Chapter 97

Master Shen's face darkened. He coughed strategically a few times before asking, "Your Highness knows?"

Wei Luo looked confused, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Know what? Governor Shen, explain more clearly."

Then, Master Shen's face darkened further. He stared at him and said through gritted teeth, "About the prison."

Wei Luo suddenly realized what was going on, and said in a drawn-out "Oh," and then said softly, "That's exactly why I came here."

Master Shen: "..."

The three of them walked into the flower hall.

Master Shen sent Shen Yao away to the kitchen to watch over the tea, while inviting Wei Luo to take a seat.

Wei Luo asked, "Xu Xuan refuses to divorce. What does Governor Shen intend to do?"

Master Shen frowned and asked, "What brilliant idea does Your Highness have?"

“He is your son-in-law, how can I overstep my bounds?”

After pondering for a while, Mr. Shen sighed softly, "No matter what, we are still father-in-law and son-in-law. I shouldn't go too far, otherwise my conscience won't be at peace."

Wei Luo scoffed, "I didn't realize that Governor Shen had such a kind heart. It's rare."

"It's all for the sake of accumulating blessings for our children." After saying that, she changed the subject, looked up at Wei Luo, and said, "Perhaps let A Yao give it a try."

Wei Luo immediately refused, "He's about to kill your daughter, and you still want the two of them to meet? You must be crazy."

The question was asked: "Xu Xuan is unwilling to divorce. Does he have any reasons to give?"

Master Shen was stunned for a moment. "He only said that His Majesty had decreed the marriage, and no one could break them up."

Wei Luo continued, "So it wasn't a rejection based on feelings?"

Master Shen shook his head and said, "He has always been cold to A Yao. When his cousin was around, did he ever give A Yao a kind look? That's why the two of them haven't consummated their marriage yet. How can they have any feelings for each other?"

Wei Luo was completely stunned, and said blankly, "No way?"

Master Shen raised an eyebrow slightly, "Your Highness is unaware of this matter?"

Wei Luo quickly looked away, coughed a few times, and laughed it off.

Master Shen tapped the table and pondered, "I think the reason he's unwilling to divorce is probably because he hasn't been offered enough fame and fortune. If Your Highness could offer him a high-ranking official position and generous salary, I believe the divorce would naturally fall into place."

Wei Luo frowned and hesitated, "Xu Xuan doesn't seem to be that kind of person."

Master Shen chuckled, “As the saying goes, ‘All the world’s hustle and bustle is for profit.’ There aren’t that many people in the world who wouldn’t bow down for a mere five pecks of rice. I don’t believe that money and power can’t bring him down. Your Highness, leave this matter to me.”

Wei Luo joked, "Commander Shen's fall was too light."

Master Shen's lips twitched, and he said self-deprecatingly, "I am a petty man, blinded by greed, currying favor with the powerful and wealthy. How shameful!"

As the two were talking, Shen Yao came over with a tea tray.

After everyone had tea, Master Shen said he needed to go back to his room to apply medicine, so Shen Yao and Wei Luo went for a stroll in the courtyard.

Although the fifteenth of the lunar month had passed, the moon was still round and bright, its cool light casting a refreshing glow over the courtyard and drawing two figures, one tall and one short, together.

Wei Luo asked her, "Are you cold?"

Shen Yao shook her head.

The two walked to a pavilion, sat down by the railing in each other's arms, and Wei Luo looked down at her.

Shen Yao asked, "Were you talking about Xu Xuan just now?"

Wei Luo gave a low "hmm," and said, "Your father is trying to tempt you with high-ranking positions and generous salaries."

Shen Yao was slightly startled and muttered, "But Xu Xuan is not that kind of person. If Father does this, he will not only fail to achieve his goal, but will also anger him."

“He’s enraged now.” He added, “Your father just told me something.”

Shen Yao blinked, waiting for him to continue.

"He said you haven't consummated your marriage yet, is that true?"

Shen Yao was taken aback when he suddenly brought up this matter, especially since it was something the two men had discussed in private. Her face suddenly turned red, and she muttered in dissatisfaction, "I can't even scold you properly. You two are even more... And Dad is really something, why does he tell everyone everything?"

Her face was puffed up with anger.

Wei Luo asked irritably, "Am I an outsider?"

Shen Yao smiled shyly and did not answer.

Wei Luo couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't overthink it. Your father is just using this to prove something."

"What's up?"

Shen Yao felt like a wronged woman, and now she was looking at Wei Luo with a mournful look in her eyes.

Wei Luo tried hard to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth and said in a serious tone, "Your father said that Xu Xuan neither loves you nor touched you, and his refusal to divorce is simply because the benefits are not big enough."

Shen Yao was surprised and exclaimed, "There's another way to explain it like that?"

"Hmm. So, smart girl, what do you think?"

He quietly lowered his head, and as she frowned in thought, he suddenly pecked her on the forehead.

Shen Yao was startled and quickly looked around.

Wei Luo chuckled and said, "Nobody's here."

Shen Yao turned around and clenched her fist to punch him, but His Highness had anticipated this. He grabbed her small hand, pulled her into his arms, and pressed her down onto the narrow bench by the railing.

Bright moonlight dappled through the treetops, and insects chirped in the grass, creating a melody of spring.

*

Master Shen kept his word and carried on the indomitable spirit of a villain who persevered in his career.

The next morning, before the wounds on his face had even scabbed over, he rushed to the prison with a beaming smile and great enthusiasm.

Upon seeing him, the gatekeeper joked, "Governor Shen, are you here to beat up your son-in-law? Do you need our help?"

Master Shen's face darkened, and he immediately shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? I've come to visit."

The bailiffs let him in.

In the same cell, Master Shen stood outside the door and called out, "Xu Xuan."

Xu Xuan suddenly raised her head, looked at Master Shen, glanced at the wound on his face, and remained silent.

Master Shen then called out again.

Xu Xuan then dusted himself off and said coldly, "What brings you here, Commander Shen?"

Master Shen sighed, "We're all family, why make such a scene?"

Xu Xuan couldn't help but laugh. "One should have morals. There's a saying: 'Better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage.' I really can't understand why Governor Shen did all this."

Why? Naturally, it was for profit. But Mr. Shen couldn't bring himself to say such things.

He said, "Xu Xuan, you don't love A Yao. Now that you are siblings, you should let go. Put aside this grudge, and your political career will be bright. I guarantee it."

"Is that so?" Xu Xuan laughed loudly, staring at Master Shen and laughing incessantly until he made the man's heart flutter before stopping. At this moment, his eyes were filled with tears.

So he stood up and asked Master Shen, "May I ask how Governor Shen guarantees this?"

This question left Mr. Shen completely stunned.

Before he could answer, Xu Xuan stepped closer, and the two looked at each other through the fence.

Xu Xuan gritted his teeth and asked, "Did His Highness make that promise to Governor Shen?"

Xu Xuan's gaze was too sharp, and Master Shen couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. Stealing another man's wife was truly shameful from a moral standpoint. Although Master Shen considered himself a petty person, he still chickened out in this matter.

So Wei Luo was sold.

He said to Xu Xuan, "I am also in a difficult position. He is His Highness, the sovereign, while I am a subject. If the sovereign commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. If life and death are so important, what is a daughter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Xuan flew into a rage and punched the fence, startling Master Shen so much that he stumbled backward and almost fell over.

"Despicable and shameless, what right does such a person have to be a king?"

His voice and eyes conveyed one message: resentment and unwillingness to accept defeat.

It was not just the hatred of having one's wife taken away, but also the despair of a subject over the king's moral failings.

Master Shen was secretly alarmed, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He was about to take out a handkerchief when he suddenly frowned, exclaimed "Eh?" and said, "That's not right, when did you find out it was... the Crown Prince?"

Xu Xuan raised her cold eyes and smiled, "Not too early, not too late, I just found out."

Immediately, Mr. Shen was speechless.

Xu Xuan explained, "His behavior that day was really suspicious. I only realized it belatedly, but what you just said almost directly points out his identity."

Xu Xuan seemed tired of standing, so he sat down against the fence, leaning against it, and asked after a long time, "That prince promised that as long as I write the divorce papers, he would ensure my career advancement, right?"

Master Shen replied, "Yes."

“Words are no proof. If I write a divorce agreement and he doesn’t keep his promise, and then tries to settle scores later, wouldn’t I lose both my wife and my money?”

Seeing that his attitude had improved, Master Shen assumed he had compromised and quickly continued to persuade him, "Don't worry about this. With me here, you won't suffer any losses. Besides, this kind of thing has happened before in history. Emperor Zhenzong and his empress, weren't they also wives of officials..."

*

In Cining Palace, Wei Luo returned, changed his clothes, and was preparing to pay his respects to the emperor.

A moment later, a palace attendant came in to announce that Vice Minister Guo of the Ministry of Rites had arrived.

He then had someone wait in the warm chamber, and a eunuch served tea. After a while, Wei Luo went over.

After the emperor and his minister exchanged greetings, Guo Shi hurriedly asked, "Your Highness has been attending to the ailing emperor these past few days. Do you know why His Majesty has not yet issued the report on the capital investigation?"

Wei Luo was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "I don't know."

Guo, the Vice Minister, paused, lowered his head, and sighed deeply, "There is something I wonder if Your Highness is aware of?"

Wei Luo asked, "What is it?"

Guo then told him everything about the Grand Secretary's secret report, "In this capital inspection, Grand Secretary Liu's personal confidant, Minister Xiao, is also on the list."

Minister Xiao refers to Xiao Da'an, the Minister of Justice.

Following the case of the seditious book, the Grand Secretary's faction lost important positions such as Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Minister of Personnel. Now, many officials in the Censorate and Circuit Intendants are also about to be dismissed, which greatly dissatisfies them. They have begun to launch a frenzied attack on the officials in charge of the Capital Inspection for favoritism.

The emperor received either accusations or impeachment memorials, but adhering to the principle of skepticism, he delayed issuing an investigation report, allowing various conspiracy theories to proliferate.

Wei Luo clenched his fists, looked towards the door, and sighed, "The capital inspection is a major matter, and His Majesty has his own considerations. I shouldn't ask too many questions. Perhaps you could wait a little longer, sir."

Vice Minister Guo replied, "Yes, Your Highness's wishes are respected."

After speaking, he coughed a few times, leaned slightly closer to Wei Luo, and deliberately lowered his voice, saying, "There is one more thing, Your Highness, please keep it in mind."

His cautious and serious demeanor made Wei Luo nervous.

Guo, the Vice Minister, said, "Yesterday, Chen Zhen from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs came to inquire about Your Highness's private affairs."

Immediately, Wei Luo's expression changed drastically, and fear filled his eyes as he looked at Vice Minister Guo. He asked, "He's investigating me?"

Vice Minister Guo nodded.

Chen Zhen was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot. Only the Emperor could command him, which is why the Emperor suspected him.

Thinking of this, Wei Luo's heart almost jumped out of his chest, and he asked, "What are you investigating?"

Vice Minister Guo slowly said, "Form a faction!"