"No."
Shen Jintang shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness; she knew absolutely nothing about this matter.
When we were in Yanzhou, Shen Huaixu never mentioned it.
Logically speaking, Shen Huaixu treated his younger sister Shen Youyi quite well, so he shouldn't have kept quiet about such an important matter as her marriage.
Unless, of course, something shameful has happened that he doesn't want to talk about.
The carriage came to a smooth stop at the door, and the coachman stood respectfully beneath it, waiting for the two of them.
Shen Jintang was the first to step onto the carriage, followed closely by Gu Zhixing.
Inside the carriage, the dim yellow light swayed gracefully, making Shen Jintang's face appear even more solemn.
She leaned slowly against the car wall, her brows furrowing slightly, and said softly, "Tell me what you heard."
It's understandable that she's not very familiar with things in Kyoto since she's been in Yanzhou recently.
However, Gu Zhixing had been staying in Kyoto the whole time. Even though he studied hard every day, it was impossible for him to be completely unaware of what was happening in Kyoto.
Gu Zhixing sat opposite her, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were recalling something. After a moment, he said, "I don't know the specifics, I've only heard the general outline."
"Two months ago, Shen Youyi went to a neighboring state capital to sell her raw silk. It is said that this batch of raw silk was brought back by sea and is different from ordinary raw silk. It will cause quite a stir in the market after it enters the market, so it has aroused the jealousy of many people in the business world."
“Previously, everyone was reluctant to speak out because she was a member of the Shen family. Grand Tutor Shen had served in the court for many years, and Shen Huaixu also had a certain degree of influence in the court. So even if people had grievances, they dared not say anything. But this time is different. Grand Tutor Shen is dead, and Shen Huaixu has been transferred away from the capital. Shen Youyi has a lot of money in her hands, so she has naturally become a hot commodity in everyone’s eyes.”
Shen Jintang nodded slightly, but her brows furrowed.
She knew that what Gu Zhixing said was true, but based on her understanding of Shen Youyi, there shouldn't be any major accidents!
Shen Youyi is a very cautious person. If she knew it was dangerous, she would never do it, and she's not short of money!
Moreover, even with the protection of the Shen family, Shen Youyi has traveled all over the country for so many years, how could she not have any sense of vigilance?
"Go on."
Shen Jintang looked at Gu Zhixing, signaling him to continue.
Gu Zhixing paused for a moment, then continued, "Shen Youyi knew that everyone was eyeing her covetously, so she was extremely careful when she went to negotiate business this time. She sent out three groups of people to create confusion, while she herself secretly met with the real merchants. However, things did not go as planned. When Shen Youyi arrived at her destination, she found that the local merchants did not seem as enthusiastic as they appeared."
"It is said that at a banquet, she was invited to a secluded room, where the owner of the business had something important to discuss with her privately. Although Shen Youyi was young, she was not lacking in intelligence. She sensed something was amiss, but out of concern for the business, she decided to go and meet the owner."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang frowned slightly, sensing that things were not going well.
She asked softly, "And then?"
Gu Zhixing sighed, his voice tinged with regret: "The owner of the trading company has quite an appetite. He not only wants that batch of goods, but also wants to take the people with him. After all, no matter how down on his luck the Shen family is, he still has Shen Huaixu to support him. For the lowest-ranking merchants, climbing up to an official family like the Shen family is a sure thing."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang frowned even more deeply.
Something's not right!
If it were just an ordinary merchant, and something happened, they would be eradicated completely.
Given Shen Huaixu's character, he shouldn't have let things slide like this!
Threatened by a small merchant, he even had to marry Shen Youyi off in such a humble manner!
Is he the kind of person who would suffer a loss?
Seeing Shen Jintang frown, Gu Zhixing explained, "Shen Youyi didn't marry that merchant, she married Lu Huaijin."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang's expression changed slightly. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Lu Huaijin? That Lu Huaijin who is both greedy for money and afraid of the powerful?"
Gu Zhixing nodded, his tone tinged with complexity: "It is him."
Shen Jintang frowned even more deeply, unable to understand how Shen Youyi could be involved with Lu Huaijin.
I've never heard of these two people having any prior connection!
“That’s how it is,” Gu Zhixing continued, “Shen Youyi realized something was wrong, so she knocked out the shop owner and ran away, but she was also drugged. Lu Huaijin happened to be nearby on business and heard Shen Youyi’s cries for help, so he kindly saved her.”
"Although Lu Huaijin has a bad reputation, I heard that he genuinely meant well that time. However, when he rescued Shen Youyi, her clothes were disheveled..."
Gu Zhixing didn't continue, but Shen Jintang understood what had happened next.
Rumors are more dangerous than tigers. Whether they are true or false, once they are spread, everyone will think they are true.
As a young woman, Shen Youyi was naturally unable to explain herself clearly even if she opened her mouth eight times.
"People in Kyoto say that Lu Huaijin was also an innocent victim. He did nothing wrong, he just kindly saved someone, but Shen Huaixu forced him to marry her."
As expected, Gu Zhixing received a glare from Shen Jintang after he finished speaking.
"It wasn't me who said it, it was someone else who spread it," Gu Zhixing quickly explained, "I said beforehand that I didn't know the truth, and what I heard was just rumors."
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