42 Chapter 42◇
◎You're a seemingly innocent but actually cunning yandere.◎
As soon as she finished speaking, even the usually thick-skinned Feng Ran almost choked on the crab meat, let alone the people from the Prime Minister's residence.
Madam Liu's eyes darkened on the spot, and she said sternly, "Young Master, watch your words! Our Qing'er has a clean reputation. What are you trying to do by saying this?"
Prime Minister Wu's expression was also unpleasant, and he slammed down his chopsticks.
Wu Fengqing, with tears in her eyes, lowered her head and sobbed softly as if she had suffered a great injustice.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
Just as Feng Ran was about to speak up for Duan Jingchuan, he unexpectedly offered her a shrimp. She instinctively took the shrimp into her mouth, and in her haste, she accidentally touched Duan Jingchuan's fingers.
Feng Ran didn't feel anything special. She reacted very quickly and snatched the shrimp away in the blink of an eye, afraid that the finger would snatch the food from her mouth again.
Duan Jingchuan froze for a moment, feeling a warm touch on his fingertips, a tingling sensation that went straight to his heart. He smiled helplessly, his voice light and slightly wicked, "Oh, so you've been misled by rumors? A few days ago, I heard a rumor circulating that an old widower accidentally fell into the river while drunk, but was taken away by some high-ranking official. The old widower mistakenly thought someone wanted to kill him, and in his anger, he embellished the story and wrote it into a storybook. I imagine this play will be staged in the capital in a few days."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, in a gentle and clear manner, showing no trace of the nervousness Duan Jingchuan had displayed that day.
Prime Minister Wu's heart sank. Could it be that this young master was a wolf in sheep's clothing? What was the purpose of his actions? However, they really shouldn't publicize this news. If his story were to circulate throughout the capital, it would greatly damage the reputation of his Prime Minister's mansion.
Surely no storyteller would be so foolish as to mention the Crown Prince's name, let alone make any insinuations. But Wu Fengqing was probably not so lucky. Moreover, His Highness the Crown Prince had not yet made any indication that he wanted to win her over, which would give gossipy people something to talk about. Realizing this, he knew he couldn't let the rumors continue.
Although Duan Jingchuan's words were unpleasant to hear, one point he made was true: now that Wu Fengqing has no other choice but to marry into the Crown Prince's household, if the Crown Prince wants to maintain his position, he must marry Qing'er no matter what.
He sighed inwardly. Now was not the time for him to have a falling out with the Marquis of Dingbei's family. Even if that old scoundrel surnamed Duan threatened him with his weaknesses, he couldn't afford to break off relations. Right now, his children and in-laws were his greatest support, and he needed to cultivate those relationships more closely.
Having figured it out, Prime Minister Wu, who was also shameless, immediately smiled and said, "Jingchuan, everyone says you don't like to go out usually, but I didn't expect you to know so much about the news from the common people. As the saying goes, the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow. I'm sure you understand that in this respect, the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion and our Prime Minister's mansion are in the same situation. Although these rumors from the common people are nonsense, we can't let them become desserts for ignorant people before and after meals."
Duan Jingchuan readily agreed, saying, "Father-in-law is right."
Now that things have come to this point, Prime Minister Wu also wanted to get involved in the matter of collecting old clothes. "I didn't expect that you, Jingchuan, would be so concerned about the suffering of the people at such a young age. I am very pleased. I suppose it would be a bit difficult for your Dingbei Marquis's mansion to collect old clothes from various mansions on your own. Why don't I send some of the servants in your mansion to lend a hand?"
Duan Jingchuan's smile remained unchanged, though he inwardly scoffed. This was an old fox; he didn't want to show his face, but by simply exerting his strength, he could remain undefeated. But that wouldn't do. He had promised his wife, and that wasn't a joke. "Father-in-law, my abilities are truly limited. I'll only be visiting a few close relatives. I have more than enough manpower. Thank you for your help."
Wu Chengxiang encountered a setback, neither too firm nor too soft, and dared not delve any further. After all, he did not have the courage to imitate that old scoundrel Duan Zhengjin and write a letter threatening the officials in the capital to donate their old clothes.
The rest of the meal was eaten very quietly, but only Feng Ran, who was carefree, ate heartily and enjoyed the service of her beautiful husband.
Wu Fengqing's imposing manner had long been shattered by Duan Jingchuan's few words, and she kept her head down, eating the rice in her bowl, trying to minimize her presence.
After the meal, Feng Ran and Duan Jingchuan left the Prime Minister's residence with a full cartload of old clothes, quilts, and some rough tools, completely satisfied. The spies who usually kept an eye on the Prime Minister's residence were puzzled. Usually, the children would bring gifts when they came home, so why were these two taking an unusual route, entering empty-handed and returning with a cart full of things?
After walking quite a distance, Feng Ran finally remembered the question that had been on her mind for a long time, "Husband, how did you know that old widower was going to write a storybook? I'm with you all the time, and I've never seen you meet with any outsiders. How come I haven't heard anything about it?"
Duan Jingchuan chuckled and leaned close to Feng Ran's ear. His warm breath tickled Feng Ran, and she couldn't help but reach out to scratch him. Unexpectedly, her hand touched Duan Jingchuan's delicate and handsome face. Feng Ran couldn't resist and casually touched him.
His smile froze, and he sighed helplessly. He pulled Feng Ran's hand away from his face and whispered, "That old widower is my man."
Feng Ran froze, even forgetting to lean in and absorb the immortal energy while holding Duan Jingchuan's hand. Her usually quiet mind suddenly conjured up a timeline.
When did the old widower appear? It was the day after she was slapped by Wu Fengqing. Who told her? It was Xiu'er. After saying that, Xiu'er and Xiong Qi didn't forget to observe her expression, but she just took it as normal.
Looking back now, how could Xiong Qi and Xiu'er have ever looked her in the eye? So, from the very beginning, Duan Jingchuan had been silently helping her vent her anger in his own way.
Her heart suddenly pounded twice, and whether it was warmth or joy, it spread throughout her body, making Feng Ran feel completely comfortable. However, she didn't mention it, only looking at Duan Jingchuan with a slightly teasing expression.
"My husband, I only realized today that you are a seemingly innocent but actually cunning and yandere!"
What does "white on the outside, black on the inside, a yandere" mean? Duan Jingchuan wanted to ask, but the thought that if Feng Ran uttered anything unusual, her explanation would be laughable, and he might very well want to disappear into the ground and never hear about it again after asking. He suppressed his curiosity and secretly memorized the term, planning to answer it when the opportunity arose.
Duan Jingchuan continued talking about what had happened before, "That old widower is perfectly safe now and is no longer in the capital."
Feng Ran nodded. Even if Duan Jingchuan hadn't mentioned it, she didn't believe he would harm someone without reason. After all, he practically exuded kindness; he didn't seem like a malicious person at all. However, she suddenly felt a gossipy streak. "Husband, have there been any interesting or surprising things happening lately?"
"Interesting things?" Duan Jingchuan pondered for a moment. "There are probably three major events in the capital these past two days."
"Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."
Duan Jingchuan chuckled, "It's not convenient to talk outside, let's talk about it when we get back."
Upon returning to the manor, they discovered that Lord Duan had prepared a great surprise for them. They had thought that the Dingbei Marquis's family represented military generals and Prime Minister Wu represented scholars, but in terms of class, they were somewhat inferior.
The Prime Minister's family originated from a farming family and cannot represent an aristocratic family. Although the Marquis of Dingbei's family has a long history, it has long lost the charm of an aristocratic family because it is a military family. Therefore, Duan Jingchuan has been thinking about how to find a higher-ranking aristocratic family or a member of the imperial family. He has not yet figured out what to do next.
With a wave of his hand, Old Marquis Duan pointed to the two large carriages in the mansion and said loudly, "These belong to the Duke of Lu's mansion. As for the rest, I won't help you. You can decide for yourselves." After saying this, Old Marquis Duan indeed didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.
Duan Jingchuan looked at the old Marquis Duan's back with some complicated feelings. It wasn't until he felt Feng Ran tugging at his sleeve that he smiled quietly and teased, "Madam, your grand plan to collect scraps has succeeded."
Feng Ran didn't quite understand. There were only three families with their own junk, so how could it be considered a success? These things looked like a lot, but when they were actually distributed to poor families, it would only be a drop in the ocean.
Duan Jingchuan didn't expect Feng Ran to understand, but instead explained it to her in detail, "I told you before that our two families can represent both civil and military officials, but it is indeed difficult to handle the noble families of the Qingliu faction. Now, Father has helped us solve the toughest problem."
Feng Ran racked her brains for information about the Duke of Lu's mansion. She didn't know about others, but she had been there once.
The matriarch of the Duke of Lu's mansion, who holds power, is a royal princess, and the Duke of Lu's mansion itself is a family of upright officials. Feng Ran's eyes lit up. "Husband, does that mean we've found representatives from all levels of power? The lower-ranking officials will definitely follow suit and won't be too resistant to doing this?"
"Madam is intelligent," Duan Jingchuan praised without reservation.
Feng Ran, with a smug look on her face, asked, "Then, my husband, will you give me a little reward?" As she said this, she didn't forget to glance at Duan Jingchuan's neck.
Duan Jingchuan's fingers twitched slightly, and he inexplicably understood Feng Ran's underlying meaning. She wanted what he called "sucking" (a euphemism for sexual intercourse), but he didn't want to. He immediately fled, leaving behind the words, "Didn't Madam want to hear the latest gossip from the capital?"
As time went on, Feng Ran realized that Duan Jingchuan didn't want to agree to her request, so he would run away as if fleeing when faced with this situation. She didn't mind and chased after him, asking, "Oh, so what's been going on lately?"
There have been three major events in Beijing recently.
The first thing is that His Highness the Crown Prince, who had been away to avoid trouble, has returned to the capital.
The second matter also concerns His Highness the Crown Prince. It is said that during his inspection tour, the Crown Prince punished a group of corrupt officials, who happened to have connections to the Fifth Prince's maternal clan. The Crown Prince was unaware of this when he first exposed the corrupt official, and in a fit of rage, executed him on the spot. Unexpectedly, this led to the discovery that the Fifth Prince's maternal clan had committed heinous crimes and plotted to usurp the throne.
As the saying goes, the evidence is irrefutable. Just as His Highness the Crown Prince was rushing back to the capital with the evidence, the Fifth Prince's mother, Consort Ying, committed suicide in her own palace out of fear of punishment. The Fifth Prince was said to have been traumatized and drowned.
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