Chapter 33

Guan Muyun had known Xie Huaian since childhood. Though Xie appeared gentle and harmless, he was actually very complex and rarely spoke without purpose.

After Xie Huaian left, Guan Muyun began to think. 

He recalled that when his family first proposed marriage to the Shen family, Shen Yu had quickly assured them everything was settled with the Marquis of Changxing. But just days later, the Shen family reversed their decision, claiming they had no suitable girls for the marriage and postponing the proposal. Eventually, the Crown Princess intervened, helping to suppress the situation and finally allowing him to marry Shen Ruojin.

Guan Muyun thought this situation was quite strange.  

Logically, Shen Yu would know there were no eligible girls in the family. It didn’t make sense for the Shen family to initially say they could solve this issue and then not follow up. Most likely, their conditions were not met, and the talks fell through.  

In the evening, when Lady Lingguo returned home for dinner, she shared her visit to Lady Sui at the Sui family.  

At that time, the legitimate daughter of the Sui family was seriously ill, and Lord Sui took her away for medical treatment. After the young daughter died, he did not inform his wife and instead replaced her with a daughter born to his concubine.  

This matter eventually came to light, leading Mrs. Sui’s family to confront the Sui family. Lord Sui gave several shops and two farms to Mrs. Sui as private property, which left the mistress deeply affected and unable to recover from the blow.  

Later, Lord Sui was so troubled by this incident that he accidentally fell off his horse and died. Madam Sui inherited most of the family wealth and was left with her children, leading a happy life.  

Lady Lingguo’s intention in sharing this story was to highlight that sometimes, misfortunes can lead to unexpected blessings, as anyone can survive without someone else and possibly even thrive.  

However, Guan Muyun took her words differently.  

Thinking about what Xie Huaian said and the arrival of Miss Luo from the top scholar’s family, Guan Muyun grew uneasy: “Mother, does our family have anyone else in Qin County, Sichuan, and Shaanxi?”  

“We don’t have any in Qin County,” said Mrs. Guan, “but your uncle has land and a farm there. You can ask him if you need anything.”  

Since this issue involved Ruojin’s reputation, Guan Muyun felt it was best to keep it private.  

Against his mother’s suggestion, he shook his head, saying, “It’s nothing serious, just a small matter. Don’t bother uncle. I can handle it myself.”  

That night, Guan Muyun called his attendant to the study and instructed him to discreetly investigate the matter, emphasizing that it should remain a secret and not be mentioned to anyone, including the master and his wife.  

_  

Princess Hui’an was in a good mood that day. After breakfast, she announced she was going out to play polo.  

When they arrived at the stadium, the weather was nice, and many people were playing polo, including young masters from noble families like Guan Muyun.  

Upon seeing Shen Ruojin, a group of young men cheered for Guan Muyun. Princess Hui’an had won two games and was in high spirits, happily asking Ruojin to rest since she had always been in poor health.  

“You have always been in poor health. Go and rest over there. Come back to the palace with me after the party is over.”  

Shen Ruojin blushed, lowered her head, and followed Guan Muyun back to the tent.  

At that moment, Guan Muyun’s attendant entered and handed him a document. They both stayed silent throughout the process, not exchanging a word.  

Shen Ruojin’s eyes were fixed on the document, unable to look away.  

Usually, Guan Muyun was open with her, but this time felt different.  

Calmly, Shen Ruojin stood up and prepared a cup of tea for Guan Muyun. Just as she was about to pick it up, her fingers trembled slightly, causing tea to spill onto the document.  

Panic-stricken, Shen Ruojin set down the cup and wiped the water off. The document unfolded in her hands, revealing details about the Luo family in Qin County.  

Guan Muyun turned around and saw this scene. They stood in silence for a long time.  

The secret the Shen family had tried hard to hide was now in front of them. Shen Ruojin quickly realized that Guan Muyun had found the right lead but was unsure how much he knew.  

As Guan Muyun remained puzzled, Shen Ruojin asked directly, “Do you already know about Tao Sheng’s situation?”  

Guan Muyun didn’t expect this question. He quickly skimmed the document, then tossed it into the flames of the tea stove.  

“There are too many people here; let’s go for a walk.”  

He pulled Shen Ruojin into a nearby grove.  

After walking for a while, Guan Muyun finally spoke: “Mother visited Mrs. Sui last night and mentioned the Sui family’s issues. Is it similar for your Shen family?”  

Shen Ruojin bit her lower lip tightly.  

Wealthy families in Beijing place great importance on bloodlines.  

The Shen family had never informed the Guan family about this, meaning they had been deceived once after the engagement. Guan Muyun had figured out some clues and wouldn’t allow the Shen family to deceive them a second time.  

“When my mother gave birth, we were out of town and short on help. An old servant at home lost the child, so we had to find another baby girl locally to pass off as the second daughter of the Shen family.” Shen Ruojin smiled sadly, “You guessed right. The child who was brought back to the mansion was me, and the lost child was Tao Sheng.”  

“After finding Tao Sheng, my grandmother and father worried that my involvement in the imperial examination would affect me, so they kept it secret from the family. Tao Sheng probably resented me for this and has refused to reconcile with the family since. I blame myself for the current situation. I regret not convincing my parents to let Tao Sheng return earlier, which led to her anger and refusal to accept the marriage proposal with the Changxing Marquis’s Mansion.”  

“Tao Sheng has always been blunt with her words. I’m afraid that one day she will exaggerate this matter and embarrass our family in front of the entire capital. She hasn’t had a good life away from home these past years. I’ve worried every day for the past two years and haven’t had any peace. Now, I just want her to come home as soon as possible. I’ve begged her many times, but she stubbornly refuses to return.”