Chapter 61 The Attack
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Duan Mo lost both his parents at a young age and was raised by his father's friend. His father's friend had a daughter, and the two grew up together as childhood sweethearts. They got married as soon as they came of age and were considered to be in love for a long time.
To support his studies for the imperial examinations, his father-in-law's family gritted their teeth and tightened their belts. The family, which was originally somewhat well-off, became destitute. The daughter, who was already in poor health, stayed up all night to support her husband's studies.
I thought Duan Mo was a person with a conscience, but who knew that after he came to the capital, he not only spent money extravagantly, but also frequently contacted those noble ladies, and his true intentions were obvious.
Last year, his hometown was hit by a snow disaster. Because there was no money to repair the house, his parents-in-law died when the roof beam collapsed under the weight of the snow. His wife survived and came to the capital to find him.
If he hadn't accidentally saved his wife, learned about his past from her, and witnessed him flirting with a noble lady at a banquet, he wouldn't have believed that Duan Mo, who seemed like a proper gentleman, could be such a person.
His wife has been in the capital for quite some time now. Does anyone in the capital know that he got married?
What a talented and modest man! Bah! He's nothing but a heartless and treacherous person!
After hearing Gu Jinyan's indignant words, Shen Panyan frowned, her eyes filled with displeasure.
"I never imagined Duan Mo would be this kind of person..."
“Yes, Princess, don’t believe Lord Lu’s words. You know, you can know a person’s face but not their heart. Who knows what kind of thoughts are hidden under that gentle and refined appearance…” Gu Jinyan’s gaze fell on Lin Xiao, implying something, while Lin Xiao’s expression remained calm.
"I see. Thank you for your explanation, Young Master Gu."
Gu Jinyan: "......"
He snorted and decided not to make a fool of himself.
Not long after, a commotion arose downstairs; the poetry contest had begun.
Duan Mo lived up to his reputation as a talented scholar, winning first place and gaining widespread fame.
*
midnight.
The night watchman walked by, banging a gong and drum, announcing, "Second watch at Hai hour, close the doors and windows, beware of theft!"
In the quiet, secluded alley, a house was still lit, and a woman with elegant features was sitting by the window embroidering, while a candle was quietly burning beside her, crackling softly.
The woman was extremely quiet, as if afraid of waking someone, even her breathing was very soft.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the wooden bed not far away, as if someone was turning over. The woman paused, quickly blew out the candle, and sat quietly in place, holding her breath and waiting for the sound to pass.
The room quickly quieted down again, and the woman breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up the tinderbox next to her, intending to light the candle, but a hand grabbed the tinderbox faster than she could.
The woman froze, and a male voice, suppressing anger, rang out, "Didn't I tell you not to embroider anymore? Why didn't you listen?"
—We've been discovered!
"Husband, I just wanted to share some of your burden..." the woman hurriedly turned around to explain.
“I don’t need you to share any burden with me. We’re not short of money at home now, Xiaoyun. I don’t need you to stay up all night embroidering to support my studies like before.”
"But, but the expenses in the capital are high, and you, my husband, also need to make friends with your classmates. That money won't last long..." The woman bit her lip.
"I'll figure out the money problem, Xiaoyun. Don't always think about me; think about yourself too. Your health isn't good to begin with, and you're still working so hard day and night..."
"My husband, I'm feeling much better now, I'm fine, you don't need to worry..."
"How could I not worry? It's all my fault. I haven't been able to give you a peaceful life, and even... I'm sorry to you, and I'm sorry to our parents..."
As the two nestled together, they were completely unaware that there was another person present.
Lin Xiao remained hidden in the shadows, watching them with a calm and indifferent expression.
If it weren't for Gu Jinyan, he would have taken much longer to find out that Duan Mo actually had a wife, a childhood sweetheart. He came tonight with the intention of taking the two of them away and handing them over to His Majesty for interrogation.
However, at this moment, looking at the two people leaning on each other, he hesitated for the first time.
He shouldn't be so merciful.
But now, he couldn't quite explain his thoughts; he just wanted to see whether what Gu Jinyan said was true, or what he saw with his own eyes was true.
*
In order to get rid of Gu Jinyan, Shen Panyan went to the palace every day to accompany Emperor Ganning.
She herself couldn't figure out her own thoughts, so she simply put the matter aside for now, focused on pleasing her father, and trying to get Lin Xiao back.
Shen Panyan was quiet and unassuming, yet she was also very attentive. Whatever Emperor Gan Ning needed, she would always be there for him immediately, such as grinding ink and adding tea.
When he didn't need her, she would sit quietly to the side, not going anywhere. Seeing her like this, Emperor Gan Ning sighed, ultimately unable to resist.
"Mingyue, what's wrong with you lately? Why are you always hovering around Father Emperor?"
Shen Panyan shook her head, a small dimple appearing at the corner of her lips. "It's nothing, I just wanted to spend some time with Father."
Emperor Gan Ning chuckled: "They're all grown women, why are they still revolving around their father?"
"There are so many girls your age in the capital. Don't you go out and play with them? Don't you find it boring to stay here with your father?"
“It’s not boring, and besides, I don’t know any of them well, so I don’t want to go.” As she spoke, Chen Panyan tugged at his sleeve and shook it gently, her voice soft, “Father, do you find Mingyue annoying?”
She lowered her eyes in disappointment. "If you find Mingyue annoying, then Mingyue won't come tomorrow."
Emperor Gan Ning: "..."
He reached out and gently touched her head. "You child, you are the most sensitive. If your father finds you annoying, he can make you come over every day."
Don't overthink it.
Shen Panyan looked up, her eyes crinkling, "I knew Father Emperor was the best."
Emperor Gan Ning gave a cryptic snort, "Are you here to keep me company, or to avoid Gu Jin Yan...?"
Shen Panyan: "..."
She gave an awkward smile. "Did Father Emperor notice?"
Emperor Gan Ning continued reviewing the memorials, saying, "You think you can hide your little schemes from your father?"
"Tell me the truth, do you have someone you like? Otherwise, why don't you want to get married?"
Emperor Gan Ning's calm words were like ice, instantly freezing her blood. Shen Panyan's heart almost stopped, and her body froze on the spot. She used almost all her strength to restrain herself, "Why did Father suddenly say that?"
"A few days ago, someone saw you enter Qusheng Tower and go into Lu Yunqi's room. Do you like Lu Yunqi?"
Young girls always love the love-at-first-sight trope. Wasn't Cheng Le relentlessly pursuing Zhao Yun because of this? Besides, Lu Yunqi is handsome, so it's normal for Mingyue to like him, even though that's not the real Lu Yunqi.
Emperor Gan Ning frowned and sighed, "Lu Yunqi is my favorite minister, Mingyue. If you like him, I may not be able to agree to it."
With the borders of Zhaoyan Kingdom currently in turmoil and the Crown Prince harboring wolfish ambitions, it is precisely the time when we need capable and pragmatic ministers like these.
Shen Panyan felt a chill run down her spine. "Father, you're overthinking it. Mingyue doesn't like Lord Lu. She just happened to run into him and he saved her life, so she thought of saying hello. She didn't mean anything by it."
Emperor Gan Ning suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Is it true?"
Shen Panyan used all her strength to restrain herself and said, "Yes."
Emperor Gan Ning withdrew his gaze and said nothing more, continuing to review the memorials. The room was silent. Shen Panyan thought she had passed this hurdle and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Emperor Gan Ning's voice suddenly rang out again.
“Mingyue, you are a princess. Your father hopes that you can remember your identity. It’s okay if you don’t want to get married now. Your father doesn’t intend to marry you off so soon.”
"However, the marriage can be postponed now, but the engagement must be finalized."
“If you don’t like Gu Jinyan, there are other young men. Your father has already had all the eligible young men from noble families in the capital selected. The men I’ve chosen for you all come from simple families and don’t have any concubines. Take a look.”
Emperor Gan Ning's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. Shen Panyan suppressed her fear, feeling as if she had returned to the past, barely able to find her own voice, and replied, "Yes."
"Deyuan, bring all the portraits over here so Mingyue can take a look."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shen Panyan didn't even know how she got back. She was walking unsteadily and had to be supported by bamboo branches the whole way.
Deyuan watched her departing figure, sighed, and went back to serve Emperor Ganning.
What in this world can be kept from His Majesty?
The Imperial Study was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of pages being turned.
Suddenly.
"Deyuan, grind the ink."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After reviewing the last memorial, Emperor Gan Ning asked, "De Yuan, do you think that by doing this, Mingyue will become estranged from me again?"
Deyuan: "Your Majesty is also thinking of the princess. After all, the princess is still young and doesn't understand. Once she understands, she will understand Your Majesty's good intentions."
Emperor Gan Ning shook his head, "I didn't actually intend to restrain her, but Lu Yunqi really isn't suitable. Moreover, Mingyue probably doesn't know that it wasn't the real Lu Yunqi. Her affection will ultimately come to nothing."
"In the end, it was An Jiu who overstepped his bounds in this matter."
"shadow."
A black-clad figure appeared, kneeling on one knee. "Your subordinate is here."
"After the mission is over, let An Jiu retrain. He has become more and more unruly and has more and more schemes. I don't want to see him become more and more scheming."
"yes."
*
After returning home, Shen Panyan felt as if she had come back to life.
The moment she stepped into the room, she suddenly lost her balance and fell forward. Zhuzhi and Qingdai quickly reached out to support her, "Princess!!"
Shen Panyan's face was ashen, and her voice was weak, "I'm fine, you can all leave."
Zhuzhi and Qingdai looked at each other, not wanting to leave, but not daring to disobey Shen Panyan's orders, so they could only retreat.
"yes."
Only when the door closed did the tears that had been welling up in Chen Panyan's eyes finally roll down her cheeks in large drops.
What was she struggling with, what was she hesitating about? In fact, from beginning to end, she had no choice.
Perhaps her father's recent gentleness towards her gave her the illusion that she was special to him and could refuse or choose. But his sudden attack today brought her back to reality.
Father may care about me, but that little bit of care is nothing compared to other things.
She was wrong.
Her father's affection for her was only because of her deceased mother. Unfortunately, she failed to see the situation clearly and naively thought that her father cared about her.
He was already merciful for not marrying her off to a noble family that needed a marriage alliance, allowing her to choose her husband freely. It's laughable that she still wanted more.
Tears blurred her vision, and Chen Panyan tightened her grip on her fingers little by little.
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