Chapter 85 The List May Take Your Life at Any Time
The room was dimly lit, with the morning sun shining through the carved window lattices, casting a gentle halo on the golden nanmu desk.
In front of the tent, there was a burning incense incense that had not been extinguished last night. The curling fragrance mist blended with the slightly cool morning air, creating a remote and quiet atmosphere.
Shen Xingwan leaned on the couch, holding the list in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, and his eyes slowly swept over the densely packed names on the paper.
Each of the names above was like a sharp thorn, piercing her heart repeatedly.
"Shen Yunchao...it's time to go back."
Yan Jinghuan's deep voice came from her ears, Shen Xingwan raised her eyes suddenly and met his deep eyes.
She was stunned for a moment, then she understood what he meant.
Wei Zilin's minions have secretly spread to a terrifying extent.
The current situation is complicated. Shen Yunchao can no longer be confined to the Shen Mansion, but should return to the army and become an important piece in this chess game.
Shen Xingwan lowered his eyes, gently stroked the corners of the folded paper with his fingertips, and after a while, he slowly nodded.
She raised her eyes to look at Yan Jinghuan, her eyes full of emotions, and said softly, "Thank you."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jinghuan was stunned at first, then he burst into laughter, shook his head and sighed.
"You forgot again?"
He leaned closer to her and gently ran his fingertips through her hair.
"I've already said it before, there's no need to thank me between you and me."
Shen Xingwan stared at him in amazement, and a warm feeling seemed to flow through her heart.
Seeing that she was a little dazed, Yan Jinghuan smiled even more deeply. He rubbed the top of her head lovingly, his fingers lingering in her hair for a moment before he finally withdrew them and turned away.
Shen Xingwan looked at his departing back, her heart wavering.
She didn't know where he was going, but she knew that since he had stabbed the prince yesterday, he must have many difficult matters to deal with today.
She lowered her eyes, sighed softly, then collected her thoughts and turned over to get out of bed.
The house was quiet and warm, with tulle curtains hanging down to the ground. In the breeze, the tulle curtains swayed slightly, like ripples on the water.
She gently opened the curtain and called out, "Come in."
As soon as she finished speaking, maids came in carrying toiletries. Just as they were about to help her wash up, they heard hurried footsteps approaching from afar.
"Miss!"
Shen Xingwan raised her eyes and saw Feiyun hurrying over with hurried steps. It was obvious that she was walking fast and had not yet calmed down.
She frowned slightly, and when Feiyun walked over and stood in front of her, she could see the dark circles under her eyes. There was a hint of haggardness between her eyebrows, and it was obvious that she did not get a good rest last night.
Shen Xingwan's heart softened, and he reached out to hold Feiyun's hand, "You were frightened yesterday, why don't you take a rest?"
Feiyun was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, "Miss, I am used to serving you. If you don't let me do these chores, I will feel uneasy."
Shen Xingwan laughed and tapped her forehead helplessly, "You are becoming more and more slick."
Feiyun pursed her lips and smiled mischievously.
She immediately took the hot towel from the maid's hand and cleaned Shen Xingwan's face herself. The warm towel slid across her skin, taking away the sleepiness from waking up in the morning.
Shen Xingwan closed her eyes slightly and let Feiyun wash and comb her hair carefully.
Feiyun gently smoothed her hair with her deft hands, combed it carefully, and finally pinned a gold hairpin with kingfisher feathers in her hair.
The golden hairpin swayed gently, and the green feathers shone brightly, making her eyes and eyebrows look more charming and graceful.
After everything was packed up, Shen Xingwan stood up and told Feiyun: "Prepare the carriage, I want to go back to the Shen Mansion."
Feiyun was slightly startled, then nodded and replied in a low voice: "Yes, Miss."
After she finished speaking, she immediately turned around to arrange the carriage and horses, while Shen Xingwan stood quietly in front of the window, looking at the lush sycamore trees in the courtyard, her fingertips gently stroking the embroidery on her cuffs, her eyes deep.
When Shen Xingwan returned to the Shen Mansion, it was noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the sky was clear.
The warm breeze blew across the courtyard, causing the green bamboo under the corridor to sway slightly and cast mottled shadows.
She walked through the corridor to the courtyard and saw Madam Shen and Princess Guang'an sitting together from afar.
The two of them were leaning on a mahogany carved couch, with tea and snacks placed on the table. There were two gold-painted teacups filled with tea and tender green leaves floating on them, with a rich fragrance.
It was the season when petals were falling, and a thriving peach tree in the garden was in full bloom.
As the wind blew, peach petals fluttered down, like a light crimson rain, falling on the hair of Mrs. Shen and Princess Guang'an.
The two were chatting happily, Princess Guang'an was smiling with her eyebrows curved, and Madam Shen also had a gentle expression and relaxed eyebrows.
There seemed to be no gap in status between them at all. They were more like close friends of many years, sharing interesting stories about each other.
Seeing this, Shen Xingwan paused and felt sad.
Princess Guang'an happened to see her when she raised her eyes unintentionally. Her eyes immediately lit up and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.
She immediately stood up, lifted her skirt and took a few steps forward, saying with a smile, "What a coincidence, my aunt and I were just talking about you!"
As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, moved closer to her in a mysterious manner, with a mischievous smile in her eyes.
"My aunt said that you were very naughty when you were little. You always chased after Brother Yun Chao and bullied him. It seems that when you were with me in the palace, you were just pretending to please me!"
When Shen Xingwan heard this, he felt a little embarrassed.
She bit her lip lightly, glanced at Madam Shen coquettishly, and said in feigned anger: "My mother is used to making fun of me."
Madam Shen smiled gently, her eyes full of doting, she stretched out her hand to gather her hair, and said, "I'm not kidding, I'm just telling the truth."
She looked at Shen Xingwan with a gentle gaze and asked her with concern: "Have you eaten yet? I didn't know you would come back so suddenly, otherwise I would have asked someone to prepare your favorite peach blossom cake for you earlier."
Shen Xingwan snorted coquettishly, pretending to be displeased, "You have exposed my daughter's past. Now you try to coax me, but it won't work."
She puffed up her cheeks slightly, looking cute and adorable, causing Madam Shen to burst into laughter. She turned her head and said to Princess Guang'an, "Look, she's acting like a spoiled brat now."
Princess Guang'an smiled and took Shen Xingwan's hand. "I thought you were gentle and dignified before, but you showed your true colors in front of your aunt?"
Shen Xingwan glared at her and blinked.
Several people smiled at each other, talking and laughing. The spring breeze blew through the courtyard, making the peach blossoms on the tree become even more red. The air was filled with the elegant fragrance of flowers, and the whole courtyard was filled with a warm atmosphere.
In the corridor not far away, a slender figure walked slowly.
"Xingwan is back."
Shen Xingwan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Shen Yunchao standing in the corridor in a green shirt. He had a clear figure and a smile between his eyebrows. He was quietly looking at this heartwarming scene, his eyes full of tenderness and warmth.
He walked closer slowly, his eyes lingered on Shen Xingwan's face for a moment, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a hint of teasing: "As expected, you are most comfortable in front of mother, and you act like a spoiled child even more smoothly than when you were a child."
Shen Xingwan immediately glared at him in shame and anger, "Brother, don't make fun of me!"
He smiled and glanced at Princess Guang'an, then looked at Shen Yunchao, "Be careful or I'll expose your past..."
Shen Yunchao avoided him with a smile, his eyes full of indulgence.
Princess Guang'an refused to give in and immediately pestered Shen Xingwan with questions.
The courtyard is filled with fallen petals, the aroma of tea wafts through the air, and laughter and joy are mixed in the breeze, as if even time has become gentle.
The midday sunlight shines on the eaves, making the tiles under the eaves glow with a warm luster.
Shen Xingwan and the others chatted for a while, and soon, a steady sound of footsteps was heard from the corridor.
Prime Minister Shen returned from the front yard, wearing a scarlet official robe, a jade belt around his waist, and his steps were steady and majestic.
His brows were frowned and he looked a little tired, obviously he had just returned home shortly after leaving court.
Everyone in the courtyard stood up to greet them. Madam Shen greeted them gently, and Princess Guang'an also greeted them with a smile.
"Father."
Shen Xingwan stood up, his heart trembled slightly, and the relaxed look he had just had disappeared, with a hint of solemnity gradually appearing in his eyes.
Shen Yunchao noticed that her expression was different and called her in a low voice: "Xingwan?"
Now that everyone is here, it’s time to get down to business.
Shen Xingwan took a deep breath, took out a letter from his arms, and handed it to Shen Yunchao, "Brother, take a look at this."
Shen Yunchao's eyes darkened slightly. He raised his hand to take the letter and unfolded it. The handwriting on the paper came into his sight. It was written in dark ink and densely packed.
His originally calm expression suddenly became fierce.
His eyes moved slightly, his fingertips tightened, and he carefully looked through the names on the letter, scanning line by line. The more he looked, the deeper his frown became.
After a moment, he raised his head, his eyes as deep as a cold pond, and asked in a deep voice: "What does this mean?"
Shen Xingwan looked solemn, stared at him intently, and slowly opened his mouth.
"Everyone on this list is General Zhang's spy planted in the army you lead."
The air seemed to freeze in an instant, and the originally gentle breeze in the courtyard seemed to become cold all of a sudden.
Shen Yunchao stared at the letter in his hand without blinking, his fingertips turned slightly white, as if he was trying his best to suppress the sudden chill.
He slowly moved his eyes away from the folded paper, "Are you sure?"
Shen Xingwan met his gaze.
"This list was given to me personally by Yan Jinghuan."
"Since he gave it to me, it can't be fake."
Shen Yunchao tightened his fingers slightly, and the words on the letter came into his eyes. Each name was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into his heart.
The people on this list are all his trusted subordinates, including some of his brothers who had fought on the battlefield with him and experienced life and death together.
Madam Shen noticed something was wrong and couldn't help but take a step forward and asked in a low voice, "Yun Chao, what happened?"
Shen Yunchao did not answer immediately, his eyes cast heavily on the memorial.
Shen Xingwan looked at Shen Yunchao and said slowly: "Brother, anyone here can take your life at any time."
Shen Yunchao slowly closed the letter, his eyes gradually dimming.
His face was extremely ugly, and he asked in a deep voice: "How did Jing Huan get this list?"
“It doesn’t matter how you get it.”
Shen Xing stepped forward at night, "Brother, now you hold the military power and are in the vortex. You know better than anyone that if there are spies in the army, the consequences will be disastrous."
"The most important thing right now is to find out the truth and deal with it as soon as possible."
Shen Yunchao lowered his eyes and slowly stroked the corners of the folded paper with his fingertips.
He suddenly chuckled, but the smile did not reach his eyes, instead, a cold chill was revealed, "What a great General Zhang."
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