Prime Minister Shen

The Prime Minister's Residence in the Capital.

Prime Minister Shen held the letter in his hand, and remained silent after reading it.

The butler asked cautiously, "Master, what did the young master say? Is he coming back?"

Prime Minister Shen: "Hmm."

The butler immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Then what are you worried about?"

Prime Minister Shen's expression was indescribable: "He said he wants to bring the girl back."

“Oh,” the butler said, then a second later, realizing his mistake, his voice carried for miles: “Huh?”

Is the young master bringing a young lady back?

Is it going to rain blood today?

The streets and alleys were bustling with pedestrians, the roads were wide and clean, and the stalls were all neatly arranged in a row. Kyoto was indeed grand and orderly.

Zhu Qinghe lowered the sedan curtain and looked at Shen Wumei, who was resting with her eyes closed.

"It is said that the eldest son of the current Prime Minister is exceptionally intelligent, able to compose poetry at the age of three and ride and shoot at the age of five. I never imagined that he would be our Lord Shen."

Shen Wumei slowly opened her eyes: "It's me. What, are you not satisfied?"

Zhu Qinghe laughed: "How could that be? But I'm very curious, since Lord Shen has such a distinguished status, why would he be sent to such a small place as Licheng?"

The carriage suddenly stopped abruptly, and Zhu Qinghe tumbled to the side due to inertia. Shen Wumei reached out to stop her and asked from outside, "What happened?"

Mo Wu's voice came through: "Sir, someone is stopping the carriage."

Shen Wumei lifted the curtain, and through the gap, Zhu Qinghe could also see the scene outside.

The bustling street was filled with onlookers, which only made the frail woman kneeling on the ground in the center appear even more desolate and miserable.

She was dressed in white and was holding a piece of rough, half-foot-square gray linen cloth. The cloth was covered with a large character drawn in blood.

--injustice.

The writing was dark red and congealed, indicating it was written in blood.

The surrounding pedestrians were talking about it. Shen Wumei made a move to get out of the car, but Zhu Qinghe stopped her.

Zhu Qinghe got up, lifted the sedan curtain, and walked up to the girl: "Miss, if you have a grievance, you should go to the yamen. What are you doing blocking the road like this?"

The girl remained neither humble nor arrogant: "If the government were of any use, why would I need to kneel here?"

Wow, that's quite unique.

Zhu Qinghe squatted down in front of her nonchalantly, "Okay, then tell me, what grievance do you have?"

The girl glanced at her: "Who are you? Why should I tell you?"

"So who were you originally looking for?" Zhu Qinghe asked.

"The Prime Minister's son, Shen Wumei."

"What a coincidence, I'm his daughter. Shall we get in the car and talk?"

The carriage continued its journey, the atmosphere inside eerie.

Shen Wumei frowned: You just brought people up like this.

Zhu Qinghe raised an eyebrow: What else can we do? She came to see you and knows your identity. Who knows what secrets she might know? Are we really going to let her gossip in the street?

Shen Wumei pursed her lips: The Shen family's affairs have nothing to do with me, anyway, I don't know her.

Zhu Qinghe: Let me ask.

The girl in white folded the gray linen and looked at the two of them.

Before Zhu Qinghe could even gather her thoughts, the other person suddenly knelt down in the middle of the carriage with a "thud," facing Shen Wumei. The latter was startled and immediately reached for the dagger at her waist.

The girl in white said in a mournful voice, "I am Bai Qiuru, the daughter of the Bai family, cloth merchants in the capital. My father, Bai Min, was imprisoned for the poisoned cloth incident, but I am certain that there is nothing wrong with the cloth of our Bai family. Someone must be trying to frame us."

Shen Wumei withdrew her hand from her waist: "The Bai family, cloth merchants in the capital, have a far-reaching reputation. They were even selected as imperial merchants last year, with a bright future ahead of them. Why don't they go to the yamen after something like this happened?"

Bai Qiuru said indignantly, "The yamen runners never let me in. Every time I was sent back, I couldn't even see the officials inside. How could I seek justice?"

"Then how would you like me to help you?" Shen Wumei asked.

"I've long heard that Prime Minister Shen is upright and incorruptible, and makes impartial and decisive judgments. I imagine his son is the same," Bai Qiuru said with a hint of hope in her voice.

The man in front of her was handsome, upright, and had an upright demeanor, unlike those bloated and corrupt officials. He could definitely help her, right?

Who knew that after she said that, she must have touched a nerve with Shen Wumei. His face turned icy cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "Stop the car."

Zhu Qinghe, who had been standing silently to the side, glanced at him but remained silent.

Outside the carriage, Mo Wu asked, "Sir, what's wrong?"

Shen Wumei looked at Bai Qiuru and said, "Get out of the car."

Bai Qiuru looked somewhat bewildered, her tone anxious: "Lord Shen, I..."

Shen Wumei raised her hand to stop her: "No need to say anything more. I can't help you with your matter. I'm just a small constable in Licheng. I have no jurisdiction over the capital."

"But your father..."

"Then go find him. Also, he's not my father," Shen Wumei concluded.

Even after Bai Qiuru left, the atmosphere inside the car remained heavy.

Shen Wumei: "Were you scared by me?"

Zhu Qinghe chuckled: "I'm not that timid, but you've never been so impatient when it comes to cases before."

They kicked the person off the car before they could even finish speaking.

Shen Wumei: "Right now, I have no patience for anyone but you."

Zhu Qinghe: "That would be my honor."

The carriage stopped at the Prime Minister's residence. He got off the carriage with Shen Wumei's help and saw the magnificent and imposing mansion in front of him.

Zhu Qinghe inexplicably felt a sense of nervousness and anxiety, like an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws.

As they walked inside, Zhu Qinghe asked softly, "I didn't bring anything with me. Is it really okay to come empty-handed? Will your dad find fault with me?"

Shen Wumei: "He can't find anyone he likes."

What a tragedy! The relationship between this father and son is so tense; it's going to be very difficult for her to be caught in the middle.

Zhu Qinghe could already foresee how difficult her future days would be.

Upon entering the main hall, a middle-aged man sat in the main seat, glancing over indifferently.

Zhu Qinghe subconsciously examined the other person's face, and it was indeed remarkable.

The other person has a full forehead, bright eyes, and a long and prosperous life. Their features are clear and upright, and their temperament is refined, scholarly, and resolute. They have the appearance and demeanor of a wise and virtuous prime minister.

It seems this is Shen Wumei's father, Prime Minister Shen.

Prime Minister Shen glanced at his stubborn son and found that he was not missing any limbs and his complexion was not bad. Although he had a deadpan expression, he had gotten used to it over the years.

His gaze fell on Zhu Qinghe, and he saw that the other party was staring at him without blinking, her eyes full of curiosity.

He hadn't been stared at so openly in a long time. Due to his status, people around him were cautious and silent.

This little girl is quite bold.

"Aren't you going to introduce him?" Prime Minister Shen said.

Shen Wumei pulled Zhu Qinghe closer, forcing her to cling to his arm as she listened to his confrontation with his father: "This is the girl I like. You should cancel that marriage selection banquet immediately."

Prime Minister Shen sneered, "You think you can just withdraw like that? The invitations have already been sent out."

"Anyway, I won't participate. Why don't you go by yourself? You've been single for so many years, why not get a new wife?" Shen Wumei said.

Prime Minister Shen roared, "You brat!"

The butler pulled him aside, saying, "Master, calm down, calm down—"

Prime Minister Shen turned to Zhu Qinghe, his tone puzzled: "What exactly do you see in him?"

Zhu Qinghe: "...Uh, it's hard to say, but we've definitely hit it off."

Shen Wumei raised an eyebrow at her father smugly, "See? We're true love."

"Alright," Prime Minister Shen said, taking a gold-embossed invitation from the steward's pocket and handing it to Zhu Qinghe. "Perfect timing, we have an extra invitation, you can attend as well."

Zhu Qinghe accepted the invitation, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Prime Minister Shen, may I ask how many noble ladies and socialites are attending the marriage selection banquet?"

Prime Minister Shen: "Not many, after all, I don't invite just anyone, only twelve people."

"Including you, there are thirteen of you."

Zhu Qinghe continued, "I wonder if there is a Miss Bai Qiuru from the Bai family in the capital?"

Shen Wumei looked at her, seemingly understanding something.

After checking the register, the steward nodded: "The Bai family, cloth merchants in the capital, Bai Qiuru, yes."

Zhu Qinghe nodded: "In that case, I will join this marriage selection banquet."

Prime Minister Shen's expression softened considerably; he seemed reasonable and easy to talk to, but further observation and consideration are still needed.

Zhu Qinghe's room was set up in the backyard of the Prime Minister's residence. It was elegant and secluded. Although it was a bit far from Shen Wumei, she was not neglected in terms of food and drink.

Zhu Qinghe initially felt a little embarrassed, but now that she was living in a remote area, she felt inexplicably relieved.

Zhu Qinghe placed the invitation on the table and pondered. It seemed that what Bai Qiuru said was true; the Bai family's poison cloth incident might really have been a case of injustice.

After all, Prime Minister Shen knew nothing about this matter. If the Bai family really had poisoned cloth, and Master Bai was imprisoned because of it, how could Prime Minister Shen have received no news at all and even included Bai Qiu Ru in the list of candidates for marriage?

Even if Prime Minister Shen and Shen Wumei have a tense relationship, it's unlikely that he would choose to have a criminal in-law as his wife.

Bai Qiuru only learned that Shen Wumei was returning to the capital today after receiving the invitation, and her stopping the car on the way was just to create a stir.

She didn't expect to say the wrong thing and be kicked off the car by Shen Wumei, but she didn't need to panic because the marriage selection banquet was in three days, and she would definitely not miss this opportunity to clear her father's name and overturn the verdict.

Bai Mansion.

Bai Qiuru unfolded the invitation, a hint of worry appearing on her beautiful face.

The maidservant beside her was helping her match jewelry. "Miss, don't worry too much. You're so beautiful, Young Master Shen will definitely like you."

Bai Qiuru shook her head: "Wanzhi, you don't understand, that young master Shen already has someone he likes."

Wan Zhi was very disappointed: "Ah? What should we do then?"

Bai Qiuru tapped the table with her finger: "It seems we need to change our strategy."

In the unfamiliar environment, Zhu Qinghe thought she would have trouble sleeping in a new bed, but she slept quite well that night.

She was still happily dreaming a moment before the noise outside started.

"Let her out. I want to see what kind of celestial beauty my cousin likes."

Zhu Qinghe hugged the blanket and scratched her cheek. Was this person here to cause trouble?

This is too much trouble, I'd better sleep a little longer.

Zhu Qinghe lay back down and continued to sleep soundly with her head covered.

When she woke up again, she heard the sound of flowing water beside her. She turned her head and saw a familiar figure sitting at the round table behind the screen.

He was enjoying himself immensely, pouring tea for himself as it flowed gently from the slender, round spout into the matching teacup with a clear and melodious sound.

Zhu Qinghe sighed: "Don't you have a teapot and teacups in your own room?"

How bored must someone be to travel all that way to her room to play?

Shen Wumei stopped what she was doing and asked, "How did you sleep?"

"It's fine, but it seems someone came to see me about an hour ago and even praised me."

"What did I say to praise you?"

"You've got good taste, praising me as an angel descended from heaven. Judging from the voice, it's a girl, but I think she calls you—"

"Cousin." A girl's voice came from outside the door, and it was very similar to the voice we had heard before.

Zhu Qinghe looked at the person behind the screen: "Lord Shen, could you please go out and stop your cousin so I can get dressed before welcoming her in?"

Shen Wumei stood up and said, "It's possible, but even I can only hold out for half an incense stick's time."

It seems this cousin is quite formidable in combat.