Chapter 336 Like Making His Last Words
Last night, Shen Ci'an stayed up too late. After waking up once in the early morning after Shen Ci'an left, Jiang Zhi slept until late morning before getting up.
I still felt weak when I ate breakfast, as if all my energy had been drained.
As she ate her porridge, she thought about what Shen Ci'an had told her before he left.
The unease in my heart grew heavier and heavier for some reason.
So he asked Qingxing to invite Steward Lin over.
"Steward Lin, while I was away from the Shen residence, did the tutor show any unusual behavior?"
She spent too long in the Eastern Palace and didn't have the chance to properly care for the Master.
Steward Lin thought for a moment and shook his head. "The Lord has been attending court normally these past few days. Apart from the time he was arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and imprisoned, there have been no other abnormalities."
Shen Ci'an's arrest came without warning, and Butler Lin was indeed frightened.
That's why he went around asking people for help to get the news to Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi nodded.
Steward Lin thought of something else, "And the night the master and madam returned from the East Palace, the master instructed me to inventory and register all the property of the Shen family, but I don't know what he was planning to do. I really can't remember anything else."
"Checking the valuables? Why is that?" Jiang Zhi asked.
Butler Lin then told her about Shen Ci'an's concerns.
Jiang Zhi pondered for a moment, then said, "I understand. Please trouble Butler Lin. You may go and get back to work."
After Steward Lin left, Jiang Zhi summoned An Yue and handed her Xiao Xuanyou's yellow jade ring, instructing her to ask Xiao Xuanyou's bodyguards if Shen Ci'an was currently in the palace and how long it would take for him to return to the manor.
Dark Moon was startled when she saw the jade thumb ring. She immediately accepted it respectfully with both hands and went to carry it out.
Jiang Zhi was getting restless while waiting at the Shen residence. Just as she was losing patience and was about to find a way to enter the palace, An Yue returned with news.
"Madam, the Crown Prince's secret guards say that Lord Shen left the palace not long after the court session ended."
Jiang Zhi frowned. "Do you know where Lord Shen has gone?"
As long as she is in the mansion, unless the emperor keeps her in the palace for a meeting, Shen Ci'an will not linger outside. What happened today?
"Madam, please don't worry. I sent the Crown Prince's secret guards to find out. They said that after Lord Shen came out of the Imperial Study, he went out of the city with the Commander of the Imperial Guards to Changshan in the north of the city."
Changshan? Isn't that where Xiao Yunheng is?
Jiang Zhi was almost suffocating from the unease in her heart.
What exactly happened? What is the Master trying to do?
She suddenly remembered that yesterday, on the bed, her teacher had kissed her passionately while talking to her incessantly.
But at that time I was disoriented and exhausted, and I could only barely hear a little bit of what I was hearing.
He told her about the shops under his name, his plans for the future of the Shen family estate, and, more importantly, he reminisced about the few precious moments he had spent with her.
I didn't notice it at the time, but now that I think about it, it seems like... I'm making some kind of final arrangements.
Jiang Zhi broke out in a cold sweat all over her back.
Without saying a word, he got up and left.
"Ruying Anyue, you all come with me. Qingxing, you and Steward Lin stay here and guard the Shen residence. If we haven't returned by nightfall, then go and ask His Highness the Crown Prince for help."
She solemnly handed the jade thumb ring to Qingxing.
Since Shen Ci'an has been keeping this from her, it must not be a trivial matter.
The only one who can rival Xiao Yunheng is Xiao Xuanyou, and since this whole affair started because of him, it's only natural that he knows about it.
After Jiang Zhi finished speaking, she didn't hesitate any longer. Fearing that the carriage was too slow, she simply asked the gatekeeper to lasso the horses.
Qingxing held the yellow jade thumb ring, still warm from her body, and looked at the sky outside.
It's only just past 1-3 PM, and there are still nearly two hours until it gets dark.
Qingxing gritted her teeth and decided that it would be safer to go find His Highness the Crown Prince now.
Otherwise, if something really happens to Miss, how long will it be before His Highness the Crown Prince gets there?
Northern Garrison Command.
Ye Qi had just returned from running errands outside. After tossing the reins to the guard at the gate, he hurriedly went inside to find Lu Yuan.
"Boss, I just saw Princess Qinghe on the street."
Lu Yuan glanced at him coldly, then continued to flip through the secret reports submitted by his subordinates with an expressionless face. "What, with Shen Ci'an not here, she finally has time to come out and stroll around."
These past two days, Shen Ci'an has been inseparable from Jiang Zhi, as if he were glued to her.
He sent someone to keep an eye on the Shen family. Yesterday, one of their men reported that the two were inseparable and he couldn't find a chance to see Jiang Zhi alone.
He knew that Shen Ci'an hadn't returned to the Shen residence today; he had gone with the commander of the Imperial Guards to secretly carry out a mission for the Emperor.
“No, Princess Qinghe rode a horse, it seems she had some urgent business,” Ye Qi said. “When I saw her, I was about to greet her, but she seemed not to notice me at all, she just passed by like a gust of wind.”
Lu Yuan put down the secret report in his hand, his brows furrowed. "Which direction did she go?"
“In the suburbs of Beijing,” Ye Qi said.
Lu Yuan immediately took his sword from the wall, stood up and left, saying, "I'll go take a look."
Xie Qi was almost sick from being cooped up at the Marquis of Wuyi's residence for the past two days.
His mother, however, showed no consideration for his feelings and presented him with a number of paintings by young ladies, asking him to choose one that suited his taste.
"Mother, you know what your son is thinking, why do you still have to force him?" Xie Qi said helplessly.
Lady Wuyi was exasperated. “You, Princess Qinghe is good, but she’s already someone else’s wife. She might have children soon. Waiting like this isn’t a solution. The Wuyi Marquis’s mansion is counting on you to carry on the family line.”
Xie Qi looked dejected. "Maybe I should just go back to Yao City."
"Nonsense!" Lady Wuyi glared at him fiercely. "Do you intend to remain unmarried for the rest of your life? Even if you can get past your mother's objections, do you think the Empress will agree?"
"She can't even manage her own son, why is she trying to manage me?" Xie Qi couldn't help but mutter.
He was immediately slapped on the shoulder by the Lady of Wuyi, "What nonsense are you spouting? Let me tell you, if you don't bring me a princess consort, you're not going anywhere!"
"If you're really capable, then get Princess Qinghe to divorce and marry you. I'll turn a blind eye then and there. But if you're not, then obediently marry someone else! What kind of ability is it to make things difficult for your mother here?!"
"I..." Xie Qi was completely at a loss. "I understand. Let me think about it."
He left the gate of the Marquis of Wuyi's mansion and wandered aimlessly through the streets, eventually arriving at the gate of the Shen mansion.
He hadn't seen Zhizhi for a long time, and he missed her terribly.
While hesitating whether to knock on the door, a maid suddenly came out from inside. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Qingxing.
"Qingxing, where is your young lady?" Xie Qi stepped forward and asked her.
"General Xie?" Qingxing was also very surprised to see Xie Qi. "My young lady just set off for Changshan in the north of the city to find her son-in-law."
"Changshan in the north of the city?" Xie Qi immediately frowned.
He remembered that Xiao Yunheng was sent to Changshan by the Emperor. What was Zhizhi doing there?
＊
Inside Changshan Villa.
Only Xiao Yunheng and Shen Ci'an remained in the room.
"What, now that you know your days are numbered, you finally come to beg me for help? When you betrayed me back then, did you not foresee this day would come?"
Shen Ci'an's voice was cold, "Your Highness, you're overthinking it. I have never been loyal to you, and Your Highness has never trusted me. So how can you talk about betrayal?"
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