Chapter 36 The Tacit Understanding Between the Shen Siblings

Chapter 36 The Tacit Understanding Between the Shen Siblings

Yang Wenhui stood behind him, stroking his back to help him catch his breath.

"Don't get so angry that you'll ruin your health. This kind of heartless scoundrel isn't worth it."

"Nanzi, don't take it to heart. Just think of it as a dog barking."

Shen Nanzi smiled calmly. If Lin Ruyi hadn't told her, she wouldn't have known that Xie Yan was so infatuated.

Looking back now, it wasn't just infatuation; it was a deep-rooted, obsessive love!

Xie Yan was willing to do such a thing for Xue Qingning.

Recently, his reputation has been worse than ever.

He was utterly rotten. When people mentioned Prince Jing, they all said he was licentious, immoral, and blinded by lust.

If it weren't for his previous achievements, many officials would probably have already impeached him in court and stripped him of his title of Prince Jing.

“It doesn’t matter. He did this without any regard for me, so why should I grieve for him?”

Shen Nanzi only regretted it, regretted that her good intentions had brought her such retribution.

"It's because of my brother that he's now having a hard time in the court."

Shen Minghan gripped the armrests tightly with both hands. "That's not true. I'll be my Grand Commandant, and he'll be his Prince Jing. We'll keep to ourselves."

"It's nothing more than occasional disagreements on political views, and a few words exchanged."

"But didn't my brother say that he's currently riding high and has the best chance of becoming the crown prince?"

"If he becomes the crown prince, will my brother and I still have a good life?"

The brother and sister both knew in their hearts that they were definitely not going to have a good time.

If that day ever comes, the position of empress will certainly not be hers.

"If he really has designs on the Second Princess, then the only way is to sit on the throne."

"Back then, they wanted to be together, and no one could stop them."

If the emperor wants a woman, even if it's his own sister-in-law, who would dare to truly object?

Even if they don't take this path, there are countless other ways for them to be together openly and legitimately.

Then sycophants would sing their praises, washing away the past.

These commonly used methods have been employed to a high degree of sophistication in officialdom.

Shen Minghan: "These are all things to be discussed later. For now, His Majesty's health is relatively good."

"In order to preserve the reputation of the Second Imperial Consort, Xie Yan caused his own reputation to decline again and again."

"If his reputation doesn't improve in the next two years, the position of crown prince will be hard to come by."

Shen Nanzi took a sip of tea and smiled faintly, "He was willing to give up the position of Crown Prince for the sake of the Second Princess. It seems we need to prepare early."

“What if he ascends the throne one day? My brother and I will probably be exiled thousands of miles away and never be able to return to Luoyang.”

Shen Minghan felt relieved to see that Shen Nanzi was finally no longer troubled by love and knew to make plans for herself.

"Yes, we need to prepare in advance."

The brother and sister tacitly kept quiet, knowing that from this day forward they would have to choose their own paths.

We must absolutely not allow Xie Yan to become the crown prince and ascend the throne.

The day he ascends to the throne will be the beginning of their days of suffering.

Given his hatred for them, exile would probably be an act of mercy.

Xie Chengze may not be implicated, but Xie Yan dislikes him, so he is destined to become a marginal prince.

He could only look up to the center of power his whole life, and the distinction between royalty and commoners was even more heartbreaking. Perhaps he lived a life worse than an ordinary citizen.

The atmosphere became extremely gloomy for a time.

Yang Wenhui quickly broke the silence, saying, "Today is New Year's Eve, let's not talk about these sad things. Let's have a family reunion dinner. Nanzi has to go back to Prince Jing's Mansion in a little while!"

"As the matriarch of the household, and with it being New Year's Eve, she can't stay too long."

"After you've had your reunion dinner here, hurry back with Cheng'er!"

Shen Nanzi understood her sister-in-law's meaning and quickly called Xie Chengze, who was playing with his cousins ​​outside the house.

We had lunch together with the Shen family.

*

Liyuan.

There is a pavilion built next to the wall behind.

Inside the pavilion, the charcoal fire warms the wine, releasing a fragrant aroma.

Xie Yan, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe with a fitted waist and a golden crown binding his hair, sat upright in the pavilion.

With her well-defined fingers, she held the jade cup and took a sip.

The mellow flavor enters the mouth, causing the prominent Adam's apple to bob and the thick, dark eyebrows to furrow slightly, further enhancing the elegant demeanor.

In the bamboo grove, a few snowflakes still lingered. A black and white kitten meowed as it darted into the pavilion along the pebbly path.

It was noticeably warmer around the pavilion, and the kitten curled up at Xie Yan's feet, rubbing its fur against his ankles.

A hint of warmth appeared on Xie Yan's indifferent face as he lowered his head to look at the cat, his eyes filled with tenderness.

This cat has almost the exact same coat color as the one he used to have, Douzi.

"Thank you, Yan!" A soft female voice came from the flower wall.

Xie Yan raised his head and glanced sideways.

To his left, there was a flower wall.

On the other side of the flower wall is the neighbor's backyard; both yards used to belong to the same family.

Later changes were only separated by a thin wall.

There is also a pavilion built on the other side, facing this side across the wall.

The flower wall is a cloud-patterned openwork wall, so the sound from the other side can be transmitted without any obstruction.

"If I had known you were sacrificing your reputation to prove my innocence, I wouldn't have listened to your advice and sold my dowry."

“Now that your reputation has been damaged, my elder brother and I feel guilty.”

Xue Qingning was also sitting in the pavilion, her surroundings were covered by curtains, except for the flower wall which was rolled up.

She was dressed simply, and perhaps because it was New Year's Eve, she had an extra pearl flower in her hair.

As she spoke, she gently swayed, revealing a refined and elegant face.

Xie Yan glanced at it only once before looking away, turning the jade cup between his fingers, and parting his thin lips slightly:

"If someone hadn't been spreading rumors behind our backs, we wouldn't have had to do all this now."

"The person behind this is just trying to suppress my power."

"Now, it suits their wishes perfectly, so it may not be a bad thing."

“Your Xue family has had a tough few years, so helping you is just a matter of course.”

"It's just some gold and silver, it's only right to distribute it to the families of those soldiers."

"It's worth it to restore your reputation."

"You and Yu Bai, do not hold a grudge."

"I am inseparable from him."

Xue Qingning also drank a cup of wine. "I heard you didn't receive an invitation from the Emperor this year? Is it because of this matter?"

Xie Yan bent down, scooped up the kitten, placed it on his lap, and gently stroked it.

“My father has always held many prejudices against me, and this is just one of them. You don’t need to feel that I’m being implicated because of this.”

Xue Qingning shook her head, the pearls in her hair trembling. "It's all my fault for dragging you down. You're always like this, leaving me speechless."

"In the end, it's us, mother and son, who owe you! I'm afraid I can never repay you in my lifetime."

She tilted her head back and drank another glass, her voice filled with deep longing.

"Xie Yan, if I had married you back then, I could have been a wealthy princess in the Jingwang Mansion, just like Nan Zi, with all my troubles shielded from me."

"I don't have to live in fear like I do now, being forgotten like fallen leaves in this courtyard with Hongrui."

"Xie Yan, I hate my father, I hate him terribly!"

"If it weren't for him, why would we be separated by this wall?"

Xue Qingning lay on the table, her shoulders heaving, softly sobbing.

Xie Yan stopped talking and just drank quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, Xue Qingning's maid reminded her.

"Your Highness, it's time to enter the palace!"

As Xue Qingning left, she glanced at Xie Yan across the flower wall.

He didn't even glance at it from beginning to end.

The bamboo grove was quiet, with only the occasional meow of a cat.

Xie Yan sat there all day until it got dark, then he got up and went back to his residence.

It's fine if he doesn't go to the palace this year; they're all just a bunch of hypocritical people, and he's long been fed up with them.

However, he found it strange that Shen Nanzi had suddenly disappeared from his sight for quite some time, without any news.

More than half a month has passed since that day, and she has not come to see her.

Today is New Year's Eve, she wouldn't have taken Cheng'er to the palace alone, would she?

They weren't invited, so they probably won't even be able to get through the palace gates.

He frowned, thinking of her furious expression.

This time, she was indeed quite assertive.

That made him think more highly of her.

*

When Shen Nanzi returned to the Jingwang Mansion, Xie Yan had not yet returned from outside, and she did not know where he had gone.

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and members of the royal family are invited to the palace. However, the Prince Jing's residence did not receive an invitation to the banquet.

Shen Nanzi knew that the Emperor was punishing him.

She had always spent New Year's Eve in the palace. Although it was lively, she was never happy.

Now, it's just as she thought, she didn't want to join in the fun, nor did she expect him to come back and reunite with her and her son.

As evening approached, Cheng'er and I ate together.

"Mommy, shall we set off firecrackers after we finish eating?"

"Okay! We'll go after we finish eating. Mother prepared a lot for Cheng'er. We'll go to the yard with Liefeng to set them off in a bit."

Shen Nanzi ate the pearl meatballs, which tasted quite good.

"Great!" Xie Chengze was very happy, but with a slight regret in his tone, "It would be great if we could go to my uncle's house. There are so many people there, it must be so lively!"

"Tonight is New Year's Eve, we have to stay at our own homes! Let's go another day!"

Shen Nanzi didn't want to spoil Xie Chengze's fun.

"good!"

Xie Yan stood outside the courtyard, listening to the conversation between Shen Nanzi and her son, but he couldn't bring himself to step inside.

When he returned home, he found that there was no food left for him.

Stone said he thought he had gone to the palace.

He asked Stone, "Has the princess come to invite him?"

Stone said, "No, the princess hasn't sent anyone over recently."

Having been married to Shen Nanzi for many years, Xie Yan had some understanding of her personality.

No matter how fierce their argument got, she would always find a way to get close to him and use various methods to make him give in.

She would only stop harassing him once he had let bygones be bygones.

This time, so much time has passed quietly, Xie Yan felt that she must be up to no good.

She was the type to hold grudges, and even though she seemed indifferent last time, Xie Yan didn't believe it.

He was worried that she would cause a big commotion; with her temper, she could explode at the slightest provocation.

Her behavior was also eccentric, and he couldn't figure out what she was doing.

He had to go and check on her, lest she make a scene and he end up cleaning up the mess.

However, listening to the conversation between the mother and son inside her room, he felt a sense of warmth and filial piety between them.

No one in the courtyard stopped him, but he just couldn't bring himself to step inside.

While hesitating.

Aunt came out from the side and walked under the porch. She looked up and saw him outside the courtyard. She quickly curtsied.

"This old servant greets Prince Jing."

Upon hearing this, the mother and son inside the house exchanged a glance, and the food in their hands instantly lost its appeal.

Shen Nanzi didn't know what he was doing here at this time.

His arrival is sure to bring trouble!

In that instant of thought, the door was opened by her aunt, and Xie Yan stepped over the threshold and came in.

Shen Nanzi had no choice but to get up with Xie Chengze to welcome Prince Jing's arrival.

She wasn't happy as before, but instead looked at him quietly.

Xie Chengze, standing beside her, remained silent, his small face showing a guarded expression.

He remembered the imperial physician's words: his mother must not be angry anymore.

Every time her father came, he would make her mother angry.

Therefore, both mother and son felt that Xie Yan's arrival must be bad.

Xie Yan saw the two people, one big and one small, across the table and treated them with the same suspicion as if they were thieves.

He then realized his guess was correct; they must have been using underhanded tactics behind his back.

Smelling the aroma of the food, I sat down uninvited for the first time.

My aunt quickly added another set of bowls and chopsticks.

He didn't forget to give Shen Nanzi a meaningful look, signaling her to tone it down.

Shen Nanzi had no choice but to sit down and said to Xie Chengze, "Let's eat!"

Xie Chengze glanced at his parents, then sat down with some unease, picked up his chopsticks, and ate quietly.

When Shen Nanzi saw him pick up his chopsticks and start eating, her delicate features furrowed slightly. She wondered what had brought him to her courtyard.

On this New Year's Eve, she didn't want to argue with him, fearing it would ruin her luck for the coming year.

He then buried himself in his food and began to eat.

Shen Nanzi's silence was exactly what Xie Yan had hoped for; he had wished she were mute.

But she wasn't.

Not only is he not mute, but his mouth is also incredibly aggressive and unforgiving.

She's never happy unless she drives him crazy.

Although he hated her, he didn't want them to argue every time they met.

Like tonight, a room full of mute people, he ate his meal quietly, and that was good enough.

Xie Yan also noticed that the dishes tonight were different from what he had eaten before.

Before, it was all his favorite food, but tonight...

He looked up and saw that Shen Nanzi and Xie Chengze were both eating with great relish.

These must be things that the mother and son like to eat!

Xie Yan is a bit picky about food, but when she's hungry, she's not too picky.

The three of them finished their meal in unusual silence. Even Auntie and Liefeng looked at each other several times, finding it strange.

After clearing the leftover food from the table, Shen Nanzi drank her flower tea.

She noticed that Xie Yan hadn't said anything and was slowly sipping his tea.

She was thinking about taking Xie Chengze to set off firecrackers!

Then she asked her aunt to take Xie Chengze away.

"Just say what you have to say."

As the door opened and closed, perhaps the fragrance of flowers wafted in, and Xie Yan sneezed twice.

"You've been keeping a low profile lately. What's your purpose?"

He sneezed right after he finished speaking.

Fearing he might throw away all her flowers in a fit of anger, Shen Nanzi got up:

"Let's talk outside in the yard!"

Xie Yan got up and followed her into the courtyard, where she saw flowerpots arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, their vibrant colors creating a lively scene.

The two birds were chirping and chattering in his ear.

He frowned. "Why do you have to plant this lousy flower?"

Shen Nanzi didn't respond to him. After leaving the courtyard, she turned back to him and said:

"Xie Yan, I told you last time that if you need anything, just ask Wuying to come over and let me know. Why did you have to come here? Are you deliberately trying to mess with my plants?"

As Xie Yan listened to her tone, he felt his ears, which had been quiet for a while, finally hear that familiar aggressive tone again.

"You know I sneeze, so why did you plant this lousy flower?"

"I'm going to plant it, what's it to you? You can just not come!"

Xie Yan was instantly angered by her and didn't want to argue with her about such trivial matters.

"Tell me, why have you been so quiet lately?"