Chapter 175 Gu Qianhan was the first to save her
Gu Qianning said that the Crown Prince was her cousin, but she didn't specify which cousin. Shen Wantang just pretended not to know anything and treated him like an ordinary person.
She ordered tea to be served to the three of them, and then Gu Qianning said very frankly, "I originally came to buy fabric, but I saw the Crown Princess and your elder sister arguing outside the door, so I didn't come in. I heard that this Jinxiu Pavilion is owned by your cousin? If I come to you, can I get the most fashionable Shuiyunyan cigarettes directly?"
Shen Wantang didn't care about being watched, since there were more than just the three of them watching outside Jinxiu Pavilion; there were at least a dozen people watching just now!
However, when Gu Qianning mentioned wanting to buy fabric, Shen Wantang took it very seriously.
Gu Qianning is not only the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion and one of the most outstanding young ladies in the entire capital, but she is also the future Crown Princess and the future Empress.
If she wore Jinxiu Pavilion's fabric, it would be like giving Jinxiu Pavilion excellent publicity.
"Does Miss Gu also like Shui Yunyan?"
Shen Wantang smiled at her: "Then you've come to the right person. My cousin's Shuiyunyan cigarettes have the most complete range of colors and the finest material in the entire capital. Although they are in short supply, if Miss Gu wants to buy some, you will naturally be the first to choose."
After she finished speaking, she called to Du Juan: "Go tell my cousin to bring over all the colors of Shuiyunyan for Miss Gu to choose from. Also, bring over those ready-made clothes for Miss Gu to try on."
"yes."
Du Juan responded and went to find Jiang Yan.
After a while, Jiang Yan brought the fabric and the finished garment with the waiter.
These dreamlike fabrics were displayed in large quantities on the table, dazzling the eye.
Gu Qianning was quite pleased. In the past, when she sent people to buy, they could only get a little bit of material each time, enough to make just one outfit, and sometimes they couldn't even get any.
So this time she came to buy it herself.
Unexpectedly, there was a real surprise. This time, not only could she choose any fabric, but there were also new colors she had never seen before!
This time it really came to the right place!
She touched this piece of fabric, then that piece, and looked at the several ready-made clothes, and for a moment she didn't know which color to choose.
She turned to look at Gu Qianhan: "Second brother, which color do you think looks better?"
Gu Qianhan's expression was indifferent: "Is there a difference?"
Gu Qianning glared at him, then turned to the Crown Prince and asked, "Cousin, what do you think? Which color suits me best?"
Xiao Qingxuan carefully selected for a while, even holding it up to her body, and finally said, "You have fair skin, so this misty pink and light orange color suits you best. You should look great in it."
Gu Qianning chuckled, her smile carrying a hint of sweetness: "I also think these two colors are the most beautiful."
"If you like it, then buy it."
Xiao Qingxuan waved his hand, signaling the guards to give him the money.
The guard immediately tossed Jiang Yan a money pouch.
As soon as Jiang Yan took a sip, he knew it was full of heavy gold, more than enough to buy all the Shuiyunyan cigarettes.
But Xiao Qingxuan seemed to think it wasn't enough. He added, "Give the shopkeeper another thousand taels of silver. I'll take whatever else is left in these two colors. Since A Ning looks good in them, then no one else should wear them."
Jiang Yan didn't know his identity, but seeing him with his guards, his every move exuded an air of superiority. Even though his tone was very gentle, it couldn't hide his nobility.
He had traveled all over the country and met many high-ranking officials and dignitaries while doing business, so he knew that Xiao Qingxuan's identity must be extraordinary.
He subconsciously looked at Shen Wantang, and after seeing Shen Wantang nod, he quickly ordered someone to bring over all the remaining materials.
“Young master, these two colors are extremely complex and difficult to weave, so our Brocade Pavilion only obtained two bolts of each. Because they are rare, we have never been willing to sell them. Now they all belong to this young lady.”
Jiang Yan was actually a little heartbroken, because he wasn't lying. If the misty pink and light orange colors weren't dyed properly, they would look very tacky and ugly. Silk fabric is also very delicate, and it would lose its luster if there was even the slightest mistake.
When he was in Jiangnan, these two colors hadn't even been dyed yet. It was only after he returned to the capital that they were dyed and then transported over without delay.
He originally thought that since the colors were beautiful, he could hold them in his hand to attract customers and maximize their value.
I never expected that the material would be picked over so soon after I got it.
However, despite his heartache, he knew that listening to Shen Wantang was the right thing to do. If she wanted to sell, there must be a reason why she had to.
Xiao Qingxuan didn't care about the difficulties in weaving and dyeing. As long as the material was indeed as rare as he said, and only Gu Qianning was wearing it, that was enough.
He instructed the guards to send the fabric directly back to the Duke's mansion, and then asked Gu Qianning gently, "A-Ning, would you like to choose some other fabrics? You've only bought two outfits, isn't that enough?"
Gu Qianning's clothes are different every day, so buying only Shui Yunyan's clothes is not enough.
"Princess Consort, I'd like to select some more fabrics. Do you have any good ones to recommend?"
Shen Wantang was just waiting for her to ask this question: "Yes, Miss Gu, although Shui Yunyan is beautiful, the fabric is a bit thin. Now that it's winter, Jinxiu Pavilion has brought in some thicker and more luxurious fabrics, such as Feitian satin and Fanhua brocade."
Gu Qianning nodded: "Then let's take a look!"
Jiang Yan quickly ordered people to put away the Shuiyunyan (a type of brocade) and replace it with Feitian satin and Fanhua brocade.
These two types of fabric are not much different from other brocades in the capital, but they are thicker and have richer, more subdued colors, such as dark purple, deep sea blue, and dark green.
Gu Qianning immediately took a liking to the deep sea blue color and picked it up to compare it with the Crown Prince's.
Xiao Qingxuan played along: "What, A Ning thinks this color suits me?"
Gu Qianning nodded: "I think it suits you very well. What do you think, cousin?"
"If A-Ning thinks it's good, then it's good. Buy it!"
Gu Qianhan, standing to the side, didn't look too good. His stupid sister only had eyes for the Crown Prince and no thought of him, her second brother.
He didn't want any kind of fabric, but rather he worried about what would happen to his sister in the future, given how close she was to the Crown Prince.
He really didn't know what his sister felt when she died at the hands of the Crown Prince in his previous life, or whether she ever regretted liking him.
Gu Qianning was unaware of her second brother's thoughts and didn't care about his expression. After selecting some more fabrics, she sent Gu Qianhan and the Crown Prince out because she was going to try out some colors that Shen Wantang had recommended to her.
Both were ready-made clothes for outerwear. Gu Qianning, behind the screen in the private room, was helped by her maid to take off her outer garments and change into clothes from the Jinxiu Pavilion.
After coming out, she stood in front of the large bronze mirror, looking at herself from left to right, and then cast an admiring glance at Shen Wantang: "The mint green color you picked out for me looks pretty good. I never used to wear this color because I thought it was a bit tacky, but I didn't expect it to look so good on me."
Shen Wantang quoted the Crown Prince: "Miss Gu has fair skin and looks good in any color, but mint green is hard for ordinary people to pull off. You have a noble temperament, and this color suits you very well."
Gu Qianning is not only fair-skinned, she is also beautiful, and has a very elegant and striking appearance.
When Shen Wantang met her in her previous life, she was already the Crown Princess. Perhaps to appear dignified, she never wore light or bright and lively colors.
Now, she and the Crown Prince have chosen the brightest and most vibrant pink and orange colors. Shen Wantang guessed that Gu Qianning didn't dislike these colors; she was just suppressing her preferences and forcing herself to adapt to the role of the Crown Princess.
Shen Wantang didn't know if Gu Qianning would die in the cold palace again in this life, but at least she wanted Gu Qianning to be herself more before entering the palace.
She watched as Gu Qianning enthusiastically changed into one outfit after another, liking almost every single one, her face beaming with visible joy and happiness.
Shen Wantang hesitated. For the first time since her rebirth, she had the idea of reminding others to avoid a great disaster.
Previously, she had been very careful to keep her rebirth a secret. She could save people, but she only did what she could and never easily revealed other people's fates.
Even when she met Gu Qianhan, she never warned him that the Gu family would be wiped out.
Because this cannot explain the reason.
Seeing Gu Qianning like this, Shen Wantang felt a pang of pity.
The Crown Prince's behavior today is a model of a good man. The patience and affection he showed to Gu Qianning didn't seem fake. No one can fake it so well, and no one can fake it for so long.
In order to wait for Gu Qianning to enter the palace and become his crown princess, his eastern palace remained empty, and he had no other women.
However, after the Crown Prince ascended the throne and became emperor, the first major thing he did was to declare that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had committed treason. He sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to massacre the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, leaving no one alive.
Subsequently, after Gu Qianning was deposed, she was banished to the Cold Palace.
Then, news spread from the palace that Gu Qianning had committed suicide.
Whether Gu Qianning committed suicide or was murdered, Shen Wantang did not know, because no one dared to investigate the matter, and Xiao Qingxuan did not allow anyone to step into the Cining Palace and the Cold Palace where Gu Qianning had lived.
Even after Gu Qianning's death, Xiao Qingxuan buried her with the rites due to an empress, and she was interred in the imperial mausoleum.
"Miss Gu."
Shen Wantang spoke softly, "Are you free in a few days? Fazhen Temple is chanting sutras for the victims who died in the rainstorm, and many people have gone to pray for them. I'd like to go too. Shall we go together?"
We've only just met today, so it's a bit presumptuous of me to offer such a suggestion, but this is the only way Shen Wantang can remind Gu Qianning.
But Gu Qianning didn't seem to think it was presumptuous at all. She readily agreed, "Okay, I also want to go. Let's go together!"
Shen Wantang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she agreed immediately.
But little did she know that Gu Qianning was also relieved. She had been worried about not having a suitable excuse to get close to Shen Wantang again!
Although Shen Wantang has already married Xiao Qingyuan, Gu Qianning thinks that if there is a chance, it wouldn't be impossible to help her second brother snatch her away.
The people of Dafeng are quite open-minded, and there are still quite a few women who remarry after divorce!
Xiao Qingyuan is a complete idiot; it's such a waste for Shen Wantang to be with him!
As Gu Qianning pondered this, she picked up the last piece of clothing and walked behind the screen to change.
Just then, a huge explosion suddenly came from outside.
The Brocade Pavilion shook violently, its windows shattered into pieces, and thick smoke poured in.
The screen crashed to the ground, and then the door to the private room was kicked open.
Gu Qianhan stormed in with a cold and stern expression.
Gu Qianning shouted, "Second Brother, I'm here—"
The word "here" was stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.
Because Gu Qianning watched helplessly as her beloved second brother rushed towards Shen Wantang amidst billowing smoke and continuous explosions.
Then, he pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the impact of the explosion.
"A-Ning!"
As soon as Gu Qianhan entered, the Crown Prince rushed in, grabbing Gu Qianning with one arm and shielding her face with the other: "Hold your breath! I'll take you out!"
Gu Qianning hugged his waist tightly, feeling so moved she wanted to cry.
Her cousin is still the best to her!
On the other side, Gu Qianhan had already led Shen Wantang out.
Shen Wantang was completely shocked as he held her in his arms.
She never expected that Gu Qianhan would be the first to save her after the explosion.
Why?
Filled with immense doubt, Shen Wantang looked up at Gu Qianhan. Could it be that he had mistaken her for someone else? Had he saved her thinking she was his sister?
Gu Qianhan carried her to another private room, looked down at her and said, "There's no time to go up the stairs, we'll just jump down. Sorry."
As he spoke, he hugged Shen Wantang tightly around the waist.
The feeling of weightlessness and the cold wind brushing against her face made Shen Wantang much more awake.
She knew that Gu Qianhan hadn't mistaken her for someone else; he had come to save her.
But why? Why would he save her instead of his own sister?
Was it because he knew that Gu Qianning could be saved by the Crown Prince?
No, that's not right. Even if Gu Qianning had the Crown Prince to save her, Gu Qianhan shouldn't have come to her rescue first. He could have just ignored her.
In the blink of an eye, Shen Wantang was held in his arms and landed steadily.
Then, he immediately withdrew his hand.
Behind her came a series of thuds as people landed. Shen Wantang turned around and saw that the Crown Prince had jumped down carrying Gu Qianning.
Behind the crown prince were his well-trained guards.
Du Juan was carried down by Gu Qianhan's servant, Ji Xiang.
Shen Wantang looked at Gu Qianhan and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Second Young Master Gu."
Gu Qianhan's expression remained indifferent as always: "No need to thank me. I thought you were A Ning just now, but I found out you weren't after we came out."
Gu Qianning, who was standing to the side, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.
Second brother, you're kidding me!
She had already called out "Second Brother," but Second Brother rushed towards Shen Wantang as if he hadn't heard her. Even if the thick smoke obscured his vision, surely he wasn't deaf?
She and Shen Wantang were clearly in two different directions!
Gu Qianning knew she couldn't reveal the truth, otherwise not only would her second brother be angry, but Shen Wantang would also be embarrassed.
So she covered for Gu Qianhan, saying, "My figure is somewhat similar to that of the Crown Princess, but luckily my second brother saved the wrong person, otherwise the Crown Princess would have been in danger if she had stayed there."
She walked over to Shen Wantang and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Shen Wantang shook her head: "It's nothing."
Gu Qianhan was completely shielded from the impact of the explosion and was unharmed.
A guard rushed in to report: "Your Highness, it's not safe here. There's a disturbance caused by displaced people. They've made homemade explosives and blown up the shops on this street to loot! Please return to the palace, Your Highness!"
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