0p0 Chapter 534 Suzhou
Chapter 534 Suzhou
Suddenly, a string of silver bell-like laughter broke the silence.
A pretty round face popped out from the door. The person was holding a food box, and the golden hairpin in her hair swayed with her movements.
Seeing Wang Zhiwei waving, she stepped over the threshold with her skirt lifted, "Sister-in-law!"
"This is my sister-in-law Su Yao." Wang Zhiwei introduced, paused and added, "She has the most lively personality."
Then he looked at her again: "This is... her niece from my grandmother's family. We should call her cousin!"
"Oh, I'm late and didn't come to greet you, cousin. Please don't blame me."
An Lingrong was just feeling like she had nothing more to say to Wang Zhiwei, when she saw her savior, she smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law, that's not right. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
"My cousin is an honored guest, how can you say you're disturbing her!" Su Yao had already affectionately taken An Lingrong's arm. "My cousin's whole demeanor is like a fairy walking out of a painting."
Seeing her sweet smile, An Lingrong relaxed a little: "Second sister-in-law is so charming and lovely, it makes people feel close to her the moment they meet her!"
Su Yao led An Lingrong to sit on the Luohan bed by the window and took out some exquisite snacks from the food box.
"This is the snack I just bought. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
"Second sister-in-law must have chosen something very good!"
The two of them ate snacks and chatted about snacks.
The atmosphere was harmonious, and Wang Zhiwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As it grew darker, the two said goodbye and left.
After leaving the Jiuhuaxuan courtyard, Su Yao pulled Wang Zhiwei's sleeve and turned around the corridor, lowering her voice and saying, "Sister-in-law, why would my mother-in-law let her live in the Empress's courtyard? Judging from the temperament of this cousin, her identity is probably not simple, right?"
Wang Zhiwei nodded: "Just wait patiently."
She used the word "serve" instead of "take care of".
Su Yao rolled her eyes and immediately understood what she meant.
Wang Zhiwei walked a few steps, then stopped again and said, "Sister-in-law, when you're free, go talk to her more. I think she likes you very much."
Su Yao smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, she may not be used to your cold personality. Once she gets familiar with you, she will definitely like you. I saw her stealing glances at you several times just now."
Wang Zhiwei suppressed the upward curve of his lips and nodded lightly.
When the lights came on, Shen Zishan came back home from the government office, changed into casual clothes, and went to Jiuhuaxuan with Mrs. Shen.
Shen Zishan knew that the Shen family's status as the most powerful family in the capital had a lot to do with this person.
He stopped three steps at the threshold, and Mrs. Shen walked into the house to report.
After a while, An Lingrong came out from the inner room and sat at the top.
Shen Zishan looked respectful and saluted with his fists clasped: "Your humble servant pays respects to the Empress!"
"Master Shen, there is no need to be so polite."
A clear voice came from above.
Shen Zishan stood up, but still kept his head down: "Your humble servant is ashamed. My humble abode is so simple and I have wronged Your Majesty."
"Master Shen, you are too kind. I am sorry for bothering you. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Shen Zishan talked about some of the protection, guards and garrison situations in the capital. These could be considered confidential, but he didn't think he shouldn't tell her.
Although An Lingrong didn't quite understand what he said, she nodded in satisfaction: "Master Shen is a steady and reliable person. With you guarding Hongxu and my sister, I can go out without worry."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
Hearing that she agreed with his guard plan, Shen Zishan's anxiety was reduced a little, and he asked, "I wonder what plans Your Majesty has for the future, so that I can make arrangements in advance."
An Lingrong told her plan: "I'm going to Suzhou to take care of some trivial matters. I'll be leaving in the next two days."
Shen Zishan and Mrs. Shen naturally didn't dare to say much.
Back in the front yard, Shen Zishan sat at the desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the map of Suzhou on the desk.
"Master, are you worried about the Empress's trip south?" Mrs. Shen brought a cup of tea.
Shen Zishan took the teacup but didn't drink. "Although there are secret protections from the Empress Dowager, it's too unsafe for Her Majesty to be with only one maid. If anything goes wrong, how can we explain it to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor?"
Madam Shen nodded and thought for a while: "How about letting Chuan'er go with her?"
"That's not right. Everyone in the capital knows Chuan'er. If he leaves the city, it will cause too much noise. I think the Queen wants to keep a low profile."
As the couple was thinking, the carved wooden door creaked open a crack, and a handsome face peeked in.
Shen Yunfei blinked his peach blossom eyes and said with a smile: "Dad, Mom, your son greets you two."
"You bastard!" Shen Zishan slammed his hand on the table, causing a few drops of ginseng soup to spill out of the teacup. "Didn't you remember to let me know before entering? You've forgotten the rules?"
Shen Yunfei shrank his neck, but still smiled playfully: "Isn't it because you two look so serious that I'm afraid of disturbing your business?"
"What's your business?"
"It's alright, my son just wanted to ask what the identity of the distinguished guest who came to the mansion today is. He even opened the middle door!"
"What does it have to do with you?"
"My son is just curious."
Shen Zishan puffed his beard and glared: "Get out!"
"If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. Why are you so angry, old man? It's so good for you to be angry. Your son will take his leave now."
Just as Shen Yunfei was about to slip away, he heard his mother calling softly:
"Fei'er, wait a minute."
Madam Shen pulled her husband behind the gauze cabinet and whispered, "Master, I have an idea. Should Fei'er go with the Empress?"
Shen Zishan was stunned: "Madam, you are confused. This bastard is too unreasonable. What if he makes trouble for the Empress?"
"Because he's so unconventional, others think he's just out sightseeing, which makes him less noticeable. Your Majesty and Miss Liuzhu are both female relatives, so they need someone who can show up in public. Fei'er is the perfect fit."
Shen Zishan was still a little worried.
Madam Shen continued, "Although Fei'er's behavior is erratic, he is still the Third Young Master of the Shen Family. If he reveals his identity, others will certainly give him some respect. This is better than revealing the identity of the Empress, right? Besides, if something really happens, it will be convenient for him to go to Jiangning Mansion to look for Yi'er."
"Madam is right."
The couple looked outside together as they spoke.
Shen Yunfei took a deep breath, two small puffs appeared on his cheeks, then he pursed his lips, carefully approached the green smoke rising from the rosewood incense burner, and slowly exhaled.
The wisp of tobacco was stirred by his breath and immediately scattered.
Just when he was having a lot of fun, he suddenly felt a chill on his back. He turned around and met his parents' meaningful gazes. His hair stood on end and he was about to run away.
"stop!"
Shen Zishan's deep and majestic voice exploded behind him.
Shen Yunfei's entire body froze, his raised right foot hanging in mid-air, unable to move forward or backward. He secretly gathered his strength, only to find that his legs were as still as if they were filled with lead.
"come over!"
This shout was three times louder than the previous one, and Shen Yunfei's legs turned involuntarily.
He secretly groaned. This damn bloodline suppression had never failed in the past thirty years.
"The one coming today is your grandmother's niece." Shen Zishan stroked his beard, his eyes sharp. "She's going to Suzhou. You should accompany her."
Shen Yunfei's eyes widened, and he poked his nose with his index finger. "Dad! I'm the Third Young Master of the Shen family, and you want me to be her follower? This is like using a Longquan sword to cut tofu—a waste of talent!"
"Great talent?" Shen Zishan sneered, "I've watched you for almost thirty years, and aside from fighting crickets and raising thrush, I haven't seen any great talent in you!"
His eyes suddenly became sharp, "This matter is of no small importance. If she loses even a hair——"
"Dad! You're going to break my legs again!" Shen Yunfei wailed and turned to his mother, "Listen, Mom! How can you say that to your own son?"
"What nonsense!" Mrs. Shen glared at her husband in reproach.
Shen Yunfei immediately smiled and raised his chin proudly towards his father - at the critical moment, his mother still loved him.
Mrs. Shen stood on tiptoe and gently brushed away the nonexistent dust on his shoulders: "If anything happens to her..." Her loving eyes suddenly turned cold, "You don't have to come back."
"Mom?!" Shen Yunfei was struck by lightning, and his handsome face wrinkled into a bitter gourd.
Shen Zishan stroked his beard and nodded, "Madam, this is absolutely true."
"That's enough." Mrs. Shen suddenly put on a motherly smile and patted her son's stiff shoulder. "Maybe she doesn't like you enough to let you accompany her!"
The next morning, inside Jiuhuaxuan.
After listening to Mrs. Shen's suggestion, An Lingrong looked out the window - Shen Yunfei was squatting under the corridor, teasing the cat with a piece of dogtail grass.
The raccoon cat was annoyed by his teasing and waved its claws.
Shen Yunfei moved and jumped a few steps away. He turned around and showed a smug expression to the cat.
So far, there is nothing about this person that she dislikes.
"it is good!"
Seeing that she agreed, Madam Shen smiled and took out a seal, saying, "Rong'er, this is my master's personal seal. If you have any questions, take this to the Governor-General of Liangjiang or the Governor of Jiangsu."
An Lingrong quickly waved her hand: "Aunt, I'm just going to visit an old friend and have some fun. There's no danger. There's no need for this."
Madam Shen said seriously, "Your Majesty, the Shen family's current status is entirely due to you. Now that you are outside the palace, we should do our utmost to protect you. Even if you don't need it, you should keep it. It's better to be prepared, and it will save your mother and me from worrying."
Having said that, An Lingrong had no choice but to accept it and told Liu Zhu to keep it well.
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【Thanks to the support of book friends.】
Let me explain it to my fellow book lovers here.
Today, a reader completely broke my heart. She read from chapter one to the latest, spending over ten hours, and I'm so grateful. She asked me why Shen San was included in this story, since it's not a story with a romantic partner. I immediately explained: The heroine's focus will be on her career, and due to the current climate, she needs someone who can be out in the world. I'll have a crush on her, but I'll keep it to a certain level. I can't write sweet romances.
Then she got into an argument with another reader in the comments section, so I deleted both comments.
She also said that the heroine was already dating Shen San! Up to this point in the chapter, Shen San didn't even know the heroine's identity. They had only exchanged a few words, so how could they be dating?!
I've divided the story into volumes since the heroine left the palace, and now it's volume 2. I think I've completed the story of the palace fight perfectly, so it's not a bad ending, right?
But why do I continue writing? I have reasons that I am embarrassed to say. If book friends don't like reading, they can read other books. I accept both bad reviews and negative comments. There is no need to be so extreme and disturb other readers (I apologize to that reader, I won't write his name).
When I wrote the introduction, I didn't expect the subsequent development to be like this. It's my fault. The introduction has been changed now.
The rest of the story is not long, and I will write it carefully. If you like it, please continue reading. I will be very grateful. If you don’t like it, I will see you in the next book.
Thanks again, bow! 】