"Good child, my Xuan'er should have come to thank you herself today, but after what happened, she doesn't even want to step out of the house. I hope you can forgive her."
To speak such words to a junior was truly a humble gesture. Shen Yuan hurriedly waved her hands and reached out to support Madam Li, who was about to give her a curtsy.
"You are too kind, Madam. I only found out about this matter by chance; I truly do not deserve such a grand gesture."
"Good child, the Li family will remember this kindness." Madam Li came and went in a hurry, as she still had urgent matters to attend to at home.
The Wang family wanted to trick them into a marriage—simply calling off the engagement would be letting them off too cheaply!
After Madam Li left, He Ying came in and looked at Shen Yuan with a questioning gaze.
Shen Yuan did not hide it from her sister-in-law any longer. A person like Second Young Master Wang was not worth keeping secrets for.
However, she only claimed that she had accidentally stumbled upon him acting intimately with a servant while she was out, and did not reveal that she could hear their inner thoughts.
He Ying had never heard of such a thing. Her grandfather was a Grand Secretary who had kept her by his side since childhood to educate her. In the past, all she had heard and read were the books of sages.
After listening to Shen Yuan, He Ying was so shocked she didn't know what to say. After a long while, she pressed a hand to her chest and said, "How can such a thing exist? Two men… what kind of behavior is this?"
"Why wouldn't it exist? There are plenty of such things happening in private, people just don't talk about it. It is said that in the previous dynasty…"
Shen Yuan had not yet reached her hair-pinning ceremony, but she spoke about this matter with great fluency, all of which she had learned from storybooks.
Madam Shen had passed away early, and there was no other woman in the house until He Ying married in recently.
In his daily life, Shen Yun doted on and cared for his daughter, but he was a grown man and wouldn't go into his daughter's room to inspect things. He had no idea his daughter was hiding in bed reading those storybooks.
In all her years, He Ying had finally had her eyes opened today. Even after returning to her own courtyard, she still hadn't fully processed it, completely forgetting to ask Shen Yuan how she knew all this.
When Shen Yun returned in the evening, he naturally learned about Madam Li's visit. He couldn't help but call his daughter to him to give her some careful instructions.
"In the future, if you hear anything else, do not be impulsive. Come home and tell your father first."
Shen Yun also felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, the Li family were reasonable people who loved their daughter. Upon hearing such news, they were willing to investigate and verify it rather than blaming Manman.
Speaking of which, Shen Yun teased her rarely, "Your father is only a fourth-rank official. If you talk recklessly in the future and offend some powerful family, your father won't be able to save you."
"Father, you are still young. Why can't you work a bit harder? You're fourth-rank now, but who's to say you won't reach third or second-rank in the future?"
"Look at our Manman's tone. Do you think getting a promotion is like buying vegetables?"
"I just think my father is the best. There can't be many who relied on the Imperial Examination to become a fourth-rank official in their forties, right? You are a Junior Minister now; perhaps in two years, you might even drop the word 'Junior' from your title."
Shen Yuan had a sweet tongue. When she praised someone, it truly warmed their heart. However, Shen Yun did not lose his head and cautioned his daughter, "You mustn't say such things outside. If someone hears, they'll think your father has some grievance against the Chief Minister."
"I'm not stupid; of course I won't talk nonsense outside. Father, didn't you say last time that the other Junior Minister had retired from office? What kind of person is the new Junior Minister?"
Shen Yuan felt that this new Junior Minister would be a strong rival on her father's path to promotion. After all, the current Chief Minister of the Dali Temple was getting old and would likely retire due to old age in a few years.
Shen Yuan had been raised single-handedly by Shen Yun. Usually, Shen Yun did not shy away from telling his daughter about matters in officialdom, especially those regarding the Dali Temple. He would chat with his daughter about anything he was permitted to say.
"This Lord Xie is quite extraordinary. His family background, talent, and looks are all exceptional. He is a true young talent." When Shen Yun spoke of this Lord Xie, he couldn't help but offer a few extra words of praise, making Shen Yuan very curious.
Of course, family background and talent were not Shen Yuan's primary concerns. What she cared about most was— "Looks? Is he very handsome? Is he more handsome than my brother?"
Even though Shen Su was his own son, Shen Yun could not in good conscience claim his son was more handsome than the other man.
"Handsomer than your brother."
"Wow!" Shen Yuan hadn't seen much of the world. Among the men she had seen, she thought her brother Shen Su was the most handsome. This immediately piqued her curiosity about this Lord Xie, and she completely forgot that she had just considered him her father's rival.
Since Shen Yuan had not yet had her hair-pinning ceremony, Shen Yun still saw her as a young girl. For a moment, he didn't realize there was anything inappropriate about discussing a strange man's appearance with his daughter.
It wasn't until he saw Xie Hui’s exceptionally handsome face at the Dali Temple the next day that he involuntarily remembered the conversation he’d had with his daughter behind the man's back the previous night.
"Lord Shen, is there something wrong with this junior?"
Shen Yun finally snapped back to his senses, realizing he had been staring at the man's face.
"Cough! My apologies, Lord Xie. I just happened to think of a case."
When there were no cases, the Dali Temple could be considered quite leisurely; time passed by just reviewing dossiers.
The current dynasty had enjoyed peace for a long time, so there weren't many cases that required the Dali Temple's adjudication. It was just that today, the various officials of the Dali Temple had some fresh gossip to discuss.
At noon, all the officials of the Dali Temple, high and low, were eating in the dining hall.
This was a rule established by a previous Chief Minister, who said that eating together would foster camaraderie among colleagues. The tradition had been preserved ever since, and everyone found that the food tasted better when eaten together.
As soon as they sat down, a Temple Rectifier couldn't help but share the fresh news he had heard the day before.
"Have you all heard? The second son of Minister Wang is a cut-sleeve!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone stopped eating. Even the Chief Minister put down his chopsticks.
"Lord Zhao, tell us quickly, what happened?" Seeing that Zhao Heng stopped after that one sentence, those nearby urged him impatiently.
"My wife's maid's cousin's third aunt works in the Wang Manor. She said the Li family went to their door yesterday to break off the engagement, claiming the Wang family's son is a cut-sleeve, and the paramour is his personal servant!"
"Hoh!"
A group of scholars, when discussing scandals, were no different from commoners in the marketplace. Even the Chief Minister’s clouded, elderly eyes sparked with two beams of light upon hearing this.
In the room, the ones with the smallest reactions were Shen Yun and Xie Hui. However, Shen Yun’s reaction was small because he already knew, which was different from Xie Hui.
Lord Zhao continued his tale, "That Li Shilang has hands as large as cattail fans. He grabbed that pretty servant and tore his clothes right then and there. Guess what?"
"What?"
"His body was covered in… oh dear, I can't even say it."
Although he didn't say it aloud, no one present failed to understand. They all wore expressions that were hard to describe.
"Goodness! I must hurry home and tell my wife about this!" an official suddenly slapped his thigh and said. "My wife's cousin's niece is married to the eldest son of the Wang family! If the second son is like this, the eldest might be too!"
The Chief Minister immediately waved his old hand. "I grant you leave for the afternoon. For such a major matter, you really should go home and mention it."
The current dynasty was not strict in its management of officials. Aside from the official day off every ten days, they were permitted to request leave three times a month. As long as their superior officer approved, it was fine, and there was no need to report it further.
Shen Yun looked perfectly calm on the outside, but in truth, he was feeling quite smug. This was all thanks to his daughter.