Chapter 124 The Fourth Prince is Absent

"Girl, are we going out?"

Shen Anan nodded calmly, stood up and left the Begonia Garden, and Mo Xiang hurriedly followed.

Although the wind and snow stopped, the accumulated snow had not completely melted. It was the coldest time of the year. Shen Anan held a hand warmer in her arms, with no expression on her pale little face.

Knowing that his girl was in a bad mood, Mo Xiang didn't say a word along the way, but just followed Shen Anan out silently.

But on the way out of the house, he met Shen Changhe who was returning home.

"An An, where are you going in such a cold day?" Shen Changhe walked forward quickly and asked.

Shen Anan smiled slightly, "Since the emperor has granted me a marriage, I should meet the Fourth Prince and make some things clear."

At this time, Shen Changhe didn't want her to go out.

"He should come when the engagement is made, and we can talk about anything then."

Besides, even Xiao Yuan could not disobey the emperor's edict. He felt that even if An An went, it would not have any effect.

Shen An'an shook his head slightly, and did not continue talking about this topic, but asked, "Brother... Isn't there no need to attend the morning court? What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"I went to pick up Dad." Shen Changhe frowned, "Dad was transferred to the Ministry of War, but he hasn't returned home yet. Mom is worried, so she asked me to go to the palace gate to see what's going on."

"Where's Dad?" Shen Anan looked behind him, but there was no sign of Shen Wen.

"Still in the palace. It is said that Xuzhou is suffering from a serious flood, and the emperor has kept all the civil and military officials to discuss countermeasures."

"Flood in Xuzhou?" Shen Anan frowned.

How could it happen so early? As far as I remember, the flood in Xuzhou should have broken out completely at the end of the year.

The Ministry of Revenue could not allocate money, and no civil or military official was willing to go to the rescue. At one point, Xuzhou was full of starving people. The emperor could not sleep at night because of this and was very angry.

Who was the first to submit the memorial to the Fengtian Hall and push this matter forward?

"An An, what's wrong with you?" Shen Changhe waved his hand in front of her eyes, looking worried.

"Nothing, I just never heard you and dad mention it before, I was a little surprised for a moment, and I couldn't recover."

Shen Anan's face remained expressionless, "It's better to have more rain in the summer, but it rains and snows a lot in the winter. In addition, Xuzhou is cold, and there is ice everywhere. I'm afraid it will be difficult for the people to find food, especially the elderly, the weak, and the sick. This winter may be a bit difficult to endure."

Shen Changhe nodded, "Indeed."

Therefore, no official in the court was willing to take on this thankless job.

Because at this time, even if you go, you can only provide short-term disaster relief, which is a temporary solution but not a fundamental solution. After all, no one knows when it will not rain, and there is almost no money to be made.

Shen Anan lowered her eyes, not knowing what she was thinking. Seeing that she was absent-minded, Shen Changhe stopped talking to her about it.

He only told her, "Don't stay outside for too long, come back early, and don't get into a conflict with the Fourth Prince... Talk to him nicely. If you don't want to, father and brother..."

"Brother." Shen Anan looked up and interrupted Shen Changhe's unfinished words, and smiled.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Except for matters that conflict with Quan, she would not get along with Xiao Yuan.

After all, she will be living under the same roof with the Fourth Prince in the future. Only by maintaining a good relationship with him can she let go and do what she wants.

Shen Changhe frowned and watched her leaving back, feeling a little uneasy. He always felt that An An was very strange today.

That’s not right. Things have been different since last night.

"Miss, are we going to the Fourth Prince's Mansion?"

Mo Xiang helped Shen Anan get on the carriage, and told Uncle Zhong to drive slowly before getting into the carriage and asking in a low voice.

Shen Anan said "hmm" softly, lowered her head and stopped talking.

She didn't move, nor did she take a nap. She just stared at the car board with clear almond-shaped eyes, and no one knew what she was thinking about.

Mo Xiang opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but swallowed it back in the end. He sat quietly on the side and didn't dare to disturb him.

Two quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Fourth Prince's Mansion. Before Shen Anan got off the carriage, she heard the voice of the Fourth Prince's Mansion's housekeeper.

This person has been in the Prince's Palace for many years and is very smooth in his words and deeds.

“But Miss Shen is here?”

Mo Xiang lifted the curtain and helped Shen Anan get out of the carriage.

The housekeeper immediately said with a smile, "There is ice on the ground. I just asked someone to clear it away. Miss Shen, please go slowly so as not to get your dress wet."

He always speaks and acts in a thorough manner. Shen Anan smiled faintly, looked up at the door of the mansion, and asked, "I'm here to find the Fourth Prince. Is he in the mansion?"

"Unfortunately." The housekeeper shook his head, "My master left the house last night and has not returned yet."

Shen Anan frowned, wondering where Xiao Yuan would go at this time?

Did he leave last night, or went to Duan Mansion early this morning? She stared at the housekeeper with sharp eyes.

"Where is the Fourth Prince?"

The housekeeper was stared at by those eyes, and he actually had the illusion that he was facing his own master. He hurriedly said, "He said he went to Xiangjue Temple in a hurry, but I don't know what he did specifically."

He said it very sincerely, and Shen Anan believed it a little.

But, why did he go to Xiangjue Temple? Was he looking for Master Wenyin to calculate the two marriages?

The housekeeper kept smiling and stole a glance at Shen Anan.

He didn't know what Xiao Yuan was thinking, but he knew that Shen Anan would be the concubine of the mansion in the future, so he spoke very politely.

Shen Anan's half-closed eyes flickered slightly, she gathered her cloak, her red lips were blown a little purple by the wind, but she didn't say she wanted to leave.

According to etiquette, the housekeeper should invite her into the house, serve her tea and wait for her.

But thinking back to the wedding, the master only prepared one courtyard, Wutong Garden, and the housekeeper was unsure of the master's intentions. What exactly did he think of this Miss Shen...

Before he could wrap his mind around it, Qing'an walked out of the house and bowed in surprise.

“Miss Shen, when did you come?”

"Just arrived." Shen Anan's face was indifferent, and he glanced at the housekeeper on the side.

Maybe it was too cold, she rubbed her cold hands.

Qing'an looked at the butler very tactfully and frowned.

The housekeeper immediately said, "I was just telling Miss Shen that the master is not here at the moment and has not come back yet."

Qing An nodded and said with a smile, "I guess he should be back soon by this time. Why don't you go to the study and wait for a while, Miss Shen? It's windy outside."

Shen Anan seemed to hesitate for a moment, and only nodded slightly and relaxed when Qingan invited her into the mansion again.

Qing'an immediately led the way, although Shen An'an was already familiar with the layout of the Fourth Prince's Mansion.

The butler looked at Qing'an's attentive appearance and his brows slowly frowned.

Qing'an's meaning represented the master's thoughts. He thought that Wutong Garden was prepared for the main wife, and the master was not interested in Miss Shen, who was about to become a concubine.

What's more, he took it directly to the master's study, so the amount was enough for him to weigh it again.

He immediately ran into the house and ordered the servants to go to the kitchen to order snacks, tea, water, and fruits.

On the way, Qing An carefully stole a glance at Shen An'an's face and explained in a low voice, "Butler Zhao rarely enters the inner courtyard, and Qing Feng and I are responsible for the master's food, clothing, housing and transportation, so he doesn't know about the affairs of the young lady and my master, so don't take it to heart."

What happened between her and Xiao Yuan?

Shen Anan raised his eyes and glanced at Qingan, without saying anything, just giving a faint syllable.

"Um."

Qing'an pursed his lips into a straight line and stopped talking immediately.

Thinking that Miss Shen must be in a very bad mood after being granted the title of concubine, he must not say anything wrong. If he is disliked and punished, the master will definitely not speak for him.

He inexplicably felt that Miss Shen today was really similar to her master in expression and momentum.

Maybe this is the legendary couple look.

His thoughts drifted away, but he didn't dare to slack off at all.

Along the way, the servants in the mansion were very busy, coming and going with red silk in their arms, including some eunuchs from the palace. Just by listening to their voices, Shen Anan knew that they were not from the Fourth Prince's mansion.

But they were all busy at the moment and had no time to look over here.

Shen Anan thought that the emperor really valued the marriage between the Duan family and Xiao Yuan.

Qingan noticed Shen Anan’s gaze, his eyelids twitched a few times, and he racked his brains to think of how to comfort her.

"Well... the master only had Wutong Garden cleaned up, and before leaving, he also ordered his subordinates to personally watch over the layout."

The housekeeper didn't know, but he knew clearly that if there was only one prepared in the yard, it must be for Miss Shen.

He had followed Xiao Yuan since he was a child, and he knew his master better than Master Ling and Master Li.

The calmer the situation, the more it is a sign of impending storm. I'm afraid the master has already thought about it.

It is absolutely impossible to marry both girls just by looking at the arrangements made by the master.

While thinking, they had already arrived at the door of Xiao Yuan's study. Qing'an pushed the door open and led Shen An'an in, and immediately closed all the windows.

"My master suffers from the cold, and he keeps the windows open all year round. He will feel a little cold. I will ask someone to bring a heater."

"Thank you." Shen Anan sat down in the chair very politely.

Qing'an hurriedly said he didn't dare, and searched around the study room, and then hurriedly said, "There are books and memorials on the desk. If Miss Shen is bored, you can read them to relieve your boredom."

He remembered that his master had said that Miss Shen could look through those things at will.

Shen Anan glanced at the documents piled on the desk, nodded vaguely and said "OK."

Qing'an rubbed his hands, feeling a bit helpless. Since his master was not around, he really didn't know how to entertain him, and was afraid that something might be wrong.

After all, Miss Shen has a bad temper, and her master is a protective person, so of course, he definitely won't protect him.

"Well...if you are bored, I can take you to the master's bedroom...for a while."

The last three words gradually became unclear under Shen Anan's calm gaze.

The men's bedroom was not convenient for Miss Shen to go there as she was still unmarried. Qing'an realized it belatedly and pulled the corner of his lips reluctantly to change the subject.

"Well...Miss Shen, please feel free to do as you please. I will be waiting outside the door. Just tell me if you need anything."

Shen Anan nodded slightly, with a mild smile on her face.

Just then, a servant came in with tea and fruits. Qing'an immediately stepped forward to take them and placed them on the desk in front of Shen An'an.

Then he retreated.

After closing the study door, he let out a long sigh of relief and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He was startled and thought that Miss Shen came to make trouble with her master because of the marriage with a concubine.

The master was not at home, and if he did not handle the matter properly, he, an innocent person, would suffer in the end. Fortunately, Miss Shen was not an unreasonable person. Knowing that the master was not at home, she did not embarrass him, a subordinate.

Although Shen Anan was smiling gently and quietly, her cold aura was very strong, so Qingan felt that she must have come to settle accounts with her master! ! ! !

Shen Anan sat in the armchair without moving, and Mo Xiang stood by her side peeling fruit for her.

Winter fruits are stored in ice cellars. If you bite into them, they will break your teeth. Normally, they are heated by the stove before being eaten.

Neither the master nor the servant spoke, as if they were really waiting for Xiao Yuan to come back.

Qing'an put his ear close to the gatehouse and looked at the shadows of the master and servant through the window lattice before he was completely relieved.