Chapter 72

Chapter 72

On the second day of the New Year, the maternal family welcomes their daughters-in-law for a visit. She would ask her brother then; after all, he had been the Guan family's son-in-law for several years.

For now, Yao Niang put this matter aside and practiced her calligraphy at home, waiting for Commander Liu to summon her.

She had felt somewhat lax after securing a noble title for her mother, but now she realized she could not afford to be complacent. Although Miss Lu had little to do with her, Yao Niang felt that with her father in mourning and her brother too prominent, and with her grandfather far away, she needed to stand on her own.

With the help of the moss-removing medicine, she had gained some presence in this household.

But external support was indispensable.

Commander Liu, being a favorite before the emperor, arranged for Yao Niang to enter the palace and meet the emperor within a day, even inviting Shen Linfeng to accompany her. At the time, Yao Niang was serving Lady Shen when she heard the news and hurriedly explained the situation to her in-laws.

Lady Shen almost said, "What does a woman like you have to do with these matters?" But then she said, "This matter involves many people. Why should a young girl like you get involved?"

"No worries, a young calf fears no tiger. Since Commander Liu has come to summon us, how can we openly defy the imperial decree? Daughter-in-law Feng, go ahead." Lord Shen seemed very agreeable.

Yao Niang left hastily.

But Lady Shen, displeased, said, "Lord, what are you doing? I've never heard of the Jinyiwei or the palace sending for a teenage girl to handle matters. Since ancient times, serving the emperor is like taming a tiger. She’s just a child and doesn’t know the depth of it..."

"Since the palace coup, the emperor rarely sees his ministers and usually issues edicts through secret memorials written by Prime Minister Wen. Our Linfeng is handsome and talented. If he can meet the emperor and gain favor, what more could we wish for?" Grand Censor Shen thought further ahead.

If the emperor continues to neglect state affairs, he will naturally rely on those he knows well; otherwise, Prime Minister Wen wouldn’t have been reappointed.

Lady Shen hadn’t thought of this: "Yes, Lord, you are indeed thoughtful."

Shen Linfeng is currently a compiler, a low-ranking official without a noble title. Yao Niang tried not to wear overly elaborate clothing, opting for a simple jacket with a slanted collar and narrow sleeves. Not being part of the political arena, she didn’t feel much reverence for the emperor. However, she noticed Shen Linfeng was quite nervous, his lips pale.

As they rode in the carriage together, Yao Niang saw him sweating from his upper lip and immediately wiped it away with a handkerchief: "Silly husband, I am the one going to meet the emperor. He won’t do anything to you, why are you so nervous?"

"Because I’m only nineteen," Shen Linfeng replied with innocent, watery eyes.

Yao Niang found her husband increasingly fond of acting cute. Feeling both helpless and amused, she said, "Think about it, if I really help Commander Liu with this, our names will be known in the future. Though there will be difficulties, the benefits are considerable."

Shen Linfeng nodded vigorously: "Right, I was the top scholar at nineteen."

"Calm down, calm down." They encouraged each other.

Their carriage stopped at the palace gate. Although Liu Ji often entered the palace, he remained cautious. He told Yao Niang, "Miss Yan, once inside the palace, we will first meet the emperor and follow the arrangements thereafter."

"Yes, I will follow your lead, Commander." Yao Niang was curious why Commander Liu kept calling her Miss Yan, though she liked being called that way, as it meant she still had her own identity after marriage. Truly, such a young man at the pinnacle of power must be adept at reading people’s minds.

She turned back to hold Shen Linfeng’s hand, and Liu Ji, seeing this, lightly coughed: "Miss Yan, let’s walk separately inside the palace."

Too much affection between young lovers can also be a sweet trouble!

Unbeknownst to Liu Ji, Yao Niang was trying to comfort Shen Linfeng, who was too nervous. Hearing Liu Ji’s words, she glanced worriedly at Shen Linfeng and smiled, "Yes, I understand."

Shen Linfeng followed Yao Niang closely, feeling a bit more at ease.

As they entered the palace, Liu Ji noticed that this couple seemed different from what he had imagined. Shen Linfeng appeared less composed than his wife. Thinking of Yan Yingqi and Yan Jingzhao, he almost fell for this girl’s appearance.

Arriving at the Yiyuan Hall, Liu Ji nodded at them. Yao Niang had never been to the palace before. She had imagined the emperor sitting high above countless steps, looking down upon everyone.

But she was surprised by the clarity of the emperor’s voice. Liu Ji then said, "Your Majesty looks well. Your servant has brought Miss Shen and Miss Yan here."

Yao Niang and Shen Linfeng knelt and bowed. Her father, who had been a vice-minister of rites, had taught the girls in the family strict etiquette, so her bow was very proper: "This humble wife, Miss Yan, greets His Majesty. May the Emperor enjoy boundless blessings and eternal peace."

Although she was also very nervous, with sweat trickling down her back, she was the type who could hold her ground in big occasions.

Shen Linfeng then said, "Your Majesty, your humble servant Yan Shen—Shen Linfeng, pays homage to the Emperor, may Your Majesty reign for thousands of years."

Liu Ji, standing nearby, almost burst out laughing. You were so arrogant during the imperial examination, and now you almost called yourself 'Yan Shen's wife'? Do you want to become a member of the family?

Yao Niang knew well that her silly husband must have been so used to calling his sister-in-law 'Shenfei' that he almost slipped.

Emperor Qianyuan glanced at the people below, not finding it strange; many people trembled when they met the emperor.

But he said to Yao Niang, "I heard that your painting skills are extraordinary, and you can accurately depict someone's appearance based on others' descriptions?"

Yao Niang hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not claim my painting skills are extraordinary; I only know a little bit about it."

"Why did Liu Ji seek you out then?" Emperor Qianyuan asked.

If a man treats you with tenderness, it means he just sees you as a decoration. If he challenges you, it definitely means he considers you a capable person.

Yao Niang said, "In response to Your Majesty, although I am not a renowned artist, I might have some talent in capturing the characteristics of people. Moreover, because the Commander knows that I once drew a criminal's portrait in Kaifeng Prefecture, he sought me out."

Neither too humble nor too proud, she spoke confidently.

Emperor Qianyuan looked at her with renewed respect and said, "Truly worthy of being Mr. Zhushan and Minister Yan's descendant, indeed from a distinguished family."

Mr. Zhushan referred to Yao Niang's grandfather, and Minister Yan, of course, referred to Yan Yingqi, who was a trusted advisor and highly regarded by Emperor Qianyuan.

"Your Majesty flatters me, I am unworthy of such praise," Yao Niang said modestly.

She often realized in the inner chambers that whenever you were about to win, if you couldn't control your excitement, something might go wrong. It was easy to be happy, but suppressing that happiness was not an easy task.

Emperor Qianyuan waved his hand, and Liu Ji led Yao Niang to a side hall, instructing the eunuchs to bring the drawing board and brushes. While waiting, Yao Niang quietly took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat and said to Shen Linfeng with relief, "I was so scared just now, my forehead was all sweaty."

"I had it worse; I almost said my name was 'Yan Shenfei,'" Shen Linfeng thought to himself, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Haha." Yao Niang used the handkerchief to wipe his sweat again.

Soon, Liu Ji returned with the people, and before Shen Linfeng could exchange pleasantries, he heard Yao Niang say to him, "Don't talk, I'm going to start asking questions."

Shen Linfeng immediately stood up to grind the ink and mix the colors, and Yao Niang nodded. Liu Ji thought to himself, "Shen Linfeng, you really know what to do, you're different."

"First, tell me when and where you saw this person, describe their attire, appearance, and physical characteristics in detail," Yao Niang said to the eunuch opposite her.

She wouldn't ask who they were trying to catch or why; after all, she trusted Lady Liu, and thus she also trusted Commander Liu.

The other members of the Shen family exchanged glances. Then, Second Madam Shen came over and said, "I heard Linfeng and his wife went to the palace to meet the emperor? Is there something wrong?"

"It's a good thing. Feng's wife is skilled at painting, and the palace needed someone to paint something, so they specially invited her. As you know, she's just a young girl, so Linfeng had to accompany her," Lady Shen explained quickly.

Second Madam Shen covered her mouth in surprise, "I didn't expect Feng's wife to have this skill."

Though Lady Shen didn't necessarily like Yao Niang, she had been a lady of the house for many years and wasn't without her wits. She said, "In my opinion, ever since Linfeng became engaged to the Yan family, he has been blessed with good fortune. First, he passed the imperial examination, then he was selected for office, and now he gets to meet the emperor."

Second Madam Shen smiled, "Big Sister is right. My Yange is still just a student, he needs Linfeng to guide him properly."

"Second Aunt, in my opinion, Yange already has excellent scholarship, you can just enjoy your peace," Lady Jiang said with a smile.

Her face had healed, and she was more willing to go out now. Though she knew her father-in-law was planning to remarry and take a young bride, she privately thought it was disgraceful for him to marry someone younger than herself and her sisters-in-law. But then she thought, when it came to weddings and funerals, serving the old man, they wouldn't have to worry about the younger brothers. Besides, even if the young lady married and had children, she would still be much younger than her own husband, so there was no real competition, and her mood improved.

Now, in the capital, she naturally had to maintain a good relationship with the main branch, so that if anything happened to their branch, the main branch could help.

Mrs. Shen Er pointed at Lady Jiang and said, "It's just that your mouth is the most clever. No wonder Brother Jiang loves you so much."

"Second Aunt..." Lady Jiang blushed. In fact, her relationship with Shen Linjiang was average. What Shen Linjiang valued most was his future prospects and fame, but he treated her well because her cousin was one of the Nine Lesser Ministers.

Lady Qing had been used to being the head lady in this household. Last time, she almost tricked Yao Niang, but Yao Niang saw through it. On the day when the Xinning Marquis sent dowry, she tried to act like the mistress of the house, only to find everyone asking Yao Niang, which made her feel quite embarrassed for a while.

However, since learning that her father-in-law was going to remarry, Lady Qing had long forgotten these grievances. Although her husband was the eldest son of a provincial governor and an official's son, after passing the child scholar examination, he still took the provincial examination as a substitute scholar, naturally without success.

He was now studying at the Imperial Academy, but when it came to making a name for himself, who knew when that would be? Originally, Lady Qing felt that having many brothers was a good thing, as four younger brothers were yet unmarried, and although they were the eldest, their share was meager. Now, with her father-in-law planning to remarry, she really didn't know what to say.

Now it seemed there was no support from the Eldest Branch. Her mother-in-law originally appeared indifferent to Lady Yan, but Lady Yan had some skills and managed to get into the palace.

Compared to Lady Qing and Lady Jiang, who were from the Third Branch, Lady Wang felt the contrast even more strongly.

Today, Mrs. Shen had lunch with Mrs. Shen Er, and the three nieces-in-law helped serve the dishes. However, Mrs. Shen found it somewhat uncomfortable because none of these three were very attentive. They casually ladled some soup and placed it aside, or served a few chopsticks and waited for the elders to let them rest, showing little effort.

Unlike Lady Yan, who, though young, was quick-witted and skilled at removing bones and picking fish spines. A glance was enough to know what she wanted, and after meals, she would chat with her for a long time.

She had only been married for over a month, yet she had already sewn two pairs of socks for her, both breathable and warm.

One really wouldn't know unless compared, and once compared, it was quite shocking.

"I wonder when Linfeng and his wife will return?" Mrs. Shen mused.

Shen Mo smiled and said, "Mother, it's still early. Painting doesn't happen that quickly."

"That's true," Mrs. Shen agreed.

Meanwhile, Yao Niang had already drawn different images based on what the three people had seen, and the most important part was that the Emperor had seen this person's appearance. She had deduced that it was likely the Emperor had encountered an assassin, which was why Liu Ji did not want to publicize it. Previously, the Qianyuan Emperor had heard about nearly being assassinated by a palace maid, and now another assassin had infiltrated the palace; truly, it was hard to guard against everything.

Shen Linfeng brought a cup of water, "Drink some water first."

"It's just a side profile and a silhouette, nothing feels right," Yao Niang propped her chin up and looked at Shen Linfeng.

"It's fine, take your time," Shen Linfeng said.

"I want to finish it quickly, so we can go back sooner," Yao Niang pouted.

Shen Linfeng had never seen Yao Niang draw a person based on others' descriptions before. He could see that this was actually her talent. She wasn't a master painter but relied on intuition. Seeing no one around, he stepped forward and adjusted her hair: "You didn't notice, this strand of hair had fallen down."

"Thank you, my husband," Yao Niang actually didn't like to act coquettish, but Shen Linfeng was indeed very doting. When she painted, he would grind the ink and mix the colors for her, and serving tea and water was a given. If she were a man and Shen Linfeng were the wife, it would still be quite nice, as he was particularly observant.

In the past, she often heard her mother say that her father wasn't so considerate, and her brother was even less so. One reason her mother agreed to Li Shi was that Li Shi was very good at taking care of people.

"Cough, cough." Liu Ji entered.

The Emperor, of course, couldn't directly tell Yao Niang, otherwise, it would mean the Emperor revealing the assassin. Therefore, Liu Ji came to relay the information, feeling a bit awkward himself. It was clear that the young couple was newlyweds, always wanting to stick together. It wouldn't be good if he interrupted anything.

Unexpectedly, upon entering, he saw Shen Linfeng sitting beside Yao Niang, discussing painting techniques.

Liu Ji then said, "Miss Yan, let me describe this person's features. Though his face was covered, he has narrow eyes, dark skin, and an average build."

"Narrow eyes, dark skin? What about his accent? Do you know where he's from, or any distinctive marks on his clothing?" Yao Niang asked.

Liu Ji hadn't expected such detailed requirements for drawing a person, but he was also meticulous. He replied, "I'll go ask again."

Once he left, Shen Linfeng asked, "Is a person's appearance related to their region?"

"Of course. I've read county records and often seen people from different places. While not everyone looks the same, generally, people from the same area share similar physical characteristics. The land nurtures its people," Yao Niang explained.

Before long, Liu Ji came over again and said, "That person didn’t speak. Oh, right, he also has high cheekbones."

Yao Niang shook her head. "With just half a face, it’s likely to be very difficult to identify him. If he’s using makeup to alter his appearance, it will be even harder. Commander Liu, this is quite a challenge..."

She always exaggerated the difficulties by tenfold.

Liu Ji replied, "Yes, I understand the difficulty. If it were easy, why would I trouble you?"

Standing nearby, Shen Linfeng thought that despite Liu Ji's high rank, he still spoke and acted with humility; he should learn from him more often.

But he was afraid Liu Ji might push Yao Niang too hard, so he stepped forward and said, "Commander Liu, my wife has already done her best. Perhaps she could try drawing first, and if there are more eyewitnesses in the future, we can invite her back to the palace. What do you think?"

Liu Ji nodded readily. "Very well, Miss Yan, please start drawing."

Based on the fragmented information provided, Yao Niang summarized in her mind: dark skin, high cheekbones, most likely a long face, medium height, broad shoulders—no, that would make it a short face.

After some thought, she began to draw, first sketching an outline, then feeling it wasn’t quite right and starting over. Liu Ji arranged for food to be brought in, and Shen Linfeng fed her a few bites when she had a moment to spare.

She focused on the eyes, nose bridge, and cheekbones, the most effective facial features. In his thirties, in the prime of life, not yet deeply lined, but after thirty, especially for martial artists, they either become stocky or have deep nasolabial folds.

She chose the deep nasolabial folds, as a fat person, even with high cheekbones, would likely have them covered by flesh.

Yes, that’s right.

After analyzing, she slowly understood how to proceed. Soon, a vivid image of a robust martial artist appeared before Shen Linfeng’s eyes. He had rarely seen such a realistic portrait, almost as if a real person were standing there, though this real person might also be an impostor.

When Liu Ji saw the drawing, he smiled. "It seems I’ve found what I needed without much effort. I think I’ve seen this man before."

Yao Niang, fearing any misunderstanding, quickly said, "Commander Liu, this is just based on my imagination. It may not be accurate. Please don’t blame me if you arrest the wrong person."

"Of course not, Miss Yan, thank you very much today." Liu Ji truly felt that if Yao Niang were a man, she could officially join the Jinyiwei.

Yao Niang replied, "I’m glad I could help you."

It was clear that this Commander Liu was entirely focused on his work. Once he got the drawing, he paid no attention to anything else, but he still managed to send someone to escort the couple out.

By now, dawn was breaking. As the carriage passed through the market, Yao Niang caught the scent of food, "It smells so good, I can’t walk another step."

She leaned against the window, eagerly watching outside.

Shen Linfeng said, "Why don’t we get out and eat?"

But Yao Niang, being considerate, said, "Our parents are probably waiting for us."

The more he saw of Yao Niang’s considerate nature, the more Shen Linfeng’s heart ached for her. "Stop the carriage, let’s eat here. We can send someone back to inform our parents."

"Since you’re so thoughtful, I’d be a fool to refuse," Yao Niang wouldn’t pretend otherwise. If every time her husband did something for her, she lectured him, he would surely lose enthusiasm in the future.

Shen Linfeng helped Yao Niang down from the carriage. Both young, they found themselves in a bustling market with bright lights and dense rows of stalls. The warm, inviting atmosphere and the various aromas of food made it hard for them to move their feet.

"What do you want to eat?" Shen Linfeng asked.

Yao Niang sniffed the air and said, "I want to eat roasted pork skin and roast duck. And if there’s a bowl of sour rice, that would be perfect."

"Ah, I love grilled foods too," Shen Linfeng said happily.

Yao Niang rolled her eyes at him. "Silly, of course I know what you like, that’s why I ordered these."

Shen Linfeng was instantly delighted. He loved that Yao Niang favored him, and always would.

The two of them sat down at a small stall. Yao Niang, recalling how Shen Linfeng had taken care of her for so long today, now wanted to return the favor. She wiped the chopsticks clean with a handkerchief and handed them to him, then took out some silver from her purse to pay the shopkeeper in advance.

Seeing Shen Linfeng's handsome appearance and fine attire, the shopkeeper couldn't help but think he was a pampered young man. Seeing his wife was so beautiful and even paid for the meal herself, he couldn't resist teasing, "Young master, you sure have good luck to marry such a wife."

Shen Linfeng was puzzled, but Yao Niang looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Not at all, my husband is very kind to me."

The shopkeeper scratched his head, not daring to say anything more.

The couple ate without lifting their heads, as the food in the palace was never enough to fill one's stomach. After eating their fill, they almost had to lean on the wall to leave.

A few days later, there was no news from the palace. Yao Niang thought that the Jinyiwei must have heard all sorts of things, and she wasn't sure if she had been of any help. But she put it aside.

It was Yan Jingzhao who heard about this and came to visit. He half-joked to Yao Niang, "If you were to marry a few years later, it would be your brother accompanying you to meet the emperor."

"Brother..." Yao Niang smiled, then told Yan Jingzhao about Lu Shaner and asked, "How is Scholar Guan treating you?"

Seeing no one around, Yan Jingzhao reached out and said, "Sister, there's no need to mention the Guan family anymore. Even if they try to push us into a pit, I'm not afraid. My father-in-law is now a Deputy Minister of Revenue. But there's something I need to tell you."

Yao Niang, seeing his serious expression, couldn't help but ask, "What is it? You're making it sound so serious, really."

Yan Jingzhao replied, "When I mentioned Zhou Lingguang last time, I noticed your husband's face changed. I found it strange, but only recently did I learn that it was Grand Censor Shen who originally exiled the Zhou family. Zhou Lingguang has been lying low for a long time, diligently studying, probably to seek revenge."

Yao Niang was stunned.