Chapter 73
Wei Luo's impression of Xu Xuan was that he was handsome, aloof and arrogant. He had met him once before because of Shen Yao, but they had never spoken.
This unexpected encounter made him suddenly feel nervous and guilty.
After all, in his eyes, Shen Yao was his lawfully wedded wife, and no amount of excuses could cover up this fact.
He sighed deeply, stood still, and waited for him to come and greet him.
"Your humble servant, Xu Xuan, Principal of the Ministry of Justice, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and respectfully wishes you good health."
He announced his official title and name, bowed and paid his respects—a standard model of a scholar-official, without a single flaw.
Wei Luo squinted at him for a moment before raising his hand to support him, saying, "I am well."
He then asked, "Is this Steward Xu? I heard you took several days off to recuperate from your injuries. Are you back at work now that you've fully recovered?"
The voice was exceptionally gentle, but Xu Xuan felt there was something strange about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He frowned slightly and quickly attributed the strangeness to the Shen family.
Who made the Shen family their natural enemies of the Crown Prince, and who made him their son-in-law?
Thinking this, he became even more cautious in his reply, "Yes, Your Highness, thank you for your concern. I am already well. I am serving you and sharing your burdens, so I have come to resume my duties."
"Yes, very good. The year-end is a busy time for official duties, and Chief Clerk Xu has worked tirelessly, managing affairs from his office. His dedication is commendable. If all officials in the court were as dedicated as Chief Clerk Xu, how could the administration not prosper?"
He looked at Xu Xuan, who was calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble, and whose demeanor exuded the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Putting aside Shen Yao, he quite admired Xu Xuan.
However, the two of them were in the past, and Xu Xuan did not love Shen Yao. Suddenly, he felt that Xu Xuan was not so bad, especially compared to Master Shen.
Wei Luo, appreciating talent, said, “It is already noon. Master Xu should not have eaten yet. Since we have met, let’s go to the East Palace together. He can keep me company for a while.”
After saying that, he raised his hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Let's go."
Xu Xuan didn't even have time to politely refuse before Wei Luo pulled her northward.
His Highness the Crown Prince was very hospitable, chatting non-stop along the way, asking him about politics and family matters, especially about Xu's father being burned.
Xu Xuan felt alarm bells ringing in her mind, but she had no choice but to answer, feeling a cold sweat trickling down her back.
Fortunately, the gate of Cining Palace was right in front of us.
The two walked in one after the other.
The palace servants had already prepared lunch. Because of the cold weather, Wei Luo also had Shaoxing rice wine brought out. He asked Xu Xuan, "Is it to your liking?"
How can I not get used to it?
Xu Xuan nodded with a wry smile.
The eunuchs poured wine for the two men.
The amber liquid flowed into the glass, releasing an enticing and rich aroma.
Xu Xuan first raised his cup and offered a toast: "Thank you, Your Highness, for bestowing this wine upon me. Your Majesty's kindness is immense, and I am deeply grateful. I respectfully offer this wine to Your Highness, wishing you a long and healthy life."
Wei Luo looked at him and hummed in agreement, then smiled and said, "It's just a casual chat, so there's no need for such formalities, Steward Xu."
He then took a sip from his cup, and Xu Xuan followed suit.
Because of his nervousness and because he drank too quickly, Xu Xuan choked on a mouthful of wine and couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough.
This was considered a breach of etiquette before the emperor, and Xu Xuan quickly bowed his head and apologized, "Your Majesty, cough cough, it was I who lost my composure, please forgive me."
Upon seeing this, Wei Luo smiled and said, "It's alright," while teasing him, "Scholars and officials have always taken pride in drinking, but it's rare to see someone like Master Xu with such a low alcohol tolerance."
Xu Xuan was about to explain, but when she suddenly saw the sharp smile in his eyes, she was speechless. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to leave people with the impression that he had a poor alcohol tolerance.
He lowered his eyes, acknowledging his words, "Your Highness, please forgive my poor drinking skills."
This statement was not meant to deceive the emperor; because Xu's father had a long history of alcoholism, Xu Xuan deeply hated alcohol.
Therefore, he rarely drank alcohol from childhood to adulthood, but he couldn't bring himself to say such things to Wei Luo.
Wei Luo didn't mind too much. It was a private matter, so he was just being casual. Since he couldn't hold his liquor, he didn't want to force anyone.
The two ate and chatted, mostly Wei Luo asking questions and Xu Xuan answering. Soon, the sound of the midnight bell came from the Drum Tower.
During official business hours, neither of them can be delayed for too long.
Liu Heng stepped forward and reminded him, "Your Highness, it's almost time."
Xu Xuan understood and quickly stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I am deeply grateful. I am busy with official duties, so I will take my leave now."
"Okay, go ahead."
After Xu Xuan left, Wei Luo asked Liu Heng, "What do you think of this person?"
His tone revealed no dissatisfaction, but rather admiration. Liu Heng pondered the prince's thoughts for a while before raising his eyes and smiling, "This servant thinks that Master Xu is composed, knows the big picture, and is a good prospect."
"Oh, tell me about it?"
“There are very few people who can achieve the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations at the age of twenty. Looking across the country, those who have such an honor will all become prime ministers and achieve great things in the future. I think that if Your Highness could bring him under your command, it would surely leave behind a beautiful story of a ruler and his minister.”
Such bold words are something most people would never dare to say, but Liu Heng has been his companion for over a decade, and it's no exaggeration to say that he sees right through Wei Luo's thoughts.
Moreover, he also knew that Wei Luo had two concerns: Master Shen and Shen Yao.
Master Shen's problem is nothing more than a matter of political affiliation, but since ancient times, even blood relatives have turned against each other due to differences in political views, let alone father-in-law and son-in-law. So only Shen Yao remains.
Women's affairs are not something he, a eunuch, can interfere with; everything depends on Wei Luo's attitude.
After speaking, Liu Heng remained silent.
The air fell silent for a moment.
After a long pause, Wei Luo turned to him and asked, "You're saying that since he doesn't love me, does that mean it's okay—"
Although he didn't finish speaking, the meaning was self-evident.
Is it permissible to use trickery and force to seize something?
Although he is doing it now, it is ultimately being done in secret, secretly, and in short, "it can't be brought to the table."
“Your Highness,” Liu Heng answered directly, “If Your Highness were to do such a thing, it would break the hearts of all the civil officials in the land.”
Wei Luo's fingers suddenly clenched, feeling as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him, and his breathing became heavy.
It has to be said that Liu Heng knew how to provoke people. With just one sentence, he ruined Wei Luo's good mood for half a day. Yet, Wei Luo himself seemed oblivious, continuing to quote classics and launch into long-winded speeches, saying things like Daji and Mei Niang brought ruin to the country.
Wei Luo glared at him, wishing he could immediately take a knife and kill him.
*
As the sun began to set and a cold wind suddenly rose, night fell heavily in the blink of an eye.
Xu Xuan also came to the Shen family's dinner.
Wei Luo deliberately spread the news that Xu Xuan had dined at the Eastern Palace. When the news reached the Commander's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Master Shen immediately became restless. After finishing his duty, he ran all the way to the Ministry of Justice and dragged Xu Xuan home.
As soon as he entered, he eagerly asked, "What does the Crown Prince want with you?"
After dealing with official business all afternoon, Xu Xuan had a terrible headache. But then Old Master Shen kept pestering him. Not daring to refuse an elder's question, he could only patiently say, "We just happened to run into each other. We had a few drinks and talked about some trivial government affairs. Nothing else."
He answered truthfully.
But Master Shen didn't believe it. Outsiders all said that Wei Luo was a "benevolent" ruler, but this kid was wicked at heart! As a long-time rival, he would never underestimate his opponent's actions.
Everything has a purpose.
He frowned and ordered, "Recount to me the specific details of your conversation."
Xu Xuan felt like she was really going to die.
It was just a meal, but it aroused Mr. Shen's suspicion, and he couldn't refuse the request.
The more you refuse, the more suspicious it becomes.
Once trust is lost, rebuilding a relationship becomes extremely difficult.
Finding a stool to sit down, Xu Xuan, relying on her extraordinary memory, tried her best to recreate the scene, including the content of the conversation, Wei Luo's expressions and actions, and showed them to Master Shen one by one.
The lifelike scene made Master Shen almost want to see it with his own eyes. If half an hour ago he was still bothered by his son-in-law's secret meeting with the Crown Prince, now he was filled with admiration.
This young man's talent had reached an inhuman level, which both pleased and terrified him.
If the son-in-law remains loyal to the Shen family, all will be well; but if he develops disloyal intentions, it will be a catastrophic disaster.
He couldn't help but wonder, what could be done to completely bind Xu Xuan to the Shen family?
After much thought, he finally thought of his silly daughter, Shen Yao.
Xu Xuan is upright and loyal, and if the two of them had a child, it would be enough to offset these worries.
But since they don't live together now, how can they have a child?
So Mr. Shen started to think of a solution. He pulled up his son-in-law's sleeve, patted his hand affectionately, and said with a smile, "Xu Xuan, it's the dead of winter, and your house is not convenient to live in right now. Why don't you stay here for now? It's also close to your shift."
Moreover, it would be convenient for the two of them to go to the government office together, and they could also take the opportunity to develop their relationship.
That's what Master Shen thought.
Xu Xuan's first reaction to the idea of staying at the Shen family's house was to refuse. He had his own home; how could he stay at someone else's?
But as soon as the words reached his throat, he suddenly paused and hesitated.
His father was not his biological father, and his mother was not his biological mother. After Liu Ru left, he suddenly looked back and realized that he was almost all alone.
Now, it seems only his wife, whom he married through a traditional betrothal ceremony, remains. Their marriage was a gift from heaven, and its solemnity and legitimacy are self-evident.
Xu Xuan lowered her eyes slightly, secretly making up her mind.
*
Shen Yao, who had been away and had just returned home, was unaware of what had happened inside the house until Shen Fan told her with a smile, "Xu Xuan is coming to stay at the Shen family."
Shen Yao finally panicked.
She couldn't believe it; how could Xu Xuan be living here?
Without even having dinner, she hurried to the inner quarters and found the door wide open, though light still shone through the darkness.
Barely suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, Shen Yao stepped closer.
Inside the door, Xu Xuan was sitting in a chair, reading by candlelight.
The man had his head down and his brows furrowed. Although his eyes were glued to the pages of the book, he didn't turn the page for a long time, clearly engrossed in his own thoughts.
Shen Yao couldn't help but be curious, so she leaned against the door and stared at him for a while before stepping inside.
"Ziwei, what brings you here?"
Footsteps accompanied by a woman's soft voice reached Xu Xuan's ears. Only then did he wake up as if from a dream, and suddenly looked up to find Shen Yao right in front of him.
In an instant, his heart began to race, and he stood up abruptly, his gaze fixed on Shen Yao's face, unable to look away.
"You're back."
Hearing himself say that, he quickly closed the book and asked, "Where have you been, coming back so late?"
Shen Yao was clearly taken aback, turned her eyes and said "Oh", then replied, "Miao Niang and I went to Dashilan to handle the aftermath of the study. Well, mainly we paid some compensation to the landlord."
The fire destroyed the study, and although the government ruled it an accident, the student still had to pay compensation.
Shen Yao was filled with resentment and couldn't help but slam her hand on the table and curse, "That bastard Duan Kaizhi, I will definitely seek compensation from him in the future."
Her face turned red and puffed up with anger, and Xu Xuan couldn't help but nod and say, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. We should seek compensation from him."
Finally, she added, "Do you need me to come with you?"
Hey, the sun's rising in the west!
Xu Xuan actually agreed with her.
Shen Yao looked around curiously, then suddenly remembered that Xu Xuan hadn't answered her question yet, so she asked again, "You still haven't answered me, why did you come here?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
