Chapter 342: Bound to the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 343: A Passerby Strives to Live (11)

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"You two must remember the family rules; in the Secret Realm, support one another, do not turn blades inward, and do not throw your ranks into disorder."

Liu Xiuwen finished speaking with a grim expression, then called Liu Jingyan and Liu Jingyuan away.

What is said on the surface is one thing; what is done in secret is another.

Liu Xiuwen will say more about the situation inside the Secret Realm.

Liu Xiuwen knows much inside information about this opened Imperial Secret Realm, including the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures within and the strange traces of the Strange Phenomenon.

Liu Jingyan and Liu Jingyuan are going in this time to secure benefits for the family and improve their own strength, not to deliver heads and warmth to those Strange Phenomena that have been hungry for so long.

The protagonist who accompanied her left first, and Shen Yao was forced to return to the Small Courtyard alone.

Fortunately, no one said sarcastic words along the way, and Shen Yao's ears had a moment of quiet.

"Qing Shui, call everyone in the courtyard out," she said; as the mistress, even if she did not punish anyone, she first had to formally appear and state her attitude.

Moreover, early this morning, Liu Jingyan had already handed the courtyard keys and account books to her; Shen Yao was the legitimate Young Mistress.

Qing Shui agreed and turned to have the Steward call all the Servants to the Small Courtyard.

The Servants were all old people who had served Liu Jingyan for many years, including many beautiful maids; their intentions were clear at a glance.

Shen Yao considered herself not stingy; as long as they did their duties honestly, she would not make things difficult for them.

Matching names to faces from the roster handed to her, Shen Yao spoke a few encouraging words to everyone, somewhat like a company mobilization meeting in Modern Society.

Shen Yao placed herself in the position of a company boss and did not fear these people having petty thoughts.

"...... Alright, go receive your rewards," she said; a Wedding Ceremony had just been held yesterday, everyone in the Small Courtyard was busy, and rewards and punishments needed to be clear.

Shen Yao waved her hand, leaned on Qing Shui's forearm, and returned to the Room to rest.

She was pregnant, her energy insufficient, and she could not stand outside for long.

Fortunately, Liu Jingyan's Small Courtyard was managed well; whether Steward or Servants, although they had petty thoughts, they acted properly and would not cause her trouble.

"Qing Shui, keep a closer eye on courtyard affairs; in a few days the Young Master will go on a long trip," at that time the Small Courtyard would rely on mistress and servant depending on each other, the weakest time for surface defense.

Qing Shui patted her chest and promised she would definitely protect the mistress and the young master; after all, her entire status and honor were tied to the mistress.

"Rest assured; after I give birth to the child in my belly, I will certainly not shortchange you."

Shen Yao was skilled at painting Big Pies; whatever Qing Shui cared about most, she promised that, ensuring Qing Shui's attention stayed entirely on the Small Courtyard.

Later, Liu Jingyan returned, his whole body overflowing with joy.

Shen Yao smiled and brought pastries and tea, asking if there was danger in this Imperial Secret Realm.

Liu Jingyan held Shen Yao's wrist, belatedly feeling some apology.

His wife was pregnant; as a husband, he should have accompanied her, but Liu Jingyan could not bear to give up the benefits of the Imperial Secret Realm; now looking at Shen Yao with her pregnant belly, guilt kept overflowing.

Shen Yao:... It's not necessary to be like this; no matter how hard Liu Jingyan tries, it's useful, at least their child will have a high starting point.

Shen Yao soothed the emotionally agitated Liu Jingyan in a gentle voice, then said the competition inside the Imperial Secret Realm was fierce, telling him to be careful.

"Grandfather has already said that my seventh brother and I are going mainly to broaden our horizons."

Not everyone has the opportunity to enter the Imperial Secret Realm; it has much to do with luck.

Liu's father was outstanding when young, but at that time the Imperial Secret Realm had not opened, and Liu's father directly missed it; later he could only sigh in regret.

Not only that, but Liu Jingyan's older brother Liu Jingsheng was the same.

Fortunately, Liu Xiuwen treated Liu Jingsheng well; even without the Imperial Secret Realm, there were other Secret Realms, allowing Liu Jingsheng to gain much experience.

Speaking quietly to Shen Yao about the inside story, Liu Jingyan finally stopped the topic with lingering interest, then stood and went with Shen Yao to the Main Hall to dine.

The noon meal was prepared abundantly; the Dishes and Soup were all as Qing Shui had instructed, all flavors Shen Yao and Liu Jingyan loved.

The two ate a meal beautifully, then followed Liu Jingyan to continue staying with Shen Yao in the Room.

Perhaps to make up for it, or perhaps reluctant to leave the Place of Gentleness, during this time after his wedding, Liu Jingyan had hardly left the Small Courtyard.

Even when Grandfather Liu Xiuwen called him, Liu Jingyan only went and returned the same day, completely cutting off external socializing.

Shen Yao found this strange; Liu Jingyan patiently explained he was doing this to avoid trouble.

"In Luojing, most families living in East City have Secret Realm quotas.

I do not intend to participate; not appearing is the best solution."

The Liu Family has too many in-laws; just on Liu's wife's side, there are quite a few people waiting.

Liu Jingyan remembered Liu Xiuwen's words; he was not like Liu Jingyuan, who was ignorant of death and dared to contact anyone.

Speaking of this, Liu Jingyan also mentioned the aftermath of the Songyang City matter.

The Red Embroidery Building was ultimately suppressed by people sent from Luojing, though there were many difficulties in between; even because the Red Embroidery Building suddenly erupted, the commoners who had been waiting outside Songyang City and refusing to leave were dragged in.

In short, after this battle, Songyang City lost more than half its commoners, and the Officials have ordered people to be moved from elsewhere to fill the gap.

Shen Yao was glad she was now in Luojing; otherwise, with her frail body, hiding in other small cities and towns would be the fate of Cannon Fodder.

"Yao Yao, do you still remember Tang Yuan?" Liu Jingyan said with a complex expression; "The Tang Family sent news that Tang Yuan's consciousness has been occupied by the Strange Phenomenon and cannot be saved."

This also means Tang Yuan has only a dead end, with no other choice.

Although Liu Jingyan's relationship with Tang Yuan was not close, they were at least acquaintances, with the fate of having gone to the Mangshan Secret Realm together; as for the Tang Family, no matter what, he must pay them a visit.

Shen Yao grabbed Liu Jingyan's wrist with a backhand; "Will it affect you?"

With consciousness invaded, whether Tang Yuan is still himself is an unknown.

Shen Yao was not familiar with Tang Yuan and did not want to gamble with Liu Jingyan's safety.

Liu Jingyan lightly patted Shen Yao's back of hand and said quietly that not only him, but Liu's father and Grandfather were also going; the relationship between the Tang Family and the Liu Family was quite close; the younger generation could only be considered plastic relationships, while the older generation had more true feelings.

Tang Yuan's aptitude in the Tang Family was not outstanding; he was able to go to the Mangshan Secret Realm only because the timing was right, yet he lost his life there after just one trip.

This is a world where strange phenomena exist; before life and death, people have no control whatsoever.

Hearing that Liu Xiuwen and Liu's father were also going, Shen Yao let down most of the worry she had raised.

Still, necessary preparations could not be forgotten, so Shen Yao simply slipped several talisman papers into the purse she was embroidering for Liu Jingyan; on the surface it was merely for peace of mind, but in actuality they had the function of concealing one's own breath.

Shen Yao was not so selfless and public-spirited; she merely thought that if something truly happened, she only needed to lower Liu Jingyan's presence to the minimum, and then she need not fear being unable to escape.

It was very much like fleeing on the road: one did not need to run very fast, only faster than one's companions, to maximize the chance of survival.

This was exactly the idea Shen Yao was counting on; besides, the Tang Family had so many people, and who knew how many among them were more capable than Liu Jingyan—if even they could meet with disaster, it could only be said that the Tang Family had poor feng shui and was unsuitable for living.

Liu Jingyan did not know that those few talisman papers in the purse had other functions; he received Shen Yao's gift full of intent and kept it hanging at his waist without removing it.

It was also because of this that, on the way to the Tang Family, Liu Jingyan had the good fortune to avoid a life-and-death crisis.

Shen Yao remembered that day the sky was overcast with dark clouds, and she and Liu's wife sat together, rarely in a bad mood.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were both very worried about the family members who had gone out, and only breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing they had returned home safely.

As a result, Liu's father was carried in, Liu Jingyan and the other brothers were in disarray, but only Liu Xiuwen had a dark and repressed face, not uttering a single word.

"A Yan, what on earth happened? Father..." Shen Yao gazed at Liu Jingyan with worried eyes, her fingers trembling, making her appear even more delicate and pitiful.

Liu Jingyan embraced Shen Yao, "Something happened on the road; the Tang Family experienced a strange incident, and we were drawn into it. Father had poor luck and suffered bodily injury," while he himself had been fortunately protected by Liu Xiuwen, thus narrowly escaping disaster.

Of course, saying it that way was not rigorous; Liu Jingyan clearly remembered that the mass of black mist was heading straight for him, but when it was right at hand it suddenly turned, swallowing one of his younger half-brothers, giving him the chance to wait for his grandfather to come to the rescue.

It was just that the strange nature of this incident was something Liu Jingyan did not speak of.

Only after the young couple returned to the courtyard did Liu Jingyan carefully explain today's accident clearly.

After listening, Shen Yao could only summarize it in one sentence: if you don't court death, you won't die.

All said and done, it was still that the Tang Family was too overconfident; not wanting Tang Yuan to die in vain, they used this to set a trap to lure out the strange phenomenon that had killed Tang Yuan.

They did not expect that the strange phenomenon was not made of clay; it struck back with a major move and directly dragged the Tang Family into the water. Now the ghost mist above the Tang Family had not dissipated, and the people of the Imperial Demon Extermination Office were already in position, fearing that a great battle could not be avoided.

"This matter is not something we can participate in; this time Grandfather will also take action."

The strange phenomenon must not be allowed to harm Luojing; the importance of the Wei State Headquarters goes without saying.

Although Liu Xiuwen returned with an ugly expression, one must have a sense of the overall situation; this was not only to show the imperial family at the top, but also carried the meaning of self-preservation.

Shen Yao buried herself in Liu Jingyan's embrace, not knowing what to say.

The Tang Family was indeed too self-important. "Once the matter is over, what will become of the Tang Family?"

Liu Jingyan's voice was low, "Including the losses, I fear the Tang Family will have to leave Luojing."

Someone died in this accident, and it was still caused by the Tang Family's improper handling.

The Tang Family must give an explanation; compensation is actually the simplest part.

The results Liu Jingyan could think of, others could naturally think of as well.

The Tang Family matter continued for three days, after which the Tang Family's adult serving at Court requested a transfer to leave Luojing and go to guard the Border.

That was a Border where the wind of killing was very strong; dying there was as common as daily meals.

The Tang Family's sons going to the Border could still have the means to live, but what about those delicate inner chamber women in the back courtyard?

Before Shen Yao could figure out how the Tang Family would arrange things, she heard Liu's wife mention the marriage of a concubine-born son in the family, and the partner turned out to be a Young Lady from the Tang Family.

Not only the Liu Family, but other Luojing families also successively became betrothed to the Tang Family.

Those already betrothed would also move up the wedding date and bring the person into the mansion.

Without Liu Jingyan reminding her, Shen Yao already knew that the Tang Family had made a transaction with other families, and the retreat route for the Tang Family's inner chamber women had been arranged clearly and plainly.

"Not only that, the Young Lady of the Tang Family's main line is confirmed to enter the palace as an Imperial Consort." This was the Tang Family's compromise to Imperial Power.

One must know that the Emperor was already advanced in age, and his several Princes had long grown up; at this time, the Tang Family choosing the Emperor was not wise.

"This is the safest path," the Emperor was old, yet also safe.

Unlike other Princes, who, upon rising, achieve fame and success, but upon falling, leave not even bones behind.

Great Clans are all connected—pull one hair and the whole body moves; who dares to be a sinner for all ages?

Without a bit of backbone, being conservative is the route Great Clans often choose.

Liu Jingyan agreed with this very much; if he were in their place, putting the Tang Family's matter on the Liu Family, Liu Xiuwen would probably arrange it the same way.

Personal interests are always placed after clan interests; this is what they must remember from birth.

…………

Spring goes and autumn comes, time passes swiftly.

When the Tang Family matter slowly settled down, the Liu Family became lively once again because Liu Jingyan and Liu Jingyuan were going to the Imperial Secret Realm.

Shen Yao packed Liu Jingyan's daily necessities and sent him onto the carriage with a face full of reluctance.

She naturally could not go; the child in her womb was already six months old, and ever since the twins were diagnosed, Shen Yao's movement routes had been restricted.

Liu's wife even more personally watched over Shen Yao's daily diet, fearing someone would find a loophole and repeat past mistakes.

"Mistress of the House, it's time to go to the Main Courtyard," Qing Shui quietly reminded her, then turned her gaze to the surroundings beside Shen Yao, to prevent anyone from rushing out to catch them off guard.

Liu's wife had used her own experience as a template and told her many Netherworld Matters of the Liu Fu; because of this, Qing Shui worried daily and protected Shen Yao tightly and securely.

"Once Jingyan leaves, he will return in a month. You usually have nothing to do, so you can come over and sit more often."

Liu's wife's attitude toward Shen Yao became increasingly kind; inevitably there was the factor of the child, but more so it was that Shen Yao's character was not bad, and during this time in the mansion she had not caused any major trouble.

Liu's wife and Mistress of the House had a plain marital relationship, and in managing the Back Courtyard she acted more on her own whims.

Shen Yao was sensible and caused no trouble, and could also protect herself to live better.

Liu's wife appreciated Shen Yao's way of handling things, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship gradually became normal.

"Daughter-in-law fears disturbing you," Shen Yao spoke the truth; Liu's wife still had to manage affairs as Steward and did not have much free time.

"Disturb what? There are always things to do," whether she did it or not did not affect the operation of the mansion; it was merely a tool to pass the time.

Liu's wife spoke frankly and openly, and Shen Yao smiled and nodded.

In the following days, Shen Yao moved between the Small Courtyard and the Main Courtyard, occasionally dealing with schemes that cropped up, but most of her time was still spent on fetal protection and nurturing the fetus.

Certain people gnashed their teeth in fury because Shen Yao was overly steady, yet hateful as it was, no matter how they acted, Shen Yao always managed to turn danger into safety, while they instead lost both ways, suffering heavy losses every time.

For this, Madam Liu caught quite a few opponents who had let their tails show, and ruthlessly suppressed them, conveniently clipping the wings of many others in the process.

Of course, Shen Yao contributed no small effort in this, and also cleared out several servants from the Small Courtyard, all of whom had harbored ulterior motives or betrayed their master; they had guilty consciences themselves, and dared not say much more in Shen Yao's presence.