Zhao Shu leaned back, looking at Sun Yun warily, shaking her head vigorously, "No." This was the truth. Having experienced the betrayal in her past life, she had long lost hope in love, and if she could, she would remain unmarried for life.
"Really not." Facing Sun Yun's distrustful gaze, she emphasized again, "Look at your aunt, she's doing just fine on her own."
Sun Yun sat back down and said, “You are different from your aunt. Your aunt doesn’t get married, so people can only say a few words in private. They don’t dare to say anything bad about her in public because she has a younger brother to back her up. But you and I don’t have that. Even if you’re not afraid of what others say, aren’t you afraid that they will point their fingers at the prince and say some nasty things?”
Zhao Shu sighed after hearing this.
Sun Yun then said, "The Empress Dowager wants to give Xian'er to you. Xian'er is quite well-behaved, but I think Lord Huo is better and can protect you." She still remembers the joke she made back then.
Zhao Shu sat up straight, her mouth agape in an "O," ignoring the following sentence, "You noticed it too?" She had sensed this many years ago. The Empress Dowager was exceptionally affectionate and doting towards Huo Guxian, always looking him up and down with the same eyes she would use to assess her son-in-law. She had even gotten goosebumps because of it.
Sun Yun took a sip of tea. "It's so obvious, do you think I'm the only one who noticed?" she laughed, and then said, "Auntie raises Xian'er like a son. Wouldn't it be better if you married Xian'er? You wouldn't have to worry about your mother-in-law making things difficult for you."
She was thinking really far ahead. Zhao Shu had to remind her, "Xian is too young, and I am too old. You were born when I was already old. It's not suitable. I will treat Xian as my son."
Sun Yun glanced at her sideways and said, "You have no conscience. Xian'er calls you 'sister' all the time, and you treat him like a son. I should be the one treating him like a son. Besides, a woman three years older than her is like a golden brick."
“Ah Yun, I know why you haven’t found someone you like yet,” Zhao Shu suddenly said.
"Why?" Sun Yun was startled by her all-seeing eyes.
"Because you yourself are a man." The saying "A woman three years older than her husband is like a golden brick" is something only an old woman of her age would say. How could an unmarried young lady say it without blushing or skipping a beat, as if she were discussing what to eat today? It's too unusual.
Especially the ladies of Dayong.
Sun Yun neither agreed nor disagreed, but raised the teacup on the table to Zhao Shu from afar, saying, "Brother Zhao, come, drink this cup of wine. From now on, we will face the long road of life together, and advance and retreat together as brothers."
Zhao Shu poured herself a cup of tea, raised it to clink with hers, and said, "The world is dangerous, brother, remember to carry a knife for self-defense."
After saying that, they smiled at each other. At this moment, Wan Dong rushed over in a hurry. "Princess, guess what this servant saw?" She smiled and her eyebrows danced with excitement. She wanted to hold back, but she couldn't.
Zhao Shu asked suspiciously, "What did you see? Why are you so happy?"
Wan Dong didn't keep her in suspense. Eager to let her princess know, she curtsied and said, "Princess, just now when I was looking for a shop with Manager Fei, we saw Lord Rong covered in wounds and leaving the capital with his family."
Zhao Shu frowned immediately. She had just had a verbal battle with this Hanlin scholar, and he had been kicked out of the capital in a sorry state. People would definitely gossip about him behind his back. But this was also satisfying. She was prepared to fight back against all the demons and monsters with her words.
"I heard that Madam Rong thought he was useless and still wanted to go out and fool around. So, in the middle of the night, when he wasn't paying attention, she beat him with a stick. Today, the madam of Yihong Courtyard even filed a lawsuit against Rong Hanlin in the yamen, saying that he forced himself on the girls of Yihong Courtyard." As Wan Dong said this, her mouth was already slurring, and she couldn't help but laugh so hard that her mouth stretched all the way to her ears.
Zhao Shu and Sun Yun exchanged a glance, then Zhao Shu asked, "This is the first time I've heard of a girl from the Yihong Courtyard being raped. Is Lord Rong stupid?"
"Your Highness, you are unaware of this. Lord Rong has six wives and concubines and more than twenty children. He lives a very frugal life. Unfortunately, this lord is fond of indulging in refined pursuits and can only compose poetry when he goes boating on the lake with courtesans."
Zhao Shu: ...This seems like something Huo Baichuan would do.
Before Wan Dong could finish speaking, Xiao Guozi, who had just gone out on an errand, returned. He ran back, his face covered in sweat, his whisk flying everywhere. "Princess, Princess, I heard that Lord Yang and Lord Sun are both injured, and the imperial physician is on his way."
Zhao Shu stood up and asked Wan Dong to pour him a cup of tea. "Tell me slowly."
Xiao Zhu Zi swallowed hard and continued, "This servant heard that Lord Yang tripped and fell while walking and almost disfigured himself. Lord Sun choked while eating, and then knocked over a plate and bowl, cutting his wrist and bleeding a lot."
Zhao Shu: ...These two are so united, she would never believe it was an accident. Could it be that Huo Baichuan did this too?
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Is there a problem with the Wei family?"
"Oh, Lady Wei fell from the artificial hill and broke her right leg. I'm afraid she won't be able to walk properly for three to five months." Xiao Zhu wiped his sweat. The princess is really perceptive.
The news spread so quickly, someone must be stirring things up behind the scenes. Is Wei Caitao alright? This wasn't Huo Baichuan's doing.
"Go down and don't discuss this matter. Pretend you don't know anything, understand?" The three leaders of the old party have all inexplicably run into trouble. This is no small matter. Just wait and see, another group of people will inevitably suffer. After saying that, he was still not at ease. "Tell Bi Qiao to remind her father to go out less. The weather is getting hotter, so he should stay at home."
"Yes." The two responded, and Zhao Shu waved for them to leave. Before Xiao Zhuzi left, she asked one more question, "Did you finish what I asked you to do?"
Xiao Zhuzi turned around, bowed, and replied, "Your Highness, it has been taken care of. The Jingzhao Prefecture has sent constables to Huguo Temple. Please rest assured, Your Highness, Lord Hu said he will definitely find out the truth and give justice to this sacred Buddhist site."
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