Chapter 94 Aside from He Hansheng, she had never seen him before…
Chapter 94
It was freezing cold outside, and Shen Suining's body was so stiff that she couldn't feel any pain, let alone judge her injuries by pain. She wasn't good at that anyway.
After staggering through the snow for a long time, clutching her wound, Shen Suining finally collapsed and fainted in the snow.
She had bled all the way, and if she was lucky, she might be taken away by the city defense troops who would follow the trail of blood. Although this would definitely expose her identity, Shen Suining couldn't think of anything else now. Her last thought before losing consciousness was that she absolutely could not die so unjustly.
Fortunately, fate ultimately smiled upon her.
In her hazy consciousness, Shen Suining felt herself being embraced in a familiar arms, which carried a hint of winter chill, yet also the warmth that Shen Suining desperately craved at that moment. She tried to open her eyes to see the person clearly, but only caught a blurry silhouette before completely losing consciousness.
...
Early in the morning, the people of the Yong'an Marquis's residence were busy clearing the snow from the main road in front of the gate and in the courtyard.
The snow continued to fall until dawn before it subsided slightly. The branches in the yard drooped low under the weight of the snow, and the occasional snapping sound could be heard.
He Hansheng stood under the eaves, wearing a silver-white fox fur coat. From a distance, he almost blended into the snow. He stood there straight, staring blankly into the distance. People came and went in the plum garden, and each time he looked over with a hint of expectation, only to turn his gaze away in disappointment.
After waiting for a long time, He Hansheng finally turned to the side and said to Xiangye behind him, "Mother should wake up soon."
Xiangye couldn't help but ask, "Lord Marquis...aren't you waiting for your wife?"
No one knows what happened last night. The lady who clearly returned from the palace with the Marquis suddenly disappeared. Moreover, it is said that the Marquis sat on his bed before dawn, burning incense stick after stick, and stood at the door for so long. Anyone with eyes could see who he was waiting for.
Hearing this, He Hansheng glanced at Xiangye and said in a calm tone, "Madam was too drunk last night and probably won't get up for a while. Let her sleep a little longer."
Xiangye and Mingke exchanged a glance, understood each other, and replied "Yes," before heading to the Princess's courtyard to inform her.
The eldest princess was still the same as before, lacking energy, but her complexion was better than a few days ago.
Upon hearing that Shen Suining had returned to spend the night, she could not hide her joy. Mingxi and Mingle couldn't help but tease her softly, "His Highness truly dotes on his wife. He's always happier to see her than he is to see the Marquis."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "At this age, I have no other hopes. I just hope that my children are all well, and then I can rest easy."
"How could there be no other hope?" Ming Le helped the princess sit up and placed a cushion behind her back. "Doesn't Your Highness hope that the Marquis and his wife will give you a grandson soon?"
The eldest princess paused slightly, her disappointment evident in her eyes, but she quickly smiled again. "Of course we're hoping for it. But it's not the right time yet. Given our current situation, we can't expect Ah Sheng to use the child to keep Ningning here. Besides, I heard from him that Ningning was injured in Yunzhou and still needs to recuperate."
Ming Le said softly, "The Marquis and his wife's love is stronger than gold, which is obvious to everyone. In the end, it's just a matter of time. Your Highness must take good care of yourself. If the young master causes trouble in the future, you can help keep him in check."
After exchanging private words, Ming Le and Ming Xi each helped the Princess wash and tidy up before inviting He Hansheng, who had been waiting outside for a long time, in.
"Mother." He Hansheng greeted the princess and, seeing Mingxi bring over breakfast, took the bowl and served the princess her meal.
He observed the princess's expression and finally felt relieved. "Mother looks much more energetic today than she has a few days ago."
The eldest princess took the handkerchief Mingxi handed her and gently wiped her lips, smiling faintly. "You already have so many troublesome things to deal with outside. If I, as your mother, don't live up to your expectations, wouldn't I just be causing trouble and holding you back?"
Seeing that He Hansheng had come alone, she couldn't help but ask, "Where's Ningning? I heard she came back with you last night, why didn't she come with you?"
He Hansheng: "I drank too much at the banquet yesterday, and when I woke up this morning I complained of a headache, so I told her to rest."
“The wine at the palace banquet is all imperial wine, and Ningning has a high alcohol tolerance. Even if she drinks too much, she shouldn’t have a headache. I’m afraid it was too cold last night and she caught a chill.” The Princess didn’t suspect anything, but she worriedly instructed, “You have to take this seriously and ask the imperial physician to take Ningning to see a doctor.”
He Hansheng responded with a "Yes".
The eldest princess recalled what Ming Le had just said. Although she knew it was meant to make her happy, it would be a lie to say she didn't care, especially now that He Hansheng was sitting right in front of her. She scrutinized him for a moment and couldn't help but sigh softly: "Back then, I was always worried that you would be a blockhead like your father, someone who doesn't understand romance. I never imagined that after getting married, you would learn to be considerate."
He Hansheng smiled faintly and said nothing. After serving the princess her breakfast, he handed the bowl to Ming Le.
"You and Ningning..." the princess asked cautiously.
As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Although she had heard that Shen Suining had returned last night, she hadn't seen her today. The princess was still somewhat worried, especially since He Hansheng had been forcing a smile since he entered the room. He probably thought he was hiding it well, but as a mother, the princess could still see through his little thoughts.
He Hansheng paused, twitched the corner of his mouth, and was about to say something when someone came to report: "Your Highness, Lord Marquis, the Dali Temple caught fire this morning, and I heard... the one imprisoned there is dead."
"The Dali Temple?" The Princess was slightly taken aback, glanced at He Hansheng subconsciously, and asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean by 'the person is gone'? Does it mean they've disappeared, or..."
"Dead."
The princess gasped and suddenly began to cough violently. Ming Le and Ming Xi quickly stepped forward to help her catch her breath.
Seeing this, He Hansheng stood up and said softly, "Mother is not feeling well, so I... will not disturb you any longer."
"Ah Sheng!"
The eldest princess cried out urgently. After finally recovering, she leaned against the edge of the bed, her face pale. She looked at He Hansheng for a long time with slightly red eyes, and finally slowly said, "...Don't be rash."
After leaving the princess's residence, He Hansheng looked stern, his lips almost pressed into a thin line.
He summoned Jiang Yuchu and asked as they walked, "Are you sure the person who died was He Bufan?"
“Bai Yu handled it personally, so there won’t be any mistakes. However…” Jiang Yuchu paused for a moment before truthfully stating, “Our informant in the prison said that He Bufan saw someone before the fire, and he looked like Cui Rong.”
"Cui Rong is still alive?" He Hansheng frowned.
Not to mention that several forces are secretly hunting down Cui Rong, given He Bufan's personality, he would never let Cui Rong live, knowing so many of his secrets.
Even if he really does survive by sheer luck...
He Hansheng realized something, suddenly stopped, and immediately turned around and strode towards the gate of the mansion.
Jiang Yuchu was unaware of what was going on, but he immediately followed. He noticed a hint of panic flash across his master's usually composed face and realized, "Could it be... related to Madam?"
He Hansheng didn't answer, but quickened his pace. Jiang Yuchu understood what was going on. She secretly calculated the time and was almost certain that the "Cui Rong" that He Bufan saw in prison last night was most likely Shen Suining in disguise.
Now, people are after him, both inside and outside the city. If Cui Rong were alive, he wouldn't risk meeting someone who wants to kill him. His abilities are also insufficient to evade the pursuit of various forces and enter the Dali Temple prison silently.
Coincidentally, the time when "Cui Rong" appeared in the Dali Temple prison last night matched the time when the lady left the Yong'an Marquis's residence in the middle of the night, and she was also one of the people tracking down Cui Rong's whereabouts.
Although Jiang Yuchu didn't understand why Shen Suining did this, Cui Rong was now crucial to the overall situation in Huadu. If she appeared in the capital as "Cui Rong," it would definitely bring danger. While keeping close to He Hansheng, he sent a letter to Shen Fengyu and Jing Yue, doing his best to find the whereabouts of the madam.
At this moment, Shen Suining barely opened her heavy eyelids, her whole body limp like a ball of cotton, unable to come to her senses for a long time.
She didn't know where she was. The room was dimly lit, and she had lost too much blood, making it difficult to see clearly. She only vaguely glimpsed a figure beside her, but before she could see it clearly, she fell into a deep coma again.
That sword strike was so vicious, it was probably aimed at killing her. In her hazy state of consciousness, Shen Suining felt as if she had entered the underworld.
She heard someone calling her.
“Chen Suining…”
"Young Master...Young Master..."
The sound seemed to come from another world; she couldn't see anyone, only hear shouts.
"Young Master...Young Master..."
“Ningning… Ningning…”
The affectionate call brought tears to Shen Suining's eyes. She tried to pinpoint the source of the sound, but could only see a few indistinct silhouettes on the distant horizon.
Shen Suining recognized them one by one. Her father and mother were standing side by side, and next to them seemed to be her eldest brother, Shen Suian, as well as Shen Fengyu, Ling Rui, and a group of brothers and sisters from Shuyu Manor.
Their voices were mixed together, and Shen Suining tried hard to hear what everyone was saying, but a low and gentle call pierced through everyone's voices, landing right next to her ear.
"Ningning."
Shen Suining's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't find the source of the sound. The silhouette in front of her disappeared in an instant, leaving only an extremely clear back view.
He turned around, reached out his hand to her, his gaze gentle and affectionate. She heard him softly call her name: "Ningning, promise me you won't get hurt."
Shen Suining's consciousness suddenly became clear.
She suddenly opened her eyes, her heart pounding. The patterns on the roof beams came into view, somewhat unfamiliar. She remained stunned for a long time before she came to her senses and looked at the person kneeling beside the bed.
The man's brow was furrowed, as if he had been watching over her for a long time. His tired face was filled with deep worry, and he only relaxed a little when she opened her eyes.
"You're finally awake, young master."
"Xiao Jiu?" Shen Suining took a long time to react. She looked around and found the room's furnishings to be strangely simple, yet with an eerie sense of order. She asked in a hoarse voice, "Is this the Nine Heavens Beyond?"
Luo Jiuxun let out a soft breath, not answering Shen Suining's question, but with a few misty eyes, she said softly, "The young master has been unconscious for four whole days. During these four days, the doctors in Huadu have all turned their hair white with worry."
Shen Suining had just woken up, her mind still in a daze, and she hadn't thought carefully about the meaning behind Luo Jiuxun's words.
She composed herself for a moment, then asked in a calm voice, "Has anyone else come by these past few days?"
Luo Jiuxun shook his head.
Shen Suining: "The city defense forces haven't given any explanation either?"
"The city defense troops only said that a fight broke out near the Dali Temple that morning, and the person was killed before they even got close. In the past few days, the number of troops in all the streets and alleys of Huadu has been increased, and martial law is in effect everywhere," Luo Jiuxun paused, and gently comforted, "Young Master, just focus on recovering from your injuries. We'll take care of things outside."
Shen Suining didn't speak, seemingly extremely tired, and didn't even have the strength to speak.
She stared silently at the gauze curtains hanging from the rafters, the image of the masked man who had stabbed her that day flashing through her mind, inexplicably overlapping with the silhouette she had seen before waking up. Although he was covered by a huge cloak, Shen Suining still felt a subtle sense of familiarity.
In particular, his sword-wielding posture and the decisiveness of his fighting style were extraordinary; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to so easily force her into a near-desperate situation from the very beginning.
Shen Suining thought to herself that she had been in Huadu for almost half a year, and apart from He Hansheng, she had never seen anyone else with such skills.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com