Chapter 549 The Cunning Xie Shang
Jiang Jinyan quickly explained, "We came to the Southern Kingdom to find you and Lin Yu disguised as wealthy merchants. The Southern Kingdom and the Great Zhou Dynasty have frequent trade relations. Wealthy merchants like us will be treated with great hospitality in the Southern Kingdom. Meng Yao can take this opportunity to enter the palace, which may be a glimmer of hope."
Jiang Fenghua thought for a moment, and realized that as long as the situation in the palace was under control, if Prince Yun outside could really contact Commander Lu, wouldn't they be able to turn the tide?
Xie Shang said, "I told you I had a way. Now we just need to create an opportunity for the royal family of the Southern Kingdom to approach us, so we need your cooperation."
He had a look on his face that said, "Praise me!"
"But why should I pretend to be your concubine? I could have pretended to be your bodyguard!"
“I have no shortage of guards, and no woman would arouse suspicion. If you don’t believe me, ask your elder brother.” Xie Shang added, “That’s the rule of business.”
Xie Shang dragged Jiang Jinyan into the mess again, knowing she would be endlessly tolerant of the Jiang family.
Jiang Jinyan really didn't want to lie to his sister, but he hesitated because of the imperial authority and his sister's happiness. "That's about right," he said.
Lin Yu also lied and said, "There is such a rule. If he doesn't bring his own, the other party might arrange for ten or eight people to serve him. If there is any danger, they can help each other out."
Jiang Fenghua was speechless. She had just refused to be his fiancée, and now he was offering her a concubine. She had no idea what he was up to.
Considering his dedication to helping Meng Yao, she decided not to hold it against him.
Immediately afterwards, Xie Shang swaggered out onto the street with Jiang Fenghua.
The night market in Licheng was bustling with activity, with vendors enthusiastically hawking their wares and crowds of people coming and going, making the entire street as bright as day.
Jiang Fenghua, wearing a veil, followed Xie Shang. She suddenly leaned close to him and whispered, "Are you sure wandering around the streets like this will do any good?"
Xie Shang stared into her eyes, which were so close to his own, his heart churning. He was afraid that if he was too presumptuous, she would become wary again. He said calmly, "The Southern Kingdom has always been famous for its trade. Since we are here, we should learn from it and teach the people of the Great Zhou how to do business when we return home."
"ah!"
"Don't be so defensive, like you're doing something wrong. We're wealthy merchants. If wealthy merchants walk like this, people will think we're wearing stolen clothes." Xie Shang deliberately mocked her: "You can afford to lose face like this, but I can't."
Jiang Fenghua suddenly felt looked down upon, so she straightened her back, adopting a dignified and serene demeanor.
She thought to herself: "Looking down on people is something anyone can do. It's just about being elegant and dignified. She was born knowing how to do it."
Seeing that her demeanor was too dignified, and that Jiang Fenghua, despite her amnesia, hadn't forgotten her manners, Xie Shang walked up to her and said in a deep voice, "If we enter the palace, will you act like this?"
“Didn’t you tell me not to make me feel like a thief, that you can’t bear the shame? I’m just telling you not to lose face!” Jiang Fenghua said.
"You're really obedient."
"Otherwise, shouldn't we achieve our goal as soon as possible? If I behave properly, I won't look like a thief, right?" How dare they say she looked like a thief? She would just have to bear it; it wasn't a big deal.
"You can't act like that either. Your posture is like that of an empress in the palace. Who would believe we are businessmen?"
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. What did she look like? Like an empress? Was he crazy?
Xie Shang quickly said, "What I mean is that you are a concubine now, not a wife. Concubines are not as upright as you."
Jiang Fenghua blinked. "You seem to know a lot about concubines. Looks like you have quite a few!"
"No, I've just been watching too much," Xie Shang lied.
Jiang Fenghua clearly didn't believe her. "How old are you today?"
Xie Shang did the math and realized he was ten years older than Jiang Fenghua; she was nineteen this year, and he was twenty-nine.
He said, "Twenty-five, six years older than you."
Jiang Fenghua glanced at him a few times, but she couldn't guess his age from his appearance. Too lazy to guess, she simply walked forward.
Xie Shang caught up with her and took her hand, looking like a carefree and flirtatious playboy. "A concubine should be gentle and tender, yet also lively and playful. When she smiles, she is even more radiant and charming, pleasing her husband. Try linking arms with me, resting your head on my shoulder, smiling at me, and calling me 'husband'."
Jiang Fenghua, her face veiled, winked at him, her eyes seemingly filled with a smile.
Her smile was indeed bright and captivating, and her gentle and charming demeanor led her to move closer to him.
Xie Shang couldn't resist her seduction. Her red lips were faintly visible through the thin veil, and he wanted to kiss her lips under the veil. Just as he lowered his head to kiss her, Jiang Fenghua suddenly stomped hard on his instep, making Xie Shang almost jump up in pain.
Jiang Fenghua squinted at his pained expression, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Now I know why Jiang Ruan, before she lost her memory, would rather run away than marry you."
Why?
"You playboy, how could she marry you?" she added. "Your family must be very rich!"
"Wealthy enough to rival a nation." He said with complete confidence.
"And what is my family's financial situation?"
"Your father was a schoolteacher, from a family of scholars, a family of high reputation, and respected by all." He praised Grand Tutor Jiang very highly.
Jiang Fenghua now finally understood where her knowledge came from.
She asked, "Is your family still a powerful and wealthy family, or not?"
He said, "What does it matter whether it is or isn't..."
He didn't let Jiang Jinyan and Lin Yu reveal their previous identities because he was afraid she would be resistant or even frightened. He wanted to change his identity to prove that Jiang Fenghua would fall in love with him.
She was still so intelligent and perceptive.
She said, "With such a disparity in social status, our family has climbed the social ladder. Our two families are definitely not a good match. If we are really engaged, I will go back and break off the engagement with you, and we can each go our separate ways."
The next moment, Xie Shang was really furious with her. Unable to argue with her, he directly grabbed her waist, pulled off her veil, and kissed her lips. Even with amnesia, he was still thinking about breaking off the engagement.
Jiang Fenghua stared wide-eyed in terror, pushing and scratching him, unable to utter a sound of cursing.
Xie Shang had been longing for her for months, and even when they met, he had to suppress his emotions. Now that he had tasted the sweetness, he was unwilling to let go. He thought, "We've already had three children, what's wrong with a kiss?"
At this moment, people around them gathered around and started pointing and whispering.
Jiang Jinyan and the others stood far away, unable to see anything. He wanted to go forward to help, but then he saw soldiers arriving.
Now Xie Shang just wants to be as eye-catching as possible.
The crowd of onlookers attracted soldiers and officials who launched a city-wide search.
The officers and soldiers shouted sternly, "What are you all doing standing around like that? Scatter, all of you, scatter!"
Xie Shang was finally satisfied. With a smile on his lips, he leaned close to Jiang Fenghua's ear and said, "The soldiers are here. I don't need to teach you how to perform from now on, do I?"
Jiang Fenghua was furious, her eyes filled with venom as she glared at him, and she instantly froze, too afraid to move.
The next moment, she hid in Xie Shang's arms and touched the veil he was holding.
She tried to touch it for a long time but couldn't find it. Xie Shang deliberately hid the hand that was pulling the veil behind his back and hugged her waist with one hand.
She pinched his waist until she made sure his skin was bruised, and he immediately let go in pain. "Are you trying to murder your husband?! You hit him so hard!"
Jiang Fenghua finally got the veil and glared at him coldly, "You're lucky I didn't smash your mouth."
The officers and soldiers approached and shouted, "What are you doing here?"
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