Chapter 33

When they arrived at the Xu family's residence, Shen Yao tried to get out of the car, but Wei Luo wouldn't let her, holding onto her clothes tightly.

"Your Highness, I need to get out of the carriage and go inside to get my ivory token." Shen Yao frowned and gestured for Wei Luo to let go of her hand.

Wei Luo didn't want to let go. Last night's intimacy and this morning's passionate encounter had completely captivated him, making him feel like a couple who had just celebrated their wedding night and were about to part the next day. He was tormented and in agony.

Now, he didn't want her to leave, especially not to go back to the Xu family and see Xu Xuan. But she had to go back. Wei Luo sighed deeply, his throat tightening, and solemnly instructed, "Go quickly and come back quickly."

"knew."

Wei Luo loosened the hem of his robe, and Shen Yao took the opportunity to get off the carriage.

Familiar door plaque, familiar road, Shen Yao pushed open the door and stepped into her boudoir.

Inside the East Pavilion, the maids Biluo and Meng'er were shocked to see Shen Yao return. They stared wide-eyed in disbelief for a long time before finally reacting. They cried and laughed, pulling Shen Yao up and down and looking her over.

"Girl, you're finally back! We were all so worried!"

"Where have you been these past few days? Everyone in the capital has been looking for you."

Shen Yao sat down and then learned that when she and the Crown Prince disappeared in Jiangnan Hutong, the coachman waited until midnight but they still hadn't returned before he went home and told them about their disappearance.

The matter was of great importance and involved the Crown Prince's Palace, so no one could bear the responsibility. Therefore, the next day, Biluo went to the palace and told Liu Heng the news, asking him to lead people to find Shen Yao and Wei Luo.

Afterwards, Biluo returned to the Shen family, while Meng'er stayed at the Xu family. The two kept it a secret from both sides, and whenever someone asked about Shen Yao, they would say that Shen Yao was at the Shen/Xu family.

Yesterday, Xu Xuan went to find Shen Yao, so Bi Luo rushed back to the Xu family to try and catch Xu Xuan off guard. However, Shen Yao happened to be back at that time and was able to cover up her lie.

With the cause and effect now clear, Shen Yao sighed deeply. The past few days had been fraught with danger, like a dramatic story, full of ups and downs. But thankfully, she returned home safely, and most importantly, she had become good friends with Wei Luo.

When Wei Luo ascends the throne in the future, she will not only be able to divorce Xu Xuan, but the safety of the Shen family will also be guaranteed, which makes Shen Yao very happy.

However, Wei Luo was still waiting for her outside, so Shen Yao didn't waste any time. She had her maid bring her the palace entry token and hurried out the door. As she stepped out of her room, she coincidentally ran into Xu Xuan, who was on his way to his shift.

The two bumped into each other and were both taken aback. Xu Xuan was dressed in an indigo official robe with a plain silver belt around his waist and a black gauze hat on his head. He had a stern face and looked imposing, like an iron-faced Yama.

The Ministry of Justice is truly a close relative of Xu Xuan; he is naturally suited to dealing with criminals. Just that cold face of his is enough to intimidate criminals.

Shen Yao, not wanting to cause trouble, wisely stepped aside in silence, letting Xu Xuan go first.

Xu Xuan was stunned for a moment, a few doubts flashing across her eyes. So early in the morning, why was she being so well-behaved? What trouble was she going to cause this time?

After passing Shen Yao, Xu Xuan stopped and, in an interrogative tone, asked her, "Where are you going?"

Shen Yao was taken aback, but said truthfully, "Go to the palace."

Xu Xuan's lips twitched, about to say something, when Liu Ru's voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Ziwei, it's cold outside. Put on a cloak before you go."

With delicate steps, Liu Ru, her face filled with concern, draped the cloak she was holding over her husband and fastened it.

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with deep affection. Xu Xuan smiled and said, "My wife is so considerate." After he finished speaking, he placed a kiss on Liu Ru's cheek.

"..."

Shen Yao pouted, turned her head away, and grumbled inwardly. Showing off their affection in front of everyone so early in the morning! That's too much!

Not wanting to get in the way, she took a step forward, but Liu Ru suddenly stopped her again, smiling gently, "Sister Yao, I heard you haven't been feeling well and have been recuperating at the Shen residence these past few days. I wonder if you're feeling any better now? Should we see a doctor again?"

The feigned concern, which was not even concealed, annoyed Shen Yao. She had no intention of provoking them, so why did these people always come to her one after another like clowns, putting on a show?

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm much better now. You should spend your time caring for Xu Xuan instead."

The two openly displayed their affection, and Liu Ru's fake smile made her uncomfortable. Therefore, she made her say normal things in a sarcastic tone.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan immediately frowned and spoke up for his wife, saying, "Ru'er, you see? Some people are like that. They take your kindness for granted. You care about them, but they don't appreciate it."

"Husband, Sister Yao is just still sick and a little irritable. Please don't be angry," Liu Ru said, blinking as she quickly tried to comfort her.

"..."

Shen Yao was so angry that she was speechless, her face turning ashen. She didn't want to stay any longer and left in a huff.

Xu Xuan glanced at her retreating figure, snorted coldly, "What kind of attitude is that?" He then said a few words of reassurance to Liu Ru before leaving as well.

The two stood facing each other coldly at the gate before parting ways; Xu Xuan rode a horse, while Shen Yao took a carriage.

As soon as Shen Yao entered, Wei Luo saw that she was in a huff and asked immediately, "What's wrong?"

"I encountered one, no, two dogs, who were in heat first thing in the morning and barking incessantly. It was so annoying."

Wei Luo immediately knew that it was nothing more than a power struggle for favor. The two of them must have done something that morning to anger this little princess, which was why she was so angry. He couldn't help but scoff, "You're already getting a divorce, why are you still bothered by these things?"

Shen Yao raised her eyes and stared straight at Wei Luo, muttering with dissatisfaction, "Whose side are you on? Why are you picking on me first thing in the morning?"

The car was small, so even if Shen Yao spoke softly, Wei Luo could still hear her. He immediately sighed, thinking that she was angry, so he would just coax her. He then smiled and said, "Yes, yes, those two little dogs barking are really annoying. I'll have Jiao Niang help you vent your anger later."

Shen Yao frowned and asked, "Is Jiao Niang your eunuch? Why does her name sound like a woman's? Can she beat them?"

Wei Luo was stunned by the three questions. He blinked his eyelashes, suddenly feeling a little guilty, "Jiao Niang is..."

"Forget it, I'll bear with this personal grudge as long as your people from the Crown Prince's Palace don't take action."

Shen Yao took a deep breath, banishing the anger that had accumulated within her and calming herself down. Wei Luo was the crown prince, and he had important matters to attend to; she couldn't afford to waste her energy on something like this.

Shen Yao remained silent, and Wei Luo didn't continue the topic. The carriage arrived at the palace faster than expected, and before Wei Luo could enjoy enough time alone with her, they had to part again.

He didn't know when they would meet again, and he was reluctant to part ways.

"Your Highness, please get off here."

Wei Luo lifted the carriage curtain and only felt at ease when her feet touched the palace floor tiles. But then she... Wei Luo's eyes flickered, and she tugged at Chen Yao's sleeve, saying, "My right leg is still not very convenient for walking. Please take me to Cining Palace before you leave."

Shen Yao was taken aback and subconsciously refused, "There are so many people in the palace. If someone sees us, there will be a lot of gossip. If you find it inconvenient to walk, wouldn't it be better to find a eunuch?"

Shen Yao didn't give him another chance. She stuffed the bundle containing the moxa sticks into his hands, told him to take the medicine on time, and then hurriedly got into the carriage to return home, without even going to Yikun Palace.

Shen Yao left, taking Wei Luo's heart with her. On the way back to Cining Palace, Wei Luo was absent-minded and almost missed Liu Heng who was on his way out of the palace. Luckily, another eunuch spotted Wei Luo and shouted, "Your Highness, Your Highness is back!"

Liu Heng finally found Wei Luo, and Wei Luo finally met Liu Heng.

The master and servant were exceptionally warm to each other.

Liu Heng immediately knelt down, disregarding etiquette, and hugged Wei Luo's legs, wailing and crying with tears streaming down his face. Wei Luo was also filled with emotion; Liu Heng had become quite haggard in just a few days.

When the group returned to Cining Palace, Liu Heng instructed the palace servants to prepare hot water for a bath while wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes. His throat choked as he asked, "Your Highness, what have you been through?"

He looked at his prince, who had been separated for several days, and saw that he had a small cut on his forehead and was walking with a limp. Although his prince had not been favored since childhood, he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had been served and pampered since childhood. This time, he looked like he had suffered a lot.

What a terrible thing to do!

Wei Luo sighed deeply, his eyes filled with a sorrow Liu Heng couldn't fathom. "Your Highness is not only disfigured and lame, but even his innocence is ruined!"

What a terrible thing to do!

Wei Luo first washed up and changed all his dirty clothes, then asked about many court affairs, which Liu Heng recounted one by one.

"So, the Liu residence is still surrounded? Grand Secretary Liu Shen is still trapped at home?"

Wei Luo couldn't believe it. Five days had passed, and the Liu faction still hadn't rescued Liu Shen.

Not only Liu Shen, but also his student, his teacher Guo Zheng, and more than a hundred other people involved were controlled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Some were confined to their homes, while others were directly imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, where they were subjected to severe torture and suffered greatly.

Enraged, Wei Luo kicked over a stool and yelled, "Where is the Censorate? Where is Vice Censor-in-Chief Li Cai? Why aren't those censors impeaching the Grand Secretary's faction? Are they all paper tigers?"

Liu Heng pondered for a moment, then slowly straightened the stool and replied, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. I haven't finished yet. The day before yesterday, Li Cai summoned more than a dozen censors from the Censorate, along with twenty or thirty officials from the Six Ministries, to submit a memorial impeaching the Grand Secretary's faction for acting recklessly and causing chaos."

"The cabinet is now full of impeachment memorials, and the Grand Secretary is unable to govern normally; in addition, Chen Zhen of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs informed the Emperor that the Grand Secretary's faction deliberately framed Liu Shen. Now they are like ants on a hot pan, running around in a panic."

Wei Luo sneered, "They brought this on themselves; they deserve their retribution."

The Grand Secretary's faction was rampant and acted recklessly. As the Crown Prince, he could not let his teacher do nothing. Now was a good opportunity, and Wei Luo decided to meet with the Emperor.

*

Inside Qixiang Palace, the emperor was reading a memorial impeaching the chief minister. He held one in his hand, but the table in front of him was full of documents submitted in recent days. The emperor was trembling with anger.

In just a few days, instead of helping the emperor or finding the mastermind behind the demonic book, the two factions have been busy tearing each other apart under the guise of investigating the case. He wouldn't mind killing all those scholars under his command!

The emperor was furious when a young eunuch hurriedly approached and said, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has come to pay his respects."

The emperor was taken aback, immediately threw the memorial on the table, and shouted, "What are you asking about? Didn't I say that with the discovery of the seditious book, the Wenhua Hall is to suspend classes and the Crown Prince is to stay in the palace to calm down? If you don't want to see him, let him go."

The emperor had given the order not to see him, and the young eunuch dared not delay, so he hurriedly informed the crown prince.

Upon hearing this, Wei Luo pondered for a moment. Just as he turned to leave, another eunuch approached and loudly proclaimed, "Your Highness, please wait. The Emperor summons you."

Inside the palace, Wei Luo knelt respectfully before the emperor, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your subject, Crown Prince Wei Luo, respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health." He then kowtowed.

The emperor grunted in acknowledgment, not even glancing at him, and said casually, "I am well, please rise."

Wei Luo stood up, and the emperor put down the memorial in his hand, looked directly at his son, and asked, "What brings you here?"

"Your Majesty, I have not seen you for many days and am filled with anxiety. Therefore, I have come to pay my respects and visit you."

The emperor smiled and said, "I know that the matter of the seditious book has made you uneasy, but I have already ordered the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to do their best to capture it, so you don't need to worry too much."

When the emperor mentioned the seditious book, Wei Luo's eyes flickered. After weighing the pros and cons, he made up his mind, knelt down with a thud, and when he looked up again, his eyes were already filled with tears. "Your Majesty, this is why I have come."

"I have heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in order to capture the author of the seditious book, has disregarded the etiquette of the imperial court. They have not only surrounded Liu Shen's residence, but also openly arrested Guo Zheng's family and friends... They have acted recklessly. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for them."

After saying this, he kowtowed hard on the ground with a loud "thud," which startled even the emperor.

The Grand Secretary's faction used the pretext of a seditious book to eliminate dissidents, while Liu Shen's faction was not to be outdone, with impeachment memorials piling up on the emperor's desk in just a few days. Although the emperor did not leave the palace, he was well aware of the actions of both sides.

The dogs were fighting, and the emperor was extremely annoyed. He sighed, told the crown prince to stand up, and softened his tone, saying, "I am aware of this matter. I will order people not to harass Liu Shen. As for your teacher Guo Zheng, if he is clean, why would he be afraid of getting dirty water on his body?"

Wei Luo raised his eyes, as if about to say something more, but the emperor gave him a cold look, and Wei Luo immediately shut his mouth.

"It's alright, you can go back now," the emperor said, turning his attention back to the memorial.

Wei Luo knew it was time to take his leave, but he was unwilling to accept it. Being bullied to this extent filled him with anger. So he gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble. "Your Majesty, I wish to personally go to the Liu residence to invite the Grand Secretary into the cabinet. I request Your Majesty's permission."

The Crown Prince volunteered to go in person. The Emperor's hand holding the memorial trembled, and he couldn't help but frown. He glared at the Crown Prince, his tone full of impatience: "Are you just bored?"

"I only wish to share Your Majesty's burdens," Wei Luo said, his voice growing even lower.

The emperor sneered, "What a fine son you are. Go if you wish."

Wei Luo was suddenly stunned, incredulous that the emperor had actually agreed to let him leave the palace.