Chapter 31: She needs to take the initiative
In the spring, the Forbidden City is magnificent with its glazed tiles reflecting the morning light.
Inside the palace walls, lights and decorations were everywhere, and the palace maids and eunuchs were hurrying along, busy preparing for the Imperial Concubine's birthday party.
Shen Xingwan held the gold-embossed post brought by the little palace maid in her hand, her brows slightly frowned, she didn't expect Princess Guang'an to act so quickly.
She had just returned to the palace when the invitation to the birthday party was delivered to her.
She thought for a moment and decided to discuss countermeasures with Yan Jinghuan after he came back before making any plans.
There will probably be undercurrents at this banquet, as it concerns the fate of my brother and Shen. Fortunately, Princess Guang'an helped me to have such a good opportunity, and I must ensure that everything goes well.
In the courtyard of the Regent's Palace, the warm sun shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows and falling on Shen Xingwan's shoulders.
She was wearing a scarlet homely dress, with her hair loosely tied up, a few strands of hair falling on her fair cheeks, making her eyes and eyebrows look even more gentle.
She sat at the stone table in the courtyard, pen in hand, rehearsing on paper the guard positions in the Imperial Concubine's Palace and planning the best route of action. Her occasional frown betrayed the nervousness and uneasiness in her heart.
The tea in the cup on the table was getting cold. She was too lazy to ask for a change. She picked up the cup and took a sip. Before she put it down, Feiyun came over from a distance in a hurry, with hurried steps.
She was always steady, and this action caused Shen Xingwan to look at her sideways. He raised his eyes and asked her, "What's wrong?"
Feiyun approached, leaned forward slightly, and said in a low voice: "Miss, this is the secret letter from Lord Zhou."
Shen Xingwan nodded, took the secret letter and unfolded it. The handwriting on it was strong and powerful.
Her eyes quickly scanned the text, and she saw that Lord Zhou had united many upright officials in the court to prepare to impeach Wei Zilin and the Imperial Noble Consort.
She had mixed feelings in her heart, knowing very well how difficult it was for Lord Zhou to do this. To convince all the court officials to impeach the crown prince in just a few days was undoubtedly a gamble. If he failed, the consequences would be disastrous.
She understood that Lord Zhou's action was not simply to protect her brother, but was a loyal minister's death-defying remonstrance, and was truly out of loyalty to the country.
However, impeaching without solid evidence would be like hitting a rock with an egg. Not only would it fail to hurt the imperial concubine in the slightest, it would also bring disaster to oneself and bring harm to his wife and children.
Thinking of this, she immediately put down the secret letter in her hand and told Feiyun: "Prepare the writing material."
After a while, writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were placed on the stone table.
Shen Xingwan picked up the pen, thought for a moment, dipped the brush in ink and wrote quickly on the paper.
She first expressed her gratitude to Lord Zhou and others with the most sincere words: "Lord Zhou and all the lords, you have your country in mind and are not afraid of power. Xingwan admires your righteous act and will never forget your life-saving grace."
Then, she wrote, "But the evidence is still lacking. If we write hastily, it will not only fail to shake the treacherous officials, but may also put you in danger and make it more difficult for my brother to be vindicated. I beg you to wait a little longer. Xingwan is trying her best to find the key evidence. When the time is right, we will be able to make the crime of Wei Zilin and the Imperial Concubine public and restore order in the court."
After finishing writing, Shen Xingwan carefully checked the contents of the letter. After confirming that it was correct, he carefully blew the ink on the letter dry, folded it, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Feiyun.
She solemnly warned, "This letter is of great importance. You must hand it to Lord Zhou in person. Be careful on the road and don't let anyone know about this. If you encounter anyone suspicious, you'd better find an opportunity to turn back, but never reveal your whereabouts."
"Don't worry, miss. I know what's going on." After saying that, she quickly left with the letter in her arms.
Shen Xingwan stood there for a long time, looking at the direction where Feiyun left.
A breeze blew past, ruffling her hair and clothes. She stood against the wind, her eyes becoming more determined.
She knew that she was about to face a tough battle, and this letter was the beginning of this difficult game.
As the sky gradually darkened, the candlelight flickered in the study of the Prince Regent's Palace, casting a layer of dim yellow on the books and documents in the room.
Yan Jinghuan had just returned from a meeting in the palace, and immediately went to meet with a group of court officials in the study.
He looked a little tired, with a slightly furrowed brow, and was concentrating on reviewing the file in his hands. The candlelight illuminated his deep eyes, which showed a bit of weariness but were still sharp.
When the last court official said goodbye and left, Yan Jinghuan finally put down the pen in his hand and frowned.
Suddenly, the door of the study was gently pushed open, and Shen Xingwan walked in gently, carrying a lunch box and with her hair hanging softly on her shoulders.
Yan Jinghuan put down his hand and watched her walk over and put the food box on the table.
"I heard from your servant that you didn't even have lunch today. You've been busy for so long, it's time to eat something."
Her voice was soft, warming the lonely silence in the study.
She skillfully took out the dishes from the lunch box, a bowl of steaming chicken soup, a few plates of exquisite side dishes and a bowl of rice, and placed them all in front of him. The study was instantly filled with tempting aromas.
Yan Jinghuan's tiredness gradually faded, and a faint smile appeared on his lips, but he said: "Let the servants do these things, there's no need to trouble you." As he said that, he put down the unfinished matters in his hands and put them aside on the desk.
Shen Xingwan filled a bowl of chicken soup and handed it to Yan Jinghuan: "Try it quickly. This soup has been stewed for a long time and it is the best for warming the stomach."
Yan Jinghuan took the bowl of soup, took a sip, and the warm soup went down his throat, seeming to dispel some of the coldness.
"Not bad." He praised, his eyes falling on Shen Xingwan, soft and gentle.
Shen Xingwan sat aside and accompanied him to eat. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke: "Your Majesty..."
"What did you call me?" Yan Jinghuan laughed and interrupted her, "How come you forgot my name in just one night?"
"..." Shen Xingwan pursed her lips, thinking of what happened last night, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment.
Yan Jinghuan said nothing, just stared at her quietly.
Shen Xingwan had no choice but to follow his advice, "Jing Huan, I have something to tell you. The Royal Concubine's birthday banquet is coming soon. I think this is the best time for us to overthrow the Royal Concubine."
Yan Jinghuan was slightly startled, put down the soup bowl, and became serious: "Tell me in detail."
Shen Xingwan told him everything about her and Princess Guang'an's plan.
Yan Jinghuan listened and thought for a moment, "The chances of winning are not great."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingwan slumped his shoulders and lowered his head, looking very depressed.
Perhaps seeing that she was a little discouraged, Yan Jinghuan spoke again: "I can fully cooperate with you. But..."
He paused, then reached out and held her hand. "You have to promise me that if anything unexpected happens, you must abandon the plan immediately and save yourself."
Shen Xingwan's heart moved slightly, and he nodded: "Okay, I promise you."
The two discussed in detail for a long time and finally decided to go to the palace together for the banquet and take care of each other.
After discussing the details, Shen Xingwan felt nervous but relieved at the same time. She felt that if he was willing to agree to her, then this matter would be 60 to 70 percent certain.
She held the lunch box and considerately closed the door for him. He still had a lot of things to deal with, so she went back to her room first. Along the way, she was still thinking about Yan Jinghuan's instructions and the details of the plan they had agreed on.
After returning to the room, Feiyun prepared hot water for her to take a bath. Lying in the steaming bathtub, Shen Xingwan thought to herself: After Yan Jinghuan comes back tonight, I must take the initiative.
It is natural for men to have needs after getting married. Moreover, he is at the age of full vigor and vitality. You can't let him be a widower after getting married.
Besides, he seems to be in good shape...
As soon as this thought came to her mind, she couldn't help but blush, but the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably.
After washing up, Shen Xingwan changed into a thin and soft nightgown, with her wet hair draped behind her. She sat on the edge of the couch, looking towards the door from time to time, shyly waiting for Yan Jinghuan to come back and rest.
The candlelight flickered, time passed by little by little, and sleepiness gradually came over me, but Yan Jinghuan never showed up.
She held her increasingly heavy eyelids open and waited for a long time, finally falling asleep on the pillow.
The next morning, sunlight from outside the window came in and brushed against Shen Xingwan's face. She slowly opened her eyes and subconsciously looked at the seat next to her. It was empty. She reached out and touched it. It was cold. Obviously, no one had slept there.
Her heart sank, and she felt an indescribable sense of loss.
Hearing the noise, Feiyun tiptoed into the room. Seeing that Shen Xingwan had woken up, she came forward and said, "Miss, my son-in-law was dealing with affairs until late last night. Perhaps he was afraid of disturbing your rest, so he rested in the study. He went to the palace before dawn this morning."
A trace of loneliness appeared in Shen Xingwan's eyes. "I see. I knew he was very busy. Yesterday I saw that the bedding in his study was simple and it was cold at night. I will send some more quilts over to him later so that he can take a nap."
"yes."
Feiyun agreed and joked with a smile: "Miss, you still care about your son-in-law in your heart."
"No way." Shen Xingwan was a little embarrassed, and said seriously: "He is so busy, and he is also helping us save the Shen family. Naturally, I have to pay more attention to it."
But having said that, she still felt a little uncomfortable.
For the next few days, Shen Xingwan was unable to see Yan Jinghuan.
Every time she waited for him to return to his room to rest, she would always receive the news that he was busy in the palace and had not returned all night.
The palace was still in order, but without Yan Jinghuan, Shen Xingwan always felt a little empty.
It was not until the day of the palace banquet that Yan Jinghuan hurried back to the palace before the time agreed with her.
He went straight to bathe and change his clothes, wearing a black and gold robe, a jade belt around his waist, and his black hair tied up neatly with a golden crown. He looked extremely noble.
Shen Xingwan was also dressed up, wearing a moon-white brocade palace dress with blooming roses embroidered on the hem of her skirt. When she moved, the flowers seemed to sway in the wind, dazzling and graceful.
When she was dressed, Yan Jinghuan was already waiting for her in the corridor. Seeing her coming out, he walked over with gentle eyes and stretched out his hand to her, "Come." Shen Xingwan nodded and put her fingertips in his palm. Yan Jinghuan took her hand and walked out with her.
His knuckles were long and his palms were broad with thin calluses, probably from riding and practicing martial arts. As he walked, he rubbed her delicate skin, which felt warm and slightly itchy.
He seemed to deliberately slow down his pace, and Shen Xingwan could easily keep up with him. She knew that he was being considerate of her, but for some reason, she always felt an inexplicable anger in her heart.
The anger was not obvious at first, it only burned vaguely during these few days when she was free or couldn't sleep at night, making her feel sour and uncomfortable.
But when she suddenly saw Yan Jinghuan just now, the evil fire could not be stopped from burning, and it even showed signs of getting more intense.
She glanced to the side and saw that he was still as elegant as the bright moon in the sky, with his usual noble look, as if he had been unable to eat or sleep well in the past few days, and that he was the only one who was angry because of her self-indulgent attitude.
"snort!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly, she stopped and angrily pulled her hand out.
Yan Jinghuan's palms were empty, and he stopped and looked back at her in surprise, "What's wrong?"
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