Picking up where we left off!
A Yuan knew that Lan Yunyi placed him by Shen Yao's side for two reasons: first, to monitor Shen Yao, and second, to further gain Shen Yao's trust and even make Shen Yao lower her guard.
In this light, the general is still the better choice. Only a few days have passed, and Shen Yao has already shown no intention of targeting Lan Yunyi's accomplices.
Shen Yao said, "Since Magistrate Chen isn't coming, remember to send him some good wine later. Otherwise people will think I'm deliberately neglecting him."
A-Yuan nodded and recounted some of the preferences of officials in Xiliang City that he knew. Shen Yao agreed to each one, and listening to his flat, emotionless voice, she couldn't help but yawn...
At this moment, A Yuan said, "...That's all I know. Also, I heard some rumors about the princess today, which may be detrimental to her."
Shen Yao waved her hand, urging him to "speak".
A-Yuan said, "I heard those people say that the princess secretly gave Chengxin ten thousand taels of gold this afternoon. She really dotes on Master Chengxin."
Shen Yao knew what these words meant, but since A Yuan was Lan Yunyi's person, she explained, "...Nonsense, that's the hard-earned money I gave to Master Chengxin. The academy's initial expenses all came from there. I entrusted Master Chengxin with some tasks, so I can't let Master Chengxin use the incense money from Lingshan Temple, can I?"
A-Yuan cupped her hands in greeting: "This humble servant understands."
Shen Yao: "Tell the same thing to your general too."
A Yuan hesitated, but Shen Yao was, after all, a princess, and someone the general had explicitly ordered not to offend. So even if he wanted to be sarcastic, he couldn't, and could only mutter, "...I understand."
Shen Yao couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that A Yuan's feigned ignorance was far inferior to his master's. If it were Lan Yunyi, she would have thrown a tantrum and said things like, "That's not what I meant. The princess has misunderstood me and hurt my feelings."
...
Over the next few days, Shen Yao devoted herself to preparing the banquet. To show respect for Lan Yunyi, the behind-the-scenes leader of Xiliang, she even sent some wine and meat to the camp. Lan Yunyi also replied with a formal letter.
Ten days passed, and the emperor's reply should have arrived long ago, but the opposite was true. Shen Yao wasn't in a hurry, but she still invited some major pharmacists and famous doctors from around Xiliang to hold a second banquet at the princess's residence.
These were the people Shen Yao cared about most, and also the hardest to invite. Some of them were people who came specifically because of Cheng Xin's name, but Cheng Xin was not present at the banquet, so they left after only a few sips of wine.
If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. However, the person kept saying he wanted to leave but didn't, and his words revealed his doubts about Shen Yao, which seriously affected the mood of the other guests and Shen Yao's prestige.
When Shen Yao spoke, no one paid any attention to her.
Shen Yao had invited Cheng Xin, but Cheng Xin loathed such banquets and feasts, and Shen Yao had been unable to persuade him to come beforehand. However, the situation was urgent, and Shen Yao had no choice but to have A Yuan go up the mountain to recite a miscellaneous ancient poem praising the unique beauty and ruggedness of the Shu region for Cheng Xin.
She used the same trick again, but it still greatly shocked Chengxin. However, Ayuan bowed and said goodbye before reciting half of it, saying that the princess had only taught her the first half. Then she rode back to the banquet.
Less than half an incense stick's time after A Yuan returned, the guest finally couldn't help but mock, saying that Shen Yao, a woman who had been confined to her room for so long, could not possibly know Cheng Xin. He was clearly treating them, the guests, like fools and using Cheng Xin as a gimmick... Before he could finish speaking, A Yuan suddenly came to report that Cheng Xin had stepped into the banquet hall after his voice and sat down next to Shen Yao in full view of everyone.
As he sat down, he glanced at the man. The other man was struck dumb upon seeing him, but Chengxin's glance felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.
Shen Yao smiled and smoothed things over, and from then on, no one at the table dared to underestimate the woman sitting there.
...
The banquets were secondary; Shen Yao's main purpose in hosting these two banquets was simply to get to know everyone and make preparations in advance. The emperor hadn't replied, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, leaving Shen Yao somewhat unsure of his intentions. However, Cheng Xin and the local gentry all agreed with Shen Yao's ideas, which gave her more confidence.
She was completely absorbed in this matter, and when she suddenly received a letter, she mistook it for a letter from the emperor. When she learned the truth, her obvious disappointment was noticed by A Yuan.
Shen Yao coughed dryly, raised her chin and gave A Yuan a haughty look to hide her guilt: "I thought it was a letter from the Emperor."
"I understand," A-Yuan said, bowing to Shen Yao. He kept his head down, making it impossible to discern his emotions, perhaps also trying to avoid Shen Yao's intense gaze.
Shen Yao gritted her teeth, unable to think of a good solution, so she had no choice but to send A Yuan out to read the letter.
Unlike the previous letter, which was full of public announcements, this letter was filled with warmth and was easy to read aloud, even showing some literary talent.
Shen Yao couldn't help but sigh that it was no wonder Lan Yunyi was destined to become regent.
Lan Yunyi and the others' return to the city did not follow the Sheng Dynasty's ten-day rest system; they only had a short vacation on average every twenty days. The letter mentioned his possible return time and specifically instructed Shen Yao not to come to pick him up. Shen Yao thought Lan Yunyi was playing hard to get, and then decided to make a big show of bringing him back to the manor, to quell the recent rumors circulating in Xiliang City, and prevent people from giving her any reason to believe she didn't "favor" Lan Yunyi.
Early that morning, Shen Yao waited at a restaurant near the city gate.
She waited in her room all morning but didn't hear from A Yuan that the general had returned. When it was time for lunch, she asked Xia Guo to call A Yuan back and have the two of them eat downstairs.
Just as all the dishes were served, a loud "snap" of a gavel came from afar—
The storyteller's melodious voice rang out: "...Continuing from the last episode!"
Shen Yao didn't take it seriously and opened the food box that Xia Guo handed her. Inside were osmanthus cakes that she had made before dawn.
She didn't like having someone watching her while she ate, but it wouldn't be proper for Xia Guo and A Yuan to sit at the table with her, so she had Xia Guo draw the curtain and arranged a small table for the two of them at the lower end of the table.
Shen Yao gave them a plate of osmanthus cake, put the rest back into the food box, and then began to eat by herself.
"...Chengxin originally did not want to see that powerful member of the royal family, but she was forced to get up and open the door by Princess Yao's tyranny. As soon as the door opened, the monk broke his vows and the bride fell in love at first sight. The two fell in love with each other and foresaw their lifelong commitment."
Shen Yao paused with her chopsticks.
"The two talked for half a day in the secret room that day, but Princess Yao..." The storyteller paused, let out a long "sigh," and said, "...already had a husband!"
People downstairs also sighed and lamented, some even pounding their thighs in frustration.
"Who is this prince consort?" The storyteller slammed his gavel, concluding with a resounding "crack," "Lan Yunyi, the commander of the Western Liang garrison. Even if she, Princess Yao, is a princess, how can she just divorce someone bestowed by the emperor?"
"And speaking of General Lan, his background is quite extraordinary." The storyteller continued, "The Lan family has strict rules and forbids taking concubines, but Lan Yunyi just so happens to be the son of one of those concubines."
"To put it nicely, they were called concubines, but the Lan family did not acknowledge the mother and her two children, forcing them to beg for a living."
At this point, the audience fell silent, seemingly having grown accustomed to the story for so long that they were no longer moved by it.
"Outrageous!" Shen Yao slammed her hand on the table, suppressing her anger, but she was also concerned about saving face, otherwise she would have poured the cup of tea down her throat.
She took a silver ingot from her purse and gave it to Xia Guo, saying urgently, "Go tell the shopkeeper to stop this place for me!"
Xia Guo responded and went down one after another.
The storyteller, oblivious to the danger, continued passionately: "...Everyone thought his mother was a wicked woman who became pregnant out of wedlock, and Lan Yunyi suffered a lot of bullying because of this. But in order to survive, he had to flatter her. So as time went by, his thoughts and ideas became more and more distorted and morbid."
"This person is most notorious for the 'selling his sister for personal gain' incident. Everyone in the capital knows that the portrait of Consort Lan when she entered the palace was painted by Lan Yunyi herself, and that she deliberately concealed the fact that Consort Lan had sent the portrait into the palace."
"At that time, Consort Lan was eighteen years old, one year younger than Princess Yao! Upon hearing that she had been favored by the current emperor, she almost committed suicide by hitting her head against a pillar. But Lan Yunyi would not let her have her way. For his own wealth and glory, he knocked his own sister unconscious and sent her directly into the palace."
"Fortunately, although Consort Lan was extremely unwilling before entering the palace, she fell in love with the current emperor at first sight after entering the palace. The consort was kind and forgave her heartless brother, granted him an official position and status, and then sent him to our Western Liang."
"But Xiliang is bitterly cold, and Lan Yunyi's life as a lowly soldier was not easy, so his mentality became increasingly unconventional. Hearing that the princess and Chengxin were living such a carefree life, he was consumed by jealousy and stormed in with a weapon!"
"Upon hearing this, the princess immediately stepped forward, shielding Chengxin behind her, and publicly rebuked Lan Yunyi for her outrageous behavior."
"Tell me, what man in this world could withstand being publicly scolded by his wife? Not only that, on the day Princess Yao married him, he had to send his beloved concubine, Miss Song Qingqing, to the countryside..."
Before the storyteller could finish, the shopkeeper suddenly appeared on the stage, snatched the large wooden stick from the storyteller's hand, and laughed at the guests, "That's all for today's storytelling. Please come again another day, another day..."
The crowd below immediately began to protest, shouting, "Continue!"
As they spoke, people threw vegetable leaves, coins, handkerchiefs, flowers, and other items onto the stage. Some gave tips, some booed, and some shouted whatever they could.
As the shopkeeper pushed the storyteller away, someone threw a fruit at his back.
Everyone was bewildered, not knowing when it had happened. Suddenly, someone noticed something, and everyone fell into a deathly silence.
Even through the curtain, Shen Yao could feel the intense gazes from outside.
She didn't hesitate and said, "A-Yuan, open the curtain."
"Yes." A-Yuan immediately got up and opened the curtains for Shen Yao.
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