Chapter 34: Returning Home in a Horse-Drawn Carriage Under the Name of Filial Piety

  Originally, I had planned to secretly take away the spirit tablet of Qin Niang and leave it in this mansion where no one would pay attention to it. Who knew that Madame Shen would make such a move.

  It was said that it was placed in the ancestral hall, but who knows what she actually took it for? In the future, if something happens, will they still use the spirit tablet to threaten her?

  With red eyes, she wanted to go up and reason with them, but then remembered that Qin Niang was after all a member of the Shen household, she was a married-out daughter, unable to make any decisions.

  She clenched her teeth and swallowed hard, then gave a cold laugh.

  "Swallow... thank you, Mother." Shen Guiyan slowly closed her eyes and bowed down to Madame Shen.

  He knocked his head on the ground with a dull thud.

  "Ah, I know you're a filial child and wouldn't want your birth mother to rest in peace after she's gone, so you'll definitely behave yourself, right?"

  The other two bridesmaids in the hall were also watching, but no one helped her say anything. Shen Guiyan's eyes were icy cold, and she didn't raise her head: "Yes."

  While she was alive, Qin Niang used threats against her; after death, it's the same. Probably Bao Shilan thought that she was the kind of person who would always listen to orders once someone had a hold on her handle.

  In the past, Qin Yiniang was not allowed to leave the Shen Mansion, she had no way. Now that she has been married out, what's left of Qin Yiniang is just a memorial tablet, can it really be the same as before?

  Mr. Shen and Gu Zhaobei also arrived at the main hall, Gu Zhaobei saw Shen Guiyan kneeling down, thinking that they had started the ceremony ahead of time, so he knelt down too.

  He fell to his knees and turned sideways to see her bright red eyes.

  "Bullied? Gu Zhaobei was taken aback, his face darkening: "Yan Er?"

  Shen Guiyan came back to her senses and lowered her eyelids, saying: "Let's follow the rules and bid farewell with a bow, then we can go back."

  Gu Zhaobei nodded slightly, without bowing his head, and hastily paid his respects before pulling her up to say: "I will take good care of Yan'er, please don't worry, Father-in-law and Mother-in-law."

  "Hmm." Shen Shi Qing didn't look at Gu Zao Bei much, he really didn't have too many expectations for this son-in-law, it was just a pity for Yan Er.

  After the two of them had loaded their luggage onto the carriage and set off, Gu Zhaobei finally turned Shen Guiyan's face around: "What's wrong?"

  Shen Guiyan looked up at him, her eyes welling up with tears, and Gu Zhaobei hastily softened his tone: "Who bullied you? What's going on? Don't cry, just tell me."

  Shen Guiyan took a deep breath, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and spoke in an extremely calm tone: "Sir, can you help me out?"

  Gu Zhaobei was taken aback, and his heart softened for a rare moment. He asked in a gentle voice, "What's the matter, tell me."

  "You must be quite skilled at climbing over walls. Shen Guiyan looked at him and said: 'Help me steal something.'"

  Gu Chao Bei: "......"

  Is that all he's worth in her heart?

  Shen Guiyan straightened her back and said in a low voice, "Master always taught me to be patient. All other things can be tolerated, but if I still tolerate this matter, I would also be ashamed as a daughter."

  Guo Zhaobei didn't understand the cause and effect, just as he was about to ask, he saw her eyes were red. He thought for a moment and asked directly: "Want me to steal something?"

  "In a few days, sneak out Qin Niang's spirit tablet from the Shen family ancestral hall." Shen Guiyan said: "But it must be in a few days."

  Gu Zhāo Běi raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing the hatred flashing in her eyes.

  The hateful look is not lovely at all. Gu Zhaobei smiled and hugged the person over, saying: "Good, I'll help you get it done. But what reward will the wife give to her husband?"

  Her emotions were disrupted by his playful smile, and Shen Guiyan cried and laughed as she said, "What reward do you want?"

  "Hmm, that daughter of mine is taking a long time to burn incense, can't stop her, what to do?" Gu Zhaobei said, stroking his chin very seriously.

  Shen Guiyan's face turned red and she subconsciously pinched him: "Can't you be serious for once?"

  "It's already serious enough in front of others, if we're still formal with each other, it would be too tiring." Gu Zhaobei gave her a quick peck on the cheek: "Wait till I have time to marry you properly, then you won't be pinching me like this."

  Her face turned even redder, Shen Guiyan was so flustered that she temporarily forgot her worries, and only exerted herself to twist the inside of Gu Zhaobei's arm, pinching a bit, turning a circle. That feeling, whoever tries it will know.

  Gu Zhongbei could still hold on and continue teasing at first, but later when chasing after Yun, all he heard were the miserable cries from inside the horse carriage.

  Returning to the Gu residence, Shen Guiyan changed into a simple and clean outfit and went to pay her respects to Prime Minister Gu and Madame Gu.

  "May I ask if your family is well?" Minister Gu asked with a smile today.

  Shen Guiyan bowed and said: "I have already conveyed the concerns of your parents, and my father and mother also asked about your well-being."

  When I lifted my head, the redness and swelling around my eyes had not yet subsided.

  Mrs. Gu frowned slightly: "What's going on?"

  Shen Guiyan smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, I just went back to see my mother's memorial tablet, thinking that Yanyan is now so happy, but she can't see it, it's a bit sad."

  If it weren't for Gu Zhaobei's actions, she would still be in mourning.

  The Prime Minister nodded and said: "You are filial, which is good."

  "Mother has already agreed to move Yan'er's mother's spirit tablet into the Shen family ancestral hall, and Yan'er is extremely grateful. She has thought of sending some things back to the Shen family for her mother, and also thanks them for taking care of her mother's spirit tablet. Is that okay?"

  "This is naturally alright." The Grand Councilor said: "You decide for yourself, no need to be so cautious."

  "Yes."

  Having obtained permission, Shen Guiyan packed up several boxes of things and entrusted someone to deliver them to Wu Shi, along with a letter.

  The letter only said that she thanked Madame Shen for sending Qin's spirit tablet into the ancestral hall and specially returned a gift. She didn't want to leave the Prime Minister's mansion, so it was handed over by Wu Shi.

  This is obviously an excuse, and it's just using Wu's mouth as a pretext.

  Wu also happened to be idle and bored, so he ran an errand for her, not only delivering the gift but also lavishly praising Madame Shen.

  Madam Shen was somewhat surprised, but who doesn't love to be praised? Wu Shi came to praise her, and with a better mood, she actually ordered someone to put Qin Shi's spirit tablet into the ancestral hall - it had previously just been casually put away.

  It's just a mere formality to put it in the ancestral hall, and there are usually no people in the ancestral hall. Even if someone is there, they won't take care of an aunt's spirit tablet.

  Shen Guiyan continued to offer incense, but instead of saying it was from an anonymous person, she lit the incense on one side and explained that it was Madame Gu, the wife of the fourth young master of the Gu family, who had come to offer incense and accumulate virtue for her late mother.

  "This Fourth Young Master's wife is indeed filial." The old man in the coarse clothing came to watch again, looking at the incense table beside the congee shed, and asked the servant behind him: "How did her mother die?"

  The sharp-tongued servant replied, "It's said that she died from mistakenly eating mercury. As for the Shen family's affairs, even Old Master Shen didn't want to investigate further. She was just a concubine-born daughter, so it would be even harder to look into."

  "It's a pity." said Old Man Bu Yi: "It's good that after death, he can still enter the ancestral temple, it's not bad."

  "It's all because of this daughter's good fortune." The servant smiled and said: "Master, what time are you coming back today?"

  The old man in the linen robe sighed and said, "Going back is also useless, it's better to come here and take a look. Seeing that there are still women who haven't given up on the common people, I can also find some strength to hold on."

  The slave Lan Hua pointed with one finger, his nose sour: "Master..."

  Shen Guiyan had come to the rice gruel place in person for the past two days, wearing a simple white outfit and only adorning her hair with a sheep fat jade pin. The refugees saw her as if they were seeing an immortal fairy, and couldn't help but secretly ask: "Why did Madame Gu Si personally come?"

  "I heard that her mother's spirit tablet has been moved into the family ancestral hall, and she was so happy that she personally came to offer sacrifices."

  "It's true that good people will be rewarded." The refugees said in unison, holding their bowls and enjoying the porridge with satisfaction.

  In the capital, refugees are scattered all over the place. The news of Mrs. Gu Si Shao's charity porridge distribution also spread quickly, and more and more people came to receive the porridge. In just a few days, almost everyone in the entire city knew about this matter.

  On the third day, General Yuwen entered the capital and heard these rumors. Everyone was praising Madame Gu Si, one after another.

  It wasn't until he left the Swallow Tower that day that he realized who else could be upstairs. It would only be Shen San Niang, the third daughter of the Shen family, whom Gu Zhaobei had recently married.

  What a pity that such a beautiful woman was ruined by that stinky brat. It's a shame they met too late, thought Yuwen Changqing. If only he had known earlier, he would have gone to kiss her before reacting, otherwise it would be a waste of their longing for each other all these days, what a loss for him.

  At night, Gu Zhaobei changed into a set of dark clothes and prepared to head to the Shen residence.

  Shen Guiyan helped him tidy up his clothes with a smile: "Master, everything is up to you now, don't make any mistakes."

  Gu Zhoubei rolled his eyes: "You've been planning this for so long, can I mess it up? It's just stealing a spirit tablet, extremely simple."

  "Shen's mansion has dogs in the backyard, can you really handle it?"

  Dog? Gu Chao Bei's mouth twitched: "I know, nothing will happen."

  Gu Si's young master was fearless of heaven and earth, but still had some fear of dogs.

  The whole way of riding a horse in the past was very nervous, thinking that if not let Zhuīyún go? However, Zhuīyún's kung fu is not enough, and being discovered would be a failure.

  Just as I was worrying, I walked to the back wall of the Shen's residence and bumped into someone.

  "Why are you here?" Gu Zhaobei's eyes almost popped out: "Didn't the empress say today that there would be a banquet in the palace to welcome you?"

  Yuwen Changqing stood upright on his horse by the wall of the courtyard, looking very anxious and said: "Yes, the Empress asked me to come into the palace. But I just came out to return to my mansion to change a set of clothes, as a result walked to here and got lost."

  Gu Chao Bei: "......"

  Yuwen Changqing may look foolish, but he is indeed the most trusted person by the Empress Dowager at present. With military power in his hands and being brave and skilled in battle, he is absolutely not someone you can casually meet on the street.

  "It's still early." Gu Zhaobei glanced at the moonlight: "We can make it to the dinner party."

  "No." Yuwen Changqing said: "I've already told the servant, if I don't return within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, tell the empress that I fell drunk halfway."

  "Then what are you doing here now?"