Shen Youying was slightly surprised that she had made a decision so quickly. But then she thought that if she didn't have such perseverance and determination, she wouldn't have insisted on marrying while her father was seriously ill.
A hint of appreciation appeared in her eyes as she kindly reminded him, "If you go to the capital, what are your husband's plans?"
The last time the two met by chance was because Chen Yaoniang's husband had incurred gambling debts.
A gambler who does it once will do it again, and once he does it again, he will do it countless times.
Chen Yaoniang lowered her eyes and smiled with a hint of self-deprecation: "To be honest, Madam, Yao Feng and I didn't have any deep feelings for each other. It was just that my father was seriously ill back then, and as an orphan with a small amount of family property, I was coveted by many, so I had no choice but to get married. At that time, only Yao Feng agreed to my request, so I married him."
I never expected that Yao Feng would be such a hopeless case. He not only idles away his days and relies on her for support, but now he has also developed a gambling addiction.
Chen Yaoniang's initial gratitude towards him was completely worn away by his repeated gambling.
With a determined look in her eyes, she said, "Before going to the capital, I will take care of things at home and will not cause any trouble for Madam or her friends."
Seeing that she had already made up her mind, Shen Youying did not interfere any further. She simply said, "Come find me at Chuyun Temple after you have settled your family affairs. Before that, I will write a letter to a friend to inform you of your situation."
Chen Yaoniang thanked them repeatedly before seeing them out of the house.
Having found the culprit and done a good deed, Shen Youying returned to the inn in high spirits. Xue Shen asked her, "What do you plan to do with the Zhao siblings?"
Shen Youying thought for a moment and shook her head: "They didn't really do anything bad. At most, they were just unethical and opportunistic. A small punishment will suffice. Besides, judging from Zhao Meier's reaction today, she'll probably be too embarrassed to see anyone for a while."
Xue Shen laughed: "Zhao Zhao is truly resourceful."
Shen Youying glanced at him and said, "Don't interfere in the affairs of the Zhao siblings. I'll handle it."
Seeing that she was unusually enthusiastic, Xue Shen nodded in agreement.
The two returned to the inn and, as expected, did not encounter Zhao Meier. Instead, Zhao Tang, who had not appeared until now, was sitting in the lobby. Upon seeing the two return, he quickly went up to apologize.
Shen Youying was too lazy to deal with him, so she gave him a few perfunctory words and went back to the courtyard.
She sat at the table, writing a letter to Xie Qinglan about Chen Yaoniang, while summoning the maid who accompanied her: "Did anyone try to subtly inquire about my and the Prince's identities today?"
Because it was not convenient to reveal the fact that Xue Shen's legs had been healed, Shen Youying did not bring Danzhu and Bailuo with her on this trip down the mountain. Instead, Xue Shen arranged for them to be brought along.
The maid nodded and said, "Zhao Meier's little maid came by, but I just brushed her off."
Shen Youying pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Zhao Meier is probably burning with anxiety right now. If she can't find out the truth the first time, she'll definitely try again. If she comes to inquire again next time, just reveal the prince's identity."
Xue Shen, who was carrying pastries into the room, happened to hear this and said helplessly, "Zhao Zhao is going to use me to scare people again."
Shen Youying said, "It's only because you have a great reputation that the Zhao siblings will be unable to eat or sleep when they find out the news. This small punishment serves as a warning. Moreover, the King of Qin has a fearsome reputation, and the Zhao siblings are guilty. They won't dare to go to the capital again in the short term, nor will they leak the news in advance and ruin your plans."
Xue Shen nodded, suppressing a laugh: "Zhao Zhao has a brilliant plan."
Shen Youying glared at him, feeling that he was treating her like a child. Seeing this, Xue Shen dismissed the maid, walked over and sat down beside her, feeding her a piece of hawthorn cake: "Try it, I had the cook make it."
Shen Youying took a small bite from his hand; the hawthorn cake was sweet, sour, soft, and chewy, and surprisingly, it tasted quite good.
She was about to eat the rest when she saw Xue Shen swallow the half she had eaten without changing his expression, and then feed him another piece.
Shen Youying's ears burned. She avoided his gaze and took the plate of hawthorn cake from him, saying, "I'll eat it myself."
Xue Shen watched her finish a piece in small bites, then rubbed his thumb against her full, red lips and asked, "Is it sweet?"
Shen Youying had just nodded when he leaned down and kissed her lips.
Xue Shen pinched her chin, his tongue circling her mouth like a territorial survey, kissing her until Shen Youying's breathing became rapid and she could hardly breathe before he released her, and then solemnly continued his previous words: "It is indeed sweet."
The sweet and sour aroma of hawthorn cake filled her mouth, and Shen Youying's eyes sparkled as she blushed and gently bit her lower lip.
*
That night, Zhao Meier indeed sent someone to invite Shen Youying's maid to a banquet.
In the evening, after the master of the house had rested, the servants would gather together to drink and relax. Because of Shen Youying's instructions, the maid did not refuse and went along to drink a few cups of wine.
As the wine flowed freely, Zhao Meier's maidservant, as expected, inquired about the two men's identities with a curious expression. This time, the maidservant did not try to evade the question but pretended to be drunk and said, "Tell me, I'm afraid you'll be scared to death if I tell you, my mistress is none other than the famous Prince Qin of Dongjing City!"
"The King of Qin?"
When Zhao Meier heard the news that her maid had brought back, she was so shocked that she dropped her teacup.
Zhao Tang, standing to the side, was also incredulous and repeatedly asked, "Did you hear wrong? How could it be the King of Qin? Could it be that the maid was drunk and making things up?"
The maid was also frightened. The King of Qin was infamous, and even the people of Qingyan Town had heard of him. There were even storytellers who used the King of Qin as a model for their stories.
She hurriedly defended herself, saying, "It was the King of Qin. I heard it clearly, and I asked him several times."
“But isn’t it said that the King of Qin is crippled in both legs?” Zhao Meier still found it hard to believe, and in her heart she hoped even more that the information the maid had inquired about was false: “Master Zhu is perfectly fine.”
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