Chapter 115 Did I tell you to sit? Kneel!

Chapter 115

Even though she had already anticipated it, Shen Suining was still uncontrollably shocked and furious when she actually saw He Hansheng's face.

She was surprised that her guess was correct, and furious that her husband had gone to such lengths to keep it from her for so long. Shen Suining was absolutely certain of his skill, but she had no idea when he had regained his inner strength.

In her anger, Shen Suining tried to push He Hansheng away, but he grabbed the back of her head first. Then, a soft touch covered her lips. She felt He Hansheng breathing on her while lifting her up to float to the surface.

She was furious and bit He Hansheng hard until she tasted blood on her tongue.

The two surfaced. Shen Suining was furious when she saw He Hansheng's pale but smiling face, but He Hansheng's relieved and resigned expression made her anger seem to be vented on ice.

It was freezing cold, and the two of them were shivering as they soaked in the water.

Shen Suining took a deep breath, shivering as she swam towards the shore, and said coldly, "I'll settle the score with you when we get back!"

...

This was the first time so many people had gathered at Linjiang Villa, yet the atmosphere was far more frightening than ever before.

Xu Lan was pregnant and was sent to bed early by Ling Rui. Chen Zui was even worse off; he was like a plague god, and everyone avoided him.

After lighting the charcoal brazier inside, Lingrui and the others wisely made their way out, but halfway there they obediently returned and stood guard at the door, afraid that if the two inside really started fighting, they might tear the roof off.

Shen Suining had changed into clean clothes early and put on a warm fox fur coat. She sat on the couch, and He Hansheng knelt in front of her without saying a word, trying to warm her feet.

Shen Suining dodged, frowning: "Stop trying to curry favor."

Ignoring her coldness, He Hansheng gently wrapped her icy feet in his palms and looked up at her: "Confess and you'll be treated leniently, Madam. Could you please be a little gentler with your scolding?"

"Who taught you to be so frank?" Shen Suining raised her foot to kick him, but He Hansheng stopped her with his hand. She was furious and punched him hard in the chest, making He Hansheng groan in pain.

Shen Suining then remembered that He Hansheng had an abdominal injury, but judging from his appearance, it didn't seem to be anything serious, so she put aside her worries and continued to question him coldly: "Tell me, when did it heal?"

He Hansheng answered truthfully: "Half a month ago?"

Shen Suining sneered: "Half a month? Has Young Master He been given a drug to make him mute for the past half month? Or has he contracted some kind of disease that will kill him if he speaks? Should we hire a hundred or eighty doctors to take his pulse and treat him?"

About two weeks ago, around the time He Hansheng returned after handling Xie Chang's funeral arrangements, they had very few opportunities to meet. Their occasional conversations were either confrontational or political. The only time they had a real chance to speak frankly was the night He Hansheng was suddenly called away.

In fact, he was prepared to confess that night, but the military intelligence came suddenly, and he didn't have time to say it.

He Hansheng opened his mouth, but seemed to think that no matter how he explained, it would sound like he was just making excuses. So he simply accepted the punishment, pulled Shen Suining's hand over and covered his face with it, "Madam is right to scold me. I know I was wrong. Please punish me gently."

"Congratulations! Han Sheng!"

Shen Suining gritted her teeth and pinched He Hansheng's face hard. Even though it hurt so much that his face was all scrunched up, she didn't feel any better. Instead, she wanted to stab him with a sword to vent her anger.

Thinking this way, Shen Suining actually did it.

Having no weapon at hand, she grabbed the fire tongs from beside the charcoal stove and swung them around like a sword.

In an instant, the room was in a mess. The commotion was so loud that Ling Rui and the others outside broke down the door and saw that Shen Suining had his knee pressed against He Hansheng's chest, pinning him to the ground. The fire tongs in his hand were embedded in the ground. He Hansheng had a new wound on his shoulder, exactly in the same place as the one Shen Suining had stabbed him with.

She was panting, and without looking up, she coldly ordered, "Close the door and get out."

Yan Zhen glanced at her worriedly, as if she wanted to say something, but Ling Rui stopped her and pushed her out, closing the door as Shen Suining had requested.

Yan Zhen asked worriedly, "Young Master is in a bad mood right now, will something really happen to him?"

"Don't worry, Young Master is very sensible now." Ling Rui yawned, seemingly already used to this kind of scene. If her Young Master were really angry, those fire tongs wouldn't have been in the ground, but stuck in the Young Master's forehead.

Shen Suining's fingertips, gripping the fire tongs, turned white and trembled uncontrollably. She glanced at the wound on He Hansheng's shoulder out of the corner of her eye; it wasn't deep, but it was still bleeding, staining his clothes red.

She asked He Hansheng, "Why didn't you hide?"

He Hansheng gazed at her gently, his voice as soft as ever, "Are you feeling any calmer?"

Shen Suining remained silent, seemingly restraining her emotions.

How could she possibly calm down? How could she possibly calm down? The sword that pierced her shoulder almost killed her. Shen Suining had considered countless possibilities, but the one thing she couldn't accept was that the nearly fatal sword was stabbed by her own husband.

As if seeing through her thoughts, He Hansheng's gaze fell on her left shoulder, his eyes darkened, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, Ningning."

"An apology is useless." Shen Suining sneered.

With her neck sore from looking down for too long, Shen Suining pulled out the fire tongs, stood up, sat back in her original position, and casually stirred the burning charcoal in the stove.

With a cold face, she prepared to begin her interrogation of He Hansheng. The princess said that his recent actions were radical, which was absolutely true. Shen Suining didn't even know where to start questioning him.

"Did I tell you to sit? Kneel down!" Seeing that He Hansheng was also about to come back and sit down, Shen Suining threw the fire tongs at him and scolded him.

The fire tongs were inserted into the spot where He Hansheng had been sitting, sinking several inches into the wood with a clanging sound, which showed just how angry Shen Suining was. She had restrained herself when she was fighting with him earlier.

He Han sighed, silently pulled out the fire tongs, held them with both hands, and knelt on one knee in front of Shen Suining, adopting a respectful posture so that she could vent her anger at any time.

Shen Suining glanced at him.

He Hansheng had an upright posture and excellent demeanor. Even when kneeling, he was pleasing to the eye, unlike others who exuded a cowardly air that only made people angrier.

As she looked around, Shen Suining suddenly remembered what her mother had taught her. She said that as a woman, a husband's appearance is very important. Putting aside everything else, at least when you see a handsome face during an argument, your resentment will lessen. If you meet someone like her father who knows how to soften up and say nice things, your anger will subside even faster.

Shen Heyang often joked that it was a stroke of good luck for the Shen family's ancestral graves to have met someone as good-natured as Shen Yan, given that Madam Shuyu had such a fiery temper. Unexpectedly, this good fortune happened twice, allowing Shen Suining to also meet a husband who knew how to yield.

Shen Suining's mood calmed down a bit, and she began to calmly consider He Hansheng's actions tonight.

Given the current confrontation between the Empress Dowager and Li Bo, his act of throwing his imperial edict into the lake where Ouyang Lan drowned that day was clearly adding fuel to the fire. His actions against Li Bo's people at this critical juncture clearly show that he is determined to remove Li Bo from his position.

Such decisiveness and ruthlessness are truly chilling. If it were anyone else, Shen Suining would sigh, admire, and even praise his courage to be the first in the world and disregard his own reputation.

But this person is He Hansheng. He shouldn't be doing something that would be criticized by the world and despised by future generations.

Shen Suining remained silent for a long time before finally asking him, "He Hansheng, are you crazy? Your father is a meritorious official who brought peace to the world and is a hero praised by everyone. Do you want to smash the reputation your father worked so hard to build and become a despicable traitor who plots to seize the throne?"

He Hansheng chuckled softly.

He was never one to defend himself, nor did he know how to say nice things to his lover. After Shen Suining asked him this question, he simply asked her in a low voice, "But my father... he devoted himself to the court, and what did he get in return?"

Shen Suining froze, and the image of the hero's corpse kneeling with a sword in hand within the Seven Palaces Formation, along with the word "hatred" pointed at by the sword, instantly appeared before her eyes.

Yes, but what did he gain?

It is the king's unfounded suspicion and fear, the close friend's incomprehension and concealment, and the wife and children's resentment and quarrels;

He poured his heart and soul into quelling the internal strife for the country and its people, only to be lured into a deadly trap using this as bait.

He was besieged and killed in a mountain cave by the monarch he trusted, and his remains were never seen in the light of day for three years;

After his death, his wife and children were not treated well; instead, they became the weapons in the hands of those who murdered him.

His only son, completely unaware of the truth, worked for his father's killer and almost followed in his footsteps...

Shen Suining closed her eyes, her clenched hands trembling uncontrollably.

She understands.

She understood the hatred that He Hansheng suppressed beneath his outward calm. She knew that the emperor had killed his father, that the emperor had even used him to do shady things after killing his father, and that as a ruthless and incompetent bastard king, he deserved to die.

But He Hansheng cannot do this. Otherwise, what would it mean if she knelt before the emperor and stayed in Huadu to offer her sword to the source of all evil?

As if by telepathy, He Hansheng suddenly grasped her hand, gently rested his chin on her knee, and enveloped her with a greedy and affectionate gaze.

“You are my wife, Ningning,” he said, emphasizing each word, “No husband would let his wife be the sharp blade in the charge while he hides behind and reaps the benefits. I hope my wife will always be free, thinking only of happy things every day, instead of carrying a heavy burden that doesn’t belong to her.”

“Jiang Yuchu, Jing Hao, Jing Yue, and Feng Yu all often say that you are not as happy as before. My mother also told me that you have been married to me for less than half a year, and you seem to have become much more serious. You are not as carefree and spirited as when you first came to Huadu. I can also see that you have a lot on your mind. You don’t want to tell me, but I can probably guess.”

“Ningning, this is absolutely not what I want to see, nor is it the life I want to give you. If one of us has to bear those unfounded burdens, that person will definitely not be you.”

"If we succeed in the future, I will share the glory with you."

"But if I fail, I will face any danger, even the most horrific infamy. I will bear the blame for everything. I am not afraid of being disgraced or destroyed. I am only afraid that Shen Suining, the young master of Shuyu Manor, will not live the carefree life she deserves."

The two stared intently at each other for a long time before Shen Suining silently looked away and awkwardly said, "You make me sound like a carefree playboy."

He Hansheng laughed, "You're not a wanderer, you're a female knight-errant."

"Don't think that just because you say nice things, I'll forgive you for lying to me."

"So, how does Madam intend to deal with me?"

Shen Suining remained silent. She hadn't even considered how to deal with He Hansheng. After all, as angry as she was, once she calmed down and thought through the details of the whole matter, she couldn't really be angry with He Hansheng.

Although he didn't mention it, Shen Suining knew in her heart that just as she didn't want He Hansheng to do those dirty things, what He Hansheng did was also to help her get rid of the identity of the Shadow Envoy as soon as possible.

The revenge was taken on behalf of her father, but this radical style of action began when Shen Suining was seriously injured. From killing He Bufan at Dali Temple, every subsequent event was related to her. Ultimately, as he said, whether she succeeded or failed, she came easily and left freely. The court struggles had little to do with her. She was free to advance or retreat, incorruptible, and always had a clean path to escape unscathed.

But He Hansheng didn't say, "Everything I did was for you." If he had, perhaps Shen Suining wouldn't have been so moved.

Love that is unfettered and selfless is more precious and pure than anything else in this world.

Shen Suining's response was straightforward and passionate. She raised her head slightly and hummed softly, "Kiss me until I'm satisfied."

"I couldn't have gotten it."

The four words fell lightly, followed by a passionate yet restrained kiss. He Hansheng tilted his head back to kiss her, his posture devout, as if he were holding up his own god, his movements gentle yet maintaining a clear mind that did not overstep his bounds.

Shen Suining was somewhat annoyed. Since returning from Yunzhou, they had not engaged in any further intimate behavior except for kissing. At first, she thought that a rift had developed between them, which was why He Hansheng had retreated to a distance beyond that of a married couple. But now that everything had been said, He Hansheng was still standing outside that defensive line.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and question him, asking if the life-for-life internal energy cultivation method at Shuyu Manor had made him lose his manhood, or even grope him in a provocative manner.

What I got in return was even more intimate kisses and softer torment, like a hundred ants scratching at my heart, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.

The instigator slowly kissed her earlobe, her neck, and then down to her knees.

Shen Suining's fingers dug into the wooden bed, tears welling in her eyes, as she cursed He Hansheng as a bastard.

He Hansheng mumbled a reply, "Yes, he's a bastard. A bastard doesn't want her body to take any risks, but he also doesn't want her to be uncomfortable."

Later, Shen Suining learned that the Gu poison in Yunzhou had damaged her body. Su Xiyao told He Hansheng that the remaining poison in her body had not been completely eliminated, and if she became pregnant within six months, it would be life-threatening, and both mother and child would die.

Of course, that's a story for later. Right now, Shen Suining truly realized that people often said she was vindictive, but in reality, He Hansheng was the one who was extremely calculating and vengeful. He held her knees and bit her earlobe, asking her again and again, "Is this the kind of man Madam wants?" Hmm?

Shen Suining ignored him, leaving only scratch marks on his back.

After their tender moment, Shen Suining collapsed into his arms, drifting off to sleep. He Hansheng kissed her damp forehead and finally uttered the words that had been weighing on his heart for so long.

He said, "Ningning, I'm going to war."