Chapter 93 Unexpected Turn of Events: A Storm Arises from the Ground Up; Can the Past Be Cleared Up? ...

Even though Wen Shiqin had a brilliant plan and had detained Zhang Mingxu, and the wedding arrangements were all in place, unexpected changes still occurred.

That day, he was about to ride his horse to the dungeon when Mo Ci, who was rushing over, stopped him halfway, his voice urgent: "Young Master! Urgent report from the Feng Mansion. The Old Madam has passed away!"

When he arrived at the Feng residence, the family was already making preparations for his funeral.

Ye Lingbo helped Su Jinxiu up apologetically: "Jinxiu, I'm sorry to have to trouble you. With such a great loss in the family, according to the rules of mourning, one cannot get married. Your grandmother has not yet passed away for a full year, so we absolutely cannot hold any happy events. It seems that your wedding will have to be postponed for another year."

Su Jinxiu nodded immediately: "Mother, don't worry, I know all these etiquette rules, it's alright."

When the two reached the corridor, Su Jinxiu's expression was calm, showing little disappointment. To her, since their hearts were already united, the wedding date was merely a formality, and being a year later wouldn't matter.

In contrast, Wen Shiqin had a deep frown and an unusually serious expression, his usual composure and strategic mind completely gone.

Seeing that he seemed so preoccupied, Su Jinxiu slowed her pace and gently comforted him, "There's no need to rush. It's only a year; it will pass in the blink of an eye."

Wen Shiqin immediately pulled Su Jinxiu into his arms. Su Jinxiu could clearly feel his body trembling slightly, the sensation penetrating through her clothes and reaching her heart.

They were not close relatives of Madam Feng, having only met her a few times. He was certainly not grieving over her passing.

So why is that?

She suddenly remembered that he had held her like this before, in front of the stove in their old home in Xiuxiang, and had been so fearful and trembling.

Su Jinxiu immediately hugged him back, gently patting his back, and asked softly, "What are you afraid of?"

Wen Shiqin simply shook his head slowly and said in a low voice, "It's nothing."

A storm arose out of nowhere, for none of the choices made before were right or wrong.

Seeing his deep sorrow in his silence, Su Jinxiu couldn't bear it any longer. She slowly released her embrace, gently cupped his face, and looked at him with clear warmth and certainty in her eyes: "Whether it's the worries of officialdom or the twists and turns of a changed marriage, think about it: we were originally alone, with nothing to hold us back. What we gained later was all by fate, and even if we lost it all, it's just returning to our true selves, isn't it?"

"Don't be afraid, no matter what, I'll always be with you."

Looking into her eyes, where there was no doubt about trust, Wen Shiqin felt a little relieved. He nodded slowly and was about to respond when he suddenly heard Feng Xun's urgent voice from beside him.

"Siyuan!"

Seeing this, Su Jinxiu quietly withdrew her hands from Wen Shiqin's cheeks, turned to stand beside him, and focused her gaze on the newcomer.

Feng Xun was dressed in a neat official robe, his face was solemn, and he was obviously in a hurry. His steps were brisk.

"Siyuan, is it true that the Censorate has impeached you for illegally detaining officials?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qin paused for a moment, then nodded truthfully: "That is indeed the case."

"Foolish!" Feng Xun exclaimed, his voice rising involuntarily, both anxious and angry. "Although Zhang Mingxu is only a low-ranking official of the seventh rank now, his connections were deeply entrenched in the past, and his administrative talents should not be underestimated. He may very well have the ability to make a comeback. The previous incident was merely a mild punishment. Now that factions are clearly defined in the court, the Emperor intends to reinstate him as a check and balance. How could you act like this? No matter what personal grudge you have against him, you absolutely cannot detain him without authorization! Release him immediately!"

Wen Shiqin did not answer immediately, but raised his eyes and asked, "Which official signed the memorial from the Censorate?"

Seeing his calm demeanor, Feng Xun also suppressed his anxiety, straightened his robes and regained his dignified posture. His gaze swept over the sparse bamboo under the corridor, and he said in a deep voice, "It is a memorial personally drafted by the Censor-in-Chief, which has already been submitted to the Council of State Affairs."

"You are currently at the height of your power in the court. I don't need to elaborate; you should be well aware of the ancient admonition that high merit can overshadow the emperor. You hold military power and are skilled in governance. Your excessive brilliance is bound to attract attention. How dare you do such an overstepping act?"

When Su Jinxiu heard that the two wanted to discuss official matters, she gently squeezed Wen Shiqin's hand and said softly, "You two are discussing matters, so I will excuse myself. What you say comes from the bottom of your heart, brother. Listen to it calmly and don't act impulsively."

Wen Shiqin turned his head to look at her, his eyes softening, and nodded in response, "Don't worry, elder sister, I know what I'm doing."

Su Jinxiu nodded, lifted her skirt, and left lightly, leaving no trace of dust behind, only a faint fragrance of orchids.

Back in her room, she unconsciously opened the book of miscellaneous notes from the embroidery alley again, examining each page carefully, but found no relevant records recently.

The grudges from past lives can still be clearly verified in the miscellaneous records.

Wen Shiqin's greatest sin in the past was turning against his benefactor, which caused him to suffer abuse during his exile and die with resentment.

However, in this life, when she recalled the past, the two of them had never met. When Zhang Mingxu had previously provoked and made things difficult for her, Wen Shiqin was fighting a bloody battle on the northern desert battlefield and had not personally experienced his despicable behavior.

So when exactly this feud began remains a mystery.

She then pondered the other two crimes committed by Wen Shiqin recorded in her notes: one was framing a colleague, and the other was silencing an old censor.

Finally, he closed the book and sighed softly.

With Feng Xun's earnest persuasion, Wen Shiqin will likely release Zhang Mingxu eventually. Once he returns, Wen Shiqin can gently persuade him, explaining the consequences. Besides, Zhang will soon resign and distance himself from the court's turmoil; these entanglements are unlikely to cause much trouble.

In the following days, Wen Shiqin, following Feng Xun's advice, released Zhang Mingxu. Su Jinxiu's heart was somewhat relieved, but his recent habit of leaving early and returning late, making his whereabouts unpredictable, added to her worries.

That day, Su Jinxiu went to Zuichunfang to discuss the spring embroidery orders with Yusheng as arranged. When she entered the accounting room, she saw Yusheng with her brows furrowed and her face full of displeasure, and the abacus on the table was being thrown loudly.

"What's wrong?" Su Jinxiu stepped forward gently and asked in a soft voice, "Who made you so angry?"

Yu Sheng pointed outside, her voice filled with resentment: "Go and see Ningzhu's state! She's lost a heartless man and is acting like she's lost her parents, always looking so gloomy. Who is she trying to impress? I kindly kept her here, but she's even neglecting her duties. If I had known this would happen, I should have kicked her out. Let's see where she can go after leaving my Drunken Spring Pavilion, and who will treat her so kindly!"

In the past, Yusheng and Ningzhu were both the most beautiful courtesans in Zuichunfang, rivaling each other and never giving an inch. Who would have thought that they would develop such a mutual appreciation now?

Su Jinxiu took Yusheng's hand and gently advised, "Don't be angry. Ningzhu is suffering. She longed for a home for so long, but it was all in vain. She wasted her best years in a delusion. It's understandable that she can't get over the betrayal of her true feelings. Since you feel sorry for her, please be more tolerant of her. I'll go with you to see her."

Upon hearing Su Jinxiu's words, Yu Sheng's anger subsided considerably. She sighed heavily and led Su Jinxiu to Ningzhu's residence.

Pushing open the door, a sense of tranquility washed over me.

Ningzhu sat by the window, the bronze mirror on the dressing table in front of her covered in dust. She wore a plain white dress, the light of which seemed to shimmer and conceal her slender figure. Her black hair was loosely tied up, and there were still traces of tears on it.

This was originally a matter of mutual consent.

Back when Ningzhu and Cui Cheng were having an affair, Su Jinxiu could see it clearly: a playboy in the world of pleasure, whose heart is like a tumbleweed, how could he possibly have any true feelings to give?

In the past few days, she had occasionally bumped into Cui Cheng and saw that he was extremely attentive to his new bride, serving her every need without fail, but Song Xianhui would often look at him sideways and not even bother to give him a kind look.

Su Jinxiu's love life was relatively smooth, and she met a good man. Yu Sheng, however, had suffered a heartbreak and since then hated all fickle men in the world, developing a sense of disgust and aloofness towards them. Therefore, when the two tried to advise Ningzhu, they both missed the point.

Su Jinxiu gently advised, "You'll meet someone better in the future."

Yu Sheng retorted angrily, "Men deserve to die!"

This kind of contradictory advice, which was both cold and hot, not only failed to ease the knot in Ningzhu's brow, but also intensified her sorrow, causing her to shed more tears.

Although their words of comfort did not touch Ningzhu's heart, their genuine care and unwavering affection gradually melted away the frost between her brows like a gentle spring breeze.

Half a month later, Ningzhu's complexion improved, and her behavior returned to normal. She resumed her old skills and returned to her former profession at Zuichunfang.

She was, after all, the most beautiful woman of her time, still possessing a graceful figure and undiminished talent, and soon attracted attention again after appearing on stage.

Who knew that as she was tuning the guqin today, the moment her fingertips touched the strings, a sudden wave of nausea surged up. The room was beautiful and the orchids were fragrant, but this only made the nausea more unbearable. She hurriedly got up, staggered to the door, and dry heaved incessantly.

A sudden chill ran through me, and a thought struck me like a thunderbolt.

Ningzhu composed herself and hurriedly sought out Yusheng, pleading with her to quickly find a skilled doctor to examine her. After taking her pulse, the doctor truthfully informed her: "The young lady is three months pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Yu Sheng was both angry and anxious: "You are truly foolish! Our Zui Chun Fang never forces good people into prostitution, how can you be so frivolous? That scoundrel Cui Cheng neither promised you a phoenix coronet and wedding robes nor provided you with a roof over your head. With just a few sweet words, you easily gave yourself to him?"

Ningzhu stood there blankly, her expression bewildered and at a loss, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow.

The good news is that perhaps through this child, I can see him one more time. The bad news is that this child, once born, will ultimately be nothing more than a concubine's son who cannot be seen in the light of day. He will either be despised by him or drift aimlessly through life. At best, he will only be an insignificant number on the Cui family register.

Ningzhu had made up her mind. Regardless of whether the child would ultimately bring her good fortune or misfortune, she had to see Cui Cheng, sound him out, and get to the bottom of things.

However, after Cui Cheng married his new wife, he avoided her like the plague, refusing to even step into the Drunken Spring Brothel. The Cui and Song mansions were heavily guarded, clearly not allowing her, a woman of the pleasure quarters, to tarnish their reputations, and there was absolutely no possibility of her getting close. Yu Sheng also kept a close watch on her, fearing that she would walk right into a trap and suffer further humiliation.

With so many obstacles, Ningzhu was helpless, and the only person she could rely on was Su Jinxiu.