Chapter 44: Offering myself as a concubine, not seeking titles or honors, only asking for companionship...
If what the servants say is true, then Madam Lin may also come from a merchant family.
"What about that merchant surnamed Lin? Have you inquired about him?" Yang Lingyi couldn't help but ask.
“Young master, there are countless merchants in the capital. It’s easier to find out about officials… but how can I, a mere servant, possibly inquire about a merchant whose surname I only know?” the servant said helplessly.
Yang Lingyi herself knew this, but she still held onto a sliver of hope, which was why she pressed on. Seeing that the male servant couldn't find out, she knew that if she didn't know Lin Niangzi's identity, she probably wouldn't have the chance to see her again in the future, and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
If he had known this would happen, he should have asked about Madam Lin's residence that day. Yang Lingyi couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
*
As the sun sets, its afterglow spills across the lake.
After seeing Young Master Yang off, Yuan Yan spent some more time enjoying the scenery on the boat. Only when the sun began to set did he leisurely head back home.
As soon as she entered the Prince's residence, someone came out to report.
"Your Highness, a man came to the palace today with a jade pendant, requesting an audience."
[Jade pendant?] The system immediately perked up.
[Where did this jade pendant come from... Oh right, host, is it the one you gave to Chen Lianzhou in Tanzhou?]
[Could it be that Shen Lianzhou has run into trouble and needs your help, and someone has come to the capital to find her...?]
The system spent the afternoon with Yuan Yan, and out of boredom, it even went to update the database.
As soon as I got back, I heard this news, which immediately made the system excitedly gossip.
Shen Lianzhou is such a strong-willed person. She wouldn't come looking for her unless something happened. Yuan Yan thought to herself.
Ignoring the system's whispers, she asked a servant, "Where is the person who brought the jade pendant?"
"Your Highness, that young master has been waiting outside the manor with his men. He says he wants to see Your Highness upon your return," the servant said.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yan said nothing more, turned around, and stepped out of the mansion.
At this very moment, Chen Lianzhou and Yu Lu were waiting outside the side gate.
“Young Master, the servants from the Prince of Qin’s residence clearly told us to come inside and sit after they received the jade pendant. Why are we waiting here…”
Yu Lu was puzzled. They had been here for most of the day, yet the young master seemed to feel no fatigue and continued to wait quietly.
The young master, accompanied by his guards, traveled a long and arduous journey by boat and carriage before finally arriving in the capital.
Due to the travel delays and lack of information, they only learned that His Highness the Prince of Yue had been renamed the Prince of Qin by His Majesty for his meritorious service in inspecting grain supplies when they asked around for directions to the Prince of Yue's residence.
The current Yue King's Mansion should actually be called the Qin King's Mansion.
She finally stood before the Prince of Qin's residence. The young master, who had been missing His Highness the Prince of Qin day and night, had stopped and insisted on waiting outside the residence for His Highness's return… This puzzled Yu Lu greatly.
Young Master, don't you want to see His Highness soon?
However, Shen Lianzhou did not answer Yu Lu's question.
What Yu Lu didn't know was that her young master had actually struggled for a long time before finally mustering the courage to go to the capital to find His Highness the Prince of Qin.
Shen Lianzhou came with a bold idea in his heart. He himself did not know how Yuan Yan would react to doing so, so he was very hesitant.
Just as he was lost in thought, a tall and imposing figure walked out.
"Young Master Shen, it's been a long time." Yuan Yan saw the handsome man in front of the mansion gate from afar and smiled slightly.
Shen Lianzhou raised his head and watched Yuan Yan walk towards him, his heart clenching uncontrollably for a moment. In a daze, he even felt as if he were dreaming.
"Your Highness..." He opened his mouth but then realized that his voice was a little soft, as if he was afraid of waking someone from a dream, and his gaze toward Yuan Yan froze.
I haven't seen His Highness Prince Qin for some time now, and I wonder how he is doing.
Before coming, Shen Lianzhou had inquired about His Highness's previous experiences in the court. Not only had he been reprimanded by the Emperor, but his fiancé had also broken off the engagement, resulting in a poor reputation in the capital. It was only after his meritorious service that things began to change.
When Shen Lianzhou learned of this, her heart swelled, and she felt a pang of sadness for Yuan Yan, her heart overflowing with tenderness.
Although Your Highness is of noble status, her father has passed away, her mother shows no favoritism, and her fiancé has betrayed her... In this vast capital city, there is probably no one who truly loves and cares for her.
It was only at this moment that he met Yuan Yan again. Shen Lianzhou was somewhat lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Yuan Yan asked gently.
"It's nothing, it's just that I haven't seen Your Highness for a long time, and I'm a little absent-minded."
After returning to the capital, His Highness appeared even more imposing than before, with more defined features, which startled Shen Lianzhou slightly.
But then he wondered how well Yuan Yan's scars were healing, and whether he was applying the medicine on time...
Yuan Yan also came over and looked at Shen Lianzhou's face. He noticed that Shen Lianzhou seemed to have become a little thinner these days. His eyebrows and eyes were still as beautiful as ever, but a faint trace of melancholy had been added to them.
"Young Master Shen, let's go inside the manor and talk." Yuan Yan had someone welcome Shen Lianzhou and his party into the manor.
"Since our last parting, I wonder how Young Master Shen has been. Did you encounter any difficulties upon arriving in the capital?" Yuan Yan asked after they had taken their seats.
"Thanks to Your Highness, no one in the city dares to cause trouble anymore. The shop's business is booming, and everything inside and outside the mansion is going smoothly. There are no difficulties at all." Shen Lianzhou paused for a moment after saying this.
"As for why I came here this time, it is not for any other reason... but because I have a wish that Your Highness would grant."
He seemed somewhat reluctant to speak about it, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of bitterness appeared in his dark eyes.
"What is it, Young Master Shen? Please speak freely," Yuan Yan said, gazing at him.
"I will not refuse any task that I can do."
Since the day they met, Shen Lianzhou, a man of such strength, had never shown this expression in front of her.
Seeing Shen Lianzhou's hesitant and speechless expression, Yuan Yan's mind raced through several guesses. Considering Shen Lianzhou's thin face, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
In exchange for the jade pendant, she had made a promise herself. This time, no matter what request Shen Lianzhou made, out of gratitude, she would do her best to repay the favor, as long as it did not harm others or violate her principles.
Hearing Yuan Yan's words of such a solemn promise, Shen Lianzhou's heart was stirred once again.
He stood up from his chair and, under Yuan Yan's slightly surprised gaze, curtsied deeply.
"Actually... I had already admired Your Highness when I was in Tanzhou. But Your Highness left a letter and left, and Lianzhou was in a state of confusion, so I didn't have time to express my feelings to Your Highness."
"Now that I have made proper arrangements for all the shops in Tanzhou, I am going to the capital alone to find Your Highness so that I can tell Your Highness my true thoughts in person."
"Lianzhou does not seek any title or status, but only wishes to be able to accompany Your Highness in the future... If Your Highness does not reject me, I am willing to bring all the wealth of the Shen family to help Your Highness realize your ambitions and achieve your heart's desires."
She offered all of the Shen family's wealth as dowry and requested to move into Yuan Yan's harem.
Shen Lianzhou was able to say these words after thinking about them for a long time in the manor.
Before meeting Yuan Yan, he was always calm, rational, shrewd, and calculating—a competent businessman. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to manage the Shen family's business so well, despite being a man.
However, there are always exceptions. After falling for Yuan Yan, Shen Lianzhou couldn't help but change her mind.
He knew perfectly well that he was just a lowly merchant and shouldn't involve the Shen family in the royal power struggle.
With the succession undecided, Prince Qi, being the legitimate heir, enjoys considerable support in court and holds the advantage. Although Prince Qin has recently rendered meritorious service, he still cannot match Prince Qi's influence and his chances of winning are slim.
From any perspective, this is a risky endeavor with no benefits.
Shen Lianzhou knew perfectly well what was going on. His best option was to stay away from the Prince of Qin and live a quiet life as the eldest son of the Shen family in Tanzhou.
However, while reason prevailed, Shen Lianzhou's own heart did not say so.
He admired and respected Yuan Yan, and harbored romantic feelings for her. Ever since Yuan Yan returned to the capital that day, he had been constantly preoccupied with thoughts of her.
These days, no matter how rational Shen Lianzhou was, she couldn't convince herself, and a certain bold idea grew stronger and stronger.
He wanted to go to the capital to find Yuan Yan, to accompany and take care of her, and to become her helper, just as he had said in their previous conversation.
At this moment, Shen Lianzhou had completely abandoned concerns about status and family background, leaving only the thought of finding Yuan Yan.
He knew in his heart that this was the only way to calm his restless mind.
Therefore, Shen Lianzhou stayed in Tanzhou for a few more days, settled his father in, and assigned the various shopkeepers to manage the shops before immediately rushing to the capital.
That's why I've traveled all this way to the capital to offer myself as a concubine.
“…” Yuan Yan’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing this.
She had assumed that Shen Lianzhou had come seeking help, but she never expected that he had come for her.
The system thought it might have misheard and asked uncertainly, "Host, does Shen Lianzhou mean she wants to marry you...?"
Not only that, he also said he would use the entire Shen family as dowry to support Yuan Yan's bid for the throne.
Is the host really that charming? She actually managed to make a rich young master marry her without asking for any formal status, even offering his entire fortune... The system is starting to have doubts about its own destiny.
“Young Master Shen, you are handsome and refined, intelligent and virtuous, and possess excellent household management skills. You are a rare and exceptional gentleman, and I believe no woman in this world would not be moved by you.” Yuan Yan pondered for a moment before speaking, carefully choosing his words.
Upon hearing her words, Shen Lianzhou's heartstrings trembled. "And Your Highness... does Your Highness think the same way?"
His voice became soft and gentle.
“Of course, I am also a woman, and I am no exception in the face of a beauty like Young Master Shen,” Yuan Yan said, looking into his eyes.
So, His Highness isn't entirely without feelings for him.
Shen Lianzhou felt a warmth in her heart, as if a gentle stream was flowing out, and she didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment.
However, before he could open his mouth, Yuan Yan's voice rang out again.
"But Young Master Shen, you may not know this, but being by my side is not a very good place."
"To outsiders, I may appear to be living a glorious life, but in reality, I am in a precarious situation. If I make a mistake one day, I will be crushed to pieces, and the Shen family will likely be implicated as well."
"...Even so, will you still marry me, young master?"
Yuan Yan spoke slowly and deliberately, then smiled. Under the system's bewildered gaze, he laid bare his true situation.
The system exclaimed in surprise: "Host, what are you doing? She traveled thousands of miles to marry you, how can you discourage her like this..."
Shen Lianzhou hadn't expected her to say that. What outsiders saw as words of dissuasion, he saw in his heart as a display of His Highness's upright character.
His heart raced, and his eyes softened.
"Yes. I love Your Highness more than anything else. Your Highness always says he wants to repay my life-saving grace, but in reality, without Your Highness saving me twice, I would probably be dead."
“I was already smitten long before Your Highness revealed your identity. Now, no matter who Your Highness is, I will still make this choice.”
Yuan Yan said frankly: "But I'm afraid I can't give you a very high title."
According to the rules of the Phoenix Kingdom, all the chief and concubine ministers of the royal palace need to be recorded in the Jade Register, which is difficult for Shen Lianzhou to do with his status.
Only concubines, maids, and junior servants could be married by the princes themselves.
“I am aware of my lowly status. It is already a great favor that I have been able to enter the Prince’s residence. Now I only ask that Your Highness grant my request. I ask for nothing more.”
Shen Lianzhou sensed the softening in her words, shook her head, stepped forward, and gently covered Yuan Yan's hand.
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