Chapter 37 You can't spoil Ningning too much...
Chapter 37
Shen Suining returned to the Yong'an Marquis's residence and learned that He Hansheng had not gone out today, but was in the study.
It was still early, so she thought she would go find him and ask if he wanted to go to Pu She to have lunch with Shen Yan.
Shen Suining stood in front of the study and saw that the door was closed. Jiang Yuchu was guarding the door, but when he saw that it was her, he did not stop her.
So, as usual, Shen Suining pushed open the door to the study.
"He Hansheng—" She had just called out his name when she realized that there was not only He Hansheng in the study, but also another man. The two were sitting face to face across the table, seemingly talking about something. Hearing the noise, they both looked at her.
Upon seeing Shen Suining, the man stood up and bowed, saying, "This must be your wife."
Shen Suining felt a little embarrassed, but still returned the greeting and asked He Hansheng, "And who is this?"
“This is Lin Ling, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review,” He Hansheng beckoned to Shen Suining, signaling her to come over. “He was originally in charge of handling the cases of embezzlement by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, but now Zhou Fu has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and the former Minister of Revenue, Zhu Han, could not bear the torture and confessed everything in prison.”
Shen Suining sat down next to He Hansheng, looking slightly awkward. "You're discussing business, what am I doing sitting here?"
“We’re almost done talking,” He Hansheng pulled Shen Suining’s cushion closer to him and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I’ve already sent word that we’ll be having lunch at your father’s place later.”
Lin Ling sat down again. Seeing that He Hansheng did not shy away from Shen Suining, she spoke frankly, "Zhu Han's confession stated that he only received 20% of the money they embezzled, and the majority went to Zhou Fu. However, Zhou Fu's house has been confiscated, and all the gold and silver in his possession only amounted to 10%, with the whereabouts of the remaining 70% unknown."
He Hansheng pondered for a moment, "Didn't you say that the Zhou family's butler and wife both mentioned that Zhou Fu had a ledger for splitting accounts?"
“Zhu Han’s confession also mentioned it, but I turned the Zhou family upside down and still couldn’t find it,” Lin Ling paused and lowered her voice, “This case probably can’t go any further, just like Princess Biyue three years ago. His Majesty has already gotten the result he wanted, and the interests of his subordinates have been protected.”
"It's good that you know what's going on." He Hansheng glanced at him, understanding that Lin Ling was also extremely unwilling, yet helpless. He had experienced that feeling before, and for a moment, he felt a sense of sympathy for him.
But he said nothing more, nor could he say anything. This was the prevailing trend in the court, and it was these honest officials who were wholeheartedly trying to get things done who were submerged.
After Lin Ling left, He Hansheng was still organizing the case files he had brought over.
Shen Suining asked with some curiosity, "You not only manage the military, but you also oversee investigations?"
“Zhou Fu’s corruption and bribery mostly came from the city defense army’s embezzlement of funds. Now that the city defense army is under my control, I will naturally cooperate.”
"What about Princess Biyue's case?"
“Princess Biyue is His Majesty’s most beloved daughter, and she is also my cousin. Her affairs concern the face of the imperial family, and His Majesty does not trust anyone else to handle them, so only I can do it.”
“It’s been three years already,” Shen Suining said with a sigh, recalling how the two of them had fought so many times over Sheng Qingge. “Was the case finally closed? Who killed Princess Biyue? And who was determined to kill Sheng Qingge?”
He Hansheng put away the case file and thought for a while. "I don't know who wanted to kill Sheng Qingge, but the Dali Temple's final conclusion was that the prince consort killed the princess and then committed suicide out of fear of punishment. The case was closed at that point, and no one continued to investigate."
Seeing Shen Suining deep in thought, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
“No, I just remembered that when I fought with Sheng Qingge, she said she just wanted to live, seemingly because she knew something she shouldn’t have known,” Shen Suining paused, “and the assassin who was chasing her also told me not to interfere with Shuyu Manor, because Sheng Qingge offended someone she shouldn’t have, which led to her death.”
He Hansheng stared at Shen Suining's unusually serious expression for a while, then suddenly reached out and pinched her face.
Her cheeks were full, like freshly peeled eggs, white and tender, with a wonderful feel.
Shen Suining's thoughts were instantly interrupted, her eyes widening in anger, "What are you doing!"
"I have a gift for you."
What is it?
He Hansheng took out a brocade box from under the table and handed it to Shen Suining, "I brought this back from Jizhou. You should like it."
Intrigued by his words, Shen Suining took the brocade box and opened it, revealing a pair of gold bracelets inlaid with agate.
"Who would like such a tacky thing?" Shen Suining's lips almost curled up to the sky. She took out the bracelet, held it up, closed one eye, and looked at He Hansheng through the circle in the middle. Her eyes were filled with uncontrollable joy.
Why did it take you so long to give it to me?
"Wasn't it because you gave me a big gift as soon as I got back?"
Shen Suining knew what he was talking about, and felt a little embarrassed, even lowering her voice, "Isn't this matter over and done with..."
He Hansheng curled the corners of his mouth, pulled her wrist, and took out another bracelet to put on her wrist.
Her wrists were fair and slender, with a small cinnabar mole on the inside of her left wrist. The gold bracelet inlaid with red agate complemented her skin tone perfectly.
Do you like it?
"good."
Shen Suining stubbornly refused to admit it, but she was actually overjoyed. She consciously handed the other bracelet to He Hansheng and held out her hand for him to put on her.
He Hansheng cooperated and put it on her, then took the opportunity to wrap her small hand in his palm and gently stroked the back of her hand through the gauze.
“Let’s go,” He Hansheng stood up and pulled Shen Suining up as well. “Father-in-law must be getting impatient.”
...
Pu She.
Upon receiving the news, Shen Yan had the kitchen prepare the meal early on, and when it was almost time, he personally went to the door to wait.
Even Xun Zong couldn't help but laugh, "It's only been two days since I last saw the young master, but the master is acting like it's been two years."
“What do you know?” Shen Yan sighed, his face full of the sadness of an old father. “Once Ningning is married, she’s like water spilled from a cup. Now she’s starting to side with that brat. I don’t know how many more times she’ll come to see me.”
"No matter how much the young master favors the young marquis, he must always have you in his heart."
Hearing this made Shen Yan feel much better.
A short while later, the carriage from the Yong'an Marquis's residence arrived. Shen Fengyu and Jiang Yuchu jumped out of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and He Hansheng came out from inside.
He got off the carriage first, and after Shen Suining came out, he put his arm around her waist and carried her down, looking exceptionally intimate and considerate.
Shen Yan felt a mix of bittersweet emotions, a sense of relief and joy.
"Father-in-law," He Hansheng bowed to Shen Yan, who quickly took his hand. "No need for such formalities, come inside. Ningning—"
He saw Shen Suining still calling out something by the carriage, the bandage on her right hand particularly noticeable.
Shen Yan immediately exploded, taking a few steps forward down the steps, "Ningning, what happened to your hand?"
"Oh, I got a minor cut while practicing swordsmanship. He Hansheng insisted on making a big deal out of it and covered it up until it smelled bad." Shen Suining said as she removed the bandage. Shen Yan could see clearly that it was indeed just a minor abrasion, with only a little bleeding and some redness and swelling due to the hot weather.
Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "It's still best to be careful."
Shen Suining tossed the removed bandages aside and had Jiang Yuchu carry the two jars of wine off the carriage. "This is wine that He Hansheng brought for you. It's been making my mouth water the whole way here. It smells so good."
Shen Suining couldn't stop talking about He Hansheng, which made Shen Yan feel a little uncomfortable. But when he thought that Ningning would have He Hansheng by her side in the future, just like he and Shuyu would, he felt a little more at ease.
Throughout the entire lunch, Shen Yan maintained this contradictory and conflicted mood.
He Hansheng came to seek advice from Shen Yan. He didn't have much experience in managing troops. Although the Marquis's mansion had its own soldiers, the regulations had already been set by his father, so he didn't have to worry about them too much. However, the number of city defense troops this time was ten times that of the soldiers. In addition, the Ministry of War was involved in embezzlement and bribery, so the morale of the entire force was extremely poor, and there were also significant vacancies in the number of soldiers. It would not be an easy task to reorganize and restore the fighting strength in a short period of time.
After lunch, Shen Yan took He Hansheng to the study. The two talked from day to night. Shen Yan shared all his experience and quickly discussed several solutions with He Hansheng that could be implemented immediately.
Shen Yan stayed for dinner with them, and then he and He Hansheng used a sand table to conduct simulations and adjust the specific implementation strategies of the plan. By the time the several plans were almost perfected, it was already midnight.
He Hansheng finished organizing the written plan, bowed to Shen Yan, and said, "Thank you very much, Father-in-law, for sharing your knowledge. I am extremely grateful."
“There’s no need for such formalities between us, uncle and nephew,” Shen Yan said, grasping He Hansheng’s hand with undisguised admiration in his eyes. “You are much stronger than we were back then, you just lack real combat experience. His Majesty has entrusted you with the reorganization of the city’s defense forces, which is a good opportunity. If you seize it, you will surely become a pillar of the nation like your father in the future.”
"Father-in-law, you flatter me."
Seeing that it was getting late, Shen Yan originally wanted He Hansheng and Shen Suining to stay overnight, but then thought it inappropriate and decided against it.
The two walked one after the other to find Shen Suining.
He Hansheng suddenly remembered something and said, "We were originally scheduled to set off for Yangzhou to visit my mother-in-law on the tenth of the month, but there are many military affairs to attend to right now, so I'm afraid we'll have to postpone it for a few days. Father-in-law, you can take Ningning and travel by water first. I will arrange a few rooms on the official ship going to Yangzhou. Although the environment is not very good, it will reduce the fatigue of the journey. After I finish dealing with the court affairs, I will catch up with you as soon as possible."
Shen Yan glanced at him. "Are you afraid that coming with us will bring us danger?"
He Hansheng's expression stiffened slightly. Just as he was about to retort, Shen Yan calmly spoke up, "Although I have been away from the court for a long time, I still have this much insight. Your father must have made many enemies in the court back then. After his death, these people will inevitably turn their attention to you. Now that you have military power, you will surely be valued by the emperor in the future. While you are still in a position of power, I'm afraid there will be many people who want to get rid of you."
"My father-in-law has a discerning eye, and I dare not lie to him."
“You’re just like your father, so honest,” Shen Yan laughed twice. “I won’t make the decision. You should discuss it with Ningning. She definitely won’t agree to you doing it alone. If you try to make the decision for her without her knowledge, given her temper, you’ll have a lot to coax.”
When the two arrived at Shen Suining's room, she was already curled up asleep on the bamboo couch, with an unfinished game of chess on the chessboard at her feet.
“This child,” Shen Yan looked at his sleeping daughter with gentle eyes, but still had to call Shen Fengyu, “Fengyu, wake Ningning up, it’s time to go back.”
"No need."
He Hansheng stopped Shen Fengyu and stepped forward to gently pick up Shen Suining in his arms.
Shen Suining was woken up, mumbled something, and obediently reached out to hug He Hansheng's neck. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again, as limp as if she had no bones.
When Shen Yan saw the agate and gold bracelet on her wrist, he couldn't help but chuckle and reminded her, "You shouldn't spoil Ningning too much. There are still rules to follow with the Princess."
"Don't worry, Father-in-law, Ningning is fine, and Mother likes her very much." He Hansheng held Shen Suining in his arms, his voice much softer, as if afraid of waking her up again.
Shen Yan had no choice but to let them have their way.
He saw them off at the door and watched them get into the carriage, reminding them, "Remember to talk to Ningning about returning to Yangzhou. Her mother has never been separated from her for so long, and she must be thinking of her constantly and looking forward to it every day. Once the time is set, have Ningning write a letter to her."
"Okay." He Hansheng replied, greeted Shen Yan, and then lowered the carriage curtain.
Inside the carriage, Shen Suining was curled up on one side of the seat, covered with He Hansheng's outer robe. She was probably awakened by the loud creaking of the carriage moving, and looked at the roof of the carriage with a somewhat confused expression.
Where are we?
“Just left,” He Hansheng said, sitting down beside her and gently stroking her cheek. “Go to sleep, it’ll be a while before you go to sleep.”
Shen Suining rubbed her eyes, let out a soft breath, and called his name.
"He Hansheng".
"Um."
Shen Suining was silent for a while, then said in a tone that was both a warning and a reminder, "You can't do dangerous things by yourself, or I'll get very angry."
He Hansheng was stunned, probably not expecting her to say such a thing.
He chuckled softly and replied, "Okay."
"From now on, I'll discuss everything with you, okay?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com