Suspicion
Upon hearing Shen Wenqiu's question, Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
Jiang Heng could more or less guess why Shen Wenqiu would ask such a question.
In Shen Wenqiu's view, they were just studying together, and at most, it was just a friendship.
But from that night, when Shen Wenqiu fell off the wall into his arms, Jiang Heng became certain that this was the person.
Sometimes, whether or not you truly accept someone is a mysterious thing.
Just one encounter, one contact, and you're placed in a different position.
Moreover, Shen Wenqiu is very different from others.
Despite his predicament in the Marquis of Huai'an's mansion, Shen Wenqiu did not look down on Jiang Heng, who was an unfavored prince, or on him, who could not help him after arriving at Zhaolin Palace.
Even when he was being bullied, Shen Wenqiu, who was terrified herself, was still willing to stand up for him.
This is very rare.
This is especially rare.
The others who followed Jiang Heng were more or less related to his maternal clan. They had been holding a grudge for years, waiting for Jiang Heng to grow up so that they could join forces to redress the wrongs of the past and let the dead rest in peace in their own way.
Only Shen Wenqiu was the most different.
He had no vested interests in the matter, yet he was willing to reach out to Jiang Heng in the darkness.
But Jiang Heng couldn't tell Shen Wenqiu these things directly.
His secret, in order to protect Shen Wenqiu and not involve him too deeply in this matter, he could not say anything.
Moreover, Jiang Heng had been pretending to be well-behaved for so long.
What if we completely tear off this layer of skin and scare Qiuqiu away?
You should know that his Qiuqiu is very timid.
Seeing that Jiang Heng did not answer and remained silent with his eyes lowered, Shen Wenqiu smiled and said, "It was I who spoke out of turn. Your Highness has been kind enough to ask. I should not have asked."
Jiang Heng shook his head, took Shen Wenqiu's hand and pressed it to his heart, saying, "That's because... Qiuqiu is very good to me. I was very touched and wanted to give Qiuqiu a home of her own so that she could be happy."
Shen Wenqiu seemed to sense something, her eyes widened, and she looked up at Jiang Heng, murmuring, "Your Highness..."
Jiang Heng interrupted Shen Wenqiu, adding, "Besides, Qiuqiu is my best friend."
The strange feeling in Shen Wenqiu's heart was abruptly suppressed after Jiang Heng said those words.
We're just friends, nothing more.
Don't overthink it, Chen Wenqiu.
Shen Wenqiu forced himself to say these words, smiled and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is also Wenqiu's best friend."
Jiang Heng was overjoyed, and Shen Wenqiu responded to him.
He nodded to Aunt Qin, who was following beside him, signaling her to follow.
Then, he pulled Shen Wenqiu into the courtyard, passing a group of servants, and walked towards the steward at the front, whose clothes were obviously different.
Jiang Heng stopped in front of Steward Ga and introduced him to Shen Wenqiu, saying, "Qiuqiu, his name is Quanfu. He is the head steward of the mansion. You can call him Steward Quan."
Shen Wenqiu nodded, greeted Quanfu, and said, "Manager Quan, I'm entrusting all the affairs of this mansion to you from now on."
Quanfu smiled and bowed to Shen Wenqiu, Jiang Heng, and Aunt Qin, saying, "Your Highness, Young Master Shen, and Madam Qin trust Quanfu, and Quanfu will do his best to manage all affairs of the mansion."
Shen Wenqiu reached out to Aunt Qin and led her to Quanfu, saying with a smile, "Steward Quan, I still need to prepare for the imperial examination. For matters in the mansion, you can ask my mother for help in the future."
Quanfu nodded in agreement, and then introduced each of the stewards in the mansion to Shen Wenqiu one by one. After recognizing all of them, they dispersed to do their own work.
Shen Wenqiu was very happy. After Quanfu and the servants left, he strolled around the mansion for a while.
“This garden is really beautiful. If spring comes and some more flowers and plants are planted, it will be even more pleasing to the eye,” Shen Wenqiu said, turning to look at Jiang Heng with her bright eyes.
Jiang Heng was momentarily lost in thought, and after a long while, he smiled and nodded.
Once outside the manor, Aunt Qin was much bolder than she had been in the Marquis of Huai'an's manor. Seeing Shen Wenqiu say this, she smiled and replied, "If you don't need to rush back to the manor after your imperial examination, I'll find some flower and grass seeds for you to plant in the courtyard."
Upon hearing the mention of returning to the Marquis's residence, Shen Wenqiu immediately became somewhat displeased, but he didn't know what to say.
The original excuse was that he had to take the imperial examination. Once he finished the examination, there was really no special reason to keep Aunt Qin in the mansion.
Seeing that the two of them were not happy, Jiang Heng stepped forward and took Shen Wenqiu's hand, saying, "Don't worry, they won't dare to come and take you back. You can just stay here."
Shen Wenqiu didn't know how capable Jiang Heng was now, but he still subconsciously chose to believe in Jiang Heng.
Without any doubt, he nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness."
Jiang Heng strolled around with Shen Wenqiu and Aunt Qin for a while longer before seeing them off outside the main courtyard.
Watching the two walk inside with smiles on their faces, Jiang Heng didn't go in. He just stood outside the door, looking at Shen Wenqiu and Aunt Qin who stopped and hesitated, turning to look at him. He smiled and said, "I still have to go to the palace to report to the Emperor. Qiuqiu and Aunt Qin, please settle down first. As for the New Year's Eve dinner... I guessed long ago that you wouldn't have a very enjoyable New Year's Eve dinner at the Marquis's residence. I had the servants prepare the ingredients before I came. See what you like to eat and have them cook it."
Shen Wenqiu was happy to see Jiang Heng being so considerate, but being taken care of like this made her feel restless.
It's always a bit awkward, but you can't say anything, as if you're offending someone's good intentions.
However, when it comes to New Year's Eve dinner...
Jiang Heng hadn't eaten yet either. He thought to himself that since Jiang Heng was so good to him, he should at least wait for him to have New Year's Eve dinner.
Shen Wenqiu lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Heng and said, "But Your Highness hasn't had dinner yet? Could you please have something before you leave?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Qin stepped forward and nodded in agreement with Shen Wenqiu's statement, saying, "Yes, Your Highness has returned to the capital weary from your journey and must not have eaten yet. Why don't you have something before you go?"
Jiang Heng did not answer.
He gazed into Shen Wenqiu's concerned eyes, greedily absorbing that concern.
It belonged to him, it was given to him, that care.
Jiang Heng was especially happy when he thought of this.
For a fleeting moment, Jiang Heng even considered agreeing to Shen Wenqiu's concern.
So they stayed, brewed a pot of hot tea, and sat at a table with Shen Wenqiu and Aunt Qin to enjoy a steaming New Year's Eve dinner.
Let's talk about last year and next year together.
Whether it's the past or the future.
We chatted, just like family.
That was wonderful; it was a warmth that Jiang Heng hadn't experienced in many years.
However, Jiang Heng was also well aware that after returning to the capital from his mission, he did not go directly back to the palace to report to the Emperor on how his mission went. Instead, he went to the Marquis of Huai'an's residence and brought Shen Wenqiu there. He needed to find a reason to explain this to the Emperor.
If we waste time having a meal at home, it will be even harder to explain later.
Originally, the matter of bringing Shen Wenqiu to the new house could wait until tomorrow, the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Just in time for a new year and a fresh start, everything is beginning anew in the new house.
But Jiang Heng couldn't wait. As soon as he returned to the capital, he wanted to see Shen Wenqiu.
So he did something unplanned.
He did something so risky.
Jiang Heng did not regret it.
But this is the limit of what he can do now.
Jiang Heng cannot act recklessly until he has brought all these people down.
So Jiang Heng shook his head at Shen Wenqiu and said, "I haven't reported to the palace since returning to the capital. If I delay any longer, I might displease the Emperor. I should report to the palace first and then come back to see you."
Shen Wenqiu hesitated for a moment, nodded, and then asked hesitantly, "Does Your Highness not need to stay in the palace to celebrate the New Year with the Emperor?"
Jiang Heng shook his head, lowered his eyes and looked pitiful, and said softly, "It's the New Year, and apart from this necessary report, I don't think Father Emperor would want to see me."
Shen Wenqiu felt a pang of heartache. He quickly took Jiang Heng's hand and said, "Then Your Highness should go and come back soon. My mother and I will prepare the New Year's Eve dinner at home and wait for Your Highness to return."
Aunt Qin smiled and chimed in, saying, "Yes, yes, Your Highness, please come back soon. We'll be waiting for you to have New Year's Eve dinner together."
Jiang Heng was slightly taken aback. Looking at Shen Wenqiu and Aunt Qin, he felt a warmth in his heart, nodded and smiled, and said, "Okay... I'll celebrate the New Year with you."
After Jiang Heng finished speaking, he turned and left under the gazes of Shen Wenqiu and Jiang Heng.
Seeing that Jiang Heng had left, Aunt Qin stopped Shen Wenqiu, who was about to enter the house, and instructed him, "The Ninth Prince has been so good to you and my son. When you pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom in the future, you must help His Highness in the court. You must never forget His Highness's kindness to us."
Shen Wenqiu nodded solemnly, looked at Aunt Qin, and promised, "Don't worry, Mother. I will always remember His Highness's kindness to me. If I have the opportunity to repay His Highness in the future, I will do my best."
Aunt Qin was unaware of the plot of the book, but Shen Wenqiu knew quite a bit.
Even though many things that have happened today are quite different from what is described in the book.
However, the general relationships between the characters remain largely the same.
The Emperor still favored the Crown Prince, and nothing changed regarding the Crown Prince.
Therefore, Shen Wenqiu could have reminded Jiang Heng about these matters to prevent him from being influenced by the protagonist's halo in the book and leading to a tragic ending.
But Shen Wenqiu couldn't tell Aunt Qin about these things.
He agreed, then pulled Aunt Qin into the house, saying, "We just moved in, and there's still a lot to tidy up. Mother, let's hurry."
Aunt Qin was very happy when she talked about the house, and followed her into the house.
In fact, the cleaning had already been done by the servants.
However, whether to arrange things according to one's own habits is something that Shen Wenqiu and Aunt Qin will have to figure out themselves.
So, during this time, to relieve his boredom, Shen Wenqiu chatted with Aunt Qin again.
“Actually… even if Your Highness hadn’t bought this house for us, once I passed the imperial examination and obtained an official position, I would still use my salary to buy you a house so you could move in,” Shen Wenqiu said with a smile.
"Wenqiu, I'm very happy that you have this thought in your heart." Aunt Qin was even happier to hear this.
Aunt Qin remembered that Shen Wenqiu had mentioned it once before.
At that time, she thought it was a pipe dream. Even if Shen Wenqiu was capable, the Marquis of Huai'an would probably not be willing to release him.
Now that everything has come true, she'll probably be too happy to sleep tonight.
The mother and son were tidying up the house, while Jiang Heng had already finished preparing and entered the palace, kneeling in the imperial study to report to the emperor on the progress of his mission.
After listening, the Emperor nodded.
Ultimately, Jiang Heng's actions were to clean up the mess left by the Crown Prince.
Even if the Emperor disliked Mu Yan, he would never say a word against him.
Moreover, it is precisely because of Mu Yan that Jiang Heng became the most suitable candidate.
But Jiang Heng handled this task far too well.
As for why it was done so well, no one will delve into the process.
They only saw the result, and that result left them dissatisfied.
This further aroused the emperor's suspicion.
Did they set up such a beautiful event because they were trying to compete with the Crown Prince for the position of Crown Prince?
Thinking this, the Emperor casually brought up the Crown Prince.
The Emperor frowned and shook his head, saying, "If it weren't for you this time, I'm afraid the people's hearts would have been completely lost to that useless Crown Prince. What's more, he did those despicable things that deserve to be deposed no matter how many times he is."
Jiang Heng understood the Emperor's roundabout meaning and immediately feigned fear, lowering his head and saying, "Father! Deposing and establishing a Crown Prince is a major matter! I beg you to reconsider! His Highness the Crown Prince is still young, and there are bound to be things he doesn't do perfectly! No one is a saint, and he can't handle everything flawlessly the first time. Father, please give His Highness another chance to make amends!"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Jiang Heng, his voice tinged with seduction as he said, "Oh? Isn't this the first time you've handled everything so perfectly?"
Jiang Heng raised his head in fear, trembling all over, and looked fearfully into the Emperor's scrutinizing eyes, not daring to speak.
Seeing Jiang Heng's appearance, the Emperor did not immediately dismiss his suspicions.
He needed to hear an answer, so he asked a question.
The Emperor asked, "But this is your first time too, how come you know how?"
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