Chapter 122 A Handsome Man's Curse
You can tell from their way of addressing each other that they are siblings, and although the older brother seems to be very strict with his younger sister, he is actually worried about her safety.
Sheng An overheard this and whispered to Xu Jinnian, "With so many guards accompanying them, and being from the capital, the siblings' identities must be extraordinary."
Xu Jinnian nodded slightly, thinking that it probably belonged to some noble family.
The siblings' voices grew closer, accompanied by the sound of more than a dozen footsteps, indicating that there were quite a few people traveling together.
The narrow steps were only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Seeing that they were about to bump into each other, Sheng An decisively pulled Xu Jinnian aside.
This is a relatively spacious flat area, prepared for tourists to give way, in order to prevent them from colliding and causing accidents.
As soon as the mountain path was cleared, the brother and sister came down with their people.
Sheng An first noticed the luxurious and exquisite hem of the dress, and subconsciously looked up, just in time to meet the woman's gaze.
The woman was young, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. She had delicate features and striking good looks, but her undisguised arrogance ruined her beauty.
Shanmin also saw Sheng'an. Seeing that her face was naturally beautiful without any makeup, a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes.
Upon noticing that Sheng An was dressed plainly without any adornments, they realized he was a commoner of low status, and their condescending eyes revealed a look of disdain.
Shanmin held herself in high esteem, and in her eyes, ordinary people were not even human.
She was still holding a grudge after being scolded by her sixth brother, and planned to have the maid behind her slap Sheng An twice.
Before Shanmin could give any instructions, she caught a glimpse of Xu Jinnian's stunningly handsome face out of the corner of her eye. She immediately stopped in her tracks, her face beaming with amazement.
Xu Jinnian noticed Shan Min's gaze, his expression suddenly turned cold, and he looked over coldly.
He practiced martial arts from a young age and was very sensitive to people's gazes, able to discern at a glance whether someone was good or evil.
Those two gazes disgusted him.
This was the first time Shanmin had encountered a man who treated her with such hostility, and a strong desire to conquer him arose within her.
She stood on the stone steps, looking down at Xu Jinnian, a smirk playing on her lips: "What's your name?"
Xu Jinnian ignored him, lowering his eyes to hide the disgust in them.
Just as Shanmin was about to say something, her gaze fell on the two clasped hands, and she instantly understood their relationship. Her gaze toward Sheng An was filled with displeasure and jealousy.
The man she called Sixth Brother frowned, looked Sheng An and Xu Jinnian up and down a few times, then grabbed Shan Min's arm and urged, "It's getting late, we need to hurry down the mountain."
Shanmin remained standing, her gaze returning to Xu Jinnian's face: "This...this young lady is asking you a question. What's your name? Where do you live?"
Xu Jinnian's voice was icy: "None of your business!"
Shanmin was surprised by his terrible attitude and immediately her eyebrows furrowed as she was about to explode.
For some unknown reason, she suppressed her anger and gave a meaningful smile: "I can find out even if you don't tell me. I hope you won't be scared when the time comes."
The man beside him urged again, "Let's go down the mountain."
Shanmin received no reply from Xu Jinnian for a long time, and was urged repeatedly by her sixth brother. She could not delay any longer, so she could only follow the crowd down the mountain, looking back every few steps.
Only after the group's figures had completely disappeared from sight, leaving not even a trace of their clothing, did Sheng An's tense brows relax slightly: "Jin Nian, this woman gives me a bad feeling. Will she hold a grudge against us?"
When this woman spoke just now, she immediately changed her address after mentioning the words "this county". Could she be a princess of the royal family?
In this era of clear class distinctions, where ordinary people are as insignificant as grass to the powerful and wealthy, being targeted by someone of this status is tantamount to a catastrophe.
Xu Jinnian held Sheng An's slightly cold hand tightly and tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Sheng An felt uneasy and a sense of hatred arose for no reason.
She didn't hate the woman for coveting Xu Jinnian's beauty, nor did she hate the woman's sudden malice; she herself couldn't explain the source of this hatred.
The mood for looking out from the high place was ruined. Sheng An really wanted to turn back to Huai Shu Village, grab a willow branch, and ask her if she had ever heard of the name Shan Min in her past life.
No, if this woman named Shanmin is really a princess of the royal family, perhaps Master Jiang would know.
When Master Jiang returns after the New Year, she will find an opportunity to ask him. Perhaps Ning Sihan or Doctor Wang from the next courtyard will know something.
Seeing that Sheng An's brows were still furrowed, Xu Jinnian couldn't help but reach out and stroke her brow: "An'an, everything will be alright, trust your husband."
Sheng An took a deep breath and looked up at his face: "A handsome man is a curse!"
Xu Jinnian knew the saying "beautiful women bring trouble," and upon hearing the phrase "beautiful men bring trouble," he immediately realized his wife was referring to him. He couldn't help but kiss her cheek and coax her, "This face that brings trouble belongs only to An'an. Doesn't An'an like it?"
Sheng An was speechless: "You're getting all worked up just because I said you're fat."
As she spoke, she reached out and pinched the man's face: "Of course I like it, but your face is too easy for me to hate. That woman's malice towards me was too obvious. I felt like she wanted to slap me a few times."
Xu Jinnian's eyes turned cold: "After we return to the city, I will have someone investigate their background."
Sheng An cautioned, "They're going to Jinling tomorrow, so they might not be able to find out."
Xu Jinnian shook his head: "They've been here, so they'll always leave traces."
Both of them were affected by the bad mood, but fortunately, when they reached the top of the mountain, they saw a different kind of beautiful scenery, which swept away the displeasure brought by Shanmin, and they were immersed in the beautiful scenery in front of them.
They stayed on the mountaintop for nearly an hour, until the wind made Sheng An's face hurt, before Xu Jinnian led her and Hong Hong down the mountain without going to the temple to pray for blessings.
Neither the couple were Buddhists, and unlike other tourists, they didn't feel they had to go in and pray since they were already there.
Sincerity brings results; if you are not sincere, why blaspheme against gods and Buddhas?
The couple arrived at the foot of the mountain, found a farmer, gave him some money, and had a simple lunch at the farmer's house.
After the meal, Xu Jinnian taught Sheng An to ride a horse in a spacious area.
Honghong is a spirited and good horse. Knowing that Sheng'an is a beginner, she is very tolerant of her and will not take advantage of her lack of riding skills to jump around and throw her off.
With Xu Jinnian's earnest instruction and Honghong's cooperation, Sheng An mastered basic riding skills in less than an afternoon and was able to ride Honghong around a few laps.
The only thing that bothered Sheng An was that riding a horse was tiring for her legs and back. Her inner thighs were chafed and numb, and her back ached terribly, as if she had been kicked hard by Hong Hong.
As the sun set, the two rode back to the city in the afterglow, and did not encounter any more oddballs like Shanmin.
After returning Honghong to the Jiang residence, the couple rode a donkey cart back to their small building.
Sheng An didn't rest. She went to the main kitchen to cook dinner for Ning Sihan, and then carried the food box to the neighboring yard.
This morning, Song Wanjun returned to Jinling. Apart from Ning Sihan, only Doctors Wang and Hu and several servants remained in this large courtyard.
Ning Sihan was still unable to get out of bed, and her face was completely pale, but she was a little better than last time.
Physician Hu was also there. When he saw Sheng An carrying a food box, he smiled warmly and said, "Mr. Sheng has come to visit Young Master Ning again."
Sheng An was a little uncomfortable with his enthusiasm, and nodded reluctantly: "I just happened to have nothing to do, so I came to take a look."
Physician Hu said with a smile, "Boss Sheng's cooking skills are excellent. Young Master Ning's appetite has improved a lot these past two days, especially the wontons and soup dumplings that were delivered today. Young Master Ning enjoyed them very much."
The portion delivered was enough to fill a healthy adult male to the brim, so how could Prince Ning possibly finish it? Wouldn't that just benefit him and Old Wang?
With only a few days left until the Lunar New Year, he had to be very attentive to Boss Sheng and hopefully get extra food for the New Year's Eve dinner, as he and Lao Wang were really craving it.
Unaware of Physician Hu's ulterior motives, Sheng An placed the food box on the table in front of the bed and looked at the conscious Ning Sihan: "Young Master Ning, is there anything else you would like to eat?"
Ning Sihan shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her pale lips: "Boss Sheng's cooking is very delicious, I will eat anything he makes."
Sheng An sighed inwardly at how easy this person was to please, and his voice became even more amiable: "If Young Master Ning is pleased, then I can give Master Song an explanation."
Ning Sihan was in poor health, but her mind was sharp. Seeing Sheng An come to her door late at night and talk more than last time, she guessed that she was not simply delivering food.
"Mr. Sheng, is there something else you need?"
Sheng An was not surprised that Ning Sihan would guess it. Seeing that he asked directly, she did not hide her purpose: "I want to ask you about someone."
Ning Sihan nodded slightly, her eyes gentle: "Please speak."
Sheng An asked, "Do you know a woman named Shan Min? She's from the capital."
Ning Sihan looked surprised. Just that morning, Princess Shanmin had come to visit him on the orders of the Empress Dowager.
Physician Hu, who was standing to the side, also looked at Sheng An, his expression hesitant to speak.
Sheng An realized that the two knew this woman, and immediately perked up: "Could you tell me about her?"
Ning Sihan glanced at her and hesitated before asking, "I wonder why Boss Sheng is inquiring about this person?"
Sheng An sighed, and said helplessly, "I might have offended her..."
She recounted her encounter with Shanmin and her group at Shenhu Mountain that morning, omitting the scene where Shanmin was attracted to Xu Jinnian at first sight.
Ning Sihan frowned slightly, exchanged a glance with Physician Hu, and then slowly said, "The Shanmin mentioned by Boss Sheng should be Princess Shanmin, the daughter of Princess Pingyuan."
A look of surprise flashed across Sheng An's face. She was actually the daughter of the Eldest Princess?
Judging from Ning Sihan's expression and tone, Princess Pingyuan must be quite powerful.
As expected, Ning Sihan continued, "Princess Pingyuan is extremely favored by the Emperor and is the only princess in the current dynasty with a fiefdom, making her even more honored than the princes in the court."
Physician Hu, being a quick-tongued man, couldn't help but interject:
“Princess Shanmin is the eldest daughter of Princess Pingyuan. She was bestowed the title of princess by the emperor at birth. She is a spoiled and willful girl. She once destroyed the beautiful noble lady of a marquis’s family in the street. There is no noble lady in the capital who is not afraid of her.”
Sheng An's expression changed drastically, and his hands clenched tightly under his sleeves.
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