Prime Minister.

Chapter 104, Section 103: [Walking into a Trap]

In the western part of Yangzhou, on Wenhe Road, stands a mansion with black tiles and white walls.

Its name is Shen Garden.

Fifteen years ago, under the oppression of powerful clans and salt merchants represented by the four Yangzhou families, the Shen family living in this Shen Garden was in an extremely difficult situation. Even though the head of the family, Shen Bingwen, was a business genius, he still could not escape the bitter winds and rains outside. It was not until the arrival of the new prefect that Shen Bingwen found a glimmer of hope.

The rest of the story is unnecessary to elaborate on. The Shen family regained its footing and solidified its foundation, giving no one else a chance to covet it. Even after Xue Mingzhang stepped down and returned to the capital, the Shen family's business continued to grow bigger and bigger, no longer allowing others to bully them.

Today, the Shen Garden is shrouded in wisps of smoke, vaguely resembling the grandeur of a noble family.

In mid-April, the sunlight streamed through the verdant courtyard, casting dappled shadows through the windows of the west wing study.

A young girl sat upright at a rosewood desk, her profile, aged eighteen, bathed in the glow of gold dust, like a piece of jade porcelain after the rain.

She wore a lapis lazuli-dyed khaki jacket with pearl buttons densely sewn at the front, and a line of moon-white cloud pattern on the cuffs. She wore a long sage-green skirt with butterflies embroidered on the front, the wings of which were outlined with gold thread.

The collar of her vest was embroidered with silver threads depicting intertwined lotus blossoms, which accentuated her fair neck, making it appear as slender and graceful as a crane's.

Her long, dark blue hair was styled into a fashionable updo, adorned with a kingfisher feather hairpin with pearls. Beneath her crescent-shaped eyebrows were a pair of almond-shaped eyes, the color of which was like the clear waters of the West Lake.

The room was completely silent. Her slender fingers pressed against the Huizhou paper ledger pages, the edges of her nails untouched by nail polish but instead stained with specks of ink—this was part of the Guangtaihao main store's ledger for the first half of the month. She had been intently reviewing it for half a day. Although she wanted to finish reading it as soon as possible, she was also afraid of making mistakes, so she could only read it word by word with even greater care.

A gust of wind suddenly swept through the courtyard, startling the shadows of the trees outside the window. The girl abruptly raised her eyelashes, and a gentle smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Luan'er".

A woman in her forties slowly walked into the study and came to the girl's side with a loving expression.

She was Du, Shen Bingwen's first wife and the girl's birth mother.

"Mom, why are you here?"

Shen Qingluan rose to greet her and invited Madam Du to sit down.

Madam Du glanced at the stacks of account books on the table and said with some concern, "I heard from the maid that you've been reading them since this morning, almost two hours without rest, so I thought I'd come and check on you. Luan'er, I know you're hardworking, but there's no need to rush things. What if you ruin your health?"

"No, I just want to finish this as soon as possible, and then—"

The words stopped abruptly.

"And then what?"

Madam Du took Shen Qingluan's hand and led her to sit down on the long couch next to her. She teased, "Are you trying to finish your business as soon as possible so you'll have time to go find our new prefect of Yangzhou?"

Shen Qingluan lowered her head and remained silent.

Madam Du couldn't help but laugh and said, "You child... You ignored your father's and my advice and insisted on traveling all the way to the capital to see him. Now that we're talking, you're the one who's shy."

"It's not that I'm shy, I just..."

Shen Qingluan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Upon seeing this, Madam Du asked with concern, "What happened?"

Shen Qingluan pondered for a moment and said softly, "Mother, when Brother Xue was appointed to Yangzhou, he sent me a letter, telling me his departure time and approximate arrival time. However, he repeatedly instructed me in the letter that I should not go to greet him."

Having been through similar experiences, Madam Du immediately understood what had happened from the anxious tone in the woman's voice. Therefore, she said gently, "Are you worried that the young master Xue, now that he is young and successful, looks down on our Shen family's business of merchants and no longer wants to be close to you?"

"Brother Xue is not that kind of person."

Shen Qingluan quickly shook her head, twisting her hands together, and said slowly but firmly, "Although I haven't seen him for almost ten years, and we only met briefly at the end of last year, I believe everything I saw. Brother Xue is a sincere and frank person. If he had any intention of distancing himself from me, or looked down on our Shen family, he would never have sought help from Princess Yun'an for me, let alone written to inform me of his itinerary."

Du gently stroked her hair with affection, and gradually understood.

Her daughter is currently in a state of complex emotions that are difficult to describe. On the one hand, she can't let go of Xue Huai, who used to be by her side day and night. On the other hand, as Xue Huai rises step by step in his official career and becomes the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou at the young age of 20, she can't help but think more about it.

"Silly girl."

Madam Du smiled gently, then said softly, "You are my greatest pride in this life. Although you are a girl, you are no less than a man. In the past two years, you have helped your father manage the family business. Who wouldn't praise you for your talent and beauty? If it weren't for your own unwillingness, your parents would not have been willing to let you get married. Those suitors would have already worn down the threshold of the Shen family."

Shen Qingluan's confused thoughts gradually cleared up.

Actually, she felt a little depressed when she left the capital.

She appeared relaxed and composed in front of Xue Huai, but in reality, she couldn't help feeling somewhat uneasy. In particular, based on certain intuitions, she always felt that the high and mighty Princess Yun'an's attitude towards Xue Huai was not so simple.

She did not tell her parents about this.

The Shen family enjoys a good reputation in Yangzhou and even the Jiangnan region, and Guangtai Company is now one of the top businesses in Jiangsu Province. However, compared with Princess Yun'an, who is extremely favored by the emperor, all these advantages seem as fragile as clouds.

In the dead of night, she would often wake up in fright, for in her dreams she would hear an imperial decree issued, making Xue Huai the consort of the princess. Although the Great Yan did not restrict the consort from achieving great deeds, now that he had become the consort, he could not enjoy the bliss of having three wives and four concubines.

In short, if Xue Huai becomes the imperial consort, Shen Qingluan will hardly see him again for the rest of her life, let alone spend time together in romantic moments.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh silently, then composed herself and smiled, "Mother, when will Father come home?"

Madam Du said, "I estimate it will take another month or two. Your father went to Hangzhou to discuss an important matter, and he will definitely not be able to return until the matter is settled."

Shen Qingluan felt a slight unease, sensing that something was amiss, and asked, "What is this important matter? Why didn't Father reveal any information beforehand?"

Madam Du frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, "I don't know either. You know your father's habits. It's not that he doesn't trust us, but there are too many people in the family, and business secrets can't be leaked. In addition, he doesn't want us to worry, so unless necessary, he won't explain everything clearly."

Shen Bingwen had many children, but he and Du Shi only had one legitimate daughter, Shen Qingluan. They also had several concubines who had given birth to three sons and two daughters for Shen Bingwen over the years, all of whom were born out of wedlock.

There was one more thing that Madam Du hadn't made clear before: when Shen Qingluan got married, she would bring at least half of the Shen family's assets with her. Therefore, she was extremely careful about choosing her husband, otherwise she would be sowing the seeds of disaster for her family.

After Shen Qingluan returned from the capital, Madam Du and Shen Bingwen were caught in a happy dilemma.

The happiness lies in the fact that the Shen and Xue families have been friends for generations, and their friendship has not faded over the years. Xue Huai is an excellent choice in terms of character, appearance, and future prospects. If Shen Qingluan can marry him, the Shen couple would naturally be more than happy, and it would also put their biggest worry to rest—that Shen Qingluan would have Xue Huai backing her up in the future and would certainly not suffer any grievances.

Even after the Shen couple passed away, the Shen family's illegitimate sons still dared not bully the married Shen Qingluan.

The reason for her troubles is quite simple: Xue Huai has risen to a high position at a young age, and countless people are eyeing such a young and promising talent. Although the Shen family is wealthy, their foundation is not deep, and the title of "daughter of a merchant" does not sound good in today's world.

Thinking of this, Madam Du smiled and said, "Luan'er, I remember you said before that when you left the capital last year, the old lady of the Xue family gave you a set of fine jewelry?"

"Ah."

As Shen Qingluan recalled the scene from that day, ripples began to stir in her heart.

"There are no outsiders here, so my daughter and I can have a heart-to-heart talk."

Madam Du said softly, "Luan'er, the most important thing for us women in this life is to marry a husband we are happy with. Your father is a very good man. He is capable in public and never acts like a master at home. Later, he had such an excellent child as you. I feel very lucky and hope that you can live a peaceful and happy life. In my opinion, since you have decided on Xue's son, don't overthink it. Just settle this marriage as soon as possible."

Shen Qingluan was initially quite moved by what she heard, but she was stunned when Du Shi uttered her last sentence.

Although she knew she couldn't hide her feelings from her parents, she was happy to maintain the status quo since she hadn't said anything openly. After all, once some things were brought up, a final decision would have to be made, and neither she nor Xue Huai would have to.

"mother……"

"Luan'er, listen to your mother."

Madam Du gently patted Shen Qingluan's hand to comfort her, and said softly, "Old Madam Xue is by no means a frivolous person. The fact that she was willing to give you the jewelry that came with her dowry back then is a subtle way of showing her attitude. I wasn't sure what you were thinking before, and I just thought you were grateful to the Xue family boy because of what happened when you were a child. Now that I know what you're thinking, how can I sit idly by and watch you be so anxious and indecisive? After the Xue family boy takes office, I'll have your father find a suitable opportunity to sound him out. What do you think?"

Shen Qingluan was not a sentimental person, especially when it came to matters related to Xue Huai. Otherwise, she would not have resolutely traveled all the way to the capital just to see Xue Huai's situation for herself.

A bright smile appeared on her face, and she nodded frankly, saying, "It's all up to Mother."

With her mother's support and encouragement, all her worries disappeared at that moment.

It is said that a graceful lady is sought after by a gentleman, but why can't the opposite be true?
……

The canal glistens with light.

The three-masted official ship sailed south, passing through Linqing, Liaocheng, Dongchang, and Jining before turning to Xuzhou, and then from Xuzhou to Suqian, finally arriving at the Huai'an wharf on the afternoon of April 28th.

Further south lies the territory of Yangzhou, and it only takes three or four days to reach the city of Yangzhou.

Gan Quanhe led the servants off the ship to make a final supply, while Xue Huai came to the bow and looked south.

Having traveled from north to south across the vast territory of the Great Yan, Xue Huai's most direct impression was that the scenery on both sides of the river was becoming increasingly prosperous.

"Ah."

Xue Huai suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth and sneezed violently.

Seeing this, Mo Yun said nervously, "Young Master, it's windy at the bow of the ship, shall we go into the cabin?"

"It doesn't matter."

Xue Huai gazed into the distance and calmly said, "We're almost at Yangzhou."

What he saw was clearly a picturesque Jiangnan water town with lush grass and flying birds, yet it also seemed like a vast and intricate net, waiting for him to crash into it and then tightly entangle him, trapping him in this mortal world.

"I imagine... the lords of Jiangnan are getting quite impatient."

(End of this chapter)