“It seems like this chess game can’t continue.”

Shen Yu was greatly shaken, surprised as she asked, “Do you have any evidence?”

Originally a casual question, it sounded somewhat jarring to Xie Tingzhou’s ears.

Was she doubting him? Or did she trust Jiang Lianzhi more?

“Your Highness?”

Xie Tingzhou suppressed the displeasure and said lightly, “While I was in Beilin, I received a confidential letter mentioning issues with the battle at Yanliang Pass, prompting me to go support.”

Shen Yu frowned, “But you previously mentioned that the reason for aiding Yanliang Pass was because you discovered the Lu Family was heavily transporting grains.”

Originally, she thought someone schemed to make Xie Tingzhou act, and if he acted independently, it would become a handle in the hands of the emperor, so she only sent people to investigate.

“Correct,” Xie Tingzhou said, “It was only when I discovered the transport of grains by the Lu Family that I believed the authenticity of that letter.”

Shen Yu pondered for a moment, “Your Highness means that the letter came from Jiang Lianzhi.”

Xie Tingzhou stood up, walked to the desk, and took out a letter from the drawer.

Shen Yu walked over, took the letter, and read it. Its content was as Xie Tingzhou had said, but…

“This isn’t Jiang Lianzhi’s handwriting.”

Having been a couple for several years, she could still recognize Jiang Lianzhi’s handwriting.

Xie Tingzhou’s gaze shifted to Shen Yu, his eyes filled with deepening doubt.

But he didn’t confront her immediately. Instead, he said, “Jiang Lianzhi’s rise to his current position was not accidental. He is cautious and naturally wouldn’t easily reveal his hand. My people took three months to trace back to him.”

Shen Yu’s mind was a mess at this moment.

If Jiang Lianzhi was involved in the Yanliang Pass case, why would he write that letter to remind Xie Tingzhou?

If he wasn’t involved, how did he know about the issues at Yanliang Pass?

The deeper they investigated this case, the more it seemed shrouded in mystery, like a thick fog enveloping them.

…

The Ren’an Marquis’s mansion in Shengjing hosted a banquet, and many prominent families in the capital received invitations.

General Shen’s mansion received three invitations, leaving only the stepmother and the second young lady. Though they were rumored to be in a difficult situation, on the brink of collapse, they still received an invitation from the Ren’an Marquis’s mansion.

Shen Yan arrived late. The hall was already filled with various noble ladies, leaving only a seat at the end of the table.

As soon as she arrived, many young ladies began to whisper and gossip.

Someone in the hall snorted, “Why is she here?”

“Who knows, look at her mourning attire. Who is she pretending to grieve for? I bet she’s thrilled inside. Her elder sister is the granddaughter of the Lu Family in Hezhou, with so much family property. Now it’s all going to her and her mother.”

Those words pierced into Shen Yan’s ears. She had expected such a situation, so she calmly took a seat near the door.

The legitimate daughter of the Ren’an Marquis was favored by the Queen Mother and held the title of the Rui Min County Princess. Among all the young ladies present, she stood out.

The Rui Min County Princess was talking with someone else when she noticed Shen Yu and immediately said, “Miss Shen is finally here. I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

Shen Yan bowed her head in courtesy, “The County Princess honors Shen Yan. Shen Yan dare not be absent.”

Seeing her sitting at the end, the Rui Min County Princess instructed her maid, “Move Miss Shen’s seat next to me.”

Shen Yan and the Rui Min County Princess had no close relationship, so her sudden warmth made Shen Yan uneasy.

After resettling, the Rui Min County Princess held Shen Yan’s hand and comforted her, “Don’t mind the idle gossip. Your father and brothers have passed away, and you’re the one facing the most difficulties.”

Shen Yan’s eyes welled up with tears, choking up, she said, “Thank you, County Princess.”

The Rui Min County Princess whispered to her, “I invited them today to tell everyone that you, Shen Yan, have my protection. They won’t dare to give you trouble in the future.”

“Why, County Princess…”

“Miss Shen doesn’t know,” a maid who was pouring tea interjected, “our County Princess has admired Miss Shen for a long time. She wanted to make friends with you, but unfortunately, you rarely stay in the capital and don’t attend the gatherings of noble ladies.”

“Yes,” the Rui Min County Princess said thoughtfully, “since I was young, I’ve been wondering, why can’t women wander the world like men? Miss Shen is a woman, yet she can still fight on the battlefield.”

Shen Yan’s eyes reddened even more, her fingers tightly gripping her skirt. “My elder sister isn’t an ordinary woman.”

“It’s a pity I didn’t get to see her prowess,” the Rui Min County Princess grabbed Shen Yan’s hand, “tell me about her.”

“My elder sister…” Shen Yan hesitated, “she rarely stays in the capital. We haven’t had much time together, but she is exceptionally straightforward.”

The Rui Min County Princess looked regretful, “It would have been a great joy to make friends with her.”

Shen Yan pursed her lips, forcing a smile, “I regret not spending more time with my elder sister.”

Their conversation caught the attention of other young ladies. Some dismissed it as irrelevant, while others found it particularly glaring.

“I heard that the Jiang family once proposed marriage to General Shen’s mansion for Jiang Lianzhi, but it was rejected. There are various rumors in the capital. Some say it was for Miss Shen, others say it was for Miss Shen Yan.

Since Miss Shen Yan is here today, why not clear up the confusion for everyone?”

The speaker was the eldest daughter of the Lu family from the Hanlin Academy. She looked at Shen Yan with a hint of arrogance.

Since ancient times, civil and military officials often held disdain for each other. Some civil officials looked down upon military families.

The eyes of everyone in the hall turned to Shen Yan, even the Rui Min County Princess.

Shen Yan lowered her eyes and said softly, “Shen Yan is not worthy of Jiang Lianzhi, the honorable gentleman.”

With her words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly heated up.

This statement is ambiguous. Although it doesn’t explicitly state that Jiang Lianzhi proposed to her, it implies that she refused the marriage because she felt unworthy of him, doesn’t it?

People’s thoughts diverged for a moment.

A young lady in green clothes asked, “But I heard that Jiang Lianzhi once said that as long as Miss Shen nodded, he could come to propose marriage at any time. Since Mr. Jiang is so enamored, Miss Shen must have some outstanding qualities, right?”

Shen Yan whispered softly, “I am still in mourning period now, and I don’t have such thoughts.”

In fact, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the mourning period for women was different from that for men. If a daughter observed mourning like a son for three years, she might miss the opportunity for marriage. Therefore, the length of mourning varied from place to place, ranging from one year to three months.

Someone sneered, “If you didn’t mean that, why not make it clear? It would save everyone’s time.”

Someone immediately chuckled in the hall and sarcastically said, “You’re probably trying to push yourself forward.”

After dealing with the various young ladies, Shen Yu felt exhausted.

The current situation was different from the past. In the past, with Shen Zhong’an and Shen Zhao still around, the young ladies in the capital would show some respect. Now, whether she could establish herself among the noble ladies would depend on her own efforts.

When Shen Yan returned to the general’s mansion, nothing seemed different from before. The mistress was still her and her mother, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something had changed.

As she stepped inside, there was no one in the courtyard.

A maid called out, “Miss is back! Where did everyone go? Taking a break while Miss is away?”

The maid hurriedly walked ahead and opened the door for Shen Yan.

As the two entered the room and saw who was sitting on the chair, they both froze.

“Mas… Miss!” The maid stammered out.