Unlike Chen Shu, Li Xuan was looking at Shang Shaoyan with a slightly scrutinizing gaze, but quickly withdrew his gaze when Shang Shaoyan noticed and looked over.
Shang Shaoyan chuckled inwardly, finding the two elderly people quite adorable, but on the surface she still maintained an innocent and naive demeanor: "Please don't blame me, gentlemen, I've done my best."
Chen Shu likes to play straightforwardly, so he has a good impression of Shang Shaoyan, who also plays straightforwardly; but Li Xuan is obviously much more wary of Shang Shaoyan. However, since he helped them in the end, Li Xuan has to suppress his questions, even if he has a million questions.
So the two prime ministers happily said to Shang Shaoyan, "How could we blame you? You have already done so much. Princess Heyang is a good person."
Shang Shaoyan felt very comfortable and returned the compliment, saying, "You two are too kind. It was just a small favor. Although it cost a lot of money, it was worth it as long as you two are comfortable." His meaning was very clear—I have done you a great favor, and you'd better remember it.
After a brief conversation, Li Xuan watched as his old rival Chen Shu was easily amused by Shang Shaoyan's few words, and a deep doubt arose in his mind—was Chen Shu usually this easy to talk to? Was Chen Shu only difficult to talk to? Did Chen Shu dislike him?
He was still struggling with his own thoughts when he suddenly heard Shang Shaoyan turn the conversation to him: "Speaking of which, my brother and I have admired Lord Li since we were little. Ten years ago—in the summer of the thirteenth year of Tianlin, the Yellow River breached its banks. Lord Li went to repair the dikes and provide disaster relief. I was only six years old then, and my brother was only ten. We secretly watched Lord Li leave from the city gate... My brother said that when he grew up, he wanted to be like you, but after he turned ten, his illness worsened... Let alone doing things for the people like you, he couldn't even pass the imperial examinations."
As he spoke, Shang Shaoyan sighed deeply, "I only hope that my trip to Shu Prefecture to seek medical treatment will be able to cure my brother's illness in one fell swoop. My brother should have been the most talented young man in Shengjing, but because of this illness..."
Chen Shu was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "I've heard before that you and your brother were notorious playboys in Shengjing..."
Li Xuan elbowed Chen Shu, signaling him to shut up.
Seeing this, Shang Shaoyan smiled weakly and said helplessly, "When my parents were still alive, they told my brother and me that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion did not need outstanding descendants before they died..."
These words were vague, but they contained a wealth of information. Li Xuan and Chen Shu exchanged a glance, knowing that this was normal—when the brother and sister were born, the late emperor was old and found everyone suspicious, sometimes suspecting this person of disloyalty, sometimes feeling that that person's achievements overshadowed the emperor's...
Shang Shaoyan seemed oblivious to the exchange of glances between the two, and continued, "After our parents passed away, my brother and I must keep this huge Zhenguo Duke's Mansion afloat, so as to comfort our parents' spirits in heaven."
At this point, her eyes welled up with tears, and then, as if realizing her lapse in composure, she quickly took her leave.
Chen Shu and Li Xuan sat silently on the oxcart, looking at the slender back of the Princess of Heyang County. They exchanged a glance and then smiled bitterly.
To be honest, before the current emperor ascended the throne, they devoted themselves to the Southern Chen dynasty, did many practical things, and fought against treacherous officials. They were once full of passion, wanting to cultivate themselves, manage their families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. However, in their old age, they have fallen to this state because of some unfounded charges and absurd and ridiculous rulers.
It would be a lie to say they weren't upset; but they were taught from childhood to be "loyal to the emperor and patriotic," so asking them to question His Majesty was something they simply couldn't do.
However, once the seeds of doubt and dissatisfaction take root, they are not far from sprouting and growing.
...
Meanwhile, Shang Shaoyan sat leisurely in the carriage, enjoying his pastries. He was well aware of the trouble he had caused the two prime ministers and was quite pleased with himself.
Not long after, Cheng Chu sent word that Xie Huayin was following their large group at a distance, but because she was dressed as a wandering knight, no one thought anything was amiss.
Shang Shaoyan pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly: "This Xie Huayin is really interesting."
Bai Lu always knew what to ask and what not to ask. Seeing that her master seemed inclined to speak to her, she immediately chimed in, "Is this the young lady who came to see the county princess that night...?"
Shang Shaoyan took a sip of tea, then slowly lit the incense coil of Snow in Spring in the car before saying unhurriedly, "I know her as an old acquaintance, but it's been three or five years since I last saw her... Bailu, you should know that people change, especially in this day and age."
Bai Lu looked at Shang Shaoyan with some doubt: "If she has changed, we should either ignore her or go our separate ways. Why should we keep in touch with her?"
Shang Shaoyan lowered his eyes and smiled slightly: "Do you know who she is?"
Bai Lu was somewhat confused: "She's an old acquaintance of the county princess, she must be some noble lady?"
Shang Shaoyan rested his chin on his hand, raised an eyebrow, and said, "She is a noble lady, one of the very elite... but she is not a noble lady from Southern Chen. She is the younger sister of the Empress of Northern Zhou."
Bai Lu's eyes widened in disbelief: "How did the county princess meet her? This...this..."
She was somewhat shocked. Was her county princess specifically recruiting nobles from Northern Zhou? First there was the legitimate prince of Northern Zhou, and now there was the legitimate sister of the Empress of Northern Zhou. It was hard not to have some suspicions.
Bai Lu felt a chill run down her spine when she thought of this—could it be that the Northern Zhou knew about the county princess and the duke's plan and wanted to make preparations in advance?
Shang Shaoyan wanted to explain, but seeing Bai Lu deep in thought, he decided not to speak. If nothing unexpected happened, Bai Lu would be his right-hand woman in the future, so it wouldn't hurt to let her think things through.
Bai Lu initially thought this was a conspiracy by the Northern Zhou, but then she realized that it wasn't.
There was nothing wrong with the county princess and Qiao Zhuo getting to know each other, and Qiao Zhuo was obviously not very bright. Northern Zhou would not send an important prince to test a small county princess of Southern Chen.
As for Xie Huayin, the county princess said that she took her maternal grandmother's surname. "Xie" was not a surname of any prominent family in Northern Zhou, so it would not arouse any suspicion. Moreover, Xie Huayin spoke with a Sichuan accent, so an ordinary person would not think that she was a noblewoman of Northern Zhou.
It seems she knows martial arts too...
Bai Lu pondered for a moment, and then she understood.
Qiao Zhuo was an accident, Xie Huayin was a conspiracy.
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