In the main hall, the Old Madam sat at the head, with Yu Wan and Madam Wen flanking her.
Du Yiyi and Yu Changfeng were seated on the left.
Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi were on the right.
Chu Yunwei had left after ensuring Chu Yunlang was safe in the Duke of Yu’s manor.
Now, everyone in the hall was family, with nothing to hide.
Su Xiaoqi pursed her lips and said, “He can be cured. In fact, I’ve already resolved his poisoning. He’s no longer in mortal danger.
He just needs a few more doses of medicine to clear the remaining toxins.
And then, a slow period of nourishment to regain his strength.”
Hearing this, everyone was relieved, nodding in agreement that the Daoist priest had spoken wisely and that with Xiaoqi, Yunlang would be fine.
Chu Yunlang’s body was incredibly frail, skin and bones, struggling even to speak, a testament to his poor physical condition.
At this point, Su Xiaoqi couldn’t help but wonder what karma the Emperor and Empress of Northern Chu had incurred.
Why send one child to Daliang as a hostage, only to have another who was so sickly?
If this continued, wouldn't they have no successors?
They were a family with legitimate claims to the throne.
Back home, she sighed, looking somewhat dispirited.
Though she said nothing, Shen Yun seemed to know what she was thinking.
He embraced her, asking, “My lady, why the sigh?”
Su Xiaoqi rested her head on his shoulder and murmured, “You know perfectly well.”
Shen Yun used to be able to read her thoughts, but now, it seemed, he couldn't.
Shen Yun felt a bit wronged.
He hadn’t understood why he could read Su Xiaoqi’s thoughts before either.
But after they had truly opened themselves to each other, that ability had vanished.
Though he regretted it, he didn’t dwell on it.
After all, Xiaoqi hardly kept anything from him now.
Even if she tried, she couldn’t.
When it came to reading people, he was second to none.
Moreover, Xiaoqi had never been one to hide her feelings in front of him.
In fact, she disliked hiding things, always saying that misunderstandings between couples stemmed from a lack of communication.
If communication was enhanced, and each knew the other’s heart, there would be no problems.
Her words made sense, but how many couples in the world truly communicated?
Many couples he knew were not truly just two people in a household.
A man, a principal wife, and a house full of concubines and maids.
In such circumstances, true intimacy would likely be difficult.
Shen Yun voiced these thoughts.
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow and suddenly pushed him away:
“So you’re saying you intend to bring more women into your household.”
Shen Yun had merely spoken his mind, never expecting to provoke this fiery woman. He immediately leaned in and said in a placating tone, “With a shrewish wife at home, how would your husband dare?”
“You… you mean I’m not virtuous, not gentle, and that gives you an excuse to take more sisters to attend to you.
I think that Fang Gu from the pleasure house before was quite good.
She was devoted to you.
Or perhaps Su Yurou, Zhao Xiaohua…”
Shen Yun heard the jealousy dripping from her words; she had overturned a vinegar jar, no, a vinegar vat.
He was wise enough to know he couldn't let his lady continue thinking this way, or he'd be in trouble. He leaned closer, smiling fawningly, “My lady…”
“Oh, right, husband, do you have something on your mind?” Su Xiaoqi suddenly asked.
Shen Yun’s heart fluttered slightly. He stroked Su Xiaoqi’s forehead, “My lady noticed?”
Su Xiaoqi chuckled, “I am the worm in your belly, husband. What could I not notice?”
She hadn't actually perceived anything specific. She just felt Shen Yun was acting unusual today.
He had been promoted, which was excellent news.
However, when she and he had visited Madam Zhao earlier, there was an unshakeable gloom in his eyes.
He likely had something he couldn't easily tell Madam Zhao.
But she didn't know if he was willing to tell her.
As Su Xiaoqi pondered, Shen Yun spoke, “He came to see me.”
Su Xiaoqi blinked in surprise, then quickly reacted, “Who, no, could it be someone from the Prince of Ning’s manor?”
Shen Yun nodded, “Precisely.”
He looked at Su Xiaoqi with surprise, “My lady is sharp.”
He hadn’t said anything yet, and she had already guessed.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled and lowered her head slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
The reason she could guess was because she remembered a detail from the book that she had previously overlooked.
That was Shen Yun’s relationship with the Prince of Ning’s manor.
She recalled the author mentioning the situation of the Prince of Ning’s manor after the change of emperors.
The Prince of Ning’s manor had originally been part of the Crown Prince’s faction.
The Crown Prince ascended the throne and enjoyed a period of prominence.
However, due to the new emperor’s incompetence, he was quickly forced to abdicate, replaced by Prince Duan.
The Prince of Ning’s manor, being adaptable, then threw its support behind Prince Duan’s manor.
This wasn't due to Prince Duan’s manor being capricious.
Instead, the author had subtly hinted at something.
The then Prince of Ning, Shen Zhongwen, seemed to have recalled certain memories.
It turned out that before marrying the current Princess of Ning, he had been married and had a son and a daughter with his wife.
However, his family had disagreed, and he had been forcibly taken away and had his memory erased with special medication.
Now, as he aged, the drug’s suppressive effect was weakening.
Coupled with his son, as he remembered him, frequently appearing before him, his memories grew clearer.
One day, he suddenly remembered everything.
However, Su Xiaoqi hadn’t seen the end of the book and didn’t know if the Prince of Ning had acknowledged his son and daughter, along with Madam Zhao, back into the manor.
Therefore, upon hearing Shen Yun speak, Su Xiaoqi subconsciously uttered the name of the Prince of Ning.
She knew that some so-called coincidences were not mere coincidences; they were real.
However, this situation seemed to have a twist.
Because Shen Yun told Su Xiaoqi that the person who had sought them out was not the current Prince of Ning, Shen Zhongwen, but the Old Prince of Ning, Shen Yuan.
Su Xiaoqi admitted she was stumped:
“The Old Prince of Ning’s manor, according to Yiyi, he’s not involved in anything anymore, is he?”
Shen Yun replied, “When the great edifice is about to collapse, how can he remain seated?”
Su Xiaoqi blinked, her eyes conveying a deep understanding.
Shen Yun didn't tease Su Xiaoqi further and directly told her, “The Prince of Ning’s manor is finished.”
It turned out that although the Prince of Ning’s manor had not participated in the rebellion after the new year, they had learned from the Duke of Huang’s heir that the heir apparent, Shen Fu, had known about it.
Furthermore, while playing with Prince Liang Jingyu of the Crown Prince’s manor in Chongming Garden, he had boastfully uttered words of support.
Therefore, even though he hadn’t acted, the power of his words was undeniable.
The Prince of Ning’s manor was caught in the vortex of the rebellion.
The Old Prince and the current Prince of Ning had expended considerable effort, even sacrificing their own kin, to barely preserve themselves during the turmoil.
To avoid further trouble, they had even sent away the manor’s heir apparent, Shen Fu.
Now that the situation had just stabilized, the former Emperor had passed away, and the new Emperor had ascended the throne.
Their strength had been exhausted in dealing with the old emperor.
Now, the new emperor intended to settle their accounts for their transgressions, pushing them to a dead end.
Thus, a dramatic turn of events occurred: the Old Prince finally remembered that he had a grandson living outside the manor.
That grandson was the new emperor’s most trusted minister—Shen Yun!