Shang Shaoyan was still furious: "What kind of monsters and demons live in this palace? It's really bad luck!"
Shang Yunlan reassured her, "Calm down, we're here to unify the North and South!"
Shang Shaoyan gave a cold laugh: "Isn't this all because of you, you troublemaker!"
Shang Yunlan: "...Let's be reasonable. It was the original owner of this body who seduced Su Qianqian, not me."
Shang Shaoyan glanced at him: "It's still the same face."
However, once Shang Shaoyan calmed down, he did not continue to hold a grudge against Shang Yunlan. Instead, he summoned Granny Li to prepare for his meeting with Empress Li the next day.
Although it was already evening, Granny Li's hair was still neatly combed, and her clothes were simple and clean without a single wrinkle. She walked into Mingyue Tower with a serious expression, so she probably knew why Shang Shaoyan was looking for her.
"Granny." Shang Shaoyan rose from the couch and helped her sit down. "Would you like to come to the palace with me tomorrow?"
When Li Mama saw Shang Shaoyan, the seriousness on her face eased a bit: "The county princess has her own plans. If there is anything this old servant needs to do, just give the order."
Shang Shaoyan was deeply moved—Li Mama knew that he and his brother were not the original owners, yet she still did her best for them. Admittedly, this was because the brother and sister regarded the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion as their "roots," but if it were anyone else, they would probably have already shouted that they were monsters and wanted to fight and kill them.
"It's not a big deal, but I'll still have to trouble you a bit," Shang Shaoyan said with a smile. "You can't just walk around in the palace. I acted impulsively today, so my brother will go to the palace to see the Emperor tomorrow morning to apologize."
She paused, then said meaningfully, "Her Majesty the Empress is not someone to be trifled with. It would be understandable if I fainted after leaving Kunning Palace. If that really happens, I'll have to trouble the old nanny to make a big show of getting me out."
A hint of a smile appeared in Granny Li's eyes: "Don't worry, Princess, this old servant understands everything."
Upon seeing this, Shang Shaoyan smiled slightly, then chatted with Granny Li for a few more minutes before letting the person leave.
No sooner had Granny Li left than Yan Xuening arrived. Shang Shaoyan looked up and saw her panicked expression, and asked with some surprise, "What's wrong?"
Seeing Shang Shaoyan's puzzled expression, Yan Xuening's eyes immediately reddened, and she sat down opposite Shang Shaoyan: "Cousin, you have to save me!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Shaoyan understood the situation, but then felt somewhat helpless—Yan Xuening's daily worries revolved around marriage, and it was clear that something unexpected had happened when Cheng took her out for socializing today.
"So, which young man have you taken a fancy to?" Shang Shaoyan slowly turned a page of his book, not in a hurry. "Calm down for a while, then tell me slowly and make things clear. Don't ramble on and on, or I won't be able to give you any advice."
Yan Xuening nodded quickly. She had heard from her mother that her cousin was the most shrewd person, even surpassing her deceased aunt. She had also heard her mother analyze her marriage situation and knew that she had to rely on the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Therefore, she now greatly admired Shang Shaoyan.
Yan Xuening sat on the couch, silently sorting out her thoughts. Once her anxiety subsided, she said with red eyes, "Today, Mother took me to the Shen residence—the home of the late Grand Tutor Shen. Today was a plum blossom appreciation banquet hosted by Madam Shen, as my cousin knows. It was for a matchmaking event. I benefited from my cousin's presence, so everyone was quite kind to me. During the banquet, someone suggested composing poems about plum blossoms, but how could I possibly know how to do that?"
By this point, Yan Xuening's mood had mostly calmed down: "I was a little flustered at the time, so I thought I would use my poor health as an excuse to get out of it. But I didn't expect that Madam Shen's granddaughter would ask about my cousin and say that it was no fun without me. All the noble ladies fawned over her, so she turned the conversation to me and started urging me to write a poem."
Hearing this, Shang Shaoyan could already guess what would happen next.
"Was it when you were just feeling worried that a gentleman came to your rescue?" Her voice was hard to decipher, "Tell me more details."
“My cousin is right. A young man on the other side of the screen helped me out of that predicament. I had already relaxed, but then, without me noticing, Old Madam Shen appeared not far away and said that I was very destined to meet that young man… But he is the younger brother of Consort Zhao. Who in Shengjing doesn’t know that he is blind!” As she spoke, Yan Xuening’s eyes reddened again. “There were quite a few noble ladies who heard those words at the time. They were all trying to curry favor with Old Madam Shen, and they all echoed her words… I went to find my mother, but she just smiled and didn’t say anything. She told me to come back and ask you.”
Shang Shaoyan understood.
Rumors circulated that Consort Zhao's younger brother, Li Langxuan, had his eyes ruined by the Duke of Chengen's family, making it difficult for him to find a wife; later, Consort Zhao was also known as a demon concubine, making it even more difficult for anyone to marry into her family.
Therefore, although Li Langxuan was granted the title of Marquis of Yongle due to nepotism, he has not yet married.
This is forcing Yan Xuening to marry Li Langxuan.
but why?
As far as Shang Shaoyan knew, the death of the General of the Cavalry was inextricably linked to the Shen family, and the Shen family had also caused Consort Zhao a lot of trouble afterward. The two families had always been enemies, so the Shen family would naturally not be so kind as to arrange a marriage for Li Langxuan.
Unless, of course, this marriage has extremely negative consequences—Shang Shaoyan admits that although Yan Xuening is good-looking and her temperament is somewhat pretentious, she is still backed by the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. How could she become a weapon for killing?
Furthermore, the Shen family contributed significantly to the current emperor's ascension to the throne, making them close advisors to the emperor. They would never do anything without a reason.
Shang Shaoyan's mind raced, and then he gave a cold laugh.
Emperor Chen... is preparing to target her merchants.
Shang Shaoyan snapped out of his daze, patted Yan Xuening's hand reassuringly, and asked, "How does Li Langxuan look?"
Yan Xuening was stunned for a moment, then blushed and said, "Yes, very good."
Shang Shaoyan then asked, "Is his family background good?"
Yan Xuening thought for a moment and had to admit, "The Yongle Marquis's residence is certainly good."
Shang Shaoyan asked again, "Do you still remember what you just said, that you wanted to find a handsome and well-off man?"
Yan Xuening: "..."
She said somewhat urgently, "But this is different!"
Shang Shaoyan could actually understand Yan Xuening very well—marrying in ancient times was not like in modern times; divorce was not easy, and if you married the wrong person, you would have nowhere to cry.
Li Langxuan is blind, and no matter how good his family background is, it cannot change that. If Yan Xuening really marries him, her life will not be easy for the rest of her days.
Shang Shaoyan took a sip of hot water, and seeing that Yan Xuening was almost in tears, he said, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore."
She held Yan Xuening's hand and smiled, "I'm only telling you that Li Langxuan is a good match. I never thought of him before, otherwise I would have told you long ago."
Yan Xuening nearly fainted: "How can he be considered a good match?"
Shang Shaoyan whispered in Yan Xuening's ear, "He only likes you because he's blind."
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