5. You are Shen Suqin
◎"Xiao Lang."◎
That night, the Chang Le Palace was filled with the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, and gentle singing and dancing. All the famous and noble people in the capital raised their cups and drank merrily.
However, General Xiao Pingchuan, the protagonist of the whole festivities, was drinking alone in a corner, and no one dared to approach him to disturb him.
Halfway through the banquet, someone finally mustered up the courage to come up to him, raise a glass and say, "General, your wedding is imminent, congratulations!"
Xiao Pingchuan doesn't drink alcohol, so he replied with tea instead, "Thank you."
"I heard that during the day, the second young lady of the Shen family stopped you on the street and insisted on giving you a purse," said the young man. "It's the country girls who are so lively. These young ladies from noble families in the capital are really boring, very boring."
"Your Highness may not know this, but even the most beautiful wildflowers are lovely. The mistress of the household must be someone who knows how to behave and is polite. Otherwise, the inner court will be in turmoil and become a laughingstock," someone chimed in.
"Indeed, it's a pity that someone like General Xiao is gone."
"But I heard that Chen Er is quite good-looking, with a slender waist... um..."
Before the man could finish speaking, he was sent flying by a heavy punch from Xiao Pingchuan, instantly losing consciousness and collapsing to the ground.
He narrowed his eyes, exuding a fierce aura, and after scanning the crowd, he said coldly, "Gentlemen, Miss Shen is my betrothed. I cannot tolerate anyone saying a bad word about her. If anyone dares to say another word, they should first consider whether they can withstand a few punches from this general."
As soon as he finished speaking, he crushed the porcelain teacup out of thin air and flung it away.
The crowd surrounding him stared in disbelief, and before Xiao Pingchuan could speak again, they all lowered their heads and dispersed.
The banquet ended unhappily, and Xiao Pingchuan's fearsome reputation spread like wildfire, fueled by the effects of alcohol.
The next day, as they exited the palace gates, Chai Shun and Xu Youcai were waiting for them at a distance.
Upon meeting, Xiao Pingchuan instructed Chai Shun to go to the Imperial Academy to find someone and tell Chai Shun to invite Miss Shen to Xingyuan Restaurant.
Chai Shun and Xu Youcai both recognized Miss Shen, Shen Suqiu. In previous years, when they returned to Tuan'an, the general would also meet with her privately.
They all thought that the general and Miss Shen were about to get married, but when the imperial decree was issued, the general's wife became the illegitimate daughter of the Shen family, and was raised in the countryside since childhood. How could they be satisfied with this?
After Chai Shun went to invite someone, Xu Youcai accompanied Xiao Pingchuan to Xingyuan Restaurant.
"The general's mansion has been prepared, and all the brothers have been settled there," Xu Youcai said. "This time, we brought the elite of the scout battalion with us on our southward journey, about two hundred men, both overt and covert. General, do whatever you want; we can handle it."
Xiao Pingchuan: "Then straighten your back. If you don't like someone, just hit them. No need to ask me."
Xu Youcai chuckled: "Got it."
Meanwhile, in the northwest corner of the Shen residence.
Shen Suqin woke up very late in the morning, probably because she was tired from traveling.
"Did you rest well, Sister Qin?" Ju Tao came in to serve her.
Shen Suqin stretched and said, "It's not bad. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep after changing the bed."
Ju Tao smiled and said, "After all, you're back with your parents. Your master and mistress went out to buy you breakfast early this morning, and they've been out for several days now."
Shen Suqin was silent for a moment, then asked, "What did they ask you last night?"
“I didn’t ask anything,” Ju Tao poured her water for washing up, “I just asked how you’ve been all these years and whether anyone has taken care of you.”
"You told the truth?"
"No, I only mentioned it selectively; I didn't mention anything about you and Brother Yan."
"Um."
Shen Suqin got up, changed her clothes, and continued, "Go to Xingyuan Restaurant and have Qian Jin investigate the Shen family's affairs from back then. Do it as soon as possible; I need to know the results today."
Qian Jin is the manager of Xingyuan Restaurant.
"good."
After buying breakfast, Shen's parents waited in the yard for Shen Suqin to get up.
Neither of them slept well last night, and their faces showed obvious signs of fatigue.
Especially Chen's mother, whose eyes were swollen badly, it seems she cried again after going to bed last night.
With a creak, the door to Shen Suqin's room opened.
The two hurried over to her, smiling and asking, "Did you sleep well last night? Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
Shen Suqin paused for a moment and said, "I'm hungry."
"Come quickly, I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I bought a little of everything, so you can try them all," said Mother Shen.
“Yes, choose what you like to eat,” said Mr. Shen.
The three of them sat down as they talked.
Sure enough, the table was laden with food, much of which Shen Suqin had seen and eaten before.
"Is this a sweet cake from Xingyuan Restaurant?" she asked.
“Yes, Xingyuan Restaurant is a very big restaurant with branches all over the country. Their chefs are very skilled, and many people buy this sweet cake. There’s always a queue every day,” Mr. Shen explained.
"Do you go there often?" Shen Suqin asked.
Father Shen shook his head. "No, Xingyuan Restaurant is still not cheap."
Shen Suqin pursed her lips. As far as she knew, the prices of dishes at Xingyuan Restaurant were not expensive and were affordable for ordinary families.
"Your salary... has all been sent back to Fuliang Mountain?" she asked.
Mr. Shen glanced at Mrs. Shen and saw that her eyes were red again. He explained, "It's not all of it. Your mother and I... no, Ayao and I also have to spend some, but most of it is sent." He looked at Shen Suqin and said, "Zhaozhao, we are sorry for you. Over the years, we don't know how much suffering you have endured alone."
Mother Shen cried softly, her tears falling drop by drop onto the stone table, slowly spreading.
Shen Suqin couldn't say it was alright, since the original owner of this body had already starved to death.
She could only continue eating in silence.
After breakfast, Chen's mother wanted to take her to the street to buy some new clothes.
Unexpectedly, Granny Gui and her servants blocked the door, insisting that they were there to teach Shen Suqin manners on the orders of the princess.
This time, Shen Jinghe didn't even give her a kind look and tried to push her out directly.
However, the other party brought several strong servants who dragged Shen's parents aside and tried to force Shen Suqin to kneel down and learn the rules.
"You are not allowed to touch her!" Father Shen shouted.
Granny Gui resented Shen Suqin for making her lose face and refused to back down an inch.
"All of you, get up here! If you don't obey, beat them until they do!" she said viciously.
"No, Zhaozhao, Zhaozhao..."
Shen's mother struggled incessantly, trying to rush forward to protect Shen Suqin, but unfortunately she was too weak and could not break free at all.
Granny Gui glanced at him triumphantly, a contemptuous smile on her lips, and led her people to approach Shen Suqin step by step.
In contrast, Shen Suqin remained calm throughout, sitting at the stone table, sipping her fragrant tea, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere around her.
"Let's do it!"
The servants rushed forward.
Shen Suqin put down her teacup and stood up. After half a cup of tea, the courtyard was filled with people lying haphazardly.
Granny Gui was being stepped on by Shen Suqin, and she wailed as she tried to crawl toward the courtyard gate.
Shen Suqin lowered her head to adjust her cuffs and said coldly, "I think you don't have a very good memory. Go back and tell your princess that if she dares to make a move on the small courtyard again, I don't mind beating her too."
Granny Gui nodded repeatedly, sobbing.
"Get lost."
After chasing the people away, Jiang Yao rushed over crying, "Zhao Zhao, are you hurt? Let me see."
This time, Shen Suqin did not avoid it, but helplessly let her explore her body.
Shen Jinghe hesitated, wanting to ask something but not daring to.
Although he himself did not understand martial arts, he had clearly seen every move Shen Suqin made just now. It was aimed at killing people, targeting their throats, heads, and hearts. If she had used any more force, she would definitely have killed someone.
Shen Suqin met his gaze for a moment, then casually looked away without offering any explanation.
After all that commotion, Jiang Yao lost interest in taking her shopping.
Shen Suqin simply made an excuse that she had something to do and went out to Xingyuan Restaurant by herself.
In Daliang, wherever there are people, there will be a Xingyuan Restaurant. Even in Ningyuan, the capital of the northern prefecture, there is a dilapidated Xingyuan Restaurant.
It is said that the owner's surname is Yan, and he is a young man who keeps a low profile. Few people have seen what he looks like.
At the same time, Xiao Pingchuan led Xu Youcai into the restaurant and went straight to a private room on the third floor.
Before long, Chai Shun brought in a woman with thin lips, delicate eyebrows, narrow eyes, and a cool and aloof appearance.
The woman entered the private room, first gently covering her nose with a handkerchief she carried with her, and then sat down by the window, waiting for the person opposite to speak.
Xu Youcai saw her actions from beginning to end. He even lowered his head slightly to sniff his own scent, thinking that he had offended her.
"You two go and guard the entrance," Xiao Pingchuan instructed Xu Youcai and Chai Shun.
"yes."
After the two men left, Xiao Pingchuan placed the teacup in front of him face down on the table and slowly said, "He has spoken; he wants military power."
"Um."
"In exchange for military pay."
"I guessed it," Shen Suqiu said in a cold voice. "Didn't you expect it too?"
“It’s no use anticipating it. The Shatuo have been making frequent small moves lately, and I can’t spare the time to procure food,” Xiao Pingchuan said.
"How much longer can we hold out?"
"Half a month."
Shen Suqiu got up, walked to the window, and looked at the pedestrians coming and going on the street. "There are plenty of rich people in the capital. It just depends on whether you have the ability to make them willingly part with their money."
"How so?"
"You can visit Cangshuanglou."
Xiao Pingchuan had heard of Cangshuanglou, a notorious den of iniquity in the Great Liang Dynasty, a place where纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) of aristocratic families sought pleasure. It offered everything from eating and drinking to gambling and whoring, and the key was that everyone there spent lavishly; once, someone had wagered as much as 100,000 gold coins on cockfighting.
That said, the building was actually called "Cangshuang Building," which sounded inelegant, so they changed the name, but it's still quite incongruous.
"Shall we bet?"
Xiao Pingchuan spoke calmly, saying that he had never touched such a thing before.
Shen Suqiu turned to look at him. "I heard you're quite skilled at archery. With your abilities, you could easily make tens of thousands of taels of silver in one night gambling. Or is it that the General is so self-disciplined that he doesn't want to get involved in gambling?"
"Why not give it a try?" Xiao Pingchuan said.
As long as his brothers don't go hungry, he doesn't mind taking a gamble.
"General, you have great spirit. It's just a pity that my Jinyunfang has to prioritize serving the Crown Prince before your Black Flag Army. Otherwise, you wouldn't have to lower yourself to do all this." Shen Suqiu sat back down, turned the cup in front of him over, poured tea, and pushed it towards him.
Xiao Pingchuan held the teacup with one finger, causing the pale golden tea inside to swirl. He never drank anything handed to him by strangers.
Moreover, he was well aware that Shen Suqiu did not genuinely want to supply the Black Flag Army; it was only because the Crown Prince had spoken that she had no choice but to give him a few hundred or a few thousand taels of silver every month, almost like charity.
Circumstances dictate that Xiao Pingchuan couldn't bring himself to let his brothers go hungry just to maintain his pride.
Shen Suqiu sneered, moved the cup of tea back and poured it out in front of him, asking with curiosity, "Why don't you rebel when the person above is so aggressive?"
"My enemy is not the Great Liang."
"The Shatuo will be destroyed one day. When that day comes, will you rebel?"
Shen Suqiu's tone was cold and indifferent, revealing the probing intent hidden within.
Xiao Pingchuan: "Did he tell you to ask?"
Shen Suqiu crossed her arms. "No, I'm just curious."
Xiao Pingchuan: "Thank you for your concern, but if you have a lot of free time, you might as well spend more time on the shop."
"General, if you're just eating for free, don't point fingers."
Jinyunfang was part of Princess Changtai's dowry. She took over the business two years ago and has expanded it from four branches to thirteen. She considers herself to have done a good job.
“If Miss Shen is capable of making a fortune every day, then His Highness probably doesn’t need to expect me to go south and bail him out.” Xiao Pingchuan’s tone was icy as he stood up and walked outside. “Thank you for today. I’ll have Old Chai escort you back.”
Shen Suqiu was furious, but she knew he was right. She got up and followed behind him, saying angrily, "I wouldn't dare trouble you."
Just then, the door to another private room not far away was pushed open, and a voice filled with anger reached Xiao Pingchuan and Shen Suqiu's ears.
"Shi Yunzhu deserves to die!"
After he finished speaking, a figure in pure white emerged from behind the door and met Shen and Xiao face to face.
The scene fell silent instantly.
Shen Suqiu's gaze turned cold as she stared at the woman opposite her.
Shen Suqin looked back calmly, her eyes sweeping over the two people's clothes that were entangled in an ambiguous way, and a sense of understanding flashed through her mind.
She had certainly heard the rumor about their affair, and initially thought it was false, but now it seemed she needed to reconsider her cooperation with Xiao Pingchuan.
"Why isn't Miss Shen leaving?" Manager Qian Jin came out of the private room. "Oh, Miss Shen, General Xiao," a qualified manager of Xingyuan Restaurant could recognize the faces of every powerful and influential person. "There's a lively discussion today, everyone should come and see."
"There are private rooms on the second floor," the innkeeper said, leading them to the third floor.
"Then I'd like to hear it." Shen Suqin followed the shopkeeper downstairs.
"You are Shen Suqin?"
Shen Suqiu's cool voice rang out from behind.
Shen Suqin turned around on the stairs and met Shen Suqiu's gaze, who was standing high up. Shen Suqiu's gaze was full of scrutiny.
Shen Suqin smiled and said lazily, "Hello, elder sister."
After saying that, she turned to look at Xiao Pingchuan standing next to Shen Suqiu, raised an eyebrow and said, "Young Master Xiao".
"Langjun" is the term used by women in Daliang to refer to their fiancés.
Xiao Pingchuan coughed lightly for no apparent reason, softening his previously cold voice, and replied, "Second Miss Shen."
Shen Suqin then leaned to the side and greeted the two people behind him, saying, "General Xu, General Chai, we meet again."
Chai and Xu were flattered, as they had never received such treatment from Shen Suqiu before. They quickly replied, "Second Miss Shen."
Shen Suqin smiled and nodded, "Manager Qian, let's go."
The second-floor private room faces the high platform in the center of the first-floor lobby, where two scholars are debating.
As Shen Suqin sat down, he overheard someone say, "Exquisite writings have been passed down through the ages, allowing future generations to admire and study them, and their significance is profound. But looking at history, how many practical writings have been passed down?"
Another person countered: "So-called pragmatism teaches people to farm and weave brocade, which are practical survival skills. Farming and weaving have been practiced throughout history, so isn't that a legacy that has lasted for millennia? Besides, can someone who is freezing or starving to death be saved by brocade and literature?"
"If a person is only concerned with the desires of the mouth and stomach, how is he different from a wild beast? Why is the 'Dongliang Fu' considered the best literature of the Liang Dynasty and why is it praised by everyone? It is because it can enrich the spirit and allow people to see the mountains beyond mountains and the people beyond people."
The people downstairs nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
The remarkable text "Ode to the Eastern Liang" is widely circulated, and even young children who have just begun their education can recite a few lines.
"Can the 'Ode to Dongliang' be eaten? Right now, to avoid the poll tax, people are drowning their newborn babies in the river. Go and see, which river doesn't have white, lifeless infant corpses? Make those babies read your 'Ode to Dongliang' and see if they can come back to life."
Upon hearing this, the building fell silent instantly.
"Idle talk is not allowed to discuss politics." Shen Suqiu's voice rang out from upstairs.
Everyone looked up and saw a scholar who recognized her. He bowed and greeted her, saying, "Scholar Shen."
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