Chapter 33 "Me? Afraid of My Wife?"
"Lord Duke, please don't drink so fast." Ye Mingzhu quickly patted Sheng Yunche's back, laughing inwardly but showing utter concern on her face.
Sheng Yunche barely suppressed the itch in his throat, blocked her hand, and said impatiently, "Don't worry about me! Go do your thing!"
"And you?" Ye Mingzhu asked.
"...I'm going to the study in the front yard."
"Okay." Following Sheng Yunche's suggestion, Ye Mingzhu curtsied and said with a gentle smile, "Then I'll be going now."
She left the flower hall with her maid, unaware that Sheng Yunche behind her seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Just like that, you left?
He wasn't jealous. How could he be? He was just... a little annoyed by her flattery and praise.
...
Back in the inner room.
Ye Mingzhu sat on a low couch by the window and casually picked up an account book.
Baozan walked over and handed her a cup of refreshing mung bean drink.
She said with concern, "Miss, why do I feel like the Duke wasn't just jealous, but like he was about to eat someone? He was so angry his face turned red. Should you explain things to him and ask for his forgiveness?"
Ye Mingzhu thought about it and decided it was a good idea: "I'll talk to him about it tonight."
But what she planned to do had nothing to do with Baozan's suggestion.
She just said so many good things about Sheng Yunche, praising him to the heavens and trampling Sheng Huai'an into the mud. How could she have wronged him?
He was even rude to her; thinking about it now, it's really infuriating.
Ye Mingzhu continued looking at the ledgers, and as she looked, she suddenly remembered something.
In her previous life, less than a month after she married Sheng Huai'an, a fabric shop in the West Mansion had a problem with its goods, losing three thousand taels of silver and going bankrupt. So she simply closed the shop.
Jia was both angry and heartbroken. She kept telling her how hard her life had been, subtly hinting that she should make up for the deficit.
At that time, she was wholeheartedly trying to live a good life with Sheng Huai'an. She tried to please Jia Shi by generously making up for the shortfall and even giving Jia Shi a set of exquisite and valuable jewelry, hoping that Jia Shi could feel her goodwill and that the two of them could get along well.
To everyone's surprise, Jia not only failed to appreciate her generosity, but also went around complaining to people that she didn't know how to get along with her daughter-in-law.
They say she disrespects her mother-in-law, deliberately acts arrogantly, and only gives money when the head of the household begs her obsequiously, implying she's deliberately trying to seize control of the household.
They even said she was a jinx, bringing disaster as soon as she entered the house.
In this lifetime, the fabric shop in the West Mansion must have also run into trouble, but judging from Sheng Huai'an's seemingly extravagant spending habits, he probably doesn't know about it yet.
How did the Jia family handle this situation this time?
Thinking of this, Ye Mingzhu became curious and called Ruixiang, who usually managed the dowry business with her, over: "Go and find out what the current situation is of the shops under the Xifu family."
Ruixiang, understanding the implied meaning in the music, asked with bright eyes, "Miss, are you going to teach the West Mansion a lesson?"
Ye Mingzhu smiled and nodded, "Yes."
Using Liu Rumei's illness to manipulate Sheng Huai'an, making him squander money and inciting conflict between them, is still too slow.
If we were to strip the West Mansion of its remaining assets and deliver a severe blow at its root, they would likely disintegrate even faster.
Thinking of Sheng Huai'an, Ye Mingzhu suddenly remembered something else.
Just now, she seemed to smell the same fragrance on Sheng Huai'an again, which was still very similar to "Huang Quan Ji".
Remembering that Sheng Huai'an had something to discuss with Sheng Yunche, Ye Mingzhu frowned for a moment, then suddenly said, "Baozan, put a cup of mung bean juice in a food box and I'll take it to my husband's study in the front yard."
Originally, I wanted to thoroughly search the East Mansion to see if I could find any clues about "Huang Quan Ji," and it just so happened that I started from Sheng Yunche's study.
"Miss, are you going to coax the young master now?" Baozan asked happily. "This servant will go and prepare mung bean juice right away!"
Ye Mingzhu: "..."
She pinched her earlobe, feeling a little guilty.
...
This was Ye Mingzhu's first time visiting Sheng Yunche's study in the front yard.
His study was a separate courtyard with two sections, named Su Xue Tang.
In his previous life, Sheng Huai'an also had two studies, one in Tingsong Residence and the other in the front courtyard. However, the study in the front courtyard was just a side room next to the front hall.
Sheng Huai'an was very annoyed that she went to his study in the front yard. After she brought him nourishing soup twice, she didn't want to see his attitude anymore and never went there again.
Later she learned that Sheng Huai'an was afraid she would find out that he and Yu Shu were having an affair in the study.
In this life, she had unknowingly brought over habits from her previous life. This was the first time she had thought of visiting Sheng Yunche's study in the front courtyard, wondering if he would have any reservations...
She hadn't expected that Sheng Yunche wasn't in the study.
“Madam, the Duke has a friend visiting, and he has gone to the gate to greet him personally,” Bu Xi said. “Please wait in the study for a moment, and I will go and invite the Duke right away.”
"Can I go into his study?" Ye Mingzhu asked.
Bu Xi scratched his head: "It should be possible, right? There's nothing shameful in the study."
“Okay then.” Ye Mingzhu nodded.
Baozan lifted the curtain for her. She walked around the study, not touching anything without the master's permission, and then sat down on the daybed next to the curio cabinet.
Feeling bored after waiting for a while, she went to the inner room of the study and found a travelogue on the bookshelf to pass the time.
As soon as he opened the book, a strange male voice came from outside the study.
"Brother Junzhao, are you afraid of your wife? Miss Qingque at Zuihualou has been waiting for you so long, her heart is breaking. She's told me several times that she wants you to go listen to her new little tune."
Sheng Yunche said in a calm voice, "Let her give up. I have no interest."
Just then, Bu Xi seemed to have rushed over, his breath unsteady voice hesitantly rang out: "Lord Duke..."
A strange male voice chuckled, "Looks like you're really afraid of your wife! Before you got married, you would have banquets with us several times a month. Since you got married, you go straight home after work every day. Aren't you being entangled in the world of women?"
"Me? Afraid of my wife? Being entangled?" Sheng Yunche chuckled lightly, then said with composure, "A high monk prophesied that I had just won over the Ye family, and I have no feelings for her. Since when has an ordinary woman been able to entangle me?"
"Just ordinary?" The unfamiliar male voice clearly didn't believe it and teased, "I've heard that your wife is a famous beauty. If she weren't from a merchant family, there would be plenty of suitors coming to marry her. I'm here today hoping to meet her."
"Put away your thoughts..." Sheng Yunche's voice suddenly stopped as he entered the inner room of the study.
Ye Mingzhu waved the travelogue in her hand and looked at him innocently, indicating that she did not eavesdrop on purpose.
She looked curiously at Sheng Yunche's friend.
This was a handsome man dressed in a jade-white robe, who appeared to be of high status.
Meeting her gaze, he snapped his folding fan shut and silently took several steps back, demonstrating his innocence through his actions.
Sheng Yunche's cold gaze swept over those who disliked him.
With a mournful face, Bu Xi forced a smile and replied, "Lord Duke, I was just about to remind you, but you didn't give me the chance! I... I really didn't expect you to... say so much."
Sheng Yunche: "...?"
The stranger suddenly spoke up: "Brother Junzhao, since your wife has something to discuss with you, I'll take my leave now. Let's meet again another day."
Even though he was displeased, he said, "Lord Duke, I'll go outside and keep watch."
Sheng Yunche: "...???!"
Ye Mingzhu: "..."
The stranger darted out of the study faster than a rabbit.
With a creak, Bu Xi hurriedly closed the study door, completely unaware of the disbelief and existential doubt in his master's eyes.
There were no outsiders around, and the house was incredibly quiet.
Ye Mingzhu didn't feel angry; instead, she found it funny.
She put the travelogue back on the bookshelf, walked up to Sheng Yunche who was radiating a chilling aura, and asked with feigned concern, "Lord Duke, you've been talking for so long, are you thirsty?"
Sheng Yunche: "...?"
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