Chapter 31 This young master is not someone to be trifled with. ...
Chapter 31
As night fell, Shen Suining finished washing up and lay on the bed reading a storybook when He Hansheng came in from outside.
Hearing the noise, Shen Suining poked her head out and asked, "Is Grandma awake?"
"He's awake," He Hansheng said wearily. "He's alright, just a little weak and needs to rest for a few days."
Shen Suining felt relieved and thought for a while, "I think I'd better not go tomorrow. Mother needs to rest these few days, and you're going to Jizhou. The mansion can't be without someone in charge."
"But you..."
“Anyway, we’ve only been back from Jizhou for a short time, and you’re coming back to Yangzhou with me anyway,” Shen Suining interrupted He Hansheng. “It won’t make a difference if we stay a few more days. Besides, now that the mastermind has finally shown his hand, I have to catch up with Xiao Jiu and the others and find him as soon as possible.”
He Hansheng's throat tightened, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
He walked to the bedside, squatted down, gazed at Shen Suining for a long time, and suddenly pulled her into his arms, gently embracing her.
"What are you doing? Are you afraid Feng Yu will bring Dazhuang and the others here again?" Shen Suining found it somewhat amusing. "They're not real wolves, just dogs that look somewhat like wolves. They don't bite."
“I know,” He Hansheng tightened his arms and repeated softly, “I know.”
The two embraced for a long time, and Shen Suining did not break free from He Hansheng, seemingly also craving his scent.
After a moment, Shen Suining finally asked, "Are you worried?"
"Um."
"Are you worried that while you're away, and your mother-in-law is sick, your political enemies might take the opportunity to come and cause trouble?"
“Hmm,” He Hansheng finally released Shen Suining, “Since you’re home alone, you might as well shut yourself off from visitors. Apart from your father-in-law, you shouldn’t see anyone at all.”
Shen Suining stared at him for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, "You underestimate me too much."
She crawled into the inner part of the bed, her back to He Hansheng, and continued to pick up the storybook, saying casually, "He'd better not come. If he does, I'll make him taste the sweetness and let him know that I, the young master, am not some soft cotton that's easy to mess with."
The next morning.
Jiang Yuchu led the horse over, but He Hansheng showed no intention of mounting it.
Feeling sleepy after waking up early, Shen Suining couldn't help but urge, "Aren't you coming or not? Didn't you say you were in a hurry, that's why you got up so early?"
Shen Fengyu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but kick her foot to remind her, "Young Master, you clearly came to see the Marquis off because you were worried about him. Can't you speak properly?"
"Shut up, whose side are you taking?" Shen Suining said, somewhat displeased.
Shen Fengyu reluctantly shut up, but Jiang Yuchu couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up, "My lord, didn't you also have something to tell your wife? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Shut up." He Hansheng glanced at him, but ultimately said nothing, turned around and mounted his horse.
"..." Shen Fengyu was quite speechless. She got up early to see someone off, but the two of them were face to face without saying a word. It was completely unnecessary.
After seeing He Hansheng off, Shen Suining looked at Shen Fengyu and said, "If you speak up for someone else again next time, watch out or I'll beat you up!"
Shen Fengyu silently rolled her eyes.
Shen Suining took a few steps inside, then suddenly sensed something was wrong, stopped, and pointed at Jiang Yuchu, "Why did you stay again?"
"Uh... it's because the Marquis was away for a long time and was worried about the Princess and you, so he specifically asked me to stay and take care of you." Jiang Yuchu chuckled awkwardly.
Shen Suining ignored him and went back to her room for a nap.
She got up before dawn to see He Hansheng off. She was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, but when she lay down on the bed, there was no one beside her. In the huge bedroom, she was the only one lying there.
Shen Suining suddenly felt agitated and restless, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
She lay on her side, gazing at the empty space on the other side. She couldn't help but think of the time when He Hansheng was around. Although they still maintained a clear boundary between them, apart from the one time they had intimate contact the night before last, they mostly didn't interfere with each other.
They didn't seem like a couple; they were more like ordinary friends lying in the same bed.
Even so, when he was around, Shen Suining felt more at ease and could sleep peacefully until dawn.
Shen Suining grew angrier the more she thought about it, so she simply got out of bed, washed up, and went to have breakfast with the Princess.
The eldest princess was still very weak and lay on the couch. Ming Le and Ming Xi served her food. When she saw Shen Suining arrive, she forced a smile and said, "Ningning is here."
"Mother-in-law's complexion is still very poor. Has the imperial physician examined her?" Shen Suining asked with concern for the princess's health before even sitting down.
"It's just that I vomited for a long time yesterday and haven't recovered yet, it's nothing serious," the princess wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and gestured for Mingle to take the food away. "I heard you found the person who poisoned me?"
Shen Suining nodded and told the truth: "He was a woodcutter, an unremarkable-looking boy. Yesterday, he couldn't resist being tricked and jumped out to admit it, but before he could be questioned, He Hansheng ordered his men to get rid of him."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess sighed, "That's just his nature; he can't tolerate the slightest imperfection. In the future, you should also try to persuade him more."
Showing no mercy to those who betray their masters is typical of He Hansheng's style. But what's strange is that he didn't even try to get anything out of the person; he just beat them to death.
After a moment of silence, Shen Suining finally voiced her doubts, "Has he already guessed who's behind this?"
The eldest princess paused slightly, but did not immediately answer Shen Suining's question. She simply dismissed Mingxi and Mingle.
When only the mother and daughter-in-law were left in the room, the Princess pulled Shen Suining close and whispered, "Right now, everyone outside is watching the allocation of the city's garrison. Those who will make a move before Asheng goes to Jizhou are likely to be the few influential figures in the military: the Zhou family, the Gao family, and Asheng's cousin. Asheng is not in the capital right now, and I am ill. If anyone or any of them comes to cause trouble, avoid them if you can. Do not get into a conflict, lest you give others cause for gossip, understand?"
“Uncle?” Shen Suining frowned slightly. “I’ve never heard Father mention that Father-in-law has a cousin.”
“Just thinking about him fills me with rage,” the eldest princess took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions in front of the younger generation. “This uncle of yours was originally the youngest son of Jingchuan’s eldest uncle. Jingchuan’s father passed away early, and his eldest uncle drove them, a widow and her orphan, out of the He family. After Jingchuan and your father achieved great things together, they eagerly came back to him. It’s truly hateful. It’s only because Jingchuan is a respectable person that he didn’t hold a grudge against them for the past and treated them the same as before. Now that Asheng has inherited the title, although there is some discord on the surface, Asheng still considers him as an elder and hasn’t completely broken ties.”
"I see." Shen Suining understood. No wonder she had never met this "cousin" even though she had been married to He Hansheng for more than half a month. So this was the kind of person he was.
Just as they were talking about Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrived. Ming Le knocked on the door from outside, "Your Highness, Lord He heard that you are unwell, so he and his wife came to visit you."
The eldest princess immediately retorted in an annoyed tone, "It's truly like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken."
“Mother-in-law is not well, so it’s best not to see her,” Shen Suining reacted quickly, calling Mingxi and Mingle in. “I’ll go and meet them. Fengyu, you stay here.”
After settling the eldest princess in, Shen Suining took Jiang Yuchu to the front hall to greet the guests.
Jiang Yuchu knew Shen Suining's temper quite well, and she earnestly advised her along the way: "Madam, the Marquis has instructed us that we cannot afford to break ties with them right now. Please don't act impulsively."
"Shut up," Shen Suining threatened fiercely, "One more word and I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Jiang Yuchu was on the verge of tears, because once Shen Suining's temper flared up, there was nothing he could do to stop her.
Shen Suining had just heard the eldest princess talk about the history between the two families, and she was full of murderous intent all the way, as if she was going to fight someone.
However, the moment she stepped into the front hall, her attitude completely reversed. She greeted them with a smile and asked, "These must be my uncle and aunt, right?"
When He Bufan and his wife Zhou Hao saw Shen Suining, they first exchanged a glance, then stepped forward with smiles. "This must be your nephew's wife, right? Oh my, Ah Sheng is so lucky to have married such a beautiful wife."
After everyone sat down, Shen Suining had Xiangye serve tea.
After exchanging pleasantries, He Bufan and Zhou Hao, being completely unfamiliar with their niece-in-law, were at a loss for words, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Seeing the two of them acting strangely reserved, Shen Suining chuckled, "Uncle and Aunt, why aren't you two drinking tea? Is it because you don't trust me, my niece-in-law, and are afraid I'll put something in your tea?"
The two men's expressions changed, and Zhou Hao forced a smile, "How could that be? It's just that the tea is a little hot."
“It’s almost autumn now, so it’s good to drink more hot drinks,” Shen Suining said casually as she picked up her teacup, covered it with the lid, and added, “Otherwise, you won’t know how to defend yourself if someone stabs you in the back.”
He Bufan lost face and immediately questioned, "Your words seem to imply something? Just say what you want to say directly, there's no need to beat around the bush."
“Why are you so agitated, Uncle? I was just trying to be helpful,” Shen Suining said with a long “Oh.” “Now I remember, although I’ve been married into the Marquis’s household for more than half a month, Uncle and Aunt neither attended the wedding banquet on my wedding day nor visited me afterward. They don’t know me. I’ve always been a straightforward person, saying whatever comes to mind. Uncle, please don’t hold a grudge.
He Bufan held his breath, not knowing what else to say, and simply said, "We heard that Her Highness the Princess was unwell, so your aunt and I came to visit her out of kindness."
As he spoke, He Bufan had a servant bring over the ginseng that had been prepared beforehand. "This is a century-old ginseng that your aunt specially selected. It's perfect for nourishing the body in the autumn."
"Thank you for your kindness on behalf of my mother-in-law," Shen Suining said with a smile, looking at Zhou Hao for a while before suddenly asking, "Does Auntie actually know about pharmacology?"
Zhou Hao exclaimed "Ah!" and stammered, "I only know a little bit."
“That’s perfect. I have a question I’d like to ask Auntie,” Shen Suining said, having Xiangye bring the ginseng to her side as she examined it closely. “I’ve recently heard the imperial physicians in the manor mention the principle of mutual reinforcement and restraint between medicine and food. Eating incompatible things together might cause poisoning, which would be counterproductive. Therefore, I would like to ask Auntie—”
Shen Suining stared at Zhou Hao with a smile, and said slowly and deliberately, "Is there anything that cannot be eaten with ginseng?"
Zhou Hao felt a cold sweat break out on her back as Shen Suining stared at her.
When she first met Shen Suining, she had no defenses against this seemingly sweet, friendly, innocent, and harmless girl. However, the first few questions Shen Suining asked made Zhou Hao feel a little guilty and scared.
Shen Suining's eyes were incredibly beautiful, almost bewitching, but when she stared at him like that, Zhou Hao always felt that those beautiful eyes seemed to have discovered something.
Zhou Hao couldn't laugh and forgot to speak. He Bufan stood up unhappily, pulled Zhou Hao up from the chair, and said coldly, "Since the Princess is not available to receive guests, I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."
He Bufan grabbed Zhou Hao and turned to leave, looking quite angry.
Fortunately, the thing Jiang Yuchu feared did not happen. He finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked Shen Suining, "Did Madam mean to say that she suspected that the calamus in yesterday's mutton soup was added at Madam Zhou's behest?"
"I didn't say that, don't try to pin this on me," Shen Suining rolled her eyes at him, and told Xiangye to take the ginseng away and throw it away. "Judging from your expression, I can tell that He Hansheng is particularly afraid that I will ruin his plans?"
Jiang Yuchu chuckled dryly, “The Marquis is worried about you. The intrigues and betrayals in the court may not be any less dangerous than those in the martial world. You may be able to dodge the open and hidden attacks in the martial world, but you don’t know that the struggles in the court are always bloodless. If you are not careful, your entire family could be beheaded.”
Shen Suining snorted coldly, too lazy to pay any attention.
He was loyal to He Hansheng, and his words and actions were naturally at He Hansheng's behest. He simply felt that she, a woman from the martial arts world, did not understand the methods of the imperial court, and was afraid that her behavior would cause trouble.
But she wasn't stupid; she always knew what was important and what wasn't. This was a matter for the Yong'an Marquis's household, and since He Hansheng wasn't around, she naturally wouldn't take it upon herself to do anything wrong.
Such repeated admonitions and reminders clearly underestimated her, which made Shen Suining very unhappy.
She stood up, preparing to go back to accompany the Princess, but the steward of the manor came to find Jiang Yuchu and said something that made Jiang Yuchu's face turn somewhat ugly.
“Madam, an imperial edict has arrived from the Imperial Study,” Jiang Yuchu paused for a moment, “His Majesty wishes to see you.”
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