The room was quiet, the gentle sound of rain outside, the sky dark and heavy, suffocating as if dark clouds were pressing down.
Shen Yun raised his hand and stroked Su Xiaoqi's chin. "My lady, why do you ask what you already know?"
Su Xiaoqi refused to let him off the hook, pinching his cheeks and acting spoiled. She said that if she misunderstood, and went to help someone else, wouldn't that be a wild goose chase?
Shen Yun, unable to refuse her persistent pleas, beckoned for Su Xiaoqi to bring him a cup of tea. He dipped his finger in it and wrote a "two."
Su Xiaoqi's heart pounded like a drum. She opened her mouth to speak, but Shen Yun lowered his head and sealed her lips, swallowing her unspoken words.
"Mmm..." Su Xiaoqi frowned, a slender and upright face appearing in her mind. His features were distinct, his contours clear, and his skin had a healthy wheat-like hue.
If it were him, she thought, she and Shen Yun would likely be of one heart.
"By the way, did you get any news from that peddler?" Su Xiaoqi asked.
Shen Yun replied, "The so-called 'Net' is an organization, like Misty Rain Pavilion."
Shen Yun used Misty Rain Pavilion as an analogy to help Su Xiaoqi understand quickly.
"I thought so too, but perhaps they are even more mysterious," Su Xiaoqi mused, counting on her fingers.
They had first learned of the organization called 'Net' during the Dragon Boat Festival.
But among those they had seen, there were only a few individuals.
It was even possible that they were merely peripheral figures of the Net.
They hadn't even touched its core.
After a discussion, the couple concluded that the peddler had essentially revealed everything he knew.
However, there wasn't much valuable information.
The only person they could currently apprehend was Mei Xin.
Su Xiaoqi understood. It seemed she couldn't drive Mei Xin away for now.
Su Xiaoqi felt a pang of disappointment. There was no choice; the things they wanted to know were all with Mei Xin.
If they rashly drove her away, they had no idea what trouble she might stir up to make things difficult for them.
It was better to let her stay here, under their watchful eyes. Besides, she was being monitored by someone specifically, which put their minds at ease.
Shen Yun then mentioned how Wang Enze had pulled him into the case of seeking a child at Kongshan Temple.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes narrowed. She remembered that this incident was not in the original plot of the book.
It seemed this time he had been dragged into it by Wang Enze.
Thinking of Wang Enze's later treacherous schemes, Su Xiaoqi felt compelled to remind him, "Husband, when you try the case with Wang Enze, be careful of him."
Shen Yun playfully scraped Su Xiaoqi's nose. "My lady, you also think Wang Enze is not simple."
Su Xiaoqi lowered her head, concealing the understanding in her eyes, thinking, "Of course I know how formidable Wang Enze is."
After all, after the new emperor ascended the throne, before Shen Yun gained power, Wang Enze's father had held the position of Grand Secretariat.
And his ability to secure that position was certainly related to his own capabilities, but more so because of Wang Enze.
He grasped the emperor's thoughts with extreme accuracy, and every word and deed could touch the emperor's heart.
Whether it was something the emperor found difficult to express or not, Wang Enze could anticipate it step by step, making everything smooth and comfortable.
Su Xiaoqi added, "I am simply dissatisfied that he wants to drag you into this. As a Censor, isn't this task his duty?
But you are a Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites, completely unrelated to this matter. I highly suspect his intentions."
Shen Yun chuckled dismissively, "He just wants to find someone to take the blame."
Su Xiaoqi was startled, thinking how significant the incident at Huangjue Temple had been. Its impact on the people of the capital was as widespread as lanterns displayed during the Lantern Festival, or people going to watch a lantern parade.
From the elderly to young children, anyone not mute or deaf had some understanding of the matter.
No single faction could have achieved this.
Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whose name struck fear throughout the Daliang Dynasty, couldn't accomplish this.
Therefore, the fact that the Huangjue Temple incident was so sensationalized and widely spread was entirely due to the interplays of several forces.
It was just that among these forces, it was unclear
Which party ultimately benefited.
"Husband, you must be careful," Su Xiaoqi said, feeling a bit sleepy. As she spoke, she covered her mouth with her hand and yawned.
Shen Yun placed his hand on her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace, and patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"My lady, you should rest. Aren't you going to the Princess's manor tomorrow?"
Speaking of this, Su Xiaoqi's sleepiness almost vanished. She asked him how he knew.
She had only received the invitation in the late afternoon when it was about to get dark, and hadn't yet had a chance to tell him.
"Your husband has always been concerned about your affairs, how could I not know," Shen Yun chuckled, his voice deep and gentle.
Su Xiaoqi felt a tickle of warmth. She lowered her head and touched his lips with her finger, then quietly looked up and gave him a kiss.
Before Shen Yun could react, she snuggled back into his embrace and closed her eyes.
She was truly sleepy.
Shen Yun was aroused by her playful gesture, but when he looked up, his young lady had already fallen asleep.
The next day, after Su Xiaoqi washed up and had breakfast, the Princess's manor's carriage arrived to pick her up.
It had been quite some time since Su Xiaoqi last visited the Princess after attending to her illness.
Firstly, after opening her Lingyuan, she had become exceedingly busy.
Secondly, during August and September, she was occupied with disaster relief and treating illnesses, making it impossible to get away.
Thirdly, Shen Mingzhu and Xiao Xique had taken in children displaced by the famine, and she arranged their accommodations and hired teachers for them.
Coupled with the business of her original supermarket, grain shop, and pastry shop.
Then there were the matters of seeking children at Huangjue Temple, not to mention having Mei Xin living in her home, giving her endless worries.
The Princess had actually sent her several invitations.
Either she was not at home, or she was entangled in affairs and unable to get away.
Now that the weather was getting cold, and some people's ill intentions had at least subsided, she was finally able to free herself from her busyness.
Thinking of the Princess and her two children whom she hadn't seen in a long time, she truly missed them.
Before leaving, she brought with her a Barbie doll, designed by her and skillfully made by Zhao Momo.
She also made another set of building block toys herself.
Upon hearing the news of Su Xiaoqi's arrival, Princess Huian and Bao Ge'er had long been waiting for her at the second gate, craning their necks.
Seeing her alight from the carriage.
The two, disregarding their status, ran towards her.
"Oh, my little ancestors, it's cold, be careful," Granny Xu chased after them with a cloak.
She also turned her head to scold the maids and servants who had not reacted even after their masters had been running for so long.
"Huian, Bao Ge'er," Su Xiaoqi exclaimed, quickly opening her arms to embrace the siblings.
Looking at their enthusiasm, if one didn't know better, they would think these were her own relatives.
The group quickly entered the second gate.
The Princess was already waiting for them in the reception hall.
Seeing them arrive, a smile also appeared on her lips, and she said to Granny Du beside her,
"Look at Bao Ge'er and Huian, how eager they are..."
Granny Du knew that her mistress particularly favored Madam Shen, who was a frequent guest, so she also chimed in with a smile.
"Isn't it because Madam Shen is such a lovable person?
Let alone the Princess and the young master, even Your Highness the Princess, don't you also cherish her in your heart?"
"Precisely, I have never met a child as lovable as Xiaoqi girl," the Princess said with a smile.