Chapter 236 Her Creditors
Upon hearing this, fragments of memories flashed through Princess Jingning's mind, and she asked in surprise and astonishment, "You...you are Shen Yunzhou?"
Princess Jingning smiled awkwardly and said, "No wonder I felt like I'd seen you somewhere before. You've grown so much in four years."
Shen Yunzhou glanced at her with a deep, unsettling look.
Princess Jingning felt guilty under his gaze, but she still straightened her back and said confidently, "Why are you looking at me like that? Back then, I was just an eleven-year-old girl and acted impulsively, but my mother brought me to apologize to you. What more do you want? I saved your life this time, so our past grievances are wiped clean."
Shen Yunzhou said, "Okay."
Princess Jingning breathed a sigh of relief when she saw how easy he was to talk to, and asked curiously, "Shen Yunzhou, how did you get yourself into such a sorry state? Who would dare to hurt you like this, the heir of the Duke of Shen?"
Is this the heir of the Duke of Shen?
Meng Jinyao and Song Xinning were both taken aback. They knew of Duke Shen, but they had never met his heir, though they had heard of him. They had heard that he passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen and later went to his maternal grandparents' home to study under a renowned teacher, not returning to the capital for several years. However, for the heir of a dignified Duke's mansion to have gotten himself into such a state, it seemed that things were not so simple.
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Shen Yunzhou's eyes as he said calmly, "I ran into some trouble."
Seeing his reluctant expression, Princess Jingning became even more curious: "What happened? Could it be that you encountered robbers?"
Shen Yunzhou glanced at her and replied, "You could say we've run into robbers."
Princess Jingning rolled her eyes at him: "What do you mean by 'consider it'? Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. I don't want to hear it either. This is an estate outside the city. I'll go home in a bit and send a message to your family so they can come and pick you up."
Shen Yunzhou paused, his tone pleading: "I hope you ladies will keep my return to the capital a secret."
Princess Jingning asked, puzzled, "You've returned to the capital, so why are you being so secretive? Have you done something shameful?"
Shen Yunzhou retorted, "If I want to catch a thief, wouldn't it be like alerting him if he found out I'm not dead?"
Princess Jingning suddenly realized what was going on, and with a rather arrogant gesture, she raised her chin and said, "Alright then, I'll keep it a secret for you. You stay here and recover well. From now on, you owe me a favor."
"OK."
Shen Yunzhou had no objection and turned to look at Meng Jinyao and Song Xinning.
Meng Jinyao said gently, "Don't worry, Prince Shen, we won't tell anyone."
Song Xinning nodded in agreement, "Yes, we will never tell anyone. To avoid gossip, we didn't let the maids in either. Right now, only the three of us know about this."
Shen Yunzhou said gratefully, "Thank you very much, ladies."
Princess Jingning snorted, "You weren't speaking to me so kindly just now. I'm your savior too."
Those who understand the times are wise.
Shen Yunzhou spoke to her in a very kind tone this time, expressing his deep gratitude: "Yunzhou thanks the princess for saving my life."
Princess Jingning: "..."
Suddenly, it felt like I punched cotton.
Just then, a servant knocked on the door, and Princess Jingning called out, "Come in."
A short while later, the servant brought in the medicine, and the three of them left the guest room without disturbing the patient's rest.
Before leaving the manor, Princess Jingning instructed the servants to take good care of Shen Yunzhou and not to tell anyone that they had saved someone. She also reprimanded the maids and servants she had brought with her.
The servants were all afraid of getting into trouble, so naturally they didn't dare to say anything. Otherwise, what if the princess punished them and then sold them off?
The maids around Song Xinning and Meng Jinyao were all tight-lipped; as long as they were given some instructions, they wouldn't tell anyone that they had saved a man.
On the way back, Song Xinning and Meng Jinyao rode in Princess Jingning's carriage, where they could chat and pass the time.
Princess Jingning asked doubtfully, "How could Shen Yunzhou, a dignified young master, have gotten himself into such a state? He said he encountered robbers, but I don't find that very believable."
Meng Jinyao seemed to be thinking about something, and replied, "Someone wants to kill him. Whoever benefits the most from his death is likely the murderer."
Princess Jingning couldn't understand: "He hasn't entered officialdom yet. Excluding the possibility of assassination by political enemies, he's just a scholar. Who has he offended?"
After a moment of contemplation, Song Xinning said meaningfully, "No, even if he doesn't enter officialdom, he could still very well get in the way of others."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao had a flash of inspiration and thought of a possibility. She met Song Xinning's gaze and nodded in tacit agreement.
Princess Jingning glared at them and said, "Why are you all speaking in riddles?"
Meng Jinyao said calmly, "I remember that the current Duchess of Shen is the Duke of Shen's second wife, and the heir of Shen is the son of the Duke of Shen's first wife. The current Madam Shen has her own son. If the heir of Shen is gone, who do you think will benefit the most?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Jingning was instantly enlightened, her eyes widening in shock. She lowered her voice and said, "So, it's very likely that Madam Shen and her son were responsible for Shen Yunzhou's murder?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "This is just speculation. Don't draw conclusions without evidence. I've experienced a lot of shady dealings in the inner quarters. Murders for profit are a common occurrence in the inner quarters."
Princess Jingning said incredulously, "Madam Shen seems very kind, and she is also the younger sister of the first wife of the Duke of Shen, and Shen Yunzhou's stepmother and aunt. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao smiled dismissively: "There are many people who are kind on the outside but ruthless on the inside. For example, my stepmother is one. If I hadn't discovered that she had done something evil, I would have always treated her as my own mother."
Song Xinning also said, "That's right, anyone can do superficial things."
"Never mind, that's a matter for the Duke of Shen's family, it has nothing to do with me." After saying that, Princess Jingning remembered another matter and murmured, "Among the husbands that my mother has chosen for me, there is the second son of the Duke of Shen, who is Madam Shen's son."
Meng Jinyao said gently, "If you are asked to go and find someone suitable, just tell the Princess Consort that you don't like him. The Princess Consort loves you so much that she won't force you to marry someone you don't like. If the Princess Consort is very satisfied with the Second Young Master Shen, then you can mention today's events to the Princess Consort and dispel her thoughts."
Princess Jingning nodded gently, no longer dwelling on the issue, and directly changed the subject to other matters.
After entering the city, the three of them wandered around for quite a while before parting ways and heading home.
In front of the Changxing Marquis's residence.
Meng Jinyao got off the carriage and was about to enter the mansion when she heard the sound of a carriage behind her. She turned around and saw Gu Jingxi's personal carriage. Her eyes lit up and she stood there waiting.
The carriage stopped, and as soon as Gu Jingxi stepped off, a familiar voice entered his ears: "Husband."
Hearing the sound, Gu Jingxi turned his head and saw the little girl standing quietly on the steps, smiling at him. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, as if dyeing her with a layer of soft light, making the smile on her face even more gentle and touching.
Gu Jingxi smiled and replied, "Madam."
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