8 – Stock Connection
Chu Jie laughed heartily while glancing at Shen Qiu, whispering in Ye Chen’s ear, “So you’ve finally come around, kid? But this one does seem more spirited than the last.”
Ye Chen shot Chu Jie a glare and said, “Uncle, where are you looking? And don’t bring up the past in front of Qiu’er.”
Shen Qiu eyed the two suspiciously. This emperor didn’t act like an emperor, and this duke didn’t carry himself like a duke—they seemed more like an ordinary uncle and nephew.
Chu Jie stepped around Ye Chen and said to Shen Qiu, “Niece-in-law, has this rascal been treating you well? If he ever bullies you, just tell me, and I’ll set him straight!”
Well, he really didn’t seem much like an emperor. Shen Qiu bowed and replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty. The Duke treats me very well.”
Chu Jie chuckled and said, “No need for formalities here. Once we’re outside the Imperial Study, at the Empress’s place, we’re just an ordinary family.”
Shen Qiu didn’t quite understand their dynamic. After all, this was the imperial family, where kinship often took a backseat to politics. No matter how harmonious things appeared on the surface, the reality was rarely so simple.
Shen Qiu simply smiled and answered, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
Later, the Empress took Shen Qiu to admire the flowers in the Imperial Garden, while Emperor Chu Jie and Ye Chen remained in Yikun Palace. Mu Qing and the emperor’s personal guard, Ling Tian, stood watch outside.
Chu Jie asked Ye Chen, “Do you know about your wife’s family affairs?”
Ye Chen replied, “I do.”
Chu Jie pressed further, “What do you plan to do?”
Ye Chen said, “We’ll handle it as it should be. My father-in-law wasn’t involved, so as long as there’s no collective punishment, we’ll proceed according to the law. Whoever caused the trouble should bear the consequences.”
Chu Jie gestured toward the door and asked, “Will your wife agree to that?”
Ye Chen glared at him and said, “She’s my wife, and she’s the most understanding and reasonable person. Besides, the people she cares about haven’t done anything wrong. You’d better not enforce any collective punishment!”
Chu Jie snorted coldly, “Do I seem like that kind of person?”
By the end of the Si hour, Shen Qiu and Ye Chen had left the palace. In the carriage, Ye Chen took Shen Qiu’s hand, playing with the calluses on her fingers, and said, “Qiu’er, the matter regarding the Shen family has been settled today.”
Shen Qiu froze, and Ye Chen felt her hand stiffen. He quickly added, “Don’t worry. Only the one who committed the crime will be punished—no one else will be implicated. Only your second uncle will be exiled.”
Shen Qiu smiled faintly and said, “Thank you.”
Ye Chen looked at her and asked, “Aren’t you going to ask what your second uncle did wrong?”
Shen Qiu met his gaze and replied, “Whatever it was, it must have been serious enough for my grandmother to marry me off to you as a safeguard. I’ll find out when he’s exiled.”
Ye Chen’s eyes filled with pity as he pulled Shen Qiu into his arms and said, “Your second uncle used the family’s shops to pass information to remnants of the previous dynasty who are plotting a restoration. This has been going on for five years.”
“What?” Shen Qiu immediately sat up from his embrace, staring at him in shock. “Are you serious? That’s the crime of treason!”
Ye Chen nodded. “Yes, by law, it warrants the punishment of nine familial generations.”
Shen Qiu looked at him and asked, “Did protecting the Shen family come at a great cost to you?”
Ye Chen smiled wryly. “Indeed. My old uncle made me cancel my leave and return to court duties. I wanted to spend all my time by your side—don’t you think that’s a steep price?”
Shen Qiu swatted his shoulder lightly. “We’re discussing serious matters, and you’re still joking around.”Ye Chen embraced Shen Qiu and said, “It’s alright. We’ve thoroughly inspected all the Shen family’s shops and confirmed it’s only that one. We’ve also verified your second uncle was being used by others.”
“The court is currently in need of personnel. The Emperor has few people he can trust. This matter with your second uncle can actually help him win over some hearts.”
“It’s also to leave a way out for those who, like your second uncle, were foolishly deceived.”
“If we deal with your second uncle too harshly, those people will only hide deeper, making them harder to uncover.”
At this point, Ye Chen looked at Shen Qiu seriously and said, “Qiu’er, I’ll be very busy from now on. Your second uncle’s matter is just the tip of the iceberg. Now that this tip has surfaced, to uproot what’s beneath the water, not just the capital but the entire Great Yin Kingdom will likely undergo great changes.”
“Qiu’er, I might need to travel to other regions later. When that time comes, I want to take you with me. I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving you alone in the capital. I want to keep you by my side at all times. Is that alright?”
Shen Qiu didn’t understand why Ye Chen was suddenly saying these things, but the fact that he was sharing this with her showed he truly regarded her as one of his own. This was progress, wasn’t it? So Shen Qiu nodded without hesitation.
Ye Chen smiled and planted a kiss on Shen Qiu’s forehead.
When Shen Qiu and Ye Chen returned to the Duke Manor, they first went to their own courtyard to change back into their regular clothes, then went directly to the Hall of Glory and Majesty for lunch.
“In such hot weather, you don’t need to run back and forth like this,” Xiao Old Madam said with concern, noticing the fine sweat on their foreheads.
Shen Qiu said, “Grandmother, we just thought having more people would make the meal livelier.”
“Besides, isn’t it nice having us accompany you?” Shen Qiu said somewhat coquettishly to Xiao Old Madam.
Hearing his wife acting coquettishly with Xiao Old Madam, Ye Chen was taken aback. He had never heard Shen Qiu act coy before, even though he had lived two lifetimes.
Yes, in his previous life, his Qiu’er had always lived cautiously. If he didn’t cherish her, few in this household would take her seriously.
This life was different. He placed her at the center of his heart, loving and cherishing her. She could feel this, which was why she felt relaxed enough at home to act coquettishly.
“Ye Chen, oh Ye Chen, what kind of treasure did you miss in your previous life!” Ye Chen mocked himself inwardly.
Watching his wife’s coquettish demeanor, his heart softened immensely. He thought, “Qiu’er hasn’t acted coy with me yet. I must make sure she only acts coquettish with me in the future!”
Xiao Taijun said, “You need to return to her family tomorrow. I’ve already had someone prepare a list of gifts for the visit. Chen’er, have people load the carriage this afternoon so you can leave early tomorrow, allowing Qiu’er more time to sit with her family.”
In the afternoon, Ye Chen busied himself handling official matters and preparing for tomorrow’s visit. Shen Qiu took Xing Er and Ming Yue to tour the Duke Manor once more.
That evening, after returning from the Hall of Glory and Majesty, Ye Chen applied medicine to Shen Qiu and asked, “Does it still hurt down there?”
Shen Qiu didn’t understand his meaning and responded with a questioning “Hmm?”
Ye Chen leaned close to Shen Qiu’s ear and whispered something, causing her ears to visibly redden.
Ye Chen gently took her delicate, blushing earlobe between his lips, making Shen Qiu’s body tremble. Then he gathered her into his arms and they slipped beneath the covers.
This time, there was none of the anticipated pain—only Ye Chen’s utmost tenderness and their lingering, intimate union.Afterwards, Ye Chen gazed at the sleeping Shen Qiu, his hand unconsciously stroking her long braided hair, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Truthfully, he didn’t want to rush into intimacy with his Qiu’er again so soon, especially since he had genuinely hurt her on their wedding night. But in his previous life, he had suffered from impotence for ten years. Now that he had returned, whenever he laid eyes on Shen Qiu, his body instinctively reacted.
As Ye Chen watched Shen Qiu, he pondered whether he should find an opportunity to test if he would react the same way with others. Having finally returned, if he were to suddenly become impotent again, wouldn’t that be a tremendous loss?
Or was it that he only reacted to Qiu’er? There was a difference between impotence caused by physical issues and only responding to one specific person, so he needed to thoroughly understand the situation.