Su Wanyan rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him.
The young man before her seemed to be nothing more than a small ornament in his hand, so earnest that Su Wanyan was captivated.
After he finished wiping, when he looked at Su Wanyan, she quickly looked away.
"I saw it all. Yan'er was looking at me the whole time." Yu Nanqing said with a smile as he handed her the ornament.
As he said this, he dared not look directly at Su Wanyan, as if he was afraid it was his imagination, but he was also very certain.
He had noticed, without realizing it, that Su Wanyan would often stare at him, but when he looked up, she would look away.
"Next time you see yourself secretly happy, just don't tell me." I felt a little embarrassed.
Su Wanyan did not deny Yu Nanqing's words. She glanced at him, took the ornament, and then asked, "What did Emperor Yuanhe say about Zhen Yuhuai's matter yesterday?"
"The Marquis of Yuanning has been fined one year's salary. The Marquis of Yuanning's wife and Su Muqing have been temporarily imprisoned and are awaiting further instructions."
"Does that mean Zhen Yuhuai can still get out of prison?" Judging from the verdict, it doesn't seem that serious.
Zhen Yuhuai offended a prince but was not immediately sentenced, while the Marquis of Yuanning, who was directly related to him, was only fined a year's salary. It seems that they were not greatly affected.
"I don't know."
"Don't know?" Su Wanyan rested her chin on her hand: "Not knowing means you can. Ordinary people might never get out of prison, but Zhen Yuhuai is the wife of the Marquis of Yuanning, and Emperor Yuanhe has given her room for maneuver. The Marquis of Yuanning can definitely get her out by using his connections."
Doesn't Emperor Yuanhe's small punishment today serve as a warning to others?
"The key question is, will Marquis Yuanning still save Zhen Yuhuai?"
Zhen Yuhuai's actions are undoubtedly a disgrace to the Yuan Ning Marquis's Mansion. Su Muqing is already in that state; if they are rescued, their stigma will follow the Yuan Ning Marquis's Mansion for life.
The best outcome would actually be for Marquis Yuanning to voluntarily abandon Zhen Yuhuai and put righteousness above family ties.
In this way, the stigma is temporary, and in the long run, it is more beneficial than harmful to the Marquis of Yuanning's mansion.
"Sigh." Su Wanyan sighed after saying that, "Forget it, it's not my business anyway, whatever happens in the end is what it is."
Imperial power is supreme; if he commands life, who dares to die? If he commands death, who dares to live?
In the end, their fates are all pretty bad. If they're released, they'll be scorned for the rest of their lives; if they're not released, they'll die in prison. Why is she worrying so much?
On the other side, the imperial palace.
At the end of the morning court session this morning, Marquis Yuanning, Su Youwei, went to the Imperial Study.
The door to the Imperial Study was tightly closed. Outside the Imperial Study, a group of ministers were waiting to discuss matters, while only Su Youwei and Emperor Yuanhe were inside.
It was unclear what they were talking about, but Su Youwei didn't emerge from the imperial study until nearly noon.
After Su Youwei spoke with Emperor Yuanhe, Su Shiyan went to the prison of Dali Temple that afternoon to see Zhen Yuhuai.
At this time, Zhen Yuhuai in prison had lost his former radiance. In just one day, he looked much older, and even his usually well-maintained black hair had turned much whiter.
He was still wearing the same clothes he had worn when he was disguised at Wangxiang Tower, but now they were stained with the filth of prison.
Upon seeing Su Shiyan appear outside the prison gate, Zhen Yuhuai excitedly rushed over: "Son! You've finally come to save your mother! Son! Quickly, make them release me! And your sister... tell me quickly, where is Qing'er being held? Please go and save her!"
Su Shiyan, the eldest son of the Marquis of Yuanning, is now thirty years old.
Unlike the smooth-talking Marquis of Yuanning, Su Shiyan's face carried a cold and distant air. He had a mustache and his eyes were very calm.
He was also the heir of the Marquis's mansion, and after Su Youwei abdicated, he would inherit the title.
Su Shiyan frowned slightly as he looked at Zhen Yuhuai, who was hysterical in the prison, and suddenly felt very unfamiliar with him.
In his eyes, his mother had always been calm, composed, and dignified, but these days, he didn't know when it started, but his mother and father started arguing more and more.
In the past, when she took her anger out on the concubines in the mansion, she always had a valid reason and there was nothing wrong with it.
But recently, Su Shiyan has felt that her mother is being unreasonable.
But since it was a matter within the household, he didn't pay much attention to it.
I never expected my mother to be so impulsive and foolish, disregarding the lives and future of the whole family and putting the entire Yuanning Marquis's mansion in the eye of the storm of public opinion in the capital.
The Emperor didn't pursue the matter this time only because he was at odds with Prince Gong's mansion. But what if there's a second or third time?
Even if he disliked Prince Gong, as an emperor, he would not allow his subject to make such a foolish mistake again and again.
Since Su Wanyan married into Prince Gong's Mansion, the reputation of the Marquis of Yuanning has never been the same. This was the first time that Su Wanyan was sent to marry in place of him. This time, Zhen Yuhuai framed Yu Nanqing, which is the second time. If there is a third time, will the Emperor still be able to tolerate the mistakes of the Marquis of Yuanning?
"Yan'er! Why aren't you saying anything! Quickly tell them to let Mother out!"
Su Shiyan came to her senses, raised her hand to cover Zhen Yuhuai's hand that was gripping the prison door, and said, "Mother, you've gotten old."
Zhen Yuhuai is forty-four years old this year, and his mother has indeed aged.
The gentle, virtuous, beautiful, and generous mother I remember is gone forever.
Zhen Yuhuai opened his eyes, not understanding what he meant by those words.
Before he could even recover, Su Shiyan slipped a folded white silk ribbon through the crack in the prison door.
Zhen Yuhuai was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize what was happening. His expression instantly collapsed, and he stared in disbelief as he backed away.
She shook her head, opened her mouth several times, but couldn't utter a single word. Tears welled up in her eyes and flowed freely, but she didn't utter a single cry.
What does this mean?
Is this... a death sentence?
This is her son!
Seeing that she was backing away and not answering, Su Shiyan frowned: "If Mother had answered, she could have maintained some dignity."
Su Shiyan's silence only made things worse; once she opened her mouth, Zhen Yuhuai broke down: "Su Shiyan! I'm your mother!"
She cried out in anguish, her face contorted with rage, "I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you! I raised you and nurtured you into adulthood! How could you..."
Zhen Yuhuai rushed to the prison door like a madman, grabbing Su Shiyan by the collar: "You unfilial son! How dare you! Who told you to do this? Was it the Emperor? Or Su Youwei!"
Su Shiyan grabbed Zhen Yuhuai's hand: "Mother's heart is breaking, and how can your son feel any better? But... you used a scheme to frame the Prince and used forbidden aphrodisiacs. Mother has done such things, plunging the entire Yuanning Marquis's mansion into deep trouble. What will become of Feng'er and Yu'er?"
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