly, "Then go and talk to Sister Wenxuan again. Your brother's painting will be finished soon."

Han Xiwan pointed to herself in the painting and questioned him, "Why does Sister Wenxuan have a face, while Awan only has a back view?"

Seeing that Wang Yan was about to come this way, Shen Minghuai hurriedly urged Han Xiwan to stop her, because if the surprise was seen in advance, it wouldn't be a surprise at all.

In recent months, every time Wang Yan visited the Shen residence, Shen Minghuai would paint a picture, but he wouldn't allow her to see it. Today is the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, and this should be the last one for the year. As he finished finishing the painting, Shen Minghuai told her to go and look at the other paintings first; the first few were on the bookshelf in his room.

As soon as Wang Yan entered the room, she saw the incense box she had given her four years ago, sitting there spotless. With a smile, she placed it back in its original spot, opened the lower cabinet, and was astonished by what she saw. Neatly arranged letters filled the three cabinets.

The letter, addressed to whom it was addressed, contained so much to say. Wang Yan, though intrigued, ultimately closed the cabinet door, guided by her conscience.

As if guided by fate, Wang Yan immediately discovered a letter hidden under the cabinet, having fallen there at some point. She pursed her lips and picked it up, silently thinking: I didn't mean to spy, it was just out of kindness. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the words on the envelope: To be opened by A Ying.

These were letters written to her. Was that whole cabinet full of letters addressed to her?!

Wang Yan hurriedly pulled out a stack of letters. Without exception, all the letters bore the same four characters, only the handwriting varied—some were neat, some were hasty. She found the letter that had been under the cabinet earlier, took a deep breath, and slowly unfolded it.

The letter stated that he was saved by Xu Ning'an after being shot by an arrow, and in his dream, he found her back. After waking up, everyone said they hadn't seen her, and even he slowly began to believe that it was just a figment of his imagination before he died. Otherwise, he might not have survived that night.

Wang Yan's tears slid onto the Chengxintang paper as she went to read the next letter.

When it snows, he worries if she's cold and if she's feeling better; another year of osmanthus blossoms, and if he drinks osmanthus wine and gets covered in alcohol, will she throw him outside and bring him back home once the smell dissipates? In the sweltering summer, he always craves a bowl of locust tea, not because he particularly likes it, but because he misses the person who promised to treat him to it; camellias, magnolias, azaleas, their profusion of flowers and leaves dazzling his eyes, but he still remembers the crabapple blossom in her hair, which drifted down into his palm.

There were sincere thoughts of longing, as well as some careless and frivolous remarks, which made Wang Yan both laugh and cry, feel both ashamed and embarrassed. When Han Xiwan called her from outside the door, she hurriedly put all the letters back into the cabinet and went to find the first few paintings. In the end, she returned to the garden empty-handed, but Shen Minghuai suddenly changed his mind.

"If that's the case, then we'll show it to you all at once on our wedding day."

Wang Yan then realized that he had done it on purpose! But since she had read the letter without permission, she was in the wrong and had no choice but to swallow her anger.

Time flew by, and Xu Ning'an was the first to arrive on the banquet menu. The first thing she did upon seeing Wang Yan was to take her pulse.

"Your cold ailment is cured?! Who treated you?"

During those two years, she traveled alone, met many people, and experienced many things. Her swordsmanship improved greatly, and the white world that had once devoured her gradually faded away, eventually dissipating into a wisp of wind.

“You are all my doctors.”

Although Xu Ning'an did not take over Jishengtang, her personal reputation grew stronger and stronger. Now, people lined up from the east to the west of the city to see her. Just now, after her examination, Xu asked for a thousand taels of gold. After all, time is money, and others can't rush things even if they have money.

What puzzled Wang Yan the most was that Xu Ning'an was very satisfied with her marriage. Whenever he saw her standing with Shen Minghuai, he would always show a gratified smile like an elder.

A-Guo and Xie Ji came together, and Yin Shicheng, who had returned to the southwest with A-Guo, also came. The two became much closer and traveled to many places together.

From the moment A-Guo met Wang Yan, she chattered on and on about many of her novel experiences. Three days had passed, and she could talk for another five. She was still wearing her Yi ethnic clothing, her silver ornaments swaying, showing that she had become much more composed in recent years.

Judging from first impressions alone, Xie Ji seemed significantly more composed. Three years had passed since their parting in Yangzhou; she had traveled throughout Jiangnan before finally settling in Hangzhou, running a small business. Before she could even finish chatting with everyone, the Prince Yi's residence had sent people to invite her, so Xie Ji had to visit her cousin first. Anyway, there was still some time before the wedding, so they weren't in a rush.

Shangguan Yu, Zhu Yao, and Yan Xun arrived in the capital on a tight schedule. Zhu Yao and his wife each had their own businesses and couldn't leave for too long; this trip to the capital was a rare moment of leisure amidst their busy schedules. Yan Xun, on the other hand, had just finished his seclusion when he received Wang Yan's invitation and rushed over.

Since Yan Xun arrived in the capital, Shen Minghuai has been visiting Yunqi more and more frequently, never giving the two of them a chance to be alone. When Shen Minghuai started to linger at her place and refused to leave, Wang Yan specially summoned Yan Xun and spoke frankly with the two of them.

"Yan Xun is also my friend."

Yan Xun nodded innocently, his hand, which was about to put his arm around her shoulder, quickly changed to an index finger and gently tapped Wang Yan's shoulder. "That's right. My sister and I are just friends, what is Young Master Shen worried about? But now that I'm the same height as you, it's understandable that I feel a sense of crisis."

Wang Yan looked at his still-childish face and shook his head helplessly. Being with him always felt like taking care of a child.

All six invitations she didn't want to send out of the capital brought people to her; what more could she ask for? Her biggest regret was for her brother, who was far away in Xuanzhou, but before being her brother, Wang Zhen was first and foremost the official in charge of the people of Xuanzhou.

In the blink of an eye, the auspicious day arrived. Wang Yan, who had been up early to do her makeup, had barely slept all night. Worried that her fatigue would be hard to hide, she asked Sang Xing to apply a thicker layer of makeup.

Li held her shoulder and said, "Our Aying is always very beautiful. If she wears too much makeup, it will look deliberate."

This was Wang Yan's first marriage, and he had no experience. He was inevitably flustered when things happened, so he said, "Then I will listen to my mother."

After the elaborate dressing process was completed, Wang Yan, dressed in a green brocade robe with wide sleeves and a red brocade robe with gold trim, wearing a phoenix crown and seven pearl flower ornaments on each cheek, looked like she had stepped out of a painting.

Outside, the sound of drums and music rose, indicating that the welcoming procession had arrived. Shen Minghuai was coaxed into composing two poems to urge the bride to get married, and some scholars even prepared paper and pen to quickly write them down.

The red silk ribbons in front of the Prince's Mansion stretched for a long time. Most of the dowry had been sent to the Shen family yesterday, but the personal belongings that followed were also astonishing, stretching as far as the eye could see. The Wang family was already a prominent family, and Wang Fuzhi was the Minister of Revenue. Everyone knew that his family was extremely wealthy, but such a scene was still extremely rare.

Perhaps due to lack of sleep, Wang Yan's mind was somewhat foggy since she began dressing. Still reeling from her farewell to her parents, she forced back tears, fan in hand, and walked to the door. There she saw a familiar figure in the crowd—someone not among the guests, but whom she felt she should treat as an honored guest. The box of white jade jewelry, its origins unknown, now recognized its owner. Years ago, she had given him a set of gold; now he had returned a set of jade.

With only a fleeting glance, Wang Yanxuan was escorted to the sedan chair. Before she could even process what followed, all the formalities were completed.

Normally, she couldn't sit still, but today she could only sit quietly on the bed, looking down at the brocade robe, counting the beads on it, completely satisfied. After the hunger pangs subsided, she lost her appetite, only hoping that Shen Minghuai could return soon to complete the ceremony. After all, she was really tired after a whole day of running around.

After calming the boisterous guests, Shen Minghuai, having successfully made his exit from the banquet, entered wearing her favorite red round robe, without a trace of alcohol on him. Wang Yan was quite disappointed to see that the flower she had worn in his hair during the day was gone. She had intended to pick it off herself and place it behind her ear, as that flower was a gift from the new emperor.

"How do you know what I want..." Wang Yan was about to snatch the silk flower from his hand, but he grasped at empty air.

Shen Minghuai smiled and led her to the table, "Madam, you seem to be in a hurry."

After the wedding rites, Shen Minghuai finally removed the hairpin from her hair. As Wang Yan reached for it, his large hand landed on her waist, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. After only a brief moment of intimacy, Shen Minghuai released her. Such restraint on their wedding day was unlike him. Wang Yan didn't think much of it, removing her headdress and heading towards the bed, only to be stopped by Shen Minghuai again.

"Madam should go take a bath."

Sleepiness had overwhelmed half her, and she had forgotten about it. After a quick bath, sleepiness became even more intense. Before Shen Minghuai returned, she lifted the bed curtains and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. In her hazy state, the fragrance of jasmine wafted to her nose, and someone wrapped their arms around her waist, pressing close to her, their hands restlessly slipping inside her nightgown, instantly waking her from her drowsiness.

Just as Wang Yan was about to turn around and scold him, Shen Minghuai kissed her unreasonably, urgently and domineeringly forcing open her teeth. Their lips and tongues intertwined instantly, just like they had done before, but this time it seemed a little different.

Shen Minghuai leaned forward, supporting himself against her, and then bent down to kiss her eyes, the bridge of her nose, and the tips of her ears. When his lips touched her ear, it made her tremble slightly. Then he licked her earlobe with his tongue, sending a tingling sensation through her body. Wang Yan couldn't help but close her legs, her face flushed crimson. And just then, Shen Minghuai tried to talk to her.

"Even without makeup, the lady is stunningly beautiful."

His knee pressed between her legs, his delicate hand brushed away the stray hairs from her forehead, and his passionate eyes met hers. He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, yet he spoke intoxicating words.

"Does my wife know how long I have been waiting for this day?"

Unsatisfied by his arousal, Wang Yan leaned in to kiss him, but Shen Minghuai pressed down on her, and she realized something was wrong. It was uncomfortable. He was mischievously teasing her… Shen Minghuai's kisses traveled downwards, his soft, fragrant skin flushed red from his caresses. After calling for water three times, Wang Yan finally fell into a deep sleep.

Sang Xing and Juan Tao, her maids, accompanied her to the Shen residence. Urged by the two of them, Wang Yan slowly opened her eyes. Although Shen Minghuai had told her before leaving the residence this morning, when she was still not fully awake, she still felt a little empty upon waking up and not seeing her bedmate.

"This servant will help my lady with her washing and dressing."

Wang Yan sat in front of the unfamiliar dressing table, looking at the conspicuous red marks in the bronze mirror. The scene of their lovemaking last night replayed in her mind. She hurriedly closed her clothes and suddenly blushed.

"The master will be returning from the palace soon, so you must hurry, madam."

Wang Yan was stunned for a moment upon hearing the voice. In the past, they would only hear those two words when calling for their father. Now, having just married into the household, she had already assumed the position of her mother. Only now did she truly realize the immense responsibility that Duke Wenzheng had shouldered after his death.

Wang Yan styled her hair into a high bun, adorned with gold and jade hairpins, and went to greet Shen Minghuai, who was dressed in a blue official robe, as he returned to the mansion. She noticed that he looked even better in this simple round-necked, wide-sleeved robe than in his usual colorful brocade attire. Beneath the robe, his prominent brow bone revealed his handsome features, and his tall, elegant figure seemed otherworldly.

He strode towards her with his long legs, holding an imperial edict in his hand. If he were resigning from his post, he should have returned empty-handed; could it be…?

Wang Yan's upturned lips immediately disappeared. Shen Minghuai pretended not to notice, placed the crabapple in his hand behind her ear, and smiled smugly.

On the way back to the manor, a gust of wind suddenly came and blew down a tree of crabapple blossoms. I reached out and caught the one that was uniquely mine.

Wang Yan, disregarding the crabapple blossoms, hurriedly asked the new emperor what he wanted. Shen Minghuai, however, kept her in suspense for a while, whispering sweet nothings in her ear before finally speaking to her.

"Would my lady be willing to travel the world with me as an official, and never be separated from me again?"

Wang Yan's smile instantly blossomed on his face, "You don't need to stay in the capital anymore?"

Shen Minghuai straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and promised, "If you don't like it, I won't come back."

Wang Yan threw herself into his arms, the scent of cedar and jasmine filling her nostrils. "My parents are in the capital; I still need to come back to visit them. However, my husband, I've discovered—"

Shen Minghuai looked down at her, his smile overflowing like honey from an unopened jar. "Hmm?"

"I like you the most."

I only wish that in the years to come, we may share the spring breeze together.

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A word from the author: We sincerely thank every reader who has accompanied Yan'er and her husband this far!

See you again in the martial arts world!