To clear her father's name, Shen Chu cross-dresses as a man, passes the imperial examination to become the top scholar, serves as an imperial censor, and investigates old cases.
She moves...
Chapter 409 Becoming a Concubine: My Long-Planned Relationship with A-Chu
When he covered his eyebrows and eyes, he was surprised to find that Shen Qingshuang and Achu had a slight resemblance in their features.
Both have almond-shaped eyes, but A-Chu's eyes are clear and bright, and her smile is lively and mischievous.
Shen Qingshuang's eyes were soft and pitiful.
Luo Heng vaguely remembered that the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion and the Changning Marquis's Mansion were originally from the same clan.
By all accounts, Achu and Shen Qingshuang are sisters from the same clan.
Luo Heng lowered his hand expressionlessly. "Come back to Rongbaozhai with me. I will take you as my concubine."
Shen Qingshuang's eyes lit up at first, but when she heard that she would be made a concubine, she couldn't help but show a look of disappointment.
Luo Heng couldn't help but sneer.
Shen Qingshuang is now a dancer, does she still dream of becoming his wife?
The position of his legal wife can only be reserved for Achu.
Shen Qingshuang quickly concealed her disappointment, knowing that even being a concubine was better than being a dancer at Qingfeng Tower.
She said softly, "Qing Shuang is now your person, and she should be content to serve you."
Seeing that she did not resist, Luo Heng felt a sense of disappointment mixed with satisfaction.
If it were A-Chu, she would never have agreed to become a concubine; someone as proud as her would have simply walked away.
"Let's go back to Rongbaozhai."
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News of the reprimands against Prince Heng and Luo Heng, and Luo Heng's demotion back to the position of Director of the Ministry of Revenue, quickly spread from the palace.
At that moment, Shen Chu was watching Zhou Jun apply medicine to Li Chengxuan.
Just now at the meeting hall, I was so focused on confronting Chen Jiaying that I forgot about the pain.
Right now, as soon as Zhou Jun gets the medicine applied, he starts cursing and complaining about the pain.
"Tomorrow I'll definitely find out who that bastard who injured me is. I'm going to beat him so badly he won't know which way is up."
Zhou Jun applied the medicine to him while wiping away tears.
Li Chengxuan rolled his eyes. "I'm injured like this, and I haven't cried. Why are you crying?"
Zhou Jun's tears fell down in a steady stream.
"I can't help but feel sad when I think of Brother Luo. How could he have gotten together with Prince Heng? Ah Chu, what exactly happened?"
Think back to how happy the four of us were together. Are we going to become strangers with Brother Luo from now on?
Why don't we sit down and talk to Brother Luo and ask him if he has some kind of trouble?
"Can the four of us still act like we used to?"
Shen Chu rubbed her forehead and smiled bitterly, but she knew very well that the four of them could never go back to the way things were before.
Perhaps things had already subtly changed from the moment Luo Heng learned that she was a woman.
Or perhaps it was after Luo Heng informed Emperor Longqing about her secret meeting with Pei Yuan that Emperor Longqing sent her to Yangzhou ahead of time.
She knew and understood Luo Heng's feelings for her.
But she already had Pei Yuan in her heart, and was destined not to respond to Luo Heng.
She was grateful to Luo Heng for helping her find Lu Zhong, but she could not forgive Luo Heng for conspiring with Chen Jiaying to scheme against Pei Yuan.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhou Jun sniffed and still couldn't hold back his tears.
"Waaaaah... Does this mean we can't associate with Brother Luo anymore?"
Shen Chu said, "This is between him and me. Since you have no grudges against each other, you can naturally interact with each other."
Li Chengxuan rolled his eyes, looking like he shared a common hatred for the enemy.
"What's the point of this? We're brothers, why can't we just say what we mean? The people I, Li Chengxuan, hate most in my life are those who scheme and plot against others behind their backs."
His scheming against Prince Rui was, in effect, scheming against A-Chu.
Zhou Jun looked puzzled. "Why do you say that?"
Li Chengxuan's gaze fell on Shen Chu's protruding belly, and he finally couldn't resist.
"You and His Highness Prince Rui... the child is His Highness Prince Rui, isn't it?"
Shen Chu reached out and touched her stomach, then nodded.
"Yes, it is his. He just didn't know before. He only found out my identity when he went to Yangzhou."
Li Chengxuan was not surprised; instead, he grinned.
"Sure enough, I had a feeling that he treated you differently from others, and he went to the Flying Eagle Guard to be questioned as well."
Why do they treat us like we're not even human?
Once I get to your place, will you just read me a book and that's it?
"Ah Chu, tell me, has His Highness Prince Rui been plotting against you for a long time, wanting to have an affair with you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yuan's voice rang out from outside the door.
"Yes, I have indeed been planning this with Achu for a long time."
Pei Yuan strode in from outside the door, his peach blossom eyes filled with a smile, brimming with affection.
Shen Chu's heart skipped a beat, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
Li Chengxuan looked left and right, and couldn't help but pat his chest.
"Jun, don't you feel like we're superfluous here?"
Zhou Jun was still in shock at the news that Shen Chu and Pei Yuan were having an affair, and nodded blankly.
"Huh? That's unnecessary."
Pei Yuan glanced at him sideways, "Knowing you're superfluous, why don't you hurry up and leave?"
Li Chengxuan and Zhou Jun were already afraid of Pei Yuan. After just one look from him, their legs trembled and they instinctively tried to slip away.
Shen Chu said, "You two don't listen to him. I have something to discuss with you."
She tugged at Pei Yuan again, "Sit down too, and tell me what happened today?"
Seeing Pei Yuan snort coldly and obediently sit down next to Shen Chu, Li Chengxuan couldn't help but marvel.
Prince Rui, Pei Yuan, the commander of the Flying Eagle Guard whom all the officials in the capital feared, was now behaving like a kitten in front of A Chu.
Achu is his sworn brother, uh, his sworn sister.
In other words, he became Prince Rui's sworn brother-in-law?
With that thought, Li Chengxuan straightened his chest instantly, striking a pose like an older brother-in-law.
"Yeah, what exactly happened at the meeting hall today? How did Luo Da... Luo Heng end up sleeping with Shen Qing Shuang?"
Pei Yuan raised his peach blossom eyes and looked him up and down.
Li Chengxuan instantly felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head, and his straight back hunched over.
He moved his chair forward and leaned in, grinning somewhat obsequiously.
"I'm just curious, brother-in-law, why don't you tell me?"
Pei Yuan stroked his chin, and the corners of his mouth turned up.
"Not bad, you're very polite, buddy. If you can say it, say it more often."
Li Chengxuan's eyes lit up, realizing he had grasped the key to unlocking Prince Rui's secrets.
"Brother-in-law."
"Why."
One of them dared to call out, and the other was happy to respond.
Shen Chu was amused by the two's childishness and reached out to pinch Pei Yuan's waist.
"That's enough, hurry up and tell me."
Pei Yuan held her hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"It's very simple. Yesterday, Sun Yan discovered that Luo Heng might be the master behind Fengyun Pavilion. He met with Chen Jiaying on his way back to the capital."
So I had a vague idea that he would make a move against me, and I was careful about everything at the meeting hall today.
I swapped everything with Luo Heng: the wine pot, the wine cups, even the bowls and chopsticks.
Later, Zhou Jun came and told me to be careful of Chen Jiaying. I decided to play along and had them help me into Chen Jiaying's room.
As soon as I went in, I knocked Chen Jiaying unconscious, grabbed the incense from inside, and threw it into the room across the hall.
Shen Chu understood, "Although you took the incense, there is still a lingering aphrodisiac scent in the room. The little dog inhaled it, which is why it keeps chasing after Chen Jiaying."
By the way, how did you know Luo Heng would definitely go into the room across the street?
Pei Yuan chuckled, "He's been following me the whole time. The room across the street is the best spot to observe. If he wants to see me make a fool of myself, he'll definitely go into the room across the street."
"And what about that big white goose? Did you release it there too?"