Tangli Fried Snow

Duan Yuanshan had been imprisoned for twenty days, and he had lost more than twenty pounds, looking completely different from a different person. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, wondering if his dear wife would still recognize him if she saw him again.

Wouldn't the lady be heartbroken and shed tears?

The lady is right, he really shouldn't have come.

The rustling of chains interrupted his regret.

The No. 1 prison finally welcomed another guest, who was carrying an exquisite food box.

Duan Yuanshan looked at the newcomer with disbelief in his eyes.

"Lord Shen, the purse of the Song Kingdom, what a rare guest! I never expected to see you here. This is the Ministry of Justice's top-ranking prison. How did you get in without Lord Yu accompanying you?" Duan Yuanshan looked Shen Shibai up and down.

"There's no place in the Song Kingdom that I can't enter, and no one in the world doesn't love a purse," Shen Shibai said with a smile.

He looked like a civil official in his thirties or forties. In the firelight, he appeared even colder and more sinister. Although he always had a smile on his face, he looked more like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

Shen Shibai came from a poor background, with neither noble birth nor support from his wife's family. Yet, he climbed so quickly and so high through his own abilities, which shows how clever his methods were, how ruthless his hands were, and how vicious his mind was, which was common knowledge in the Song Kingdom.

But at this moment, he clearly had a warm smile on his face, and he had a gentle and refined air about him. His words made Duan Yuanshan's heart tremble.

"Lord Duan, how have you been? I've come to see you on behalf of your daughter, Princess Yaoguang," Shen Shibai said with a smile.

Duan Yuanshan looked at him in surprise, his throat bobbing, but he couldn't utter a single word.

After a long pause, he finally asked, "How is she?"

Shen Shibai changed his stance and said, "She is stronger than you think. Ever since the upheaval at the palace banquet, when you were taken away on the spot, she moved into the Empress's palace and was personally taken care of by the Empress."

“Jin Yuyan is good at putting on a show, she certainly won’t mistreat Yaoguang.” Duan Yuanshan smiled bitterly. “But she’s also very good at using underhanded tactics. Did she force Yaoguang to do anything she didn’t want to do?”

“Princess Yaoguang is well-behaved and sensible; she will naturally be protected by someone.”

As the person opposite spoke, they leisurely glanced at Duan Yuanshan a few times.

"As for things she's unwilling to do," he chuckled, "like writing a letter to your son, Duan Jingyu, urging him to lead his army to surrender and come to the capital to pledge his loyalty? Or having him come and take you and his sister home?"

Every word Shen Shibai spoke made Duan Yuanshan's heart tremble. In the end, it was his children who were bearing the burden of their father's mistakes.

Shen Shibai watched with satisfaction as the man's expression grew increasingly grim. He said seriously, "I heard that your precious son has led 30,000 cavalry to the Yangtze River. This boy is very filial and risked everything to save you, even cutting his hair to vow to bring his father home. Unfortunately, he is only in his twenties. How can he command an army? I'm most afraid that he will act rashly and suffer a defeat as soon as he crosses the Yangtze River."

“Jingyu is a sensible person. He can make important decisions, and I trust him,” Duan Yuanshan said quietly, gazing into the distance.

“In a couple of days, a major battle is inevitable. Between this naive twenty-year-old and the shrewd and experienced General Jin Yan, who do you think has a better chance of winning?” Shen Shibai asked, looking into Duan Yuanshan’s eyes.

"Heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times. He grew up with me in the army. He could ride a horse as soon as he could walk. He grew up with the warhorse under his hooves. His maternal grandfather was a famous and ever-victorious general, and his uncle was a lieutenant general in the Southern Army. I believe he will successfully lead his troops north and besiege the city."

"And then what? Even if he manages to bring his army to the city gates, so what? His father and sister are still in the hands of the enemy," Shen Shibai asked.

“When necessary, none of us matter; the reunification of North and South is my lifelong pursuit.”

A glint flashed in Shen Shipai's eyes, and he fell silent. After a long while, he said, "Many people admire you, and there's a reason for that. I'm not interested in your blood. This food and wine were prepared by your daughter herself, so please enjoy it." With that, he left gracefully.

Duan Yuanshan did not eat the food inside, but only gently stroked the exquisite food box with his hand.

…………