Chapter 221 Becoming a Hidden Rich Man
-
Prince Qin's Mansion
The moonlight was hazy, and the carved windows of the west wing were half-closed. The moonlight filtered through, creating mottled shadows on the ground. The tables, chairs, and beds in the room were all made of huanghuali wood, elegant and delicate. Scented sachets were hung everywhere, emitting a faint fragrance.
There was a woman sitting in front of the mirror table. She had a small face, willow-shaped eyebrows, slender shoulders and a thin waist. Her beautiful face was reflected in the bronze mirror, but it was a pity that her brows were furrowed and her eyes were cold and sharp, which ruined her temperament.
"Princess, it's getting late. I'll wait for you to rest."
The personal maid came up to serve with a respectful attitude.
The woman remained expressionless, still staring at herself in the bronze mirror, lost in thought, "Xing'er, is the prince still not coming back today?"
"...Yes." Xing'er lowered her head, not even daring to breathe.
She didn't dare tell her master directly that the informant sent out to keep an eye on the prince had not delivered any news for several days.
It’s likely that it was discovered.
Hearing this, the woman in front of the mirror sighed softly, raised her hand to support her forehead, and a hint of fatigue appeared between her brows. "Didn't I send a letter to my aunt? Why is there no progress on the matter of arranging a marriage for Su Cheng?"
Xing'er lowered her head even lower and whispered, "Princess, that Su Cheng... is already engaged."
"What?" Sheng Qiulan turned around abruptly, knocking over the bottles and jars of rouge on the table. "How is this possible?"
"Really? I don't know where she suddenly got a fiancé from..." Xing'er knelt down and spoke carefully, "Aunt Fuqing, who is by the Queen Mother's side, came over and said that Su Cheng's fiancé is... is..."
"Who is it?" Sheng Qiulan was furious when she saw her timid attitude. "Hurry up and tell me!"
"He's a newly appointed doctor from the Ministry of Revenue, and the winner of this year's provincial examination, named Xie Suzhou." Xing'er didn't dare delay any longer and spoke hastily, "I heard from Aunt Fuqing that they were from the same village and had been engaged for a long time. They're just waiting for Xie Suzhou to pass the imperial examination so they can find a good date for the wedding."
"As for that foolish prince from the Changning Marquisate... we can only let it go."
"Xie Suzhou..." Sheng Qiulan was in the capital, so naturally she had heard of this famous name.
This year's Jieyuan has surpassed the top scholar who won the first place in the autumn examination that year.
"Why does everything good happen to her?" Sheng Qiulan said angrily. She threw all the rouge and powder on the table to the ground with a wave of her hand, her face flushed with anger. "The prince wants her, the third prince wants to marry her, and now she has become the fiancée of the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue..."
"Xie Suzhou is no ordinary man. I heard that right after the provincial examination, he was interviewed by the invigilator for an hour. The prince even considered recruiting him." Sheng Qiulan bit her lower lip, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes. "She, Su Cheng, is just a country woman. How could she be so lucky?"
"Princess, please calm down!" Xing'er knelt on the ground, her body shaking like a sieve.
Tears welled up in Sheng Qiulan's eyes, and she spoke vaguely, "Xing'er... I've never seen the prince be so patient with another woman..."
Xing'er slowly raised her head and saw her master closed her eyes. Tears as big as beans fell like beads from a broken string. Unable to bear it for a moment, she whispered, "Princess, don't be sad. Maybe the prince is just playing with Su Cheng."
"Just for fun?" Sheng Qiulan couldn't help but choke back a sob, her eyelashes trembling slightly. "She tried to take the prince's life several times. If it had been someone else, she would have died hundreds of times. But the prince just indulged her and let her throw tantrums. Those beautiful women in the backyard are just playthings. As for Su Cheng... I'm afraid the prince has really fallen in love with her."
"princess……"
"I've been managing the palace for so many years, but what do I mean to Huo Beiting?" Sheng Qiulan wiped away her tears, a hint of viciousness flashing in her eyes. "Tell me what I've told you to do. Have the people outside keep a close eye on Su Cheng, draw a picture of her, and send it to the Changning Marquis' Mansion. Make sure you hand it over to that idiot Qin Mingchuan personally."
Xing'er bit her lip and remained silent for a while.
Sheng Qiulan looked away, his eyes suddenly becoming fierce, "Did you hear clearly?"
Xing'er was shocked and quickly responded, "Yes... I obey your command."
When Xing'er left, Sheng Qiulan was the only one left in the room. She lowered her eyes to look at the broken porcelain pieces on the ground with a cold expression, "Huo Beiting, Su Cheng, you want to step on my head? Dream on."
-
Lixiangyuan
"Miss, this is the title deed."
Qing Shuang handed over a paper deed and lowered her voice, "I have already bought Shiming Mountain as requested by the young lady. I have also brought people to surround the mountain and sent people to guard every corner. No one else can get up there."
Su Cheng reached out and took the indenture with words written on it. The corners of his lips rose unconsciously. He untied the pouch from his waist and handed it to Qing Shuang. "Well done, this is a reward."
Qing Shuang's expression changed slightly, and she knelt down quickly. "Serving the young lady is the greatest honor of my life. I don't need any reward."
"Take it, you deserve it." Su Cheng stuffed the purse into her hands, smiling lightly and warmly, "I know your uncle is seriously ill. He is your only relative in the world. Take it. Don't let your aunt look down on you. Our Qingshuang is the most capable."
"Miss..." Qing's eyes were sore and tears welled up in them. "Miss, you are so kind and gracious. I have no way to repay you. I only hope that in my next life I can be by your side and serve you like a slave."
After she finished speaking, she kowtowed heavily to the person in the lead to express her gratitude.
Su Cheng stopped her and said softly, "Don't do these empty things, just go."
"...Yes." Qing Shuang wiped away her tears, turned around and ran out.
Su Cheng looked at the deed in his hand, and the smile on his lips grew deeper and deeper.
This is the Shi Mingshan mentioned by the system. He owns two gold and copper veins. Now that they are in her hands, wouldn’t Su Cheng become a hidden rich man?
Su Cheng carefully put away the deed before turning around and asking, "Cai Lian, do you have any news?"
"I went to the place Miss told me to go, and there was indeed a house there. I took people there, but the people who lived there had already fled, leaving only an empty house." Cai Lian sighed softly and continued, "But fortunately, there are still people living nearby. I asked around and heard that the couple living there are about fifty years old and their surname is Sui."
"He ran away?" Su Cheng's face turned serious. "Have you found out where he ran off to?"
Cai Lian shook her head and whispered, "People in the village say that the old couple were outsiders and didn't know their neighbors well. One day, a messenger came to the village and gave Old Man Sui a letter. After reading the letter, he hurriedly took his wife and left. No one knows where he went."
"I heard they set off half a month ago. It's been raining a lot lately, so all the tracks on the ground have been washed away, making it really hard to find."
Su Cheng leaned on the beauty couch, his brows slightly furrowed, a look of worry on his face.
Where could Xie Jinyu and Ping'er's parents go...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
