After the delicate and soft-spoken wife gave up, the aloof and powerful minister embraced her and sh

Chapter 453 The Fifth Dream (2)

The drizzle gradually intensified, and the rain and mist created a hazy atmosphere.

Shen Fuhan kept his eyes closed, maintaining the posture of embracing the tombstone, motionless, as if he were already dead.

The heavy rain soaked his body completely, and from a distance, he looked like a raincoat that had accidentally drifted onto the tombstone.

After an unknown amount of time, the wind and rain stopped, and he got up.

"Ah Yue, I'll come to see you and Zhao Zhao another day."

He staggered toward the Jing'an Marquis's residence.

Upon returning to the Marquis's residence, he dried himself off from the rain, changed his clothes, and went to his study to handle official business.

Shen Fuhan stared quietly for a moment, and an unnatural blush quickly appeared on his serious and focused face.

He closed his eyes to rest for a moment, then continued to work at his desk until he could no longer hold on and collapsed onto the desk.

Perhaps because the noise was a bit loud, Ling He quickly rushed in with his sword.

Seeing that it wasn't an assassin, but rather the Marquis who had fainted, he breathed a sigh of relief and calmly ordered the guards to carry the Marquis back to his bedroom.

Shen Fuhan thought to himself, Ling He's composure suggests this isn't the first time this has happened.

He followed them back to their room, where Xiao Suye quickly came to treat him, prepared medicine, and fed it to Shen Fuhan.

He further instructed, "Your Excellency has been caught in the rain and your cold symptoms are quite severe. You should rest well these next few days and absolutely must not continue to handle official business, otherwise it will worsen your condition."

Ling He hesitated for a moment, then sent someone to invite Shen Funian after seeing him off.

Shen Funian rushed over in a panic: "What happened to my older brother?"

Ling He explained, "The Marquis has caught a cold. The Su family physician said he needs to rest in bed. Please, Third Aunt, persuade the Marquis to do so."

“How can I persuade him?” Shen Funian sighed. “Ever since Sister-in-law Wen passed away, my brother has been like a ghost wandering among humans. How can a human communicate with a ghost? He won’t listen to me anyway.”

Ling He said, "I can't persuade her either. I'd like to ask Third Aunt to make the decision."

Shen Funian had no choice but to say, "How about this, you have people surround the bedroom, and let him out whenever he recovers."

Ling He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This subordinate dares not."

Shen Funian was furious: "You asked me for ideas, but you don't dare to do them. Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

Ling He replied, "This subordinate dares not."

"You dare not do this, you dare not do that, do you dare to die?"

Ling He said solemnly, "My life was given to me by the Marquis. If I were to die for the Marquis, I would be willing."

Shen Funian gritted her teeth and said, "Is this the time to show loyalty? Get lost!"

As the two argued, neither noticed that the person confined to his sickbed was talking in his sleep.

Shen Fuhan stopped listening to their argument and stood by the bed, carefully watching his lips.

"Ah Yue...you've finally...come to see me..."

Shen Fuhan couldn't understand what was coming next. His lips only opened and closed slightly, but there was a smile on his lips.

Shen Fuhan sighed softly and walked towards Shen Funian and Ling He.

They had already called a truce, and Shen Funian said worriedly, "Do you think my elder brother will disregard everything and commit suicide for love after he has avenged himself?"

Ling He thought for a moment and said, "That's possible."

"What should we do?" Shen Funian was even more worried. "From now on, you have to follow him every step of the way. For example, when he went to see my sister-in-law just now, you had to follow behind him."

"But the Marquis ordered that no one is allowed to get close."

Shen Funian glared at him: "You're such a blockhead! Just because he says no doesn't mean no! Why don't you secretly follow him? If anything happens to my brother, I'll kill you!"

Shen Fuhan was getting impatient. How long were they going to gossip like this?

The thought had barely formed in her mind when Shen Funian stared at the direction of the bed and sighed softly.

"How come I never realized before that my brother was so deeply in love with my sister-in-law?"

She looked at Ling He and asked, "Do you know?"

Ling He said blankly, "I didn't see it either."

Shen Fuhan smiled wryly; he hadn't shown anything before.

Shen Funian said with a complicated expression, "I thought that things like turning white overnight only happened in storybooks, but I never expected to see it with my own eyes. Only two months have passed, and my elder brother has aged so much."

Shen Fuhan was taken aback. Two months?

He thought this dream would happen ten years from now, but it turned out that only two months had passed.

The scene shifts, and Shen Fuhan has recovered from his illness, repeating the routine of going on duty, returning home, and going on duty again, like a walking corpse.

Immediately afterwards, he was summoned to the palace by the emperor.

Shen Fuhan bowed respectfully, and the emperor sighed and told him to rise.

The emperor and his ministers looked at each other in silence.

After a long while, Shen Fuhan said, "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

The emperor quickly said, "Minister Shen, I have something to ask of you."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

“My elder sister has committed a grave error. I should not have protected her for so long. During this time, I have also been reflecting on my words and deeds. I hope that Minister Shen will understand me.”

Shen Fuhan raised his eyebrows slightly. It was indeed Li Zhilan. He was not surprised by this result.

In the dream, Shen Fuhan said calmly, "Your Majesty, there is no need for such formality. This humble subject cannot accept it."

The emperor looked wounded: "Now that I have executed her, does Minister Shen still not forgive me?"

Shen Fuhan sneered: "She was barely clinging to life; death was only a matter of time. If my wife hadn't been too weak, would she have been allowed to linger on for so long?"

These words were somewhat treasonous, and the emperor's face showed slight anger: "We've already traded one life for another, what more does Minister Shen want? Do you expect me to give you my life too?"

"Your Majesty is too kind. This humble subject dares not accept such praise."

The emperor paused, then sighed.

"Minister Shen, I know you are heartbroken by the loss of your wife and daughter, and I feel the same pain. When Consort Chen and her unborn child perished, I felt the same way. But they are gone now, and you should look forward."

"Your Majesty is right. This humble subject will take his leave."

Shen Fuhan listened in a daze, still somewhat unable to process what he had just heard.

Before he could react, he was back in the mansion.

Life went on day after day, without a ripple, except when I went to see Wen Jiayue.

Except when he deliberately made himself sick so that he could see Wen Jiayue in his dreams.

He began to nurture Yao'er, personally teaching him to read and practice martial arts. He saw that Yao'er had more talent in martial arts, so he taught him even more diligently.

Year after year, Yao'er finally grew into a young man and married a virtuous wife.

As if he were about to be freed, he began to plan his surname change and started writing his will.

Every scene moves by quickly, and in nearly ten years, the entire dream has been told.

Shen Fuhan opened her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.