Chapter 29
Now it was Madam Shen's turn to be stunned, "This..."
"It's all your fault for spoiling her too much and raising her to be like this. What will happen to a woman who doesn't get her husband's love after we're gone?"
Master Shen sighed repeatedly.
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, why are you worrying so much? Besides, they've only been married for half a year, there's still a long way to go."
Madam Shen sat down and slowly ate her porridge, appearing as if everything was peaceful and serene.
Old Master Shen lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, scoffing, "You're quite carefree. You'll have your day to cry later."
With no one to rely on for his daughter and his wife being a hands-off manager, the father is the only one who can worry about the family. However, right now, his daughter's situation is not the most important thing; his son Shen Fan's marriage is the most pressing matter.
He looked at his wife and asked, "How is the matter at the Duke of Xin's mansion going?"
Shen Fan was already twenty years old and should have been of marriageable age long ago, but the Shen family had a bad reputation in the capital. They were not good enough for high-class families and looked down on those of lower class, so his marriage had not been settled.
Marriage is about matching social status. The Shen family rose to prominence by gaining favor with a concubine in the palace, but their family foundation was ultimately weak. If they wanted to establish a firm foothold in the circle of power and wealth, arranging a marriage with Shen Fan was of paramount importance.
If a daughter marries the son of a civil official, then naturally the son should be matched with a noblewoman. The third daughter of the Duke of Xin's family, the younger sister of the heir Zhao Lian, is the daughter-in-law chosen by Master Shen.
When the topic of her son's marriage came up, Madam Shen became concerned. Turning to her husband, she said, "I visited the Duke's mansion before and subtly inquired about the matter. They said that the Third Miss is quite picky and insists on finding a man she finds agreeable before she'll agree to marry. I don't know if she's indirectly rejecting me. But it's quite a coincidence that the Duke's Dowager's 80th birthday is in a few days, and we've received an invitation. Should I ask her about it then?"
"That would be great. It just so happens that A-Yao is back too. You two can go to the women's banquet together, and let A-Yao try to get to know Miss Zhao better so she can see her character and temperament."
"What fault could you possibly find in a daughter from a family of noble birth, a lady of high standing?"
"It's the wealthy families who have so many dirty dealings; our family is just a small, ordinary household..."
The two were chatting idly when a servant came to announce that Xu Xuan had arrived.
Mr. Shen was taken aback, but then his face lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "Please come in."
While clearing away the dishes, she also asked people to add more vegetables and fruits, and to serve wine, to treat her son-in-law well.
"Mother-in-law, Father-in-law," Xu Xuan said, bowing first.
With a broad smile, Mr. Shen took Xu Xuan's hand and pulled her towards the dining table. Servants had already brought out the bowls and chopsticks. Mr. Shen said, "You just got back from your shift, haven't you eaten yet?"
Xu Xuan nodded and said, "I haven't eaten yet, but I'm here to find Chen and A Yao."
He looked inside and asked, "Is Ayao home?"
"Stay home, stay home, you can't run away."
Mr. Shen poured a glass of wine, handed it to Xu Xuan, and said with a smile, "Have some food first, then go find her."
Xu Xuan was tall and imposing, with a dignified appearance and an upright demeanor. Every time Master Shen saw him, he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, a feeling that even surpassed that of his own son. Therefore, Master Shen never hid his affection for his son-in-law.
Although Xu Xuan disliked Shen Yao, he still respected his father-in-law very much, at least on the surface. This was due to his years of education and the polite manners he had developed towards his elders.
Xu Xuan finished his drink but did not take his seat. He said apologetically, "Father-in-law, I have official business to attend to. I need to verify some information with A-Yao, so I will not be able to join you for the meal."
At dusk, he led his men to search Han Yu's residence, only to find that Han Yu had already been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the arresting officer was none other than Shen Fan.
Xu Xuan then vaguely remembered that when the Demon Book incident occurred, Shen Yao mentioned Han Yu. However, at that time, he thought that Shen Yao was taking the opportunity to take revenge and frame Han Yu. He never expected that Han Yu was really related to the Demon Book.
In his shock, Xu Xuan disregarded everything else. Knowing that Shen Yao had been staying at the Shen family's house for the past few days, he rushed over immediately.
When Xu Xuan brought up official business, his expression still showed obvious anxiety. Master Shen did not force him to stay, but called a maid to take him to the inner courtyard.
Behind him, Shen's father narrowed his eyes. He had seen Xu Xuan's coldness towards Shen Yao and was anxious about it.
No sooner had Shen Yao returned home than Xu Xuan arrived. Although it was unclear what had happened, the fact that Xu Xuan had taken the initiative to come to her home to find her daughter indicated that their relationship wasn't as strained as it seemed.
Since that's the case, then...
With a sudden thought, he said to his wife, "Keep an eye on Xu Xuan and don't let him leave."
"What are you going to do?" Madam Shen asked, puzzled.
Master Shen chuckled, raised an eyebrow, and said mysteriously, "Good news." With that, he strode off excitedly towards his room.
...
Inside the back door, the latch clicked shut, and Shen Yao pulled Wei Luo inside.
"Why are you so slow?" Wei Luo asked coldly.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Shen Yao led the way while frowning and saying, "My Crown Prince, even at a time like this, you're still being so petty. If it weren't for me, you would be sleeping on the streets like a beggar."
"Oh, really? If that's the case, I should be very grateful to you."
Shouldn't we be grateful?
Shen Yao looked at him for a moment and saw that his eyes were smiling, and he was completely different from his panicked state when he was in trouble. Instead, his tone became more and more calm and steady. "Where shall I stay tonight?"
"My room."
Wei Luo raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhat unnatural. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Is there a better option?"
Wei Luo fell silent.
The two men moved furtively, glancing around furtively and avoiding servants and maids, heading towards the east side of the mansion. At the Jade Pavilion, the door creaked open, and two figures darted inside before the bolt was bolted shut again.
The sweet fragrance wafted through the air in the woman's boudoir. As soon as Wei Luofu entered, the tips of his ears turned blush. His heart pounded wildly. He didn't know whether to stand or sit, and his eyes were fixed on the door, not daring to look around.
Shen Yao saw it all and smiled to herself. Wei Luo grew up in the royal family, where moral education was emphasized and inner cultivation was valued. For him, the boudoir of a married woman was like a "spider's cave."
His breathing became erratic.
A silk screen embroidered with butterflies and flowers separated the two spaces. Outside the screen was a small couch where the night watch maids slept. Shen Yao said, "Your Highness, you can sleep here tonight."
Wei Luo turned around, nodded blankly, and uttered a few sounds, "Um, okay."
Shen Yao smiled and walked to the inside of the screen. Just after passing the screen, she secretly glanced back at him and saw Wei Luo bending over and pressing on the small couch, as if testing whether the bamboo couch was sturdy.
“It’s sturdy.” Shen Yao leaned against the screen, turned her head to Wei Luo and smiled, teasingly saying, “Your Highness, with your physique, the bed can definitely withstand the pressure.”
"..."
Wei Luo glared at her, gritting his teeth, "Chen Yao, can you... shut up!"
Wei Luo's face turned red and then white, then red again. He was horrified; he had actually been teased by Shen Yao.
Shen Yao suppressed a laugh, about to tease him a bit more, when suddenly, a voice came from outside the room, "The young lady is inside the room."
"Alright, you can go now."
Xu Xuan's voice startled both of them. Shen Yao's expression changed drastically, while Wei Luo sprang up from the bed, spinning around like a top. "Why is he here?"
The two looked at each other, realizing that if they were discovered, they would be in deep trouble.
There was a knock on the door. "It's me, open the door."
Xu Xuan reached out and pushed the door, but it didn't move. He frowned, and patiently knocked a few more times. "Chen Yao, I have something to ask you. Open the door."
Shen Yao tried her best to suppress her panic, pointed to the inside of the screen, and waited for Wei Luo to hide inside before carefully speaking, "I'm sleeping, it's not convenient for me. If you have something to say, just say it, I can hear you."
"Then get dressed, get out of bed and open the door. Don't blame me if you're late or I'll tear the door down."
Xu Xuan always keeps his word, and no one can stop him from doing what he wants to do, especially towards Shen Yao, as if they have a deep-seated hatred for each other. For example, now that he says he wants to come in, Shen Yao must immediately open the door to welcome him.
Because it's too late, he might really tear the door down!
Shen Yao managed to squeeze out a sound from her throat and replied, "Then wait a moment."
She looked at Wei Luo, gritted her teeth, reached out and grabbed his arm, threw him onto her bed, then unfolded the quilt and covered him from head to toe, before pulling the curtains tight.
"Don't make a sound."
After explaining things to Wei Luo, Shen Yao was terrified and staggered towards the door. She unlatched the door and saw a cold face.
"Why so slow? Is someone hiding in the room?"
Shen Yao's expression changed drastically. She bit her lip, almost fainting. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xu Xuan ignored her, stepped over the threshold, and went straight in. He sat on Wei Luo's small couch and, without mincing words or being too lazy to mince words, asked directly, "Where is Han Yu?"
His eyes were fixed on Shen Yao, not missing the slightest change in her expression.
"Han...Han Yu?" Shen Yao frowned, her eyes darting around. "What do you want with him?"
"You know perfectly well what I'm asking. I don't have time to waste with you. Tell me, where is he?"
"He, Han Yu, is not the one who instigated this."
Xu Xuan took a deep breath, his voice already tinged with resentment, "Whether he was the instigator or not is not for you to decide. Where is he?" His eyes flashed with even more cold light.
Shen Yao hesitated. With Han Yu in her hands, she could follow the clues to investigate. But if Han Yu fell into Xu Xuan's hands, she would be in a passive position, and it would be difficult for her to intervene.
That jinx Xu Xuan just had to keep bothering us at this crucial moment, making things difficult for us. Ciyun Temple is Shen Yao's trump card; if we fail tomorrow, handing her over to him isn't out of the question, but it's not feasible now.
She looked up at Xu Xuan and said, "Give me a day. By tomorrow night, I will hand Han Yu over to you."
"Tomorrow night~" Xu Xuan smiled, but it was a forced smile that was somewhat eerie. "Okay, since you've agreed, I won't press you any further."
He stood up and was about to walk into the inner room when Shen Yao was startled and turned pale. She quickly grabbed his clothes and exclaimed, "Where are you going?"
"Go to sleep. I'll leave when you give it to someone else." Xu Xuan said calmly.
Shen Yao gasped, her clothes soaked with cold sweat, sticky and clinging to her body like snakes. She clung tightly to Xu Xuan's clothes, her voice firm, "You can't go in."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan squinted a few times as he peered inside. There was a mahogany carved canopy bed with pale purple gauze curtains hanging above it. He scoffed, "Could it be that someone is really hiding in this bed?"
"..."
Shen Yao sighed deeply, "You just want to know where Han Yu is."
She gritted her teeth and said, "He's in the Imperial Prison, the fifth room on the west side."
"You should have said so earlier."
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Xu Xuan didn't want to stay here for even a second longer. Her scent and fragrance lingered here, making him feel hot and uncomfortable all over.
Xu Xuan was leaving the Shen residence, but he didn't go through the front gate. Based on his understanding of his father-in-law, a social engagement was inevitable. He had important matters to attend to and didn't have time to drink and chat with others.
Therefore, he asked Shen Yao to accompany him out through the back door.
After the two left, the room was eerily quiet. Wei Luo, who was hiding under the covers, cautiously peeked out, his head covered in sweat, partly from covering himself and partly from fear. Especially when Xu Xuan said he wanted to go into the inner room, his heart almost stopped.
Fortunately, it was a close call.
Wei Luo threw back the covers and got out of bed. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, there was another knock on the door.
"Son-in-law, son-in-law, are you there?"
It was a maid's voice, and Wei Luo nearly fainted.
Is this ever going to end?
The door wasn't locked, so Wei Luo hurried to the door. He didn't dare to speak, only coughed lightly a few times and grunted in response.
"Master said you haven't eaten yet, so he specially asked me to bring you a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup. Please open the door, son-in-law, and drink it while it's hot."
The door absolutely could not be opened, and the maid was urging him on. Wei Luo was so anxious that he was sweating profusely, so he had no choice but to open the door a crack and stick out his palm.
The maid was taken aback, then handed over the bowl. "Master said you should finish it now."
Helpless, Wei Luo could only grit his teeth and gulp it down.
The door closed, and the maid returned with the empty bowl to report, "The young master drank it all."
After sending the maid away, Master Shen couldn't stop laughing. "Two full doses of magic pills, I don't believe you, Xu Xuan, can resist them."
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