Chapter 20 Uncle Chu is so fierce
Summer is here, and the weather is getting hotter and hotter.
After returning from Bilu Pavilion that day, Shen Yao asked Shen You for his opinion on Chen Huarui. Shen You remained silent for a moment, only recounting what happened when he saved Bao Yunxiu, without mentioning anything afterward.
Upon hearing that Chen Huarui was such a cowardly and weak person, Shen Yao immediately glared at him and said that there was no need to contact him anymore.
So Shen You has been focusing all her attention on the preparation of the embroidery workshop these past few days. Although she has an existing shop, she still needs to prepare for the decoration, the purchase of fabrics, and so on. Fortunately, Granny Zhao and Uncle Fang are both capable people who have helped her a lot.
As evening fell, Shen You, who had been busy all day, came out of the cloth shop with Zi Teng.
As night fell, the market was filled with a peaceful and lively atmosphere.
The carriage was parked on the street. Shen You lifted her skirt, stepped onto the horse stool, and got into the carriage with the help of Zi Teng.
However, in the instant she lowered her head, her eyes flickered, and she seemed to see a familiar figure running past in the alleyway beside her.
Shen You subconsciously looked over, only to find that there was no one there anymore.
But that figure just now... she felt it looked vaguely familiar, very much like...
He looks a lot like Shen Linhui.
But Shen Linhui was studying under the tutelage of Master Yinghao in Yuzhou, so how could he possibly be in Lin'an?
Seeing that she hadn't moved, Zi Teng asked in confusion, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Shen You seemed to be deep in thought. "Come to think of it, shouldn't Shen Linhui be back by now? Has he written to me recently?"
“Yes,” Zifang nodded. “The young master came three or four days ago and said that he would not be returning this summer and would stay in Yuzhou.”
"Stay in Yuzhou?"
“Yes, the lord even praised him for his ambition,” Zifang said, then casually asked, “Miss, is there something wrong?”
Her daughter and Shen Linhui had never had any interaction, so why would she suddenly ask about Shen Linhui?
“It’s nothing,” Shen You shook his head and stepped into the carriage.
——
The carriage rumbled along, and by the time it returned to the Chengde Marquis's residence, the lanterns in front of the gate were already lit.
Lights were lit all around, creating a bright and peaceful atmosphere.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage and across the ground, Uncle Chen hurriedly came to greet her, "Young lady, the master is waiting for you in the main hall."
Shen You asked, "Did they say what it was about?"
Uncle Chen hesitated, "It seems there's some news coming from the palace."
“Okay,” she nodded and went straight to the main room.
Chen Qiurong and Shen Xiangning were also inside the room.
Upon seeing Shen You enter, Shen Yao cheerfully said, "Youyou, news has come from the palace that the weather has been hot these past few days, and His Majesty wishes to stay at the Summer Palace in Yuhua Mountain for a while."
When the emperor goes on a tour, many civil and military officials, as well as noble families, will inevitably follow, and the Chengde Marquis's residence is naturally among them.
However, Shen You wasn't very interested in this matter, and with so many people in the Marquis's mansion, it wasn't necessarily her turn.
Moreover, the embroidery workshop was in the works, and she didn't want to leave Lin'an City.
"Father, I won't go."
"Not going?" Shen Yao looked at her. "But Her Majesty the Empress sent someone to deliver an imperial edict, saying that Princess Zhaoyan really wants to see you, so she specifically instructed that the Marquis's residence cannot be without you on this trip, no matter who else is missing."
These words are enough to show how much Ye Mingyu values Shen You.
Shen You pursed her lips, the image of Qi Zhaoyan's rosy cheeks and bright, clear eyes appearing in her mind. After a moment, she finally said, "Daughter accepts the decree."
"Ah, that's more like it," Shen Yao said with satisfaction upon hearing her reply.
Chen Qiurong, who was standing to the side, also laughed, "It is truly a blessing for our Marquis's mansion that Her Majesty the Empress values Miss Da so much."
Shen Yao stroked his beard and nodded, clearly agreeing with her statement.
“If Ning’er could also gain favor with the Empress, then the Marquis’s mansion would be even more secure,” she smiled gently and virtuously, looking at Shen Yao, “Husband, don’t you think so?”
Shen Yao valued the reputation of the Marquis's mansion above all else, and he was willing to do anything that would benefit the mansion.
Having Chen Xiangning appear before the Empress would be entirely beneficial to the Shen family.
She was certain that Shen Yao would agree to this.
"mother!"
Before Shen Yao could speak, Shen Xiangning frowned and said, "Mr. Mo, you say such things."
“You child…” Chen Qiurong glanced at her, “What do you know?”
"Mother is making plans for the Marquis's mansion."
These words struck a chord with Shen Yao.
He naturally understood Chen Qiurong's own little thoughts, but as long as they didn't affect the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, he could tolerate them. Moreover, this trip to the imperial palace was a rare opportunity, and it was good for Chen Xiangning to go out and explore more.
Thinking of this, Shen Yao said, "Ning'er, then listen to your mother."
Chen Xiangning hesitated for a moment, then finally agreed.
The matter of accompanying the emperor to Yuhua Mountain was thus decided.
It wasn't until Shen You returned to Wen Gui Courtyard that she remembered something.
Will Chu Xiao go to the summer palace to escape the heat?
If I go, won't we inevitably meet? After all, the imperial palace is much smaller than Lin'an city...
Shen You lowered her eyes, lost in thought, but only for a moment before she dismissed these chaotic thoughts from her mind.
The two are no longer in a relationship, so there's no point in her thinking about it.
***
The summer sun shines brightly, and the sky is high and the clouds are light.
Although it was a bit hot, the sunny weather was indeed refreshing.
Many officials and nobles accompanied the group on their journey to the summer palace. The Jinwu Guard was responsible for their safety along the way, and the large carriage procession was flanked by guards on both sides.
Because Zhao Mama needed to stay behind to oversee the progress of the embroidery workshop, Shen You brought two young maids, Zi Teng and Lu Luo, with her on this trip.
The Chengde Marquis's residence prepared two carriages, one for Shen Yao and Chen Qiurong, and the other for Shen You and Shen Xiangning.
Chen Qiurong is good at socializing and is currently having a lively conversation with the noblewoman next to her. On the other hand, the two daughters of the Shen family, one gentle and the other aloof, are not the type to enjoy socializing.
But Chen Qiurong couldn't control Shen You; she could lecture Shen Xiangning, "You child, why don't you come and greet Lady Mingyi Marquis?"
Chen Xiangning dislikes socializing, but she still observes proper etiquette towards her elders.
She stood beside Chen Qiurong, curtsied, and said, "My daughter, Chen Xiangning, greets Lady Mingyi."
The seventeen-year-old girl had clear and gentle eyes and an outstanding figure.
Lady Wang Hui, wife of Marquis Mingyi, looked at Shen Xiangning and patted Chen Qiurong's hand with great satisfaction, "The second young lady of the Shen family has such beautiful features, she is truly a wonderful person."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lady Mingyi."
“This isn’t a compliment, it’s the truth,” Wang Hui smiled, looking at Chen Qiurong. “My daughter is good, my daughter is thoughtful.”
Chen Qiurong followed her words and said, "I have heard that the heir of the Marquis of Mingyi is handsome and has an extraordinary demeanor. It must be because Madam Li taught him well."
The two stood to one side, exchanging compliments. Since Qi Jincheng and Ye Mingyu had not yet come out, the officials below could not get on the carriage first, so Shen You and Shen Xiangning could only stand aside and listen.
As Wang Hui and Chen Qiurong were talking about the heir of the Marquis of Mingyi, a man in fine clothes walked over from a short distance away. When he came to Wang Hui's side, he cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said politely, "I am Li Cheng, and I greet the Lady of the Marquis of Chengde."
His gaze swept over Shen Xiangning, but when he looked at Shen You, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes. "These two must be the eldest and second young ladies of the Shen family. Greetings."
Chen Qiurong smiled and subtly sized up Li Cheng. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a small figure running from the front of the group.
"Fairy Sister!"
Qi Zhaoyan lifted her skirt and jogged over.
The maids and servants hurried behind her, saying, "Your Highness, please slow down."
When Shen You saw her, he smiled and said, "Your Highness, please slow down."
Qi Zhaoyan suddenly threw herself into her arms, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and looked up at her, "Fairy sister, can you play with me for the next few days?"
“Of course,” Shen You crouched down to meet her gaze, his voice and eyes gentle.
The others present quickly bowed to Qi Zhaoyan, but Qi Zhaoyan casually waved her hand, saying, "No need for formalities."
She grabbed Shen You's hand, "That's great, with the fairy sister accompanying me, this trip to the palace is finally not boring."
Shen You smiled and touched her cheek, then took the food box from Zi Teng's hand and handed it to the nanny beside Qi Zhaoyan, "These are pastries that I had someone buy from Qian Gao Ji this morning. I was just about to give them to Your Highness."
"Really?" Qi Zhaoyan's eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you, fairy sister!"
"I want to take it back and eat it with my mother."
Seeing her happy, Shen You's smile grew even gentler. "This is Qian Gao Ji's new cashew peach cake. If Your Highness likes it, I will bring you more in the future."
“I like it,” Qi Zhaoyan hugged her arm and snuggled closer, pouting sweetly, “I like anything that Fairy Sister gives me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Cheng chimed in, "Miss Shen is gentle and virtuous, while His Highness is innocent and lively. Naturally, he would like a woman like Miss Shen."
After saying that, the smile on Chen Qiurong's lips froze instantly.
Those who are paying attention will understand the implication behind Li Cheng's words.
Wang Hui glanced at Chen Qiurong and pulled Li Cheng back from his steps, who was about to go forward to talk to Shen You again. "Second Miss Shen is also very beautiful. Cheng'er, you should spend more time talking to Second Miss Shen."
“This…” Li Cheng glanced at Chen Xiangning, then at Chen You, and finally said nothing more.
Chen Xiangning showed little interest in him, barely even offering a smile.
All the commotion here was noticed by a pair of deep, dark eyes not far ahead.
The man's eyes were like a bottomless, icy pool, filled with unfathomable emotions.
Seeing Li Cheng about to step forward, he raised his voice in a deep tone, "We're about to set off, Your Highness, you should return to the carriage first."
Qi Zhaoyan was startled by these words and shrank her shoulders. She then turned to look at Shen You as if to complain, "Fairy Sister, Uncle Chu is so fierce."
Shen You was helpless.
Chu Xiao was fierce, and there was nothing she could do about it.
She could only touch Qi Zhaoyan's chubby little face and say, "It's sunny outside, Your Highness, you should go back to the carriage first."
“Alright,” Shen You said. Qi Zhaoyan obediently listened and waved to Shen You before leaving, “Fairy sister, I’ll come find you again when the caravan stops to rest later.”
“Alright,” Shen You agreed, gesturing to the maids and servants beside him to take Qi Zhaoyan back to the carriage.
Ahead, the Emperor and Empress had already boarded their carriage and were ready to depart.
Wang Hui and Li Cheng left and walked towards their carriage, while Shen You, holding up her skirt, stepped onto the horse stool with the help of Zi Teng.
The surrounding sunlight was bright, and the weather should have been warm and pleasant, but Shen You clearly felt a cold and deep gaze coming from behind him.
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