Chapter 78 If my wife is healthy, all my relatives will be happy, and I…
Chapter 78
Half a month after Shen Suining returned to the capital, Huadu welcomed its first snow.
In just one night, the outside was covered in white snow, and the vast expanse of snow covering the red walls and green tiles created a unique scene.
Beyond the Nine Heavens, Luo Jiuxun had brewed wine and placed it on a small table by the window. Shen Suining, disguised as a man, was resting her chin on her hand, staring blankly out the window. She didn't come to the Nine Heavens very often, and each time she changed her appearance to avoid being seen.
Today, she chose the busiest time of day to come. Outside the pavilion, there was singing and dancing. She was exactly the same when she arrived as she was when Luo Jiuxun finished brewing the wine and came over. She didn't move at all, as if she were a statue sitting still. This was not like Shen Suining's personality.
Luo Jiuxun chuckled softly, sat down opposite Shen Suining, picked up a cup and poured wine, "Young Master has been in the capital for less than half a year, but you seem to have many more worries than when you first arrived."
She pushed the porcelain cup filled with warm wine towards Shen Suining, "I wonder if my young master is troubled by any of this? Is there anything I can do to ease his mind?"
Shen Suining glanced at her, but didn't move. She simply said, "Naturally, it's because only you can solve this that I risked coming here to find you."
"I would like to hear the details."
Shen Suining rested her arm on the windowsill, snowflakes falling into her palm and quickly melting into water. She calmly watched the flow of people below leaving footprints of varying depths on the snow.
The snow on the road had been cleared once earlier, but it's falling again now, and judging by the current situation, it probably won't stop anytime soon.
This kind of weather is perfect for murder. Once the snow falls, all traces will be completely covered up. No wonder the emperor sent a secret order last night, urging her to kill Cui Rong as soon as possible.
Shen Suining exhaled a puff of white breath and reached out to close the window. "I heard from Lin Ling that the evidence against He Bufan for bribery and murdering his wife is conclusive, yet His Majesty has been slow to issue an imperial edict, seemingly intending to protect him. But as far as I know, He Bufan has neither political achievements nor military merits. The only reason he was able to establish himself in Huadu was because his father shamelessly took advantage of the Marquis of Yong'an's influence. Why would the Emperor protect someone like that?"
Luo Jiuxun paused slightly, looking at Shen Suining with some surprise, without immediately answering her question.
Shen Suining: "What's wrong?"
Luo Jiuxun shook his head and smiled, "Although Lin Shaoqing is on good terms with Young Master He, it is surprising that he would talk about these things with the young master in private."
“Prime Minister Lin has a fiery temper, and Lin Ling is probably even more so,” Shen Suining said calmly. “In order to get He Bufan the punishment he deserved as soon as possible, he tirelessly submitted memorials, which angered the emperor so much that he threw all the memorials he wrote in his face.”
“Like his father, Lin Shaoqing has always been cynical and seems to find fault with everyone. In the entire capital, he's probably only someone the young marquis can confide in,” Luo Jiuxun paused, then added, “But young master, although this man is on good terms with the young marquis, Shuyu Manor has always avoided involvement in court politics, so you…”
Shen Suining interrupted her, "I know what I'm doing, just answer."
Hearing this, Luo Jiuxun didn't say anything more. She followed up on Shen Suining's question and said, "Young Master has been in Huadu for half a year now. You must already know that there are not many capable ministers in the court who can truly serve His Majesty. The powerful families all have their own agendas, and there are many things that His Majesty alone cannot control."
Shen Suining instantly understood her meaning, "You mean, there are other people in the court protecting He Bufan?"
Luo Jiuxun neither confirmed nor denied it, but instead asked her, "Does the young master still remember the case of the two ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War colluding in bribery?"
Shen Suining naturally remembered this case. She personally killed Zhou Fu. Although she was not very clear about the other details, she vaguely remembered that He Hansheng had talked about this case with Lin Ling.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she blurted out, "Zhou Fu's account book."
Shen Suining had heard Lin Ling mention that the amount of money involved in the bribery case did not match the accounts, and 70% of it was missing. At that time, the case was hastily closed after Zhou Fu and Zhu Han were stripped of their official positions and their homes were confiscated. Now that she thought about it, the case was closed at that time only to protect the real beneficiaries of the case. Zhou Fu and Zhu Han were just dragged out to balance the accounts.
Shen Suining couldn't understand why the case hadn't been investigated further at the time. The emperor probably couldn't do anything about these people, even if he knew they were the real masterminds. So why did these people go to all this trouble to protect He Bufan, this pawn, at this critical juncture?
Guessing Shen Suining's doubts, Luo Jiuxun said softly, "Although the current emperor is powerless to change the situation, the one who will sit on the throne in the future may not tolerate these sordid things. Of course, it is best to take precautions."
Shen Suining: "The one in the future... you mean, the Crown Prince?"
Luo Jiuxun nodded and then shook his head, "Not necessarily."
Shen Suining frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled.
Luo Jiuxun picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Our dynasty has been established for more than 20 years, and we have followed the old system of the previous dynasty. When appointing the crown prince, we respect the legitimate heir and appoint the legitimate heir, not the eldest son. The current crown prince is the emperor's youngest son and the only legitimate son. He was appointed crown prince at the age of eleven, and it has been eight years now. In these eight years, there has been a lot of controversy in the court about this matter."
Why?
"Naturally, it's because among the princes, there are more virtuous and capable individuals. In comparison, the Crown Prince is indeed somewhat mediocre. In addition, the Crown Prince was young in his early years, and the ministers, to prevent the maternal relatives from interfering in politics and following in the footsteps of the previous dynasty, have always opposed establishing the legitimate heir and wanted to support the Third Prince, Prince Zhao, who had no maternal relatives to rely on and was exceptionally intelligent. After losing his mother at a young age, Prince Zhao was raised in the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace and personally cared for by the Empress Dowager. Although Prince Zhao's popularity has been high in the past two years, he was only fourteen years old when he was established as the Crown Prince. He was weak and alone and naturally had no chance of winning."
Shen Suining's brow twitched, and she asked, "Who are the ones who support King Zhao?"
“Quite a few, one of whom is an old friend of the master,” Luo Jiuxun said, emphasizing each word: “Zhang Xuanqing, a former member of the Hanlin Academy, and his students.”
Shen Suining thought to himself, "Indeed."
The wine, which had just been warmed, had cooled down again. Luo Jiu found a small stove, placed it on the table, and put the wine bottle into the stove to heat it in a water bath.
"Most scholars who enter the court want to gain fame and fortune, but they are even more afraid of getting a bad reputation. The crown prince is the foundation of the country, and it is not easy to depose or establish one. Once the heir apparent is determined, if anyone else has other thoughts, it will be considered a plot to seize power. If they fail, they will be branded as traitors. Master Zhang was proud and ambitious. The matter of establishing an heir apparent was already decided back then, and there was no way to change it. In a fit of anger, he left the court, and his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy and his students also left."
Shen Suining picked up her wine cup but didn't drink, instead gently swirling it. "And now? Who are the supporters of the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao respectively?"
"Those who openly support the Crown Prince now include Grand Tutor Xue Baoyi, the Duke of Zhenguo, and the Hu family, the Empress's maternal clan. The Crown Prince's maternal uncle, Hu Guangwen, originally served under the Marquis of Yong'an, but was later transferred to the border garrison and has not returned to Huadu for a long time. He and the Duke of Zhenguo are both military personnel. Xie Xiang originally also supported the succession of the heir apparent, but later he wisely protected himself and did not participate in the factional struggle. Prince Zhao is very close to various factions due to his political affairs, but probably because of the Empress Dowager, few openly support him now. As for the Xu family..."
Luo Jiuxun paused for a moment, "Although the Xu family is the Empress Dowager's maternal clan, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have always been at odds, and the Xu family has not been given important positions. Lord Xu Yong is of low status and cannot provide substantial help to Prince Zhao. Prince Zhao's current prestige is all earned through his own talent and political achievements. In the past two years, he has gone south to provide disaster relief and to build water conservancy projects. It seems that his prestige is about to surpass that of the Crown Prince. I think that Prince Zhao's faction will make some moves soon."
"So you mean that King Zhao has a better chance of winning now?"
"Not necessarily. Judging from the current supporters of both sides and His Majesty's attitude, it's hard to say. Besides, His Majesty is in his prime, and who can predict what will happen in the next few decades?"
Shen Suining clicked her tongue, looking rather troubled.
Luo Jiuxun saw through this and gently comforted him, "This is not something the young master is good at, why make things difficult for yourself?"
“Although I will not interfere in court affairs, there are some things I still need to know while I am in Huadu,” Shen Suining casually offered an excuse. “Besides, Father has recently been granted an official position, and there are many people coming to visit. Knowing more about them can help ease his burden.”
Luo Jiuxun found it strange, "Since it's a matter of state affairs, why doesn't the young master just ask the young marquis? He's in the thick of it, so his understanding is definitely more comprehensive than yours."
Shen Suining's fingers stiffened slightly, and she suddenly fell silent.
She ran her fingertips along the rim of the glass for a long time before speaking softly, "To be honest, I've been back in Beijing for over half a month and haven't seen him once. I don't even know if he's alive or dead."
Luo Jiuxun suddenly burst into laughter.
"If he were dead, such a major event would surely cause a stir in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion and even the entire capital. But if he's still alive and well..."
The sound stopped abruptly. Shen Suining looked at the gradually boiling stove, reached out and picked it up and put it aside. She poured herself a cup of warm wine and drank it all in one gulp. "I really can't figure out what reason he has to avoid me like this."
Shen Suining appeared calm, but from the first moment Luo Jiuxun saw her today, he knew she had something on her mind. Now, after holding it in for so long, she finally spoke her mind.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Jiuxun comforted her: "Since the young marquis inherited the title, he has been the subject of much controversy. Now, he has received a reward without any merit, and he has taken control of the city's garrison, which everyone covets. He will likely be targeted by the court at every turn. By not seeing the young master, he can keep the young master out of the mess. Isn't this a way for the young marquis to protect the young master?"
“Why would I need his protection? He’s already in dire straits himself.” Shen Suining sighed. After returning from Yunzhou, she pretended to search for Cui Rong’s whereabouts to appease the emperor, while secretly learning about He Hansheng and the Yong’an Marquis’s true situation in Huadu.
Since Marquis Yong'an He Changxin quelled the rebellions in Lingnan and Xiaoxiang, the country has been at peace for ten years. The Great Cheng has been recuperating and developing, until the people's livelihood is stable and the national treasury is full. The generals in the court have no battles to fight. Apart from the standing army generals stationed in various places, most of them are idle in the capital with no place to use their talents, including He Hansheng, who has shown outstanding military talent at an early age.
When He Hansheng was eleven years old, he accompanied his father on a campaign to the northern border. At the age of fourteen, he went to the battlefield to advise his father. He cleverly used the terrain to trap his enemy, helping his side win a battle against overwhelming odds and making significant contributions to the pacification of Xiaoxiang.
Even so, after he inherited the title, some people still stood up and said that he was not worthy of the position, which caused him to lose the control of the city defense army that originally belonged to the Marquis of Yong'an for three years. The more the emperor cultivated and valued him, the more he was targeted by people everywhere.
Thinking of this, Shen Suining recalled that He Changxin was probably also highly regarded by the emperor, but he still instructed the Imperial Shadow Envoy to ambush and kill He Changxin, and after He Changxin's death, he casually promoted He Hansheng, and even returned the city defense army to him despite the objections of others when He Hansheng had not made any great contributions.
These things didn't seem strange at first, but now that she knows more and thinks about them more deeply, Shen Suining feels a chill run down her spine.
“By the way, young master,” Luo Jiuxun remembered something, “I heard that the eldest young master arrived in Cangzhou not long ago. Judging by the time, he should be heading to the capital in the next few days.”
Shen Suining was taken aback. “Big brother? He wrote to me earlier saying he was going back to Yangzhou first. Why did he suddenly turn back to Huadu?”
Luo Jiuxun shook his head, indicating that he was unaware of the matter.
After emerging from the Nine Heavens, Shen Suining sent a letter to Ling Rui and the others, asking them to keep an eye on Shen Suian's movements. Now that he had entered the capital, if it wasn't at Shen Yan's behest, he was going to fulfill the unfulfilled promise made in Yangzhou in August, which was to meet his current "brother-in-law".
Shen Sui'an is not a good person to get along with, and he doesn't hold back when he strikes, so she'd better be mentally prepared.
Shen Suining changed back into her own clothes and returned to Tamei Garden. As soon as she entered the house, she saw Shen Fengyu, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, sneakily rummaging through her suitcase in the bedroom.
Shen Suining and Shen Fengyu had always been close friends and didn't care about these things. She stood still, intending to sneakily scare Shen Fengyu from behind.
Sensing Shen Suining's approach, Shen Fengyu's back stiffened momentarily, carrying a hint of guilt. After hesitating for a moment, she turned around, awkwardly tugging at the corners of her mouth, "Didn't Young Master go to find Xiao Jiu? Why are you back so soon?"
"You seem to know a lot about my movements."
Shen Suining noticed her unusual behavior, and the smile on her face disappeared. She asked Shen Fengyu in a deep voice, "Where have you been all this time?"
"Master suffered internal injuries, and Uncle Xun couldn't handle it alone, so he asked me to help," Shen Fengyu replied flawlessly.
Although Shen Suining didn't openly inquire about Shen Yan's internal injuries, she could tell. "Then why did you never come out to see me when I went to Pu She many times?"
"The master said that he has now been appointed to a high-ranking official position, and the guests who come and go are all important figures. He told us not to move around casually, so as not to lose our composure in front of others."
“Shen Fengyu,” Shen Suining called her by her full name, “you really can’t lie. With your father’s personality, which important person would he even look at?”
Shen Fengyu's expression was stiff, and she couldn't even manage a smile. She silently put her hands behind her back.
Shen Suining noticed early on that she was hiding something in her hand, took a few steps forward and reached out her hand, "Give it to me."
"Young Master..."
Shen Suining's patience ran out, and he snatched the scroll from her hand and unfolded it. The three large characters "Letter of Divorce" immediately came into view.
Her pupils contracted as she recognized He Hansheng's handwriting.
Seeing this, Shen Fengyu instinctively tried to explain, "Young Master, the young marquis didn't mean that, he..."
"Shut up!" Shen Suining shouted, her lips trembling slightly, her breathing becoming rapid.
Her eyes immediately turned red. After glaring fiercely at Shen Fengyu, she took the divorce papers, went out, mounted her horse, and rode straight towards Pu She.
The snow on the road was already above ankle-deep, just like three years ago in Hangzhou. There were few pedestrians on the road, only the city defense soldiers patrolling back and forth.
Shen Suining rode her horse very fast. The whistling cold wind stung her cheeks. She didn't know why, but ever since the Gu worms were placed in her body, her sense of pain had gradually returned. Although she was still not very sensitive, she could feel pain again.
There are sections of the city where riding a horse at such a speed is not allowed. When some soldiers came out to stop her, she shouted angrily, "Get lost!" and flew straight over their heads.
The wind made Shen Suining's eyes sting. She had He Hansheng's handwritten letter of divorce tucked in her arms, and she didn't even dare to look at it a second time.
The words above are like knives, each one cutting to the bone.
"I am not talented, but I have three most fortunate things in my life."
Firstly, I met my wife, Sui Ning, and we were married; our love is deep and enduring.
Secondly, my wife and I went through thick and thin together. When we were facing life and death, she did not abandon me when I was in danger and saved me from fire and water. Her kindness and righteousness are profound.
On the third day, I was fortunate to have met my wife, a bond forged across three lifetimes. Though she had no intention of growing old with me, one glance from her in this life was enough to keep me faithful until the end.
Heaven and earth are free of dust, mountains and rivers bear shadows. May my wife be forever joyful and carefree. May the clear moon and gentle breeze not weigh on her heart. May the long wind be her companion, allowing her to come and go as she pleases. I hereby make this vow: if one day my wife wanders through flowers, alone with her sword, passing her youthful years, I will surely forget her without regret, and from then on, we will part ways quietly. If my wife is healthy and my family is happy, I will have no regrets in my life. I write this as a testament to her.
Hua Du He Yunchu. Respectfully standing.
The horse was running too fast and slipped in front of the Pinghuai Marquis's residence. Shen Suining almost fell off the horse. She staggered to the ground, her legs went weak, and the guards in front of the gate quickly stepped forward to help her.
"Get out of my way!" Shen Suining pushed aside the people around her, stubbornly stood up, drew the sword from the guard's waist, and rushed into the mansion.
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