Chapter 71 Calm down, Xingwan, stay with me, please
Shen Yunchao slightly turned sideways and stretched out his hand towards the carriage.
He turned his palm upwards, his eyes steady and firm, looking at the woman in the car soothingly.
Princess Guang'an pursed her red lips, her long feathery eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she was still worried about many things.
But in the end, she slowly stretched out her hand and gently placed her slightly cold fingertips into Shen Yunchao's palm.
Everyone gasped.
Shen Yun clenched his five fingers together and held her hand tightly. The hot temperature from his palm passed over to her, soothing her uneasy heart.
Princess Guang'an took a deep breath, and finally made up her mind. With his help, she slowly stood up and walked out of the carriage.
Prime Minister Shen's pupils shrank, Madam Shen was completely stunned, Shen Xingwan's eyes darkened, and everyone in the mansion fell silent, not even daring to breathe.
No one expected that Shen Yunchao, who had fallen off a cliff and disappeared, would return this time and bring back Princess Guang'an who had been sent to the northern border for marriage.
What was even more shocking was that he held her fingers in front of everyone without shying away from the differences between men and women!
Shen Yunchao ignored the shocked looks from all around him. He just gently held Princess Guang'an's hand and led her steadily to Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen.
Princess Guang'an stood in the night, like a fresh magnolia. Although her clothes were stained with dust, her natural noble temperament could not be concealed.
She collected her thoughts, lowered her eyelashes, and bowed gracefully.
"Li Yue meets Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen."
Her gift startled Prime Minister Shen so much that he quickly bowed to return the gift.
The person in front of them is a princess of the royal family. How could the Shen family deserve such courtesy from her?
Madam Shen stood there frozen, her eyes wide open, staring at Shen Yunchao and Princess Guang'an in disbelief.
Her lips trembled slightly, her eyes were full of shock and confusion, and she obviously couldn't accept this absurd scene.
She quickly knelt down to return the greeting, her eyes fixed on her son, as if questioning him with her eyes: "What the hell is going on?"
Shen Yunchao took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Father, Mother, Liyue and I love each other and have promised to spend our lives together."
"I want to marry her."
Mrs. Shen suddenly felt a black screen in front of her eyes, her chest felt stuffy, and she couldn't even breathe smoothly. She staggered back a step and suddenly fell backwards!
"Mother!"
Shen Yunchao was shocked and was about to step forward to help, but Prime Minister Shen was quick to support Madam Shen who was about to faint and called her anxiously: "Madam! Madam, what's wrong with you?"
There was chaos in front of the mansion gate in an instant.
The maids and servants were in a panic and surrounded her, "Madam! Madam, wake up!"
Princess Guang'an's face turned pale, her fingers twisted into her sleeves, and she looked at Madam Shen guiltily with misty eyes.
How could she not know that her current status was embarrassing and would definitely put the Shen family in trouble? Now seeing Madam Shen fainted from fright, she felt even more sad and heartbroken.
Shen Yunchao frowned, hugged Princess Guang'an, and comforted her softly: "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of it."
In this moment of chaos, Shen Xingwan suddenly stepped forward and said in a calm but sharp tone: "What are you all standing there for? Don't you think the commotion is not big enough?"
She shouted at the chaotic crowd: "Turn off the lights! Help the lady back to the house!"
The maids and servants suddenly came to their senses, quickly put away the lights, and helped Madam Shen into the house.
Shen Xingwan looked at Shen Yunchao again, and said in a slightly cold voice: "Brother, if you want everyone in the world to know that you have returned to Beijing, then continue to stand here, and it is best to say loudly again that you want to marry the princess."
Shen Yunchao's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately understood what she meant.
Shen Xingwan stood at the gate of the Shen Mansion, the night wind ruffling her sleeves. The lights were not yet completely extinguished, reflecting her stern expression.
She swept her sharp eyes over everyone present, her gaze was as deep as a cold pond, and although her voice was not loud, it exuded an overwhelming pressure that would not tolerate any objection.
"If anyone dares to leak a single word of what happened tonight, don't blame me for being merciless."
Her tone was extremely light, but that was precisely why it made it even more chilling.
The servants of the Shen Mansion all lowered their heads, holding their breath and not daring to breathe.
Feiyun stood behind her, also with a solemn expression, and his eyes swept over everyone.
Shen Xingwan retracted his gaze and said in a loud voice: "If anyone else comes to ask, just say that something happened in the mansion, the eldest young master has not returned to the capital, and no one in the mansion knows about it."
She paused, her eyes darkening slightly, "If any word gets out, you should know the consequences."
Prime Minister Shen also looked sullenly at everyone and said, "You must remember what happened today. If anyone is lucky enough to take chances, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Everyone quickly responded: "Yes!"
Madam Shen woke up slowly, and weakly held Shen Yunchao's arm. Her eyes were red, and she tried to suppress her emotions, and urged in a low voice: "Come into the mansion quickly."
Shen Xingwan waved his sleeves and said decisively: "Turn off the lights, close the door, and go back home!"
The lights outside the door finally went out completely, and the door of the mansion slowly closed in the night, locking all the secrets into the deep night.
All the noise was blocked out, but everyone knew in their hearts that Shen Yunchao bringing the princess back today was by no means a happy event.
The Shen family is probably going to be in great trouble soon.
It was a dark night, and the lights in the flower hall of the Shen Mansion were bright, reflecting the solemn and worried expressions of the people.
Shen Xingwan sat upright on the Huanghuali armchair, his brows calm, his eyes swept over the people in front of him calmly, and then ordered: "Feiyun, you personally take people to help the princess bathe and change clothes."
"Princess, you must be exhausted from the journey. Please stay in my room and rest for a while."
Feiyun immediately accepted the order, walked forward and bowed respectfully to Princess Guang'an, and said softly: "Princess, please follow me."
Princess Guang'an hesitated for a moment and looked at Shen Yunchao. Shen Yunchao held her hand and whispered, "Go, you are tired too. Rest for a night first. Don't worry."
She nodded, let go of her hand, and slowly left with Feiyun's support.
Prime Minister Shen frowned even deeper, obviously disapproving of Princess Guang'an staying at the Shen residence, but he remained silent in the end.
Madam Shen pursed her lips, her eyes full of worry.
Shen Yunchao watched Princess Guang'an's departing back with a firm gaze, not hiding his concern at all.
After Princess Guang'an walked away, Shen Xingwan looked at Shen Yunchao and said, "Brother, you can take a bath and rest later. Sit down first and let's talk."
Shen Yunchao was silent for a while, then finally nodded and sat down.
The atmosphere was solemn, and only four people from the Shen family were left in the hall.
The dim candlelight flickered, making everyone's faces flicker, making it impossible to tell their emotions.
Prime Minister Shen finally spoke in a deep voice, “Yun Chao, what on earth is going on with you?”
Shen Yunchao raised his eyes, thought again and again, and then slowly told the story.
He was assassinated in the army, pretended to fall off a cliff, and then sneaked into the northern border to rescue Princess Guang'an. He overcame many difficulties and survived many deaths before finally protecting her back to Wei...
He only recounted these experiences in a rough outline, and although there were not many emotional fluctuations in his words, the hardships of life and death were still frightening to listen to.
Mrs. Shen's tears could not stop falling to the ground, and she almost couldn't cry.
"My son, why is it so difficult..."
She held Shen Yunchao's hand, trembling and caressing it, choking with sobs, "Such a big thing, you didn't even send a letter home, mother thought you really..."
She was choked with sobs and could no longer speak. She just hugged Shen Yunchao and burst into tears.
Shen Yunchao felt a pang in his heart and patted Madam Shen's back gently.
"I am an unfilial child. I am sorry to have caused you worry."
Although Prime Minister Shen did not speak, his expression was extremely ugly, his hands were clenched into fists, and his brows were furrowed.
The severity of these events was far beyond his imagination.
After a long while, he sighed and asked, "What are your plans after this?"
Shen Yunchao pursed his lips, "I plan to report the truth to the emperor, and then ask the emperor to grant me marriage and welcome Li Yue into the Chen Mansion."
Madam Shen looked up in astonishment, Prime Minister Shen also widened his eyes, and Shen Xingwan's eyes dimmed. She suddenly pressed Shen Yunchao's wrist and said firmly: "No!"
Shen Yunchao was stunned for a moment and frowned slightly.
"Why not?"
Shen Xingwan took a deep breath.
"Brother, do you know that the emperor is now terminally ill, his mind is not very clear, and he is almost dying?"
"If you go directly to the palace to report at this moment, what if someone with ulterior motives turns the tables and accuses you of deserting the battlefield and sneaking into the northern border to sabotage the marriage? Wouldn't that be a capital crime?!"
Shen Yunchao's whole body trembled and he stood there in a daze.
He had been practicing martial arts since he was young, and had been good at marching and fighting wars. He was best at swordfighting and military chess. However, the political struggles in the palace were what he despised the most and was the thing he was least good at.
But Shen Xingwan's words instantly woke him up.
Now the emperor is ill and mentally debilitated, and the situation in the court is treacherous and unclear. If someone really wants to use this to frame him, then the moment he enters the palace, he will be walking into a trap!
Prime Minister Shen frowned and nodded solemnly.
"Xing Wan is right. We must not act rashly on this matter."
Mrs. Shen was so anxious that she burst into tears and held Shen Yunchao's hand, "What should we do?"
Shen Yunchao also fell silent.
He never thought that his loyalty would become a sharp weapon in the hands of others and cost him his life.
Shen Xingwan slowly raised her eyes, her lips curled slightly, "Don't worry too much, I have already made up my mind."
She slowly looked around at the people. "Yan Jinghuan has found out that the people who wanted to kill you were all ordered by General Zhang. He is following the clues to find evidence. Once the evidence is confirmed, it will be time for us to counterattack."
Shen Xingwan calmly analyzed: "Don't act rashly now. You need to wait for the right time to strike and hit the target."
"The news that my brother and the princess have returned must not be leaked. I will go back tomorrow to discuss with Yan Jinghuan and then make a plan. It's late tonight, everyone should rest first and then make a long plan tomorrow."
Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen looked at each other. Although they were worried, seeing Shen Xingwan so determined and calm, as if he had found a backbone, they nodded in agreement.
Shen Yunchao sighed, and finally said nothing more. He just said, "Okay, as you say."
The few of them chatted for a while, and Shen Xingwan reminded Shen Yunchao not to leave the house without permission in the recent days, so as to avoid being noticed by someone with ulterior motives.
After everything was explained, everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to rest.
When Shen Xingwan returned to her boudoir, Princess Guang'an had already bathed and changed into a moon-white dress. Her long hair was untied, as black as silk, and scattered casually on the bed, making her look even more beautiful and charming.
Hearing the noise at the door, Princess Guang'an looked up at her, with a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
Shen Xingwan walked up slowly, bowed to her, and said softly: "Princess, you have been exhausted from the journey. Please rest peacefully tonight. I will sleep on the couch outside. If you need anything, just call me."
After saying that, she was about to retreat to the outer room to rest. As soon as she turned around, her wrist was gently pulled by a soft and cold hand.
Shen Xingwan was slightly stunned, and looked down. Princess Guangan looked up with expectation in her eyes, "Xingwan, can you stay with me?"
Her voice was soft and trembling a little.
Shen Xingwan looked at her and sighed in his heart.
She was chosen as the princess's companion since she was young and accompanied Princess Guang'an in the palace. Although there was a difference in their status, she had a deep friendship with Princess Guang'an and they had long been as close as sisters.
Princess Guang'an has just escaped from danger and is in an unfamiliar environment. It is normal for her to be restless and need someone to accompany her.
Shen Xingwan nodded, took off his cloak, sat on the couch, and slowly lay down beside her.
"Princess, please rest assured. Even if there is a big problem, just deal with it tomorrow." She comforted her softly and tucked the corners of the quilt for her.
The candle in the room was extinguished and darkness shrouded it. Only a ray of cold moonlight came in through the window, falling in front of the couch and causing the curtains to sway slightly.
The night was quiet and all around was silent, with only the steady breathing of the two people making the sound.
After a long while, Princess Guang'an sighed softly, as if she were dreaming, "It feels like a dream to be able to lie down and talk like this together..."
Shen Xingwan opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling quietly without saying a word. After a moment, she slowly reached out her hand, placed it on the back of Princess Guang'an's hand, and gently held it.
This handshake seemed to be a silent comfort and promise in this turbulent situation.
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