Chapter 159 If I really die on the road, it is my fate

When He'an arrived in Jiangnan, Zhou's mansion held a grand banquet.

Grandfather Zhou brought his whole family to greet them. He An stopped the elders in the family and said, "Today is a family dinner. The elders don't need to perform formalities. Just treat me as Qing Huan's husband. There is no need to be so polite among relatives."

"Once these words were spoken, they immediately won everyone's favor."

It was the first time that Ruan Qinghuan discovered that He An could use such means to win people's hearts.

The aunt looked at her nephew's husband and liked him more and more. At that time, the sister-in-law sent a message saying that the prime minister was cold and sharp, and acted ruthlessly. Now it seems that it was simply slander.

Not to mention anything else, just his extraordinary bearing and handsome appearance similar to Pan An's can make all the shortcomings negligible. They are so happy, they have really found a treasure.

When Ruan Qinghuan learned that the story of Ruan Xiaoyue being humiliated was false, he felt relieved.

Today was the first time that my grandfather's family met He'an, and they wanted to give him a chance to perform, so they sat quietly beside him without disturbing him.

But despite this, the topic still came to her.

It was the eldest aunt, Zhou Shuang'er's mother, who spoke: "Qinghuan, you and the master have been married for more than a year, right?"

My uncle agreed: "That's right, time flies by so fast."

My aunt sighed, "Time waits for no one. Sometimes when I look back and hold Shuang'er in my arms, it seems like it was just yesterday."

"Now that sister Shuang'er is getting married, aunt should be very happy."

The aunt said earnestly, "Now, except for your sister Shuang'er, everyone in the family is married, and the youngest child is already two years old. Qinghuan, your grandfather and we are all looking forward to hearing good news from you soon."

Ruan Qinghuan looked unnatural when he heard this.

Grandmother is feeling better now, and she ate with everyone today. She agreed, "Your aunt is right. Grandmother is old, and I don't know how long she can hold on. I'm looking forward to you and Qinghuan getting married and having children. When that happens, even if Grandmother is gone, she will be at peace."

"Grandma, please don't say such unlucky things." She was urged to get married before, and now she was urged to have a baby. Everyone in the yard looked at her with strange eyes.

It's no wonder that He'an was reluctant when he married her. A year has passed and there is still no sign of pregnancy, which inevitably makes people imagine.

But it's not her fault.

During this year or so, the situation in the capital changed rapidly, Prince Chen made constant moves, and He An was so busy that he sometimes returned home too late and had to stay in the study.

Later, Qingzhou was injured and had an accident, so he had no time to think about anything else?

He'an turned his head to look at her and held her hand which was resting on the table. Everyone was happy by this action, as it showed that the Lord loved Qinghuan.

He An: "I am usually busy with work and have not taken good care of Qing Huan. Once the urgent matters are resolved, I can take some time off and take her to travel and enjoy the beautiful scenery."

"Oh, offspring should be the most important thing." The aunt always felt that in a noble family like the prime minister's mansion, if a woman in the back house had no children, how could her status be stable?

He An chuckled: "There is no rush for children. As He Mou's son, a mother can only have one, and that is Qing Huan."

Everyone: “…”

Your Excellency the Prime Minister is expressing his feelings in front of your wife's family.

**

Back in the room, He An held her in his arms. Ruan Qing Huan pretended to be angry: "Didn't the master want to send me back to Beijing? What's the matter now?"

"Madam, please don't be angry. It's my fault. Please forgive me for once."

Ruan Qinghuan wasn't really angry: "It's my fault that I came to Jiangnan this time, otherwise who knows what would happen to the Zhou family?"

"By the way, what happened to Ho Hung-chi? Did he confess?"

He An shook his head: "Of course he won't admit it."

"What should I do?"

He An wanted to trap him: "Then keep him for now. Ji Lingchuan will lead people to search He's house. I wonder if there will be any gains."

"Now Pei Chong has not been found, and Prince Chen is also missing. Although Prefect He has him under control, what if Prince Chen still refuses to give up?" Ruan Qinghuan was still uneasy.

Prince Chen has put a lot of thought into hiding his incompetence for more than ten years. His cunning and methods should not be underestimated.

This trip to Qizhou is his last chance, and he will give it a try even if it means destroying himself and his family.

He An pondered and said, "It's hard to say, but if we take control of Jiangnan, King Chen can only control Qizhou and Suzhou at most. If he moves, I can mobilize the surrounding troops, and then I can have a legitimate reason to attack."

The common people suffer from the royal disputes. If a war really breaks out, the people of Qizhou and Suzhou will suffer.

"What about Xiaoyue? She asked me today if I had any news about Pei Chong."

Hean shook his head.

"I don't know if he didn't get the news or he simply won't come." Ruan Qinghuan was very worried.

If Prince Chen really makes any unusual moves, it will be difficult for the second branch of the Ruan family to clear themselves of the involvement. Only by catching Pei Chong and atone for his crime will there be a glimmer of hope.

He An expressed his opinion: "Jiangnan, he will definitely not come."

This was also within Ruan Qinghuan's expectations. Jiangnan is now in the hands of He An and Ji Lingchuan. How could Pei Chong fall into their trap?

But seeing that He An seemed to have a plan, Ruan Qinghuan was a little angry that he was keeping her in suspense: "Why don't you say something? How are you going to deal with this?"

It’s not that Hean doesn’t want to say it, but there are certain risks in doing so.

"If we want to lure Pei Chong out, we have to take Ruan Xiaoyue back to Kyoto."

"You mean, you want to lure him into attacking on the way back to Beijing?" Ruan Qinghuan hesitated: "But it's too dangerous to do so. We don't know how many troops Pei Chong has."

"I'm not sure about this, but King Chen has a big event coming up, so he should have the opportunity to take charge of the army."

Ruan Qinghuan was still hesitant.

This was a matter of life and death, and she didn't dare to make a rash decision.

**

"Sister, I want to go home."

Ruan Qinghuan originally advised her to stay in Jiangnan. As for the matter of Pei Chong, they should take it one step at a time. If Prince Chen made any unexpected moves, He An and Ji Lingchuan would have a legitimate reason to mobilize troops to attack.

Maybe we can capture the person by then?

"Xiaoyue, Jiangnan is a place with outstanding people and kind land. Besides, your maternal grandparents are here and can take good care of you..."

"I know your sister has good intentions, but I have made up my mind to go home. I want to leave as soon as possible."

Ruan Xiaoyue has waited for so long, but there is no news about Pei Chong. Now that the Prime Minister and General Ji are here, she is afraid that even if he wants to kill her, he will not have the courage to come.

If you want to lure people out, you have to find other ways.

The journey back to Beijing is the best place to bait.

Ruan Qinghuan didn't say anything. She always felt that this plan was too dangerous.

Ruan Xiaoyue held her hand. The two sisters had never been so close since they were young. "Sister, if I really die on the road, it is my fate. I accept it. If God has mercy on me, I can really lure Pei Chong out and capture him back to the capital. In the future, I will be able to overcome the hurdle in my heart and live again."

Ruan Qinghuan: “…”