Chapter 92
Shen Yao guessed correctly; Xu Xuan had indeed changed his strategy.
Ever since he learned of his wife's infidelity, Xu Xuan has been unable to sleep at night, feeling as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
The hatred of killing one's father and taking away one's wife is irreconcilable.
If he could, he would definitely kill the adulterer with his own hands to vent his anger, but that person was a prince, so forget about revenge, he could hardly even see him.
Xu Xuan felt a deep resentment and frustration.
So he began writing letters to Shen Yao frantically, telling her to take care of herself, while also hoping that she would turn back from the wrong path.
In Xu Xuan's view, he had already made a huge concession. After all, how many men throughout history could accept their wives cheating and then forgive them in the end?
He felt he had already been very generous.
Thinking about it is one thing, doing it is another.
Shen Yao's attitude was more resolute than ever before. She was determined to leave him. If Liu Ru had been there before, he wouldn't have cared at all. But times have changed. Now he was all alone and couldn't afford to lose anyone, especially Shen Yao. His parents weren't his closest relatives, but he had personally married her.
To him, Shen Yao was the most intimate lover in the world.
They should support each other through thick and thin, and live in perfect harmony; this is something they absolutely cannot lose.
He then began to reflect on his behavior, which led to the letters of concern and care.
*
Around noon, Xu Xuan finished dealing with the affairs of the Ministry of Justice, and then Guo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, came over.
The two went together to the Ministry of Personnel to handle official business.
Xu Xuan seized the opportunity and said, "Your Highness's mourning period is about to end, shouldn't you be selecting a consort soon?"
Guo Zheng looked surprised, glanced at him for a few moments, and nodded, saying, "Yes, two years and three months have passed in the blink of an eye. Back then, so many officials in the court sacrificed themselves to establish the foundation of the country. Now everything is on the right track. It's really good."
He looked up at the magnificent palace, his eyes shining with longing.
Xu Xuan echoed, "Your Highness is young and accomplished, wise and insightful, which shows that the ministers' advice was correct. However—"
Guo Zheng looked at him, "But what?"
Xu Xuan said, "I believe that as long as the Third Prince Xi does not go to the country, Your Highness's position will remain unstable... His Majesty has always been like this, and Minister Guo is well aware of this."
Guo Zheng smiled and said, "You are the son-in-law of the Shen family, so it's quite sensible of you to say such things."
Xu Xuan twitched his lips and lowered his eyes, saying, "Although I am the son-in-law of the Shen family, I am also a national official. In the face of matters of principle, I dare not have any selfish motives."
Guo Zheng finally stopped, faced Xu Xuan, raised his hand to pat him on the shoulder, and nodded in praise, "As expected of the third-ranked scholar, as expected of the companion personally chosen by His Highness, you have a broad vision and high standards."
The two continued walking towards the government office. Guo Zheng said worriedly, "As long as the Shen family doesn't fall, Prince Xi will always be a hidden danger. Since Chief Xu has brought this up, what are your thoughts?"
Xu Xuan looked up and told him all the thoughts she had been pondering for several days...
*
When Wei Luo arrived at the yamen, Guo Zheng and Xu Xuan had already drunk several bowls of tea and were chatting.
Of course, this was not just idle chatter, but a scheme to solidify the Crown Prince's position in light of Prince Xi's growing favor.
When Wei Luo arrived, after the emperor and his minister exchanged greetings, Guo Zheng instructed Xu Xuan to inform him of the plan:
“According to national etiquette, a prince needs to marry after he has married. Your Highness is about to choose a consort to marry. If we can take this opportunity to let Prince Xi also get married, then it will be natural for Prince Xi to leave the capital. Even His Majesty will have nothing to say.”
Wei Luo looked at Xu Xuan, his expression revealing his surprise.
If Wei Luo hadn't known that he had mistaken Prince Xi for a third person, he would almost have been moved to tears by Xu Xuan's loyalty.
Unfortunately, no matter how perfect the excuse, it could not conceal the fact that he had planned all this, just to get his rival out of the capital.
If we can't kill him, we'll exile him—that's a good plan. And this plan will have absolutely no negative effects on Wei Luo.
He couldn't help but smile and nod in approval, "Not bad, Manager Xu must have put in a lot of effort to think of these things. Thank you for your hard work."
Xu Xuan smiled and bowed his head slightly, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness. I only wish to share Your Highness's burdens."
Wei Luo remained silent.
Guo Zheng stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I think this idea is indeed excellent. If the two princes choose their consorts together, it will reduce the cost of the wedding and earn Your Highness a reputation for cherishing the people's resources; it will also allow Prince Xi to leave the capital in a reasonable and legal way. It can be said to be beneficial in every way."
Wei Luo looked at the two of them, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "But what if His Majesty does not agree to Prince Xi's marriage, or what if he still does not go to the country after the marriage?"
Guo Zheng shouted, "Then I will remonstrate to the death!"
"I agree."
*
Because he sprained his ankle, Mr. Shen took a few days off to recuperate at home.
When Shen Yao visited her father, she found him sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun. He was not nearly as sickly and listless as she had imagined. On the contrary, he was full of energy and looked more than ten years younger.
Indeed, power is the best medicine for men!
Master Shen said, "Daughter, you've arrived. Please sit down!"
"I'm not sitting anymore. I've come to see if your foot is feeling any better."
Mr. Shen chuckled and said, "My foot is fine, your father is perfectly alright."
Seeing his daughter's doubtful expression, Mr. Shen got up, took a few steps to show her, and said, "See? Your father is in good health. This little injury is nothing to worry about."
Shen Yao pouted, "Dad, you should save your breath and not twist your ankle again."
She stepped forward and helped her father sit down.
Master Shen chuckled and looked at Shen Yao, asking, "When did you and His Highness get together?"
"Last year, around November."
Master Shen suddenly realized, "Wasn't that during the time of the demonic book?"
Shen Yao nodded and said, "Yes, that's when we got together."
Master Shen's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands in praise, "She is indeed a good girl. The future glory of the Shen family depends on you."
He exclaimed "Huh?" and asked, "Why aren't you serving His Highness?"
"His Highness has returned to the palace, why should I follow him?"
Mr. Shen: "That's true."
Seeing that her father was in a good mood, Shen Yao tentatively asked, "What did you two talk about last night?"
Master Shen raised an eyebrow, "Didn't His Highness tell you?"
Shen Yao was silent for a moment, then turned her head before saying, "I did say it, but it still doesn't seem reliable."
Master Shen asked, "Why?"
Shen Yao lied without changing her expression, "There's always a risk involved, and yours is riskier."
So-called clichés are simply using vague and ambiguous language to confuse people. Whether they succeed or not is not important; just try it first.
She looked at her father with anticipation.
As expected, Master Shen did not disappoint her, or rather, he felt there was no need to hide it, so he spoke directly, "What are the risks of having a child? Since His Highness has promised you an eldest son, you should give birth to him properly."
What?
Having a baby?
Shen Yao froze on the spot, her eyes wide open.
Now, Shen Yao finally knew the truth about the deal between the two men.
Therefore, Master Shen agreed to the two being together, on the condition that Wei Luo's eldest son be born from her womb.
If Wei Luo were to ascend the throne in the future, her son would be the eldest prince.
Wei Luo himself was the eldest son of the emperor, and since the empress had no children, the throne was rightfully his.
So, this is Mr. Shen's true purpose.
Only when the benefits are great enough can the sacred bond of marriage be shaken.
Shen Yao asked, "What about Xu Xuan? If he finds out about this, he won't agree easily."
“Just young people,” Old Master Shen scoffed. “Intimidate them with power and lure them with fame and fortune. Any smart person would know how to do it.”
"But that person is Xu Xuan. Does Father think he is that kind of person?"
Master Shen's eyes flashed, and he couldn't help but ask, "How so?"
Shen Yao sighed, "Xu Xuan is not afraid of power, nor does he covet fame and fortune. What you said is no different from selling his wife for personal gain to him. This is worse than killing him."
After spending some time with Xu Xuan, Shen Yao believed she understood him quite well.
If the two hadn't been an ill-fated couple, she would have greatly admired Xu Xuan's scholarly integrity.
Shen Yao's words silenced Master Shen.
After a moment, he asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"
Although Shen Yao did not approve of Wei Luo's deal with her father, she was still very serious about getting rid of Xu Xuan.
Since Xu Xuan unilaterally broke the contract, she no longer needs to hide his secret.
So, Shen Yao told Master Shen about Xu Xuan's father. According to her observation, Xu Xuan's father was disabled, most likely because Xu Xuan deliberately harmed him.
If this matter is exposed, Xu Xuan's career will be over for the rest of his life, and he may even face criminal charges.
She didn't want to ruin his career, but only wanted to use this to force Xu Xuan to give up.
Old Master Shen still found it hard to believe and asked repeatedly, "Did Xu Xuan really kill his father?"
Shen Yao said, "This matter was handled discreetly, so it's probably difficult to find evidence."
Liu Ru, a person involved in the case, has already gone to Jiangnan. Even if she is found, the chances of her identifying Xu Xuan as the murderer of her father are very small.
Moreover, Shen Yao was unwilling to do such a despicable thing.
Mr. Shen asked, "Who are Xu Xuan's biological parents?"
"His biological mother is Lady Liu from the Duke of Xin's mansion, but I don't know about his father. After we found out, Xu Xuan didn't allow us to investigate further, and I didn't want to overstep my bounds and meddle."
"However, I overheard Liu telling Zhao Lian that Xu Xuan's father seemed to be dead. I just don't know if it's true or not."
Mr. Shen was astonished. "Really?"
Shen Yao nodded vigorously, "Yes, Zhao Lian's wife also knows about this."
The sunlight grew stronger, and Mr. Shen's forehead was covered in sweat. He said, "Don't rush this matter. Let me think about what to do."
A servant came over and helped Master Shen, who was limping, leave towards the flower archway.
Just as Shen Yao was about to go back, she suddenly remembered that Wei Luo had said he wanted camellias, so she ran over and told her father about it.
Master Shen readily agreed.
Shen Yao then went back to her room.
The two parrots, Little Red and Little Green, seemed hungry and kept hopping around in their cage. Shen Yao fed them some food, and they finally calmed down.
After a while, Miao Niang came over to chat, and the two ate and drank, and the day flew by.
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