Chapter 11
At dawn, a white mist enveloped the land, and layers of white frost covered the ground, making the world seem frozen in cold.
Shen Yao was lying in bed, having a sweet dream, when suddenly she heard heavy footsteps. Bi Luo rushed over and shouted, "Miss, something's happened! Get up quickly!"
The sharp scream startled Shen Yao, who quickly opened her eyes and sat up, asking groggily, "What's wrong?"
Biluo hurriedly handed a book to Chen Yao, panting, "Look at this, it's flying everywhere in the capital now."
Shen Yao stared intently, and the striking words "The Foundation of the Nation" instantly flooded her mind, almost making her dizzy. She subconsciously blurted out, "A demonic book!"
The "Demon Book Case" is a famous political mystery in the history of the Min Dynasty. It started with a bizarrely worded proclamation and stirred up a storm in the capital overnight, drawing everyone from the emperor and officials to ordinary people into a bloody political vortex.
The book is titled "Of Great Importance to the Foundation of the Nation" on the outside and "A Deep Discussion on Worries and Dangers" on the inside. The entire book is only a few hundred words long and is written in a question-and-answer format. The questioner's name is unknown, and the answerer is called Shen Xicheng.
Who Shen Xicheng is is not important; what is important is that it cleverly combines Consort Shen, Prince Xi, and Chenggong into one, making people unable to help but imagine.
At the beginning of the article, the questioner said that the foundation of the country has been settled and the world is at peace. Shen Xicheng immediately refuted this, saying that the current situation is critical because the emperor was forced to establish an heir by the chief minister and it was a last resort. Moreover, the appointment of the crown prince did not include any officials, which implies that the emperor will change the heir to Prince Xi in the future.
The questioner then asked, "How do you know that we should change the emperor to Prince Xi?"
Shen Xicheng replied: "There are many capable people in the court and the countryside. Why did the Emperor specially appoint Wei Yi as the second assistant minister? It is because the word 'Yi' is a homophone for 'Yi' (易), which means 'change' in the future."
Questioner: "Isn't the Prime Minister going to speak?"
Shen Xicheng replied: "The Grand Secretary is treacherous and cunning. He often uses others to benefit himself. He shares the good times but not the bad. He cannot be trusted."
Finally, the book lists many civil and military officials who fawned on their superiors and bullied their subordinates, accusing them of being accomplices in the succession change.
The reason this case is called "demonic" is not only because the incident occurred inexplicably and those involved suffered varying degrees of harm, but also because the imperial court, in order to capture the real culprit, dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot to search the entire capital, only to ultimately conclude that the real culprit was a down-on-his-luck scholar, thus hastily closing the case.
The case was initiated by a scholar who extorted money, so he printed leaflets widely and, without anyone's assistance, scattered them all over the capital overnight. This is the official conclusion.
The conclusion was so absurd that almost no one believed it. However, the scholar confessed to the crime, the government made its final judgment, and no one risked losing their head to challenge the authority.
Regardless of the truth, the Shen family is the focus of this political mystery. The scholar who was identified was accused of extorting money from the Shen family, which is why he published and spread the proclamation.
Therefore, Shen Yao did not want to sit idly by and wait for her death. If she could catch the mastermind behind the scenes, she could not only clear the Shen family's name, but also do Wei Luo a favor.
"Biluo, let's go back to the Shen family."
After a quick wash, Shen Yao and Bi Luo had just stepped out of the room when they were stopped by someone.
It's Xu's mother!
In other families, daughters-in-law are expected to pay their respects to their parents morning and evening to be considered polite and filial. However, because she and Xu's mother don't get along, Xu's mother has exempted her from paying her respects. Now, apart from Xu's father, everyone in the household treats her like she's invisible.
Where are you going?
Xu's mother, her face flushed with anger, immediately asked the question.
Xu's mother probably knew about that booklet, so Shen Yao decided not to pretend to be confused and said directly, "Something big has happened, I need to go back to the Shen family."
Madam Xu's anger intensified, and she sneered, "What kind of person goes back to her parents' home every day after entering my Xu family? You're not allowed to go anywhere today, you'd better stay here obediently!"
As soon as the words were spoken, two servants carrying wooden sticks came up and stood by the door.
"Mother, what do you mean by this? Confining me to my quarters?" Shen Yao was shocked.
"Since you know this, you should stay in your room and chant Buddhist scriptures. I'm doing this for your own good, and also for the good of the Xu family."
Shen Yao suddenly flew into a rage, "So you're going to imprison me here!"
The two started arguing, and Xu's mother's face turned ugly. "I am your elder, how dare you talk back to me? You've really gone too far!"
Just as Xu's mother was about to use traditional ethics and morality to suppress Shen Yao, a few footsteps sounded, and Shen Yao saw Xu's father strolling in. Today was his day of duty, and Xu's father was home. Shen Yao couldn't help but frown. Could it be that Xu Xuan was also home?
Shen Yao's guess was correct. Early this morning, the father and son had just stepped out when they saw a booklet placed at the front door. After reading its contents, they were even more shocked. Xu's father immediately sensed that big trouble was coming.
When trouble comes, the best thing to do is to stay away and mind your own business. Therefore, he asked for leave on the grounds of illness and asked Xu Xuan to stay at home.
Mr. Xu said, "It was my intention to confine you to your home. Things are chaotic outside right now, so don't go out and cause trouble."
As the head of the family, Xu's father should have realized that this was Xu's father's intention. She couldn't help but get anxious. How could she investigate the case if she couldn't get out?
"Father, I have something very important to do. This matter concerns the Shen family's reputation and the Xu family's fate. I must go."
Xu's father asked in a calm tone, "Oh? Tell me what it is?"
“It’s the booklet you saw today,” Shen Yao pondered for a moment, then decided to reveal the reason, “I know who wrote the book?”
Mr. Xu's eyes widened instantly, and even Mrs. Xu next to him asked, "Who is it?"
The two were successfully intrigued, and Shen Yao didn't lie to them, saying, "A scholar named Han Yu."
The name "Han Yu" sounds like "wrongfully imprisoned," making it hard for Shen Yao to forget. History is sometimes so strange; the scholar's name actually foreshadowed his fate—dying unjustly.
Although Han Yu was probably a scapegoat, he was still inextricably linked to the Demon Book case, so Shen Yao's statement wasn't exactly deception.
Xu's father's expression was solemn, his sharp phoenix eyes staring intently at Shen Yao, as if trying to discern whether her words were true. "How do you know?"
I knew you'd ask this once you arrived—
Shen Yao said with a sincere expression, "Last night, the Bodhisattva appeared in my dream, saying that he knew you two were sincerely chanting Buddhist prayers, so he appeared in my dream to help me catch the real culprit as soon as possible."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu: ? ? ?
Shen Yao, Shen Yao, can you make up any more outrageous lies?
However, the crazy thing about this world is that if someone dares to say it, someone else dares to believe it.
As soon as she spoke, Xu's father readily agreed, "Okay, okay, go quickly."
Because Xu's father was a true Buddhist.
Of course, she didn't leave easily either, because Xu's father required Xu Xuan to accompany him throughout the entire process.
Although Shen Yao was very unwilling, she had no choice but to endure it in order to return home smoothly.
*
Inside the room, Liu Ru deftly straightened Xu Xuan's clothes and hat while asking worriedly, "Husband, are you really going to go with Chen Yao?"
Xu Xuan sighed helplessly after hearing this, "I didn't want to get involved, but now that I've joined the anti-Shen camp, I know that knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. As for what Shen Yao said, I don't believe a single word of it."
Thinking that Liu Ru was worried, Xu Xuan held her soft hand tightly and comforted her for a while until her brows relaxed and she smiled.
Xu Xuan showered Liu Ru with sweet words, which she didn't need but found very appealing. For a young woman who cherishes love, what could be more exciting than a man going to great lengths to please her?
Therefore, Liu Ru was very sensible and knew that she should express her opinion and let Xu Xuan feel that it was not just him who was making sacrifices, but that she should also reciprocate with equal care. "Husband, a man should prioritize his career. Only when you rise to the top can I ride the waves."
He was overjoyed by Liu Ru's understanding nature, but he also felt guilty. The two had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, but he could not give Liu Ru the title of wife.
"Ru'er, I will never let you down."
Xu Xuan choked up a little, but this was the only promise he could give her at the moment.
Liu Ru smiled and said, "You are like a rock, and I am like a reed. The reed is as resilient as silk, and the rock will never move."
Xu Xuan left satisfied, and Liu Ru's smile vanished.
A maid brought over a cup of tea, as if to wash away something, and Liu Ru gulped it down in one go.
"Is the visiting card for the Duke of Xin's residence ready?"
Xu Xuan is not home today. She will use the excuse of visiting the third daughter of the Duke's mansion to have a secret meeting with Zhao Lian.
The maid hummed in response, then bit her lip and asked cautiously, "Madam, what if the young master finds out about this?"
Liu Ru stood up and straightened her clothes, saying nonchalantly, "So what if they found out? At worst, I'll be ruined. But at least I can give Xu Xuan a green hat, so it's not a loss."
The maid's lips trembled, and she let out a deep sigh.
Since her miscarriage, Liu Ru was sick for a month. After recovering, she often spaced out by herself, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing. Now she has even cheated on her husband. How could a person change so much in just a few months?
If she hadn't followed Liu Ru for several years, she would almost have doubted whether the person in front of her was her true master.
Seemingly sensing the maid's doubt, Liu Ru asked, whether to offer clarification or to mock herself, "Do you think Xu Xuan loves me? That I shouldn't betray him?"
The maid nodded subconsciously.
Liu Ru sneered, "You're standing in a third-party perspective and think he loves me, but love isn't like that."
“If he loved me, why didn’t he take me far away instead of being trapped in this capital city? He may love me, but he loves fame and fortune even more. When the emperor bestowed the marriage upon him, he could have refused, but for his father and for the emperor, he compromised.”
"What does love mean to him? And what am I to him...?"
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