Chapter 12
The carriage bound for the Shen family stopped in front of the gate. Before leaving, Xu's father specifically instructed him to get along well with Shen Yao and, most importantly, to make a good impression on the Shen family.
"I know you resent Shen Yao and have been cold to her repeatedly, but you are, after all, her husband. Our two families share the same fate, and you cannot disregard the family for your own selfish desires."
"The petitions that have been posted all over the capital today clearly indicate ill intentions. As the son-in-law of the Shen family, you cannot remain uninvolved at this time."
Xu Xuan would certainly not stand idly by. On the contrary, he would actively participate in the investigation to regain the trust of the Consort and the Shen family. Only by going deep into the tiger's den could he obtain the tiger's cub.
As he was thinking about this, he arrived at the carriage. Just as he was about to lift the curtain, Xu Xuan suddenly remembered the friction between the group at the jewelry store yesterday.
Xu Xuan's eyes darkened; his actions seemed a bit too extreme.
Knowing Shen Yao's temper, he knew this matter was unlikely to end well, but Shen Yao didn't cause any trouble. Instead, she swallowed her anger and stayed at home for one night. Could she be planning something big?
Xu Xuan frowned, a vague unease rising in his heart. It wasn't that he feared Shen Yao's trickery, but rather that Liu Ru might be harmed. One can be a thief for a thousand days, but can one guard against a thief for a thousand days?
The carriage curtain was suddenly flung open, and he saw Shen Yao. Shen Yao also saw him. Their eyes met, but unlike before, Shen Yao was unusually quiet this time.
She neither spoke harshly nor complained. Her bright almond-shaped eyes only glanced at him casually the moment he got into the car before quickly turning her head to look out the window, as if she were treating him as a stranger.
Xu Xuan was somewhat surprised; Shen Yao seemed to have changed...
She no longer sought closeness with him, nor did she fawn over him; even her hatred had vanished completely. In her eyes, she had become a familiar stranger.
Neither of them spoke, nor did either intend to speak first. As the sound of the driver cracking his whip and urging the horse forward rang out, the large wheels rolled forward, and the surrounding noise gradually rose.
The atmosphere seemed to become strange. Looking at the couples sitting in the corners, Biluo experienced the meaning of "outwardly harmonious but inwardly estranged" for the first time, and also believed for the first time that Shen Yao had completely let go of Xu Xuan.
Letting go completely and forgetting each other in the vast world is perhaps the best ending for the two of them.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the Shen family's residence.
The three remained silent the whole way. When they stepped into the Shen family's gate, Xu Xuan spoke first, but ironically, it was for Liu Ru.
"I acted impulsively yesterday. Blame me if you must, but don't hold a grudge against Ru'er. If your father-in-law asks about the injury on your forehead, please be careful what you say!"
Shen Yao turned around, her eyes filled with surprise. Was she afraid that Xu Xuan would tell on her? Xu Xuan was actually afraid of her sometimes.
Shen Yao found it amusing, and as he wished, she reassured him, "I understand."
I'm too lazy to argue.
*
Inside the main hall, Shen's father, mother, and brother Shen Fan were all present. All of them had deeply furrowed brows. Shen's father was particularly worried and restless, pacing back and forth in the hall until he saw Xu Xuan and his wife arrive, at which point his face lit up with joy.
"Ah Yao, why are you back?"
Upon seeing her beloved daughter return home, Ms. Shen was both surprised and delighted, and quickly got up to welcome her daughter to sit down.
"Mother, I was worried about you, so I came back to see you."
Overjoyed, Mother Shen held onto Shen Yao tightly, refusing to let go. Finally, she asked hesitantly, "What happened to your forehead?"
This question also drew Shen's father's attention. Shen Yao smiled and said, "The carriage was bumpy, and I accidentally bumped my skin. Don't worry, I'm fine now."
As she spoke, Shen Yao glanced at the culprit seemingly unintentionally. She saw that he looked calm and didn't even blink, as if the wound really had nothing to do with him.
Shen Yao thought to herself, "He is indeed a person who can keep his temper in check, and he is also quite ruthless."
After speaking, she ignored Xu Xuan and went straight to her father, asking, "Dad, tell me, did anyone come to our house to extort money a while ago?"
Shen Yao's sudden question startled her father. Before he could even open his mouth, he heard Shen Yao say, "Father, you must think this over carefully. This matter is very important."
Mr. Shen frowned and asked in surprise, "How did you know someone was trying to extort money from you?"
He looked at his eldest son, Shen Fan, who immediately shook his head. "I didn't say that."
"So, someone really is trying to extort money from us?"
Shen Yao was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Is that person named Han Yu? Where is he now?"
Father Shen snorted, "How would I know? I don't know where this scoundrel came from, trying to blackmail me with a few scraps of paper. How can I tolerate this?"
"so what?"
"I had your brother take it to the yamen."
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Shen Fan shrugged and said, "I'll take him directly to the Northern Garrison and torture him."
"Hey! It turns out during this trial that this man used to be a scholar who wrote letters for others. But he was dishonest; he would always include many taboo words in his letters and then extort money from people."
"He only came to Beijing in the last few months, and he's probably still hanging around in the Jiangnan Hutong area."
“Jiangnan Hutong—” Shen Yao’s eyes lit up, and she said happily, “Brother, can you help me find him? This person is very important to us.”
Shen Fan was a little confused, "We?"
Shen Yao said excitedly, "The posters all over the capital today are most likely related to him, so you should hurry up and catch him."
Shen Fan: "??!! Did I hear that right?"
Not only Shen Fan, but everyone in the hall was astonished. Even Xu Xuan stood up and shouted, "Shen Yao, what are you saying?"
When Shen Yao looked up, she saw Xu Xuan looking at her with a very impatient expression. What? What had she done wrong again?
Before she could speak, Xu Xuan approached Shen's father and said apologetically, "Father-in-law, it seems Shen Yao didn't sleep well today, which is why she's talking nonsense..."
"I'm not lying, you must believe me."
Xu Xuan looked at Shen Yao and sneered, "How would a young lady like you know these things? Did the Bodhisattva send you a dream? I suppose you've been messing around with someone outside, and this is the pretext for arresting you."
“You…” Shen Yao choked, both angry and helpless.
Xu Xuan shifted his gaze to Master Shen and continued, "Father-in-law, this morning's events were sudden. In my opinion, we should immediately go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine and seek her advice. In addition, I learned something while drinking with my colleagues yesterday."
Seeing that Xu Xuan seemed hesitant to speak, Shen's father hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
"The notice posted this morning may be related to next year's Beijing inspection. Someone is setting a trap to make the two sides fight, so that they can reap the benefits."
"Oh, tell me about it?"
Xu Xuan replied, “There are three people in the current cabinet: Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin, and the other two are Wei Yi and Liu Shen. However, the notice only lists Liu Zhengxin and Wei Yi, omitting Liu Shen. Do you think the notice was written by Liu Shen?”
Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin was the leader of the Emperor's faction, while Second Grand Secretary Liu Shen was a member of the Crown Prince's faction. The two Lius had always been irreconcilable enemies. Although Wei Yi considered himself to be a member of the "pure stream" and did not participate in factional struggles, he had a very close personal relationship with the Grand Secretary.
Since ancient times, power has always been about balance. When the balance of power is no longer maintained, the weaker party will inevitably take measures to strengthen its power. For example, openly writing books to attack the prime minister and his friends, waging a media war, and trying to force the two to resign.
Father Shen nodded, signaling Xu Xuan to continue.
"The 'seditious book' attacks Liu Zhengxin and Wei Yi. If they suffer as a result, then Liu Shen will be the biggest beneficiary. But from another perspective, the 'seditious book' deliberately omitted Liu Shen in order to frame him. If Liu Shen is forced to step down as a result, then Liu Zhengxin will be the biggest beneficiary."
"So the person behind the scenes designed a chain of suspicion to make the two sides doubt and attack each other, thereby diverting the trouble to the capital inspection."
"The Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate are in charge of the capital inspection. The Ministry of Personnel is Liu Zhengxin's territory, and the Censorate's chief officials are Liu Shen's men. If the two sides fight to the death because of the seditious book, then when the emperor gets angry, he will definitely replace the people in the capital inspection. This is the purpose of the person behind the scenes."
The Thirty-Six Stratagems: Fishing in Troubled Waters.
Whether the attempt to slack off will succeed remains to be seen, but the mastermind behind it has definitely stirred up trouble.
Immediately after the incident involving the seditious book, Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin was the first to submit a memorial, declaring his innocence and claiming he had been framed. He asserted that the author of the book was fabricating falsehoods to mislead the public and must have ulterior motives. He earnestly requested the Emperor to order the Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation and apprehend the author and publisher. Finally, citing his lack of virtue and prestige, and his inability to effectively assist the Emperor, he requested to resign from his post.
At the same time, Wei Yi also submitted a memorial, stating that he was innocent and had not formed any faction. He claimed that this was a deliberate frame-up by someone with ulterior motives, who wanted to use a diversionary tactic to capture them all at once. In the end, he also resigned from his post to prove his innocence.
When such a thing happens, the once powerful and influential ministers dare not go out and live a difficult life, just as the emperor's life is not easy either.
He had been deadlocked with his ministers for twenty years on the matter of establishing a crown prince, and had also neglected the crown prince for twenty years. Even if he had wanted to establish Wei Xun as the crown prince in the past, now that the imperial edict had been issued and the ancestors had been paid homage, the future throne would belong to Wei Luo, and the emperor had no intention of making any more trouble.
So the reason why all these demonic books are flying around is because of the infighting among his subordinates. Either Liu Zhengxin or Liu Shen were behind it.
Conversely, Wei Luo's newly appointed crown prince, Wei Luo, faced immense pressure from the seditious letter advocating for a change of heir, which sowed discord between the emperor and his son. He felt his position was precarious, and that some people were plotting against him. This time, the seditious letter seemed aggressive; who knew if it wasn't a test by the imperial concubine and others?
*
Inside the Shen residence, Shen's father looked at Xu Xuan with admiration. Although his son-in-law never participated in factional struggles, he could see through the political situation with keen insight and analyze information meticulously. His political acumen made him feel inferior.
He couldn't help but sigh. If Xu Xuan could lend a hand to the Shen family, would their chances of winning be much better?
“Ayao, you have a pass to enter the palace. Go to the palace later and tell your aunt what you just said, and tell her to be careful with her words and actions and keep a low profile recently.”
Shen Yao was suddenly taken aback, then said "Oh".
In her father's eyes, Shen Yao was a flower grown in a greenhouse, knowing nothing. Therefore, what she just said was just playful talk from a young girl, and no one took it to heart.
In contrast, Xu Xuan was different. With just a few words, he convinced Shen's father to be completely convinced. When Shen Yao looked over, the two were chatting and laughing, a picture of harmony between father-in-law and son-in-law, as if the turmoil a month ago had never happened.
Before leaving, Shen Yao pulled Shen Fan aside and pleaded, "Brother, others don't believe me, but you must help me. That person really has a problem. Just help me catch him and lock him up."
According to historical records, the matter of Han Yu extorting money from the Shen family was quickly unearthed. Regardless of whether Han Yu was actually related to the demonic book, some people with ulterior motives would link the two events together to slander the Shen family. That's why Shen Yao asked her brother to help capture him.
Seeing his younger sister's bitter face, Shen Fan was both amused and exasperated. Although he didn't know why she insisted on arresting someone, he was still pleased to see that she was no longer heartbroken over Xu Xuan and had instead begun to care about family matters. "Ayao has grown up. Don't worry, sister, I'll bring a bunch of brothers from the Imperial Guards in a bit, and I guarantee we'll take care of that..."
Shen Yao smiled happily, "Han Yu."
"Oh right, Han Yu. I promise to deliver Han Yu to you intact."
"Not send him to me, but arrest him and lock him up in your Northern Garrison."
If Han Yu weren't the mastermind behind it all, he would actually be safe staying in the Northern Garrison Command. Moreover, without his interference, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be able to solve cases much faster.
"Chen Yao, get in the car."
Xu Xuan's urging voice came, and Shen Yao left reluctantly. At the moment of parting, she could only place her hopes on her brother.
Around noon, the carriage arrived at the palace gate. After entering the gate, they had to get off and walk. It took them a quarter of an hour to reach Yikun Palace.
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