Chapter 85

In the latter half of the first lunar month, Shen Yao lived in Xu Xuan's shadow, especially after his shocking words, "I want you to be a good wife."

She asked Miao Niang, "Has Xu Xuan suffered some kind of shock?"

Miao Niang smoothed her hair and snorted, "How would I know about your affair?"

She sighed, her voice filled with sorrow, "It's like gods fighting, and little devils suffer. I've been dragged into this by you. If the master finds out one day, I'll be in big trouble."

Shen Yao naturally wouldn't let her suffer, and comforted her, "Now we're all in the same boat, sharing both glory and disgrace. Don't say anything discouraging, okay? It'll only discourage people."

Miao Niang swept her cold eyes over her, "Young lady, you're thinking too simply. Men aren't so easy to deal with."

She tapped the table and asked, "You said it yourself, we're in this together now, so you have to be honest with me. So who is that man?"

Shen Yao rolled her eyes, closed them, and shook her head, looking like she would rather die than tell.

Miao Niang was furious and pointed at him, cursing, "I think you'll be killed sooner or later."

Shen Yao remained silent. Bi Luo, who was standing beside her adding tea, couldn't help but explain, "It's not that the young lady doesn't want to say, but that she can't say."

Before Shen Yao could stop him, he blurted out, "Actually, it's because that person's status is so noble that it cannot be mentioned."

Shen Yao quickly glared at Bi Luo, who lowered her head sullenly.

Miao Niang saw this but didn't press the matter, only saying, "Alright, I won't ask about it anymore. Do whatever you want with it."

After saying that, he got up and left, but after taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and asked, "Does Xu Xuan not have any women with him right now?"

Shen Yao suddenly looked up, unsure of what she meant, and simply said, "There shouldn't be anything wrong, what's wrong?"

Miao Niang smiled brightly, "Then I advise you to buy a maid and send her over as soon as possible. Once a man has no woman, he will keep harassing you, but once his desires are satisfied, all the trouble will be over."

"Is that so?" Shen Yao blurted out.

Seeing that she knew nothing about this matter, Miao Niang blinked and smiled, "There is no man in this world that I cannot see through."

As he spoke, he took Shen Yao's arm and walked towards the door.

Shen Yao asked, "Where are we going?"

"The brothel".

Shen Yao struggled, "Isn't it inappropriate for us to go openly in broad daylight?"

Miao Niang glanced at her and teased, "You're from the countryside. These days, how many women go to brothels? What's the big deal?"

Shen Yao touched her nose, said nothing, and let her be.

*

After the New Year, official business piled up in the government offices, and the cabinet was especially busy.

On one hand, there's the long-delayed case of the "seditious book," and on the other hand, there's the upcoming annual capital inspection, a grand national event where both major and minor matters, both domestic and international, must be handled with utmost care.

Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin was writing a memorial when Du Bangguo, the Minister of Personnel, stepped across the threshold and hurriedly said, "Something has happened."

Liu Zhengxin suddenly looked up, and then heard Du Bangguo say again, "Zhang San, Liu Shen and the others have found a Zhang San from somewhere, and they are searching for him all over the city."

Because he spoke so hastily, Liu Zhengxin was completely confused and couldn't help but ask, "What Zhang San? Don't rush, tell me slowly."

He stood up and closed the door. The two sat down facing each other, and Du Bangguo said, "It's about the demonic book. Now there's another suspect, Zhang San."

As he spoke, he handed the official gazette in his hand to the Grand Secretary, saying, "Look, it's all written here."

"His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest Zhang San, the suspect in the seditious book."

Liu Zhengxin was shocked and asked, "When did this happen? No, I mean when did Liu Shen submit his memorial to His Majesty? How could I not know?"

"Just yesterday, while everyone was busy preparing for the capital inspection these past few days, they were still keeping an eye on the 'seditious book,' they really persisted."

Liu Zhengxin was immediately exasperated. He slammed the official report on the table and cursed, "Zhang San? Bah! What Zhang San? I think this whole Zhang San thing is a trap. Han Yu is currently imprisoned in the imperial prison, so they can't frame him. That's why they deliberately brought up Zhang San to distort the truth. Humph, I won't let them have their way."

"What do you intend to do?" Du Bangguo looked expectantly at the Prime Minister.

Liu Zhengxin flicked his sleeves and walked outside, saying, "Come with me to the Ministry of Justice first. I'll ask Minister Xiao about this."

However, upon arriving at the Ministry of Justice, the two learned that Xiao Da'an had taken sick leave and was not on duty that day. Liu Zhengxin was so angry that he trembled.

Just as he was leaving the government office, Liu Zhengxin had a sudden inspiration and turned around to ask, "Where is Chief Clerk Xu from the Zhejiang Division?"

Someone replied, "He went out on official business with Chief Deng; I heard it was to search for people."

Liu Zhengxin frowned. "These two are civil officials, why are they doing the work of the secret police?"

"It was requested personally by Vice Minister Liu."

Liu Zhengxin suddenly fell silent, then quickly strode out of the hall, with Du Bangguo following behind, also silent.

Once they reached a secluded spot, the two exchanged a glance, and Liu Zhengxin sighed, "What a clever deception! I never expected Xu Xuan to betray me as well."

Du Bangguo chimed in, "They're all low-class stuff, but they have their clever plans, and we have our countermeasures. As for Han Yu..."

Liu Zhengxin paused for a moment, looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, and sighed, "That's right, we still have Han Yu."

So the two of them turned a corner and went to the Commander's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to find Wang Zhen.

Liu Zhengxin directly told Wang Zhen, "Get Han Yu to confess as soon as possible."

With a hot potato in his hands, no one could get Han Yu to confess faster than Wang Zhen. He said with a sigh, "Your Excellency, to be honest, Han Yu is an extremely stubborn man. I have tried every means to get him to confess, but he still refuses to admit his guilt."

Liu Zhengxin asked, "Where are his family members?"

"We've already threatened him, especially since Han Yu loves his son, but with so many eyes watching, we can't go too far."

Liu Zhengxin snorted, "That's because you're useless. You can't be forceful, and you can't be gentle either."

Wang Zhen's eyes widened. "What does Your Excellency mean?"

Du Bangguo chimed in, "You should try out those tricks and swindles, those methods of con artists."

Before leaving, Liu Zhengxin added, "Right now, there are civil officials from the Ministry of Justice on official business, especially that kid Deng Yan. You must be careful in your actions and never give anyone a handle to use against you."

Wang Zhen bowed his head, "Your humble servant obeys."

*

The area around the West Courtyard brothel was the most famous red-light district in the capital, a melting pot of all sorts of people who loved to gather there. Knowing Zhang San's penchant for drinking, gambling, and whoring, Deng Yan, after searching the entire capital without success, brought his men here to search for him.

Xu Xuan asked him, "What are the chances of you being right?"

Deng Yan held up a finger and shook it from side to side, laughing awkwardly, "It's all our fault for making such boastful claims before. Now that things are really urgent, we can only try our luck."

Xu Xuan pushed his hand away and joked, "You're the one talking big, not me. If you fail to catch them, I won't plead for you with the Vice Minister."

Deng Yan chuckled, "That's not how it works. This time we acted first and reported later. You've probably offended the Prime Minister. You might even need me to plead for you in the Cabinet."

Xu Xuan shook his head with a smile and strode forward. "What's the use of saying all this? Let's catch him first. As long as we catch Zhang San, both the cabinet and the Shen family will have an explanation. Right now, the two sides are fighting each other, and I'm caught in the middle, so I'm not good to anyone."

Deng Yan knew that Xu Xuan was now in a dilemma. On one hand, his duty as a civil official required him to act impartially, and on the other hand, there was the interest of his wife's family... and his wife's family had not been a consideration for him before.

With Liu Ru's complete departure, his personal political stance also underwent a significant change.

As a peer, he warmly welcomed his friend's participation in the anti-sinking movement; but as a friend, he also hoped that his friend could have a happy marriage.

Whether to prioritize friendship or interests was a contradictory and agonizing question, but he ultimately chose friendship.

Having been immersed in officialdom for so long, true feelings are hard to find.

So Deng Yan caught up with Xu Xuan, asking as they walked, "How are things going with you two?"

Xu Xuan lifted her eyelids to glance at him, and replied with a nonchalant tone, "What can we do? Just treat each other with respect!"

It seems he didn't get any benefit from it. Well, after all, he was the one who secretly informed Xu Xuan about Shen Yao's matter. Right now, he felt like he had cat claws scratching at him, eager to know what would happen to the two of them, including the mysterious man he thought he knew.

However, one cannot ask... There is already one Liu Ru, and if Chen Yao were to commit adultery as well, the scene would be unbearable to imagine.

Deng Yan replied, "The best way for a couple to stay together is to treat each other with respect, avoid bickering and arguing, and treat each other with courtesy. This is the way to ensure a long-lasting relationship between husband and wife."

Xu Xuan snorted coldly, offering no reply, and continued walking forward with the speed of the wind, his indigo official robes fluttering in the air.

As Xu Xuan turned a corner, he finally stopped and looked around. He had reached the easternmost restaurant in the west courtyard. Further in were the government-run music and dance halls, as well as brothels like Hua Man Lou.

So the two of them each led a team to search along both sides of the street.

Before parting, Deng Yan instructed, "If you see Zhang San, be sure to capture him, and remember, keep him alive."

Although dead people are more effective than living people most of the time, Zhang San must be a living person.

Xu Xuan patted his shoulder, then waved his sleeve and led his men away.

As the Grand Secretary said, searching for people is the job of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are a collective term for the two secret police agencies. Most people only recognize clothes and not people. Moreover, those who do business here are all shrewd people, and each of them has someone protecting them.

Therefore, despite having a warrant from the Ministry of Justice, the search operation still faced numerous obstacles.

Inside the Flower Pavilion, the portly manager pointed directly at his nose and roared, "Who are you, you lackeys? Why are you disturbing my business? Who are you, sir? State your names now!"

He looked down on everyone.

Xu Xuan thought for a moment, and Deng Yan said that the manager of this place was arrogant because he was on good terms with the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Master Shen was a patron of the establishment, so perhaps he could try his luck by using the name of Master Shen's son-in-law.

He walked out slowly, and under the man's narrowed eyes, he said unhurriedly, "I am Xu Xuan, the principal officer of the Ministry of Justice."

He raised an eyebrow, meeting the shopkeeper's gaze. His imposing height overwhelmed the shopkeeper, clearly distinguishing the official from the commoner. Xu Xuan's lips parted slightly. "Does the shopkeeper have any more questions?"

The shopkeeper clapped his hands and sneered, "Oh, I thought you were someone important, but it turns out you're just a lowly sixth-rank official who dares to bring people to my Flower Pavilion to act so arrogantly. I think you should go back and find out who's protecting you."

After he finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted around him, and someone echoed, "That's right, a sixth-rank official dares to cause trouble in the territory of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he's really not afraid of death."

Another person said, "Civil officials are indeed tough, but they're too young."

"Disturbing people's livelihoods, this person will probably be impeached when he gets back."

...

Various comments drifted past my ears, and amidst the noise, someone vaguely said, "Isn't Xu, the head of the Ministry of Justice, Master Shen's son-in-law?"

"Yes, he's the Shen family's son-in-law. Is this the one standing here?"

There are always people who aren't fools. If the words reached Xu Xuan's ears, they would naturally reach the shopkeeper's mind. The shopkeeper frowned, scrutinized him for a moment, and then couldn't help but step forward to ask, his tone unusually gentle, "May I ask about Manager Xu and the Shen family—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Xuan interrupted, "I am only searching for people. This matter has nothing to do with my father-in-law. You just need to follow the rules."

The shopkeeper's expression changed, and he immediately nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, Master Xu, please feel free to lead your men to investigate. I will cooperate carefully and dare not be negligent."

He bowed and gestured for Xu Xuan to enter. Xu Xuan readily agreed with a few polite words, thinking to himself, "Indeed, having connections in the court makes things much easier."

The main entrance on the first floor was sealed off, and the officials began searching people one by one. Xu Xuan was led to the second floor by the manager, who tentatively asked, "Second Madam Shen has also come over. Would you like to go and take a look, Manager Xu?"

Xu Xuan was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Which second wife?"

"That's Miao Niang. She used to be a girl in the brothel, but later she went to the Shen family and became Master Shen's woman. Now she's dressed in gold and silver. Who wouldn't envy her?"

Xu Xuan was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Since she's married, how could she still be here?"

The shopkeeper laughed and said, "Even if you get married, this is still your mother's home. It's normal for you to come back to visit your sisters in your spare time. It's not a taboo."

As the two walked to the door, the shopkeeper was about to knock when the door opened from the inside.

Miao Niang appeared before the two with a smile on her face. She gave them a deep bow and welcomed them inside.

There were two young women inside, who looked quite young. Miao Niang said, "Have you greeted Steward Xu yet?"

Both girls stood up and bowed.

Xu Xuan nodded and then looked around the room. Outside the landscape screen, there was only a round table and a few chairs. There was a blue and white porcelain on the table and flower and bird paintings on the wall. Although the space was small, the decoration was very luxurious.

It fits his stereotype of places of entertainment.

Miao Niang's smile was somewhat stiff. She glanced almost imperceptibly behind the screen, then turned to Xu Xuan and asked, "Since we've run into each other, why don't you join me for a drink, young master?"

Xu Xuan shook his head and declined, saying, "I'm busy with official duties and dare not drink too much."

Miao Niang didn't stop him, but just smiled and said, "The son-in-law is indeed upright."

Having confirmed that Xu Xuan was indeed the genuine son-in-law of the Shen family, the shopkeeper dropped his pretense and quickly chimed in, "That's right. I've long heard that Scholar Xu is a first-rate romantic figure. Seeing him today, his temperament and demeanor prove the rumors to be true."

He picked up the wine pot on the table and poured it into two large cups. "Master Xu, you must sit down. Let me offer you a few cups of wine as a token of my apology."

Before Xu Xuan could say anything, Miao Niang jumped in and shouted, "He can't drink alcohol!"

Instantly, everyone looked at her. The shopkeeper said with displeasure, "How can a mere woman be so rude?" He turned to Xu Xuan and smiled, "Please don't be offended, Manager Xu. We're all family here, no need for such formalities."

Xu Xuan glanced at the embarrassed Miao Niang, then at the innkeeper's wine cup, and declined, saying, "Miao Niang is right, I really can't drink."

However, in order not to offend the shopkeeper, he poured himself a cup of tea and offered it to the shopkeeper instead of wine, which made the shopkeeper look a little better.

In this world, it has to be admitted that having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy.

not to mention--

Xu Xuan put down his wine cup, glanced at the four teacups on the table, his eyes flickered slightly, and then said to the shopkeeper, "The wine and water have been served, and I also have some questions for Miao Niang."

The implication is that you can leave now.

The innkeeper, being sensible, went out and took the two girls with him.

The door creaked shut, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Seeing Xu Xuan's serious expression, Miao Niang knew he was a strict judge, and considering he had taken Chen Yao to a brothel and was now hiding behind a screen, she felt a pang of guilt and kept glancing in that direction.

She rubbed her handkerchief, sat down in the chair, and asked, "Young master, please feel free to ask me anything. I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Xu Xuan smiled upon hearing this, but without looking up, he lowered his eyes and asked, "I heard from the shopkeeper that you've come to visit an old friend?"

Miao Niang nodded. "Yes, is there a problem?"

“It looks fine, but…”

His tone suddenly turned sharp, "Why did you bring Shen Yao here?"

One sentence suddenly made the atmosphere in the room tense. Miao Niang jumped up, her face changing drastically, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Xu Xuan sneered, "You can do whatever you want, but why lead Shen Yao astray? She's just a young girl, and you've brought her here to play for no reason. If her father-in-law finds out about this, he'll definitely not let it go."

These words caused Miao Niang's expression to change repeatedly. She roared, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Xu Xuan stared directly at her and asked coldly, "Who exactly is that man?"