Shen Gongshen said, "The lifelong reputation of Vice Minister Li may well be ruined by my hand."
Li Kuan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"There is a private estate in Xihe County, Huaiyang, covering several acres. Though I have not seen it with my own eyes, my subordinates say its courtyards are exquisitely built, rivaling the emperor's temporary palaces."
Shen Gongshen looked at Li Kuan, whose face instantly turned ashen. "Do you know whose private residence that is, Lord Li?"
Li Kuan remained silent.
Shen Gongshen continued, "I heard there is a beautiful young woman living there, raising a pair of twin sons. It is said these twins are exceptionally clever—composing verses at three and writing hundreds of poems by five. Such prodigies—I truly wish to meet them…"
"Shen Gongshen," Li Kuan finally panicked, the fifty-year-old man nearly shedding tears, "Commander Shen, I beg you, do not harm them!"
Shen Gongshen turned and sat back down in the armchair.
He raised his eyes slightly, looking at Li Kuan. "Debts have their creditors, and grievances their originators. I, Shen, never involve the innocent!"
Li Kuan, who had stubbornly refused to confess until now, finally bowed his head and confessed everything.
With the confession of Vice Minister of Personnel Li Kuan, a scandal involving officials across the Great Li Dynasty accepting bribes and secretly engaging in buying and selling official positions was exposed. The incident shook the entire court.
Emperor Xuanming, holding the thick list of those involved in the trade of official posts, was furious on the spot and ordered Imperial Guard Commander Shen Gongshen to investigate the case thoroughly.
Who in the Great Li Dynasty did not know the methods of the Imperial Guard?
For a time, the entire capital was filled with tension and suspicion.
…
Leaving the small town, they journeyed toward the capital.
After another full day of travel, as dusk fell, the carriage sent to fetch Liu Suisui finally entered the city gates.
Nearly another hour passed before the carriage stopped at the side gate of Zhenguo Gongfu.
Nongyu, the chief maid serving Madam Liu, had been waiting there early. Seeing the carriage stop, she stepped down from the stairs.
Chun Yao jumped off the carriage first, then lifted the curtain. A slender figure slowly emerged from the carriage.
She wore a light green long skirt with a misty blue cloak over it. Her hair was loosely tied up, adorned with a single dangling hairpin that swayed gently with her movements as she descended from the carriage, accentuating her skin as fair as jade and her beauty as delicate as a flower.
Nongyu had come with Madam Liu from the Liu family.
When she followed Madam Liu to the capital for her marriage, Liu Suisui had not yet been born.
Later, when she accompanied Madam Liu back to Jiangnan to visit relatives, she had met this Fourth Miss of the Liu family.
But that was five years ago. At that time, Fourth Miss was still a child, merely looking like a delicate porcelain doll, sure to grow into a beauty.
Yet, five years had passed in a flash, and this Fourth Miss had blossomed into such a stunning beauty.
Seeing Liu Suisui approach, Nongyu quickly concealed the admiration in her eyes and stepped forward with a curtsy. "Madam sent me early to wait for Fourth Miss. You must be tired from the journey."
Liu Suisui hurriedly reached out to help Nongyu up.
Her voice carried the soft, sweet accent unique to Jiangnan. "It has been five years in a blink. Is Sister Nongyu well?"
"Thank you for your concern, Fourth Miss. I am doing well." Nongyu led her inside the gate. "Madam has been eagerly waiting for you. Please follow me quickly."
Liu Suisui followed Nongyu into Zhenguo Gongfu.
Nongyu led her through the side gate. As soon as they entered, an endless covered corridor stretched before them, surrounded by pavilions, towers, and winding streams. Though the New Year had just passed, the courtyard was already filled with blooming flowers and lush green grass.
Liu Suisui dared not look too closely, yet she felt that Zhenguo Gongfu was completely different from the exquisitely detailed courtyards she had seen in Jiangnan. Everywhere exuded a sense of grandeur and magnificence, yet it did not lack wealth and elegance.
Nongyu led her through the covered corridor, heading toward the courtyard where the second branch resided, while continuously introducing everything about the estate: "…The old duke and his wife live in Huichun Tang, the first branch resides in Jinyu Tang, our second branch lives in Ziwei Yuan, the third branch is in Wangyue Ge, and the fourth master, who has not yet married, lives alone in Shen'an Tang…"
Before coming to the capital, Liu Suisui had also done some research on the Shen family.
Everything else was fine, but she was somewhat curious about this Fourth Master Shen.
It was said that he was only around twenty years old but had already become the Imperial Guard Commander.
Throughout the entire Great Li Dynasty, everyone knew that the Imperial Guards were the emperor's covert agents, their power surpassing that of the court, daring to oppose the chief cabinet minister, seemingly omnipotent.
Moreover, their methods were extremely cruel. It was said that during interrogations, to force prisoners to confess, they would even use small knives to peel off the prisoners' skin…
Liu Suisui couldn't help but shudder.
She had always been timid, fearing death and clinging to life.
Once again, she secretly warned herself: after entering the Shen residence, she must stay far away from Shen'an Tang.
Following Nongyu all the way to Ziwei Yuan, the second wife, Lady Liu, sat in the main room. As the door curtain was lifted, she looked up.
Behind Nongyu entered a young lady.
Even in winter, wearing thick cotton clothes, it could not conceal the slender curve of her waist. Moreover, as she walked, her movements were like willow branches swaying with the wind, graceful and gently swaying…
Lady Liu couldn't help but think secretly: she hasn't even reached the age of fifteen, yet already has such a appearance. If she grows older, wouldn't she become even more striking?
Lady Liu, who had originally been somewhat excited, suddenly felt her enthusiasm diminish a bit.
This niece of hers did not look like a Liu family member at all; instead, she resembled her seductive mother, Pan Shi, extremely closely.
Lady Liu greatly disliked her remarried sister-in-law.
It wasn't that she objected to her remarrying.
But her brother had passed away less than a year ago, and Pan Shi eagerly remarried someone else.
She left behind her little niece, who was barely twelve years old, to face the entire Liu family—a pack of wolves and tigers…
However, when Liu Suisui threw herself into her arms, choking and calling her 'aunt,' Lady Liu remembered her deceased brother and suddenly felt grief in her heart.
She hugged her niece tightly, tears streaming down as she spoke.
"My poor Suisui…"
The aunt and niece cried together for a long time before finally separating.
Lady Liu looked at her niece's pale little face after the long journey, thinking about her father's death and her mother's remarriage, leaving her with no one to rely on, and felt even more pity in her heart.
"From now on, you can live peacefully in this duke's estate. My poor brother only had you as his daughter. Now that he is gone, I naturally must protect you."
Liu Suisui slightly lowered her head, her eyes reddened, looking pitiful and delicate.
"Aunt cares for Suisui, Suisui knows." She looked up at Lady Liu. "Is uncle not home? Since Suisui has come here, it is proper to greet him."
"Your uncle is on duty today. Yuan'er is at the academy and will return in a few days. And your cousin's temperament, you know—she can't stay home for even a moment. I originally wanted to keep her home waiting for you, but who knew she secretly went out with her cousin from the first branch to meet friends. She probably won't return until after dinner."
Liu Suisui's uncle, Shen Gongwen, served as a Langzhong in the Ministry of Rites, a fifth-rank official. His abilities were mediocre, his temperament gentle, making him quite easy to interact with.
The "yuan'er" naturally refers to Liu's legitimate son Shen Shuyuan, who is eighteen years old. Three years ago, he passed the county-level examination and became a scholar, and this August he will participate in the provincial-level examination. Therefore, most of his time is spent studying and preparing at the academy.
As for the cousin mentioned by Liu, it naturally refers to her daughter Shen Yuling.
Shen Yuling and Liu Suisui were born in the same year, one in June and the other in December. Liu Suisui is half a year older than Shen Yuling, so she is indeed the elder cousin.
After chatting for a while more, Liu instructed her maid to lead Liu Suisui to the courtyard where she would stay.
Qingzhi Ge is located in the southeast corner of Ziwei Yuan. The courtyard is not large but is kept extremely clean.
The maid left after escorting her there.
After the long journey and crying in front of Liu, Liu Suisui was exceptionally exhausted.
Servants brought meals, and she ate a simple bite, then instructed Chun Yao to prepare hot water. After taking a hot bath, she went to bed.
She thought she would fall asleep immediately upon lying down, but unexpectedly, she remained sleepless throughout the night.
She simply put on her clothes and got up, quietly sitting by the window.
Looking up at the moon outside, Liu Suisui's mind continuously replayed Liu's expression when she first saw her.
A mix of admiration, yet tinged with a subtle, barely noticeable disdain.