The Top Scholar's Wife in an Emperor-Minister Story 17

Chen Yao naturally didn't dare breathe a word to Shen Yunxiu about the emperor's transgression against his minister's wife.

Moreover, as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Yunxiu had been so swamped with government affairs concerning relief funds for the southern drought that she hardly had a moment's rest.

Not only did she spend her entire days at the ministry checking disaster reports and calculating funds with her colleagues, often not returning home until late at night, but even after coming back, she would head straight to the study, where the once neat desk was now piled high with thick grain ledgers and disaster documents.

In just a few days, Chen Yao watched helplessly as Shen Yunxiu grew noticeably thinner, her lips dry and cracked from constant worry and overwork.

She wanted to urge her to take care of herself and rest early, but every time she saw Shen Yunxiu hunched over her desk, writing furiously, not even noticing the ink stains on her sleeves, the words died in her throat.

So she could only quietly instruct the kitchen to prepare nourishing dishes like lotus seed and red date soup and angelica tonic, sending them carefully to the study.

Given all this, Chen Yao dared not trouble her with her own trivial worries. She simply swallowed her concerns and kept them to herself.

Until a few more days passed.

The busiest period at the Ministry of Revenue came to a temporary end, and Shen Yunxiu finally returned home at a normal hour in the late afternoon.

She was about to tell Chen Yao that the Helan tribe, a small vassal state near the northern border, had sent envoys to pay tribute, and the palace had therefore prepared a banquet for all officials and their families.

It was then that she noticed Chen Yao's face looked somewhat haggard, her bright eyes seemingly clouded. Under the flickering candlelight, she appeared listless, like a delicate flower wilted by frost, lacking her usual vitality.

"Yaoyao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Shen Yunxiu asked with a frown, her voice full of concern.

She reached out and gently touched her forehead and cheek, feeling cool and normal, which made her wan face seem even more unusual.

Chen Yao's heart tightened, and she quickly shook her head, naturally not daring to reveal the real reason.

The humiliation she suffered at Xiao Mingting's hands in Treasure Pavilion that day was still vivid in her mind—the faint scent of ambergris from the man, the warm touch, the irresistible force. Just thinking about it made her feel flustered and unsettled.

But he was the emperor, and she had witnessed firsthand how much effort Shen Yunxiu had put into standing in court. How could she drag her down because of trouble she herself had caused?

So Chen Yao lowered her eyes slightly and only offered a soft explanation. "It's nothing. Perhaps it's because the weather has been getting warmer lately, and I've always been a bit frail, so I can't handle the change in weather."

"In that case, let me have a doctor come to take a look at you," Shen Yunxiu said, withdrawing her hand, ready to call for a physician. "Maybe they can prescribe something to clear the heat."

"No need for a doctor, I, I don't want that."

Chen Yao quickly reached out and gently grabbed Shen Yunxiu's sleeve, her voice tinged with urgency.

She feared the doctor would see her anxiousness and ask her about it, forcing her to make up another lie. If she slipped up and exposed herself, she wouldn't know how to face Shen Yunxiu.

Between them, they were both lord and subject, and close friends. And she was the femme fatale who tainted the reputation of a wise ruler and virtuous minister...

The more she thought, the more anxious she grew. Her grip on Shen Yunxiu's fingers tightened, her knuckles turning white.

"You're such a big girl, and you're still afraid of doctors?" Shen Yunxiu let out a soft laugh, a note of helplessness in her voice.

Chen Yao, seizing on the opportunity, puckered her lips in a feigned pout and whined, "I don't want to see a doctor, anyway."

Shen Yunxiu had no choice, and seeing her face full of rejection, she settled for a compromise. "Then I'll have the kitchen brew you some calming tea, or some sweet ice cream."

She was also planning to have servants place ice basins outside the room, with a screen between, occasionally fanning the cool air into the bedroom.

Chen Yao breathed a sigh of relief, then curved her beautiful eyes into a gentle smile. "Thank you, Sister Yunxiu."

"No need to be so polite with me," Shen Yunxiu said with a slight shake of her head, a hint of indulgence in her smile.

"Now, let's talk about the palace banquet. I'll pick you up tomorrow when I leave the ministry at three in the afternoon, and we'll go to the palace together."

"Alright." Chen Yao obediently agreed.

But as she thought about how she would have to see Xiao Mingting again at the banquet the next evening, a faint gloom settled in her eyes that lingered.

*

As dusk fell, the palace was already lit with magnificent, bright lanterns.

The air in Qianyuan Hall was filled with the sounds of music. The Empress Dowager and the emperor sat at the head, with civil and military officials and their families filling the seats below.

Shen Yunxiu and Chen Yao's seats were rather far back, as Shen Yunxiu was only a sixth-rank secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, despite having earned the emperor's favor and made a name for herself recently.

Yuan Fuju, who could normally sit in the front rows thanks to his father's legacy as Grand Tutor, surprisingly chose to sit next to them as well.

But from the moment he sat down, he hadn't stopped talking, chattering nonstop to Shen Yunxiu beside him.

"I heard you made that tribal envoy, Wu Li Ji or whatever, speechless in court today. Every word you said was backed by quotes and precedents, stealing the show!" Yuan Fuju sighed regretfully. "What a pity I was sent by the Dali Temple to review a case on the outskirts yesterday and only returned this afternoon. I missed your moment of glory. What a shame."

"Elder Brother Yuan flatters me," Shen Yunxiu said modestly. "I simply stated the facts, laying out our dynasty's rules and customs clearly."

But inside, she did feel a sense of satisfaction remembering how Wu Li Ji had initially been arrogant in court that day, only to end up red-faced and speechless as she rebutted him.

Chen Yao sat quietly, lightly lowering her eyelids, catching every word of their conversation.

She tried to picture in her mind Shen Yunxiu standing in court, full of scholarly spirit and commanding presence, and couldn't help but smile softly.

Shen Yunxiu happened to turn around at that moment and saw the young woman's eyes soft and curved in a happy smile. She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Is the steamed osmanthus peach blossom cake really that good?" She pointed at the dish in front of Chen Yao, her lips curving into a gentle smile. "You look so happy."

Chen Yao was startled for a moment, instinctively nodding, then quickly shaking her head. "The cake is tasty, of course, but I was just imagining how impressive you must look in court."

Her voice was soft, and she looked up at Shen Yunxiu with her pretty face, her eyes clear and bright, full of admiration.

Shen Yunxiu felt a rare blush at her unguarded admiration, a faint pink spreading across her jade-like face.

She reached out and gently squeezed Chen Yao's little hand, saying warmly, "Yaoyao flatters me."

Yuan Fuju, who had been beaming with smiles, felt his expression stiffen at their obvious intimacy, barely managing to keep his smile from faltering.

The banquet was in full swing as the wine flowed.

Wu Li Ji, the chief envoy of the Helan tribe, suddenly stood up and bowed respectfully to the head of the table before speaking. "Your Majesty, the third princess of our Helan tribe, A Duoya, has also come with the envoy delegation. She wishes to offer a dance as a gesture of friendship to the Great Zhao Empire."