Chapter 67
Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. Don't inquire about things you shouldn't, and don't meddle in things you shouldn't. These wise sayings from our ancestors are applicable both in ancient and modern times.
After leaving the Xu family, Shen Yao didn't actually leave. She couldn't get Xu Xuan back, and she would definitely be scolded if she went back to the Shen family, so she simply sat at the gate, resting her chin on her hand and lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xuan suddenly appeared as if a gust of wind had come running out, as if a demon was chasing him.
She quickly stood up, intending to go forward and ask, but unexpectedly Deng Yan ran out after her.
Shen Yao stopped him and asked, "What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"
They all looked to be in very poor condition.
Without waiting for a reply, Deng Yan hurriedly pointed at Xu Xuan, who was mounting his horse, and said breathlessly, "Quick, stop him."
Unfortunately, it was too late; the white horse neighed and galloped away.
*
The hem of her light blue dress slid across the threshold as Xu Xuan barged into the Duke of Xin's mansion. "Weren't you here to demand an explanation? Here I am."
A sharp cry rang out, and the servants looked at each other in bewilderment.
Finally, it was Zhao Lian's wife who came to see him.
Guo Fu curtsied, "Young Master Xu."
Her voice was gentle and smiling.
But Xu Xuan remained unmoved, offering no return gift whatsoever.
That's very impolite.
Guo Fu frowned slightly, and her gaze towards him gradually turned cold.
Xu Xuan sat down directly, took a deep breath, and said, "Tell me, what kind of explanation do you want? My life?"
Their gazes were fixed on Guo Fu, like two flames colliding, producing a crackling sound.
Guo Fu curled the corners of her lips and sat down as well, saying calmly, "Young Master Xu, what are you saying? You are a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, a court official, and you know the law best. This kind of petty squabble is unnecessary. Besides, your family's surname is Shen, so we'll all be family from now on—"
"What a load of bull!"
The vulgar language almost completely disregarded the etiquette of gentlemen.
He met Guo Fu's shocked gaze and sneered, "Yesterday, you deliberately let me see that scene, so why are you playing the good guy again today?"
A few words almost made Guo Fu vomit blood.
"You speak..." Guo Fu stood up angrily, pointed at his nose and shouted, "Young Master Xu, please watch your words."
"What, you dare to do it but not admit it?"
He continued to provoke Guo Fu, "Zhao Lian seduced another man's wife. According to the court's rules, he would be punished with a beating at best, and exiled to the army at worst. I wonder if the young master Zhao's physique can withstand it?"
He raised an eyebrow.
Guo Fu sneered, her voice almost coming out from between her teeth, "That's none of your concern."
She brushed her black hair aside, sat down, and tried her best to calm the anger inside her.
Both of them fell silent for a moment.
Finally, Guo Fu spoke up, "I know you're very angry about Liu Ru's matter, and as Zhao Lian's wife, I'm also feeling bad. But what's done is done, and as the saying goes, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. What I mean is, you've vented your anger, so let's leave it at that."
oh?
Xu Xuan looked over in surprise.
Therefore, the Zhao family, who said they wanted to seek an explanation from the beginning, actually wanted to settle the matter peacefully.
He shook his head and chuckled involuntarily.
Guo Fu glanced at him, rolled her eyes, and asked coldly, "What are you laughing at?"
"...Can't I laugh at myself?"
One sentence left Guo Fu speechless.
She turned her head away, too lazy to pay attention.
Having finished his business, Xu Xuan did not wish to stay any longer and took his leave.
Guo Fu was more than happy to accept this, but there was still one thing that needed to be settled.
"Take Liu Ru home. I never want to see this woman again."
With a cold remark, Guo Fu said without turning her head, "Take care and don't bother seeing me off."
*
In the golden house that Zhao Lian had specially built for Liu Ru, Xu Xuan met Liu Ru.
In just one night and one day, the person was still the same, but the haggardness on his face was alarming.
Xu Xuan walked in slowly and asked her, "Do you want to go home?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Ru looked up and gave a faint smile. "I don't want to."
"Why?"
At this moment, Deng Yan's words inappropriately surfaced in his mind, but he dared not ask them, or even think about them.
My hands were trembling violently.
Liu Ru noticed it too, and instead of answering, she asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Xuan shook her head, then sat down next to her, resting her head on the woman's shoulder and closing her eyes slightly. "I'm tired, so tired."
He said he was tired, so Liu Ru looked down at him. Just like when she was a child, she wanted to reach out and gently stroke his cheek, but she held back at the last moment.
She said, "Ziwei, we can't go back to the past."
His voice was filled with an unprecedented sense of sorrow and despair.
Xu Xuan opened her eyes and saw many trunks and boxes. She was indeed leaving, leaving the capital, leaving him.
My heart was instantly torn apart.
"When are you leaving?" he added.
"tomorrow."
Perhaps it was the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan that was so close at hand, or perhaps it was the day of freedom and liberation that was within reach, Liu Ru curled the corners of her lips and suddenly smiled.
"I chose tomorrow because I wanted to spend Laba Festival with you before I left."
She pressed her face close to the man's forehead and whispered, "This is the last night."
...
As dusk approached and the last rays of the setting sun faded, a carriage loaded with boxes of all sizes drove out of the back gate of the Duke's mansion.
The carriage followed the official road, making its way through several bends into an alley, where the Xu family's gate was now in sight.
As Liu Ru stepped out of the car, she looked at the plaque bathed in the glow of the setting sun and felt as if she had stepped into another world.
Xu Xuan jumped off the carriage and stood beside her. He asked, "Am I beautiful?"
Liu Ru smiled at him and said, "Beautiful."
The two went into the house together.
After Xu's mother finished worshipping Buddha in the hall, the two went to pay their respects.
As Xu's mother was rubbing her prayer beads, she saw Liu Ru and kindly extended her hand. Liu Ru took her arm and called out, "Mother."
"Good boy."
Xu's mother had a kind smile.
The three chatted for a while, and soon the doorman came to report that Xu's father had returned from his official duties.
The man was short and stout, and all three men stood up the moment he entered the hall.
The position of head of the household cannot tolerate the slightest disrespect.
When Xu's father saw his son return after many days, he stared at him for a while and asked some trivial questions, which Xu Xuan answered one by one.
Mr. Xu nodded in satisfaction, then his gaze swept past his son's pale face and fixed on Liu Ru, scrutinizing her closely.
That was the control and oppression of those in power by those in lower positions over many years.
Liu Ru couldn't help but tremble slightly.
So, everything has a traceable origin.
Why did I never notice this before?
Xu Xuan was heartbroken, and her fingers, which were hanging by her sides, suddenly clenched tightly.
*
While the Xu family of four was having dinner together, a banquet with singing and dancing was also taking place in the palace.
The palace lanterns were dazzling, the actors sang and danced, and the wine and food were plentiful.
But she was the only one missing.
Shen Yao broke her promise, leaving Wei Luo deeply disappointed and filled with resentment.
He then said to Liu Heng, "Send someone to find out where Shen Yao is tonight?"
If it were the Shen family, he might barely accept it; but if it were the Xu family, well, she'd be in big trouble!
Shen Yao, who was eating wontons on the street, suddenly sneezed.
"Who's insulting me?" She rubbed her nose and looked around.
Deng Yan, who was also eating wontons, couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's so windy, you must have caught a chill."
Shen Yao immediately shook her head. "I don't think so. It must be Xu Xuan talking badly about me behind my back. He's always been domineering and arrogant, and his attitude towards me is especially bad. Why do you think he hates me so much?"
Another gust of cold wind blew by, and she couldn't help but sniffle, sighing, "I'm so pitiful." She ate while secretly feeling sad and sorry for herself, "On such a holiday, I was kicked out of the house by my own father, my husband doesn't love me, and I'm a lonely widow with nowhere to go."
She looked at Deng Yan, blinked, and asked him, "Am I very pitiful?"
Deng Yan: "...Uh."
He stared at her blankly, his eyes wide open, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He's like a clueless fool.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yao's eyebrows curved into a smile, and she burst into laughter.
"Young Master Deng, I was just joking with you. What's with that expression... hahaha~"
After Xu Xuan left in anger, Shen Yao went with him to chase after him, but the carriage broke down halfway and they had to get off and walk.
The two spent the entire afternoon together, but for Shen Yao, it was incredibly boring. Despite Deng Yan's talkative nature, he became extremely reserved when with women.
When she asked him questions, he kept referring to her as Miss Shen and Madam Shen. Although it was polite, it was torture for Shen Yao, who was a modern person at heart.
Actually, the two of them became friends after a fight, since her first time in jail was thanks to Deng Yan.
Thinking back to that embarrassing incident, she couldn't help but ask him, "Aren't you a civil official? Why did you have to personally go and arrest people?"
Shen Yao thought that civil officials should only need to look at documents in the yamen, and that the task of arresting people and sending them out on duty should be left to the military command, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and so on.
Upon hearing her bring up that incident, Deng Yan blushed slightly and shook his head with a smile, saying, "That day, I was actually leading a group to investigate the demonic book when someone came to report it. I figured since I'd encountered it, I couldn't just ignore it. I just didn't expect you to be among them."
Shen Yao smiled and poked the noodles in the bowl with her chopsticks, then said, "Actually, I'm stupid. I didn't understand your hidden meaning, otherwise Xu Xuan wouldn't have gotten beaten up."
Their eyes met, and they couldn't help but chuckle.
They ate and chatted, and soon the moon was high in the sky, and the night wind became biting.
After finishing his meal, Deng Yan put on his winter hat and said to Shen Yao, "It's getting late, I'll take you back to the Shen family."
"good."
After giving a low reply, Shen Yao slipped into the warm car, not caring about Xu Xuan at all.
Xu Xuan was indeed not someone to worry about. After dinner, since Liu Ru was leaving the capital the next day, Xu Xuan wanted to spend more time with her. Unexpectedly, Liu Ru said she was tired and needed to rest early, so she told him to go to the study to sleep for the night.
With a sigh, Xu Xuan didn't insist any further, only instructing her to "close the doors and windows tightly at night" before leaving.
Outside the window, the tree branches swayed incessantly, like ghosts stretching out their claws...
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