Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 168 He Has a Family

"Goodbye, brother." Shen Li said with a smile as she took her leave.

As Zhao Wencai turned to leave, he was also confused. Had he really remembered wrong? Had his brain become so bad?

Once Shen Li got into the car, she began to feel that the venue limited her performance. If there were no one around, she would definitely break several of Xu Zhiyuan's ribs.

However, the thought that he would soon be in trouble offered some comfort.

After learning about this, Gu Chang'an sat there silently, his gaze growing increasingly somber.

"Husband," Shen Li called softly from the side, and continued after seeing his eyes move slightly, "I was the one who hit the person, not the other way around. We didn't suffer any loss."

She guessed that Gu Chang'an had already sentenced Xu Zhiyuan to death eight hundred times in his heart.

She watched from the sidelines, and the more she watched, the more she felt that those who compared Xu Zhiyuan to her husband were being unreasonable. Was there really any comparison?

"He's incredibly audacious." Gu Chang'an closed his eyes, barely managing to suppress his anger, and said, "I will definitely bring him into my hands."

"He won't survive anyway, so please don't be angry, husband." Shen Li began to soothe Gu Chang'an.

Gu Chang'an realized that he had upset her, so he quickly pulled himself out of it and took Shen Li's hands, saying, "I had a great time on the street the other day, Li, do you want to go today?"

"I won't go today. I need to go to the palace early tomorrow to teach, have you forgotten, my husband?" Shen Li said, lying in his arms and looking at him, "I want my husband to carry me to bed."

Gu Chang'an smiled when he saw her acting coquettishly: "Okay."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Shen Li entered the palace, it was right after the court session had ended. The cabinet and the ministers of the six ministries remained inside the Meridian Gate to handle government affairs, and not many carriages left from the palace gate.

The servant driving the carriage for the Gu family had been instructed in advance, so he accidentally bumped into the carriage of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture while driving.

"Who is it?" Cheng Sheng, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, felt the violent jolt and immediately frowned in the carriage.

Their servants opened the carriage curtain almost immediately, and Cheng Sheng spotted Shen Li at a glance. The two had met before, and Shen Li's carriage and official robes made her easily recognizable.

"Lord Cheng, my apologies, my apologies. I don't know what got into this horse today." Shen Li immediately got out of the carriage to apologize.

Although Cheng Sheng was impatient, he still got out of the car to return the courtesy. He had very little contact with the Crown Prince Party and the Prince of Yi Party, and the Shen family was no exception. The two families lived in the same residence in Kyoto and were not far apart, but they hardly ever visited each other.

The two were closer together as they exchanged greetings. At this time, there were few carriages and pedestrians around the imperial city. Shen Li took the opportunity to say, "Lord Cheng, I would like to give you a reminder."

Cheng Sheng paused for a moment, then realized this was not an accident. He immediately became wary and said, "I will address you as 'Your Excellency' for now. I do not need any reminders and will not participate in court struggles. I'm afraid you'll have wasted your efforts."

He now knew perfectly well that Shen Li had deliberately blocked his way here.

"Your Excellency misunderstands. This matter has nothing to do with politics; it is a private family affair." Shen Li had her own rhythm, and after he finished speaking, she continued to explain in detail.

Instead, Cheng Sheng's expression changed, and he asked with great confusion, "What family matter is this?"

"His Majesty recently bestowed a marriage upon your daughter. What do you think of the prospective son-in-law, sir?" Shen Li asked unhurriedly.

The two drivers were repairing their vehicles, and their conversation didn't seem out of place.

“Zhiyuan is both talented and handsome, which is naturally excellent.” Cheng Sheng was an old fox. Although he had thought so before, he knew that Shen Li wouldn’t ask for no reason, so he asked her in return, “Does Lord Shen think there’s anything wrong with this?”

Shen Li nodded readily: "What if I said he already had a family before he went to take the exam?"

"What?" Cheng Sheng was genuinely shocked to hear this, and even with his extensive experience, he couldn't hide his astonishment.

Shen Li confirmed that he truly did not know.

“Lord Shen, you should speak with evidence. I know you and Zhiyuan are at odds, but there’s no need to provoke us like this.” Cheng Sheng quickly calmed down and instead observed Shen Li’s expression.

Shen Li simply smiled and said, "I'm not going to sue anyone, so why would I need evidence? I've just heard some rumors and don't want you to be misled by those with ulterior motives, so I'm just offering a friendly reminder."

"Then I thank Lord Shen for his kindness. I will investigate this matter myself."

Cheng Sheng couldn't discern any ulterior motives or flaws from Shen Li's expression, so he couldn't make any further judgments and simply went along with her, waiting for her to continue.

"Please keep an eye on things, my lord. I'll take my leave now." Shen Li said, then turned and left.

The carriage was originally fine and had been repaired. Cheng Sheng was still trying to figure out that the Gu family's carriage had already left.

He stood there, increasingly fearful as he thought about it. He had already requested an imperial decree to grant the marriage. If Xu Zhiyuan truly had a family, what a heartless person he must be. Marrying his own daughter was probably a sign of wicked intentions.

He only has this one precious daughter, and he absolutely cannot let her get married in a muddle. He must find out the truth about every single doubt.

Cheng Sheng calmed himself down, got back into the carriage and returned to his residence, appearing composed and not letting anyone see the slightest hint of panic. However, upon returning home, he did not handle official business but instead summoned his trusted confidants.

Soon, three plainclothes yamen runners came out of Shuntian Prefecture and rode straight to the outskirts of the capital.

"Also, investigate what he did in Kyoto," Cheng Sheng instructed. "It must be done secretly, so that no one finds out."

"Yes, Your Excellency, rest assured, I will take care of it immediately."

Cheng Sheng waved his hand, still holding onto a sliver of hope that Shen Li was just repeating hearsay. His other plan was that even if it were true, the truth must not be known to others.

Now that the Emperor has bestowed this marriage upon him, Andy Hui is practically a son-in-law of Shuntian Prefecture. If others find fault with him, it could very well implicate him.

Even though he thought it through carefully, he still felt uneasy. The Xia Yuan case had put a lot of pressure on him recently, and the timing of this incident gave him a bad feeling.

"Someone, go and send a message to Hanlin Xu, telling him to come to the mansion for a banquet after his shift ends today." He then summoned a servant and gave the order.

Although this matter needs to be investigated, the truth can be found out from Xu Zhiyuan the fastest.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After Shen Li got into the car, Shaoyao, who had been following outside, also got in and, with a smile, went up to Shen Li to massage her legs.

"Miss, your legs must be sore from standing for so long," she asked in a serious tone.

Shen Li touched the book but put it down again, smiling at her: "Want to know if what I said is true or false?"

"Mmm." Peony couldn't hide her thoughts at all; her curiosity was written all over her face.

"It's true, I not only have a wife, but also a son and a daughter. The girl is seven years old, and the boy is three." Shen Li said, her tone becoming more serious.