Chapter 174: You Don't Need to Say Thank You to Me

"Then you should have told me," Shen Sian paused before continuing. "I haven't interacted much with Wu Miaofu before, but I did hear Jinyu mention her a few times, telling me to stay away from her. Looking at it now, Jinyu had her figured out as no good right from the start."

"Indeed," Shen Nanyuan said. "Jinyu has quite a good eye for people."

This must have been the best birthday gift of the year.

Shen Sian said, "Because of this incident, the Second Prince was ordered by His Majesty to reflect on his mistakes at the Huale Palace. You didn't see the Second Prince's expression at the time—it was so dark it looked like ink was about to drip from it."

He smiled, his voice somewhat chilling: "He brought it upon himself; who else is there to blame?"

Shen Nanyuan nodded. "Wu Miaofu moved fast, though. She packed up and left the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor the very next day, and now she's just waiting for the Second Prince to come and fetch her."

Yet the Second Prince must utterly detest her by now.

If not for her, this matter likely wouldn't have reached her own ears so quickly.

"Before Uncle left the manor, Mother did give him some silver notes," Shen Sian remarked. "After all, they are full siblings, and she still couldn't bear to see him suffer, but that's as far as it goes."

Shen Nanyuan nodded. Her peripheral vision swept across the room a few times, and biting her lip, she asked, "Eldest Brother, where is Eldest Sister-in-law?"

"She went to Mother's place. Why? Looking for her?"

Shen Sian curled his lip. "Ever since your sister-in-law married into the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor, you tell her everything. Some things I only find out about from her."

"You're still complaining here; doesn't your conscience hurt, Eldest Brother?" Shen Nanyuan glanced at him. "You were so busy lately that you were completely nowhere to be found. How could I have told you?"

She waved a hand. "Let's put that aside for now. I have something I want to discuss with you."

Hearing this, Shen Sian looked over. "What is it?"

Everything had settled down by now. For Xiao Yan, the Second Prince was no longer a match, and Xiao Yan being named Crown Prince was a certainty. The Duke of Zhenguo's Manor had long since escaped the ending dictated by the original book, growing increasingly prominent and powerful in the imperial court. All the dreams she had held when she first transmigrated here had been realized. Moreover, with her engagement to the Second Prince annulled, she was now a free person.

"After some time, I want to leave the capital."

This was the idea she had held right after first transmigrating here, once all matters had been resolved.

The capital was fraught with power struggles and disputes, and the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor stood right at the epicenter, watched by countless eyes. This was especially evident from the situation with her eldest brother and Chuyue; their fates were never truly in their own hands, serving merely as sacrifices to interests and power.

She raised her head after speaking. A faint trepidation had stirred in her heart right after uttering those words—after all, she was a noble young lady of the capital and the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo; to openly voice such a desire was truly somewhat delusional.

Yet she thought, because she was Shen Nanyuan, she could do it.

Sure enough, looking at him, Shen Sian showed not the slightest trace of astonishment. His gaze remained as gentle as ever, filled with a comforting reassurance that set her at ease. He nodded, a slight smile touching the corners of his lips: "Alright."

He continued, "Actually, I had mostly guessed your thoughts. Father and I both support you. I told you before that you must live the life you want to live. If you wish to leave the capital, your brother will naturally support you and help you at the same time."

The light in Shen Nanyuan's eyes flickered slightly. "But Mother..."

"You need to worry even less about Mother. Though she tends to be a bit strict with you usually, it is only because you are the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, and she hopes you can rise above strict formalities." Shen Sian's eyes were filled with soft radiance. "Rest assured, as for the palace, Father and I will handle it. Even if His Majesty has his suspicions, he won't say anything; after all, within the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor, I have already married the Princess."

Thus, there was a safeguard. While His Majesty might feel displeased, he would not pursue the matter too harshly.

Shen Nanyuan nodded and softly asked, "Eldest Brother, am I being a bit selfish?"

She wanted to leave simply because she wished to, leaving them behind in the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor to face the Emperor.

Shen Sian shook his head. With clear black-and-white eyes and a deeply earnest expression, he said, "Not at all. You are merely going to pursue the life you desire. You have every right to do so. Father and I will always protect you, ensuring you retain the right and freedom to pursue it, without having to be confined to the capital forever."

She wouldn't end up like Meng Chuyue, unable to control her own life, forced by a mere imperial decree to marry far away to Houlan, never able to return for the rest of her life.

She was the younger sister he had doted on since childhood, and precisely because he could not live as freely as she did, he wanted all the more to help her break free from such a destiny.

A sudden, indescribable warmth spread through every limb and bone, making the bridge of Shen Nanyuan's nose slightly sour. She sniffed, the corners of her eyes growing somewhat red. "Thank you, Eldest Brother."

When she had first transmigrated into this book, she could never have imagined that her future self would completely integrate into this world, even coming to regard the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor as her true home and treating people like Shen Yi as her closest kin.

If she truly could not return, living here was also quite wonderful.

Shen Sian affectionately rubbed her head. "You don't need to say thank you to me."

He paused before continuing, "However, it is best to wait until after the imperial hunt."

Shen Nanyuan nodded in understanding.

If she failed to show up at the imperial hunt, others would surely notice, especially Xiao Yan and the Second Prince. If things blew up, everyone might find out. Leaving after the imperial hunt would buy a bit more time.

By the time they discovered her absence, she would already be far away.

Speaking of Xiao Yan...

The smile at the corner of Shen Nanyuan's mouth faded slightly.

In her heart, Xiao Yan was indeed somewhat special, but she did not want to enter the palace.

She did not want to be trapped within those palace walls.

Shen Nanyuan let out a slight, wistful sigh, picked up her teacup, and took a sip to suppress the strange stirring in her heart.

In any case, this matter had to wait a while longer. The date of the imperial hunt was fast approaching, and she had to get past this event first.

Furthermore, the Eldest Princess must not find out.

The affair between the Second Prince and Wu Miaofu had been spreading like wildfire through the capital for several days. Yet after many days passed, Wu Miaofu still had not received any word from the Second Prince to fetch her into the palace. She panicked for several days, but unable to see him, she finally lost her patience and, biting the bullet, walked right up to the gates of the Duke of Zhenguo's Manor. Looking at the guards blocking her path, she demanded, "Let me in. I have matters to discuss with my aunt."

The guards remained expressionless. "The Duke of Zhenguo's Manor is a vital estate. How could it allow you to come and go as you please?"