Chapter 87

In the blink of an eye, it was March of the thirtieth year of Yongzhen. The cold wind became gentle, and the sun shone its light on the earth, bringing forth a vibrant scene of life.

In the afternoon, when she had nothing to do, Shen Yao took the two parrots to the yard to bask in the sun. The sun was warm and cozy, and Xiao Hong and Xiao Lü basked in the sunlight, tucking their heads in and dozing off.

Shen Yao then combed their feathers.

As winter passed, the birds shed many feathers, which Shen Yao collected one by one, tucked into a piece of floral stationery, and wrote the beautiful words "Shallow and deep, may happiness last forever" before sending it to Wei Luo.

Although Wei Luo was busy, he would always send letters from time to time, and he would reply with the same love words written by men of this era, such as "beauty, fragrant flowers, red beans to the bone". It was obvious that he had racked his brains to write cheesy sentences. Shen Yao read them to Bi Luo, and the two of them laughed so hard that they couldn't stand up straight.

Biluo joked, "I never expected that His Highness, who is usually so serious, could write such witty remarks."

She blinked and asked Chen Yao, "When can you two be together?"

"Probably next year."

Biluo was slightly surprised, "It'll take that long?"

"That's right. A new emperor brings a new court. Only when Your Highness sits in that position can I escape this marriage."

Biluo opened her mouth wide and whispered, "But what if His Majesty lives for another ten or twenty years? What will happen to you?"

Shen Yao patted her shoulder with a smile and said, "Silly girl, I knew that's why I dared to do it."

Biluo asked again, "How did you know, young lady?"

Shen Yao chuckled, "The Bodhisattva told me in a dream."

"..."

As the master and servant were talking, a guest arrived in the front hall. Deng Yan brought a jar of fine Jinhua wine to see Xu Xuan.

In the case of the demonic book, the two captured Zhang San, which can be considered as making amends. With the help of the second assistant minister and the crown prince's recommendation, they are now almost free of trouble. They can go to work as usual and live a carefree life.

Of course, Deng Yan came over today on his day off not just to catch up with Xu Xuan, but also to discuss matters related to the capital inspection.

Although the book of demons has been definitively concluded, its impact is far from over. With the retirement of the high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, the responsibility for overseeing the capital inspection fell to Yang Guang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

However, Yang Guang was on good terms with the second-in-command, and another official in the capital, Yu Ming, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was also a member of the same faction, so the chief minister was very dissatisfied.

The Grand Secretary submitted a memorial to the Emperor, requesting that the Minister of Justice be replaced in charge of the capital inspection. As soon as the memorial was submitted, the Second Grand Secretary immediately submitted a memorial opposing it, saying that the national ceremony was not a private matter. If administrative affairs were to be arbitrarily controlled by personal preferences, the law would eventually become lawless and the country would cease to be a country.

After reading the memorials of the two officials, and considering that Yang Guang was an upright man whom the emperor trusted, the emperor followed the advice of the second minister and ordered Yang Guang to continue in charge.

At this point, the chief officials for the capital inspection were determined to be Yang Guang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel concurrently acting as Minister of Personnel, and Yu Ming, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; at the same time, two officials, the Director of the Examination and Evaluation Department and the Censor of Henan Circuit, assisted them.

The Jinhua wine was opened, a pot was poured, and a copper steamer was used to heat it. The two drank and chatted. Xu Xuan said, "The seditious book has caused the Grand Secretary's party to lose the Ministry of Personnel and the Embroidered Uniform Guard in succession. I think this inspection in the capital will not be peaceful."

Deng Yan finished a bowl of wine and burped, "That's inevitable. The cabinet struggle is in full swing. When the results of the investigation come out, it would be good if they didn't start fighting each other."

Xu Xuan shook his head. "Not necessarily. Vice Minister Yang of the Ministry of Personnel is mild-mannered. Although he doesn't get along with the Grand Secretary, it's not advisable for him to go too far."

"Then you'd be wrong. What is the Capital Inspection? It's a once-every-six-years opportunity to openly and fairly strike at political enemies. Even a fool would know to seize the opportunity. Although Vice Minister Yang has a good personality, the one in the Censorate is not one to be trifled with."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan couldn't help but frown. Deng Yan poured him some wine, but he refused to drink it.

Deng Yan then asked, "What's wrong?"

After a long pause, Xu Xuan looked up, her eyes filled with sadness. "I just feel sad. The capital inspection, which should have been a process of selecting the best based on ability, has now become a tool for factionalism and elimination."

He picked up the porcelain bowl on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and when he put it down, his cheeks turned red due to the alcohol.

Deng Yan laughed heartily, mocking him, "Brother Xu, you're still too green to drink. If you keep trying to curry favor with your boss like this, you'll pass out before he even finishes drinking."

Xu Xuan glared at him fiercely and said defiantly, "I have never bowed down to anyone in my life."

He then filled a bowl to the brim and said to Deng Yan, "Brother Deng, please."

Before long, the pot of wine was emptied.

Xu Xuan then asked the servant to pour another pot of wine.

Seeing this, Deng Yan shook his head and laughed, "What you said just now was incorrect."

Just as Xu Xuan was wondering what was going on, he suddenly saw him take a piece of paper out of his pocket and hand it to him.

Deng Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "You should think carefully about whether to burn your divorce papers or keep them."

Xu Xuan was surprised. After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and took it, opened it and looked inside. Upon seeing it, she couldn't help but laugh. "I was so stupid. I actually did something so foolish. I thought I was the one in control, but I never expected..."

He gave a bitter laugh and directly set the divorce papers on fire.

Seeing his clear attitude, Deng Yan said, "Who hasn't made mistakes when they were young? You're only twenty-one this year, and I'm five years older than you. Back when I was your age, I did far more than you have done. My dad used to beat me a lot back then..."

He talked about the past with great enthusiasm, but it was impossible to tell whether it was true or false.

Everyone has a past, a past filled with both joy and sorrow. But the human brain is amazing; as time goes by, unpleasant things disappear like mud sinking into the sea, while pleasant things become like fine wine, growing richer and more mellow with time.

For the sake of fine wine and delicious food, and for the sake of wonderful memories, the two finished another pot of wine.

Xu Xuan held her head and waved her hands repeatedly, "I can't drink anymore."

As he pulled his hand back, his arm slipped and knocked the chopsticks to the ground. He quickly squatted down to pick them up, but unexpectedly, he tilted his body and knocked over the stool. With a 'rip', his sleeve was torn open.

Deng Yan laughed so hard he pounded the table.

Xu Xuan's face darkened, and he couldn't help but tease, "Laugh, I hope you laugh yourself to death."

Deng Yan shut his mouth, got up and pulled him up, "Take off your clothes in a bit, and let Shen Yao mend them for you."

Xu Xuan refused without hesitation, saying, "She would never do such a thing for me."

Deng Yan retorted, "Why not? There's no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight between husband and wife. Even though she's seeing someone else, she still loves you because she insisted on marrying you..."

At that moment, when he heard "there are people outside," Xu Xuan's mind went completely blank. He stared blankly at Deng Yan's mouth, but didn't hear a single word after that.

In an instant, the raging storm capsized the small boat of peace in his heart.

Xu Xuan, veins bulging, approached Deng Yan and demanded, "You know, you actually know, who exactly is that man?"

Their eyes met, and Deng Yan froze for a moment, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes darting around.

A moment later, he slapped his forehead and exclaimed in sudden realization, "Oh, I just remembered there's still hot water boiling on the stove at home. I see it's getting late, so I'll go home first."

As he spoke, he tried to slip away, but Xu Xuan quickly grabbed him, saying, "You can't leave until you've explained yourself clearly."

Deng Yan said helplessly, "What do you want me to say? I don't actually know anything."

Xu Xuan sneered, "You wrote that letter, didn't you?"

At this point, Deng Yan couldn't deny it. He nodded and sighed, "I hired someone to write it. I was just trying to help you. If I hadn't told you, you would still be kept in the dark."

Seeing Xu Xuan's pale face, Deng Yan quickly explained, "You really can't blame me for this. It wasn't that I wanted to know, but I just happen to have good eyesight and saw it that day when I was out..."

Xu Xuan seized on the key point and continued to ask, "What did that person look like?"

"Of course not. If I knew, I would have told you."

Deng Yan then recounted everything he had seen that day. After listening, Xu Xuan released him, and the two sat side by side on the ground. Xu Xuan murmured, "So he was wearing a mask and walking hand in hand with Shen Yao?"

Deng Yan gave a rather awkward "hmm," and said, "I saw that the two of them were behaving intimately, so I suppose..."

Xu Xuan turned to him with a cold expression, which frightened Deng Yan into silence. He dared not say anything more.

Xu Xuan groaned, raised his hand to his forehead, and said with a headache, "I asked Shen Yao about this, and she said that person was Miao Niang, but I don't believe it."

Deng Yan then asked, "Who is Miao Niang?"

"My father-in-law's concubine."

Deng Yan's mouth dropped open in surprise: "Although I've never seen Miao Niang before, the difference between a man's and a woman's physique is so great, not to mention that the two of them kissed."

Under Xu Xuan's shocked gaze, Deng Yan curled his lips into a smile, "Unless, your Shen Yao likes women, especially strong women. I see a lot of women looking for other women these days..."

Xu Xuan couldn't listen anymore, so he abandoned Deng Yan and ran away.

Fueled by alcohol, Xu Xuan kicked open Shen Yao's door. The room was empty except for two frightened parrots flapping their wings.

Feeling annoyed, he picked up the birdcage, slammed it outside the door with a bang, slammed the door shut, and began wandering around the room, rummaging through drawers and cabinets, searching for something like a madman.

"There must be evidence?"

Unauthorized handling of personal belongings without the owner's permission would have been something Xu Xuan would never have done in the past, but he did it now without any remorse.

Because alcohol can make any crazy act seem reasonable...

*

When Shen Yao returned, she saw the room in a mess, with tables and chairs overturned and clothes scattered everywhere. Xu Xuan was sitting blankly by the bed, and when he saw her return, his sharp eyes pierced her like blades.

Shen Yao was startled, both by fear and anger. Trembling, she raised her arm and shouted, "Xu Xuan, what have you done?"

Xu Xuan remained silent, but instead stood up and slowly raised a letter.

That is—?

Shen Yao's pupils dilated.

In his hand was the love letter Wei Luo had written to her that morning. The words were so tender that she couldn't bear to burn it, so she locked it away in a small sandalwood box.

And now, incredibly, it has fallen into Xu Xuan's hands. Upon closer inspection, Shen Yao realized that the box had been cleaved open with a knife.

He's really gone mad!

In an instant, Shen Yao broke out in a cold sweat.

Xu Xuan sneered, "Shen Yao, the evidence is right here, what else do you have to say?"

"...Listen to me—"

"Shut up." He interrupted rudely. "Your Highness, so the adulterer was Your Highness. I never imagined you could do such a shameless thing, and yet you have the audacity to claim innocence?"

Standing on the moral high ground, men can use chastity to torture and kill women.

Shen Yao suddenly felt weak.

She clenched her fists, and after a long pause, forced out a few words from her throat, "Don't forget, we're divorced. You promised me back then that I could fall in love with someone else."

Xu Xuan snorted coldly and retorted righteously, "But I clearly told you that I went back on my word. Since I set the rules, what I say goes."

"..."

Shen Yao trembled with anger, and her vision blurred.

"What do you want? To publish this letter and ruin my reputation? Xu Xuan, don't forget that I helped you before, including with your father's matter. You don't care about any of that?"

"Ha, if I didn't care, I wouldn't be here waiting for you."

Like Shen Yao, Xu Xuan gritted her teeth and asked, "I'll ask you again, what stage have you reached now?"

Shen Yao naturally understood the meaning behind his words; it was simply a question about whether anyone had defiled her.

But how was she supposed to answer that?

Aside from not having sexual intercourse, she and Wei Luo engaged in every other intimate act.

Shen Yao lowered her head, her face burning as hot as red-hot coals.

Upon seeing this, Xu Xuan flew into a rage and said angrily, "You're really going to be the death of me!"

Shen Yao, in a fit of despair, said, "Yeah, I'm already like this. If you think I'm dirty, then you should find a cleaner woman."

Xu Xuan cursed, "You wish! You're pushing me onto someone else so you and that other person can have your way with each other. I won't let you have your way."

Shen Yao: "What do you want?"

"Take off your clothes."

Shen Yao was struck dumb, utterly shocked. "Are you crazy?"

Xu Xuan's attitude was firm: "I'll say it one last time, take off your clothes."

"...I won't. You can hit me or scold me, I can accept it, but don't try to humiliate me in this way!"

“Very well, then I will present this letter to His Majesty and let him see how Your Highness has done such a thing.”