Chapter 10: Making Things Difficult

Shen Mi was instantly at a loss. He covered the distance to her in two strides, not even waiting to pull out a handkerchief before raising his sleeve to wipe away her tears. He crouched halfway down, saying in a rush, "My Yan-jie'er has been wronged. The Gu family is too overbearing; they were arrogant and even dared to bully a weak girl. Father was wrong; I should have returned sooner to stand up for you!"

Seeing him so humble and submissive, one could hardly see a trace of the bearing of a fifth-rank official.

Shen Yan, seeing him protect her so unconditionally, buried her head in his waist and wept even harder. To think that in her past life, she had treated the father who had always cherished her in such a way—she was truly worse than a beast. How could she have the face to return and accept his care?

Seeing this, Madam Hua was suddenly flustered.

"Yan-jie'er is so strange today, crying for no reason. Could she have been frightened silly?" She reached out to pry her head away.

Forcibly pulled from Shen Mi’s embrace, Shen Yan was forced to stop crying, looking at Madam Hua speechlessly.

Madam Hua studied her miserable face for a moment and asked suspiciously, "That doesn't seem like it either. What on earth is the matter?"

Shen Mi watched his daughter’s face being distorted under his wife’s hands. While saying "Alright, alright," he reached out to rescue Shen Yan, but not daring to use force, he could only make a show of trying to pull her away. He looked at Madam Hua, stammering, "Gently, gently, Yan-jie'er’s skin is delicate."

Madam Hua shot him a glare and let go.

Shen Yan rubbed her cheeks, thinking of how she, who had never been one for sentimentality, had finally tried to express her emotions upon her rebirth, only to be interrupted by Madam Hua’s violence for the second time. She couldn't help but look up at the sky.

After dinner, Shen Yan was reluctant to leave. She wanted to get close and warm up to the family affection that had been missing for over a decade. Taking advantage of the time Shen Mi went to bathe, she followed at Madam Hua’s heels, helping her tidy up the accounts and vanity case while ingratiatingly handing her the clothes Shen Mi needed to change into. She said, "I want to sleep with Mother tonight; let Father sleep in the study, shall I?"

Madam Hua was a light sleeper. Sometimes, when Shen Mi was busy late, he would stay in the study to avoid disturbing her.

Unexpectedly, Madam Hua opened the cabinet and flatly refused: "No."

Shen Yan stood there holding the account book, stunned. "Why?" She used to do this often, didn't she?

Madam Hua slammed the cabinet door shut, walked back to the vanity table with a triumphant air, and raised her orchid-shaped fingers to pull out the gold-inlaid treasure hair ornament. "Because your father said that when he gets his salary tomorrow, he’s going to the silver shop to buy me a new set of jewelry. How could I have the heart to chase him to the study just because you had a sudden whim?"

Shen Yan stared speechlessly at the table full of pearls and jade—it was as if she were truly lacking that set of jewelry.

She didn't give up and stepped forward, saying, "Actually, I wanted to talk to Mother." Talk about how to survive a bit better in the Shen household later on.

Madam Hua glanced at her and drawled, "If it’s not to get me to lift your confinement, it must be to get me to excuse you from your needlework. Is there anything else? You can give up on that now; no matter what you say, I won't agree to either of those things."

Shen Yan choked, and after a long while, she resignedly let her shoulders slump.

It was no wonder Madam Hua looked down on her. In her past life, she had indeed been a bit lazy at this age. Otherwise, how could she have caused Madam Hua to not say a single word to her about how to rescue her father after such a major event as his imprisonment? It must have been because she felt she couldn't help, and that speaking would be in vain.

If she had been more sensible, just as Nanny Huang had said, at nine years old she should have been following her mother to learn how to manage the household. Then her mother wouldn't have had to face those isolated, helpless days alone without consulting her.

In her past life, her mother always complained that her father and those around her spoiled her too much, leaving her too naive about the world, and often said she would suffer for it later. Her father never listened back then because he loved her too much; whenever her mother scolded her, he would always step in to protect her, which only made her more emboldened.

Come to think of it, she bore some responsibility for her mother’s tragedy in her past life. When she was sad and upset, they stood up for her, but when they were in trouble, she could do nothing. At the very least, because she had been overprotected, she didn't know how to turn around and share their burdens.

She silently helped put the glass cover on the lamp on the table and slid off the chair.

Madam Hua, who was having her hair combed by Fusang, caught sight of this, and a flash of pity crossed her face. She reached out and grabbed her, saying, "In a few days, your father has to accompany the Emperor to hunt in the Western Suburbs and will have to stay at the hunting grounds for two nights. You can come sleep with me then."

"Hunting?" Shen Yan was stunned; she had already forgotten. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Shouldn't the Emperor be accompanied by noble scions and military generals for a hunt? Father is a civil official, and only a fifth-rank one at that. What can he do there?"

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Madam Hua smiled and said, "Normally, he wouldn't be taken. I’ll tell you in secret: this is the Emperor’s favor toward the Shen family; others couldn't get it even if they asked. For next year’s spring imperial examination, your father has been appointed as the chief examiner. Among those accompanying the Emperor this time, besides the imperial attendants, there are Prince Chu and Prince Qin, the eldest son of Duke Xu, and the heir of Duke Wei. Your father is the only civil official among them."

Prince Chu and Prince Qin—the two who, a few years later, would turn the capital into a mess again while fighting for the throne?

Shen Yan sat on the couch with her hands in her sleeves, thinking of the tense atmosphere she could feel whenever she went out on the street before she fell ill in her past life, and she felt depressed.

She really hoped for a few years of peace.

Madam Hua looked up and saw Shen Mi walking in with his hands behind his back, while Shen Yan was still huddled on the edge of the couch like a kitten, lost in thought. She said, "Alright, alright, go back to your room and rest."

Shen Yan was shooed out.

It was still early. Madam Hua asked Nanny Huang to brew a pot of tea; she wanted to enjoy the moon by the window with Shen Mi.

Although Madam Hua was not as well-versed in the political situation as Lady Shen, she was very clever. Seeing her husband drinking tea in silence, she asked, "Did everything go smoothly outside today?"

Shen Mi gave a soft grunt.

Madam Hua glanced at him and lowered her head to hem his new summer shirt.

Watching her lower her beautiful head and work the needle and thread, Shen Mi felt the depression he had felt at Yaori Hall vanish. He leaned down and kissed her rosy cheek. Madam Hua put down her needlework and hooked her arms around his neck, kissing his brows and eyes. As the atmosphere grew intimate, Madam Hua suddenly let go, frowning as she studied him: "You have something on your mind, you definitely do."

Shen Mi’s face flushed. He took her hand, wanting to deny it, but the matter truly weighed on his heart. He understood perfectly well what Lady Shen meant by those words earlier: if he wanted to protect the Hua family, he had to go through Liu Yaze. And besides the old man, Shen Guanyu, who else had the qualifications to approach him?

Besides, Shen Yan had beaten Gu Song and suffered no consequences, but the Rongguo Duke’s mansion was still involved in this.

He lowered his head, rubbed his nose, and coughed: "There is a little, a little something."

"Tell me." Madam Hua tucked her collar.

Shen Mi was silent for a moment, then said, "Grand Secretary Cheng may be retiring."

Madam Hua knew of Grand Secretary Cheng. The Hua family had close ties to the capital, and she had a basic understanding of the high-ranking officials in the imperial court. However, she still couldn't understand how such a major political matter had any direct connection to Shen Mi, to the point that it would affect his mood in the boudoir.

Shen Mi knew she would find it hard to understand. Although he didn't usually discuss politics at home, it would be difficult to handle if Madam Hua didn't agree. So, after a moment of contemplation, he repeated what Lady Shen had said earlier. "This dynasty is different from the previous one. The infighting in the Cabinet is very subtle, especially regarding the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Liu Yaze. Thirteen years ago, during the Chen Prince’s mansion case, he performed a great service, and he is very competitive this time."

Madam Hua raised her face and said, "Didn't the Emperor personally appoint you to go to the hunting grounds? Doesn't that represent the importance placed on the Shen family?"

"Even if that is the meaning, it doesn't mean Liu Yaze has no chance." Shen Mi stood up and paced by the window with his hands behind his back. "Liu Yaze cleared the Chen Prince for the Zhou house; the Emperor will remember that favor. Even if the Shen family enjoys this favor now, it is far from the status Liu Yaze holds in the Emperor’s eyes. Moreover, the Liu family also has many connections."

Madam Hua picked up her teacup and listened silently as he continued.

Shen Mi turned back, sat down next to her on the couch, and said gently, "Actually, I don't care that much about whether Father enters the Cabinet this time. The Shen family is, after all, a family of officials from the previous dynasty; rising too fast makes one an easy target. Mother called me earlier to tell me that there will be major changes in the Imperial Household Department of the two capitals, and perhaps a few people will be replaced.

"I was thinking that your brother has served as the silk procurement official for the Imperial Household Department in Northern Zhili for many years, but his luck has been poor in recent years. I don't know if he has offended anyone in secret. If he can keep his position, that would be best, but if he cannot stay in Northern Zhili, it would not be a bad thing if he could be transferred to Southern Zhili. He would still be doing his job, but he would be far away from the capital."

Hearing that it concerned her maiden family, Madam Hua immediately said, "When we were in Jinling, my brother also said that his work had not been smooth these past few years. But the capital has already been set in Beijing; can he continue to work in Southern Zhili for long?"

"No matter how long it lasts, the priority now is to withdraw for the sake of self-preservation," Shen Mi said, rising and pacing with his hands behind his back. "How many meritorious officials and generals have fallen in these years? Although the Hua family is not officially involved in politics, now that there is a sign of trouble, it is important to be cautious. Only if the Hua family is safe can our home be stable for a long time."

Hearing these heartfelt words from her husband, Madam Hua was somewhat moved. She said, "But what does this have to do with Liu Yaze?"

Shen Mi sighed, "Because the person in charge of this matter is Liu Yaze. And Liu Yaze is an in-law of the Rongguo Duke’s mansion."

Lady Shen had never liked Madam Hua. Today, Shen Yan had forced her to step forward and offend the Qi family, while she herself had remained unscathed, leaving Lady Shen to suffer a real, bitter loss.

Strictly speaking, neither Shen Yan nor Madam Hua had done anything wrong. She had no reason to blatantly make Madam Hua humble herself before her, and she didn't want to have another conflict with her son over these matters. But she knew how important the Hua family and Madam Hua were to him. So now, for the sake of the Hua family, Madam Hua had to show an attitude regarding all the grievances Lady Shen had suffered today.

But to say such things forced him, as a husband, to speak to his wife...

Lady Shen was so circuitous and indirect, yet she had also managed to keep a tight grip on him, her son.