Snow News from Xishan
The hustle and bustle of autumn subsided with the conclusion of two grand weddings.
The gates of the Shen residence were bustling with carriages and horses. After resting in the mansion for more than a month, the newlyweds Shen Hong and Shen Suihe were finally ready to set off back to the northern frontier.
Winter comes swiftly and fiercely in the North, and we must get back before the first heavy snow closes the roads.
At the gate of the mansion, the atmosphere of parting was tinged with the desolation of late autumn.
Shen Yan watched his children board the carriage, trying his best to project the image of a composed and gentle head of the family, but his heart felt like it was being scratched by cat claws. After more than a month of liveliness, the sudden quiet made even his recently acquired "right of access to the Madam's room" seem less appealing. He subconsciously touched his nose and stole a glance at the aloof Ling Zhan beside him—tsk, still so handsome.
As always, Ling Zhan simply said calmly towards the direction of the carriage, "Safety first."
The wheels rolled, raising a light cloud of dust, and gradually disappeared at the end of the long street.
The mansion fell into an eerie silence.
Shen Yan paced back and forth for a couple of steps, feeling uneasy all over.
His gaze swept over Shen Xiao, the eldest son he cared for most, who was about to turn around and go back to the mansion.
"Xiao'er!"
Shen Yan darted over and familiarly hooked his arm around Shen Xiao's shoulder, his movements carrying the roguish air of his old days on the streets, but his face forced a fake "benevolent father" seriousness. "Come, come, come inside with your parents, Dad has something 'important' to talk to you about!" Without waiting for a reply, he dragged the bewildered Shen Xiao back to the main hall.
Only three people remained in the hall.
Shen Yan sat down in the main seat with a grand and imposing manner, while Ling Zhan quietly took his seat to the side.
Shen Yan cleared his throat, suppressing his sorrow and some ulterior motives, and put on the face of an "old father having a heart-to-heart talk," but the sharp glint in his eyes could not be hidden.
“Xiao’er,” Shen Yan patted the armrest, looking like he was saying, “we’re easy to talk to, father and son.” “Look, your younger siblings are all flying off to the Northern Frontier in pairs. You, as the eldest brother, are almost twenty! In the capital or the Northern Frontier… hmm?” He winked and lowered his voice, with a hint of mischievousness from someone who had been through it all, “Any girls you’ve got your eye on? Tell your father! I’ll make the decision for you! No matter what their background is, as long as you like them, I’ll risk my old face…” He patted his chest, as if he were still the neighborhood older brother who could arrange “good matches” for his brothers back then.
Shen Xiao was embarrassed by his father's overly "down-to-earth" manner and subconsciously looked at his mother.
Ling Zhan's gaze fell calmly on him, and Shen Xiao's heart tightened, but he instantly calmed down.
"Father... Mother..." Shen Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes darting away.
"Tsk, what are you stammering about?" Shen Yan said disapprovingly. "What kind of man are you, beating around the bush like this? Just tell me! Is it true? Which family is it from?"
Ling Zhan put down his teacup: "Xiao'er, speak frankly."
Under his mother's calm gaze, Shen Xiao took a deep breath, raised his head, and said with the stubbornness of a young man, "Father, Mother... if I get married in the future, I want to... I want to marry a woman from the Northern Di."
"What the heck?!"
Shen Yan sprang up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes wide and bulging, his finger trembling as he pointed at Shen Xiao. "North...Northern Barbarians?! How many Northern Barbarian barbarians have you killed in the Northern Frontier? You...did you get your brain damaged by the cold wind in the Northern Frontier? Or did that Northern Barbarian woman bewitch you?!" He paced anxiously, his mouth rattling off, "No! Absolutely not! Our Shen family can't afford this disgrace! Our ancestors will be turning in their graves!"
"Father!" Shen Xiao retorted, "There are good people among the Northern Barbarians too! There are many intermarriages in the border regions! I'm not confused! You and Mother both supported it..."
"You little brat..." Shen Yan rolled up her sleeves in anger.
“Desire”.
The mere mention of Ling Zhan's name was like a bucket of ice water poured over Shen Yan's head. He deflated, sat down sullenly, and muttered, "...that brat..."
Ling Zhan ignored him, his gaze fixed firmly on Shen Xiao: "Xiao'er, do you wish to become a general?"
Shen Xiao straightened his back, his eyes burning: "Yes! Your son and mother have learned a great deal of skill, and we are willing to defend the land and protect the borders!"
"good."
Ling Zhan nodded, his voice clear and cold, "For a general, the responsibility of command is heavier than Mount Tai. You married a woman from the Northern Barbarians. How will the army view you? Your comrades will question your treason and wavering stance. What will you do then? The court will accuse you of harboring disloyalty and inviting wolves into the house. What will you do then? This is no ordinary marriage between commoners, much less the kind of street hustling your father used to do. If the army's morale is low, the commander's orders will be difficult to carry out. A slight misstep could lead to utter ruin and implicate the entire army. This blade from 'our own people' is harder to defend against than an enemy's open spear. Have you considered this? Can you... withstand it?"
Ling Zhan's words were cold and sharp, peeling away the hazy passion and ideals in Shen Xiao's heart layer by layer.
His face gradually paled, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead. The strange and distant gazes of his comrades, the cold and sarcastic memorials in the court, the suspicion and danger behind the stalemate in the war... a heavy boulder crashed down on him.
"mother……"
Shen Xiao's voice was dry and hoarse, tinged with belated shock, "Your son... understands. It was your son... who thought too little. Your son will... be extremely cautious about this matter." After saying this, he bowed deeply, his back conveying a heavy feeling.
Shen Yan watched as his son was awakened by his wife, and he breathed a sigh of relief, slumped in his chair, and surprisingly did not make a sound, only wiping away a bead of cold sweat.
He muttered under his breath, "You brat, you scared your dad to death..."
After seeing Shen Xiao off, Shen Yan felt utterly exhausted. His children were all ambitious and unconventional, flying off into the distance, leaving him, the "old father," to worry endlessly in the empty mansion, and constantly being outshone by his wife!
The night was deep. Ling Zhan had just finished showering and was sitting in front of the mirror in a plain white nightgown, combing his long hair.
The door opened silently a crack, and Shen Yan, clutching his pair of mandarin duck pillows, sneaked in like a thief. He glanced at Ling Zhan's aloof back, then at the spacious and comfortable bed, steeled himself, closed his eyes, lay down, and began to fake cry!
"Ouch... Ouch..." He groaned, clutching his chest. "It hurts so much... My heart hurts... I can't breathe... It must be because of that brat Xiao'er during the day..." Ling Zhan stopped combing his hair and looked at the man who was acting like a spoiled child on the bed in the mirror, his brows furrowing slightly.
Seeing that she didn't react, Shen Yan started rolling around wrapped in the blanket.
“My dear wife… I’m so miserable! Look at this whole family… They used to be so good! They all listened to me! But now, you’ve turned them all upside down! They’re cultivating Taoism, growing herbs, doing business, and they even want to marry a woman from the Northern Barbarians! And those little brats, they’re always thinking about going to sea to fight the Japanese pirates! I’m the only honest old father left, living in constant fear that they’ll cause trouble! My heart is breaking from worry! I’m scared during the day and worried at night, I can’t even sleep well! Look at my face, doesn’t it look haggard?”
He touched his face, looking "heartbroken," and exclaimed, "It's all your fault for indulging them! You have to take responsibility!"
He rolled to Ling Zhan's feet, tilted his head back, and tried to squeeze out some tears from his peach blossom eyes. "I don't care! I'm sleeping here tonight! The study is freezing cold, and my heart is even colder! Without Madam to warm me up, I won't survive tonight! Ouch..." He hummed and stole glances at Ling Zhan.
Ling Zhan looked at the shameless figure at his feet and remained silent for a moment.
The candlelight illuminated her beautiful, serene profile. Finally, she sighed almost inaudibly, put down the jade comb, walked to the bedside, and lifted a corner of the brocade quilt. Her voice was cool, yet carried a barely perceptible hint of compromise: "Just for one night. Tomorrow I'll go back to your room. If you cause any more trouble, I'll throw you out."
Shen Yan stopped humming instantly, his eyes gleaming! He'd succeeded!
He scrambled to the inside of the bed with lightning speed, wrapping himself in the brocade quilt that carried Ling Zhan's cool, refreshing scent, leaving only his eyes exposed. He sighed contentedly, "My wife still cares about me the most!" He carefully snuggled closer to Ling Zhan, and seeing that she didn't object, he immediately took advantage of the situation, resting his head near her shoulder. He greedily inhaled the faint, cool herbal fragrance in her hair, and all the stuffiness and irritability in his body instantly vanished. He fell into a deep sleep, completely satisfied, with a silly smile still lingering on his lips.
Ling Zhan lay there quietly in the darkness, feeling the heavy, roguish dependence on his shoulder.
His cool gaze flickered slightly in the night.
That rascal... in the end, we let him go.
In the days that followed, Shen Yan was like a mouse that had stolen honey, walking with a swagger, humming a little tune and swaying his flamboyant brocade robe, enjoying his hard-won "privileges," and living a blissful life.
until……
The first snow of the winter arrived quietly one morning.
Fine snowflakes pattered against the windowpanes, and the courtyard was quickly covered with a thin layer of white.
The little bull stumbled and crawled into the mansion gate, his hair covered in a thick layer of white foam, his face ashen white. He was almost out of breath when he rushed into the main hall, his voice cracking with a desperate cry: "Father! Mother! Something...something terrible has happened!!"
The two, who were warming themselves by the fire and Shen Yan was still trying to show off her new jade thumb ring to Ling Zhan, looked up at the same time.
Shen Yan frowned as she saw her son's bloodless face and terrified eyes.
His heart sank: "What's the panic! Is the sky falling? Has something happened in the palace? Have you gotten into trouble?"
"No...no!" The little bull stamped his feet anxiously, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "It's His Majesty! His Majesty...suddenly developed a high fever last night! Coughing...coughing so violently, he couldn't stop! This morning...this morning he coughed up blood! A huge basinful! The entire Zichen Palace reeks of blood! All the people from the Imperial Hospital have gone in! They're taking turns watching over him, and the palace is full of needles! It looks...it looks like things aren't going to get better!"
He was panting heavily, then suddenly lowered his voice, filled with even deeper fear, "And...and there's more! The Jiang family! Grand Secretary Jiang and the others...sent the Prince of Changyi back overnight with an urgent dispatch! The decree was issued in the dead of night! The palace...the palace is like a swarm of wasps that has been disturbed!"
"Coughing up blood?! The King of Changyi?!"
The warm jade thumb ring in Shen Yan's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," hitting the edge of the charcoal brazier with a crisp sound. He stood up abruptly, his face instantly turning ashen and serious, all his cynicism vanishing. Having spent half his life in the streets, he knew all too well what "coughing up blood" meant, and he knew even more deeply how murky and poisonous the waters of the inner palace were!
His young imperial uncle is only nineteen years old! He has just assumed power and hasn't even firmly settled onto the throne yet!
A chilling coldness, like a venomous snake, instantly coiled around his heart and shot straight to the top of his head! The emperor was critically ill, childless, and urgently summoned his uncle, a powerful and renowned prince, to the capital?! This was no visit to the sick! This was clearly the prelude to a coup! The opening salvo of a bloody storm!
He suddenly looked at Ling Zhan, and in the instant their eyes met, without saying a word, they both saw the sudden surge of turbulent waves in each other's eyes—a tremendous sense of crisis that could overturn everything!
The capital city is about to become the most dangerous battlefield! All forces are sharpening their knives, eyeing the city with predatory intent!
The Shen family, a newly powerful family with an unstable foundation, is rich and has a delicate position. They are like fat meat that everyone wants to fight for or eliminate! The King of Changyi, the Jiang family, and other tigers and wolves lurking in the shadows... Shen Yan seems to have already smelled the heavy, irresistible stench of blood, a smell that is more pungent and deadly than the one he smelled when he was fighting in the street years ago!
Ling Zhan had already stood up, her posture as straight as a pine tree. In a flash, she had discerned all the dangers.
Without the slightest hesitation, her voice was resolute: "Shen Yan!"
"exist!"
Shen Yan jolted awake, his back instantly straightening like a javelin, his eyes sharp as a hawk. All his street thugness vanished, leaving only the ruthlessness and determination of a former desperate outlaw who had once lived on the edge of a knife, and now a man who had to protect his family.
"Immediately! Take your most trusted and efficient servants and pack your most essential belongings! Keep quiet and only tell others that the mistress is feeling cold and the whole family is going to the West Mountain Villa for a hot spring bath and rest! Take Xing'er, Chen'er, and Shitou with you! Depart through the side gate in one hour!"
The orders were clear, swift, and unquestionable, carrying the sharp edge of a battlefield troop deployment.
"Niu'er!" She turned to her son, who was still in shock and almost collapsed, her eyes blazing. "You return to the palace immediately! Unless His Majesty issues a special decree, you need not come back anytime soon! Be careful what you say and do, and pretend you know nothing! Stay alive! Remember, staying alive is the most important thing!"
The Xishan Villa, nestled against a precipitous peak, is easy to defend and difficult to attack; it is their only escape route at this moment.
This first snow brought not only biting cold, but also a political storm powerful enough to tear the world apart and turn the capital into a bloodbath!
We must leave immediately! Leave this powder keg that is about to be ignited and blown to smithereens!
Shen Yan looked at the icy resolve and deep-seated worry in his wife's eyes, his heart pounding, but his innate shrewdness and the instincts honed from the countless dangers he had faced alongside Ling Zhan over the past five years instantly brought him back to his senses. He forcefully wiped his face, suppressing the complex emotions churning within him regarding the young emperor's fate.
Worried? Or perhaps feeling a sense of shared sorrow for the passing of a fellow rabbit?
All that remained in his eyes was the ruthlessness of a bachelor—to protect his family, he'd fight to the death!
"Understood! Don't worry, Madam!"
His voice was as deep as iron, carrying a ruthless edge unique to the common people.
"Leave it to me! I'll make sure everything is spotless, not even the King of Heaven can touch a hair on our head!"
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