The following morning, after the rain that had fallen all night stopped for half an hour, news reached Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan that the Crown Prince's residence had been burned down and that the construction plans and material ledgers for the Xizhou Dam had also been destroyed.

As expected, there was nothing strange about it. After listening, Shen Wan didn't even lift her eyelids and continued doing her needlework.

The rain drizzled for three days before clearing up on the morning of the fourth day.

The sky after the rain was a deep, tranquil blue, so beautiful that words fail to describe it.

Shen Wan had been cooped up in her room for four days and was almost driven crazy. She really wanted to go out for a walk. Xie Jingyan noticed this and said, "Where do you want to go? I'll go with you."

A look of surprise flashed in Shen Wan's clear, bright eyes. "Can I go out?"

Xie Jingyan chuckled, "With me by your side, why not?"

Shen Wan then said, "Then I want to go to the Yun family."

Xie Jingyan then sent a maid to the outer courtyard to deliver a message and arrange a carriage.

When the two arrived at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, the carriage was already waiting there.

Xie Jingyan helped Shen Wan into the carriage and then climbed in himself. This was the first time Shen Wan had gone out since she found out she was pregnant. Xie Jingyan habitually held her in his arms. Shen Wan blushed a little when she thought of what he had done to her in the carriage that day.

The miscarriage that day must have frightened Xie Jingyan. He simply held Shen Wan in his arms, behaving very properly, which made Shen Wan feel somewhat ashamed of her guardedness.

The rain kept everyone indoors, but as soon as the sky cleared, everyone came out to relax. There were many more people on the streets than usual. The Yun family was not close to the Ling Prince's mansion to begin with, and the carriage took an extra fifteen minutes to arrive.

When the gatekeeper of the Yun family saw that it was a carriage from the Ling Prince's Mansion, he sent someone to inform the old master and old lady of the Yun family while getting off to greet them, and was extremely attentive.

As soon as Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan stepped into the Yun family home, Yun Qi came over and said with a smile, "I was just about to go to the Ling Prince's residence, but I didn't expect you to come."

Shen Wan asked in surprise, "Does your cousin need something from us?"

Yun Qi said, "My uncle is building an iron cavalry. The best horses in the Great Chu are all in the Northwest. I have to go to the Northwest."

Shen Wan then said, "If we go to the Northwest now, what will happen to my cousin's marriage to Princess Qinghe?"

Yun Qi gave a wry smile. "The Prince of Yanping's mansion is beyond the reach of my Yun family. I've done all I can. The rest is up to fate. I can't let my marriage proposal delay the court's formation of the Iron Cavalry."

He went to the Lingwang Mansion to find Shen Wan, only wanting to use Shen Wan's name to send some things to the Princess of Qinghe County, nothing more.

Shen Wan knew that forming an iron cavalry was important, but it was ultimately a matter for the imperial court, not the Yun family's private affair. Shen Wan said, "I still hope that my cousin will prioritize his own affairs. Buying warhorses doesn't necessarily require my cousin to go."

Yun Qi knew that Shen Wan cared about him, so he said, "I have some connections with the young master of the Zhao family in the Northwest. It will be much easier if I go to talk to him in person."

"We have no choice but to go," Shen Wan asked. "How long will you be gone, cousin?"

“It will take at least a month for him to come back,” Yun Qi said.

That's been going on for far too long.

Shen Wan secretly disagreed.

The reason why the Prince of Yanping's mansion refused to agree to the marriage was largely because businessmen need to travel around and are often away from home. At the crucial moment of marriage negotiations, they would have to leave to go to the Northwest to discuss business. Although it was for the sake of the imperial court, the Prince of Yanping's mansion did not think so much about it. Whether it was for the Yun family or for the imperial court, the eldest cousin was always very busy.

Shen Wan sighed inwardly, while Yun Qi spoke with Xie Jingyan and led them toward Liushuang Courtyard, where Old Madam Yun lived.

Madam Yun was surprised that Shen Wan, who was pregnant, would come to the Yun family. When she saw Shen Wan, she was both happy and disapproving. She patted Shen Wan's hand and said, "Have you recovered from the miscarriage? You only need to have your maternal grandmother and grandfather in your heart. You don't need to come in person. Nothing is more important than taking care of your pregnancy."

Shen Wan pressed her head against Madam Yun's arm and said, "Grandmother, you think too highly of me. I've been cooped up in the house for days. If you don't want to see me, I'm going shopping."

Going shopping is not as good as staying at the Yun family. Madam Yun had no way to deal with Shen Wan. Looking at Shen Wan's face, which had become much rounder, Madam Yun shook her head and said, "I always thought that Prince Ling had taken good care of you, and I never thought that you were pregnant. Your grandmother is terrified when she thinks about the dangerous things you have experienced."

Falling into the water and being stabbed are nothing compared to the terrifying fall off the cliff, which was kept secret. Otherwise, it would have really scared the entire Yun family, their father, and their eldest brother.

Madam Yun laughed and said, "Wan'er's courage comes from Marquis Pingyang. Like father, like daughter. If it were anyone else, they would have been terrified long ago."

As they were talking, they heard the tinkling of jade pendants.

When Yunrui heard that Shen Wan had arrived, she rushed over excitedly and said, "Luckily I didn't go out shopping today, otherwise I would have missed my cousin."

Madam Yun scolded, "I don't think you can stay in the mansion for even a moment longer."

Yunrui said, "I used to have an older sister to play with, but now that she's married, I'm all alone. If I don't go out and explore more, I'll get really bored."

Madam Yun smiled and said, "I think Rui'er has made a lot of progress these days. She even knows to wear a veil when she goes out to play. She's reached the age of marriage. Once she's married, she won't be as free as she is in the manor. As long as her safety is ensured, let her go wherever she wants to play."

She even wore a veil when she went out to play...

How afraid must one be of running into one of the three: the heir of the Prince of Yanping, the eldest son of the Duke of Tan, or the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping?

Shen Wan looked at Yun Rui, and Yun Rui looked up and their eyes met. She was only a little guilty at first, but she immediately became extremely guilty, afraid that Shen Wan would tell Old Madam Yun and her mother. Her eyes were pleading as she looked at Shen Wan.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!