At the city gate, a carriage with a green canopy and the Pei family crest embroidered on it had just entered the city. The coachman originally intended to go straight back to the mansion, but a new order came from inside.
"Go to Donglai Street."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The coachman drove the cart around a bend.
Inside the carriage, Pei Yanzhi's servant, Xiao Wu, was already chattering away, analyzing the situation.
"Your Highness, what does the Fourth Prince mean by that? Why is he suddenly saying that the young mistress is wary of you?"
"What the Fourth Prince said is really unreasonable. In the past six months since the young mistress married into the family, she has been deeply in love with the young master and has never regretted her feelings. She has been sending him bird's nest and purses. She has noticed things that the madam has not taken care of. Even the old lady has praised the young mistress for being considerate and thoughtful towards the young master. On the other hand, the young master has not been given a kind look by the young mistress in the past six months since the young mistress married into the family."
"It was only after they found out before the trip that the young mistress was indeed framed by the young master's wife and had no connection with the princes that they managed to be a little more amiable."
"To be honest, it has always been our young master who is wary of the young mistress. It's not easy for a young lady like the young mistress, yet the Fourth Prince is turning black into white and saying that the young mistress is wary of the young master."
"Are you an idiot? The young master hasn't said a bad word about the young mistress yet, and you're already defending her? What benefits has the young mistress given you in the past two months? I feel like you're becoming more and more biased towards her."
Pei Yanzhi's other servant, Yin Quan, poured tea for Pei Yanzhi while glancing at Xiao Wu, who had just boarded the carriage.
Xiao Wu snorted, "You still have the nerve to say it's been two months? Every student can bring a servant on their study tour, so why did the young master bring you but not me?"
"Because you're stupid."
"You're the stupid one. I can read a lot more now."
"You can read now? Didn't you used to hate studying the most?"
"There's nothing I can do. Since you left, the manor has hired many tutors, some to teach literacy and others to teach martial arts. All the maids and boys in the manor are learning with great enthusiasm. If I don't work harder, I'll be surpassed by them."
"How could such a big change have occurred in the manor in just two months? Could it all be the young mistress's doing?"
"That's right. There's also the matter of Madam lending money at exorbitant interest rates and the ice shop in the Earl's mansion. There have been a lot of things going on in the mansion lately, and it's all thanks to the young mistress that things haven't gotten out of hand."
"..."
After listening to Xiao Wu recount the recent events in the manor, Yin Quan glanced at Pei Yanzhi, who had remained silent, with some shock.
“Your Highness, I always thought that the young mistress was no ordinary person. I never expected that she would be so meticulous in both her domestic and external affairs, without making a single mistake.”
"No wonder the Fourth Prince said that the young mistress is wary of you. The glass workshop is such a big business, but the young mistress would rather secretly cooperate with the Sun family than let the Marquis's mansion get a single thing."
"Isn't this just a way of severing ties with the Marquis's mansion?"
"Furthermore, the Crown Prince and the First Prince sent people to the north, and the young mistress never once thought of asking the Marquis's Mansion for help. Every single thing is just as the Fourth Prince said: the young mistress is wary of the Heir Apparent and the Marquis's Mansion."
"What! Is that what Your Highness means, Fourth Prince?"
Xiao Wu was completely stunned by Yin Quan's words. "I thought it was because the Fourth Prince had been inviting the Young Master for a long time, but the Young Master refused, so the Fourth Prince was deliberately trying to sow discord between the Young Master and the Young Mistress?"
After saying that, Xiao Wu fell silent, and Yin Quan didn't say anything either.
Regardless of whether the Fourth Prince was trying to sow discord, most normal men wouldn't be happy to hear that their wives are wary of them...
Thinking about all this, Xiao Wu and Yin Quan didn't dare to say a word, or even breathe loudly.
The air was so still you could hear a pin drop. After a long while, the young master's cool voice could be heard.
"However, upon my return, the Fourth Prince gave me a very generous gift."
His voice was as cold and clear as ever, revealing little emotion.
Xiao Wu and Yin Quan exchanged glances, unsure if their young master was angry, and cautiously asked, "Young master, what about the young mistress...?"
Pei Yanzhi glanced at them and said calmly, "As a man, I wouldn't stoop to prying into a woman's business."
"..."
Forehead!
Your Highness!
We actually wanted to ask if the Fourth Prince had successfully sown discord...
I'm not asking if you've caught a glimpse of the young mistress's business...
"The Fourth Prince is indeed quite capable."
"..."
Why are we talking about the Fourth Prince again?
Wasn't she supposed to be the young mistress?
"Neither the eldest prince nor the crown prince knew that the actual person in charge of the Glass Workshop was your young mistress, but the fourth prince did. You can imagine how powerful the fourth prince is in the north."
As Pei Yanzhi spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Wild geese fly by, leaving fleeting shadows; wild geese fly by, brushing away dust."
"He's not afraid at all that I'll tell the First Prince and the Crown Prince about this."
After saying that, he played with the celadon teacup in his hand with a playful expression. Seeing this, Yin Quan whispered, "What about the young mistress..."
"If he tries to sow discord and I don't fall for it, wouldn't I seem like a fool?"
"..."
so?
Are they going to Donglai Street to argue with the young mistress?
The carriage soon arrived at the restaurant on Donglai Street where the banquet was being held.
With the curfew lifted, the streets were bustling with people, but the restaurants were very quiet. The entire place had been booked out, with the first floor completely empty and the dozen or so private rooms on the second floor occupied by more than a dozen tables.
They were clinking glasses and making a lot of noise.
Before Pei Yanzhi even went upstairs, he heard a clear voice that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar.
"Drink my ass!"
"You're an old hag, I'm not drinking with you... Where are the young heartthrobs? Tell Mom to call ten young heartthrobs over..."
"Young mistress, what's a 'young and handsome' guy?"
"A young hunk is a young hunk, young master, don't you understand? Ugh, can you get lost? Your pockmarked face is an insult to my eyes... What kind of club is this? How come the young master looks like this? Does he think rich women are blind... Damn it, you think you can fleece me? No way! Call some good-looking guys... I have plenty of money... I just like good-looking guys..."
Hearing the nonsense from above, Xiao Wu broke out in a cold sweat. "Young Master, it sounds like the Young Mistress's voice."
"I can tell."
Pei Yanzhi stepped onto the second floor. Before he could even stand up straight, the girl's slender arm wrapped around his neck and pulled him hard, causing him to lean half of his body against her.
He turned his gaze and saw Jiang Shuwan wearing a light pink long dress with white floral patterns, and only a few ruby pearl hairpins shaped like lotus flowers in her hair.
She reeked of alcohol, her cheeks flushed, her left arm around his neck, and her right hand lightly caressing his face.
"Hehe, this young master is handsome, from the White Horse Club, right!"
"I've got plenty of money!"
"You're the one for tonight!"
"Hehehe, happy now..."
"..."
Pei Yanzhi had a sullen face and didn't seem very happy. Qingxing almost burst out laughing when she saw him and scrambled over.
"Miss, what are you saying? That's the young master!"
Qingxing was almost going crazy, but Jiang Shuwan was still drunk and grinning foolishly.
"Who is the Crown Prince? Role-playing, wow, that's really wild."
"Hehe, I like it."
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