Chapter 80
After Madam Xu returned home, she quickly sent someone to deliver a sandalwood gift box containing a pair of jade bracelets, a pair of earrings, and a gold-inlaid jade hairpin, all made of high-quality jade with a warm and lustrous texture.
The gift box and the presents clearly showed a lot of thought and effort.
Madam Shen held it in her hand and exclaimed, "Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Xu family is no longer as powerful as it once was; they still have a solid foundation."
The value of this box is equivalent to a mansion in the capital.
Madam Shen closed the gift box and was about to take it to the inner room when Shen Yao stopped her.
"Mother, I want to see what's inside."
Fearing that Madam Shen would refuse, Shen Yao used Xu Xuan as an excuse, saying, "It's mainly because Ziwei wants to see it."
There are some things that men find difficult to say, so they send women to handle them. Besides, the gift box was given by Madam Xu, and since they are family, Madam Shen couldn't very well object, so she said, "Be careful, don't break it."
"knew."
Carrying the heavy gift box, Shen Yao went to the pavilion in the backyard and handed it to Xu Xuan, saying, "Open it."
Xu Xuan was stunned for a moment, and was about to reach out to take it, but then frowned and withdrew her hand.
He gazed at Shen Yao and said in a slightly pleading tone, "I don't want to touch it, you open it yourself."
Even the strongest person has things they are afraid of.
What Xu Xuan feared was the gift box in front of him, or more precisely, the lukewarm family affection.
Finally, Shen Yao opened the gift box.
They were all jewelry pieces that shimmered with a faint green light.
Without any talismans, Xu Xuan took a deep breath and said, "You guessed wrong."
The voice was more relaxed than ever before.
But Shen Yao still insisted on her opinion, "Perhaps there's a hidden layer."
One sentence made Xu Xuan's expression turn serious again.
A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.
After a long while, he finally said, "Then let's continue."
Things went much more smoothly than expected. The two easily discovered a hidden compartment in the box, and then found the talisman.
Yellow paper with black ink, cinnabar ink used to draw useless scribbles—all of these were handwritten and drawn by Xu Xuan himself, and then handed over to the master.
Now, after wandering around for a while, we're back here.
The talisman is still the same talisman, but the person's state of mind has changed drastically.
Shen Yao thought Xu Xuan would be shocked and angry, but he seemed very calm, at least calmer than she had imagined.
It was completely beyond her expectations.
If finding one's relatives is a gamble, Shen Yao won at first by relying on her intuition, but now that her opponent has returned to rationality, she has lost again.
Things always need to be resolved eventually. Shen Yao asked him, "Mother is going to the Duke of Xin's mansion tomorrow. Do you want to go and see her?"
The person he was looking at was naturally Aunt Liu, his biological mother.
This time, Xu Xuan didn't answer. He just pursed his lips, silently tore the talisman into pieces, threw them on the ground, and walked away.
Shen Yao watched his figure disappear among the red walls and green trees.
In the evening, Xu Xuan did not have dinner with them either.
Madam Shen asked Shen Yao, "Where did Xu Xuan go?"
Shen Yao replied, "There's no one in the room. They've probably gone drinking with their friends."
Madam Shen was somewhat surprised, "Doesn't Xu Xuan never drink?"
Shen Yao then said, "He's changed his personality."
Madam Shen then fell silent.
At night, Shen Yao carried a lantern and went to visit the camellias again.
The camellias came from the Jiangnan region, thousands of miles away, but they have adapted well to the north. They have been blooming continuously these past few days, dazzling and eye-catching.
However, tomorrow, for Shen Fan's happiness, three out of the ten pots of camellias will be reduced. Of the remaining seven, Madam Shen will give three to Consort Shen, so in the end, only four pots will be left for Shen Yao.
Something is better than nothing. Madam Shen said that she could do whatever she wanted with the remaining four pots of flowers, and Shen Yao decided to give two of them to Wei Luo.
Since the camellias are being presented to His Highness, they must be the reddest in color and have the largest blossoms.
Shen Yao picked out two pots, and felt that His Highness would definitely like them.
That night, no candles were lit in Xu Xuan's room, perhaps because he didn't return home all night.
However, Xu Xuan appeared quietly at breakfast time, with a clean face and neat clothes, showing no signs of having stayed out overnight.
Shen Yao kept staring at him.
Xu Xuan placed a meat bun on her plate and asked in a low voice, "Is there something dirty on my face?"
No, absolutely not.
"Then why are you staring at me?"
"Because of me—"
Just as he was stammering, Madam Shen unexpectedly saved him by asking, "Is there anything wrong with the gift given to Miss Zhao San?"
Shen Fan hurriedly replied, "No, absolutely not."
After saying that, he glanced at Chen Yao out of the corner of his eye, his meaning clear.
Shen Yao blushed suddenly and kicked him under the table.
Shen Fan chuckled and raised an eyebrow.
After the meal, the brother and sister went to select camellias, while Madam Shen called Xu Xuan aside and said, "You'll come with me this time too."
Xu Xuan asked, "Why?"
"Two things: First, you beat up Zhao Lian last time. Although there was a reason for it, hitting someone is still wrong. Second, the Duchess is seriously ill, and the person we are hosting today is your Aunt Liu. As a junior, it is only proper for you to pay her a visit first."
After Madam Shen said that, Xu Xuan had almost no reason to refuse.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is Shen Yao going too?"
Madam Shen asked in surprise, "What is she going to do? You can go. Ayao has other things to do."
Madam Shen assigned Shen Yao the task of delivering camellias to the Imperial Concubine in the palace.
So as soon as the three of them left, Shen Yao also rushed to the palace with five pots of flowers.
First go to Yikun Palace, then go to the East Palace.
When we arrived at the East Palace, the hall was unusually quiet.
Shen Yao couldn't help but take light steps. When she saw the man she had been thinking about day and night, she was overjoyed. She threw all etiquette to the wind and ran straight into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek.
For couples deeply in love, actions speak louder than words.
With her taking such initiative, Wei Luo stopped being coy.
He picked up Shen Yao and carried her to the bed, pressing down to deepen that fleeting, light kiss.
They whispered sweet nothings to each other, inseparable as glue.
After they finished being intimate, Wei Luo asked her, "Why haven't you come to the palace for several days?"
Shen Yao said, "We're busy with things during the New Year."
He then got up, walked to the table, and poured himself some tea.
Wei Luo quickly said, "That's cold tea, I'll have someone bring you hot tea."
"No need, it's hot inside, and the herbal tea is just right to quench my thirst."
Wei Luo didn't drink much, so he went along with her, but then asked, "What have you been busy with lately?"
When you care about someone, you always want to know where they are and what they are doing.
Wei Luo stared intently at her.
After finishing her tea, Shen Yao put down the porcelain cup, wiped her mouth, and slowly said, "There are so many things to do, such as buying New Year's goods and visiting relatives and friends."
Wei Luo laughed and said, "It's like the sun rose in the west! You do these kinds of things too?"
I had the impression that women only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, but I never expected that after only half a year of marriage, she would start to learn how to manage housework and share chores.
Tsk, not bad, you've grown.
Wei Luo looked at her with a hint of appreciation and continued to ask, "Has your needlework improved?"
"No."
Shen Yao moved closer to him and said, "I don't have the time to learn that. It's a waste of time and my eyes."
With a mouthful of disdain, Wei Luo shook his head and snorted, "You're just lazy, why do you have so many excuses?"
"Yeah, I'm just lazy."
She chuckled and, before Wei Luo could react, pulled him straight towards the door.
Two pots of bright red camellias were placed at the entrance. Shen Yao said to them, "These are camellias from Jiangnan. Your Highness, please enjoy them."
Wei Luo glanced at Shen Yao, bent down and touched it before praising, "Not bad, you came all this way to deliver this?"
"Yes, I'll return the courtesy."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Wei Luo straightened up, coughed, and laughed, "I didn't give you anything, so why should I return the favor?"
Shen Yao walked to the front and said, "It's those parrots, Your Highness, you've forgotten them so quickly?"
As Wei Luo looked, he saw her cruelly break off a large red flower and fiddling with it in her hand. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and his expression tensed up.
He said, "I remember the parrot. This isn't for you; it's for Xu Xuan."
Shen Yao asked, "Why did you send it to Xu Xuan? You two aren't even close."
"He was my personal choice as a study companion, so it's perfectly reasonable to give him a pair of parrots as a gift."
"Is that so?" Shen Yao slowly approached him, narrowed her eyes, and asked leisurely, "But there are so many talented young men in the Hanlin Academy, why did Your Highness choose Xu Xuan in particular?"
She stared at him, her eyes fixed on him.
Wei Luoxin was in her throat.
"Xu Xuan is the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, and he's so young. It's not surprising that I look at him differently. Besides, they're just a pair of parrots. Why are you so nervous?"
Wei Luo turned and entered the hall.
Shen Yao also stepped across the threshold and called out from behind, "The thief is crying 'stop thief!' I think you're just feeling guilty and nervous."
"No."
Wei Luo immediately denied it, "I'm just doing my job. Stop focusing on the parrot and tell me about Xu Xuan. Why is he staying at the Shen family's house?"
Compared to Wei Luo's dishonesty, Shen Yao was much more honest, saying directly, "The Xu family's house caught fire, burning down several rooms. It's the New Year, where are we going to find bricks, tiles, wood, and stones? So we're staying at my house temporarily."
"You let him stay there?"
"How could that be? It's my father."
"When are you leaving?"
"The earliest would be after the new year."
"...This is outrageous."
Wei Luo couldn't help but stand up, pointing at Shen Yao and shouting, "Your biological father is seriously ill, and instead of taking care of him at his bedside, he's staying at his father-in-law's house. What kind of logic is that?"
"this--"
When Wei Luo brought up filial piety, Shen Yao suddenly fell silent, staring at him blankly for a moment before finally murmuring, "What exactly do you want to do?"
"It's not that I want to do anything, but it's a matter of etiquette. Now that he's my study companion, he should be even more respectful to the emperor and father. Otherwise, if the censors find out, there will definitely be no shortage of impeachment petitions."
"Is it that serious?"
Shen Yao frowned and lowered her head in silence.
Upon seeing this, Wei Luo stepped forward, placed his hands on her shoulders, and said in a solemn tone, "I may have selfish motives in many things, but when it comes to matters of principle, I can still make sense of things clearly."
The air fell silent for a moment, then Shen Yao asked, "What should we do about this?"
“Let Xu Xuan go home during the day. What he does is not important. What is important is that someone needs to see him serving his father.”
He gently patted her shoulder, his eyes smiling.
Shen Yao snorted, "Your Highness really is... caring for his subordinates."
Wei Luo then kissed her.
He held her slender waist and lingered with her for half a day before finally letting her go.
*
With the task assigned by His Highness, Shen Yao hurried home.
The house was unusually quiet; it seemed no one had returned yet.
Shen Yao then drank tea alone in the flower hall.
After a while, the maid Biluo ran over excitedly and said, "Miss, the Duke's mansion has sent someone to tell you to come to a banquet."
As they were talking, Biluo added, "Master, you should come along too."
"And what about my dad?"
Biluo replied, "Just got back, in the yard."
Shen Yao walked over and saw Master Shen teasing a parrot under the eaves, looking quite pleased.
Shen Yao called out, "Father."
Master Shen raised his head against the wind, coughed a few times, and said, "You're here. Are you ready? If you are, come with me."
After saying that, he turned to leave, but Shen Yao quickly stopped her father and asked, "If you're not going to the banquet, what am I supposed to do there?"
Mr. Shen said, "How would I know? I've been visiting friends these past two days. Just now, your mother sent someone to insist that I come over tonight. I was completely baffled."
Shen Yao lowered her head, a worry creeping into her heart. She hurriedly asked, "Has something happened?"
"How could that be? It's the Lunar New Year, don't curse people."
The two walked towards the gate, where the servants had already prepared the carriage. They set off together with the servants of the Duke's mansion.
Upon arriving at the Duke's mansion, Master Shen went directly to the main hall, while Shen Yao was led by a maid to the inner courtyard.
She was greeted by Guo Fu as always.
In the flower hall, after the two exchanged greetings, a maid brought them tea.
Guo Fu turned to her and asked, "Was it lively along the way?"
Shen Yao smiled and said, "Of course, I see that there are more people singing and performing on the street than before. There are also all kinds of lanterns, decorations and red ribbons, which are dazzling."
Guo Fu laughed and said, "I really envy my sister, she can be so free. Unlike me, I can count on one hand the number of times I leave the manor throughout the year."
She shook her head and sighed, much like a bird trapped in a cage.
Although the ladies of noble families in this era had no worries about food and drink, they were generally quite impoverished in terms of their spiritual lives.
Shen Yao couldn't help but sigh, "Sister, when was the last time you left the manor?"
Guo Fu tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "I attended the palace banquet on the Double Ninth Festival with the lady."
"There must be a lot of people there, right?"
"There are indeed a lot of people, but it's very boring and there's nothing interesting to do. It's much more enjoyable to sit on the street and talk to beggars."
Hahaha~
Shen Yao laughed so hard she almost fell over. "If word gets out that you said that, it'll be a big deal."
Guo Fu also laughed and said, "Then you'll have to keep it a secret for me, little sister."
"Yes, yes," Shen Yao replied readily. "Next time, if you want to go out and play, you can ask me. I have plenty of time."
"really?"
Shen Yao nodded vigorously, "A promise is a promise."
The two clinked their teacups together.
During the conversation, Aunt Liu's maid entered the hall and said to Guo Fu, "Madam just coughed up phlegm and has fainted. Aunt Liu would like to ask you to come and take a look."
Guo Fu pondered for a moment, then asked, "Where is your aunt?"
"My aunt is with Madam Shen right now, saying it wouldn't be good to leave the guests behind."
His voice grew softer as he spoke, and he seemed to lack confidence.
The teacup in Guo Fu's hand made a crisp sound. After a few moments, she finally put down the teacup, stood up and said, "Sister, I'm so sorry, things happened so suddenly. I'll have someone take you to your mother's place, is that alright?"
Shen Yao quickly said, "It's alright, sister, please go over there."
The two parted ways, and the maid who had delivered the message earlier was instructed to take Shen Yao directly to Madam Shen.
The distance wasn't far, and before the maid could take her there, Shen Yao told them to stop. She said, "You go ahead, I'll walk the rest of the way myself."
She saw Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan happened to see her as well.
Shen Yao walked over, looked around, and asked him, "Why are you standing here?"
Xu Xuan said, "Stop looking, I'm the only one here."
Shen Yao continued to look at him.
Xu Xuan then said, "The flower hall is stuffy, let's come out for some fresh air."
Then he asked, "What brings you here?"
"The Duke's mansion sent someone to invite you, and they even brought Father along."
Xu Xuan nodded and said "Oh".
Seeing his pale face, Shen Yao asked with concern, "How did you feel when you saw her?"
As soon as she asked the question, Shen Yao regretted it. He was clearly in a bad mood, so why did she ask? She really wanted to slap herself.
She bit her lip, intending to change the subject, when Xu Xuan's voice came.
She only glanced at me.
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