Chapter 60: The Same Persistent Minister of Personnel

The next morning, Shen Xiuyan received many invitations.

Among them was a personally handwritten invitation from the Minister of Personnel.

He furrowed his brows, feeling that the matter wasn’t simple. Could it be related to Sun Yunrou again…

His wife was still heavily pregnant, and in order to avoid any accidents, he specifically attended the banquet on the designated day to see exactly what they were up to.

The aroma of tea lingered in the Minister of Personnel’s residence.

Minister Sun smiled warmly and said, “Haha, as expected, congratulations, Master Shen, on becoming the top scholar in the imperial exams.”

Shen Xiuyan cupped his hands. “Minister Sun, you flatter me.”

Seeing Shen Xiuyan remain unfazed by the praise, Minister Sun was pleased.

It was rare to find someone who, after becoming the top scholar, maintained such a calm and composed demeanor, handling things with grace.

He smiled with satisfaction and praised, “Master Shen’s calm and steady temperament is a model for all of us to learn from. I look forward to you becoming a pillar of the Nanyue Dynasty in the future.”

“Minister Sun overstates it. I have no great ambitions. I only wish for a peaceful life,” Shen Xiuyan replied humbly.

“Ah, you mustn’t think that way at such a young age. Your future is still long,” Minister Sun said, giving another compliment before finally getting to the point. “By the way, I wonder if Master Shen is already married?”

Shen Xiuyan felt speechless. See, the fox’s tail had finally shown.

Didn’t he already know about his marital status?

He nodded firmly. “I am already married. My wife is from Linzhu County.”

Minister Sun feigned surprise. “You’re already married at such a young age? With such a bright future, it’s unexpected. I was actually considering marrying my youngest daughter to you…”

He dragged out his words, sending out an implicit signal that anyone who understood would immediately catch.

But Shen Xiuyan was unphased. He smiled with happiness. “Yes, when you meet someone you truly love, you naturally want to marry them as soon as possible. To be honest, I am soon to be a father.”

Minister Sun’s heart sank when he saw the sweet expression on his face. This was true love. That meant the matter with his daughter would be difficult.

He released another signal. “Oh? May I ask, which family is your wife from? Will she be able to offer any support in your career?”

Shen Xiuyan shook his head with a smile. “Of course not. She’s from a merchant family. I don’t expect her to offer any support. As long as she’s well and healthy, that’s enough for me.”

Minister Sun was speechless.

Was this person truly naïve or pretending to be so? He was acting like an innocent, sweet fool in front of him.

He decided to be blunt. “Master Shen, I won’t hide it from you. My daughter has met you once, and she hasn’t forgotten you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be bringing this up. I wonder how you feel about her? Is there any possibility of further development?”

Shen Xiuyan feigned sudden realization. He hurriedly said, “No, no, your daughter certainly deserves someone better. I am already married, and I wouldn’t want her to suffer such a fate.”

Minister Sun sighed in frustration. “If only she would listen to reason. Since she has taken a liking to you, as a father, I naturally want to help. If you’re willing to marry my daughter, I can make sure your wife…”

Before he could finish, Shen Xiuyan immediately interrupted, “Minister, how can you have such dangerous thoughts? My wife and I truly love each other!”

“Do you know what support my daughter could provide for your career? Are you really unwilling?” Minister Sun pressed.

“Unwilling,” Shen Xiuyan replied firmly.

Minister Sun furrowed his brows. Shen Xiuyan was like oil that wouldn’t mix with water. He couldn’t tell whether it was genuine or just an act.

Perhaps it was because he had the title of a top scholar, and he was worried about any bad reputation that might affect the emperor’s opinion of him.

He sighed, appearing to relent. “Well, if she’s willing to be the main wife, your wife can be a secondary wife. The difference in status is clear. I’m sure your wife will agree.”

Having been in the Minister of Personnel’s position for so long, he didn’t even care about the thoughts of a mere merchant.

So what if it was unfair? As long as his daughter wasn’t wronged, that was all that mattered.

Shen Xiuyan felt he couldn’t continue to entangle himself with this person. No wonder he had taught Sun Yunrou—he was just as troublesome and persistent.

What did it matter if he offended such a person?

He suddenly stood up. “Minister Sun, I respected you as the Minister of Personnel, thinking you were a reasonable person, but it turns out you’re just someone who only sees interests and doesn’t care about relationships. Don’t speak of this again. I do not agree!”

“You—” Minister Sun, furious, also stood up.

In the end, the two parted on bad terms.

After Shen Xiuyan left, Madam Wu slowly emerged from behind the screen.

She looked at the enraged Minister Sun and quickly went over to pat his chest, soothing him. “My lord, please calm down, calm down.”

Minister Sun glared at her. “It’s all your good daughter who has made me lose face.”

Madam Zhou, receiving the blame, bit her lip, but upon recalling her daughter, who seemed devastated just a few days ago but was now smiling brightly, she managed to hold back her emotions.

She spoke gently, “My lord, it’s not like that. Our daughter is half of your making as well. After seeing Shen Xiuyan today, I understand why she’s so set on marrying him. His appearance is one thing, but at his age, how many people can remain so calm in front of you and face both honor and disgrace without flinching? Just this temperament alone is not to be underestimated.”

Minister Sun’s expression softened a little.

“Today, it’s actually a good thing that he didn’t agree. If he had immediately agreed to divorce his wife when you mentioned it, would you really want such a son-in-law? I certainly wouldn’t want him.” Madam Zhou continued, “You’re a man, don’t you understand men? He comes from a small place, so it’s normal for him not to have seen better. But once he’s seen more, he’ll regret it. He’ll remember today. Who knows, he might already be regretting it after returning home.”

“You have a point,” Minister Sun nodded. “After all, he’s the top scholar, worth waiting for. But we can’t keep supporting him forever. If this happens again, where would my face go?”

Madam Zhou saw an opportunity. “Tomorrow, at the Qionglin banquet, if Shen Xiuyan isn’t at home, I’ll take Yun Rou to meet his wife. Perhaps if his wife sees Yun Rou, she might feel ashamed and voluntarily step down.”

“Mm, that’s a good idea. A woman from a small county wouldn’t have the face to continue occupying her position when she sees Yun Rou. Go ahead and see tomorrow.”

Shen Xiuyan, who was thought to have regretted his actions, showed no sign of regret at all.

As a model modern youth, raised under the brilliance of socialism, how could he have turned out wrong?

He rubbed his goosebumps. The mindset of these ancient people was truly terrifying.

He should have his previous moral character teacher come here and give them a proper lesson.

He had thought that after getting married, no one would bother him, but there it was—weak, helpless, and trembling.

When he got home and faced Su Mingyue’s inquiry, he looked at her large belly and didn’t dare tell her the truth this time.

He was afraid that, in a moment of panic, her body might not be able to bear it.

He had thought that saying less once wouldn’t matter, but he didn’t expect the persistent Sun family to come knocking the very next day.

At this time, he was making a small impression at the Qionglin banquet.

His excellent calligraphy earned him praise from Emperor Deye, but his wife was being blocked at home.

Shen Yuanming, who was studying, had gone to school, and Master Su, had gone to check on his shop, leaving only Madam Zhou and Su Mingyue at home.

When they learned that the visit was from the Minister of Personnel’s wife, both women were startled.

Su Mingyue blinked and felt that the visitor was not here with good intentions.

She called out loudly, “Cui Cui, bring me the new light pink cloud smoke embroidered dress I made, and also the pearl and jade step tassel that my husband just bought.”

Cui Cui was surprised. “Miss, you’re just meeting a guest, not attending a beauty selection. Is it really necessary to wear such fine things?”