Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 140 Zhou Shu’an x Shen Shu 3
Shen Shu asked, “Where is he?”
Qingli replied, “In the study.”
The study?
Shen Shu continued, “Did he bring anyone with him?”
Qingli shook her head. “No one else.”
Shen Shu quickly tidied herself up, pushed open the door, and left in a hurry. Her green skirt hem fluttered lightly in the breeze.
Soon, she reached the west side window of the study.
Layer upon layer of bamboo blinds were rolled halfway up, and the white gauze curtains swayed gently with the wind. Shen Shu leaned against the wall, listening to the conversation inside.
Shen Wenqi said, “This improved design for the water-lifting wheel is quite ingenious. Look here: once this wheel turns, the full bamboo pipes will reach the top, where the water pours out and flows into the wooden trough. This way, it can both drain and irrigate. Truly brilliant.”
Zhou Shu’an replied, “Does Lord Shen believe the improvement is viable?”
“Certainly viable,” Shen Wenqi responded. “But I wonder who came up with this design? Do they hold any official position in the capital?”
“It’s a friend of mine, named Yang De, from Jiaxing in Suzhou. His family has been farmers for generations. He recently came to the capital, threw this drawing at me, and left. I tried to chase after him but couldn’t catch up.”
Shen Wenqi nodded, somewhat regretfully. “Then it seems he has no desire for officialdom. Tomorrow after court, I’ll present this design to His Majesty. If approved, we can mass-produce it and promote it nationwide.”
Hearing this, Shen Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, she felt a bit ashamed—clearly, he’d only come for official business.
Just as she was about to quietly slip away, Zhou Shu’an said, “There is another matter I came for today.”
Shen Wenqi put down the drawing and said, “Speak freely, Lord Zhou.”
Zhou Shu’an met Shen Wenqi’s eyes, nodded, and said, “I wish to propose marriage to your eldest daughter. I didn’t dare send a matchmaker unannounced, so I came under the guise of official business.”
The moment he said this, Shen Shu’s heart leapt into her throat outside the study. Inside, Shen Wenqi’s face was full of shock.
“You want to marry my daughter?”
“Yes,” Zhou Shu’an replied solemnly. “I have admired her for a long time.”
After a pause, Shen Wenqi sighed. Although he respected Zhou Shu’an, his daughter didn’t want to marry again, and he wouldn’t force her a second time.
He slowly said, “Though a daughter’s marriage should be decided by her parents, you’re surely aware of her situation. She was already forced into one marriage—I will not force her into another.”
With that, Shen Wenqi poured Zhou Shu’an a cup of tea and pushed it toward him. “I hope Lord Zhou can understand.”
Zhou Shu’an accepted the cup with both hands, his fingers tightening around the rim. “Lord Shen, you misunderstand.”
Shen Wenqi frowned. “Misunderstand?”
Zhou Shu’an set the cup down and spoke slowly. “How could I not know her situation? If our feelings weren’t mutual, I would not be here today.”
Mutual feelings?
Shen Wenqi was confused, suspicion clouding his eyes.
Zhou Shu’an continued, “What I’m about to say may be presumptuous, but I hope Lord Shen won’t take offense. The divorce letter and the indictment against Li Di—were both written by me.”
Shen Wenqi’s brows furrowed deeply. The teacup in his hand tilted, and tea spilled onto the desk.
Zhou Shu’an went on, “Originally, I had planned to propose to her after the divorce, but she refused on the grounds of being a second-time bride. I knew she was constrained by societal expectations and etiquette, and I couldn’t bear to pressure her. After much thought, I returned the prepared betrothal gifts to storage.”
“But recently, I heard she turned down three marriage proposals in a row—it kept me awake at night.”
Shen Wenqi asked, “Are you saying… she refused them because of you?”
Zhou Shu’an didn’t confirm or deny it. He simply said, “Yesterday, I met with the young lady again, at the inn outside the city’s south gate. If you doubt my words, Lord Shen, you can send someone to investigate.”
Just then, the study door creaked open.
Shen Shu stood in the doorway, staring straight at Zhou Shu’an.
She had puzzled all night over why he’d gone through so much trouble just to take her out to eat outside the city.
Now she understood—his intentions were never about the meal.
Zhou Shu’an remained calm and turned to Shen Wenqi. “May I speak with her alone for a moment?”
From his earlier words, it was clear that Shen Shu’s supposed detachment from worldly matters had already cracked. And now, with the look the two exchanged, who could still claim there was nothing between them?
Shen Wenqi stiffly nodded. Zhou Shu’an stood.
He followed Shen Shu toward the southern side of the Shen estate.
She stopped and turned, meeting his gaze.
The autumn wind blew, rustling their robes. Shen Shu lifted her chin and said sharply, “Well played, Lord Zhou.”
Zhou Shu’an looked at her gently. “You wouldn’t yield to pressure or persuasion. This was the only way left.”
That tone—was he implying it was her fault?
Shen Shu’s eyes turned red. “If I begged you, would you let me explain everything all over again?”
Zhou Shu’an gave a dry laugh and stepped forward, pinning her against the wall. “And how would you explain?”
Softly, Shen Shu said, “Just say it was a misunderstanding.”
Zhou Shu’an’s voice turned cold. “Was there a misunderstanding between us?”
“You shouldn’t have deliberately blurred things like that…” she murmured.
Zhou Shu’an lifted her chin. “Deliberately? I can speak the truth—do you dare?”
Hearing this, Shen Shu’s heart skipped.
His sharp eyes carried a visible resentment that made hers soften.
Shen Shu asked, “What if I refuse again?”
Zhou Shu’an replied, “Then I’ll think of something else.”
Shen Shu said, “Why go so far, Lord Zhou? With your status, you could have any woman you want.”
Hidden in the shadows of the high walls, Zhou Shu’an leaned down and kissed her lips, whispering, “At least give me a chance.”
Shen Shu’s heart clenched. Her tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed…
—
Given what had happened with Li Di, Shen Wenqi wasn’t quick to believe Zhou Shu’an’s words. Fearing Shen Shu might be under pressure, he sent his subordinate Wu Yao to investigate.
That night, Wu Yao arrived in Shen Wenqi’s study with several statements in hand.
Shen Wenqi said, “Speak.”
Wu Yao replied, “Reporting, my lord—according to my inquiries, the young lady did indeed leave the city yesterday, and she rode in a carriage from the Zhou estate.”
Shen Wenqi asked, “What did the innkeeper say?”
“He confirmed that someone reserved the entire inn—a man and a woman, behaving intimately. They stayed until nightfall before leaving,” Wu Yao added. “I’ve already paid the man to keep quiet. You needn’t worry about this getting out.”
“Outside the city… south gate inn… intimate behavior…”
Those words twisted Shen Wenqi’s heart.
If Zhou Shu’an had spoken the truth, then the two of them had to sneak outside the city just to see each other…
“I understand,” Shen Wenqi said, waving Wu Yao away.
The next morning, after court, Shen Wenqi personally went to the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Yao smiled. “Well, what brings you here today, Lord Shen?” The two were both subordinates of the Crown Prince and shared a closer relationship than most.
Shen Wenqi said, “I have a question for you.”
Yao dismissed the surrounding officials and said, “Speak. It’s just us now.”
Shen Wenqi said, “May I take a look at the divorce and court records regarding my daughter and the Li family?”
Yao paused, then said, “Come with me.”
After a while, he handed Shen Wenqi the case file. “Here it is.”
Looking at the bold, forceful handwriting, Shen Wenqi asked, “Do you have documents that Lord Zhou from the Dali Temple submitted?”
At the mention of Zhou Shu’an, Yao immediately grasped his intent. “Yes. That was definitely written by Lord Zhou.”
Shen Wenqi glanced at him.
Leaving the Ministry of Justice, Shen Wenqi went straight to the Dali Temple.
Zhou Shu’an wasn’t there, but the indictment against Li Di had been delivered by his aide, Chu Yi—once again, the handwriting was identical.
Shen Wenqi held the documents, finally understanding all the questions that had haunted him.
Of course. Without someone’s help, how could all of this have been resolved so easily?
He took a deep breath. Just then, Chu Yi said, “Lord Shen, my master asked me to give you this.”
Shen Wenqi took it and asked, “What is this?”
Chu Yi replied, “It’s Lord Zhou’s household registry record.”
Shen Wenqi opened it and read silently, his eyes settling on one line:
Marital Status: Unmarried.
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