Chapter 38

I slept soundly through the night.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Shen Fan got up, ate breakfast with his father, and then went to the yamen (government office) to clock in.

Keeping a mistress is not a respectable thing, but as long as it is not mentioned at home, everything will be peaceful and everyone will pretend not to hear it. Therefore, Master Shen instructed his son not to mention it in front of his mother and sister.

After last night's mental onslaught, Shen Fan had no choice but to accept it, and replied, "Okay, I understand."

Master Shen nodded in satisfaction and then inquired about the birthday celebration of the Dowager Lady of the Duke's Mansion. Shen Fan explained to her father the gifts she had purchased the day before, as well as the gift she had given to Miss Zhao.

Master Shen praised his wife for her efficient work, saying that one should marry a virtuous wife.

The Duke of Xin's family has inherited the title for two hundred years, the same age as the nation. Only a lady from such a distinguished family, nurtured over a century, would meet Master Shen's ideal choice for a daughter-in-law.

He patted his son on the shoulder and said earnestly, "When you meet Miss Zhao, you must be well-dressed and presentable so as to leave a good impression on her. Only then will she be willing to marry you."

Shen Fan frowned, somewhat surprised: "I thought you were already engaged?"

“I had some friction with the Duke of Xin before. Now he has neither agreed nor refused. The Duchess said that in a few days, you and the young lady should meet and see each other before deciding whether to get engaged.”

friction?

Shen Fan's eyes flickered slightly, and the matter of the prostitute that Song Zhao mentioned instantly came to mind. Could it be that he had angered the Duke by vying for a woman, which was why the Duke was hesitant to agree to the marriage.

Shen Fan's idea, though seemingly absurd at first glance, was actually somewhat correct.

The courtesan of Hua Man Lou was originally kept by the Duke of Xin, but later caught the eye of Master Shen. The woman, greedy for money, agreed. When the Duke of Xin found out, he was furious and had a huge argument with Master Shen. From then on, the two hated each other.

Disgusting as it may be, romantic escapades are far less important than family interests.

Despite the century-old prestige of the Duke of Xin's mansion, the family is now facing a generational gap, with only Zhao Lian remaining as a grandson. However, Zhao Lian is a gambler and womanizer, and is essentially a wasted life.

Seeing that his family was on the verge of decline, the Duke of Xin could only maintain his social standing by arranging marriages for his children.

As a family related to the imperial family through marriage, the Shen family rose to prominence with the favor of the Imperial Noble Consort, making them the best match for a marriage alliance. Before the Crown Prince was established, most people in the capital pinned their hopes on the Third Prince, and the marriage between the two families was discussed at that time.

But with the foundation of the nation established, the winds shifted in just one month.

The Crown Prince and the Shen family are sworn enemies. It's hard to guarantee that the Crown Prince won't seek revenge on the Shen family after he ascends the throne. In addition, the Crown Prince dislikes Master Shen. Therefore, for a time, the Duke of Xinguo has been delaying his daughter's marriage and has been making excuses to postpone it.

As for Master Shen's saying "one should marry a virtuous wife," it is just a fig leaf covering up "interests."

Newly rich are still new, but even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. The Duke's Mansion has a century of prestige, deep roots, and extensive connections, making it the best marriage partner for the newly rich.

This is also why Master Shen was so determined to have his son marry Miss Zhao.

For both sides, everything is about maximizing family interests. As for character, appearance, and so on, they are worthless.

*

Inside the Xu residence, Shen Yao also got up early. She had said the day before that she was going to Jiangnan Hutong to thank the Zhao brothers. Since she had nothing to do today, she decided to prepare some gifts and take her maid with her.

In the alleyway south of the Yangtze River, Zhao Xian, the younger brother, was not there; only Zhao Liang and his wife were present.

The couple ran a wonton shop. When Shen Yao arrived, it was already past noon, and the master and servant were hungry, so they ate wontons there for lunch.

Shen Yao came here not only to express her gratitude, but also to investigate the kidnapping incident. Having been caught in this mess for no reason, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease; if this happened once, who knew if it would happen again?

Shen Yao then recounted the whole story to Zhao Liang, including how she was kidnapped and how she escaped. "I'm willing to pay a reward, I just want to know who harmed me."

Zhao Liang knew this all too well; it was he who took the order. If Liu Ru hadn't intervened, Shen Yao would be buried alive by now.

In order to seek revenge, Zhao Liang could only pretend not to know as part of the deal: "If Miss Shen asks, I will naturally help, but I don't want any reward."

Seeing Shen Yao's doubt, Zhao Liang sighed and said, "As you know, my younger brother has lost his lineage and will never be able to marry again. So I would like to ask you for help to get Zhao Xian into the palace as a eunuch."

Shen Yao already sympathized with Zhao Xian's tragic fate, and now that her benefactor Zhao Liang was asking for help, Shen Yao couldn't bear to refuse. However, she had no experience in bringing people into the palace, so the only way was to ask her aunt, the Imperial Concubine, for help.

But will the Imperial Concubine help?

Shen Yao frowned, looked at Zhao Liang, and said helplessly, "I can ask about this, but I can't promise whether it will work out right now."

She thought Zhao Liang would be disappointed after hearing these words, but to her surprise, he beamed with joy and thanked Shen Yao repeatedly, making Shen Yao feel embarrassed.

In fact, Zhao Liang felt guilty. He thought Shen Yao would hesitate before deciding whether to help, but she was very straightforward and didn't make any promises easily, which made his behavior seem even more despicable.

But the words had already been spoken, so he could only continue. He thought to himself that even if Shen Yao couldn't help in the end, he would still tell her about the murderer. Her innocence had indeed touched this grown man.

"Don't worry about the murderer, young lady. I guarantee that the truth will be revealed within three days."

The claim of three days was merely to make the lie seem more believable; the person who killed Shen Yao was Zhao Lian, the heir of the Duke of Xin, and he had always known this.

*

Leaving Jiangnan Hutong, it was just past noon. Yesterday, we strolled through Qipan Street, which was full of elegant items but had no appeal whatsoever. The maid said that Dashilan was lively, so the two of us went there.

The bustling Dashilan area is teeming with people and vehicles, and a dazzling array of goods, including food, drinks, clothing, and accessories—everything imaginable.

The two ate, drank, strolled around, bought clothes, picked out jewelry, watched performances, and appreciated calligraphy and paintings. Before long, they were tired.

We found a teahouse to rest in, ordered a pot of West Lake Longjing tea and a few plates of crispy pastries, and then we heard a storyteller vividly recounting the story of Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon. The whole room cheered, and adults and children alike clapped.

During this era, due to maritime trade, a large amount of silver flowed in, the commodity economy flourished, and popular novels were especially sought after, such as "Journey to the West," "Water Margin," and "Jin Ping Mei." These long vernacular chapter novels, told by storytellers, quickly became famous and widely circulated. In addition, there were also opera scripts, such as "The Peony Pavilion," which were eagerly read by young women in their boudoirs.

Of course, the most popular were erotic novels, such as "The Story of Ruyi Jun" and "New Tales of the Lamp-Trimming", including "Jin Ping Mei". Although they were denounced as obscene books and repeatedly banned, they could not be stopped.

The more feudal ethics instilled aversion to sex, the more people sought stimulation in books.

After the two finished listening to the story of the White Bone Demon and drinking their snacks and tea, they were about to leave when suddenly a large crowd of people, both men and women, rushed in, vying for seats and shouting incessantly. Upon closer listening, they realized that at this hour, the story of "Jin Ping Mei" was to be told.

Today happened to be the day Pan Jinlian was hanging upside down on the grape trellis.

Shen Yao: "..."

To openly discuss such explicit content in broad daylight—it just goes to show how desperate the boss is to make money!

The price of tea and snacks had gone up, and they would have to pay more if they wanted to continue listening. The maid blushed and urged them to leave, but Shen Yao, driven by curiosity and a desire for excitement, said, "Let's listen for a while too."

It's worth the trip to experience it once.

In the blink of an eye, the entire teahouse was packed, with even a large number of people standing.

Shen Yao shared a table with two fair-skinned young men, who were well-mannered and had a respectable appearance. They seemed like serious scholars, and it was unexpected to see them here listening to stories.

The world is going to the dogs; even scholars are acting openly now.

Shen Yao shook her head and sighed. As if hearing her thoughts, one of the tall men turned around and looked at her, laughing, "Judging from your attire, young lady, you must be married. I advise you to leave as soon as possible and avoid listening to such stories, otherwise your husband will be utterly humiliated."

"..."

Shen Yao frowned. Who is this person? Why is he meddling in other people's business?

"If you can hear, why can't I?"

Shen Yao looked fierce.

"I'm doing this for the girl's own good."

The man sipped his tea with elegant manners, clearly indicating that he had a very good upbringing.

Shen Yao snorted and said sarcastically, "Look at you, so dignified and proper, yet you're just listening to a storyteller here. What right do you have to talk to me like that?"

"Only officials are allowed to set fires, while common people are forbidden to light lamps." Shen Yao turned her head away and ignored him.

Upon seeing this, the man's eyes flashed with disdain, and he shut his mouth.

The story begins to reach its climax, which is that everyone is vying to come here for tea in order to hear that lewd story.

Shen Yao was also excited. She had only listened to the beginning when the man suddenly stood up and shouted, "We have received a report from the public that a teahouse was openly telling obscene stories in broad daylight. The people have been caught red-handed. The storyteller and the audience have all been arrested."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people rushed in from a distance, carrying long knives and swords, and in a short while, they surrounded the teahouse like dumplings.

We can't get out.

Shen Yao was shocked and looked at the man in fear. He happened to catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, his eyes full of mockery and smugness. It was as if he were saying, "I just reminded you, but you refused to leave, so don't blame me."

Shen Yao was filled with resentment. Seeing that she was about to be taken away, she couldn't care less about saving face. She ran to the man and pleaded, "Sir, please let me go. I'll learn my lesson and never dare to do it again."

The man snorted and sneered, "You can escape now that you left, but wait in jail while your husband gets a beating."

Shen Yao: "..."

"I have money, could you make an exception for me?"

Shen Yao stuffed the purse into the man's hand.

The man took the purse, his face darkening. He shouted, "Bribing an official is an even more serious crime. Your husband will not only be flogged, but also fined!"

He threw his purse on the ground and left angrily.

And so, Shen Yao, along with her maid and a group of people from the teahouse, were all taken to the prison and their names, hometowns, and residences were registered.

The men were punished on the spot, while the women were notified to come and receive their punishment.

Shen Yao was extremely unlucky. He publicly punished her by name, wanting to set an example, so Shen Yao was forced to say Xu Xuan's name.

His eyes widened in shock, as if in disbelief. He asked for the name again and finally confirmed that the woman was his good brother's wife.

Deng Yan was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say, but the words had already been spoken, and with so many eyes watching, there was no way to take them back.

So, I can only say sorry, brother.

Xu Xuan was taken to the jail.

The first time he was caned was because his wife caused the trouble, and his good brother was watching over him. This experience should be unforgettable for him.

When Xu Xuan arrived, to avoid trouble, he had already taken off his official robes and changed into civilian clothes. He raised and lowered the stick, and soon his buttocks were red.

After the caning ended, Xu Xuan was carried home, with Shen Yao following behind, feeling uneasy and barely daring to breathe.

Heaven is really going to kill me!

*

Because Xu Xuan was injured and had to return home to recuperate, the task of handling Han Yu's case fell to Deng Yan.

Yesterday, the Emperor received a memorial from Xiao Da'an, the Minister of Justice. The memorial stated that Han Yu had confessed to his crimes. He had previously extorted money from Master Shen, but was later dragged to the imperial prison and severely beaten by Shen Fan. This led him to write a seditious book as revenge.

The reason seemed reasonable, but it was actually far-fetched. Given the seriousness of the case, the emperor ordered the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial, but the trial was postponed for several days.