Chapter 282 Memories
Qing Yue felt as if he had been pardoned. He supported himself on the ground with his hands and ran out like an arrow.
The road in the yard was still a little slippery. He walked too fast and stumbled a few times, but his speed did not slow down at all.
Shen Anan, "..."
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
"What did you say to him that scared him like this?"
Xiao Yuan's face was calm. "I didn't say anything. He is just timid by nature. A seven-foot-tall man is not even as good as a woman. He is not worthy of being in a noble place."
Shen Anan chuckled, took his outer robe and put it away before saying, "You came back so early today, have you finished reviewing the documents in the study?"
"Yeah." Xiao Yuan hugged her from behind and asked lazily, "What did you say to that person in the room just now? And you closed the door so no one could hear."
"...I didn't say anything." She turned around and looked up at Xiao Yuan, "I suddenly remembered something today."
"What?" He asked casually while playing with the buttons on her chest.
"Hua Sheng."
Xiao Yuan paused.
"She's gone, isn't she?"
After a long while, Xiao Yuan said "hmm" in silence.
Shen Anan said nothing more, but there was a gloomy look between her brows, and she looked very unhappy.
She knew she had forgotten, but every time she thought about it, the pain of losing her best friend would come to her mind again.
Every time she remembered it, it was no less tormenting than the day Hua Sheng died in her arms.
"It's because of me, isn't it? I failed to protect her."
"It's not you." Xiao Yuan lifted her little face and comforted her softly, "She was disobedient and insisted on escaping the marriage and leaving the capital. It was Shen Yunbai who killed her. It's not your fault."
"Shen, Yun, Bai." Shen Anan recited the name silently.
Xiao Yuan hugged her, and the two of them stood in front of the window, enjoying a moment of peace.
"My dear husband, the tablet of my mother has been repaired. I have asked the housekeeper to build a small Buddhist temple in the backyard. When it is repaired, we will put it in there for worship and we will worship it ourselves."
"Okay, thank you, ma'am." He responded in a low voice, his voice normal.
Shen Anan still couldn't forget the day when the hall caught fire and he was standing in the hall.
Loneliness, despair, coldness, depression, anger, and deep sadness.
She slowly closed the five fingers in her sleeves, and her expression became increasingly gloomy where Xiao Yuan couldn't see.
In the evening, after dinner, Shen Anan came out after changing her clothes and washing up, and saw Xiao Yuan in a middle-length coat with his collar half open, standing in front of the painting of their wedding night, looking at it seriously, as if recalling something.
Hearing the noise, he glanced at her sideways, smiled, and extended his hand to her.
Shen Anan walked over and held her hand, and was held in his arms.
This is something he must do every night before going to bed. Now the number of paintings in Wutong Garden has increased from one to three, all of which record their past.
Xiao Yuan would hold her in his arms every night, and tell her stories and reminisce with her. She would listen quietly, and then he would hold her by the waist and carry her to bed.
She knew that he was afraid that she would forget him, so he hung it in the house to remind her again and again, to help her remember.
And she, whether she remembered or not, would prick up her ears, listen very patiently, and then smile at him.
"My wife was very fierce at that time, and she said a lot of hurtful things to me."
"Which one hurts the most?" she asked softly.
Xiao Yuan pretended to think about it and said, "It seems to be that time in the suburbs when you said that the dead scholar was your fiancé."
“…”
"I almost killed that man." He put his head on her shoulder, his tone sounding a little aggrieved.
"Then why didn't you do it?" Shen Anan chuckled.
"Because you are too stubborn, if I kill him, you will probably never have anything to do with me again."
In fact, he should be grateful for his father's help, but he couldn't say it out loud, because Yu Anan, the death of Old Madam Shen after entering the game was a heart-wrenching pain for her.
"Really? If I like him so much, then why didn't I marry that scholar?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuan slowly loosened his arms around her, and a gloomy feeling slowly emanated from her. He turned her body around and looked her in the eye.
"Are you fond of him?" He asked indifferently with a droopy mouth.
"...Didn't you say that?" Shen Anan blinked, looking innocent.
Xiao Yuan's breath was stuck in his chest. He grabbed her head and pressed it into his arms. "When did I say that? It was you who said it yourself."
Shen Anan pushed open a crack and raised her clear almond eyes, "I don't even remember this person, how do I know if I like him or not? Isn't it you who reminds me and tells me every day?"
Xiao Yuan choked and fell silent.
He did have a grudge against the scholar, and every night when he mentioned him he would always add a sour note to his remarks.
"I don't remember liking him. It was you who conveyed the message to me that I like him very much. After all, I like him so much that I would risk my life for him."
"Nonsense." Xiao Yuan's voice was much higher. "You don't like him. You just don't want to accept the royal marriage."
"From now on, no one is allowed to mention that dead scholar again." He hugged her and said sullenly.
Shen Anan nestled in his arms and blinked slyly.
The two chatted and laughed for a while, then went to lie down on the bed.
At this time, Mo Xiang knocked on the door, "Prince's Consort."
Shen Anan withdrew from Xiao Yuan's arms, lifted the quilt and got out of bed.
"What's wrong?" Outside the door, Mo Xiang looked a little anxious, but didn't say anything and looked into the room a few times.
Shen Anan immediately understood what he meant, and walked away from Mo Xiang before asking, "But there is news about the thing I asked you to inquire about during the day."
"That's right." Mo Xiang said sternly, "The prince's wife guessed it right. In the evening, the rumors on the streets slowly changed direction. From praising the Concubine Shu at the beginning, now they are scolding and accusing her. They say that the emperor has three palaces and six courtyards, and the branches and leaves are the foundation of the country. She is just a concubine, and committing suicide is a serious crime. The emperor is merciful and has never bothered with her."
"The emperor allowed the fifth prince to live among the common people for several years in order to compensate her. He has done his utmost. Now she must have realized her sins and let go of the knot in her heart and reincarnated."
Mo Xiang became more and more angry as he spoke, "Those people also said that the person who is most indebted now is the Fifth Prince. The royal family's heirs are already dwindling, and the most urgent task is to recognize the Fifth Prince and announce it to the world."
"Even the fourth prince was dragged down and trampled upon." Mo Xiang said sullenly.
Shen Anan curled her lips coldly and remained silent.
The people are like fence-sitters. They go wherever the wind blows and cannot stand the slightest instigation.
The rumor spread so quickly, it must have been pushed by Shen Yunbai and the emperor behind it.
This is really too much!
She turned her head and looked in the direction of the main house. The candlelight cast Xiao Yuan's shadow on the window frame, stretching it very long.
Shufei is his Achilles' heel, how can he allow those people to abuse her again and again.
＊
Shen Anan felt the people around her leave and half opened her sleepy almond eyes.
"Did I wake you up?" Xiao Yuan thought his voice was very soft. He stroked Shen Anan's head helplessly and smiled at her.
"It's time to go to the morning court. You can continue to sleep."
Shen Anan rubbed his eyes, half-sitting up to put on his clothes, "I'll go with you."
"It's cold today." Xiao Yuan took the clothes from her hands and pressed her to lie down again.
"Be good and wait for me at home."
Shen Anan’s face was full of reluctance.
Xiao Yuan knew that she was worried about him, and smiled gently, "Don't worry, don't you know your husband's fighting ability? Those people are nothing, your husband can handle them."
Shen Anan held his hand, pursed her lips and said nothing.
He could indeed handle ordinary matters, but this matter involved Concubine Shu. Those people were despicable and vile, and every word they said was bound to hit people's hearts. How could she not feel distressed and worried?
When she thought that the slanderous opinions in the court against Concubine Shu would become a knife piercing Xiao Yuan's heart, she felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.
But no matter what Xiao Yuan said, he refused to let her go. After all, it had rained heavily yesterday, and this morning the wind was strong and the air was humid.
Shen Anan could only warn again and again with worry, "Don't be impulsive. Those people must be trying to provoke you to make mistakes so that they can help Chen Tian take the throne. Just be patient. It's not too late for us gentlemen to take revenge in ten years."
Hearing this, Xiao Yuan smiled softly, "Madam, I have taken note of your admonitions."
Shen Anan glared at him, "Don't take it lightly."
Xiao Yuan stroked her head gently, "Yes, yes, I will remember this."
Shen Anan still got up and sent him out of Wutong Garden, and only returned to the house after the people were completely far away.
——
The gate of Fengtian Palace.
The palace gate had not yet been opened, but the ministers were already waiting in groups of three or four, whispering about something.
As soon as the carriage of the Fourth Prince's Mansion stopped, those people immediately stopped talking, stood with their hands folded as if nothing had happened, and waited for the morning court.
After getting off the car, Xiao Yuan glanced at everyone and ignored them.
Li Huaiyan approached him frivolously, "You seem a little different today?"
Xiao Yuan glanced at him and didn't bother to pay attention.
"Do you know what those people were talking about just now?"
Ling Chenyi patted Li Huaiyan's neck heavily, "Why are you so talkative?"
Li Huaiyan hissed in pain, "It's not like he didn't know that he had prepared himself mentally long ago so that he could deal with it when he got to the main hall. I'm just surprised that in the past, he would have scolded those people, but today he was particularly tolerant."
Ling Chenyi looked at Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan said, "My wife specifically told me not to get angry when I left, and to put the overall situation first."
Ling Chenyi, "..."
Li Huaiyan, "..."
The two of them were sneered at and fell silent.
The bell for court finally rang, and the palace gate was opened from the inside by eunuchs, making a heavy, dull sound.
Xiao Yuan, Li Huaiyan, and Ling Chenyi walked forward side by side.
Everyone stopped and waited for a distance before walking towards the Fengtian Hall. The only one who did not avoid the three people was the Minister of War, Shen Yunbai.
"Is the Fourth Prince in a good mood today?"
Xiao Yuan glanced sideways, a cold and gloomy light swept across Shen Yunbai, and he paused slightly.
The temple where the tablet of Concubine Shu was enshrined was burned down, and such rumors spread, which was a great humiliation for Concubine Shu and Xiao Yuan.
Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan glanced at Xiao Yuan, fearing that he would make Shen Yunbai bleed to death, and immediately held his arms on the left and right, "Don't forget what your wife told you, don't be so stubborn as to act like a roadblock."
As the two men talked, they half-dragged and half-pulled the man away.
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