19 – The Princess of the Previous Dynasty
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. So early? So this woman had started her schemes this early? In his previous life, she had only surfaced after his Qiu’er died.
Indeed, in the previous life, the one who encountered trouble at the Duke Manor was Xu Zhiping, the heir of Duke Jing. This time, they had actually targeted him.
The former dynasty’s princess, is it? It seems in this life, you and I are still destined to fight to the death!
Ye Chen’s mind raced through countless thoughts. Shen Qiu looked at him and asked, “Husband, do you know this woman?”
Ye Chen shook his head. “No, I was just wondering what this woman’s purpose might be.”
He wasn’t lying—in this life, he truly hadn’t yet met this former dynasty’s princess named Fu Xia.
Ye Chen said, “As for your foolish sister, let her return home. I’ll continue investigating this matter.”
Then he turned to Shen Rouyun. “You’d better keep your mouth shut, or you’ll die a miserable death! I’ll take care of your maid myself. Any objections?”
Shen Rouyun hurriedly kowtowed. “N-none at all!”
Shen Qiu had Ming Yue escort Shen Rouyun back to the Shen family, instructing the Marquis of Yong’an and his wife to keep her under close watch.
After Ming Yue left, Shen Qiu asked Ye Chen, “Hasn’t Mu Qing always been by your side? Where did he go? How could he let you fall into danger?”
Ye Chen looked at Shen Qiu. “Yesterday, someone came to report that you were in trouble at the small pond, so I rushed over. On the way, Mu Qing was lured away by a person in black, and then I was drugged.”
Shen Qiu frowned deeply, pondering what was happening. This incident was clearly targeting her husband. Had he offended someone? Or was he blocking someone’s path to wealth?
Seeing her furrowed brow, Ye Chen stepped forward and gently smoothed her forehead. “Don’t worry. Your husband can handle these matters. I wish I could shield you from everything, so you could be happy every day. Seeing your joyful smile makes everything I do worthwhile!”
It seemed his initial plans after returning would need to change. Right after coming back, he had thought about living as a carefree duke—after all, his wealth was enough for them to live comfortably for this lifetime. He had intended to travel and sightsee, leaving all those affairs behind.
But when you avoid trouble, trouble finds you. It appeared that unless he resolved these troublesome matters, he wouldn’t be able to leisurely watch the falling flowers with his Qiu’er.
After Shen Qiu and Ye Chen reported the previous night’s events to the Old Duke and Xiao Taijun and returned to Cherishing Autumn Pavilion, Mu Qing finally came back. He had a sword wound on his left shoulder and a cut on his face, looking quite disheveled.
Ye Chen tapped the teacup in his hand rhythmically against the table, his voice deep. “What did the assailants look like?”
Mu Qing shook his head. “They were all masked. Couldn’t tell.”
Suddenly remembering something, Mu Qing looked up sharply. “That’s right, Young Master! Those people had a phoenix tattoo on their shoulders. I saw it when I wounded one of them.”
Ye Chen’s hand paused. Of course—the Phoenix Society belonged to that Princess Fu Xia. Since they had revealed their tracks, he couldn’t just ignore their “invitation.”
Ye Chen gave a cold laugh. “Make the arrangements. What I discussed with you before—you can begin implementing it.”
Then he took a piece of paper from his sleeve. “Go to this address and purchase a slave. She should currently go by the name ‘Wolf Girl.'”Mu Qing took the paper without asking any questions. Having served by the Duke’s side for so many years, he knew well that this was an unquestionable decision, so he remained silent.
Ye Chen then picked up a small porcelain vial and tossed it to Mu Qing, saying, “Apply the medicine yourself.”
With that, he stood up and returned to his bedroom in the rear.
Shen Qiu happened to be looking for Ye Chen to go together to the Hall of Glory and Majesty for dinner, so the two of them headed there.
On the way, they encountered Xiao Hang approaching from a distance. From afar, they heard him call out, “Little Chen! You look quite spirited! Seems like your wife did a good job detoxifying you yesterday!”
Ye Chen shot a sidelong glance at Xiao Hang and said to the blushing Shen Qiu, “Don’t mind him. He’s just an old bachelor and a pervert!”
Xiao Hang merely laughed, unbothered by Ye Chen’s jab. Shen Qiu asked, “Did you come looking for us?”
Xiao Hang grinned and replied, “I thought I’d come check Little Chen’s pulse to see if he suffered any harm yesterday. But judging by his condition now, it seems unnecessary!”
Shen Qiu bowed slightly to Xiao Hang and said, “I should thank you.”
Before she could complete the bow, Xiao Hang raised his hand to stop her. “Don’t mention it. He’s my brother. It would be too formal for my sister-in-law to thank me like this!”
Ye Chen took Shen Qiu’s hand and said, “No need to thank him. He’s been freeloading food and lodging from me for years. I’m being generous not charging him! I should be the one thanking Qiu’er.”
Xiao Hang covered his eyes and made tutting sounds. “Could you two be any more lovey-dovey? There’s an old bachelor here! Have some consideration for me, won’t you?”
Ye Chen simply pulled Shen Qiu along toward the Hall of Glory and Majesty, with Xiao Hang trailing behind, chattering incessantly.
At the dinner table, the Old Duke said, “Chen’er, yesterday’s incident was suspicious. I’m assigning Black Eagle to you – let him assist you. We must dig out the root cause to eliminate future troubles, understand?”
Listening to the Old Duke speak, Ye Chen thought to himself that his grandfather had truly recovered – this was how his grandfather should be.
Ye Chen smiled and said, “Grandfather, Black Eagle is your personal guard. I can’t take him from you.”
The Old Duke responded, “He belongs in the wider world. Staying cooped up in this estate with me every day, he’s going moldy. When he follows you, you should find him a wife. He’s already thirty-two. If he doesn’t marry soon, I’m afraid when I pass on, I won’t be able to face his late father.”
Xiao Taijun put down her chopsticks and said with a smile, “Yes, yes. This Black Eagle always keeps a stern face – that’s no good. We should find him a gentle, soft-spoken young lady.”
Hidden in the shadows, Black Eagle’s mouth twitched. Why were they suddenly so concerned about his personal life today? Weren’t they supposed to be discussing yesterday’s incident? Their own grandson had been poisoned right in their home, yet they didn’t seem worried at all?
Shen Qiu smiled and asked, “Is Black Eagle that man in black who pushed Grandfather’s wheelchair yesterday? I’ve been married here for over a month – how come I’ve never seen him before?”
Ye Chen placed a piece of meat in Shen Qiu’s bowl and explained, “Yes, that’s him. He’s the son of the former Shadow Guard leader and comes from the Shadow Guards himself. Those who serve as Shadow Guards remain hidden in darkness unless their master gives orders or there’s danger present!”
Shen Qiu murmured, “Oh, I see. I’d heard of Shadow Guards before, but I’ve never seen one.”
Ye Chen smiled and said, “You’ll have your own Shadow Guard soon. I’ve already instructed Mu Qing to arrange it.”Shen Qiu looked at Ye Chen in astonishment. Xiao Taijun suddenly said, “Hmm, this decision is good. Yesterday’s incident served as a wake-up call for us—the defenses at our Duke Manor have been somewhat lax!”
Old Duke set his chopsticks down on the table and sighed, “It’s my fault. I’ve neglected everything these past few years, forcing Chen’er to shoulder heavy responsibilities at such a young age. I haven’t taught him anything.”