Chapter 55 She gave him almost everything…
Chapter 55
He Hansheng originally planned to return to Huadu after the Mid-Autumn Festival.
However, he had just regained the power to deploy the city's defense troops and had many affairs to attend to. He had already exhausted his resources and had no choice but to return to the capital ahead of schedule.
Shen Suining expressed her understanding and did not say much. However, Shen Yan secretly hoped to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Madam Shuyu before leaving. Since he was already unemployed in the capital, it didn't matter whether he left early or late. Therefore, Shen Suining decided to return alone with He Hansheng first, and let the others wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival to go north with Shen Yan.
The return journey was rushed; the two had just recovered from their illnesses when they descended the mountain. Shen Yan was really worried about them, so he personally saw them off at the gate.
Shen Suining was somewhat speechless. "We're clearly going back to the capital in a few days, so why are you acting like we're going to be apart for ages?"
"I'm here to see you off on behalf of your mother. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered making this trip!" Shen Yan said feigned anger, accompanying Shen Suining and He Hansheng as they slowly descended the mountain. Along the way, he said many things, mostly about their health and repeatedly reminding Shen Suining not to act impulsively.
Shen Suining was so tired of hearing about it that she jumped straight into the carriage after reaching the foot of the mountain without saying a word.
“This child, really,” Shen Yan shook his head helplessly and looked at He Hansheng, “I’m entrusting Ningning to you. The mountains are high and the road is long, and it’s boring on the boat. You two have just recovered from minor illnesses, so you have to be extra careful.”
"Father-in-law, don't worry, I will take good care of Ningning." He Hansheng bowed respectfully, then turned to look at the carriage, seemingly intending to call Shen Suining.
Shen Yan saw through his thoughts and waved his hand, "Never mind, she won't come down. This child, like her mother, doesn't really like these kinds of farewell occasions. Besides, once she goes to Huadu, who knows when she'll be back in Yangzhou next time."
He Hansheng pursed his lips. "Then we'll take our leave. Father-in-law will be returning to the capital soon; please take good care of yourself on your journey."
Shen Yan nodded and watched the two get into the carriage and drive away. He only sighed and returned to the villa after the carriage had disappeared from sight.
Shen Suining leaned against the car wall and let out a soft sigh, "Every time we go on a long trip, it's the same old thing over and over again. It's so annoying."
"A mother worries about her son even when he travels a thousand miles, and your father-in-law and mother-in-law are also concerned about you." He Hansheng chuckled, noticing that Shen Suining's face was slightly pale and she seemed a bit tired. "I reckon we won't arrive at the dock until midnight. If you feel tired, why don't you get some sleep first?"
Shen Suining nodded, naturally leaned against him, and closed her eyes.
As the saying goes, the ward is like pulling silk from a cocoon. After such a minor illness, Shen Suining often felt weak and as if she could never get enough sleep. She lay down with her head on He Hansheng's lap, and the sun set just as she opened and closed her eyes a few times.
The carriage was still creaking along, and judging from the sound, it was already inside the city. Jiang Yuchu's voice came from outside: "My lord, the dock is just ahead."
He Hansheng responded and slowly woke Shen Suining up.
Normally, there would be no more passenger ships going to Huadu at this time, but Shen Yan had arranged for someone to make arrangements in advance to reserve a ship for them. As soon as the carriage stopped at the shore, He Hansheng spotted a brightly lit passenger ship next to the dock.
Shen Fengyu stood at the bow of the boat, waving vigorously at them. Behind her were many other people. He Hansheng was a familiar face; they were all subordinates of Shen Suining from Shuyu Manor.
He Hansheng was slightly taken aback by the large number of people present. He looked at Shen Suining beside him and asked, "Didn't you say that Feng Yu would wait for her father to leave together?"
Shen Suining exclaimed "Ah!" and patted her cheeks to wake herself up. She laughed, "The more the merrier! When Dad leaves, he'll naturally take his group with him."
She waved for people to come down and help Jiang Yuchu carry her luggage, while she pulled He Hansheng onto the boat first.
Shen Fengyu and the group stood neatly at the bow of the boat, all with bright smiles on their faces, bowing to the two men. Shen Fengyu stepped forward and said, "Young Master, as you instructed, I've gathered everyone. With so many people, you'll have to spend some money to rent a large courtyard to accommodate them all, won't you?"
"..." Shen Suining's upturned lips instantly vanished. She glanced at Shen Fengyu and muttered, "I told you not to talk to me about money right away, like I owe you something. It's annoying."
Shen Fengyu burst into laughter and stepped aside.
Shen Suining then pulled He Hansheng over and introduced them one by one: "These three are the three great protectors of Bifeng Hall, Ling Rui, Yan Zhen and Lan Zhu, you have all met them. The three of them are the best in Bifeng Hall besides Feng Yu. Usually when Feng Yu is busy, one of them accompanies me."
The three of them bowed to He Hansheng in unison.
He Hansheng looked at the three women who resembled Shen Suining in build, understood, and nodded slightly in response, "Thank you for your trouble."
"This is Su Xiyao from Jishetang. She is Shen Heyang's most valued apprentice besides Sister Miao. Her medical skills are no less than Sister Miao's."
"These men were sent by Pavilion Master Wei of the Thousand Machines Pavilion. Although their martial arts skills are not as good as those of the Azure Peak Hall, they excel in lightness skills. If you need to find some tricky clues, you can assign them to do so."
“These are the secret guards from the Vermilion Bird Pavilion sent by my mother.”
"Who are these people...?"
Shen Suining introduced the group to He Hansheng one by one. There were about twenty people in total, all of whom were top-notch talents transferred from various parts of Shuyu Manor. It seemed that she was not only planning to stay in the capital for a long time, but also to pull off a big heist.
After Shen Suining had finished introducing He Hansheng to everyone, and Jiang Yuchu's luggage had been moved, the boatman gave a shout, loosened the rope tied to the shore, and the boat gradually moved away from the dock.
Shen Suining clapped his hands and announced with a sense of ceremony: "Alright, we will have to trouble you all to take good care of us on our trip to Huadu. There are many powerful and influential people in Huadu with complicated relationships. After you arrive in the capital, you should lie low and not act without orders. Just follow the young master's instructions."
Everyone responded in unison, "Yes, young master."
"Alright, everyone go back and rest. The journey is long, so please take good care of yourselves."
After the others left, Shen Suining followed Shen Fengyu to the room that had been arranged for her and He Hansheng. Because she had poor sleep quality and had just recovered from an illness, Shen Fengyu specially reserved the quietest and most spacious room at the stern of the ship for the two of them.
The passenger ship's rooms were all roughly the same size, except that this ship was slightly larger than the one that came from Cangzhou, but the rooms weren't much more spacious.
Unlike when they came, there were many more people on the way back this time, and almost every room was full. He Hansheng could only squeeze into the wooden bed that was barely big enough for the two of them with Shen Suining.
Why aren't you saying anything?
After closing the door, Shen Suining sat on the wooden bed and asked He Hansheng, "Are you unhappy that I took it upon myself to bring so many people to the capital?"
“He’s your person to begin with, so how can you say he’s making decisions on his own?” He Hansheng shook his head. “I’m just a little surprised.”
"What's surprising? Surprised that I brought so many people?" Shen Suining laughed, patting the seat next to her, gesturing for He Hansheng to sit down.
Outside the window, the river stretches out in a vast expanse, the moonlight reflecting on its surface with shimmering waves.
Looking out the small window at the scenery, Shen Suining said softly, "Last time, because I didn't know why the emperor had secretly summoned Father to the capital, I didn't dare to bring too many people. I was afraid that if something happened, it would be difficult to evacuate. I only brought some skilled shadow guards to meet Father outside the capital, just in case. Now it's different."
She turned to look at He Hansheng, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Whether it's me or my father, we're planning to live in Huadu for a while, so of course we need to bring enough people. I've already spoken to them, so you can use them as you see fit."
He Hansheng was quite moved to see how well she had prepared.
Even though she only decided to walk this short journey with him, she gave him almost everything and held nothing back.
“Oh, right,” Shen Suining suddenly remembered something and explained, “Sister Miao probably won’t be going to Huadu with my father. She’s not feeling well and probably doesn’t want to go down the mountain again. Although Su Xiyao, whom I brought this time, isn’t as well-rounded as Sister Miao, she’s still an expert in medicine. If Grandma needs her, she can go and take care of her.”
When Shen Suining mentioned Miao Wei, He Hansheng couldn't help but voice a question that had been on his mind for a long time: "Since she doesn't often come down the mountain, why did she say her name was Miao Cuihua when my mother asked her that day? That was the name you used to fool me back then."
Shen Suining was surprised that he still remembered this matter. She was stunned for a moment, and then laughed out loud.
"What are you laughing at?" He Hansheng asked, puzzled.
“No, I just remembered that you said your name was Wang Tiezhu back then,” Shen Suining laughed so hard she almost choked. “You still dare to say I was fooling you? Couldn’t you just make up a name to fool me? Couldn’t you have thought of something nicer? It’s so awkward to have people calling you ‘Brother Tiezhu’ all the time.”
He Hansheng coughed awkwardly, "It's always good to be cautious when you're out and about."
"Of course, otherwise why do you think the girls of Bifeng Hall never show their true faces?"
Shen Suining laughed for a long time before finally stopping and then seriously explaining to He Hansheng: "But there's a reason why I used the name Miao Cuihua. Sister Miao was very sick back then, and her mother carried her to the mountain village. According to the principle that a small name is easier to raise, she was given the nickname 'Cuihua'. Later, after her mother passed away, my parents felt that the name was not good, so they changed her name to 'Wei' as her formal name. She is blind and never goes down the mountain, so when I go out, I use her face most often to represent her identity. That way, even if people remember her, no one can find her."
"No wonder." He Hansheng suddenly realized why Miao Wei used this name when she first met her mother. He had thought it was some kind of secret code they had agreed upon.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's go to sleep," Shen Suining said, taking off her shoes and lying down. "Tomorrow during the day, Fengyu and the others will definitely be making a fuss about playing cards and drinking, especially Lanzhu and Lingrui, those two can't stand being bored. I need to get some rest."
He Hansheng couldn't help but laugh at her: "You've been sleeping all day in the carriage."
"I'm sleepy too." Shen Suining closed her eyes and deliberately slept against the wall, leaving more space for He Hansheng.
Even so, after He Hansheng lay down, it became difficult for the two of them to even turn over, as the cramped space made each other feel cramped.
A moment later, Shen Suining sighed, facing the wall, turned around, pushed He Hansheng's arm away, snuggled into his arms, and muttered softly, "We've already slept together, why pretend to be so reserved?"
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