After the delicate and soft-spoken wife gave up, the aloof and powerful minister embraced her and sh

Chapter 373 1 It’s too late

Shen Fuhan stroked Wen Jiayue's hand.

“I’m afraid that after things are over, you’ll think I haven’t done enough during this time and will continue to treat me with the same polite distance.”

Wen Jiayue breathed a sigh of relief; she had thought it was something serious.

"It's hard to say," she said with difficulty, "your performance was indeed just average."

Shen Fuhan's original intention was just to test her and see what she thought. Seeing that she was really dissatisfied, he asked nervously, "What's so good about it?"

"...the first three nights."

Shen Fuhan relaxed upon hearing those three words and slowly said, "I've already used all my skills, and A-Yue is still not satisfied?"

"That's not what I meant. I just want you to never do that again."

"That won't do," Shen Fuhan gently kissed her forehead, "How can I let my hard-earned ventriloquism skills go to waste?"

Ventriloquism...

Wen Jiayue closed her eyes wearily: "Never mind, I'll just go to sleep."

"Is there anything else you're unhappy about, A-Yue?" Shen Fuhan pressed. "I'll continue to revise it."

"I'm already very unhappy that you're stopping me from sleeping."

“It seems that apart from these two things,” Shen Fuhan kissed her again, “A-Yue is very satisfied with me.”

Wen Jiayue yawned and said dismissively, "Go to sleep."

With the wedding date approaching, the Jing'an Marquis's residence was filled with a festive atmosphere after intensive preparations.

After checking, Wen Jiayue pointed out a few mistakes and then began to list the dowry.

Although Shen Funian had already been married once, everyone except her admitted it was an elopement, so everything was prepared as if it were her first wedding.

Shen Fuhan specifically instructed that more dowry be prepared, so the final dowry list was forty-eight loads, far exceeding the usual thirty-two loads for a marquis's daughter's wedding.

Wen Jiayue worried that the extravagance might draw criticism from the emperor and court officials.

Shen Fuhan replied, "It's alright. The marriage bestowed by the Princess is already attracting attention, so why hide it?"

With his words, Wen Jiayue felt relieved and instructed the servants to make the preparations.

The Marquis of Jing'an's residence was filled with joy, while the Duke of Qi's residence seemed all the more lifeless.

Pei Huaiying is to be buried today, and Shen Fuhan, as a close friend of Pei Huaijin, will go to pay his respects.

Whether Wen Jiayue and Zhaozhao come or not is of no consequence, so he naturally didn't let them come and came himself.

After offering countless words of condolence along the way, Shen Fuhan finally met the Duke of Qi and his wife.

The two, who were originally full of energy, could no longer hide the white hair in their hair, and their faces were deeply wrinkled. In just three days, they looked as if they had aged ten years.

Shen Fuhan withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, his brows furrowed.

The Duke and Duchess of Qi's behavior didn't seem like an act; after all, they had lost their son.

But on the day Pei Huaiying died, they didn't seem particularly anxious.

Even if the Duke of Qi injured his hand, the Duchess of Qi should not have just waited; her immediate reaction would have been to go see Pei Huaiying.

"Brother Shen."

A gentle voice suddenly appeared behind him, and Shen Fuhan came back to his senses and looked at Pei Huaijin.

He was as gentle and refined as ever, dressed in white with an otherworldly air, but his eyes and brows showed signs of weariness and fatigue.

Behind him followed Pei Shijing, also dressed in white, staring blankly at the surrounding crowd, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Fuhan said, "Please accept my condolences."

Pei Huaijin nodded and said, "Brother Shen, please sit down. I have been busy today and have not been able to entertain you properly. Please forgive me."

Shen Fuhan didn't say anything more and sat down as instructed.

Pei Huaijin continued to entertain other guests.

Shen Fuhan silently drank his tea, while casually observing him.

After watching for a while, he suddenly realized that Pei Huaijin did these things with ease, and his every move exuded a noble air.

Shen Fuhan frowned slightly. After taking over the identity of the real prince, did he specifically learn how to be a prince?

But who will teach him? And when they do, won't others find it strange?

After all, in the eyes of others, he is the heir apparent. Heir apparents are influenced by their surroundings from a young age and do not need to deliberately learn.

Another thought flashed through his mind—he had already learned it, and was just waiting to take the place of the true prince.

The more Shen Fuhan thought about it, the more sense it made, and a chill gradually crept down his spine.

How long had this conspiracy been planned?

He put down his teacup and looked at the Duke of Qi and his wife.

Were they the parents who were kept in the dark and innocently lost their eldest and second sons, or... were they the masterminds or accomplices?

All the fragments of the Qi State Duke's Mansion flashed through my mind, like beads, almost strung together to form a necklace, but the most crucial thread was always missing.

Shen Fuhan took a deep breath.

He hated this feeling, but he could only continue investigating step by step.

After Pei Huaiying's burial, the guests left, and the Duke of Qi's mansion returned to its quiet state.

A gust of wind blew, and the yellow paper fluttered in the air, creating a somewhat desolate scene.

Duke Qi slumped in his armchair, staring at a piece of yellow paper that had been blown into the room, tears streaming down his face.

Pei Huaijin walked in and sighed softly, "Father, please accept my condolences. My second brother has passed away. You and Mother must take care of yourselves. I will take care of you in the future."

The Duke of Qi gave a smile that was more like a grimace: "Thank you... Huaijin."

Pei Huaijin smiled gently: "Father, at this time, wouldn't it seem more intimate for you to call me son?"

This was a trivial matter, but the Duke of Qi harbored rebellious intentions and was unwilling to comply. He lowered his eyes respectfully and said, "I wouldn't dare, but you are..."

"Shh," Pei Huaijin interrupted him, "Xiao Jing is here."

This statement is both a reminder and a threat.

The Duke of Qi immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

Pei Shijing was no longer the lively girl she used to be. She walked in with her head down, squatted down without saying a word, and nestled in her mother's arms.

The Duchess of Qi stroked the white flower in her daughter's hair and asked softly, "Why aren't you in your room?"

"Mother, I miss my second brother," Pei Shijing murmured. "Is he really gone? Is he playing a joke on me? He loved to tease me, were you all playing along with him?"

Lady Qi opened her mouth, but tears streamed down her face before she could speak.

"Xiao Jing, it's all my fault..."

Pei Shijing looked up and asked, "Mother, what are you saying?"

"Xiao Jing," Pei Huaijin said gently, "I'll take you back to your courtyard, okay?"

Pei Shijing nodded.

Pei Huaijin grasped her wrist through her clothes, and the Duke of Qi suddenly stood up.

"Is Father coming too?" Pei Huaijin asked.

Duke Qi slumped down and waved his hand, "You can take Xiao Jing back."

Pei Huaijin said gently, "I hope Father will not bring up the conversation we just had. You should also change your temperament."

After saying that, he took Pei Shijing away, leaving the Duke of Qi and his wife sitting there alone. They looked at each other and saw endless regret in each other's eyes.

But it was too late, everything was too late!