Shen Danqing was startled. He instinctively stood up and demanded, "What do you want to do?"
Xiang Yunrou was frightened by his reaction. She quickly stood up and pulled Shen Danqing back to sit down.
After Shen Danqing reluctantly sat down, Xiang Yunrou patiently explained, "You and Yunfeng have been bullied. Naturally, I'll avenge you. No matter how smart Mu Lanyue is, she's just a woman. A packet of poisoned incense is enough to send her to her grave."
"Why do you look so pale?"
Shen Danqing used all his strength to restrain his emotions and uttered two words, "It's fine."
Xiang Yunrou didn't think much about it. She remembered what Shen Heqing had said just now and mistakenly thought that Shen Danqing still wanted to kill Shen Heqing. She quickly advised, "Your father values Shen Heqing. We can't touch him for the time being. Just remember this grudge. There's still plenty of time. We'll surely find an opportunity."
"We don't necessarily have to take action. I mean, Mu Lanyue is very smart. If she finds out, it may have an impact on Princess Rou. After all, she's General Mu's only daughter." Shen Danqing deliberately emphasized the last two words, hoping to persuade Xiang Yunrou to turn back from the wrong path.
But Xiang Yunrou thought Shen Danqing was worried about her. She let out a soft laugh and said confidently, "Don't worry. Mu Lanyue won't find out. That incense is a precious thing. I've used it to poison quite a few people."
"Back then, my father doted on a dancer. That dancer didn't know her place and actually wanted to compete with my mother for favor. I pretended to go and play with the dancer, but in fact, I added the incense to her incense burner. In just three months, the dancer and her unborn child died."
Hearing Xiang Yunrou casually admit to killing someone, Shen Danqing's mind went blank for a moment.
At this moment, he clearly realized that Xiang Yunrou and Shen Yunfeng were a perfect match. They were of the same kind.
Shen Danqing remembered the purpose of his visit to Rouyun Hall. He asked with concern, "For no reason, why did Father see a ghost? He didn't come back all night since that day... What did Father do?"
Xiang Yunrou's eyes flickered slightly. That night, Shen Yunfeng had gone to silence someone. This kind of thing was a bit shady. She wasn't sure if she could tell Shen Danqing.
Fortunately, Shen Danqing was just asking casually. Since Xiang Yunrou didn't answer, he didn't press further. Instead, he showed concern for Shen Yunfeng's health.
Seeing the topic being changed, Xiang Yunrou was secretly relieved. She didn't guard against Shen Danqing anymore and even took him to see Shen Yunfeng.
Shen Yunfeng was sleeping with Xiang Yunrou in the inner chamber. At this moment, he was sitting cross - legged on the bed, muttering incantations to a talisman.
Shen Danqing walked closer and found that Shen Yunfeng's face was ashen, and even his lips were faintly pale. He instinctively took a step back and said with a hint of disgust, "Wasn't it just a cold? How did it turn out like this?"
Xiang Yunrou rushed forward in a few steps. She put her arms around Shen Yunfeng and said heart - brokenly, "It's all because of that Mu Lanyue."
"I'm thirsty. I'm so thirsty." Shen Yunfeng held Xiang Yunrou's hand and asked for water.
Seeing this, Shen Danqing went to pour water from the table outside.
As soon as he left, Shen Yunfeng's eyes became clear. He warned Xiang Yunrou, "Shen Danqing is not as simple as you think. Be careful. If he asks about me, just say I've been scared out of my wits."
"Now the situation in the capital has temporarily eased. General Mu has the time to deal with us. We must be careful about everything."
Xiang Yunrou didn't want to hear anything bad about Shen Danqing. She reached out and pushed Shen Yunfeng's shoulder, pouting, "If it were someone else, that would be fine, but why don't you even trust Danqing? He's our child."
Seeing that Xiang Yunrou really regarded Shen Danqing as her own child, Shen Yunfeng felt frustrated. Back then, in order to please Xiang Yunrou, he hadn't told her that Shen Danqing didn't get along well with him and would never be like a child to her. Now he had shot himself in the foot.
Xiang Yunrou also noticed Shen Yunfeng's expression, but she didn't care. She just thought Shen Yunfeng was having another episode and didn't like Shen Danqing.
When Shen Danqing came back with a cup of warm water, Shen Yunfeng was holding the talisman and muttering again.
Xiang Yunrou took the cup and was about to feed Shen Yunfeng, but unexpectedly, Shen Yunfeng suddenly raised his hand and accidentally knocked over the cup.
It was easy to figure out Shen Yunfeng's thoughts. He didn't dare to drink the water brought by Shen Danqing.
Xiang Yunrou's eyes flickered slightly. She said gently, "Danqing, you can go back first. I still need to take care of Yunfeng. Since that night, Yunfeng only allows me to get close to him. I even need to change the bedding myself..."
"Princess Rou, I'll help you change it." Shen Danqing didn't give Xiang Yunrou a chance to refuse. After helping her up, he pulled Shen Yunfeng off the bed and quickly lifted the bed sheet.
When the bed sheet was lifted, the book under the pillow was exposed.
Xiang Yunrou's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively reached out to get it, but was a step slower than Shen Danqing.
Shen Danqing picked up the book first. He flipped through a few pages and said with a light laugh, "This is a book from Dayong. But I remember Princess Rou doesn't know the Dayong characters. Could it be that Father feigns insanity during the day and becomes clear - minded at night?"
Shen Yunfeng cursed Shen Danqing for being cunning in his heart, while Xiang Yunrou found an excuse. She took the book back and said with a bitter smile, "You know, Yunfeng's only hobby is reading. Since he can't read now, I've ordered someone to find books from Dayong and read them to him at night to keep him quiet."
Shen Danqing didn't continue to press for details. Instead, he changed Xiang Yunrou's bedding. Before leaving, he gave Shen Yunfeng a meaningful look.
That look made Shen Yunfeng nervous. He was afraid that Shen Danqing would bring Shen Heqing to expose him.
Hearing Shen Yunfeng's concerns, Xiang Yunrou became even more unhappy. She always felt that among the children, Shen Yunfeng liked Shen Heqing the most. "Danqing brought you water, but you didn't drink it. What about if Shen Heqing brings you water? Will you drink it?"
Shen Yunfeng didn't know how to explain. He paced back and forth, looking a bit impatient.
As a father, he thought he knew his three children well. Shen Danqing seemed gentle, but he was as ruthless as Shen Haiyan.
Shen Heqing was tough - minded and assertive. Even if he wanted to kill him, he wouldn't choose to poison him secretly. But if it were Shen Danqing and Shen Haiyan, they might be happy to bring him poison.
But the most important thing now was how to deceive Shen Danqing after he had discovered that he was feigning insanity.
Xiang Yunrou didn't want to listen to these words. Now she was preconceived and thought that Shen Yunfeng favored Shen Heqing. Seeing that Shen Yunfeng didn't explain, her anger flared up. "What do you mean? Shen Heqing is Mu Lanyue's child, while Danqing is our child. Have you still not forgotten Mu Lanyue?"
"Shen Yunfeng! You owe me an explanation."
While Shen Yunfeng was thinking about how to survive, Xiang Yunrou was only jealous. No matter how he tried to comfort her, it was no use.
Xiang Yunrou gritted her teeth and said, "You tell me not to care, but why shouldn't I? You just like Mu Lanyue. If you didn't like her, how could you have three children with her?"
"We were husband and wife. We couldn't not have children, right? And that's not the point. Rou'er, listen to me. Shen Danqing is unreliable. We need to make plans early..." Before Shen Yunfeng could finish, Xiang Yunrou slapped him.
Shen Yunfeng covered his face, looking a bit dazed.
Xiang Yunrou took out the whistle hanging around her neck and blew it gently. A palm - sized poisonous scorpion crawled out from the corner.
She forcibly pulled Shen Yunfeng and made the scorpion crawl onto his body. "Yunfeng, if you only have me in your heart, I'll listen to anything you say. But if not, don't blame me."
"By the way, didn't you ask me how I convinced those ministers?"
"I convinced them like this."
Shen Yunfeng trembled all over and said in disbelief, "Rou'er, you weren't like this before!"
Xiang Yunrou gently stroked Shen Yunfeng's face with her finger. She found it funny. "Yunfeng, I've always been like this. Have you never thought about why a weak woman with just two guards dared to break into the bandit stronghold?"