Chapter 66: Shen Xiuyan, Who’s All About Making Trouble for Lord Sun

From this day on, although Shen Xiuyan still officially held a post at the Hanlin Academy, he frequently came up with all sorts of new and novel inventions, which earned him even greater favor from Emperor Deye.

Later on, his ideas benefited everyone—lords from various ministries all gained something from him.

He hadn’t even left the Hanlin Academy yet, but had already forged deep ties with several ministries, most notably the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue.

Using Shen Xiuyan’s new ideas, the two ministries joined forces—one handled production, the other handled sales—and the partnership was extremely smooth.

It was around this time that Emperor Deye realized Shen Xiuyan wasn’t just a source of fresh ideas—he was also great at making money.

Perhaps it had something to do with having a father-in-law who was skilled in business. Under Shen Xiuyan’s guidance, the Ministry of Revenue’s operations flourished like never before.

These days, the Minister of Revenue grinned so broadly whenever he saw him that his mouth practically stayed open.

And why not? With Shen Xiuyan’s forward-thinking ideas multiplying the treasury’s silver reserves several times over, Emperor Deye had praised the Ministry of Revenue more times than anyone could count. Of course the Minister was thrilled to see him.

With such a worry-free talent, when Shen Xiuyan was finally about to leave the Hanlin Academy, all the ministries scrambled to snatch him up.

It was also the most tense time among the ministries.

One by one, the senior officials approached Emperor Deye for “friendly” discussions about where Shen Xiuyan should go, each acting like not getting him was a monumental loss.

After a month of chaos, Emperor Deye gritted his teeth and placed him in the Ministry of Revenue.

He couldn’t help it—there was just too much profit to ignore.

He was human too—it was hard not to be tempted.

He was confident that even if you looked back a thousand years, he was still the emperor with the fullest treasury.

Of course, the ministries that lost out didn’t give up. Every so often, they’d invite Shen Xiuyan over to sit and chat.

Even though he wasn’t officially one of them, they still treated him like one of their own—even prepared a desk for him.

So Shen Xiuyan spent most of his day not at the Ministry of Revenue, which drove the Minister of Revenue up the wall.

But, bound by collegial courtesy, he couldn’t really complain.

The Minister of Revenue suffered—but said nothing.

Other ministries: Pah! Shameless. You got the prize and still act like the victim.

In no time, Shen Xiuyan’s name spread far and wide.

Six years passed in a flash. Not too long, not too short—but enough for him to firmly establish himself before Emperor Deye.

And he never stopped dedicating himself to making trouble for Lord Sun.

At first, it wasn’t very noticeable. But as Shen Xiuyan gradually transitioned from a favored courtier to a senior statesman, there were more and more people willing to sell him a favor.

As a result, Lord Sun’s position kept slipping, making for a rather tragic sight.

No one could recognize the once-spirited and high-flying Minister from back then.

Now, the entire court—and even the common people—knew the two didn’t get along.

Though, it might just be one-sided. No matter how much Lord Sun tried to compromise, Shen Xiuyan simply refused to reconcile.

The other lords couldn’t figure it out.

They really couldn’t understand—what exactly did Lord Sun do to earn the deep-seated grudge of someone as mild-tempered as Shen Xiuyan?

Unless it was vengeance for stealing his wife or killing his son—nothing else would justify such relentless hostility.

Wait a minute…

Someone recalled an incident from years ago, which even got Lord Sun scolded by the Emperor.

If it really was because of that, then wasn’t Shen Xiuyan a bit too petty…?

No—on second thought, it wasn’t pettiness. It was because he truly loved his wife as his life.

They themselves might not be capable of such devotion, but they had daughters too. Who wouldn’t want their daughter to marry a man like that?

For a time, all of Capital City was abuzz with talk. Shen Xiuyan’s unwavering loyalty in love became a popular topic over meals and tea.

Su Mingyue became the most enviable woman in the Capital—bar none.

Countless women dreamed of marrying such a man, but there was only one Shen Xiuyan—and he’d already been monopolized by Su Mingyue.

Shen Xiuyan became the man of every woman’s dreams—almost like an unattainable moon in the heavens.

Naturally, as Shen Xiuyan’s reputation soared, Lord Sun’s fell into ruin.

Seen as the man who let his daughter try to ruin someone else’s marriage, he became a pariah—not just among young women, but among the noble ladies of the city as well.

At banquets, the subtle looks he and his wife received made them want to bury their heads in the ground.

This time, their family was utterly ruined—thanks to Sun Yunrou.

Because the household had fallen on hard times, the plan to bring Sun Yunrou back to the Capital was indefinitely postponed. She remained on a countryside estate, not yet returned.

Emperor Deye was well aware of Lord Sun’s current disgrace.

But he just laughed it off.

After all, their status in his eyes had become worlds apart.

Besides, if someone’s trying to trip you up, just avoid them.

If you can’t avoid it, that’s your own incompetence.

The same went for rumors—if you didn’t want people talking, you shouldn’t have done the thing. If you did do it, then don’t be afraid of being the subject of gossip.

That’s right—it was a complete double standard.

The more important Shen Xiuyan became in his eyes, the more it was your fault if you upset his precious favorite.

Truth be told, Emperor Deye was secretly very satisfied with Shen Xiuyan’s actions.

So many years had passed, and he still hadn’t forgiven Lord Sun. That was a good thing—it showed that he valued emotions deeply, whether for his wife or for his country.

It was a very promising sign.

—

That day after work, laughter like silver bells rang out from the courtyard.

“Hahaha! Mama, come catch me! You can’t catch me!”

In the garden blooming with flowers, a handsome little boy ran around gleefully.

Shen Xiuyan shook his head, quickly strode over, and scooped him up. “Haha! Caught you, Shen Yiyang!”

Shen Yiyang wasn’t mad at all—in fact, he happily wrapped his arms around his neck. “Daddy, you’re back! Are you tired today?”

“Not tired at all. The moment I see Yangyang, I feel all my fatigue disappear,” Shen Xiuyan replied warmly. Listening to his son’s sweet words, he felt like this was truly the most adorable child in the world—no debate allowed.

He patted his little butt. “Did Yangyang behave today?”

Shen Yiyang nodded seriously. “Super behaved! I played with Mama all afternoon. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

Su Mingyue smiled and followed up, “Yes, Yiyang was super well-behaved. He even kept me company.”

Six years hadn’t left a single trace on her face. A woman loved is a woman who glows—still radiant and dazzling.

Shen Xiuyan looked at her smile and was momentarily lost in thought.

Shen Yiyang covered his eyes. “Shy! Daddy’s looking at Mama and blushing. Daddy must really love Mama!”

Su Mingyue pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh. Seriously, Husband—we’ve been married for years and you still look at me like that?

She had once worried they’d hit that so-called “seven-year itch” from the storybooks—but clearly, with a husband like this, those fears were totally unnecessary.

Shen Xiuyan hadn’t expected his son to say something like that. He widened his eyes. “Who taught you that?”

Shen Yiyang confidently replied, “Auntie Cui!”

Cui Cui walked over, supporting her belly. “You little rascal, don’t pin this on me—I never taught you that!”

“You did!” Shen Yiyang nodded firmly. “Last time Daddy and Mama were secretly kissing, Auntie Cui pulled me away and said Daddy really likes Mama and we shouldn’t interrupt.”

The innocent words spilled out of Shen Yiyang’s mouth with ease, but the three adults nearby all turned beet red.

Even someone as thick-skinned as Shen Xiuyan couldn’t take it—what could be more embarrassing than being caught getting lovey-dovey by your kid?

Well… maybe one thing.

Getting caught by your kid and your sister-in-law.