On the way to invite Granny Li, Shang Shaoyan looked at Bai Feng with a hint of something in her eyes.
Shang Shaoyan had already regained his usual calm and composed demeanor. Seeing this, he merely glanced indifferently at Qiao Xiuyu's direction behind him: "It was my oversight. This afternoon, you should have sent word within the manor that Young Master Lu is a distinguished guest of our household and should not be neglected."
Bai Feng quickly agreed and then quietly held the umbrella for Shang Shaoyan all the way.
Snow had fallen from the sky, but a few rays of sunshine peeked through the otherwise gloomy sky. Shang Shaoyan smiled and said in a cheerful mood, "Spring is almost here."
...
Granny Li was tidying up her things in the bedroom when she heard from a maid that Shang Shaoyan had arrived at the main hall. For some reason, she felt a little nervous.
She knew that the county princess was no longer the same as before. According to the Duke, the current county princess was much easier to get along with than before, but she didn't know if it was true or not.
After a few moments of thought, she came to her senses and saw Shang Shaoyan sitting in the main hall, chatting and laughing with his maid.
Upon closer inspection, it had been a full year since Granny Li had seen Shang Shaoyan. Even though she was prepared for the latter's dramatic changes, she was still quite taken aback.
The young woman wore a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair styled in a jinghong bun, adorned only with a few white plum blossoms; her every move exuded an air of supreme nobility, and her smile was just right, as if she had practiced it thousands of times.
This is a far cry from her former self, who loved wearing pink and had a ruthless nature.
With just one glance, the experienced Granny Li knew that the current county princess was no ordinary person.
But the joyful and sincere look in the princess's eyes told her that the princess truly loved and cherished her.
Thinking this, Granny Li became genuinely happy. She went up to Shang Shaoyan, took his hand, and kept looking him over: "The county princess is truly a divine being."
Bai Feng chuckled from the side, "You've raised the county princess with your mother's milk, yet it's as if you're only meeting her today."
Shang Shaoyan and Granny Li exchanged a glance, then smiled knowingly.
We just met, didn't we?
Shang Shaoyan smiled and tapped Bai Feng's forehead: "You should talk less. I was exhausted the other day and didn't take care of Granny Li. What you said makes me feel even more guilty."
Bai Feng knew that Shang Shaoyan was joking, so he smiled and apologized, and the matter was dropped.
Shang Shaoyan found an excuse to send Bai Feng away, then pulled Li Mama to sit down facing him, which startled Li Mama so much that she almost knelt on the ground: "Princess, this is against the rules, it is absolutely unacceptable!"
Shang Shaoyan helplessly pressed the person down into the chair: "What are you saying, Granny? In the current situation in the manor, where are the rules? Besides, as that girl Bai Feng said, you raised my brother and me, so it's perfectly acceptable to respect you."
Moved by her kindness, Granny Li decided not to refuse.
After chatting for a while, Shang Shaoyan finally got to the point: "Brother, you have put a lot of thought into this, wanting you to take good care of me. However, that musician's identity is quite unusual, and I haven't told you about it."
Shang Yunlan deliberately didn't mention Qiao Xiuyu's true identity yesterday, so that she could leave the conversation to Shang Shaoyan and make her and Granny Li even closer.
Upon hearing this, Granny Li pondered for a moment and said, "Is there something special about his family?"
No matter how shrewd Li Mama was, she could never have imagined that Qiao Xiuyu was a prince of Northern Zhou. After all, what kind of person would a prince of a country be willing to be a concubine of a noble lady?
Shang Shaoyan didn't mince words and said directly, "His name is Lu Zhuo, but that's a fake surname. His... surname is Qiao."
As he spoke, Shang Shaoyan pointed to the northern horizon and said meaningfully, "That Qiao."
Granny Li immediately realized what was happening, and with a start, she firmly grasped Shang Shaoyan's hand: "Is what the county princess said true?"
Shang Shaoyan pursed his lips and said seriously, "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have dared to say it. I only told my brother that he was a spy sent by another mansion, but I didn't say anything more... You know my brother's health, he can't take any hardship, and I don't want him to worry."
Granny Li patted Shang Shaoyan's hand, her face serious: "The county princess is very kind. However, it may not be appropriate for this musician to remain in the manor."
Shang Shaoyan smiled and said, "Granny, there's no need to worry. I have my own plans. But I still need to tell you a few things. In short, the musician and I have each gotten what we wanted, and there won't be any problems."
Granny Li nodded hesitantly, then asked in a low voice, "Should we inform the Duke about this?"
Shang Shaoyan shook his head: "No need. My brother is not well, so it's not appropriate for him to worry."
...
While the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was in perfect harmony, the imperial palace presented a scene of utter chaos.
Emperor Chen sat on the dragon throne, drowsy, with a cockatoo perched on his shoulder, its small, black eyes fixed on the civil and military officials below.
Left Chancellor Chen Shu was already sixty years old. Upon seeing this, he was so angry that his beard trembled. He gripped his tablet and took two or three steps forward to remonstrate: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."
The old yet resonant voice echoed within the Golden Palace, instantly waking Emperor Chen: "Yes, speak."
Chen Shu bowed and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the Northern Zhou has sent the Seventh Prince as a hostage. This is an ambitious move. I hope Your Majesty will restore order to the court!"
Emperor Chen seemed to have not slept all night, his eyes were dark and swollen. After a long pause to react to the words, he frowned and slammed his fist on the table: "How dare you! I am the Son of Heaven, the great Chen Dynasty, a prosperous and powerful nation. How dare you question me like this? Are you planning a rebellion?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Shu immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty is wise! I have absolutely no intention of disloyalty!"
Emperor Chen waved his hand impatiently, interrupting Chen Shu: "Guards, convey my decree: The Right Chancellor has acted improperly before the Emperor and harbors wolfish ambitions. His crime deserves death. However, considering the plight of his family, I will spare his life, confiscate his property, and exile him to Shu Prefecture. Court adjourned."
Right Chancellor Li Xuan immediately knelt down, cold sweat pouring down his face: "Your Majesty, I have no disloyal intentions. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"
In that instant, he thought of many things: Was it that the Emperor was reluctant to punish the Left Chancellor and wanted to make an example of him, or...?
Emperor Chen frowned and looked at it, then said casually, "Oh, I misremembered. It should be the Left Chancellor whose property was confiscated and who was exiled. But my word is my bond. What's said can't be taken back. Why don't you go along with him?"
Li Xuan felt it was absurd, utterly absurd; this was simply an undeserved disaster!
He and Chen Shu exchanged a glance, and both saw despair in each other's eyes.
Exiled to Shu Prefecture, the Shu Road has always been more difficult than ascending to heaven. Whether these old men could safely reach Shu Prefecture was a huge question.
...
"You're going to Shu Prefecture?" Shang Yunlan frowned as she looked at Shang Shaoyan. "What are you going there for?"
Shang Shaoyan pouted: "You can't bear to part with me, can you? You're worried about me, aren't you? Where were you before!"
Shang Yunlan shook her head gracefully, and said with some surprise, "Why would I worry about you or be reluctant to part with you? If you leave, who will take care of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
Shang Shaoyan: "..."
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