Chapter 33 It’s Time to Get Married

After the previous accident, there were fewer people on the long street, and the street vendors began to pack up their things and leave one after another.

The original noise gradually quieted down.

On the road, they came across a vendor selling rabbit lanterns, so Shen Changhe bought one for Shen Anan. The lantern had a small and exquisite body and very smooth lines. The candlelight flickered back and forth inside, reflecting the shape of a rabbit, which was very cute.

Uncle Zhong drove the carriage in front of the two of them.

Shen Changhe looked back at Changjie, feeling a little regretful, "I wanted to take you to have fun, but I didn't expect mistakes to happen so frequently."

"There is ample time."

Shen Anan got on the carriage first, followed closely by Shen Changhe.

Mo Xiang held the scroll and said hesitantly, "Girl, this painting..."

"Keep it for now and wait for a chance."

She had originally wanted to sell it to some noble ladies at a high price, but today she had no time or opportunity.

Uncle Zhong turned his horse around, waved his whip, and galloped towards the direction of the Shen Mansion.

"Brother, do you know whose family the girl we rescued belongs to?" Shen Anan stared at Shen Changhe and suddenly asked.

Shen Changhe shook his head.

"Brother, do you still remember the mother and daughter we met last time when we were choosing gifts for grandma?"

"Of course I remember."

Shen Anan stared at him, "Brother, aren't you worried that the girl is the same as the mother and daughter and got involved with you?"

Shen Changhe was embarrassed for a moment, then shook his head and said, "At the time, I was only thinking about saving people, and didn't think too much. Besides, that girl... didn't leave her name, so it's clear that she's not that kind of despicable person."

"Brother seems to have a very good impression of her." Shen Anan smiled.

"Don't talk nonsense." Shen Changhe's face flushed slightly, "That girl is obviously from a decent family, don't damage her reputation."

“…”

Shen Anan glanced at his eldest brother.

"Since she is a girl from a respectable family, I'm sure we'll meet again in the future if we're destined to."

Shen Changhe turned his head and looked away without saying anything. In the huge carriage, there was only a faint flickering candlelight, emitting a dim yellow light, reflecting his slightly lowered eyes. It was unknown what he was thinking.

When she returned to the Shen Mansion, Shen Wen and Madam Shen had not returned yet, so Shen Anan went straight back to Begonia Garden to change her clothes and wash up.

Mo Xiang put the scroll away again and helped Shen Anan to rest on the couch.

"Leave a light on, and go down and have a rest."

"Yes." Mo Xiang didn't ask any more questions, closed the door and walked out.

Shen Anan leaned on the soft pillow, and what happened tonight flashed through her mind unconsciously. Xiao Yuan's abnormality made her feel uneasy.

She initially suspected whether he was the same as her, but if so, he would stay away from her and would never save her like he did today.

What went wrong?

Shen Anan thought about it for a long time but had no clue, but no matter what, the life that was ruined because of him in the last life must never happen again in this life.

She is the daughter of the Shen family. Even if the two of them are not compatible, he has benefited a lot from her family background in his previous life. So his saving her can be considered a kind of compensation. She doesn't need to feel psychologically burdened and shouldn't have any wild thoughts.

She pulled the quilt to cover her head and dispel the chaotic images.

The next day, she went to Madam Shen's courtyard to pay her respects, and Shen Changjun was being scolded with his head down.

Madam Shen's beautiful face was extremely angry. "You are the commander of the Imperial Guards, but you can't even take care of your own sister, and you still have time to run to save the beauty. Shen Changhe, if anything happens to An An, what will you do to explain to me and your grandmother!"

Shen Changhe lowered his head and said nothing, letting Madam Shen get angry.

"You really don't know the seriousness of the matter any more."

"Mom, human life is at stake. I can't just stand by and watch someone die..."

"What about your sister? How can you leave her alone on the street with so many people here? What if she gets kidnapped or kidnapped? You..."

"Mother." Shen Anan lifted the beaded curtain and walked in.

Shen Changhe saw her eyes light up and immediately stood up, "Sister is here, then you can chat with mother, I still have official business to attend to, so I will leave first."

After saying this, he quickly left the yard without waiting for Mrs. Shen to speak.

“Hey, you…”

Mrs. Shen was so angry that she glanced at Shen Anan and immediately looked at her with love.

"An An, how were you last night? Were you squeezed? Were you hurt? Your brother is such a jerk. If I had known he was so unreliable, I would never have allowed him to take you out."

Shen Anan suddenly remembered something, her expression paused, and the next moment she walked forward and sat down in front of Madam Shen, letting her look at her, "My daughter is fine."

"I'm glad you're okay. I was so scared last night when I heard about it. If your father hadn't stopped me, I would have gone to your eldest brother's yard to teach him a lesson."

Shen Anan lowered her eyes and curled her lips to smile.

"Other families with your brother's age have children running around everywhere, but he is not calm at all. Mother, I think we should find him a wife as soon as possible. A man can only grow up after getting married. Once he gets married, maybe he can control his temper."

"...Brother, your temperament should be very good for a family of eunuchs."

I don’t know how many times better he is than Li Huaiyan and others. He is also the best in talent and appearance among his peers.

But Mrs. Shen was determined to show her love to Shen Changhe, and she looked as if she couldn't wait to get him married tomorrow.

Shen Anan felt that she seemed to have indirectly implicated her eldest brother.

But Shen Changhe was very busy, and he became even busier since Madam Shen said she wanted to find him a wife. He went out early and came back late every day, and Madam Shen had collected many small portraits of ladies, but they were of no use.

Madam Shen was so angry that she went to his yard to block him, only to find that he was really busy recently. The refugees who had been evacuated and appeased suddenly became riotous for some reason, and the guards were busy maintaining order everywhere, so they had no time to see each other.

Mrs. Shen had no choice but to take Shen Anan to select the ladies from each family, picking out those with good looks, good temperaments, and good talents, and made a booklet, waiting for Shen Changhe to contact them one by one after he finished his work.

"Does mother prefer the daughter of the Hanlin Academy?"

Madam Shen put away the small portrait and nodded with a smile, "The girl from the Lin family is both talented and beautiful, and she is kind and honest. Mother really likes her. Our family is full of military generals. It would be great if we could marry into the scholarly Lin family."

The country is peaceful now. In the past, when war was raging, she was very worried about her husband and her beloved son. Naturally, she hopes that the next generation can become a civil servant. However, marriage cannot be forced, so it still depends on the eldest son's opinion.

"Is she more powerful than the third daughter of the Duan family?" Shen Anan suddenly asked.

Mrs. Shen was startled, put down the booklet, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "There is nothing to compare."

"The third daughter of the Duan family does have some talent, but she is too willing to show it off, and her true abilities are exposed. The ladies of the other families know exactly how talented she is."

"This Miss Lin is a low-key person who is steady and reserved, hiding her clumsiness. But if we really talk about it, she may not be inferior to Miss Duan San. Mother just likes her honest temper and her willingness to stand out."

Mrs. Shen’s evaluation was very pertinent, exactly the same as Shen Anan’s.

She tried hard to search for her memories about the girl from the Lin family, but she couldn't remember anything, so she had to give up.

Perhaps it was because in her previous life, she only had Xiao Yuan in her heart and eyes, and she didn't even care much about her relatives, so how could she make room for others?

When Madam Shen mentioned Miss Duan San, she showed a hint of displeasure. Shen Anan's eyes flickered slightly and she smiled, "Miss Duan San only represents her. Maybe other girls in the Duan family are good. Why don't you consider it, mother?"

Madam Shen shook her head calmly, “Although I have never met other girls from the Duan family, I don’t like the feeling towards Miss Duan San.”

Shen Anan pursed her lips and smiled, but said nothing more.

Coming out of Madam Shen’s yard, I went up to the veranda and headed towards the Begonia Garden.

Mo Xiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Miss, since Madam is so optimistic about Miss Lin, it seems that the eldest son's marriage is almost certain, and there will be a happy event in our house."

Shen Anan responded indifferently, somewhat absent-mindedly.

"I don't know if the old lady will come back to attend the eldest master's wedding banquet. If she does, the young lady will be able to see the old lady."

Hearing this, Shen Anan tilted her head to look at the increasingly cold weather, and a hint of worry rose in her heart.

My grandmother has an old illness and her legs hurt every winter, but she likes to stay cool. She is not here this winter, and I don’t know if she can take care of herself, and whether Nanny Chen can keep her under control.

"Who can say for sure about marriage?"

She murmured something, walked through the corridor and stepped into the hanging flower arch, thinking that she should go back as soon as possible to write a letter to her grandmother and talk about it.

"Shen, girl."

An uncertain but surprised voice sounded.

Shen Anan turned around and saw a man walking on the bluestone path opposite. His coarse cloth clothes were washed clean and white, and his expression was full of joy when he looked at her.

"Mr. Zhang."

She was slightly surprised.

Zhang Yeyang stopped and bowed politely, "Miss Shen, I thought I was dazzled, I didn't expect to meet you in real life."

He didn't dare to walk around the Shen Mansion, so he could only slow down his pace, hoping to have the honor of seeing her.

Mo Xiang looked at his silly smile and chuckled, "This is the backyard of the Shen Mansion. Isn't it reasonable for him to meet my girl?"

Zhang Yeyang felt a little embarrassed and clenched his sleeves awkwardly.

Shen Anan glanced at the maid before turning to look at him, "Why is Master Zhang here?"

"Oh, I'm here to look for Young Master Shen." A solemn expression appeared on his face.

"Nowadays, refugees are running around everywhere. Although this has had an impact on the order of the capital, they are all doing it for survival. They have no choice."

"But in the past two days, many officials have suddenly started to arrest people for no reason. They don't take the lives of refugees seriously, deliberately injure them, and even beat those who don't cooperate to death. Many lives have been taken lightly. My classmates and I can't stand it anymore, so we discussed and wanted to jointly submit a petition to the emperor to punish corruption and settle the refugees. Master Shen is in charge of this matter, so I want to submit a joint letter."

Shen Anan lowered her eyes and glanced at the rice paper in his hand, frowning slightly.

She had heard about the refugee issue once or twice before. Even she, a girl in the harem, could see the clues. How could Zhang Yeyang dare to get involved in such a mess?

Or is he really so loyal that he is willing to sacrifice his life?

"Master Zhang, do you know that there is a saying that officials protect each other? How many dignitaries will be offended by this joint letter? Aren't you afraid that the honor you have obtained after studying hard for many years will be wasted?"

"I have thought about it." Zhang Yeyang's eyes were blazing and firm. "But if it is so unfair and we are asked to turn a blind eye, then what is the point of this fame? I know that people like us from humble backgrounds are of low status and power, but the imperial examination is held every three years to inject new ideas into the court. If we all try to curry favor with the powerful, then the imperial examination will become a selection of running dogs for those in high positions and positions."

“…”

Shen Anan suddenly thought of a sentence: The king stands in the hall, untouched by snow and wind.

But Qing is a minister, and Zhuo is also a minister. Without a strong family and power, it is not easy to be a good person.

But when she met Zhang Yeyang's clear and resolute eyes, she felt that her advice seemed a little mean compared to his brave and fearless sacrifice.

In the end, he only said, "Even an honest official must pay attention to methods and approaches, take into account the current situation, and distinguish between the primary and the secondary."

If you can't even save your own life, that is not bravery, but a foolish act of throwing your life into vain.

“Thank you Miss Shen for your kindness.”

This was the first time Shen Anan had seen someone twisted like this, and she felt that her own selfishness was so dark in front of such a gentleman.

"Mo Xiang, take Master Zhang to Big Brother's yard."

"Yes." Mo Xiang made a gesture of invitation. Zhang Yeyang bowed to Shen Anan and left, but he stopped and looked back after a few steps.

Shen Anan was stunned for a moment, and slightly raised the corners of her lips. Zhang Yeyang's face turned red instantly, and he even staggered a little.

If he could save his life this time and successfully stay in the capital, he would definitely tell Miss Shen his feelings, even if it was wishful thinking, it was better than ending in vain.

After returning to Begonia Garden, Shen Anan wrote a letter to Old Madam Shen, which was long and rambling for three or four pages.

Mo Xiang blew the ink dry and put it into an envelope, saying, "The old lady is tired of the young lady's nagging. If she saw this long speech, she would definitely sneer and scold the young lady secretly."

Shen Anan also laughed. The correspondence took about ten days. When she received the reply from Old Lady Shen, the weather had become much colder. Jiangnan was humid and must be even colder than the capital.

Shen An stood in front of the window frame and opened it. On the large white paper, he wrote only five words with a brush, "I know, it's long-winded."

The word "long-winded" was still bold and enlarged, and Shen Anan's eyebrows were curved, tinged with warm colors.

"Has my eldest brother returned home?"

"Yes, my son should have greeted his wife and returned to the courtyard by now."

Shen Anan looked up at the gradually darkening sky, turned and left the window, "Bring a plate of pastry, let's go over and take a look."

Mo Xiang immediately packed up and followed.

When the master and servant arrived at Shen Changhe's yard, the light in his study was still on. The dim candlelight reflected his figure on the window paper, indicating that he was busy with official business.

The servant bowed to her respectfully and pushed the door open for her to enter.

Hearing the voice, Shen Changhe raised his head from the document to look at her, then lowered his head to finish writing the few words before putting down the wolf hair brush.

"Why are you here at this time?"

Shen Anan reached out and took the food box from Mo Xiang, walked over, put it on the desk and opened it. His peripheral vision inadvertently caught a glimpse of the documents spread out on his desk, and saw the words "refugees" and "poor family".

"Mom asked me to find out if you have finished your recent work. If you have, put the important matters on the agenda."

Shen Changhe took a bite of pastry and pointed to the documents piled up beside him. "I'm very busy. How can I have the time to spare?"

Shen Anan stared at the spread-out document and asked casually, "Is the refugee issue not over yet?"

"I heard that many poor students jointly submitted a petition, asking the emperor to rectify the court and resettle the refugees."

"Yeah." Shen Changhe wiped the crumbs off his fingertips with a handkerchief and glanced at Shen Anan. "It's not sincere to send food. It's cold."

"Next time I'll ask Mom to prepare some freshly cooked food for you."

"No need for that. I'm not married yet. I don't deserve it."

Shen Anan curled the corners of her lips and smiled, then turned the topic back to the refugees.

"Do you know who was the one who encouraged the students to submit a joint petition?"