The Tiger Guard reported: "The Southern Chu cavalry has already returned to their borders, guarded by tens of thousands of border troops. Pursuit is no longer possible."
Shen Xiuming was seething with frustration.
He stood with his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment before instructing the Tiger Guard: "Have our spies in Southern Chu continue tracking them. Summon Prince Wu of Donglin and his entourage—I wish to question them in person."
The Tiger Guard acted with remarkable efficiency.
By dusk, Prince Wu's delegation had been escorted to the inn. Upon meeting Shen Xiuming, Prince Wu recounted the events in detail.
At the end, Prince Wu's eyes reddened as he pleaded, "Lord Shen, you must help me! Xi'er was to be my concubine—yet the Southern Chu Emperor shamelessly stole her from me!"
Shen Xiuming's expression turned complicated. "An unconsummated concubine?"
Prince Wu nodded emphatically.
After a brief silence, Shen Xiuming cautioned him, "When you meet our new Emperor and the retired Emperor in the capital, do not mention the 'unconsummated concubine' matter."
Though puzzled, Prince Wu sensed Shen Xiuming’s goodwill and promptly agreed.
Shen Xiuming then summoned Yuan Fu to inquire about Yuan Xi'er. The moment Yuan Fu stepped inside, his dark eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Shen Xiuming, teeth grinding audibly.
As if facing an enemy.
This seemingly refined, scholarly middle-aged man was none other than Shen Xiuming—the very official the Donglin people despised!
When questioned, Yuan Fu clenched his jaw and stubbornly refused to answer.
Prince Wu awkwardly rubbed his nose and nudged the boy. "Answer Lord Shen’s questions. Do it for your sister’s sake."
Only then did Yuan Fu relent.
With a sullen expression, he recounted how his sister had thrown herself into the sea, only to miraculously survive. Shen Xiuming noted that Yuan Xi'er’s revival coincided with Lu Yun’s awakening.
The fisher girl Yuan Xi'er was likely his own sister, Shen Wei.
Relieved, Shen Xiuming offered Yuan Fu a gentle smile. "Go rest and eat something. Leave the rest to me."
Yuan Fu huffed, "I won’t take anything from you! You villain!"
Shen Xiuming was taken aback.
Having served in government for years with a spotless reputation, praised by the people as an upright official, he never expected to be called a villain by a twelve-year-old in Wenzhou.
Unfazed, he chuckled. "What evil have I done?"
Yuan Fu snapped, "You built that dam upstream, ruining Donglin’s harvests for years! People starved because of you!"
Shen Xiuming raised a brow. "I oversaw the dam’s construction by imperial decree, but we never cut off Donglin’s water supply."
The dam served crucial purposes—controlling floods, storing water, and irrigating fields.
Last year, when torrential rains swelled the Mingyuan River, the reservoir prevented catastrophic flooding downstream, sparing countless lives and farmlands.
Shen Xiuming asked, "Who told you I was a villain?"
Yuan Fu retorted, "The officials said so!"
Prince Wu looked as if he wished to vanish into the floor.
Amused, Shen Xiuming patted Yuan Fu’s head. "You’d believe anything the officials say, wouldn’t you?"
Yuan Fu clutched his head, shot Shen Xiuming a glare, and stormed out.
Left alone with Prince Wu, Shen Xiuming shook his head. "Our priority is retrieving Yuan Xi'er. The rest is inconsequential."
Prince Wu couldn’t suppress his curiosity. "Forgive my boldness, Lord Shen, but what ties do you have with Yuan Xi'er? Could she be... your long-lost daughter?"
Shen Xiuming merely smiled and politely ushered Prince Wu to tea.
...
After her capture, Shen Wei settled comfortably into the carriage.
Li Yuanli had worried she might flee, but Shen Wei spent her days lounging, eating heartily, and sleeping soundly.
Baffled, he asked, "No more escape attempts?"
Shen Wei, having just choked down a bitter medicinal brew for her cold, sucked on a sugar piece and lazily leaned against the carriage wall. "With food, drink, and medicine, why bother?"
She was a pragmatist.
Her current body was frail—breaking a sweat after a few steps, limbs turning weak after a short run. With Southern Chu cavalry guarding every inch of the route, even a fly couldn’t slip past.
Escape was futile.
Better to regain her strength first.
Only with a healthy body and clear mind could she plan her next move.
Besides, Li Yuanli’s brazen raid on the Mingyuan River would have alerted Qing State. Li Yuanjing and Li Chengtai would surely devise a rescue.
All she had to do was wait.
Peering out the carriage window, Shen Wei made a demand: "I hear Southern Chu has a delicacy called lychee-glazed kidney. I want it for dinner."
No reason to suffer on an empty stomach.
Li Yuanli studied her sun-weathered face. Beneath the unfamiliar exterior, he still glimpsed that vibrant, captivating soul.
Amid life’s chaos, Shen Wei remained a constant flame—one he, like a moth, couldn’t resist drawing near, no matter the cost.
Smirking, he guided his horse alongside her carriage. "You lack a prisoner’s self-awareness."
Shen Wei countered, "You went to such lengths to capture me just to use me against Qing State, didn’t you? If I starve, your scheme fails. Hardly worth it."
She assumed Li Yuanli sought to exploit her value as leverage for political gains.
After all, her status tied into vast interests—she was Qing State’s golden goose.
But Li Yuanli’s gaze lingered, intense. "I sought you not for profit."
Shen Wei frowned.
Slowly, he said, "I sought only you."
With a sharp flick, Shen Wei yanked the ornate carriage curtain shut, blocking his scorching stare.
The man was clearly deranged.
