Chapter 26 “I Will Bring Agarwood and Sandalwood into the House.”…

Chapter 26

"I will take Chentan as my wife."

Shen Jingzhan lifted his gaze. He remained silent, his expression unchanged, yet it inexplicably caused a flicker of unease and awkwardness in Mrs. Shen.

Despite being her own flesh and blood, this exceptional firstborn son of hers instilled a trace of fear in her. He was aloof and tight-lipped, unlike others who showed her warmth. Much of this stemmed from an incident years ago—when Mrs. Shen had taken the young Shen Jingzhan to visit a temple for worship but failed to arrange proper guards, leading to his abduction after being drugged.

He endured brutal torment at the hands of the kidnappers for some time. By the time he was rescued, he had grown withdrawn. For a long while afterward, he clutched some mysterious object in his hand, maintaining an unbroken silence.

The power struggles between noble houses never ceased. Given Shen Jingzhan’s brilliance, he naturally drew attention. As the saying goes, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." Marquis Shen had warned Mrs. Shen to be cautious, but her momentary carelessness had led to this tragedy, leaving her burdened with guilt.

Yet, no matter how careful Mrs. Shen was, Shen Jingzhan faced another attempt on his life years later, just before the imperial examinations. He disappeared without a trace, and this time, the Shen family nearly presumed him dead. Even after appealing to the Emperor to dispatch the Imperial Guards, they found neither the perpetrators nor the conspirators.

Unexpectedly, on the eve of the exams, he reappeared in the capital. When questioned, it turned out he had been taken westward?

Heartbroken by his misfortunes, they urged him to rest and skip the exams, but he insisted on participating. To everyone’s surprise, he not only excelled but also gained renown, entering the imperial court and securing an imperial appointment.

Serving the Emperor was like walking on thin ice—how could it be easy? Yet, no matter how daunting the challenges, he overcame them one by one. Within a year, the entire court knew of the impassive jade-like official by the Emperor’s side, his reputation even surpassing his father’s.

Given this, Mrs. Shen dared not interfere in his affairs. Even the household feared him—only the Shen Dowager dared speak her mind.

His marriage had been continually postponed. Though Marquis Shen pressured him and Mrs. Shen worried incessantly, neither dared force him to marry.

Recently, his second uncle's wife came to Mrs. Shen, mentioning that the Emperor had appointed a Shen family member to fill an open magistrate position at the border. Shen Jiaxian was being sent away.

Though this appointment seemed like imperial favor—something others could only dream of—for a scion of a noble house, it was practically exile. The assigned region was a godforsaken backwater, ravaged by sandstorms, a place even birds avoided. The second branch implored Mrs. Shen to ask Shen Jingzhan for a favor, to intercede on their behalf.

But Mrs. Shen couldn’t find him. Yesterday, while paying her respects to the Dowager, she somehow learned he was intending to marry?

Mrs. Shen was dumbfounded.

After waiting all day, wondering where to find him, he unexpectedly returned home.

"Mother isn’t questioning you, just concerned…" She smiled, explaining that a wedding required extensive preparations, from selecting an auspicious date to arranging countless details.

Midway, she realized how unnecessary her words were—of course Shen Jingzhan knew all this. Even if he’d never married, he’d witnessed enough ceremonies.

So she changed tack. "These formalities can’t be skipped, and the details matter most. Mother worries you might be overwhelmed handling it alone, or that a man might overlook a woman’s sensibilities, making the bride feel neglected by the Shen family."

If Shen Jingzhan valued this mysterious bride-to-be, perhaps approaching it from her perspective would work.

Though this person might not even exist—after all, the Dowager had only mentioned just one vague remark from him, with no name attached. It was probably a pretense.

Yet Mrs. Shen felt there might be truth to it. Had Shen Jingzhan ever lied?

No. He always meant what he said.

The man before her listened, then lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, his demeanor utterly indifferent.

Mrs. Shen watched him, awaiting his reply.

After a long pause, he deflected, "Aside from this, what else did Grandmother tell you?"

He hadn’t taken the bait—unexpected, yet somehow predictable. Mrs. Shen gave a strained laugh. "Nothing much, just that you’d marry by late spring next year at the latest."

"Late spring next year? But… it’s already the end of the year now."

"Can everything be prepared in three months?"

"Rest assured, Mother." He smiled. "Your son has everything prepared."

"What?" Mrs. Shen was shocked. "You’ve prepared?" She hadn’t heard the slightest whisper of it, nor seen any signs.

Shen Jingzhan set down his teacup lightly, his slender fingers tapping its rim. "Yes. Prepared long ago."

Years ago, in fact. He’d gone over every detail countless times—even embroidered the wedding gown himself. But this, of course, he couldn’t say.

"Then…" Mrs. Shen wanted to press further but feared annoying him with roundabout questions.

Reluctantly, she got straight to the point. "Is there anything Mother can assist with?"

She hadn’t expected to extract anything from him—this question would likely be deflected.

To her surprise, he pondered seriously before speaking.

"Mother may refurnish the household as you see fit. Everything should be replaced—with the finest."

Mrs. Shen brightened. "What else?"

"Additionally, if it’s convenient, Mother might prepare a dowry for her."

"Convenient, of course it’s convenient!" Thrilled by his unusual willingness to discuss, Mrs. Shen nodded eagerly.

Shen Jingzhan rose and bowed deeply to her. "Then I leave it to you, Mother. For now, this matter must remain confidential. Mother…"

Before he could finish, Mrs. Shen assured him she understood—no word of this, to avoid unnecessary rumors or alarming the bride.

"Your son thanks you." He bent even lower.

Caught off guard by his solemn gesture, Mrs. Shen automatically sat up straighter.

Now, more than ever, she burned with curiosity—who was this girl?

But try as she might, she couldn’t guess.

"..."

While the Shen family busied themselves with wedding plans, the Wei household was shrouded in gloom.

At the promotion banquet, Wei Ruzuo’s drunken indiscretion had caused trouble.

Somehow, the Minister of Rites had caught wind of it. Summoning Wei Ruzuo, he delivered a scathing reprimand, veiledly mocking his youthful impetuosity and warning him to weigh his ambitions against his capabilities.

Wei Ruzuo was humiliated, but worse—he was suspended.

Who ever heard of someone being suspended right after assuming office? Truly, he’d walked into the line of fire.

How swiftly fortunes could rise and fall.

Just a few days ago, everyone was flattering him, but now they all keep their distance, even speaking coldly and mockingly.

Wei Ruzuo returned to the Wei household to hide. Pang Shi, frightened and resentful, berated Zhu Yinluan, blaming her for overseeing the promotion banquet, which had brought about this disaster. She also scolded her for failing to guide Wei Ruzuo or warn him!

Yet she completely forgot that it was she who had ordered Zhu Yinluan to arrange the banquet and instructed her to always defer to Wei Ruzuo, never contradicting him.

Now that trouble had arisen, all the blame fell on Zhu Yinluan.

The Wei household was nearly in disarray.

Pang Shi’s scolding echoed incessantly in the inner chambers. Wei Ruzuo, his head aching from the noise, let out an exasperated sigh, and only then did Pang Shi reluctantly quiet down, shooting a glare at the silent Zhu Yinluan.

"Mother, please calm down," Wei Ruzuo said, holding his head, his brow furrowed.

Pang Shi sniffled, "What can we do, Zhuo Geer?"

"Father isn’t back yet, so he likely can’t help. Is there anyone in the capital you can ask for help from? Your former colleagues..."

The Wei family’s distant relatives had all held lower positions for years, none holding a higher position than Wei Ruzuo.

Now that he had offended the Minister, it was likely he would lose his position as the Director of the Ministry of Rites. Who would dare help him? Moreover, Wei Ruzuo’s father had once been relegated for offending a superior and had never been recalled—with such a precedent, who would rashly extend a hand?

To put it bluntly, no one wears their heart on their sleeve. Among relatives, it was best if everyone fared similarly. Now that he had risen high and acted arrogantly, many secretly rejoiced at his fall. Hadn’t the Wei family themselves spread such words?

Wei Ruzuo shook his head. "There’s no one." He had already tried. Everyone claimed they wanted to help but lacked the influence—who would dare provoke the Minister’s displeasure?

As for officials above the Minister’s rank, there were none in that sphere.

Pang Shi turned to Zhu Yinluan and hissed, "Can’t you think of something? Must you just sit there idly?"

Zhu Yinluan stirred the medicine in the bowl for her. "I’ve already sent word to my family."

"Your elder sister went back to seek help, yet all you did was write a letter! Don’t you understand the urgency?"

Zhu Yinluan said nothing. Her elder sister hadn’t gone to seek aid—she had fled, afraid the Wei family’s decline would drag her down. At the first sign of trouble, she had run faster than anyone. Yet Pang Shi still praised her.

The thought nearly made Zhu Yinluan laugh.

"If you can’t help, at least don’t hold us back!" Pang Shi berated her again.

Wei Ruzuo frowned. Even Yun Mama couldn’t help but pity Zhu Yinluan, but with Pang Shi in such a rage, she dared not speak up.

"I’ve already written to my younger sisters. They promised to ask their husbands to see if they can arrange an apology to His Excellency the Minister."

Wei Mingyan had quickly offered assistance upon receiving the news, but the Court of Imperial Entertainments likely lacked the influence to override the Six Ministries.

"Ah..." Pang Shi wept again.

This New Year was the bleakest the Wei family had seen in years.

None of their relatives visited, all claiming they had matters at home, sending only token gifts.

During this time, Zhu Chentan visited frequently, comforting Pang Shi and comforting Wei Ruzuo, assuring him things would improve.

Seeing this, Zhu Yinluan guessed that Wei Ruzuo’s reckless words and subsequent reprimand might still see a turnaround—otherwise, he would have been abandoned by her elder sister.

Thus, Zhu Yinluan remained unfazed, unafraid of being implicated. Besides, panicking wouldn’t help—she truly had no means to help.

The calmer she remained, the more Pang Shi resented her, berating her three times a day.

The Wei household was desolate during the New Year, barely decorated, the atmosphere heavy. The only bright spot was the dazzling fireworks display Zhu Yinluan witnessed while keeping vigil on New Year’s Eve.

She had been preparing Pang Shi’s medicine when the sounds outside drew her attention. Just as she looked up, Jiao Hui and Ming Ya rushed in, urging her to come see. They pulled her outside.

Zhu Yinluan had never seen such stunning fireworks—vibrant colors exploding into the sky, lighting up the whole capital as bright as day. For a moment, she stood transfixed, her spirits lifted.

Gazing at her profile, Jiao Hui mentioned offhand,

"I heard it was Heir Shen who arranged this display to celebrate the New Year and cheer his family."

Hearing "Heir Shen," Zhu Yinluan glanced over but said nothing.

"..."

After the New Year, by the second month, Wei Ruzuo was still suspended. They’d tried every option, and now they relied entirely on the Zhu family’s assistance.

For the first time, Wei Ruzuo felt the sting of failure, he was disheartened.

He followed Lord Zhu and Zhu Mingsheng out of the Minister’s residence and returned to the Zhu household first.

Zhu Chentan rushed up. "Brother, Father, how did it go?"

"His Excellency the Minister didn’t show himself," Zhu Mingsheng said.

Mrs. Zhu remained silent for a moment. Zhu Chentan worried. "Does that mean...?"

Had her plan failed again?

"Don’t worry. Though His Excellency didn’t show himself, he didn’t turn us away. We’ll have to wait," Lord Zhu said.

This eased their minds somewhat.

During the meal, Wei Ruzuo offered a toast to thank Lord Zhu and Zhu Mingsheng for their efforts, vowing to repay their kindness in the future.

Noticing this, Mrs. Zhu shared a look with Lord Zhu.

Lord Zhu smiled. "Ruzuo, you must understand why the Zhu family has supported the Wei family despite everyone else avoiding you after your offense against the Minister."

Wei Ruzuo paused. He glanced at Zhu Chentan, who pursed her lips, her expression shy and flustered. Yet this demeanor inexplicably reminded him of another person in his household.

After a brief silence, Wei Ruzuo pushed the thought aside and downed his cup.

"I know full well. After this is settled, I’ll wed Chentan."