Chapter 112: Mr. Duan is seriously ill
"I have sent someone to the palace first, you don't have to worry."
Xiao Yuan whispered to comfort him, he didn't care much, Qingfeng had been driving for many years and was very skilled, but it would be better for her to be safer in the carriage.
She had heard him say such things countless times in recent days.
Her father and brother were indeed fine, and she felt somewhat relieved by his gentle voice.
The carriage moved slowly, and Xiao Yuan would say a few words to her from time to time to divert her attention and relieve her worries.
"Master." Qing'an's voice came in, and then the carriage sank. Qing'an jumped onto the carriage and reported in a low voice.
"Lord Shen and Master Shen have left the Dali Temple and returned home."
Shen Anan thought she had to wait until tomorrow, but her tense little face finally showed a relaxed smile after hearing this.
Xiao Yuan frowned, "So soon? Did something unexpected happen?"
Even if the emperor had given an oral order, Zhou Yunfeng would not have released the talent so quickly.
"It was the chief eunuch beside the Emperor. When I arrived, he happened to be away. I guessed it was the Emperor's intention."
Two oral decrees were issued in succession in one day to pardon the Shen family. Shen Anan, who was immersed in joy, also noticed something was wrong.
"The emperor specially sent people to the Dali Temple to pardon my father and brother?"
Even if they agreed to let him go, it would not be right to be so hasty since the oral order had just been given. It would be illogical.
Shen Anan was inexplicably panicked, "What about Concubine Shen? Do you know any news about her?"
Qing'an's voice came in again, "The higher-ups meant to sentence her to death, but I inquired and found that the eunuch who delivered the message just now did not mention how to deal with Concubine Shen."
Shen Anan and Xiao Yuan frowned at the same time, with worry on their faces.
The carriage drove slowly for half an hour before finally stopping at the palace gate. Shen Anan couldn't wait to jump off the carriage and look into the long palace road.
Suddenly, I felt a weight on my body, and Xiao Yuan's deep voice rang in my ears, "It's cold, don't catch a cold."
Shen Anan lowered her eyes to glance at the black cloak on her body, pursed her lips, and finally said nothing. She reached out and gathered it. The soft fox fur stuck to her face, and there was still a cold breath belonging to Xiao Yuan.
The young eunuch kept sweeping the snow, making the road leading to the palace spotless.
Someone saw Xiao Yuan standing in the snow and hurried forward to ask him, but was finally sent away.
As time passed, Shen Anan's heart slowly twisted into a ball, and needle-like pain and uneasiness filled her chest.
Xiao Yuan knew that she was upset, but he didn't say anything. He just stood there with her silently, and would also say a few words to comfort her when she was extremely upset.
"The people I sent into the palace didn't send any news back, so I think Madam Shen should be fine."
"Yeah." Shen Anan nodded slightly.
"Master." Suddenly, Qing An came over in a hurry, his expression serious, "There's news from the mansion, saying that... Master Duan is dying."
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes, his pupils shrank for a moment, and his resolute face became even colder.
Shen Anan frowned and calculated the time carefully. In the previous life, the old man of the Duan family was indeed not there during this period of time.
Old Master Duan is a good man, both as an official and as a human being. She knows what he means to Xiao Yuan. She is afraid that no one else can compare to the grace of teaching by Old Master Duan.
After he passed away in the previous life, Xiao Yuan was silent for a long time.
Their relationship completely deteriorated because after Mr. Duan died, he accompanied the heartbroken Duan Mengmeng to Xiangjue Temple to relax and was bumped into by her.
She had been talking about it for a long time, wanting to go to Xiangjue Temple with him to pray for the marriage flower, hang up the marriage tree, and pray for three lives together. At that time, many men and women in Beijing went there, and she wanted to go too.
But he refused, saying that he was busy with government affairs and that Old Man Duan had just passed away and he was not in the mood. However, the next day, he and Duan Mengmeng appeared in Xiangjue Temple.
She still remembers the scene of that day. She held the marriage flower she had prayed for for the two of them in her hand, staring blankly at him walking towards her with Duan Mengmeng.
The marriage flower in Duan Mengmeng's hand was particularly dazzling red. Her anger reached its peak. She not only tore the marriage flower, but also slapped Duan Mengmeng.
There were many people at Xiangjue Temple that day, including many dignitaries. It was also the first time since their marriage that Xiao Yuan spoke harshly to her, making her lose face in public.
My thoughts slowly drifted away, but when I recalled them again, I no longer felt the anger and indignation I had before. My mood was calm without any fluctuations.
Xiao Yuan pursed his lips tightly and did not move, but his dark eyes were filled with confusion and hesitation.
Shen Anan took the initiative to speak, “Mr. Duan is kind to you. It is said that a teacher is a father for life. At this time, he must want you to be by his side.”
"Hmm." He responded lightly, but did not move. He looked at the long palace road with deep and impatient eyes.
Mr. Duan was important to him, and he also knew that Madam Shen was also precious to Shen Anan. He was worried that if he was not around and something unexpected happened, Shen Anan would act recklessly for Madam Shen.
"Master," Qing An dismissed the servants in the mansion and stepped forward to report again, "I'm afraid that Master Duan won't be able to hold on for much longer."
"You should leave quickly." Shen Anan urged him, "I'll stay here. Human life is at stake. Don't let it become a regret."
She didn't want Xiao Yuan to miss the last chance to see Old Man Duan because of her. That would make her feel guilty, and she wouldn't even know how to face him in the future.
Xiao Yuan tightened his fingers and exhaled heavily, "Then I'll go first. I'll let Qingfeng stay here. If anything happens, he will protect you."
She looked up and glanced at Qingfeng, frowned slightly, but finally said nothing, nodded in agreement, and then thanked him.
Only then did Xiao Yuan turn around and leave.
Qingfeng walked to stand behind Shen Anan, looking like he was ready to be ordered.
Shen Anan gathered her cloak at the collar, her almond-shaped eyes a little dazed.
Today, Xiao Yuan really gave her the illusion that he loved her and was deeply in love with her.
But she had seen how gentle and elegant he was when facing Duan Mengmeng, which was far from how he was now, squeezing her from time to time and giving her a cold face at every turn.
However, the current crisis of the Shen family made her unable to think about these things.
"Miss, Old Madam Shen is out." Qingfeng reminded.
She suddenly looked up and saw Old Madam Shen walking slowly along the palace road. Her eyes immediately became sore and red, and her heart, which had been floating for a long time, slowly settled down.
"Grandma." She rushed forward, crying, "Why did you go to the palace alone without telling me? Do you know how worried I was?"
"Be good. Grandma is just going to ask for favors for our Shen family." Old Madam Shen stroked Shen Anan's back to calm her down.
"Grandma, you are fine now. You are already old. The Emperor will not do anything to me. Don't worry."
Shen Anan had a lot of questions to ask her, but she was surrounded by palace servants, so she could only help the old lady get on the Shen family's carriage, "It's cold outside, let's get in the car first."
After helping the old lady onto the carriage, she turned to Qingfeng and said, "Please go back and tell your master that I thank you for what you did today."
She nodded slightly, and Qingfeng quickly bent down and bowed, "Miss Shen, you are welcome. I will definitely convey your gratitude to you."
She nodded and turned to get into the car.
The wheels of the carriage slowly turned, and the old lady stared at Shen Anan's eyebrows and suddenly asked.
"An An, Grandmother sees that the Fourth Prince truly loves you. Do you feel the same way about him?"
Shen Anan was stunned for a moment, then slowly shook her head, "Grandma, our Shen family is still treading on thin ice now, I don't want to consider this issue for the time being."
The old lady frowned, "But didn't you say before that you and the Fourth Prince were in love?"
Shen Anan lowered her eyes, turned away and looked out the window, without answering.
Back then, it was all for the Shen family. Now that the Shen family has survived a disaster, I think the emperor will no longer allow my father and brother to remain in the court.
Since the Shen family no longer supports Xiao Yuan, the original deal is naturally invalid.
As soon as Mrs. Shen saw Shen Anan's expression, she understood everything in her heart and sighed heavily.
"Maybe I shouldn't have let you come back then, and not gotten involved in all this. You might have gotten married and had children by now."
"With grandma accompanying us in the future, our family can leave the capital and return to live in Jiangnan. You will always wait for that day."
It’s just that Big Brother and Miss Lin… She lowered her eyes slightly, feeling sad and even more sorry for Big Brother.
The old lady's eyes flickered when she heard this, and a slight smile appeared on the corners of her mouth. "An An, sincerity is the most rare thing in the world. Being too rational will eventually become a regret when you get old. While you are still young, you must think carefully before making a decision."
Shen Anan felt a little uncomfortable when she heard this, and looked up at Old Madam Shen, "Grandmother, do you want me to consider the Fourth Prince? But don't you dislike the royal family?"
When Concubine Shen married into the palace, my grandmother had said that she would sever the mother-daughter relationship with her.
"I don't like you because the royal family is cold-hearted by nature. They value power over feelings. In the past, people said your aunt was favored, but now she is sentenced to death with just a word. She has no mercy at all."
She hugged Shen Anan into her arms and continued, "But grandma, look, the fourth prince is a little different from those people. If he treats you sincerely, can give you a place to settle down, and protect you in the treacherous capital, he can be a good match."
"Grandma." Shen An'an lowered her head, her voice was hoarse, "He is very good, but if it weren't for me, it would be arsenic poison."
"I don't plan to stay in the capital. If my father and brother are dismissed, our whole family will return to Jiangnan. Even if they make a big fuss, it won't implicate our Shen family."
Old Madam Shen listened to her words, her eyes slowly became deep and she sighed, "That's great, but I'm afraid the Emperor won't give the Shen family a chance to get out of this unscathed."
"Why?" Shen Anan frowned, "My father and brother have already returned all the power to him, why doesn't he agree to let the Shen family leave."
"Grandma is just talking and guessing." Old Madam Shen shook her head and hugged Shen Anan and stroked her black hair.
"An An, if grandma really guessed it right, you should think carefully about what grandma said today. Although love makes people happy, staying alive is the most important thing. Don't be stubborn."
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