The busy and hurried day passed.
In the days that followed, Shen Yun was very busy.
Su Xiaoqi was also very busy.
She was constantly busy helping Chu Yunlang recover from his illness.
Meanwhile, Shen Yun, as an official in the Ministry of Rites, was mainly occupied with preparations for receiving envoys from various countries.
By the end of February, envoys from countries that had dealings with Da Liang began arriving in the capital.
Envoys came from Nanyue to the south, Tubo to the west, and Beidi and Beichu to the north.
One purpose of their visit was to offer condolences for the late Emperor Xingzhao.
The other was to celebrate the ascension of Emperor Yongxing, the new emperor of the Da Liang dynasty.
This was Shen Yun's overt activity.
Covertly, however, he was assisting the new emperor in investigating the remnants of Prince Ping's faction, who had previously been the Crown Prince.
This was due to intelligence indicating that although Prince Ping had been confined, his ambition remained.
He had never abandoned his desire to ascend to the throne.
Therefore, despite being imprisoned, his thoughts soared, and he sent people to contact his former subordinates to stir up trouble discreetly.
The Imperial Guards had been watching him closely, but after all, he had been Crown Prince for over ten years and had many people under his command. The late Emperor had shown him leniency and had not pursued him relentlessly.
This left Emperor Yongxing with a considerable mess to clean up.
However, no one could voice this sentiment.
After all, Prince Duan had made a late surge and turned the tide at a critical moment.
He had successfully ascended to the throne.
This alone was already a cause for much surprise and joy.
As for other minor details, they were not worth dwelling on.
Regardless, he had patience, and he had no shortage of capable individuals under his command, so he would eventually have the opportunity to apprehend all of Prince Ping's associates.
Aside from these concerns.
After Emperor Yongxing's enthronement, he also promoted and rewarded his followers from when he was still a prince.
Among them, Shen Yun was the most significant.
However, due to his very short tenure in court.
Emperor Yongxing had initially intended to appoint him as a Minister and have him join the Grand Secretariat, considering his abilities.
But Shen Yun declined.
He stated that he was still young and lacked experience, and that the position of Grand Secretariat should be held by elder statesmen with extensive experience.
Consequently, in addition to the few neutral Grand Secretariat ministers, the Ministers of War and Justice were also reassigned.
Wang Chengyi was promoted to Minister of War and entered the Grand Secretariat.
Wang Ci, the Vice Minister of Justice, was appointed as the Minister.
The Minister of Rites, being advanced in age, retired to his home, and Mr. Gu took over his position.
Numerous other court officials were also adjusted.
Many of the former Crown Prince's faction were suppressed, either resigning from office, being exiled, or if their crimes were severe, having their property confiscated.
Of course, these court affairs originally had nothing to do with Su Xiaoqi.
However, Emperor Yongxing, remembering her meritorious service in treating him and his son during the Dragon Boat Festival, intended to grant her a title.
However, this matter was only hinted at to Shen Yun and had not yet been formally decreed.
Therefore, no one was aware of it.
Su Xiaoqi herself had only heard a small part of it.
But she was indifferent to these minor matters and did not dwell on them.
As Shen Yun's official position rose, Su Xiaoqi lived a rather comfortable life.
Until one day in early March, she suddenly received a peculiar invitation.
As the wife of a third-rank Vice Minister, she received various invitations daily.
There were invitations to flower viewing parties, outings, poetry gatherings, and temple fairs...
However, she was not someone who enjoyed such inexplicable bustling events.
Therefore, she did not attend many of them.
Unless they were from people she knew.
However, there was one residence from which she had never received an invitation.
That was Prince Ning's mansion.
This was the strange part.
Prince Ning's mansion, which had never paid her any mind, had now sent her an invitation.
Inviting the female members of their household to a spring banquet at Prince Ning's mansion.
Moreover, the invitation specifically emphasized that she must bring Old Madam Shen.
Su Xiaoqi held the invitation and fell into deep contemplation.
If she hadn't heard Shen Yun mention the scandalous affairs of Prince Ning's mansion,
she probably wouldn't have thought much of it.
She would have simply thought that Prince Ning's mansion, like many other residences, was trying to curry favor now that her family had been promoted and prospered.
After all, Prince Ning's mansion was no longer as glorious as it once was.
Prince Ning's position in court had been an overt promotion but a de facto demotion, changing from a position of real power to a sinecure.
Prince Ning's mansion had such high standing in the past.
It was the only princely estate of a non-royal surname in the Da Liang dynasty.
It had also been deeply trusted by the late Emperor.
Prince Ning held important responsibilities in court.
Even the true imperial relatives had to show them considerable deference.
Let alone ordinary court officials.
Prince Ning's mansion had been highly esteemed. In the past, when they hosted banquets, Su Xiaoqi, with her then status and position, had no possibility of being invited.
Of course, even if she had been invited, Su Xiaoqi might not have wanted to go.
Just like now.
Su Xiaoqi received the invitation, glanced at it, and then contemptuously tossed it aside.
Su Xiaoqi had never given Prince Ning's mansion any face in the past, and she certainly wouldn't now.
In the evening, when Shen Yun returned, he looked at her as if he had something to say but hesitated.
Su Xiaoqi had already noticed this while having dinner at Madam Zhao's.
But she couldn't ask in front of Madam Zhao and Shen Mingzhu, so she waited until they returned to their room before asking, "Husband, you seem troubled. Is it related to Prince Ning's mansion?"
Shen Yun was surprised by Su Xiaoqi's perceptiveness. The matter that he had found somewhat difficult to broach was not so problematic when she asked about it.
He immediately said, "He approached me today as well."
Su Xiaoqi responded without hesitation, "Is it Prince Ning?"
In the past, the elder Prince Ning had approached Shen Yun many times.
It was no longer a novel occurrence between the couple.
For Shen Yun to mention it specifically, it must surely be Prince Ning.
At this point, Su Xiaoqi had already basically concluded that Shen Yun might indeed be connected to Prince Ning's mansion.
Otherwise, given their mansion's status, they wouldn't have come knocking repeatedly.
"What did he say?" Su Xiaoqi pondered what Prince Ning might do.
Although she had not had a good impression of Prince Ning's mansion since arriving in the capital,
Prince Ning himself seemed to have no negative rumors associated with him.
He was an anomaly in the entire Prince Ning's mansion.
He was gentle and humble, a rare gentleman.
His reputation among court officials had always been quite good.
At least Su Xiaoqi had heard many anecdotes about him from Du Yiyi.
He had done good deeds advocating for the people.
And he was quite capable.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been valued by the late Emperor Xingzhao.
So, if Shen Yun refused the elder Prince Ning, what would Prince Ning do?
"He invited me to a banquet tomorrow," Shen Yun said.
Su Xiaoqi blinked, "Prince Ning's mansion is holding a spring banquet?"
Shen Yun nodded, suddenly realizing that Su Xiaoqi had also received an invitation.
Su Xiaoqi asked curiously, "Will you be going, husband?"
Shen Yun nodded, "Naturally!"
Su Xiaoqi pouted, "I was thinking of declining it."
She then mentioned the specific mention of Madam Zhao in the invitation.
Shen Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he held Su Xiaoqi's fingers tightly, "Thank you, my dear, for taking care of Mother."
Su Xiaoqi became displeased, "What are you saying? Isn't your mother also my mother?
Are you trying to be distant with me by speaking so formally?"
Su Xiaoqi's affection for Madam Zhao was no less than Shen Yun's.
This was because she was indeed a very, very good person.
She was gentle and kind, and she always possessed a power that drew people closer to her.
After the matter was settled, Su Xiaoqi went to Madam Zhao's courtyard to inform her about attending the banquet at Prince Ning's mansion the next day.
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao became somewhat fearful, saying she did not wish to attend any banquet.
Su Xiaoqi did not conceal anything and directly explained that Prince Ning's mansion had recently approached Shen Yun.
She also told Madam Zhao that Prince Ning's given name was exactly the same as Shen Yun's father's given name.
"There are many people in the world with the same name.
But this time, it might not be a coincidence."
Madam Zhao's sleepiness instantly vanished, and her eyes reddened visibly.
Su Xiaoqi placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Mother, don't be afraid. I am here for you."
Madam Zhao's voice was choked with emotion, "Can we, can we not go?"
Su Xiaoqi replied, "I thought so too.
But husband said that we can decline, however, there is a spring banquet this time, and there might be a summer banquet and an autumn banquet next time..."
This meant that they would eventually have to face this situation with Prince Ning's mansion.
So, it might be better to go.
Su Xiaoqi saw Madam Zhao still frowning and knew that she was worried. She quickly said,
"No matter the outcome, you are still husband's mother and the Old Madam of the Shen mansion."