Chapter 340: Long-awaited Reunion
Shen Qingtan listened quietly to Zhao Yi's entire plan and asked, "Did you let my father arrest Xu Zhixian and the Supervisory Censor after you found out in Yingcheng that they were Lin Yi's men and faked your own death to escape?"
"Yes." Zhao Yi said softly, "Jiang Mu and Jiang Chao are going to the border of Yingcheng and Yuncheng to pick them up."
Shen Qingtan did not ask the guards why they betrayed Lin Yi. After all, the guards had parents, wives and children, and these were their weaknesses.
The secret guards are different. They are orphans, have no weaknesses, and would rather die than betray their masters.
"I heard you coughing." Shen Qingtan's eyes fell on his pale face, and his fingers gently touched his face: "Are you sick?"
"I caught a cold, but after taking the medicine my cousin prescribed, I'm feeling better now." Zhao Yi explained, "I was coughing a lot today, but I was just pretending in front of them."
"After all, I didn't actually die. Hearing the rumors growing stronger and stronger, I should have stepped forward to dispel them. But I stayed silent, allowing the news of my death to ferment. A thoughtful person would inevitably suspect this was a plot on our part."
Zhao Yi spoke clearly, "Now that they see how weak I am, they'll assume I fell into the river, narrowly escaped death, and became seriously ill. As soon as my condition improves a little, they'll rush over."
Even if someone doubted him, he could use his illness as an excuse to refute it.
"What about you?" Zhao Yi asked, "Did anyone give you any trouble in the capital?"
"No one is giving me any trouble. Since you didn't return to the capital, I stayed indoors and didn't see any guests, for fear of hindering you."
Shen Qingtan told Zhao Yi everything that was going on in the mansion: "Shu Fei has placed spies in our mansion. We haven't found out who the masters behind the other eunuchs and palace maids are yet."
"That's not a bad thing. At least they're out in the open. We just need to be on our guard against them. If we use them properly in the future, they'll become pawns in our hands."
Zhao Yi wiped her wet eyelashes with a handkerchief. "We'll use our own people in the main courtyard and the study to prevent any spies hiding in the dark."
Shen Qingtan hummed softly, sat quietly, and let him wipe her face with a handkerchief.
The couple hadn't been together for a long time. Even if they just sat together like this without saying anything, they would feel very sweet and beautiful.
Shen Qingtan missed the time they spent together in the Duke's Mansion.
"Is Brother Changsheng in Yuncheng?" Shen Qingtan really wanted to be alone with Zhao Yi in a room, but she was worried about Gu Changsheng: "I want to see him."
Zhao Yi put the handkerchief into his sleeve and said, "I'll take you to see him."
"Wait a minute." Shen Qingtan pulled at the plain clothes she was wearing and said softly, "I'll go change into something brighter."
Zhao Yi smiled and said, "Okay."
Shen Qingtan turned around and went to the inner room to do her makeup again.
Zhao Yi heard footsteps and looked up, only to see Shen Qingtan wearing a light-colored skirt and a bright red sable cloak.
She wore flowers today and put powder on her cheeks, which made her look radiant.
Seeing Zhao Yi staring at her face, Shen Qingtan held her face with her hands in embarrassment: "I haven't slept well these days, and I don't look very good. Brother Changsheng will be worried if he sees me."
"The last time I saw you dressed like this was on the wedding tea day." Zhao Yi hadn't seen her dressed so exquisitely for a long time, and he felt a special feeling in his heart, as if he was back to the mood when they met on their wedding day.
Shen Qingtan was slightly stunned. This kind of dress was very common for her. When attending a banquet or meeting an important person, she would pay attention to her clothes and appearance to avoid losing her manners.
Zhao Yi's words made her feel that on the first day of their marriage, she was particularly different in his eyes.
Now that they met again after a long separation, she looked brand new and looked no different to him than when she was newly married.
Shen Qingtan couldn't help but think of a proverb: A long absence is better than a new marriage.
"Let's go quickly." Shen Qingtan's cheeks flushed slightly. He pulled the hood of his cloak and put it on his head to protect himself from the wind and snow. "If you go too late, I'm afraid it will disturb Brother Changsheng's rest."
Zhao Yi smiled without saying anything, took out a red and gold-embroidered scarf and covered her face with it, revealing her pair of misty eyes.
He seemed to be bewitched, and lowered his head to kiss her lips through the thin towel.
This kiss made her heart beat faster than if he had kissed her directly on the lips.
Shen Qingtan waited for Zhao Yi to let her go, then quickly lowered her head, readjusted the scarf on her face, and gently pursed her red lips.
"Let's go." Zhao Yi took Shen Qingtan's hand and walked towards the shanty.
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Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan came to the shanty. They could faintly hear the sound of conversation in the shanty, but there was no grief-stricken crying, and there were even one or two laughs.
Shen Qingtan looked around and was about to enter the shanty when he paused and his eyes fell on a corner.
I saw a little girl of three or four years old grabbing Gu Changsheng's sleeve, looking up at him with her little face, and saying something.
Gu Changsheng bent down and squatted in front of the little girl, looking at her with blurred vision. Her chubby little face was embedded with a pair of big watery eyes, which revealed a bit of dependence and closeness to him.
"Brother, the medicine tastes so bitter, I want to eat candy."
In an instant, Gu Changsheng seemed to have returned to the past. Shen Qingtan pulled his sleeve and acted coquettishly to him.
Seeing that Gu Changsheng didn't say anything, the little girl said timidly, "Brother, it's not that I want to eat candy."
"Yeah." Gu Changsheng took over the conversation: "You are hungry."
Shen Qingtan, who was walking over, suddenly stopped when he heard this.
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