"I think I know Miss Shen's identity now!"
Shen Lixue's heart skipped a beat: "What's his/her identity?"
"The eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family of Qingyan Kingdom!" A jade pendant of emerald green hung in front of Shen Lixue, and the devilishly handsome man smiled brightly: "This is the Shen family heirloom jade pendant, and there is only one of its kind in the world!" Moreover, Shen Minghui's first wife was named Lin Qingzhu.
Shen Lixue's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected that her father, who had disappeared for many years, was actually the Prime Minister. His status was quite good. She no longer had to stay here and be trampled by wild beasts: "How far is it from here to Qingyan Capital?"
The devilishly handsome man said softly, "More than a thousand miles!"
So far! Shen Lixue frowned: In ancient times, the means of transportation was horse-drawn carriages, but horses could not run as fast as modern airplanes and trains. When will we be able to get to the capital?
“Princess Consort, there’s no need to worry. The wild beast problem here has been resolved. I also need to return to the capital to report to the Emperor. We can travel together!” As if seeing through Shen Lixue’s thoughts, the devilishly handsome man smiled and comforted her.
"Princess Consort?" Shen Lixue was startled. In the original owner's memories, this body was clearly not married. Could it be that her memories were wrong?
"The eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family and Prince An were engaged fifteen years ago, a fact known to everyone in the capital. It's not wrong for me to call you the Princess Consort..." the devilishly handsome man explained softly.
So that's how it is! Shen Lixue secretly breathed a sigh of relief: as a modern person from the 21st century, she really couldn't adapt to getting married at such a young age.
And this devilishly handsome man, who was so cold-hearted and ruthless just now, treating human life like dirt, is now being so attentive, wanting to take her back to the capital. He probably has no good intentions. No matter, she never offends others unless they offend her. If this devilishly handsome man dares to harm her, she will never let him get away with it!
"My name is Nangong Xiao. Miss Shen, you may call me Prince or Xiao!" Nangong Xiao introduced himself to Shen Lixue with a smile, completely different from the cold-hearted and heartless man who had just refused to help her in her time of need. "Miss Shen and your mother have been missing for fifteen years. Prime Minister Shen was very saddened. Now that you have returned alive, he must be very happy!"
Prime Minister Shen thought Shen Lixue was dead and was preparing to marry his second daughter to Prince An. Now that Shen Lixue has returned, he probably won't need his second daughter anymore. But his second daughter is deeply in love with Prince An and will not easily let Shen Lixue take her place as the Prince's consort. Hehe, there's going to be a good show at the Prime Minister's mansion!
002 Drinking tea and watching a play
Shen Lixue returned to the Prime Minister's residence unharmed, shocking the entire household!
Prime Minister Shen Minghui glanced at Shen Lixue's face, which resembled Lin Qingzhu's by six or seven points, and then looked at the smooth, crystal-clear jade pendant heirloom of the Shen family in his hand. A hint of surprise flashed in his joyful eyes.
Shen Lixue saw it clearly; when Shen Minghui saw her, he was far more surprised than happy!
Shouldn't the return of a long-lost biological daughter bring more joy than surprise? Why is Shen Minghui acting in the opposite way?
The Prime Minister's wife smiled, but not into her eyes: "My lord, the great fire that year destroyed the entire main house. It must be a blessing from heaven that Li Xue survived!"
At first glance, it seemed that the Prime Minister's wife was happy for Shen Lixue's safe return, but upon closer examination, she was actually doubting that Shen Lixue could not have survived the fire.
Shen Lixue gave a silent, cold laugh. Fifteen years ago, a fire broke out inexplicably, causing Shen Lixue, Lin Qingzhu, and Shen Minghui to be separated.
Years of vigilance had made her sense a conspiracy. She was just about to find an opportunity to subtly probe when the Prime Minister's wife unexpectedly came to her, saving her a lot of trouble: "Why would there be a fire for no reason?" Fifteen years ago, Shen Lixue had just been born, so she naturally didn't know the cause of the fire.
"The weather was dry, and a mischievous child accidentally started a fire..." Shen Minghui was referring to the cause of the fire investigated by the government office fifteen years ago.
Shen Lixue lowered her eyelids: "After the fire was extinguished, did you find the bodies?"
Shen Minghui shook his head and sighed softly, "No!"
"Since no bodies have been found, why are you so sure that my mother and I are dead?" Shen Lixue's eyes flickered, a half-smile playing on her lips. To declare someone dead without seeing a body was far too arbitrary.
“The wind was strong and the fire was raging. The whole house was burned to the ground. I thought you and your daughter had been burned to ashes.” Shen Minghui seemed to recall the tragedy of that year, his voice low and heavy. “Heartbroken and desperate, I left the old house on the third day to take up my post at the border.” These few words explained his hasty departure from Qingzhou.
"Since the wind and fire were so strong, why did only my mother's and my house burn down, while the other houses remained unscathed?" It wasn't that Shen Lixue was being paranoid, but the situation was indeed very strange.
“Back then, we lived in a traditional courtyard house in our hometown of Qingzhou. You and your mother lived in the main room. The wind was blowing from the north, so no matter how strong the wind was, it wouldn’t burn the side rooms on the east and west sides…” Shen Minghui told the truth.
"Why haven't you gone to the old house to pay your respects for over a decade? After my mother died, I lived alone in Qingzhou. If I hadn't met Prince Nangong, I wouldn't have known you were in the capital." Shen Lixue wiped away unfounded tears. When she woke up, the barren wasteland plagued by wild beasts was Qingzhou. Shen Lixue and Lin Qingzhu had been waiting there all along, but Shen Minghui had never gone back even once.
A hint of guilt flickered in Shen Minghui's eyes: "There are many things to do in the capital, and I haven't been able to get away to Qingzhou. However, I have Ya Rong (the Prime Minister's wife's name) go to the old residence in Qingzhou every year to pay respects to you and your daughter..."
The Prime Minister's wife, Lady Lei, smiled kindly and echoed Shen Minghui's words: "For the past fifteen years, I have gone to Qingzhou every year without fail..."
"That's really strange. My mother and I have always lived across from our old house, so how come we've never seen Madam?" Shen Lixue was telling the truth. After the old house burned down, Lin Qingzhu and her daughter stayed in Qingzhou to wait for Shen Minghui and did not move far away.
“Mother is in poor health and lies in bed every day, looking out the window at the old house. If Madam had gone there, Mother would definitely have seen her. Even if Mother didn’t recognize you, seeing someone offering sacrifices in front of the house, she would have been curious and gone up to ask. She would never have missed Father for fifteen years like this…”
Shen Lixue spoke sadly, secretly pinching her arm and squeezing out a few tears. She glanced to the side and found Nangong Xiao sitting lazily in a chair, watching her with interest: Why does Nangong Xiao look like he's watching a show? Did he come to the Prime Minister's residence not to see her off, but to watch the show?
The conflict between Shen Lixue and Lei Shi was within Nangong Xiao's expectations, and things continued to develop in the direction he had anticipated. A beautiful smile curved his lips: Shen Lixue is very clever, and the other women in the Prime Minister's mansion are also cunning. She can outwit a fierce beast, but she may not be able to defeat a cunning person. After a series of contests, it is still unknown who will win or lose. However, one thing is certain: the drama in the Prime Minister's mansion will become more and more exciting.
"Ahem!" The Prime Minister's wife coughed lightly, sounding uneasy. "I'm afraid of being reminded of the past, so I always pay my respects to my sister from afar..."
Shen Lixue blinked, feigning ignorance: "Madam was my father's concubine, and she lived with us in the old house?"
A deep disgust flashed in Lei's eyes. She was Shen Minghui's lawfully wedded wife, how could she be compared to a lowly wife who was promoted from concubine? Out of consideration for the demeanor of a noble lady, she did not make a scene: "No, after the fire, my husband came to the capital, and that's when I married him."
“Since you’ve never lived in the old house, why would you be overcome with grief when you go there to pay your respects?” Shen Lixue was 100% certain that Lei Shi had never been to the old house in Qingzhou. Only she herself knew best where Lei Shi went during the days she was away from the capital each year.
"My master often tells me about my sister, and I have secretly regarded her as a confidante. Of course, I don't want to see the place where she died, which would only cause me more grief..." Lei's words were reasonable and logical, leaving no room for doubt.
Shen Lixue smiled: As expected of the Prime Minister's wife, she is eloquent and persuasive!
"Father, Mother!" Accompanied by a clear and melodious female voice, a graceful figure entered the living room. A light blue Xiang dress outlined her exquisite figure. The dress was embroidered with fresh daffodils, which made her figure appear even more slender and delicate. Her small and delicate hair was tied up with a single glass hairpin, giving her a fresh and elegant natural beauty. With a slight smile, she was stunningly beautiful.
Shen Lixue smiled faintly. The number one beauty in the capital city was indeed worthy of the name. Every frown, every smile, every move she made could bewitch people and attract the attention of countless people.
Along the way, Nangong Xiao chattered on and on about the many beauties in the capital to Shen Lixue. He talked the most about this daughter of the Prime Minister's family, praising her as intelligent, beautiful, gentle, and elegant. He used almost every word of praise on her. Not to mention men, even Shen Lixue, a woman, became somewhat curious about her.
"Yingxue!" Looking at Shen Yingxue who was walking gracefully towards him, Shen Minghui's eyes sparkled with deep pride and doting affection.
Shen Lixue instantly understood why Shen Minghui was so indifferent when she returned to the Prime Minister's residence. With such an outstanding daughter as Shen Yingxue, he certainly wouldn't care about someone as ordinary as herself.
"Greetings, Prince Nangong!" Shen Yingxue bowed gracefully, her voice as beautiful and melodious as a nightingale's song.
"Miss Shen, there's no need for such formalities!" Nangong Xiao sipped his tea, glancing furtively at Shen Lixue and Shen Yingxue, a playful smile gleaming in his eyes: There's going to be a good show.
003 Drag you down