Chapter 41: Bandits Attacking Yongning Marquis's Mansion
Just like when they went up the mountain, Madam Shen and the eldest princess were supported by the maids and walked in front to chat, while she and Hua Sheng lagged behind by one step.
Ling Chenyi and his men followed behind the few people.
In front of them, there was a girl who was being supported by a maid, also going down the mountain.
Shen Anan took a look and felt that she and Miss Duan Er seemed to have a special fate and they always met.
However, Duan Yingying was some distance away from them. When they reached the foot of the mountain, she had already boarded the carriage and was ready to leave.
The carriage she took today did not have the Duan Mansion sign, which showed that she did not come here in a legitimate manner.
Well, which lady would go out alone to seek a marriage partner?
Hua Sheng and Shen Anan looked at the carriage, then at each other, without saying a word. Duan Yingying naturally didn't need to get off the carriage to salute the eldest princess.
The two people who had been chatting and laughing did not notice the other carriage and her existence.
Duan Yingying's carriage passed behind the few people and soon got onto the official road.
She held the fortune stick in her hand, placed it against her chest, and pursed her red lips.
I have been thinking about Master Wen Yin’s words.
"Girl, it's cold in late autumn, be careful of getting blown by the cold wind."
The maid moved sideways and lowered the curtain, covering the carriage completely without any gaps, thus blocking out the cold wind.
It also blocks the scenery along the way.
At the same time, several fast horses came galloping along the official road and passed by her carriage at a high speed, scaring the horses so much that they staggered a few steps.
The cold wind lifted a corner of the car curtain, and then it fell down in an instant.
Duan Yingying took a look and then looked away, half leaning against the car wall to relieve her tired nerves.
The other side.
Madam Shen was helped onto the horse by Shen Anan.
Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses was heard behind her. She turned around and saw her eldest son sitting on the horse, running towards them with a serious look on his face.
"He still has some conscience."
Madam Shen said, the corners of her lips slightly curved.
Shen Anan paused, and turned her head to look at Shen Changhe who was dismounting and greeting the eldest princess and Prince Ling.
Did you meet Duan Yingying's carriage on the way here just now?
Did they meet?
Probably not. If he did, I'd definitely see some clues on my brother's face.
Her palms felt sticky and had a thin layer of sweat on them, and her mind was a little fuzzy for a moment.
If my eldest brother had arrived earlier, or Duan Yingying had arrived later, I'm afraid that what they would have discussed when they returned home would not be the marriage with Miss Lin.
While he was thinking absentmindedly, Shen Changhe had already walked towards the carriage.
"Mother, do you know how turbulent the capital is right now? How could you bring your sister here to burn incense without even telling me?"
Mrs. Shen's curved eyebrows were immediately pulled back, she glared at Shen Changhe coldly and got into the car.
Shen Anan was also somewhat helpless about her elder brother's straightforwardness.
"Mother is here for your marriage."
Shen Changhe frowned, "That won't work either. It doesn't matter whether the marriage is successful or not. If something happens to you, what will happen to me and Dad?"
Shen Anan, "..."
She was silent, and got into the carriage with the help of Mo Xiang.
Shen Changhe refused to give in and followed on horseback, muttering that Madam Shen was unaware of the danger.
Mrs. Shen became angrier and angrier as she listened. She pulled back the curtain and looked at her son viciously.
"Would you please shut up."
How can a grown man be so long-winded?
Look at Prince Ling, he spent a whole day with the eldest princess without a single complaint, but this rebellious son is different.
Shen Changhe's face froze for a moment. He was angry but there was nothing he could do to his mother.
Shen Anan felt that her ears were finally at peace.
As the commander of the Royal Guards, her eldest brother has always been solemn and stern in her impression.
Perhaps because they had too little contact in their previous life, she had never heard him chatter like this before.
Mrs. Shen was so angry.
Shen Anan was thinking about other things in his mind, and remained silent for a while.
Zhang Yeyang will be leaving in two days. How should she tell her mother?
No matter what, the marriage must be settled before he leaves, and it would be best if the marriage can be completed as soon as possible. It would be even better if I could leave the capital with him, but I also know that doing it in just two days is nothing but a daydream.
She turned her gaze and landed on Madam Shen, her mind slightly moved.
Dad may be able to delay Zhang Yeyang's taking office.
As he was thinking, the surroundings gradually became quiet.
Even she noticed that the silence was a little unusual.
Shen Anan gathered his thoughts and was about to lift the car curtain to look out.
The horse suddenly neighed and was forced to stop, and the inertia threw the mother and daughter out of the carriage.
"Mom." Shen Anan quickly grabbed Mrs. Shen's wrist and slammed the car wall with her other hand.
Just as the two men steadied themselves, the sound of weapons clashing was heard outside the carriage.
Are there bandits?
Or an assassin?
Shen Anan quickly lifted the car curtain and looked out.
A dozen burly men dressed as bandits surrounded the carriage of the Yongning Marquis' Mansion, and Ling Chenyi and his men were fighting.
Shen Anan instantly dispelled the idea that the other party was a bandit.
The carriage of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion was not considered luxurious and ostentatious. If it was bandits, why would they only besiege the eldest princess, and only a few people ran towards the Shen Mansion's carriage?
Shen Changhe's face was solemn, and he stared intently at the moves made by those people.
He drew out his sword, waved away the man who rushed forward, and gave instructions to Shen Anan.
"An An, go back to the carriage and don't come out."
Shen Anan immediately retracted his head back into the carriage.
Mrs. Shen told Shen Changhe to be careful through the carriage. Although she was a little frightened, she did not lose her composure. After all, she was a military family member and was no stranger to such situations.
Ling Chenyi was inferior to Shen Changhe in martial arts, and those people's main attack force was used to deal with Yongning Marquis Mansion, so he had some difficulty in dealing with them.
After Shen Changhe dealt with the fleas surrounding the Shen Mansion, he went to help by the carriage of the Yongning Marquis Mansion. With his joining, Ling Chenyi breathed a sigh of relief.
But he was already injured at this time, and was almost entirely dependent on the few secret guards he brought with him.
It is more than enough to deal with ordinary bandits, but it is not enough to deal with well-trained killers when the number gap is too big.
"Prince Ling, please get back into the carriage first."
Shen Changhe held his long sword in front of him, blocking the killer's broadsword, and the collision of the swords produced a loud buzzing sound.
Ling Chenyi nodded, turned around and jumped onto the carriage, protecting the eldest princess and Princess Huasheng inside.
The eldest princess' face turned pale, but as a princess of the royal family, she was accustomed to such bloody scenes. She hugged Hua Sheng's trembling body into her arms and stroked her head to comfort her.
Those people clearly had missed the mark. They were very surprised by Shen Changhe's appearance, and even more surprised by his skills.
The remaining few people looked at each other, jumped up at the same time, dispersed, and attacked the carriage.
Shen Changhe tried his best to stop it, but he was too busy to do anything else and someone's knife still pierced through the carriage.
A muffled groan was heard in the carriage.
Ling Chenyi's eyes were red, and the knuckles of his hand holding the sword were blue and white. He turned over and swung the sword with coldness and ferocity, cutting off the man's arm cleanly and neatly.
Before he could whimper, a red line dart out from his neck.
"Prince Ling, don't kill him."
Shen Changhe spoke a little late. Before he finished speaking, the man had already fallen straight down.
Ling Chenyi didn't care about anything else. He rushed to the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked inside.
His breathing became tight and his heart was in his throat.
Only after seeing the eldest princess and Hua Sheng, who were pale but safe and sound, did he let out a long breath.
"Mom, Hua Sheng, are you okay?"
"Brother." Hua Sheng's voice was hoarse and he was crying anxiously, "Mom was trying to protect me just now and got hurt."
Ling Chenyi hurriedly got into the carriage to check on the eldest princess' injuries.
"I just got a scratch on my shoulder, but it's not a big deal. Let's go back to Beijing as soon as possible." The eldest princess said while enduring the pain.
Ling Chenyi glanced at the deep wound on her shoulder that was visible to the bone. His eyes gradually darkened, revealing cold anger.
Shen Changhe took care of the outside and handed a bottle of wound medicine he brought with him into the carriage. "This is commonly used by the Imperial Guards. It is very effective in stopping bleeding and healing. Prince, use it on the eldest princess first, and then bandage it properly when we return to Beijing."
Nowadays, in the wild mountains and wilderness, it’s good to have some hemostatic medicine.
Ling Chenyi took it and asked Hua Sheng to apply medicine to the princess first, and then he got out of the carriage.
Shen Changhe glanced at Ling Chenyi. The sharp weapon cut through his brocade, deep and shallow, probably eight or nine times.
But his expression was grim and ugly at the moment, as if he didn't feel any pain at all.
"Today, I'll trouble you, Master Shen."
Shen Changhe retracted his gaze, "It's just a piece of cake."
"But I saw that their martial arts moves were not like those of random bandits, and they headed straight for the carriage with the sign of Yongning Marquis Mansion as soon as they appeared. It was obvious that they had planned this in advance."
There was hostility between Ling Chenyi's eyebrows, and his condensed aura made the air around him a little colder. He nodded slightly and said "hmm".
Shen Changhe, "Does Prince Ling have any suspects in his mind? Do you plan to investigate?"
The eldest princess is a member of the royal family. If anything is to be investigated, it will most likely be the work of his royal guards.
Ling Chenyi's eyes were cold and his voice was much lower, "My mother came here today to burn incense for Concubine Shu."
Hearing this, Shen Changhe's face became even darker.
Shufei, the biological mother of the Fourth Prince.
As long as it involves the imperial concubines, it must be a royal secret, and it is most likely a part of the struggle for the throne.
But it's just burning incense, why are those people so anxious, could it be...
Shen Changhe lowered his eyes and concealed his emotions well.
"It's getting late, let's go back to the capital first. Thank you, Master Shen, for your help today. My Yongning Marquis Mansion will remember this favor."
Shen Changhe bowed in return, and without asking any more questions, he turned around and returned to the carriage of the Shen Mansion.
Madam Shen immediately asked about the eldest princess's injury, and was relieved to learn that it was not serious.
The rest of the journey was relatively smooth. When they returned to the capital, it was already dark. Prince Ling showed his badge and the soldiers guarding the city opened the gate and let them in.
When they parted, Madam Shen took Shen Anan to visit the eldest princess. After confirming that it was only a superficial wound, she felt relieved and went back to her own house.
Shen Anan originally wanted to try to tell Mrs. Shen about Zhang Yeyang's affairs.
But she was frightened today, so she held back and said nothing, for fear of startling Madam Shen again.
After returning to Begonia Garden, Mo Xiang immediately ordered Mo Ran to cook some soothing soup to calm Shen Anan.
She was a little shocked, but not scared enough.
"Girl, today was a bit scary. Fortunately, the eldest master is here, otherwise I really can't imagine what would happen."
Shen Anan took a sip of the calming soup and told Mo Xiang, “Don’t mention what happened today to anyone.”
We still don’t know how the Yongning Marquisate plans to deal with this. We must not let the details leak out and disrupt their plans.
Those people had clear goals and acted decisively, either for profit or revenge. Either way, it would not be good for the Yongning Marquisate.
Mo Xiang agreed and helped Shen Anan take off her outer shirt and hairpins.
She finished drinking the calming soup and put it down on the small table. "Has grandma replied to your letter recently?"
Mo Xiang shook his head.
Shen Anan raised her lips slightly and muttered, "Little old lady."
She got up and went behind the screen to take a bath. After a whole day of hard work, she was very tired. After taking a bath and changing clothes, she went to bed to rest.
Light mist in late autumn and gentle breeze at dusk.
The next day.
When Shen Anan went to pay her respects to Mrs. Shen, Shen Changhe was also there, and Mrs. Shen was discussing the engagement with him.
Shen Changhe sat at the bottom, drinking tea with a dull expression, and listened to Mrs. Shen's arrangements with indifference.
"What do you think?" At the end, Mrs. Shen did not forget to symbolically ask Shen Changhe what he meant.
"Since you have made your decision, just do as you wish. I have no objection."
Shen Changhe put down the teacup and stood up. "I will be busy these days, so I won't come to pay my respects to you. You can handle everything yourself."
Mrs. Shen was somewhat unhappy with his perfunctory attitude.
"What do you mean by let me decide? Should I get married or you?"
Shen Changhe's lips curled up in a mocking arc.
"Mother, you know that your son is getting married?"
Mrs. Shen choked, glared at Shen Changhe's leaving back, and said worriedly.
"You can be busy on weekdays, but you have to go on the day of the engagement."
Her voice slowly dissipated in the yard without any echo.
She was so angry that she slammed the gift list on the table and complained to Shen Anan.
"Look at your eldest brother. He is getting more and more outrageous. I haven't even agreed to it yet, but he said he doesn't want to greet me. Which family has such a rule?"
Shen Anan followed her words to calm her down, "What mother said is true, eldest brother's temperament is indeed a little dull, but doesn't he also care about you?"
"Think about it. When he's busy, he goes out before dawn. Can you get up? If he comes to pay his respects, he'll probably have to go even earlier. Wouldn't that disturb your sweet dreams?"
After all, he is her own son, how could she be really angry? Mrs. Shen was quickly coaxed by Shen Anan, "You are still sweet-mouthed, mother likes to listen to you talk."
Mrs. Shen smiled and handed the booklet to Shen Anan, "This is the betrothal gift prepared for the Lin family, take a look."
Shen Anan took it and opened it, looked at it symbolically for a few times and then closed it, “Mother has always been thorough in her work, so it’s naturally excellent.”
Her expression paused, she looked up at Madam Shen, and said softly, "That's right - isn't this a bit too hasty? After all, it's a big marriage, isn't it hasty to settle it in such a hurry?"
Madam Shen said, "This is the date set by the master. He made the divination himself, so there must be some truth to it. Besides, the young lady from the Lin family seems to be really pleased with it, and your eldest brother has no objection. It's better to get married sooner rather than later, so as to avoid any more trouble."
Shen Anan pursed her lips lightly, nodded and said nothing more.
Madam Shen held her hand and said, "When your elder brother's matter is settled, it will be your turn next. When you both have your own family, I can finally let go of my worries."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
