With red eyes and a bitter feeling in her heart, Shen Zhiyi burst out with all the bitterness and grievances that had been building up for two lifetimes. She cried so hard that she could hardly breathe, which startled Shen Jingchuan.
"Zhiyi, don't cry." He hurriedly wiped away her tears.
But these tears, like water bursting its banks, flow endlessly and cannot be wiped away.
"Brother, stop talking. Don't cry anymore."
...
Shen Zhiyi cried for an unknown amount of time before she finally stopped, and Shen Jingchuan breathed a sigh of relief.
If his father saw this, he would surely get a scolding.
"You're all married now, how can you still act like a child, crying like this? Aren't you ashamed?" Shen Jingchuan took a deep breath.
"You're my brother, what's wrong with me crying in front of you?"
"Besides, I'm already getting a divorce from him!"
Shen Jingchuan nodded, "Okay, brother understands."
"Brother." Shen Zhiyi cried until her voice was hoarse.
"Um?"
I'm hungry.
Helpless, Shen Jingchuan helped her up. "I'll have the kitchen prepare some food."
She had been kneeling for too long, and her legs were sore and numb. Shen Jingchuan carried her away from the ancestral hall.
Before long, the maid brought out the meal. Shen Jingchuan ate some with her, but most of the time he just watched her eat. She was the younger sister he had watched grow up. Their parents were on the front lines all year round, and he was the one who took care of his younger siblings most of the time. He knew her too well.
Shen Jingchuan knew this from the moment she sent him a letter saying that there would be an earthquake in western Sichuan:
Little sister,
There's a problem!
because……
Although his mission to suppress bandits in western Sichuan was not a top secret, very few people knew about it. How did my younger sister find out?
After returning to Beijing, he found that his younger sister had changed a lot. She used to be obedient to the Song family, but now she seemed to be wearing a mask, and she exuded a maturity beyond her years.
In the past, when he returned to the capital, she would always pester him to accompany her on horseback rides and outings. Now, however, she prefers to stay in the courtyard and read military books.
Various events made him feel that something was wrong with his younger sister.
Tonight's events merely confirmed my suspicions.
What she called a nightmare? Perhaps she experienced something she was unaware of.
“Brother,” Shen Zhiyi finished eating and looked at Shen Jingchuan, “His Majesty originally wanted to reward you, but because of my matter, you were suspended from your post and had to reflect on your actions. I’m sorry.”
"It's alright. I'll go to the military tomorrow to hand over some duties, and then I can rest at home for a while."
Shen Jingchuan wasn't stupid. His Majesty's refusal to agree to his younger sister's divorce was due to his own considerations as the ruler.
Her parents cherished their younger sister like the apple of their eye.
She stayed in the capital.
She can keep the Shen family in check; she's like a hostage.
With his father holding significant military power and spending most of his time in the northern frontier, His Majesty cannot afford not to take precautions.
A tall tree catches the wind, so it's probably for the best.
He had this in mind when he paraded Song Yuxiu through the streets with his arms tied up, so he just smiled and patted his little sister's hair. "Eat something, take a walk in the courtyard to digest your food and then rest. Tomorrow... we'll have a tough battle to fight."
Tomorrow, the decree for divorce will be officially issued.
Shen Zhi nodded.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Shen Jingchuan helped his younger sister pick up some food.
"What?"
Where is Xiao Zhongxuan?
Shen Zhiyi choked, her eyes darting around, only coughing, "He...he's gone."
"You drove him away?"
"I……"
Shen Zhiyi wanted to explain, but when she met her elder brother's gaze, she dared not deceive him and could only stammer, "Why can't it be that he wanted to leave on his own?"
"Whenever you appear, that kid's eyes are practically glued to you. He gets up before dawn every day to prepare your meals, and he even makes you a calming soup before bed. Even when Song Yuxiu was pursuing you, he didn't go to this extent."
"Although that kid's background is somewhat dubious, he seems to have some genuine feelings for you."
"He left on his own? I don't believe it."
Shen Zhiyi pursed her lips. "I don't want to drag him down with me."
Shen Jingchuan remained silent.
"Brother, you're getting on in years. Instead of worrying about my affairs, why don't you take advantage of your time resting at home and find me a sister-in-law?"
"What...what did you say?" Shen Jingchuan stammered.
At such an old age?
Shen Jingchuan was quite angry at these words.
You are such a good sister to me!
——
Night
Shen Zhiyi lay on the bed, tossing and turning.
Since her rebirth, she has always tried every means to deal with the Song family, even taking advantage of her beloved older brother.
Even now, recalling his questioning words and expression, she still feels a sharp pain in her heart, as if it were being cut by a knife.
Tears soaked her pillowcase, and she clenched her teeth, unwilling to let a single sob escape her lips.
When the night was very deep, the entire Duke's mansion was extremely quiet.
The window was gently opened, and moonlight streamed into the room. A dark figure slipped into the room, walked to the bedside, stared at the sleeping person, and frowned slightly.
He knelt down in front of the bed, reached out, and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Why are you asleep, or are you still crying?" he asked in a low voice.
As he spoke, he took out a medicine bottle from his pocket, held it to her nose and smelled it. Shen Zhiyi instantly fell into a deeper sleep.
His gaze moved downwards, and he gently lifted her blanket, slowly rolling up the cuffs of her underwear.
Perhaps because his skin was too delicate, his knees were still red, so he took out a blood-activating and stasis-removing ointment from his pocket.
He dipped his fingertip in some ointment and gently massaged it onto her knee.
**
The next day, Shen Zhiyi was awakened by Hongrui, who said that the emperor's tall attendant had come to announce the imperial decree, so she hurriedly dressed and went to the front hall.
"Eunuch Gao, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Gao Daban could tell that she had just gotten up, and upon closer inspection, her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying all night. He simply smiled and said, "It didn't take long, it's alright. We'll also send the young lady a divorce agreement, which was written by His Majesty himself."
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Shen Zhiyi knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
Gao Daban read out the imperial edict, and after Shen Zhiyi borrowed the divorce papers, he invited him to stay for tea.
"No need, I still need to return to the palace to serve His Majesty."
When Gao Daban returned to the palace, he truthfully recounted to Emperor Xiaoxuan what he had seen and heard at the Duke's mansion that day.
"She cried?" Emperor Xiaoxuan's gaze darkened slightly.
"When I arrived at the Shen family, she had not yet gotten up. She must have slept late last night. When I saw her, her eyes were red and swollen, clearly indicating that she had been crying all night. I could tell that Miss Shen still had feelings for Prince Song."
"How could I possibly stop loving Prince Song just because I liked him so much back then?"
"It's also because of Prince Song, he's a good-for-nothing. He's already married, but he's still messing around. And the young master caught him red-handed. Miss Shen also cares about her reputation. She said she wanted a divorce, but I'm afraid she's reluctant to part with him."
“Young Master Song has indeed acted inappropriately lately. The Duke’s mansion only has one daughter, how can she tolerate such treatment?”
Emperor Xiaoxuan remained silent.
Shen Zhiyi, who had received the decree for divorce, was overjoyed. She had Hongrui fetch some ice, wrapped it in a towel and applied it to her eyes, and had Lühe prepare clothes and summon the guards of the Duke's mansion.
While changing clothes, Shen Zhiyi rubbed her knees, which seemed to be less painful.
The smell of the ointment on it seemed quite different from the ointment used by the Duke's mansion for treating blood stasis.
She was suspicious, but didn't think much of it.
After all, she had more important things to do at the moment.
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