Chapter 77 Xie Yan sneaks around

Chapter 77 Xie Yan sneaks around

Shen Nanzi gazed at him, the carriage lights swaying with the bumps and jolts.

His profile flickered in and out of the light, his face showing a hint of displeasure, and other emotions hidden within.

Shen Nanzi withdrew her gaze and looked at Cheng'er, who was sleeping soundly in her arms.

His small face rested against her chest, his cheeks rosy, his thick, dark eyelashes curled and sometimes trembling nervously.

She couldn't help but kiss his smooth cheek. Of all the things she regretted in this marriage, the one she regretted the least was this child.

He was the light in her difficult days; without him, she would probably have been driven to death by Xie Yan long ago.

Cheng'er was her lifeblood, and she couldn't bear to hand him over to anyone with ill intentions.

Shen Nanzi's silence made Xie Yan even more suspicious, wondering if she had developed feelings for any of the men who coveted her.

Just as the Twelfth Imperial Uncle said, if she doesn't want to follow the rules, then there are no rules.

Who knows how many sordid things happen in the shadows where no one is watching?

As long as it remains undiscovered, it can exist indefinitely.

Thinking about these things, his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe.

He gripped his knees with both hands, somewhat incredulous.

He actually wanted to... eliminate all the men around her who coveted her.

Xie Yan felt like he was going a little crazy, his mind filled with all sorts of dirty thoughts.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

*

Under the osmanthus tree in the front courtyard of the Grand Commandant's residence.

Shen Nanzi and Shen Minghan sat together, sunlight filtering through the branches and dappling their bodies.

Occasionally, a few golden osmanthus blossoms fall, but their fragrance is not very noticeable.

On the small, round pearwood table in the middle, there were several plates of food and three white porcelain teacups, from which wisps of steam rose.

Shen Nanzi wore an elegant ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a light water-green skirt and a snow-white soft gauze top, like a pure and ethereal lotus.

She held a piece of chestnut cake in her hand, which already had a bite taken out of it. "Brother, is there any news about the succession?"

Shen Minghan was off duty today. He changed out of his usual official robes and into a light blue casual robe, with the sleeves and waist hanging loosely.

He looked relaxed, leaning back in the rattan chair. After hearing Shen Nanzi's words, his eyes changed slightly.

"The Emperor's mind is unfathomable. Among all the officials, there is not one he completely trusts. No one knows when the matter of choosing an heir will be resolved."

"Was the Emperor truly ill that day?" Shen Nanzi thought of Xue Yubai's words from last time. If it was as he said, then they would be safe.

Yang Wenhui was slightly surprised.

Shen Minghan's eyes were dark: "He is indeed slightly unwell. I observe that His Majesty does not seem to have fully recovered. Recently, he often looks tired and needs to take short breaks."

"It's best to avoid any lingering health problems."

As Shen Nanzi listened, her heart sank. Perhaps no one wanted the Emperor to be in good health more than she and her brother.

It seems she needs to expedite the arrangements for what she has to do; she can't just sit idly by and wait for her fate.

All three remained silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

In the succession to the throne, the emperor will pave the way for the crown prince in advance, and the crown prince will also cultivate a group of confidants to prepare for the day when he takes power.

After a change of imperial power, important officials in the court will inevitably rise and fall.

Those who opposed him in the past, or whose political views differed from his, would be ostracized or even dismissed from their posts.

The question of who will become the crown prince is not only a matter of concern for Shen Minghan and his sister, but also for all the officials.

"What have you been busy with lately? I haven't seen you come back for quite some time."

Yang Wenhui knew that such a thing could happen at any time, so she didn't want to worry about it in advance and break the quiet atmosphere.

Shen Nanzi also snapped out of her thoughts. Not wanting to frighten her sister-in-law, she smiled and said:

"She not only grows flowers and plants in the mansion, but also supervises Cheng'er's calligraphy. His handwriting is a mess, completely haphazard."

“My Jichuan is the same. He’s a few years older than Cheng’er, and he’s still causing chaos.”

The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, talked endlessly about their child, while Shen Minghan, standing beside them, had a dark look in his eyes, concealing many thoughts.

"In a few days, it will be the sixtieth birthday of Marquis Wei of Pingyang's mansion. We will all go to offer our congratulations. Go and help me choose some clothes."

The Pingyang Marquis's residence was the maternal family of Consort Wei, and the Marquis of Pingyang was her elder brother.

Yang Wenhui pulled Shen Nanzi into the house, and Shen Nanzi glanced back at her brother.

It seems that things are not going well lately. My brother has always been calm and composed, unfazed by praise or criticism.

It seems that the road ahead is extremely difficult now.

Shen Nanzi felt somewhat guilty because her discord with Prince Jing had caused her brother trouble in the officialdom.

Sometimes she would think that if she and Xie Yan were to live in harmony, her brother's power, coupled with Xie Yan's supporters, would be invaluable.

Xie Yan's chances of ascending the throne will become increasingly certain.

*

When Shen Nanzi returned to the Jingwang Mansion, Xie Yan was standing on the only path in her courtyard.

It felt like a chance encounter, or perhaps he was deliberately waiting for her.

It wasn't that she was being presumptuous; it was simply that this road was quite far from his courtyard.

To avoid running into her, he chose a courtyard in the west, since her courtyard was in the east.

The main hall of the entire Prince Jing's Mansion is in the middle.

If they weren't really looking forward to seeing each other, given his early mornings and late nights, even if they lived together for a year, they might not see each other more than a few times.

Recently, she has been running into him inexplicably.

Shen Nanzi knew that he was good to her, but he only hoped that she would not make trouble for Xue Qingning and her son.

She didn't want to get involved with him, so she walked towards the side of the path.

Passing each other by without disturbing one another is the best way for them to get along.

Just as he was not there, he grabbed her arm.

"Wait, I have something to tell you." His voice was a little emotional.

Shen Nanzi looked up at his sharply defined profile, then slapped his hand away, signaling him to let go: "What is it?"

"Where did you go?" He lowered his eyelids and glanced at her sideways, loosening his grip slightly, but still holding her tightly.

"What happened to my brother?" Shen Nanzi looked at the arm he was holding. Was he afraid she would run away?

"Nothing?" He coughed lightly. "I just wanted to ask you how the congratulatory gifts from the Marquis of Pingyang's residence are coming along?"

"I've chosen a jade carving of an evergreen pine tree, and it's already been recorded in the ledger. If you don't like it, you can choose another one yourself."

Shen Nanzi's tone was somewhat unpleasant. Cheng'er should have returned to the manor by now. She was in a hurry to see him and didn't have time to argue with him.

He sensed the impatience in her tone and deliberately softened his voice, "I didn't say the birthday gift you chose was bad."

"That means everything's alright," Shen Nanzi said. "Is there anything else?"

Her unwillingness to stay made him uncomfortable. He raised an eyebrow, as if deliberately picking a fight: "Can't I talk to you if there's nothing wrong?"

Shen Nanzi sighed: "What do you want from me? What else can we do besides argue?"

He was stumped and couldn't answer.

Shen Nanzi tugged at his arm, but couldn't pull it out. Thinking about his unusual behavior these past few days, a thought suddenly struck her:

"I know, you must have been mistreated by the Second Princess's sister-in-law."

"None of your business," Xie Yan replied irritably.

"See, I guessed right. Is it because of what happened at Zuixianlou that day that she ignored you? So now you can't go to Liyuan every day and can only go back to Jingwang Mansion early."

Xie Yan's expression changed slightly, and his fingers tightened.

In the past, when people talked about the women around him, she would either be stoic, sarcastic, or cynical.

Now, she looks at it as if it's a joke, her eyes full of mockery.

Things have really changed!

He's changed so much he doesn't even recognize himself!