Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 138 Destined or not?
"Sister, tell me quickly! How come I know nothing about this!"

Zhou Zhao spent more time with Zhou Yan and Su Changying, but Zhou Wan felt like she was Zhou Xuan's little shadow. She racked her brains for half a day, thinking of all the talented men who had appeared in front of Zhou Xuan before, but she still couldn't figure out who that person was.

Zhou Xuan wasn't one to mince words, and she smiled, "Actually, it's not really about being in love."

She was different from her younger siblings.

When she was being arranged to marry him, the imperial court was in turmoil, and war was raging everywhere.

My father spent almost all his days at the Court of Justice, while my mother was always sickly and neglected her duties.

She was the eldest sister in her family, the only one who could uphold the family's honor. Even though she was broad-minded, she couldn't help but worry that if Chang'an fell, it would be fine if the army that came was righteous, but what if it was a group of people who burned, killed, and looted?

She still vividly remembers that feeling.

Do you still remember Han Xincheng?

Upon hearing this name, Zhou Zhao exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, you like Han Xincheng? Is that the sickly beauty Han Xincheng who could be blown away by the wind? I remember he only appeared in Chang'an for a short month, during the summer. He was the younger brother of Consort Han, who was favored in the palace at the time."

Han Xincheng's family were feudal lords of the previous dynasty. He was born with a weak constitution and seemed destined for a short life. He came to Chang'an to marry a princess.

The situation at court was tense, and the previous emperor was trying to win over the princes. That year, there were more marriages and betrothals in Chang'an than in previous years.

"Yes, at that time, the Prince of Han was very powerful, and I was of marriageable age. There weren't that many princesses in the court. The legitimate daughters of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers could also be granted the title of Princess and be betrothed by the court at any time. Han Xincheng was staying at the Marquis of Dingxi's residence at that time..."

My father told me privately that His Majesty intends to bestow upon me the title of Princess Ning'an and have me marry Han Xincheng. We met once in private; I was practicing with my whip in the courtyard when I sensed someone on the wall. I lashed out with the whip and pulled Han Xincheng down…

He was already frail, and after falling from the wall, he was barely breathing. I felt guilty and brought him medicine for two days, but on the third day, something unexpected happened.

As Zhou Xuan spoke, he sighed deeply, "Consort Han died suddenly in the palace, the Han family's fiefdom was captured by the rebels, and Han Xincheng became an orphan and disappeared overnight. Our marriage was over before it was even discussed openly."

"It's not a matter of whether I like someone or not. I'm just trying to maintain my dignity. Shen Jianshen used to have someone he liked. If I don't, wouldn't I have lost?"

Zhou Zhao and Zhou Wan exchanged a glance, both quite surprised.

No wonder they didn't know about this; the story ended abruptly before it even began.

Soon, Chang'an was captured, and Zhou Xuan was not made a princess to marry a prince. Later, when the Great Qi Dynasty was founded, Zhou Xuan, like the children of every former official, chose to marry a new nobleman of the new dynasty, Shen Jianshen.

Han Xincheng was a stranger to Zhou Zhao, and she never cared where he went or where he was now.

As Zhou Xuan spoke, he smiled and pressed the heads of the two younger sisters down, "Go to sleep. Tomorrow you still have to accompany me to the Shen family to get the divorce papers. Don't let people see you looking listless and think that we're tossing and turning and regretting it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wan and Zhou Zhao immediately closed their eyes, and soon the room fell silent.

Seeing that the two women were breathing steadily, Zhou Xuan sighed softly and stared blankly at the bed curtains.

What she didn't say was that she saw Han Xincheng again later, but by then she was already married. She saw his profile at the corner of the alley in the Shen family mansion. Although she only saw him from afar, she still recognized him as Han Xincheng.

Zhou Xuan thought for a moment, then raised her hand and looked at a ring on her finger.

This was made by Shen Jianshen himself. He was a very refined person and skilled in carving. His seals were quite famous among the literati in Chang'an.

Some things, if left unaddressed during the day, can seep into your bones like a winter wind at night, causing excruciating pain. Although Shen Jianshen hadn't yet taken that step, she knew it was only a matter of time. He initially vehemently opposed it, but later opposed it for her sake, and recently, on Bao Chun'an's birthday, he had already given her a wolf-hair brush he had made himself…

She knew all this, that people are not static, but in the end, she still felt a sense of loss.

Zhou Xuan didn't know how long she had been thinking. When she opened her eyes again, it was already broad daylight.

Zhou Zhao and Zhou Wan were both gone. She looked out the window and saw Zhou Zhao swinging coffin nails in the yard, his fierce eyes looking like he could kill someone at any moment.

Zhou Wan sat on a stone bench to the side, drawing her eyebrows in front of a bronze mirror. Compared to her usual delicate and obedient appearance, Zhou Wan was unusually gorgeous today, as if she was about to bury people alive with mountains of copper coins.

Her sisters are so cute.

Zhou Xuan sat up as she thought about it. Hearing the noise, Zhou Wan rushed in immediately, "Sister, I'll help you with your makeup."

By the time Zhou Xuan was dressed and ready, it was already mid-morning.

As soon as the three sisters stepped out of the courtyard, they saw Zhou Cheng'an standing there with his head down.

“Elder sister, I heard about this at the Court of Justice yesterday… I will go with you to the Shen family to help with the dowry.”

When Zhou Cheng'an spoke, his voice was so soft it was barely audible. When he caught a glimpse of Zhou Zhao out of the corner of his eye, he lowered his head even further.

He and Zhou Zhao were both in the Left Court, and he had a clearer understanding than others. For every case file he reviewed, Zhou Zhao could review more than ten. They entered the Court of Justice on the same day, but while he knew nothing, Zhou Zhao had already solved two major cases.

The formidable Zhou Zhao fought alone, while the mediocre him relied on connections… Just thinking about it made him feel ashamed.

As Zhou Cheng'an was thinking, he felt a sound behind him, and Zhou Xuan's hand slapped him.

"Head held high, you've come at the perfect time. We outnumber you and have the momentum. Cheng'an, have you spoken to your father yet?"

Hearing Zhou Xuan's words, Zhou Cheng'an straightened his back, "Not...not yet..."

Zhou Xuan smiled and gave him a thumbs up, "Let's go! Let's get it done first, so that Father and Mother won't worry."

Zhou Zhao and Zhou Wan walked behind, but Zhou Cheng'an did not speak to them.

The four siblings went directly to the Shen residence.

The main gate of the Shen family was tightly closed, with only the side gate open. When the steward saw the Zhou family members arriving, he hurriedly greeted them with a smile.

"Madam, you're back. Greetings to the young masters and ladies of the Zhou family."

As the butler spoke, he bent down and guided the group through the side door.

Zhou Xuan had just taken a step when Zhou Wan grabbed him. Zhou Zhao's face turned cold. "You open the front door, or I'll kick your front door down. Choose one. Three, two..."

The butler was startled and rushed towards the gate, quickly opening it.

He had clearly seen Zhou Zhao's expression just now; this daughter-in-law was not joking at all, she truly meant what she said.