Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 754 Son and Nephew

"Hmm?" Madam Wang was taken aback. "Is it today?"

Shen Guangzuo paused in his act of unbuttoning his official robe, then looked up at her: "Didn't I tell you?"

Madam Wang sighed softly, stepped forward and naturally took the half-undone button from his robe, skillfully loosening his heavy official robe: "My lord, you only told me that you were going to visit Grand Secretary Shen, but you didn't say which day."

"It doesn't matter." Shen Guangzu waved his hand and walked behind the screen. "Come and help me change my clothes."

"Yes, yes, yes," Wang said, pursing her lips. She draped the official robe she had taken off over her arm and turned to close the door to the main room. "Coming right now, coming right now."

She followed Shen Guangzuo into the left side room. Just as she opened the elmwood wardrobe against the wall, about to ask him which casual outfit he preferred, she first heard Shen Guangzuo ask, "Have you prepared all the gifts I asked you to prepare for Grand Secretary Shen?"

"How could I dare not take your instructions to heart?" Madam Wang smiled. "Two boxes of fine pre-Qingming Longjing tea, a Hetian jade red wolf-hair brush, a box of newly made Huizhou ink, and a Chengni inkstone have all been packed in brocade boxes and are on the table in the outer room. In addition, five pieces of silk brocade, one hundred taels of silver, ten taels of gold, and an authentic painting of 'Li Bai Strolling and Singing' by Liang Kai of the Song Dynasty have also been prepared and are kept separately in the west wing. Is that all?"

"Hmm." Shen Guangzuo listened to every instruction without fail and nodded in satisfaction.

Then Wang pointed to the open wardrobe and asked him, "Which outfit would you like to wear to see the Grand Secretary, sir?"

Shen Guangzuo never cared much about clothes. The wardrobe was filled with all sorts of official robes, casual clothes, and informal clothes, most of which were arranged and purchased for him by Wang Shi. He glanced at them and said with little interest, "Anything is fine, as long as it looks presentable."

"It's just me being so nosy, asking you so many questions," Wang muttered. Shen Guangzuo heard it clearly, but didn't react at all.

Wang looked at it for a moment and then took out a sky-blue straight-cut robe from the wardrobe, which she had just received from the tailor last month. At this moment, Shen Guangzuo suddenly added, "Don't make it too thick. It's been so hot every day, and I'm almost getting heat rash from wearing that official robe."

"I know." Madam Wang nodded, reaching out to touch the back of his undershirt. It was damp to the touch, and she couldn't help but scold, "Oh dear, your undershirt is soaked with sweat, it's wet and sticky, and it smells. You might as well change it off too."

"Tsk," Shen Guangzuo paused as he was untying the mid-lane belt, then rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Stop nagging. Hurry up and close the door."

“It’s already closed,” Wang muttered softly. “No need for you to give any special instructions.” She thought to herself that ever since her husband’s fiftieth birthday, his hearing had become increasingly poor, and he hadn’t even heard the door close just now.

Wang sighed softly, said no more, and quickly helped him remove the cotton undershirt that was soaked with sweat, then took a dry and clean garment for him to change into.

After changing out of his sweat-soaked undergarments, Wang Shi unfolded the sky-blue straight robe and helped Shen Guangzu put it on.

This straight-cut robe is made of extremely light and thin Suzhou and Hangzhou soft satin, cool and smooth to the touch. Its design closely resembles that of a Taoist robe, with a cross-over collar, right-fastening front, wide sleeves with tapered cuffs, and side slits that connect to a concealed hem. The collar, sleeve edges, and hem are embroidered with sparse, subtle cloud patterns in the same shade of ochre silk thread, giving it an overall elegant and dignified appearance. The moment the robe is put on, an air of otherworldly grace immediately arises.

After putting on the robe, Madam Wang carefully smoothed out every wrinkle for Shen Guangzuo, then tied the drawstring around his waist. As she did so, she asked, seemingly casually, "Is this Minister Shen related to our family?"

Shen Guangzu snorted lightly, deliberately speaking in a Shanxi accent: "If we really want to make a connection, the Shen families of Pingyang and Wucheng should be related. They were probably one family about five hundred years ago." Shen Guangzu was originally from Xiangling County, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi Province, but later settled in Hangzhou with his father, Shen Shining. So strictly speaking, he and the Shen family from Wucheng, Zhejiang Province, were not from the same hometown; they just happened to share the same surname.

Wang was taken aback for a moment before realizing that Shen Guangzuo was being sarcastic: "Would he help with this? What do you think, sir?"

"I don't know." Shen Guangzuo wasn't sure either. He and Shen Su had no close relationship, let alone a warm one. This visit was mostly out of a "let's see what happens" attitude. "If Grand Secretary Shen is unwilling to help, I can think of other ways."

Wang suddenly became resentful, and her hands slowed down: "Master cares about that child even more than his own son."

"That's because your son is useless!" Shen Guangzuo's brows furrowed immediately. "I went to great lengths to send him to the Imperial Academy in Nanjing. But after all these years, he hasn't even managed to pass the exam. I passed the provincial exam several years ago when I was his age!"

Wang pursed her lips and couldn't help but retort, "But that child doesn't have any proper academic achievements either, does he?"

"Woman's view!" Shen Guangzuo was immediately displeased. He slapped away Wang's hand, which was still smoothing his shoulder, and scolded, "How is the military examination improper? He took the exam himself! Besides, didn't Wenlong earn his fourth-rank guerrilla general position through his own hard work and fighting?"

Wang felt even more aggrieved after her hand was slapped away, and her voice rose a little: "My lord is so capable, holding such a high-ranking position in the capital, why don't you try to find a way to grant Xi Kui a favor? Even if it's not a position in the Secretariat, a sinecure in the Imperial Seal Office or the Court of Imperial Sacrifices would be better than him wasting his time in the Imperial Academy!"

“Wang Anhui!” Shen Guangzuo turned around and glared at his second wife, saying irritably, “I don’t have that ability. The court has its own rules! How can you get a hereditary official position just by trying to get it? In this capital, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture is a bullied official who can be trampled on by anyone. In the end, it’s because your son is useless and doesn’t have the ambition! If he could just pass the imperial examination, I would have found a way to get him a county magistrate position. Instead of making a fuss here and standing up for him, you should just tell him to study hard.”

"Your son, your son!" Madam Wang also became angry, her eyes gradually reddening. "Isn't Shen Xikui your own son, Prefect Shen? Why are you speaking to me so formally!"

"Ha!" Shen Guangzu scoffed, his tone cold and hard: "If that brat weren't surnamed Shen, he probably wouldn't even be able to become a student at the Imperial Academy!" Shen Guangzu was too lazy to argue with her anymore. He picked up a black net hat next to him, put it on, straightened himself in front of the mirror, and said: "I'm too lazy to argue with you! Remember to tell the servants to send the prepared gifts to Grand Secretary Shen's residence."

Having said that, Shen Guangzu turned around and flung his sleeves out of the main room.

Wang stood frozen in place, her lips trembling slightly, tears of grievance almost welling up in her eyes.

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The Shuntian Prefecture Office had two vehicles. One was the official vehicle belonging to the Shuntian Prefect, and the other was Shen Guangzu's personal vehicle. Generally, the official vehicle would wait in the front yard after it was ready, while the private vehicle would be parked quietly at the back gate.

Sure enough, when Shen Guangzu walked out of the Shuntian Prefecture Office through the back door, the simple private carriage with only a blue cloth curtain had already arrived.

The coachman was a robust man in his early thirties named Shen Yao. Shen Yao was a servant born into the Shen family; even before he was born, his father, Shen Ying, was already a servant of Shen Shining, the father of Shen Guangzuo. After Shen Shining's death, Shen Guangzuo's elder brother, Shen Guangshe, inherited the family line, while Shen Guangzuo and his two younger brothers, Guanghu and Guangbei, divided the family property and inherited the tens of thousands of taels of silver left by Shen Shining.

Among the property inherited by Shen Guangzuo were the indentures of Shen Ying and his son Shen Yao. Shen Ying and his son were sold into servitude to Shen Shining and could have regained their freedom long ago, but Shen Ying did not choose to do so.

Shen Shining and his son had always treated their personal servants well. Rather than redeeming themselves from servitude and using their savings to buy land and become poor farmers, it was better to remain Shen's trusted servants. At least they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink, or be bullied by local officials.

Shen Yao was quick-witted and reliable. Seeing Shen Guangzu emerge, he immediately rushed forward to greet him, offering his hand to help him up: "Master, please take your time." As Shen Guangzu approached the carriage, he expertly lifted the curtain and asked, "Master, where are we headed?"

Using the strength of Shen Yao's forearm, Shen Guangzu bent down and crawled into the carriage. After sitting down, he said in a deep voice, "Go to Grand Secretary Shen's residence."

"Yes, sir." Although Shen Guangzuo and Shen Yao didn't have a deep relationship, they were both officials in the same court and had exchanged visits several times over the past six months. Shen Yao had accompanied Shen Guangzuo to the Shen residence a few times, and although he couldn't say he knew the way inside and out, he had already memorized the route. After a moment's thought, he planned out a shortcut to avoid the bustling city.

"Master, please be seated. I'm about to depart." Shen Yao glanced back and, after confirming that Shen Guangzuo was seated, lowered the curtain, jumped onto the carriage shaft, and gently grasped the reins.

"Wait." Just as Shen Yao was about to whip his horse to urge it on, Shen Guangzuo suddenly called out to him.

Shen Yao paused, then immediately turned around: "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles, and a folded red gift list was handed out: "Take this. When we get to the Prime Minister's residence, give it to his steward."

"Yes, sir, I understand. Don't worry, sir." Shen Yao took the gift list with both hands, didn't even look at it, and stuffed it deep into his sleeve pocket.

Shen Guangzuo lowered the carriage curtain: "Let's go."

"Alright! Hold on tight, sir!" Shen Yao gripped the reins, flicked his wrist, and a crisp crack of the whip whistle rang out. "Giddy up!"

The packhorse glanced back, then obediently set off, steadily pulling the blue-curtained carriage out of the back alley and into the bustling traffic of the capital city at dusk.

The Shuntian Prefectural Government Office and Shen's residence were about ten miles apart, with most of the area in between being a bustling market town. At the end of the day, the streets were teeming with carriages, horses, and pedestrians, a cacophony of noise assaulting the senses. Reaching the Dengshikou area, the crowds were even more boisterous, shoulder to shoulder. The sounds of hawkers, vendors, carriages, and children playing mingled together, like boiling water, piercing the eardrums with a deafening din.

Inside the carriage, Shen Guangzuo leaned against the sturdy frame, initially trying to stay alert as he looked out at the passing street scenes through the gaps in the curtains. However, the exhaustion from days of paperwork, the pressure from the Miyun disaster report, and the earlier unpleasantness with Wang had already drained Shen Guangzuo's energy.

The slight swaying of the train was like a cradle, and the clamor of the city outside the window gradually blurred, turning into a chaotic background sound. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and finally, unable to stay awake any longer, his head tilted slightly to one side, and he fell into a deep sleep in the bumpy and noisy carriage.

About half an hour later, the car came to a steady stop in front of a grand and imposing mansion. The blue bricks and gray tiles, the lacquered doors were tightly closed, and a plaque with the words "Shen Mansion" hung above the door, exuding a restrained sense of authority.

"Master, we've arrived." Shen Yao jumped off the carriage shaft and respectfully called out to the carriage.

There was no response from inside the carriage.

Shen Yao waited a moment, then raised his voice slightly: "Master! We've arrived at the Prime Minister's residence."

The carriage remained completely silent.

Shen Yao's heart stirred slightly. He gently stepped forward and carefully lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. He saw Shen Guangzuo leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, his breathing heavy, emitting soft, intermittent snores. Shen Guangzuo was clearly fast asleep, but his sleep was extremely restless.

Shen Yao dared not make a loud noise to disturb the master, yet he was also afraid of delaying his master's business. After a moment's thought, he stretched out his fingers and began to tap the hardwood frame of the carriage shaft with his knuckles, neither too lightly nor too heavily. "Tap, tap, tap..." The sound was not loud, but it carried the dull vibration unique to wood, and it was clearly transmitted through the carriage walls and seats.

The knocking sound was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirring ripples in Shen Guangzuo's hazy sleep. Shen Guangzuo jolted awake, his eyelids opening with difficulty, his eyes filled with the confusion of just waking up and a trace of lingering fear: "Hmm?...We've arrived?" His voice was hoarse, as if he had choked on phlegm.

Shen Yao immediately stopped knocking, jumped off the carriage, lifted the curtain again, and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir, we have arrived at Prime Minister Shen's gate."

Shen Guangzu raised his hand and rubbed his stiff neck, then subconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb: "How long have I been asleep?"

Shen Yao didn't know when Shen Guangzuo fell asleep, but he knew exactly how long the car had been traveling: "Reporting to Master, the car has been traveling for about half an hour."

Shen Guangzu nodded, moved to the car door, and with Shen Yao's help, got out of the car with some difficulty. He stood in front of the magnificent gate of the Shen residence and subconsciously looked up at the sky—the afterglow of the setting sun was fierce, like blood staining the river.

Shen Guangzu stretched his slightly sore and numb muscles and exhaled a long breath. Shen Guangzu was certain that he had dreamed. The malice of the dream seemed to still cling to the edge of his consciousness, but no matter how hard he tried to recall it, he could not piece together the fragments of that chilling nightmare into a complete picture.

"Don't forget the gift list." Shen Guangzuo composed himself, instructed Shen Yao, then straightened his clothes and walked towards the tightly closed vermilion gate.

"Yes, sir, rest assured!" Shen Yao immediately pressed his sleeve pocket. Just as he watched Shen Guangzuo's back as he walked towards the gatehouse of the Shen residence, his ears suddenly caught a unique, rhythmic shout coming from afar, drifting in the direction they had come from.

Shen Yao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a coal peddler, his clothes tanned black, pulling a heavy donkey cart and trudging towards them from the alleyway entrance. As he walked, the coal peddler called out in a loud, drawn-out tone, "Coal for sale! Good coal from Xishan, fair price and burns well! Coal for sale!"

(End of this chapter)