Ji Chenggang shook his head, swearing he didn't know.
The higher-ups had not made any requests, so he hadn't dispatched anyone.
Su Xiaoqi understood.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard obeyed Emperor Yongxing.
If he distrusted a minister, he would naturally send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to watch over them, ready to catch them at any misstep.
But Shen Yun was wholeheartedly on Emperor Yongxing's side, so he hadn't thought of this yet.
"Please convey a message for me to Mingzhu, Commander Ji," Shen Yun said.
Ji Chenggang said he could.
Shen Yun meant for Ji Chenggang's men to tell Shen Mingzhu that she didn't need to do anything to save them.
And certainly not sacrifice her own happiness.
"No," Su Xiaoqi gently tugged at Shen Yun's sleeve.
"You, you are still an elder brother. Although Mingzhu cares about our safety, I believe she is not the kind of person to joke with her own happiness. So you can rest assured. Since she agreed, it means she has feelings for the Crown Prince of Prince Xiang. They have finally taken this step, and we should encourage it, not give her a chance to back down."
Su Xiaoqi had always seen through Shen Mingzhu's thoughts.
"But wasn't she interested in that Chen Jia'an before?" Shen Yun felt that since Shen Mingzhu had taken an interest in Chen Jia'an, she wouldn't forget him so easily.
Su Xiaoqi shot him a look and sat back down on the simple wooden plank.
"When Mingzhu met Chen Jia'an, how old was she? She hadn't met many men then. Chen Jia'an was handsome and well-read. She saw little of the world and was young, so it was normal for her to be attracted to him. But now that she's grown up and seen more, especially after he proved to be so despicable, she realizes that the man in front of her is nothing special."
Su Xiaoqi told Shen Yun that, in fact, Mingzhu didn't have that much affection for Chen Jia'an. She had just spent time with him and found him acceptable, and with people constantly trying to set them up, she felt destined to be tied to him.
Shen Yun fell silent upon hearing Su Xiaoqi's words.
He gestured to Ji Chenggang that no message was needed.
After Ji Chenggang left, Shen Yun suddenly looked at Su Xiaoqi and said softly, "If my wife sees more men in the future, will she also think I'm nothing special and fall for someone else..."
Su Xiaoqi was taken aback. Shen Yun's tone was unusual, carrying a hidden sense of grievance and fear.
Seeing the worry hidden in Shen Yun's heart, Su Xiaoqi didn't say anything. She turned and threw herself into his arms, her hands clasping his waist from under his arms. She buried her face in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Is it too late now? Even if I change my mind, I'm afraid they won't agree."
Su Xiaoqi took Shen Yun's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. As she gently stroked it, Shen Yun exclaimed, "Mmm, wife, he kicked me..."
Su Xiaoqi chuckled softly, "It's them kicking you."
"They... Wife, are you carrying twins?" Shen Yun's mood lifted.
But he quickly hesitated, "No, wife, they say carrying one baby is already exhausting. If it's twins, won't it be very taxing on your body?"
Su Xiaoqi was touched that his first thought was not about the offspring, but about her health.
Indeed, it was Shen Yun, who never disappointed her. She comforted Shen Yun, telling him that as a doctor, her body had already recovered and she would be fine. As for now, they should prioritize dealing with the messy situation at hand, otherwise, it would affect subsequent events.
Shen Yun deeply agreed. For the sake of his children having a safe and secure environment, things that should have been done gradually had to be moved forward.
Soon, after Shen Yun made some plans, he had the guards watching them call Zhang Yu, Zhang Lei, and the other two.
"My lord, Madam, I will take you out," Zhang Yu said, drawing his long sword. This was a jailbreak.
Su Xiaoqi quickly stopped him.
She explained the real situation of their entry into the Imperial Prison.
Zhang Yu then felt at ease. Shen Yun began to assign tasks.
The four accepted, assuring him they would complete the mission, and turned to leave.
As the four exited, they headed in different directions. One went to Yan Yu Pavilion to find Xiao Heng; the matter was significant, and intelligence needed to be current. Another went to the Duke of Yu's mansion to find Yu Changfeng. The matter involved that organization, and he could now intervene. One went to the Imperial Palace. And the last went to an unknown alley.
As Shen Yun and the others made their moves, Zhao Xiaohua, who was at the Prince of Zhou's mansion, sat in the garden, feeling increasingly uneasy. She called out to the Prince of Zhou, "Your Highness, do you feel anything is amiss?"
The Prince of Zhou, with Su Yurou in his arms, was showing her a diamond necklace. Hearing Zhao Xiaohua's words, he indifferently replied, "What could be amiss? Your plan in the Imperial Palace last time was excellent. Not only did it eliminate the imperial heir in Consort Ming's womb, but it also implicated the Shen couple. Without the great general Shen Yun, that bastard is no match for me. I'll have the Censorate impeach him tomorrow."
The Prince of Zhou felt that everything was in place. The next step was simply to wait. His ascension to the position of Crown Prince of Daliang would be a natural progression.
"Your Highness, don't forget the Duke of Yu's mansion. They are quite close to Su Xiaoqi and will surely try to rescue her. Moreover, from the Emperor's intentions, it seems he cannot do without her."
Su Xiaoqi's medical skills were truly an eyesore.
"Hmph, Father only values her medical skills. It doesn't matter. I'll have someone chop off her hands, then we'll see how she takes pulses and prescribes medicine." The Prince of Zhou was furious.
Su Yurou and Zhao Xiaohua exchanged glances, their eyes filled with excitement. This was a good idea. They had wanted to do this for a long time but hadn't found the right opportunity. The three of them sat together, comparing their plans and finding no anomalies before dispersing.
Once the Prince of Zhou left, Su Yurou slumped onto the chair. She grumbled, "When will this kind of life ever end?" She could have been Liang Jingting's main consort. But Zhao Xiaohua had a good idea and asked her to temporarily give up the position of Crown Princess to her. For the past few years, she had followed Zhao Xiaohua's advice, earning a lot of money and benefiting greatly. In fact, because her brother Su Jiamo had once followed the late Crown Prince, their entire Su family had almost been annihilated. Fortunately, Zhao Xiaohua had helped them navigate the situation, thus saving their lives. As for their family assets, that was a luxury they couldn't even dream of. She wasn't particularly interested in the title of Crown Princess. But for survival, and even to live better, she had to cling tightly to Liang Jingning like a dodder. However, she was very interested in Zhao Xiaohua's new plan.
Having been involved with men for a long time, Su Yurou began to grow impatient. No matter how good these men were, they weren't Shen Yun, whom she liked. If it were him, she would do anything to please him.
"Don't worry. Once the Prince of Zhou ascends, I will be the Empress, and I will find a way to conceive an imperial heir. If something happens to the Emperor at this time, and the Crown Prince is young, I, the Empress, can rule from behind the curtain. At that time, state and national affairs will be entirely under our control!" Zhao Xiaohua's voice was kept very low, but her emotions were soaring.
Su Yurou looked at her with a smile, unable to help but ask, "Will we succeed?"
Zhao Xiaohua nodded, "Of course. Everything is proceeding according to my plan."