Chapter 141 I want to talk to Young Master Shen alone
Princess Jing glanced at him expressionlessly: "Have you never met the eldest prince before, or have you never met Young Master Shen before?"
Why such panic?
Yan Zheng coughed lightly after being scolded by her, composed himself, and said, "It has indeed been a long time since I have seen my eldest brother and Young Master Shen."
Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai were imprisoned for four years, staying in the Prince's mansion without ever stepping out and seeing anyone.
Yan Zheng was not favored by his father, the Emperor, and usually avoided going to the palace whenever possible. He rarely even attended banquets outside the palace. This time, when Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai were released from their confinement, he did not even receive the news.
He was naturally shocked to see the two of them arriving in the same carriage.
In broad daylight, they dared to appear in the same carriage. Were they really not afraid of others' strange looks, or that the matter would reach the ears of the Emperor?
Yan Chen strode over, his expression calm and collected. He looked at the two couples standing outside the gate and said indifferently, "Why don't you go in?"
"Elder Brother." Shao Wan bowed to him and exchanged pleasantries, "My lord was a little startled to see you and Young Master Shen together... He's always been a bit unreliable, so please forgive him, Elder Brother and Young Master Shen, and don't take it to heart."
Yan Zheng glanced at her silently, without saying a word.
“It’s alright.” Shen Jingbai followed behind Yan Chen with a gentle expression, but his words were anything but gentle. “After all, His Highness the Third Prince has been incompetent for quite some time now. How he views us is not important.”
Yan Zheng: "..."
Chu Yunjin's gaze fell on Shen Jingbai's face, and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "What a noble young man, as elegant as an orchid and a jade tree."
Not only is he good-looking, but he also has an excellent temperament. His crescent-shaped robe makes him look like a bright and handsome gentleman. He is tall and slender, and his whole demeanor is that of someone who has been carefully raised by a noble family. He has a scholarly air about him, but he does not look weak at all.
In comparison, the eldest prince Yan Chen's demeanor was a bit too rigid, somewhat like Yan Cang, but without Yan Cang's obvious sharpness—Yan Cang was, after all, a military general who had been on the battlefield, and his decisive and ruthless sharpness could not be concealed.
The eldest prince had a calm and composed demeanor, exuding a perfect balance of composure and authority without anger.
Chu Yunjin bowed slightly and greeted the two men: "Elder Brother, Young Master Shen."
"I dare not accept such praise." Yan Chen smiled slightly, his gaze falling on Chu Yunjin's face. "When my fourth brother got married, we were still in confinement and were unable to attend the wedding banquet. This is the first time I have formally met my fourth brother's wife."
Chu Yunjin smiled awkwardly.
"My name is Shen Jingbai." Shen Jingbai bowed slightly. "Greetings, Princess Consort of Yan."
Chu Yunjin repeatedly said she dared not.
"Jingbai." Yan Chen turned his head. "Did you bring an extra gift today? Give it to your fourth sister-in-law."
Chu Yunjin quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, eldest brother, you don't need to be so polite."
Shen Jingbai smiled gently: "I only brought one gift, nothing more. Let's arrange a formal meeting another day, and I can give you the gift then."
Chu Yunjin humbly declined, saying, "Elder Brother and Young Master Shen are too kind."
Shen Jingbai smiled and glanced at Chu Yunjin.
Chu Yunjin also looked at Shen Jingbai with curiosity.
Seeing her like this, Yan Chen was surprised: "Is the Princess Consort of Yan very interested in Jing Bai?"
I am indeed interested.
Chu Yunjin nodded: "I would like to speak with Young Master Shen alone."
Yan Chen: "..."
Yan Cang: "..."
Yan Zheng and his wife: "..."
Shen Jingbai smiled slightly: "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Although he was fearless, he really didn't want to be resented by the Prince of Yan because of this, it would be too unfair.
Chu Yunjin explained, "I have something very important to ask Young Master Shen, but it's not convenient for others to know."
Saying to your husband that it's inconvenient for him to hear is a real challenge to a man's trust.
Shen Jingbai turned to Yan Cang: "What is Your Highness's opinion?"
"Yan Cang." Chu Yunjin grasped Yan Cang's hand and turned to look at him. "I have a question I'd like to ask Young Master Shen. May I talk to him about it later?"
Yan Cang nodded: "Don't talk for too long."
Shen Jingbai smiled and said, "Since His Highness the Prince of Yan agrees, then I, Shen, will naturally not refuse."
The group quickly entered the princess's residence and, led by maids, proceeded to different banquet halls according to their status and gender.
The banquet was organized by the housekeeper, nanny, and lady-in-waiting, so Yan Jinyue didn't have to worry about it. The guests coming and going were arranged in an orderly manner.
Upon entering the inner courtyard, Chu Yunjin separated from Yan Cang and the others, and was led to the hall where the female guests were with Shao Wan.
Shao Wan took the initiative to speak: "My prince is useless, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Fourth Sister-in-law."
Chu Yunjin shook her head: "Everyone is born with a different temperament, and it's good that Third Brother is like this."
He may seem afraid of his wife, but isn't that actually a manifestation of his unwavering devotion to her?
Not involved in the succession struggle, his timidity might just be a mask, a desire for a stable and peaceful life. He has no excessive social engagements, a fixed annual salary that can support himself and his wife, and doesn't need to employ too many servants. Within his means, he can have people to take care of his daily life and doesn't even need to care about matters of state.
This kind of pampered, carefree life couldn't be more comfortable.
As Chu Yunjin and Shao Wan entered the banquet hall, the ladies and noblewomen of lower status took the initiative to greet them with respect. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and no one took the initiative to provoke or cause trouble.
There have been a lot of events happening in the court recently, and the lessons learned from the past are still fresh in everyone's minds. No one would be foolish enough to offend Chu Yunjin at a time like this.
Even among the male guests, Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai came and went openly, and no one dared to ridicule or mock them. It was as if the events of four years ago had never happened. The harmony among the group was so unreal that it seemed like a dream.
After several rounds of drinks, Yan Chen and Yan Cang went to the Princess's Garden to discuss matters.
Chu Yunjin received a message from her maid that Young Master Shen had invited her to the garden for a chat, so Chu Yunjin got up and left her seat.
The mansion bestowed upon Yan Jinyue by the emperor was very spacious, with a large garden and beautiful scenery. There were artificial hills, pavilions, winding corridors, and schools of koi fish leisurely playing in the pond.
Chu Yunjin walked along the corridor and saw Shen Jingbai sitting in the pavilion. As she got closer, she saw Yan Chen and Yan Cang sitting in another pavilion in the distance.
Chu Yunjin raised an eyebrow slightly, then couldn't help but laugh.
They are really clever.
That way, no one would think there was anything wrong with her chatting alone with Shen Jingbai, since there were two pairs of eyes watching them in broad daylight.
Adele and Stargazer were also standing on the veranda, far away. They could see the scene in the pavilion, but they couldn't hear the two of them talking.
"Young Master Shen." Chu Yunjin walked into the pavilion and sat down, pouring a cup of tea for Shen Jingbai. "Please have some tea."
Shen Jingbai looked at her calmly and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite."
Chu Yunjin put down the teapot, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I would like to ask Young Master Shen to enlighten me."
Shen Jingbai asked, "What's puzzling?"
“I’ve been having a lot of dreams lately,” Chu Yunjin said. “The situations in my dreams aren’t very good. I could have just ignored them as illusions, but they keep coming back to me every night, making me uneasy.”
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