Chapter 54

By the shadow wall, Lu Qi Huai had already been waiting.

When he saw Shen Wei and Lu Mizhi approaching from a distance, he smiled and went to greet them. However, when his gaze landed on the maid following Shen Wei, his eyes flickered for a moment. But in that brief instant, he quickly regained his composure and smiled at Shen Wei, bowing respectfully as he spoke gently, “Mother, everything is ready.”

Shen Wei did not say much in response. She simply nodded at him, then took Lu Mizhi’s hand and climbed into the carriage.

Once the carriage curtains were lowered—

Lu Qi Huai mounted his horse, and the group set off towards their destination.

—-

When Shen Wei and her party arrived at the Shen family home, many carriages were already parked outside, and numerous people were holding gift boxes. The scene was bustling with activity, creating a lively atmosphere.

The commotion outside must have reached her ears. As the carriage came to a stop, Shen Wei lifted the curtain to look outside. Seeing the grand scene, she was momentarily stunned. According to what Chu Fuyun had said, this was supposed to be a small gathering, but she hadn’t expected such a large crowd.

She was lost in thought—

Initially, the butler, who was busy organizing the guest list, quickly approached when he saw Shen Wei’s carriage. He bowed respectfully to her outside the carriage and smiled, saying, “You’ve arrived.”

Shen Wei nodded in response. Although she remained seated in the carriage, her almond-shaped eyes scanned the surroundings before she spoke, “Didn’t my sister-in-law say today was just a family meal? Why are there so many people here?”

Hearing this, the butler’s face showed a bit of helplessness. He lowered his voice and said, “Originally, it was indeed just a small gathering, but when the Marquis’ colleagues outside heard about it, they all sent gifts early. Now that everyone has arrived, it would be rude to turn them away. And so, more and more people have come.”

Shen Wei understood somewhat after hearing this.

Shen Xifeng had always been trusted by the Emperor, but he was a rather rigid man and rarely hosted or attended banquets. This birthday of Shen Chunting’s, however, provided others with an opportunity to get closer to him… She didn’t bring it up any further and simply told the butler, “In that case, you can go ahead and attend to other matters.”

The Shen family was familiar territory for her, so there was no need for anyone to lead her.

The butler smiled and agreed, but then added, “There are many guests today. It’s better for the carriage to enter through the east gate to avoid being jostled.” As he finished, he was about to bow and step aside when he noticed a young man dressed in black on horseback.

Earlier, he hadn’t paid much attention, assuming the young man was just an attendant, but now he realized that this was the eldest son of the Rongguo Duke’s household.

Not long ago, Lu Qihuai had been an unremarkable young man, but now, just a few months later, this very young man had become a household name in Bianliang—Lord Lu. The twists and turns of the world were indeed hard to predict.

The butler greeted him with another bow and, stepping aside, motioned for the carriage to enter through the east gate.

The Shen family had military origins, and the east gate was built without steps, allowing the carriage to pass directly inside.

Shen Wei noticed the path had cleared, so she didn’t speak further. She just nodded to the butler and lowered the carriage curtain.

Once the carriage passed through the east gate and entered the path, it came to a gentle stop. When the carriage was securely halted, Shen Wei stepped down, assisted by Quihuan, followed by Lu Mizhi.

Shen Wei had originally planned to call a servant to guide Lu Qihuai to the outer courtyard. She thought it would be a small affair, and taking Lu Qihuai to the inner courtyard wouldn’t cause any trouble. However, with so many people arriving, the male and female guests naturally had to be separated.

Before she could speak, a male voice called out from a distance, “Sui Sui.”

Even without looking, Shen Wei knew who it was, but she hadn’t expected Shen Xifeng to personally come and greet her. As she thought this, she looked up and saw Shen Xifeng striding toward her.

Shen Xifeng moved quickly and soon reached her. Shen Wei bowed to him and called out, “Brother.”

After her greeting, Lu Qihuai and Lu Mizhi also bowed. Lu Qihuai’s voice and expression remained unchanged.

However, Lu Mizhi…

She still felt somewhat nervous around Shen Xifeng. Although she greeted him as usual, she tightly held onto Shen Wei’s sleeve and almost hid behind her.

Shen Xifeng noticed Lu Qihuai standing next to Shen Wei and unconsciously furrowed his brows, though he didn’t seem as harsh as when Lu Qihuai had visited last time.

Now that they were both serving in the same court, they met often, and over time, Shen Xifeng realized that although the young man was still very young, his actions were steady and composed—far better than many of the other young scions from aristocratic families.

Moreover, he had risked his life to save the Emperor in the arena, which was indeed a display of loyalty and bravery.

Shen Xifeng had always liked young people with courage and integrity. If Lu Qihuai weren’t the son of Lu Buwei, Shen Xifeng would certainly praise him privately.

But due to that connection…

Although his prejudice against Lu Qihuai had lessened, there was still a knot in his heart, especially when he saw Sui Sui standing next to him. Even though he knew that Lu Buwei’s oversight had been an accident and that at the time, he had no feelings for Sui Sui, it still upset him to think that Sui Sui had been ridiculed by others because of it.

If they had chosen to hide the truth back then, why not keep it hidden forever?

Shen Xifeng thought about this and then looked at Shen Wei. Seeing her expression unchanged, he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or to sigh… Just as he was about to speak, he noticed the little maid beside her. When the maid saw him looking, her face turned pale, which caused him to furrow his brows again.

His expression was naturally stern, and when he furrowed his brows, it made others feel intimidated.

Shen Wei noticed that Lu Mizhi had tightened her grip on her hand and looked at her. Seeing the maid’s pale face, she felt a little helpless. She didn’t speak but gently patted the back of Lu Mizhi’s hand and then lifted her eyes to look at Shen Xifeng, saying helplessly, “Brother.”

Hearing her voice, Shen Xifeng looked toward her, and upon seeing her expression, his previously stern face softened a little. “Alright, your sister-in-law has been waiting for you for a while. There are many guests today, and she’s not feeling well, so you should take care of her.”

Shen Wei immediately nodded in agreement.

She didn’t speak further, just holding Lu Mizhi’s hand as they headed toward the inner courtyard.

Once Shen Wei was out of sight, Shen Xifeng turned his gaze toward Lu Qihuai. Looking at the young man’s calm and composed face, he said in a low voice, “Come with me.”

Lu Qi Huai only responded with a sound upon hearing this, watching as Shen Xifeng strode forward, and he followed suit.

—-

With many guests arriving at the house—

Chu Fuyun, fearing any trouble among the staff, was currently arranging things in the kitchen.

When Shen Wei brought Lu Mizhi into the kitchen, Chu Fuyun had just finished organizing everything. She smiled warmly upon seeing Shen Wei, and after taking the handkerchief from Pan Qiao to wipe her hands, she scolded lightly, “Why didn’t you go sit in the flower hall? The kitchen is smoky and bustling, you used to dislike coming to this place.”

“It’s crowded over there, it’s better to come here and see if I can help my sister-in-law with anything…” Shen Wei replied, and then asked, “Is my sister-in-law done with everything now?”

Chu Fuyun laughed, reached out to pat the back of her hand, and then said, “You’re still the same… everything that needs to be arranged has been, let’s go.” After finishing her sentence, she noticed Lu Mizhi was also there and added with a smile, “The Seventh Young Lady has arrived.”

Lu Mizhi wasn’t afraid of Chu Fuyun and, upon hearing her gentle tone, stepped forward, greeting her with a bow, then sweetly said, “Aunt.”

Chu Fuyun liked children, and now, seeing Lu Mizhi looking so lively, she was even more delighted. She smiled, handed the handkerchief to Pan Qiao, then reached out to support her, and said, “The Seventh Young Lady has grown more beautiful…” As she said this, her hand unconsciously moved toward her own stomach, and she added, “I wonder if this one will be a girl or a boy.”

She secretly hoped it would be a girl; having both a son and a daughter would be a joyful sight.

Shen Wei understood her thoughts and smiled, gently supporting her arm, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, you’ll get your wish…”

The book had mentioned that Chu Fuyun had both a son and a daughter, so it was only natural that this pregnancy would fulfill her wish.

Chu Fuyun smiled even more brightly upon hearing this, and said no more. She let Shen Wei support her as they walked outside. When they reached the door, she recalled the message from the steward earlier and asked, “I heard your eldest son has also arrived?”

Shen Wei nodded in response.

By now, Lu Qi Huai should also be in the outer courtyard. She wasn’t sure what his demeanor was like now. Shen Xifeng, due to the original owner’s reasons, had always disliked Lu Qi Huai, and she wasn’t sure if something would happen.

Chu Fuyun, noticing her expression, likely guessed what was on her mind. She smiled and gently held Shen Wei’s hand, speaking in a calm voice, “Don’t worry. Your elder brother might not say it, but he does acknowledge him in his heart. Besides, now they serve together in the court, and with so many ministers here today, surely you’re not worried he will be bullied?”

Shen Wei, hearing this, showed a rare discomfort on her face, but in just a moment, she regained her usual composure. She withdrew her gaze from the outer courtyard and looked at Chu Fuyun, saying, “Where did you see me worrying about him?”

After she finished speaking, she noticed Chu Fuyun’s smile deepened, and she added, “I’m just worried he doesn’t often attend such banquets and might offend someone, ruining this good day.” In truth, she wasn’t worried about Lu Qi Huai—how could he be bullied? She was concerned that Shen Xifeng might offend Lu Qi Huai and attract trouble.

After all, since she had taken over this body, she had to look out for the original owner’s affairs.

Chu Fuyun only smiled at her response but didn’t bring it up again. She and Shen Wei then continued walking toward the flower hall.

—-

By now, most of the guests had arrived at the flower hall. The women were chatting noisily, and even before Shen Wei and Chu Fuyun entered, they could already hear the laughter from inside. A particularly loud voice said, “I wonder what happened to the young lady of the Yang family? It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about her.”

Most of the women here were about the same age as Chu Fuyun and were discussing the latest gossip from around the city. As for Yang Shuangyan, who was once a lively figure in Bianliang city, always speaking and acting in a way that others tried to emulate, her sudden absence was quite strange.

As soon as these words were spoken, others started talking as well, and someone who knew the details spoke up, “Did you all not know? A few days ago, Empress Zhuang mentioned to His Majesty that she wanted to propose to the Yang young lady on behalf of Prince Jin, and His Majesty severely reprimanded her. Empress Zhuang was once the most favored consort in the palace, even the Empress had to avoid her sharpness, yet now she’s being punished over this matter.”

“Miss Yang used to be very close with Prince Jin, so it makes sense that she hasn’t come out now…”

Shen Wei, hearing the conversation, didn’t show any change in her expression, but her thoughts turned several times.

The book had described Zhao Zhun as suspicious and power-hungry. In the past, Prince Jin and the Crown Prince were in opposition, which suited Zhao Zhun’s interests. But recently, Prince Jin’s actions had become increasingly erratic. Both in court and privately, he had gathered many capable people, which Zhao Zhun knew but never interfered with. However, it was a mistake for him to try to take down the Yang family.

The Yang family was influential, and not only was Yang Ji the current prime minister, but the second son of the Yang family also had many disciples in various fields.

Prince Jin already had many military generals under his command, and adding someone like this wouldn’t be a good thing.

But—

What exactly is the relationship between this young lady of the Yang family and Lu Qi Huai?

The book made it clear that they were close, and readers believed they were a couple, but why does it seem like things have changed now? What happened? And what consequences might this change bring?

Outside, the maid noticed them coming and had already bowed.

Chu Fuyun, supported by Pan Qiao, was about to walk forward when she noticed Shen Wei hadn’t followed. Turning her head, she saw Shen Wei with her head lowered, seemingly lost in thought, and gently asked, “Sui Sui, what’s wrong?”