Chapter 205: The House Was Stolen

The next day, Shen Ning went to Xu's private warehouse not far from Tongnan Bridge to inspect the stored raw silk.

Because they had stockpiled a total of 300,000 kilograms of raw silk, the storage environment and safety and security were of paramount importance. They also had to consider future sales, etc., so Shen Ning later decided not to build a private warehouse but to rent one instead.

There happened to be a private warehouse owned by the Xu family not far from the ferry Tongnan Bridge in the suburbs of Beijing, and many business travelers entering and leaving the capital would rent it.

With the support of the Xu family, this private vault is very safe and reliable. The only drawback is that the fee is slightly higher, but the larger the quantity, the better.

Shen Ning did some calculations. Compared to building a warehouse to store 300,000 kilograms of raw silk, and then providing security management and transportation costs in and out of the capital, etc., it didn't save much compared to renting a private warehouse.

Moreover, the Xu family's private warehouse has an insurance-like agreement. If there is a problem with the items in the Xu family's private warehouse, the Xu family will compensate in full according to the market price.

In the end, she stored most of the 300,000 kilograms of raw silk in the Xu family's private warehouse.

After all, it was professional. The private warehouse was well built, tall and spacious, ventilated and dry. There were also people strictly patrolling and regular fire prevention and pest control. After seeing it, Shen Ning finally felt relieved.

After the inspection, Shen Ning prepared to leave with July and Eryue and a group of guards. Just as they were about to leave, they saw Xu Zhiyi walking towards them slowly.

"I've saved them all here, huh?"

Xu Zhiyi glanced at the private vaults behind Chen Ning, thoughtfully saying, "Tell me, if your 300,000 kilograms of fine silk disappear tomorrow, I, your uncle, will compensate you with the equivalent amount of silver... can you accept it?"

Shen Ning looked at her quietly: "Then I will fight you."

This guy can do anything, who knows if he's joking or not.

Xu Zhiyize tutted his words and without warning, reached out and flicked her forehead: "You're so disrespectful."

Shen Ning was speechless: "Can you please stop touching me?"

Xu Zhiyi's eyes widened immediately. "How can you talk like that? What do you mean by touching me... Don't use such ambiguous words to describe your uncle."

Shen Ning: ...

"Let's go. It's on our way. Let's go back together." Xu Zhiyi turned around.

Shen Ning immediately refused: "I have something else to do..."

"Chen Xiuhe has been reinstated. Don't you want to know who did it?"

Xu Zhiyi spoke with a half-smile.

Shen Ning frowned suddenly.

The prince had previously tried to intercede for Shen Xiuhe but failed. In just a few days... who was it?

Xu Zhiyi leisurely got into his carriage, sat there, lifted the curtain and looked at Shen Ning with a smile.

Shen Ning was silent for a moment and then walked towards him, letting July and February drive behind.

She lifted her skirt and got into the car. Xu Zhiyi stepped aside and sighed in a fake voice, "There are differences between men and women. You didn't even ask me if it was convenient for you, and you climbed into my car like this... If it gets out, people will think that I, the Third Master Xu, am a dissolute person, and what will happen if I ruin my future marriage?"

Chen Ning had a blank expression on her face: "If you want a good marriage, it would be better if you look for Miss Bi Cha less often."

Mr. Xu San has been frequenting pleasure boats recently and is very fond of the new top courtesan, Miss Bi Cha. The news has spread throughout the capital, and Shen Ning heard it from somewhere and brought it up to criticize him.

But the next moment, the man exclaimed, "Why do I feel like you're jealous?"

Xu Zhiyi curled his lips and leaned down slightly to look at her: "If you give up that Prince Ding... I will only be with you wholeheartedly. There is no need to be jealous."

Chen Ning raised her eyes, deliberately showing a innocent look as she looked at Xu Zhiyi: "I've heard that my uncle has been familiar with the sages and scriptures since he was a child, so why does he always want to flirt with his niece... I wonder if others know that my uncle has such a special habit?"

Xu Zhiyi knew what a shrewd and unruly character Chen Ning had, but she had a deceptively cute appearance. At this moment, she deliberately acted innocent and simple to ridicule him... Xu Zhiyi just felt funny and annoyed.

He also knew about the moral principles, but he was just upset and couldn't help but want to tease her when he saw her... But he was just teasing her verbally, but she deliberately provoked him like this, and he couldn't help but have some other evil thoughts.

"I advise you not to look at me like that anymore."

Xu Zhiyi curled his lips: "Otherwise, there's no point in calling me uncle..."

Shen Ning sensed some danger and knew how unscrupulous this person was, so she immediately restrained her expression.

Cunning and clever.

Xu Zhiyi snorted and laughed: "Why, now that you're Prince Ding's fiancée, you're not afraid of anything anymore?"

He said meaningfully, "Xiao Nanchen is indeed a protective person... But what if one day you were standing opposite the woman closest to him and who matters most to him?"

Shen Ning slowly raised her eyes: "What do you mean?"

Although this person seems to be out of tune, he would not say such incomprehensible words.

The next moment, Xu Zhiyi smiled and said, "The Empress has come forward and the imperial decree has been issued. My good niece Xu Wanqing is appointed as the consort of Crown Prince Xiao Nanyu, and your good sister Shen Nian, who was born to a concubine, is appointed as the concubine of Crown Prince Xiao Nanyu...your good father Shen Xiuhe has been reinstated."

With just one sentence, Shen Ning was suddenly stunned.

Xu Zhiyi said slowly, "The Queen's reason is that Crown Prince Xiao Nanyu is deeply in love with Shen Nian, and Shen Xiuhe didn't commit a serious crime. So, for the Crown Prince's sake, she promoted the Shen family... Do you believe this reason?"

Of course Shen Ning didn't believe it.

A concubine who was not allowed to be seen in public was actually chosen by the Queen to be the Crown Prince's concubine?

Even if the Queen has always spoiled and pampered the Prince, this is still unacceptable...

"Since you arrived in Beijing, you've been gradually dealing with your good father who raised a concubine, tearing their faces apart and trampling them underfoot... I'm guessing you might want to do more than that, right?"

Xu Zhiyi chuckled, "Otherwise, Chen Xiuhe would have been more than dismissed from office. Is Ningning fishing?"

Chen Ning said nothing. Xu Zhiyi curled his lips and shook his head: "I just didn't expect that what we caught was not fish... but dangerous beasts."

Looking at the silent Shen Ning, Xu Zhiyi suddenly moved closer, his expression becoming serious: "You like doing business... I'll take you out to sea to see it?"

"In addition to Daxuan, Goryeo, and Wa, we can also visit the places where those blond-haired, blue-eyed people of France live... This world is much bigger than we imagined."

Xu Zhiyi didn't know what he was thinking about, and his tone was a little erratic: "Instead of doing something meaningless and dangerous, maybe we can just live for ourselves."

He said softly, "Get away from it all with someone who makes you happy, ignore all the things that bother you... and look into the depths of the ocean, okay?"

Xu Zhiyi spoke each word with great emphasis: "I swear, I will never hurt you again."

In fact, no one knew how much he regretted it.

He had never been moved by her feelings, so he attributed everything that happened in Xinzhou to a momentary impulse, so he seemed casual but was actually anxious when he proposed to take her back to Beijing.

Mr. Xu Sanye didn't think he would be attracted to a woman, especially a widow who had been married before, but he did have other thoughts, so... he thought a concubine would be the most suitable.

I can stay by his side without being too conspicuous.

He was indeed a little annoyed after being rejected by Chen Ning... There were many noble ladies in the capital who wanted to be with him, even if it was just to be a concubine.

But the little shrew refused.

But at the same time as he was annoyed, deep down in his heart he felt regret that he was unwilling to admit, regretting his impatience and carelessness.

But later, she became his niece...

With the intention of breaking off this entanglement, he deliberately pointed his arrow at Chen Ning during the Xinzhou Rebellion, because he had already realized his feelings. He was afraid that he would not be able to make a decision, so he forced her... to scare her and keep her away from him.

He did it…but regretted it even more.

She was indeed very smart and timid, and she stayed away from him from then on.

Xu Zhiyi kept telling himself that it was fine this way, they shouldn't have anything to do with each other... However, day by day, he saw his own heart more and more clearly.

The time he spent in Xinzhou was not long, but he somehow remembered every moment he spent with her.

It wasn't until she got engaged to Xiao Nanchen... and felt the sudden pain in his heart, that Xu Zhiyi finally understood.

He wasn't as indifferent as he thought.

He knew that Xiao Nanchen had drunk something unclean in the Prince's Mansion yesterday, and he also knew that she had left Prince Ding's Mansion very late yesterday... They were both adults, so it was hard for him not to think about what had happened between the two of them.

The overwhelming bitterness and jealousy almost made him lose his composure, but then he learned the good news: the queen reinstated Shen Xiuhe.

Xu Zhiyi was very keen to sense something and immediately came to look for Chen Ning...

He thought that Shen Ning should be able to guess it.

If that was really the case, then the conflict between her and the Queen would be difficult to resolve, and the Queen was Xiao Nanchen's biological mother.

He felt that if he didn't take action now, he would be extremely stupid...

Shen Ning didn't know what she was thinking, but was caught off guard by Xu Zhiyi pinching her chin: "Speak."

Those peach blossom eyes were unprecedentedly filled with seriousness and solemnity.

He said, "Just say the word and I'll take you away immediately..."

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves approached outside the carriage, followed by a low voice.

"Chen Ning."

It’s Xiao Nanchen.

Xiao Nanchen was originally heading towards Chen Ning's carriage, but as soon as he got closer, he saw Qiyue waving at him vigorously, and then pointing hard at the carriage of Xu Mansion in front.

Xiao Qiyue's face was filled with anxiety, and she almost shouted, "Your Highness, our house has been robbed!"

Xiao Nanchen was filled with anxiety. Before he could even think clearly, he immediately came to look for Chen Ning...

The next moment, the car curtain opened and Shen Ning looked over.

Meeting Xu Zhiyi's gaze, Xiao Nanchen narrowed his eyes, then revealed a somewhat false expression of respect: "Teacher."

Xu Zhiyi curled his lips in a smile.

Normally, he had never seen His Royal Highness Prince Ding be so respectful to his half-teacher... Was he reminding him of his own status now?

As Prince Ding's teacher, should he stay away from Shen Ning, the future Princess Ding and his nominal niece?

Unfortunately, he doesn't want to care about these things now.

Xiao Nanchen pursed his lips and looked at Chen Ning, then slowly stretched out his hand: "I'll take you back."

His movements were gentle and firm, but his eyes were filled with anxiety.

Shen Ning paused for a moment, then stretched out her hand… Behind her, Xu Zhiyi suddenly grabbed her other arm.

Mr. Xu Sanye, who has always been frivolous and unrestrained, looked at Chen Ning with a tight lip. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what he could say. He just held her arm with extra force.

But the next moment, Shen Ning broke free, and then helped Xiao Nanchen get off the carriage by holding his arm.

"Uncle, please go back first."

The curtain was lowered, and in the last gap, Xu Zhiyi saw Xiao Nanchen helping Chen Ning jump off the frame.

He slowly withdrew his hand, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then curled his lips in self-mockery...