She Saw Through Him

After waiting for less than half an hour, it was almost noon when a procession of carriages finally appeared at the end of the official road. Judging from its imposing appearance, it must be a procession. Shen Jingchuan got up and went downstairs. Just as he reached the entrance of the inn, the procession stopped.

The carriage curtain was lifted, Yan Shuyao stepped down. She wasn't surprised to see Shen Jingchuan come to pick her up; she stepped forward, gave a slight bow, and called him "Junior Brother."

After entering the private room on the second floor and sitting down, the personal maid behind her stepped forward and gently removed the veil from Yan Shuyao's head.

Her stunning beauty, renowned throughout the capital, was revealed. Her features were still exquisite and her complexion radiant, but there were faint dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were a shade lighter than usual. The long journey had left her looking tired and worn out.

Shen Jingchuan was about to call the waiter for more tea and snacks when he looked up and met Yan Shuyao's gaze.

She was also carefully observing him, and after only a couple of glances, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

It had only been a few months since they parted ways in Chang'an, but Shen Jingchuan's changes were truly remarkable.

Now, when he sits there, his back is as straight as a pine tree, his eyes are clear and calm, his demeanor is much more refined, his skin is whiter, like a piece of unpolished jade that has shed its superficiality, and his whole being exudes a sense of steady strength.

Could it be? Yan Shuyao hurriedly circulated her internal energy to check; Qi Refining Second Layer.

The waiter brought the tea and left. Shen Jingchuan sensed something but didn't pay attention:

"You must be tired from your journey. The letter only said it would arrive today, but I was worried it might be late, so I was planning to go a little further to meet you."

"Thank you for your trouble, junior brother."

Yan Shuyao picked up her teacup but didn't drink it, letting out a soft sigh:

"Speaking of which, my father should have attended your wedding in person. We were wrong to delay it; it was our fault."

Shen Jingchuan quickly waved his hand:

"My teacher has many affairs in the Capital, and the journey is long. How could I trouble him? The thought is enough; I wouldn't complain. How have you been lately, teacher?"

Yan Shuyao shook her head, her expression darkening, before slowly recounting the whole story.

It turns out that the four-wheeled carriage that Shen Jingchuan gave him when he became his apprentice had excellent shock absorption, making it both stable and comfortable to ride in. Its design was also novel, Great Confucian Yan liked very much. He used it to go out and meet guests, and many people in the Capital had seen it.

There was a literary gathering at the palace last month. Great Confucian Yan went there by carriage and happened to run into the Third Prince. The prince took a liking to the carriage at first sight, circled it several times, and praised it in every word, clearly wanting it.

Great Confucian Yan understood perfectly well what was going on. But this carriage was a sincere gift from his apprentice as a formal introduction to his master, and he himself cherished it dearly. Besides, he was a great Confucian scholar living in seclusion, having never been involved in officialdom, so there was no need for him to curry favor with the prince.

He pretended to be ignorant, saying only that it was a vulgar item his apprentice had acquired and that it did not deserve His Highness's favor, without uttering a single word about offering it up.

The third prince didn't say anything at the time, and even had a smile on his face, but he held a grudge as soon as he turned around.

A few days later, Yan Shuyao's unfortunate brother, Yan Wenbin, went to a brothel with some literary friends. When it was curfew, a servant suddenly rushed in from downstairs. He was wearing the official robes of the Yan Residence and was sweating profusely. He said that the master had suddenly fallen ill and fainted, and that the eldest son should return to the mansion immediately.

Yan Wenbin was a filial son. Hearing this, he was terrified and, without bothering to verify whether it was true or false, threw down his wine glass and rushed out.

The streets were under curfew by then. He was anxious and just kept running home, but he was stopped by the patrolling soldiers halfway there.

Breaking curfew isn't usually a big deal; if you explain the reason, you'll at most get a few words of reprimand and be released.

But the soldiers wouldn't listen to his explanation at all. They immediately searched him and pulled out a piece of mutton-fat jade pendant with the mark of the Third Prince's residence from his sleeve.

This time the crime was much more serious—breaking the law late at night and stealing property from the prince's residence. He was immediately locked up and thrown into the Shuntian Prefecture prison.

When the news reached the Yan Residence, the Great Confucian Yan was so angry that he fainted and collapsed to the ground.

He had lived an honest and upright life; how could he not see that this was aimed at him? The root of the problem lay in that carriage.

After waking up from a long illness, Great Confucian Yan had no other choice. He couldn't just stand by and watch his son be accused of theft and have his life ruined.

He could only force himself to write a letter, asking a fellow scholar in the court to mediate and have the four-wheeled carriage delivered intact to the Third Prince's residence.

Yan Wenbin was released on the same day the goods were delivered. The authorities simply said they had arrested the wrong person, without offering any further explanation.

After Yan Wenbin came out, he became angrier and angrier. He went back to find the servant who had brought the news, but the man had long since disappeared, as if he had vanished into thin air, leaving not a single clue.

After this commotion, Great Confucian Yan was both angry and humiliated, and he fell ill and was bedridden for more than half a month. It just so happened to be Shen Jingchuan's wedding day, and since he couldn't even get out of bed, he naturally couldn't send anyone to offer his congratulations.

His condition had only slightly improved in the past few days, but he was already thinking about this matter. He asked Yan Shuyao to come to Yuxi Prefecture, firstly to congratulate his disciple on his behalf, and secondly because he had an important matter to discuss with Shen Jingchuan in person.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan's face darkened. He hadn't expected that his well-intentioned gift of a carriage would cause his teacher such an undeserved disaster, and he immediately felt a pang of guilt.

Yan Shuyao softened her expression, took out an old thread-bound book from her book box, and pushed it in front of him:

"My father was sorting through his old collection the other day and came across this book, 'Miscellaneous Records of Mountain Travels,' which is a record of the travels of a hermit from a previous dynasty. You mentioned to my father in Chang'an that you wanted to find Spirit Stones, and he said this book might be useful to you, so he specifically asked me to bring it to you."

Shen Jingchuan reached out and picked up the book. The cover was yellowed and brittle, and the edges were worn rough. It looked like an ordinary travelogue.

He carefully put it away. "Thank you for your trouble, teacher, and thank you so much, senior sister, for bringing it from so far away. I will definitely study it carefully when I get back."

Having said that, Yan Shuyao glanced at the maid standing beside her and whispered, "Go out first and guard the door. Don't let anyone get close."

The maid acknowledged and withdrew, gently closing the door behind her. Only the two remained in the private room. Yan Shuyao then raised her eyes and stared intently at Shen Jingchuan, her eyes filled with barely suppressed surprise, her voice even lower:

"Junior brother, let me be frank. The last time I saw you in Chang'an, you didn't have a trace of cultivation aura on you. Only a few months have passed, and I can see that your aura is deep and your spirit is full of energy. You have clearly stepped into the Qi Refining Second Layer. You... have you encountered some kind of fortuitous encounter or fortuitous opportunity?"

"Ah?..."