Chapter 102
At noon, Wei Luo called Liu Heng over and handed him several portraits of Xu Xuan.
He instructed him to send men to stake out the major city gates of the capital, waiting for Xu Xuan to enter the city.
Liu Heng took the portrait and immediately recognized that it was entirely painted by Wei Luo himself.
He then rolled up the portrait and said, "It's easy to send people to stake out the place, but the guards at the gate are all from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What excuse should we use when they question us?"
Wei Luo said, "Just say that the Eastern Depot is arresting criminals."
As he spoke, he handed a letter to Liu Heng, saying, "This is a letter I wrote myself. Show it to Chen Zhen and have him cooperate in issuing the necessary documents so that we can go to the Ministry of Justice to get the arrest warrant."
Liu Heng said, "Yes."
The situation was urgent, and Wei Luo urged him to go immediately.
Shen Yao straightened her clothes and came out, hugging Wei Luo from behind, resting her head on his back, and murmuring, "Can I hold on?"
Wei Luo turned his body, looked down into the girl's eyes, and smiled, "Whether we catch her or not, we have to do it. We can't just sit here and wait to die."
Shen Yao sighed suddenly, "What a mess, what kind of trouble is this, not letting people have any peace."
Wei Luo said, "This is the last time." He then asked, "Besides being close to Deng Yan, does Xu Xuan have any other friends in the capital?"
Shen Yao said, "Let me think about it."
She frowned and thought for a while, then picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few names on the paper.
“When I lived at the Xu residence before, there were always a few people coming over, and over time I found out.”
Wei Luo picked it up and looked at it, then walked out and gave a few instructions to the eunuch, who then took the paper with him.
Shen Yao asked, "Are you going to monitor these families?"
"Yes, if Xu Xuan goes to Beijing, he won't dare go straight home; he'll definitely seek help from relatives and friends."
Shen Yao said, "That's true, but I wonder where he is now?"
Wei Luo laughed and said, "Worrying is useless. You'd be better off eating and sleeping well."
The eunuchs brought out a large table of food, and the two of them ate their fill.
In the afternoon, Wei Luo went to the emperor to handle state affairs, while Shen Yao, having nothing to do, lay in bed to sleep. After waking up, she would casually find some books to pass the time.
Three to five days passed, and there was still no news of Xu Xuan outside. The world was calm and still, like a stagnant pool.
But the more peaceful the days were, the more anxious Shen Yao felt, her heart clenching with discomfort.
That evening, Wei Luo comforted him, "Perhaps he really did not come to the capital as you predicted, but went straight back to Hangzhou."
Shen Yao looked at him, her brows furrowed so deeply they could kill a mosquito. "No, I'm increasingly convinced he'll come to the capital. Perhaps he's already here."
Wei Luo took her hand and kissed her palm. "You're too anxious. I'm here, and so is Commander Shen. We'll protect you."
Shen Yao got out of bed and shook her head, saying, "Maybe I should just go home. If Xu Xuan comes, it'll just be to get revenge on me—"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Wei Luo sternly rebuked, "Are you going out to your death? Let me tell you, Shen Yao, you are not allowed to go anywhere until Xu Xuan's matter is resolved. You must stay in the East Palace."
Shen Yao's eyes suddenly reddened, and she lowered her head in silence.
Upon seeing this, Wei Luo couldn't help but sigh, pulling the person tightly into his arms to comfort him, saying, "I'm not afraid of Xu Xuan coming, but I'm afraid he'll file a complaint with the Emperor. Your father fabricated Xu Xuan's background, using ethics to deceive the Emperor, which led to your divorce. If His Majesty finds out about this, do you know what the consequences will be?"
Shen Yao choked back tears and said, "You'll die, won't you?"
"His Majesty will not tolerate Governor Shen having a private affair with me; in his eyes, such a thing is called forming a faction."
Shen Yao felt a chill run down her spine and leaned against him, no longer daring to speak.
Seeing that Shen Yao was really down, Wei Luo couldn't help but comfort her, "But we are not necessarily lambs to the slaughter. His Majesty is currently ill, and the affairs of state depend on me and Chen Zhen. We can still take a gamble."
He lowered his head and kissed her, comforting her most broken heart with the softest touch.
Shen Yao looked up, and the two shared a deep kiss.
*
In a group of beggars on the outskirts of Beijing, Xu Xuan was leaning on a wooden cane, looking around.
After jumping ship and escaping, he boarded another northbound ship and became very cautious, hiding his face and head, until he finally arrived at the dock the night before last.
The dock was near the East Gate, but as he approached the city gate, he found someone holding a portrait and checking people entering the city.
Xu Xuan immediately realized that this was the work of Crown Prince Wei Luo.
Oh!
He hurriedly left, pawned his clothes, and changed into beggar's clothes.
He was dressed in tattered rags, his face covered in mud, and his hair was a mess like a bird's nest. He was a stinking beggar who was always hungry and cold.
Squatting like this among the beggars, no one would notice anything amiss.
However, if someone observes closely, they will notice that among a group of beggars, one beggar's eyes are particularly bright. It is the arrogance accumulated over the years that is vividly displayed through his discerning eyes.
Though crushed into dust, it still shines brightly.
Born extraordinary.
Xu Xuan, like a lurking beast, quietly awaits his opportunity.
*
At dusk, Master Shen limped out of the yamen and was invited into the East Palace by Wei Luo's men.
The father and daughter, who hadn't seen each other for several days, chatted very affectionately.
When Wei Luo returned, the two were having dinner, so he washed his hands and joined them.
The eunuchs refilled the bowls and chopsticks, and added a few seasonal side dishes.
Master Shen first expressed his gratitude, and then asked about Xu Xuan.
Wei Luo said while eating, "No news yet."
At this point, no news is good news.
Mr. Shen said, "Perhaps he really has returned to Hangzhou."
Wei Luo glanced at him but didn't say anything. Shen Yao picked up a piece of goose meat and handed it to Wei Luo, asking, "Didn't Wuwei say he sent someone to Hangzhou? Is there any news?"
Both of them looked at Wei Luo, who sighed, "It takes almost a month to travel from the capital to Hangzhou by water. If there is any news, it will be more than a month from now."
The atmosphere at the dinner table became somewhat subdued for a moment.
Old Master Shen stopped eating and just kept drinking in silence.
Shen Yao couldn't bear to see this, so she ladled a bowl of soup for her father and handed it to him, advising, "Drinking is bad for your health. Your foot isn't healed yet, so drink less."
Upon seeing this, Wei Luo laughed and said, "Governor Shen has toiled for half his life, yet he has given birth to a fine daughter."
Mr. Shen narrowed his eyes and laughed heartily, "That's right, my daughter is naturally the best in the world."
He then pushed the wine cup aside, picked up a spoon, scooped up some wine, and drank it, praising, "Delicious, delicious!"
Shen Yao quickly chimed in, proudly saying, "I made it."
Her eyes curved into crescent moons.
Both men at the table looked at him, and Mr. Shen asked, "When did my daughter learn to make soup?"
"Making soup is not difficult. Just put all the ingredients into a pot, simmer over low heat, and keep an eye on the time and heat. It's not as difficult as stir-frying."
She gave Wei Luosheng another bowl.
Just as Master Shen was about to praise again, he suddenly realized something was amiss. This soup seemed to be something someone had cooked for their lover. So, his praise turned sour, and he said, "I am truly blessed. This time, thanks to Your Highness, I get to drink soup cooked by your own daughter. I thank Your Highness very much!"
Shen Yao couldn't help but stick out her tongue and laugh.
After finishing his meal, Mr. Shen took his leave and went back to the south of the city to rest.
The night passed in a flash.
A rooster crowed, piercing the sky. The eastern sky was ablaze with red clouds, and a blazing sun was about to burst forth.
It was still early, and the sky was still slightly dark.
But a long queue of people waiting to enter the city had already formed in front of the East Gate. Vendors, porters, and travelers were all crowding in front of the city gate, making it impossible to move.
Until several garbage trucks arrived.
The pungent stench spread along the car body, and people covered their mouths and noses, making way for it.
Every day at dawn, teams of garbage trucks would come to the capital from outside the city, calling out to collect garbage as they passed through the streets and alleys.
When the swill cart arrived at the city gate, the guards didn't even glance at it and quickly waved for it to pass.
After all, it smelled terrible and wasn't much to look at.
After one of the garbage trucks drove through several streets, the man pulling the truck stopped, looked around to make sure no one was there, walked over to the truck, knocked on it, and called out, "Nobody here, you can come out now."
He immediately opened the car hood and Xu Xuan jumped out like a monkey.
The man quickly stepped away, frowning as he sized up Xu Xuan from afar, his eyes seemingly filled with disdain.
After Xu Xuan came out, she patted her tattered clothes, looked at the man and laughed, "Why do you complain about the smell when you collect swill every day?"
The man said, "I collect swill, not people covered in swill."
Xu Xuan smiled and shook her head.
He took out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them to him; they were the money he had received from pawning his clothes a few days earlier.
Xu Xuan bowed deeply and sincerely thanked him, "I was framed and ended up here. Today, I am very grateful to you for bringing me into the city. You have done me a great favor. Please accept my bow."
Upon seeing this, the man quickly said, "Young man, you flatter me. This is all I can do to help you. You have to walk the rest of the road on your own."
"I will."
The man pulled the cart away, and Xu Xuan turned and walked in the opposite direction.
With an alluring scent, he made his way to the Shen family's residence in the northern part of the city.
By then it was already broad daylight, and the plaque of the Shen family's gate gleamed in the sunlight.
Xu Xuan swaggered in.
Ironically, Wei Luo sent people to stake out many places, but unfortunately, the Shen family mansion was completely overlooked.
Moreover, due to the emperor's instructions and the fear of gossip, only Biluo in the Shen family, the main base, knew about the recent events. As for the others, such as Madam Shen and Shen Fan, Master Shen dismissed them all under the pretext that Xu Xuan had gone to Hangzhou on official business.
Therefore, as soon as Xu Xuan entered, a servant stepped forward and asked, "Didn't the young master say he was going to Hangzhou?"
While asking the question, he covered his nose and scrutinized the man with strange eyes.
Xu Xuan frowned slightly and said softly, "I did go, but I was robbed by some villains on the way, and I escaped alive."
"Robbery?"
Xu Xuan: "Robbery!"
Servant: "...Why does the young master smell like this—"
Xu Xuan: "I drank too much and accidentally fell into the latrine."
"...This is considered sexual assault?"
The servant's brow twitched immediately. Seeing Xu Xuan's expression turn cold, he hurriedly ran to inform Madam Shen.
Madam Shen, unaware of the cause and effect, went outside and saw what had happened to Xu Xuan. She couldn't help but sigh, "It's good that he came back alive."
He then ordered someone to boil water, wash up, and tidy up.
Xu Xuan washed himself, changed into clean clothes, and came out to ask, "Where's Chen Yao?"
Madam Shen said, "He lives in the south city. Master has been going to the south city a lot lately."
Xu Xuan nodded and then asked where Biluo was.
Madam Shen was somewhat surprised that he asked about Shen Yao's personal maid, but she still replied, "She just came back yesterday, saying she was going to get some clothes."
Xu Xuan curled her lips into a smile and said, "I'll go find her."
After saying that, he strode towards the backyard.
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