At the beginning of the new year, officials of the Great Zhao Dynasty were granted five days of rest.
Last night, an unexpected incident occurred in Chaoyang Hall. Shen Yanyu never imagined that his wife would fall into a trap set by the heir of the Marquis of Ningde, nearly losing her chastity and reputation. Fortunately, the Crown Prince intervened in time to prevent the worst from happening.
Though she was swiftly moved to safety, Jiang Qingci had still inhaled a small amount of aphrodisiac. As a noblewoman raised in a prestigious family, she had always maintained decorum even in the most intimate moments. Yet last night, she was unexpectedly passionate—unlike anything Shen Yanyu had ever seen before.
He adored this side of her. After soothing her emotions, he indulged in the rare night of abandon.
Assuming that the elders would understand given the circumstances, he thought he could sleep in this morning. But to his surprise, the Crown Prince summoned him at dawn.
Reluctantly leaving his alluring and clingy wife behind, Shen Yanyu changed into his official robes and hurried to the palace.
Since it was a day of rest, the Crown Prince did not receive officials in the usual Chongming Hall for political discussions. Instead, he had set up a game of chess in a side chamber of Chengguang Hall, waiting specifically for Shen Yanyu.
Upon entering, Shen Yanyu bowed respectfully. "Your humble servant greets Your Highness."
The Crown Prince, dressed in dark blue leisure robes, gestured for him to rise. "I summoned you at an inconvenient hour. I hope I did not disturb you, Minister Shen."
Shen Yanyu replied promptly, "It is my honor to serve Your Highness. How could it be a disturbance?"
You knew it wasn’t a good time.
Qingci refused to let me go before I left.
The Crown Prince smirked coldly. If not for his ability to hear thoughts, he would have still believed that the upright and principled official he had personally promoted was a man of restraint and integrity. Instead, it turned out Shen Yanyu was just another man lost in the pleasures of the flesh.
Shen Yanyu came from a humble background but had earned the third rank in the imperial examinations. The Crown Prince had favored him for his unyielding integrity and steady temperament, secretly elevating him through the ranks. Now, before even reaching thirty, Shen Yanyu had already risen to one of the Nine Chief Ministries.
Originally, all memorials from across Great Zhao were compiled and presented by the Office of Transmission. However, since the Grand Secretariat had become the central administrative body, and Emperor Chunming had begun relying more on the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Office of Transmission had lost much of its former influence.
Though no longer in favor, Shen Yanyu still used his position to gather reports from all regions, broadening channels for public grievances and exposing the deceitful practices of officials and nobles under Emperor Chunming’s rule.
Outsiders only knew of Shen Yanyu’s connection to the Marquis of Wuning as his son-in-law, unaware that he had long been the Crown Prince’s trusted confidant.
Setting aside other matters, Xie Huaichuan’s attempt to drive a wedge between them using Shen Yanyu’s wife was indeed a clever move.
The Crown Prince observed him discreetly. Truly, appearances could be deceiving—Shen Yanyu in his official robes appeared cold and dignified, untouched by worldly desires, a stark contrast to the tender and passionate figure in Yun Kui’s dreams.
The Crown Prince motioned, "Minister Shen, take a seat."
Shen Yanyu nodded and sat opposite him. As they began their game, the Crown Prince took black stones, his phoenix eyes fixed on the board. Between moves, Shen Yanyu reported on last year’s major disaster relief efforts in several regions, naming corrupt officials whose crimes had been confirmed, and briefly summarizing the major cases handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the past two years.
The Crown Prince listened half-heartedly before finally smiling. "Enough. Today, let us not discuss official matters—only personal ones."
Shen Yanyu: "..."
On New Year’s, summoned to the Eastern Palace just for idle chatter?
Ignoring the thought, the Crown Prince remarked casually, "By the way, if I recall correctly, Minister Shen is twenty-eight this year?"
Shen Yanyu: "Yes."
The Crown Prince: "Why did you delay marriage until last year? As I remember, when you placed third in the imperial exams and paraded through the streets with flowers, many noble families sought you as a son-in-law. Even two of His Majesty’s princesses favored you."
Shen Yanyu’s expression turned solemn.
So this is a test of my loyalty.
He picked up a chess piece, contemplating before answering. "There were two reasons for my late marriage. First, I was preoccupied with official duties and had no mind for marriage. Second, I had not yet met someone who truly moved my heart. Coming from a humble background, I entered the court to realize my ambitions and serve the people. Wealth and rank were secondary—I would never seek rapid advancement by marrying a princess or attaching myself to powerful families, forgetting my roots."
The Crown Prince smiled. "So, Lady Shen is the one who captured your heart?"
Shen Yanyu sensed hidden meaning in the Crown Prince’s words and wondered why his wife had suddenly become the topic.
My father-in-law and brother-in-law both serve the Crown Prince. Could it be that Qingci was originally intended to be a candidate for Crown Princess? Is that why the heir of the Marquis of Ningde used her to frame the Crown Prince?
One thing was certain—there had never been any improper relationship between his wife and the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince: "..."
He hadn’t expected a casual question to lead to such a misunderstanding.
"There’s no need for tension, Minister Shen. I merely asked out of curiosity."
Not wanting to complicate things further, the Crown Prince changed his approach. "The truth is, I am to select a Crown Princess soon. Having spent these years focused on military campaigns, I’ve neglected matters of the heart. Hearing of your marital bliss, I thought to seek some advice."
Relieved, Shen Yanyu replied, "Our meeting was simply fate."
The Office of Transmission served as a channel for grievances, allowing subjects to report injustices and unlawful acts.
While serving as a Counselor in the office, Shen Yanyu once received a petition from a commoner exposing the negligence of officials in charge of welfare institutions—embezzling government provisions, neglecting the disabled, even causing deaths.
He presented the petition to the Emperor, and once the truth was uncovered, the guilty officials were punished accordingly.
Not long after, he received a letter of gratitude, written in the same delicate hand as the petition—a woman’s elegant calligraphy on orchid-scented stationery with floral motifs. Holding it to his nose, he caught a faint fragrance of orchids.
In truth, he had already investigated her identity when he first received the petition.
The origin of the stationery, the handwriting, her connection to the welfare institutions—there were too many clues, making it easy to trace.
He held that letter all night, silently confirming his feelings.
Over the next three months, he discreetly sabotaged the marriage prospects of several families vying for the Marquis of Wuning’s favor—either exposing scandals of illegitimate children or distant relatives demanding recognition. Upon learning of these issues, the Marquis naturally rejected all suitors to protect his daughter.
Three months later, Shen Yanyu personally proposed.
He recounted the story of the letter to the Crown Prince, omitting the part about his scheming against other suitors—some things were best kept private.
The Crown Prince: "..."
He had always known Shen Yanyu was resourceful, but he hadn’t expected even his marriage to be the result of careful plotting. Lady Shen likely remained unaware to this day.
The Crown Prince smiled. "Lady Shen is kind-hearted and refined. You are a fortunate man, Minister Shen."
At the mention of his wife, the young Chief Minister’s eyes softened with tenderness, recalling last night’s intimacy—her shy yet passionate demeanor, her delicate beauty unlike anything he had ever seen.
Especially when her slender, snow-white legs wrapped around his waist—he would have gladly died upon her in that moment.
The Crown Prince listened calmly to the unspeakable desires of this seemingly upright official, placing another chess piece with undisturbed composure.
In contrast, Shen Yanyu’s moves grew noticeably more impatient.
Let’s finish this game quickly so I can leave.
He deliberately yielded, but the Crown Prince had no intention of letting him have his way. The game of chess dragged on until noon before concluding, during which the Crown Prince also overheard every vivid and amorous scene playing out in Shen Yanyu’s mind.
In the end, the Crown Prince narrowly won and finally rose with a smile, saying, "Minister Shen and his wife are deeply devoted to each other. I have witnessed it myself and am truly pleased. Today, I fear I have disrupted your reunion with your wife."
Shen Yanyu maintained his composure, clasping his hands respectfully. "Your Highness flatters me."
Finally, I can leave. I still need to buy some jewelry to bring back to Qingci as an apology.
Also, I should restock on sheep casings and lubricant.
The Crown Prince pondered silently over these unfamiliar items.
Returning to his chambers, he found that little maid still lazily asleep.
Outside the door, two attending maids were fretting over her life, terrified that her audacious behavior—acting so spoiled—would anger the Crown Prince.
Last night, she screamed like the heavens were falling. Not only did she fail to serve His Highness, but she even had the nerve to let him tend to her bath. And this morning, she didn’t even rise to assist him with washing or breakfast—sleeping straight until noon! How dare she…
She’s not even a consort yet! Once the Crown Princess enters the palace, if she keeps disregarding etiquette like this, being beaten to death would be a light punishment.
Who knows what rank His Highness plans to assign her.
If he truly doted on her, why hasn’t she been given any official status by now?
The Crown Prince frowned slightly and coldly dismissed them before stepping inside alone.
Just as he was about to haul that lazy little thing out of bed, he suddenly recalled the thoughts he had overheard from Shen Yanyu during their chess game—
If she hasn’t woken by this hour, just kiss along the ticklish spots behind her ears and down her neck… She’ll wake up eventually.
The Crown Prince’s brows furrowed in fury.
What a shameless, debauched man!
His fingers parted the bed curtains, revealing the soft, curled-up figure nestled in the blankets—tiny, with long, thick lashes resting against the delicate curve of her under-eye, her cheeks flushed, her nose petite, and her lips a deep crimson.
The Crown Prince’s throat tightened. Leaning down, he brushed aside the stray hairs by her ear and pressed a light kiss to the flawless, pearl-like skin of her earlobe.
