Chapter 14 Are the gossips in the capital really this wild? ...
Chapter 14
When Shen Suining first arrived in Huadu, everything felt incredibly new and exciting.
The streets and alleys of Huadu are square, and the roads are wide enough for several carriages to pass at the same time. The houses are painted in beautiful colors, with red walls and green tiles, and are much more magnificent than the buildings in the south. Even an ordinary teahouse is three or four stories high and is very lively.
Shen Suining came with her father this time and didn't dare to stay outside for too long, but she didn't want to stay in the inn either, so she went to the teahouse, ordered a pot of Biluochun tea, and chose a good spot on the third floor by the window to sit and drink tea.
Teahouses are the places where news spreads most frequently and in the most diverse way. Sitting at a lively table, you can hear many shocking anecdotes. Shen Suining was quite curious about what kind of things people in the capital liked to chat about.
The old lady at the next table complained that her daughter was already an eighteen-year-old spinster and still couldn't get married, which worried her greatly.
Shen Suining twitched the corners of her mouth, thinking to herself: You, a woman in your forties, are calling a teenage girl old? You think you can win me over? I'm a beautiful flower no matter how old I am.
The scholar at the table in front of him hugged his companion, heartbroken, saying that after he passed the imperial examination, he was taken in by the daughter of a certain noble family, and had no choice but to abandon his wife in the countryside. He wept bitterly.
Shen Suining: Why does this rhetoric sound so familiar? Have all the vain and unfaithful men in the world received the same training?
The older men at the table behind him were even more outraged, saying that a certain official, despite his advanced age, not only had a large number of wives and concubines at home, but also kept several young gigolos as his advisors.
As if she had overheard something she shouldn't have, Shen Suining took a tactical sip of water, then heard the person at the table behind her say, "You may not know, but before marrying the princess, a prince consort was this official's lover!"
Shen Suining: ...
Is all the gossip in Beijing this wild?
Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Suining drank the tea in her cup in one gulp and went down to the second floor.
The second floor is mostly private rooms and elegant seating areas, which are relatively quiet and offer some peace and quiet.
Shen Suining let out a soft breath.
As Shen Suining walked through the corridor, she suddenly heard a few words faintly coming from a private room with its door tightly closed:
"...It seems that Young Master He is still secretly investigating..."
"...Be quick and efficient, or you'll end up like Gu Wenlang!"
"..." Shen Suining really didn't mean to eavesdrop; those who practice martial arts always have a more acute sense of hearing.
But... Gu Wenlang's name sounds familiar, doesn't it?
"Sir, what are you doing standing here?" The waiter who was delivering tea to the private room asked as he passed by Shen Suining.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, then Shen Suining heard someone from the private room say, "There's someone outside the door, go check it out!"
Shen Suining knew something was wrong, turned around and went downstairs, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Those who chased after them instantly lost sight of their target.
At the other end of the street, Miao Wei, leaning on a long cane, groped her way out of the pharmacy.
She carried several medicines that she had originally intended for Shen Suining to bring back, and relied on her memory to find her way back to the inn.
Because she is blind, Miao Wei moves very slowly. Sometimes she accidentally pokes the stalls on the street, which provokes a burst of angry curses. Some hot-tempered vendors even push her away impatiently.
While repeatedly apologizing, Miao Wei visibly panicked, quickening her pace and losing her footing, causing her to fall heavily onto a nearby vegetable stall, breaking the eggs in her basket.
The stall owner immediately launched into a tirade of curses.
Across from them, He Hansheng was strolling around with Princess Jinling.
The eldest princess knew that He Hansheng had suffered some grievances in court recently, so she half-comforted and half-instructed him, "Mother knows that you have been very tolerant of Grand Tutor Xue because he is an old friend of your father. But matters in the court are never as simple as seniority. Since you have your own principles, you should not give up your advocacy just because of his few words of opposition. As for who is right and who is wrong, His Majesty will decide."
"My mother's teachings are correct."
As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a commotion. Looking in that direction, they saw Miao Wei being bullied by a street vendor, looking weak and pitiful.
The princess couldn't bear it, so she turned around and instructed, "Yu Chu, go and help that girl."
"yes."
The eldest princess continued walking forward, "Also, I went to the Empress's palace today, and she mentioned that your father's three-year mourning period has ended, and it's time to choose a suitable wife for you from among the noble ladies. If you get married soon, your mother will feel more at ease."
He Hansheng suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Ah Sheng?" The princess looked at him in confusion, only to find that his gaze was fixed on the girl who had come with Jiang Yuchu.
After Jiang Yuchu rescued Miao Wei, she brought her to express her gratitude to the Princess. Miao Wei's face was the one that Shen Suining often disguised herself with when she was in Jiangnan.
He Hansheng was momentarily dazed.
The princess glanced at him and said to Miao Wei, "Where does the young lady live? I'll have someone escort her home."
"Thank you, Madam, but there's no need to trouble yourself." After bowing her thanks, Miao Wei leaned on her cane and slowly moved forward, noticeably more cautious than before.
"Yu Chu." He Hansheng gave Jiang Yu Chu a look, and Jiang Yu Chu immediately understood and secretly followed.
The eldest princess smiled slightly, "You're quite kind-hearted today."
“My mother is kind-hearted. If I don’t have someone escort her, I’m afraid she’ll keep worrying about it,” He Hansheng replied flawlessly.
The eldest princess, unaware of anything amiss, nodded with satisfaction.
...
Although Miao Wei had no martial arts skills, her intuition was very sharp, and she quickly realized that someone was following her.
She quickly turned the corner and walked in the opposite direction from the inn.
Jiang Yuchu noticed that she suddenly turned into a secluded alley and found it strange, so he followed her. However, he couldn't find her anywhere in the alley, from one end to the other.
In the courtyard separated from the alley by only one wall, Shen Suining covered Miao Wei's mouth and only let go after confirming that it was safe.
Shen Suining was about to ask Miao Wei why she had run out when she noticed the medicine bag in her hand and frowned. "Didn't we agree that I would bring it back for you?"
“You walked too fast. I mentioned a few medicines later, but you probably didn’t hear any of them,” Miao Wei said, her face covered in dirt, but her smile remained gentle. “So I went out to buy them myself.”
"Are you alright?"
Miao Wei shook her head.
Shen Suining breathed a sigh of relief and took Miao Wei's hand, "You can't do this again next time. If there are really medicinal herbs that you urgently need and can't wait for me to come back, you should ask Feng Yu to buy them."
"I asked the shopkeeper and he said the pharmacy wasn't far, so I thought I'd go," Miao Wei said somewhat awkwardly. "But I'll listen to Ningning and it's better not to go out in the future, otherwise I'll just cause trouble for others."
“If you really want to go out, then let Feng Yu go with you,” Shen Suining raised his fist, “but if anyone dares to say you’re causing trouble, I’ll beat them up!”
When Shen Suining brought Miao Wei back to the inn, Shen Fengyu was already awake. She yawned and said, "Uncle Xun said that the master won't be having dinner with us tonight and that we should take care of ourselves."
"Did he give you money?" Shen Suining asked without hesitation.
"..." Shen Fengyu choked for a moment, "You really are something else."
As she spoke, Shen Fengyu took out a silver ingot from her sleeve, and Shen Suining immediately beamed with joy, "That's easy. As long as the money is right, I'm willing to not eat with us every day, let alone today."
Shen Fengyu: "..."
As the two were discussing what to eat, Miao Wei suddenly said, "You guys go eat out, I won't go."
"Why?" they both asked in unison.
Shen Suining recalled what had just happened. "Are you afraid that the person who was following you will target you again?"
"What? Sister Miao was just followed?" Before Miao Wei could speak, Shen Fengyu began to scold Shen Suining, "Young Master, this is wrong of you. How could you leave Sister Miao behind and run away?"
"It's not Ningning's fault, it was my carelessness," Miao Wei quickly explained on Shen Suining's behalf.
“Sister Miao, come out to eat with us. After all, Huadu is so far away, and it’s not easy for you to come all this way,” Shen Fengyu said to Shen Suining meaningfully. “It’s okay. Although some people are unreliable, I’m here too, aren’t I?”
Shen Suining: "..."
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