CFB Chapter 111

Translator – Xiao He Lian

This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.

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Chapter 111

 

“The rest, Lord Yao, can be handed over to the Dali Temple.”

After hearing this, Yao Bin couldn’t help but be curious and asked, “Has Lord Li offended Lord Zhou?”

Zhou Shu’an chuckled, “It’s not that he offended me, but… there is indeed a bit of a grudge.”

Yao Bin nodded, but he didn’t believe it in his heart.

A powerful official who has not yet married and a wife who was as beautiful as a fairy, the situation here was definitely not as simple as “a little grudge”.

The officialdom in the capital was like a battlefield without swords and guns. Yao Bin has seen groundless framing, suppression and exclusion, but he has never seen someone “helping” to divorce?

However, there was a saying that goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yao Bin doesn’t care what Zhou Shu’an was planning. As long as he can overthrow Li Di and make the Xu family’s chess piece in the Ministry of Works useless, it will be a good thing for the Eastern Palace.

After drinking for more than thirty minutes, Yao Bin’s cheeks were flushed. He asked under the influence of alcohol: “Why don’t you come and serve under the Crown Prince?”

Zhou Shuan’s expression did not change, but his voice became a little lower: “When the water is full, it will overflow. Isn’t my friendship with Lord Yao enough?”

Yao Bin paused and couldn’t help laughing.

Before the morning light had dispersed the mist, Zhou Shu’an walked out of the Yao residence through the side door, bent down and got into the carriage.

The man raised his hand and pinched his adams apple, and whispered to Chu Yi: “Tell her to come see me tomorrow.”

 

　　——

In the early morning, Shen Shu helped Li Di change his clothes to go on duty. Li Di looked down at the little face that was as bright as a lotus and said seriously, “Shu Shu, I really want to go back to four years ago.”

Shen Shu looked up at him, her gaze just right.

“We can’t go back to four years ago, Lord Li, you should look towards the future.”

Li Di said “hmm” and then smiled.

After Li Di left, Shen Shu breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on a round stool, put her index finger on her temple and rubbed it slowly. Li Di stayed next to her last night so she did not sleep all night.

Just then, Qingli opened the bamboo curtain and walked in, whispering, “The books that the young lady ordered have arrived.”

Shen Shu raised her eyes, “So fast?”

Qingli nodded.

Shen Shu took a deep breath and said, “Quick, tell someone to prepare the carriage.”

Qingli looked at Shen Shu’s pale face and whispered, “Young Lady, you look a little tired. Do you want me to use some powder to cover it up for you?”

Shen Shu raised her hand and pressed the bottom of her eyes, “Do I look ugly?”

Qingli quickly shook her head, “How can you be ugly?”

Shen Shu looked back at the bronze mirror, curled her lips and said, “No need to cover it, I think it’s just right.”

The driver tightened the reins, and the carriage slowly stopped by the roadside. Shen Shu came to the bookstore in the East Market again.

She lifted her skirt and walked in. As soon as she looked up, before she could say anything, the shopkeeper bowed and said, “The book you ordered, Madam, has arrived. You can pick it up on the second floor.”

Shen Shu nodded, “Thank you, shopkeeper.”

Shen Shu went up to the second floor alone, walked to the left, then stopped, raised her hand and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” It was still that man’s voice.

Shen Shu stepped into the room and turned back to close the door.

Zhou Shu’an stood beside the wood screen in the southeast corner. The faint sunlight shone on him through the window, and his tall figure looked like a towering green mountain.

“Lord Zhou.” She walked up to him and said softly.

Zhou Shu’an turned sideways and looked down at her.

He saw that she was not like usual today. Her eyebrows seemed to be frowning, her eyes seemed to be happy but not happy, her eyes were slightly red, and she was panting.

This posture of a weak willow[mfn](Describes a woman with a weak body and gentle movements.)[/mfn] swaying in the wind made people feel love and pity.

“Are you sick?” Zhou Shu’an asked her.

“I caught a cold.” Shen Shu looked at him and said.

The autumn wind blew on Shen Shu’s face, and the corners of her collar trembled slightly in the wind.

Zhou Shu’an saw a strand of black hair fall on her forehead. He frowned and couldn’t help but raise his hand to tuck it behind her ear. “Have you taken medicine?”

Shen Shu bit her lower lip and said softly, “I’ve taken.”

Zhou Shu’an raised his hand to close the window, put his palm on her back, and led her to the table.

“Tomorrow, you can send this petition to the Ministry of Justice.” Zhou Shu’an said as he sat down.

Shen Shu slowly opened it. It was a divorce petition.

“I have asked someone from Li Di’s hometown to come to the capital. He can come to the court to testify for you about the relationship between the Li and He families.” Zhou Shu’an said.

“How did you find him, My Lord?”

Shen Shu had asked others to testify, but those people were afraid of Li Di because of his high position. Besides, they were not related to her and could not be bribed with money.

Shen Shu was afraid of alarming Li Di and causing more trouble, so she had to give up.

Zhou Shu’an saw the hesitation in her eyes and said with a smile: “Don’t you trust me?”

Shen Shu looked at him and said, “How could that be? I’m just afraid that they will bite back.”

“No.” Zhou Shu’an stood straight and patted her shoulder to comfort her. Then he took out another petition and said, “Wait until Yao Bin personally decides on the divorce, then you can submit this petition. The evidence is all here.”

The man pointed at the table with his index finger.

Although Zhou Shu’an did not say it explicitly, his familiar tone was equivalent to telling Shen Shu that the Minister of Justice Yao Bin had a private relationship with him.

Everyone in the capital knew that Zhou Shu’an was the emperor’s confidant and a selfless official. All the money sent to the Dali Temple would be thrown back without a penny missing. He was like a thousand-pound iron plate that no one could kick.

But now, when Shen Shu heard him mention Yao Bin, and looked at the two petitions and a pile of evidence in front of her, she suddenly felt a strange feeling in her heart.

She liked the back-and-forth nature of transactions, so she couldn’t accept his kindness with a clear conscience.

She desperately hoped that Zhou Shu’an could get something back from her. Anything would be fine.

Shen Shu suppressed her turbulent thoughts and picked up the account book on the table. These were all direct evidence of Li Di’s corruption and bribery, but from these evidences, it was clear that Li Di’s actions had nothing to do with the Sixth Prince and the Xu family.

“The Xu family’s power is deeply rooted and cannot be touched at the moment. If you do, they will definitely protect Li Di.” Zhou Shu’an said.

Zhou Shu’an’s alteration of these account books was undoubtedly forcing the Xu family to give up Li Di. Without the Xu family behind Li Di, he would be like a playboy who was expelled from his family and would have no power to fight back.

Shen Shu whispered: “I understand.”

After saying that, Shen Shu’s body swayed slightly, and Zhou Shu’an immediately caught her, and Shen Shu fell into his arms.

“Let me help you down.” Zhou Shu’an could see that this was not an attempt to throw herself into his arms, and her exhaustion today was not feigned.

Shen Shu held his hand and whispered, “Don’t move.”

Zhou Shu’an froze.

“Last night.” Shen Shu put her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and looked him in the eye. “I didn’t sleep all night.”

Zhou Shuan’s adams apple kept sliding down, and he asked in a hoarse voice: “Why?”

Shen Shu didn’t answer, but leaned on his broad chest, “I want to sleep for a while, is that okay?”

Zhou Shuan’s heart sank. He could never have imagined that she would lean against him like this and close her eyes.

The man held his arms stiffly and watched the sun jump from one window to another.

He stared at her eyelashes for an unknown amount of time before patting her waist. “Shen Shu, it’s afternoon.”

Shen Shu slowly opened her eyes, and as they looked at each other, a blush appeared on her face. She quickly stood up and said,  “It was me who was rude, I hope that Lord Zhou will not blame me.”

Zhou Shu’an said calmly, “It’s okay.”

The door closed, and Shen Shu’s back disappeared from sight. Zhou Shu’an held his arm and took a deep breath in a somewhat collapsed manner.

With her skills, he really could no longer hold back.

 

　　——

On the other side, Shen Shu got on the carriage.

Qingli whispered, “Miss, did you get the storybook?”

Shen Shu nodded, “Yes.”

Qingli asked again: “Today…why did it take so long?”

“I was delayed by some other things.” Shen Shu tilted her head and lifted the curtain, her eyes fixed on the window on the second floor of the bookstore, and she couldn’t help but clench her fists secretly.

It doesn’t work when I’m awake, and it doesn’t work when I’m asleep. How can it be possible?

Shen Shu returned to Li’s residence before Li Di finished his shift and hurried into the inner courtyard.

Li Di’s mother, Shen Shu’s mother-in-law, Wen, stood at the door with her arms folded in front of her chest. She started with a sarcastic remark, “Look, whose wife is running outside all day?”

Shen Shu said, “Which wife of a fourth-rank official isn’t busy? I also want to be free, so how about this, I’ll return all the household matters to He Wanru and she’ll be in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests in the future?”

The corners of Wen’s mouth turned down and she said coldly, “It is a misfortune for our Li family to marry you.”

As soon as Madam Wen finished speaking, Shen Shu suddenly felt as if God was helping her. She was worried that she couldn’t find a reason to leave, but now, someone handed her a good excuse.

“Qingli.”

Qingli bowed and said, “I am here.”

“Pack our things and let’s go back to the Shen Mansion.” Shen Shu took a deep breath and said word by word, “Since it is a misfortune for your family. I, Shen Shu, cannot bear such a serious crime.”

When Madam Wen heard this, she took a step forward, stood in front of Shen Shu and asked directly: “Did my son give back your dowry?”

Shen Shu looked at her very respectfully, “So, you knew that was my dowry.”

Shen Shu knew all about Madam Wen’s taking Shen Shu’s dowry and giving it to the He family to subsidize the family’s expenses, these things, Shen Zhan knew all about it. When it comes down to it, Madam Wen has nothing to lose.

Qingli ran in and took out only a box. Shen Shu no longer needed any of the personal belongings in this mansion.

“Young Lady, I already finished packing.”

When Madam Wen saw that she was really going to leave, she hurriedly said to the maid beside her, “What are you standing there for? Stop her!”

“Shen Shu, you change your face so quickly. Your father just returned to the court. What would outsiders think if they knew about this? Go out and ask around. Is there anyone who talks to your mother-in-law like you do?” Madam Wen asked.

Shen Shu laughed at herself.

Mother-in-law?

Did she ever really consider her the daughter-in-law of the Li family? Did she ever really think of her as a good person?

Shen Shu whispered, “If you don’t let me go today, I will go to Jingzhao Prefecture to report to the authorities tomorrow.”

Even though Madam Wen was a woman in the inner court, she knew where Jingzhao Prefecture was, and she also knew the relationship between the Governor of Jingzhao and the Shen family.

Madam Wen raised her finger and said the word “you” several times intermittently.

Shen Shu said to Li Di’s personal maid, “If the master asks, tell him the truth.”

After saying that, Shen Shu walked out of the gate of Li Mansion without looking back.

 

 

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