Two days before Shen Shujing left the cabinet, the Diecuiguan incident that had been in conflict for several months finally came to an end. Shen Zangfeng had discussed with Rong Ren all the matters that required him to make the decision, leaving Shen Lianshi and Shen Liankun to deal with the aftermath and gallop on. Two days later, Kankan returned to Xiliang in the middle of the night before Shen Shujing left the court.
The reason why he was so anxious to come back was not all because of Shen Shujing, but after all, it was because of what Liu Rong said about Mo Ye.
In fact, according to the importance of this matter, Shen Zangfeng should have come back to deal with it immediately after receiving the news.
But considering that the matter happened in the imperial capital, it would not be helpful for him to return to Xiliang City. Instead, he seemed anxious. Therefore, Shen Zangfeng simply showed no concern about this and showed no guilt. It was not until the Diecui Pass matter was settled that he rushed back on the pretext that his niece had left the cabinet.
In this way, the time he had to discuss with Liu Rong was only as much time as the wedding banquet.
But this also has the advantage that both parties don't have to talk nonsense, and everything gets straight to the point.
... Since Shen Zangli and his wife had both passed away, Shen Zangfeng and Wei Changying took the place of their parents and accepted Shen Shujing's farewell. The etiquette of the famous family was solemn. Even though Wei Changying drank ginseng tea several times this day, he was so tired that he couldn't open his eyes.
After the dinner was over, she reluctantly took a bath under the service of the maid, fell down on the couch, and fell asleep within two breaths.
She didn't wake up until dawn, and found that Shen Zangfeng stretched out his arm for her to rest on, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he was sleeping deeply.
Looking at his slimmed-down silhouette and the short beard that was deliberately grown under his chin to show his age, Wei Changying felt a pain in his heart. He stretched out his hand to touch his brows, leaned his head closer to his arms, and said again Go to sleep.
Because Shen Shujing left the cabinet, everyone in Mingpeitang was very tired. The servants knew that the master was extremely tired, so they didn't come in to disturb them that day and let them sleep until midnight.
This time Shen Zangfeng woke up first. When he carefully pulled his arm out from under his wife's cheek, Wei Changying also woke up and stood up together.
"What happened in Moye?" Seeing that his servants hadn't noticed the two of them getting up, Wei Changying casually put on his robe and helped Shen Zangfeng put it on first, and asked softly.
While Shen Zangfeng was tying his belt, he said quietly: "In short, I don't admit it."
"Wen Yaozi is determined to seize this opportunity to smear our family." Wei Changying sighed - the entire Shen family is now in Xiliang, which is far away from the Central Plains. Just because Sa was there to inquire about the news. How can I refute the rumors if I need more manpower? Besides, this matter is really not a rumor. There are witnesses and physical evidence from the Rong people, and there is even irrefutable evidence that Shen Shuming quietly left the imperial capital and fell into a trap.
Even if Shen Zangfeng appears in the Central Plains now, it is difficult to explain.
"What does Wen Yaozi have to do with our family?" Shen Zangfeng said calmly, "Our family doesn't know much about our family's affairs. Just because he identified the children of the Shen family, can he be considered a child of our family?"
"It's really strange to say that Mo Ye didn't have his father...how could he run to Beirong with his son and marry the Great Khan of the Rong people?" Guard Chief Ying frowned slightly and said.
Shen Zangfeng opened his arms and asked her to put on his robe: "I don't know exactly. Maybe Mo Ye doesn't look like a Wei person, and the people sent by my father made a mistake."
"Didn't father keep some people by his side?"
"I think something must have gone wrong. Anyway, he is still alive now, but it is a problem." Shen Zangfeng sighed and changed the subject, "You have worked hard these days. Now that Jing'er has left the cabinet, there is nothing to do in the backyard. It’s such a big deal, please take a good rest.”
After pondering for a moment, he added, "Before we send troops to the Central Plains, we need to collect some food and grass. There are still some days left. I will accompany you around."
Wei Changying felt sweet in his heart and said angrily: "How can you say that there is nothing serious in the backyard? Have you forgotten? Not to mention when the fifth brother and sister and two nephews who are far away in Guanzhou will come back. As for the sixth brother and sister, the delivery date is only two months. It's been three months. And it's not as convenient for us to get around now as it was back then. Even if Guang'er is sensible, Xie'er will definitely cause trouble. They are still in Diecuiguan, but you said that the second brother and the sixth brother have finished cleaning up. We will bring them back with us. Will we be able to escape by then? "
"Xie'er..." Shen Zangfeng lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, and said, "I plan to..."
Wei Chang Ying was leaning over to help him straighten the tassels of the palace ribbon under his jade pendant, and casually asked: "What are you going to do to Xie'er? That kid doesn't care about anything when he gets angry. He can't hit him, he can't even scold him, but he can't. Let him make trouble, it will hurt your body if you make too much trouble, so just let him go."
"...It's nothing." Shen Zangfeng paused for a moment and then said calmly, "I asked someone to catch some wild water chestnuts yesterday. I remember you used to like to eat this, but it's just here in Xiliang. I'm afraid it doesn't have the soil and water like Fengzhou. It’s nourishing and sweet.”
Wei Changying said in surprise: "I like to eat wild water chestnuts?" She has never eaten this thing in these years!
"When I went to Fengzhou to pick up my bride, we hid behind a locust tree. I heard what the maid who came to find you said." Shen Zangfeng chuckled, "Maybe you were frightened at the time, so you didn't pay attention. "
Wei Changying suddenly realized and said with a smile: "Hey, do you still remember what I said so long ago?"
"That was the first time we got along in private, how could we not remember it?" Shen Zangfeng said with some sadness, "Unknowingly, these years have passed."
Wei Changying pursed his lips and chuckled: "At that time, the two little maids in my yard were very playful and always liked to go to the garden to play with water. They were afraid that Aunt He would scold them, so they would take water chestnuts with them when they went back. I came here as a cover. One time I met them, I asked them to peel a bowl and ate some that summer.”
Then he smiled and said, "So, on the day I came over, you specially asked someone to prepare sophora flower cakes? Why didn't you prepare wild water chestnuts?"
"Mom said it's okay to pay for the sophora flower cake. Wild water chestnuts are not a decent food after all, so we don't need them on the occasion of the wedding." Shen Zangfeng put on the golden crown himself, stretched out his hand to smooth the scattered hair behind her ears, and said , "I always wanted to do it for you, but I have forgotten all this and that until now."
Wei Changying tied his belt twice before tying it up. He looked up at him, the smile on his lips gradually disappeared, and said: "I suddenly remembered... What did you do to Guang'er and Xie'er? They weren't in Diecuiguan? They were Where is it? Don't tell me, just follow Wen Yazi's example and replace Shen Shuming with the two of them!"
Shen Zangfeng froze for a moment, his face suddenly changed, and he was speechless for a long time.
Wei Changying's hands and feet suddenly became cold and he lost his voice: "You... did you really trade them... trade them for Shen Shuming?!"
"... I just wanted to get Xie'er." Shen Zangfeng did not dare to look into her eyes and explained softly, "I was afraid that you would be suspicious, so I took Guang'er with me. I..."
"I'll fight with you!" Wei Changying felt that all the blood in his body rushed to his brain!
She screamed, rushed forward and grabbed Shen Zangfeng's clothes tightly, her eyes were red and she said, "You weren't around when I was pregnant with Guang'er, and you were thousands of miles away when I gave birth to him! He is three years old. I saw you for the first time when I was only five years old, and you trained me hard when I was only five years old... He suffered a life-and-death change when he was six years old. How did he study diligently and follow us in the past two years... Xie'er was also picked up by you for the first time the next year. ... He was only four years old when he was buried alive - we are just two children. Even if they are sometimes naughty, who doesn't really love and love us? You actually traded them for that stupid bastard Shen Shuming! You have to do whatever your uncle does and don’t do it for yourself!”
Shen Shuming was so self-righteous that he caused so much trouble to the Shen family this time. Although Wei Changying was unhappy, at most he had only whispered a few words to Huang and He in private before, which meant he was a bit resentful, not to mention hatred.
But now that she heard that Shen Zangfeng, like Wen Yaozi whom she had just scolded so cruelly in private, exchanged his biological son for this nephew, Wei Changying was ready to strangle Shen Shuming alive!
The lady's carefully maintained long armor pinched deeply into Shen Zangfeng's chest through the thin summer clothes, and the blood immediately mottled the azure brocade robe on his chest!
Her shrill voice alarmed the servants outside. Lianju and the others rushed in and were scolded by the couple at the same time. Wei Changying said in a trembling voice: "I know you have great ambitions, and I also know that it is impossible in this world." You can get it by Guang Feng Ji Yue! I don’t care about anything else you do! No matter how many things you do that will last forever, I am willing to bear them with you! Even if you hand me over, I won’t hate you! But you can’t touch our child! Why should you do this alone?”
The fingernails were moving with blood from the sharp edges. Although it had been several years ago that he had killed someone with his own hands, the memory that had been stored in his body through hard training since childhood still allowed Wei Changying to accurately place the key point. She screamed: "Give Shen Shuming back to them! In exchange for my Xie'er! Otherwise, you won't be able to live anymore!"
Seeing that Shen Zangfeng was silent, Wei Changying said with a sad smile, "You think I don't dare? Do you think I can't let it go? Can you afford the gamble? You gave up your own son to bring back an unsatisfactory bastard nephew. Why? Why? Isn't it because you are afraid that the old people left behind by Shen Zangli will be dissatisfied? But as long as you are still there, Xiliang's popularity will only be unstable if you die... Who else in this sect can afford it? This scene?! Do you dare to bet? Don’t forget that I was born in ten months, and I would rather break my body than let anyone touch them—you are no exception!”
After being silent until now, Shen Zangfeng said in a low voice: "I took Guang'er and Xie'er to Diecuiguan just as a cover to make the Rong people believe that the person I handed over to them was indeed Xie'er... In fact... I handed it over to them. Theirs was just a substitute found on the 11th. After all, Xie'er was still young. After arriving in Xiliang, he had been staying in Mingpeitang. Basically no one outside knew him. They knew that he was a handsome boy with a quite temperament. Just naughty."
Wei Changying was stunned for a moment, clutched the lapel of his clothes and said, "You didn't lie to me?"
"No." Shen Zangfeng looked into her eyes, his eyes were deep, and he said hoarsely, "I was worried about being discovered by the Rong people, so I decided not to use a substitute, but... later I really couldn't bear to bear it, so I took the risk. Fortunately, the Rong people After some testing, I handed Shu Ming back."
"... What about you just now?" Wei Changying looked at his slightly sad eyes, but still asked suspiciously.
Shen Zangfeng closed his eyes and smiled bitterly: "Guang'er is so smart. When I was hesitating, I called Xie'er to me again and again, but I just couldn't bring myself to speak. Later, I decided to adopt Eleven's suggestion and find someone the same age as Xie'er. A boy with similar appearance and good looks took my place... But in the meantime, Guang'er had already seen my intention of taking Xie'er to Diecuiguan... "
Wei Changying was so shocked that he lost his mind: "Is Guang'er just like Shu Ming...?"
The eldest son who is so sensible and heart-warming is not incapable of taking the initiative to replace his younger brother as a hostage... (To be continued)