“So that means, since the Prince of Langya won’t live for long, won’t Ningning become a widow if she marries him?”
Madam Zhou’s brow furrowed into a tight knot as she looked at Jiang Wanning; this was exactly what she was worried about.
However, Jiang Wanning remained perfectly composed, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. “He won’t die.”
“Ningning, how do you know?”
“Are you no longer foolish, or have you become even more foolish? It’s fine to be that scumbag’s mother, but a widow…”
“Mother, Zhizhi, I am telling the truth,” Jiang Wanning said seriously. “He won’t die.”
“Because… I won’t let him die.”
“You have always been one to have a plan, and you don’t turn back once you’ve set your mind on something. I won’t try to persuade you otherwise,” Madam Zhou said. “But after all, there is a seventeen-year age gap. Since the Prince of Langya doesn’t remarry, who knows if there are other hidden secrets, like… impotence…”
“Pfft!”
The water Jiang Wanning had just taken into her mouth sprayed all over Shen Ruzhi’s face.
This mother of hers was seen as refined and sensible by outsiders, but the things she said and did behind closed doors were really…
Madam Zhou also felt she had been a bit too blunt. “Mother was just worried about you for a moment.”
Jiang Wanning felt she had to put her mother’s heart at ease. She said solemnly, “Mother, I have also heard of something.”
“It is said that the Prince of Langya isn’t actually thirty-three; he is twenty-three. To adopt Pei Yanchuan, he asked the Emperor to artificially increase his age.”
“There is actually such a thing?”
Madam Zhou and Shen Ruzhi’s eyes widened.
“I also heard Pei Anqing say this after he had been drinking. He also mentioned that there is someone who can cure the Prince’s illness, but Pei Anqing wants to seize the title, so he has been sabotaging things.”
These words were made up on the spot by Jiang Wanning.
There was indeed someone who could cure Pei Yanchuan’s illness, and she was that person’s savior. However, in her previous life, she had brought that person to Pei Anqing first. The latter had not allowed the person to treat Pei Yanchuan, and the healer eventually disappeared. Later, Pei Yanchuan continually took a type of poison to fight poison; though he remained alive, he endured bone-eroding pain every single day.
“Is that truly the case? How could this Pei Anqing be so vicious?” Shen Ruzhi was somewhat indignant.
Jiang Wanning sneered. “Because as long as the Prince of Langya lives one day longer, he cannot successfully inherit the title.”
“Since you have a plan in mind, Mother will not worry anymore.” Madam Zhou took Jiang Wanning’s hand. “Whatever you want to do, just go ahead and do it. Mother will back you up.”
Tears welled up in Jiang Wanning’s eyes. “Mother.”
“Alright, you two sisters haven’t seen each other in a long time. I won’t disturb you anymore.” Madam Zhou said as she stood up.
“Mother,” Jiang Wanning called out. “For the Spring Banquet in a month, will you accompany me?”
Her mother had not gone out for a long time; she had to help her mother regain her confidence.
Seeing Madam Zhou’s hesitation, Zhizhi also stood up and said, “Auntie should go out and walk around. These past two years, Auntie hasn’t left the house, and Ningning was only focused on being with that scumbag. It has made outsiders think the Mistress of this Marquis’s Manor is surnamed Liu, and the legitimate daughter is named Jiang Wanru.”
“Ningning has let it go, and Auntie should let it go as well,” Shen Ruzhi said, always speaking bluntly.
Madam Zhou looked at the expectation in her daughter’s eyes and finally nodded. “Alright, I will try my best.”
After Madam Zhou left, Jiang Wanning and Shen Ruzhi also headed out.
“Why are you buying so many things?” Shen Ruzhi looked at the carriage full of gifts. “There won’t be enough room for us to sit when we head back.”
“I haven’t seen Uncle Shen in a long time, so naturally, I have to buy more for him.”
Shen Ruzhi was moved in her heart, but on the surface, she acted indifferent. “My father’s favorite thing is still that coffin you gave him.”
Jiang Wanning’s face turned red. “I was young then.”
“Hahaha, neither I nor my father care, so why do you?”
Because Shen Ruzhi’s father, Shen Zhao, had offended too many people, he often muttered that he should prepare a coffin for himself, otherwise, if he were assassinated one day, it would be too late to buy one.
The eight-year-old Jiang Wanning had taken this matter seriously. On Shen Zhao’s forty-eighth birthday, Jiang Wanning spent a large sum of money to have a coffin custom-made for him and sent it to the Shen Manor with great fanfare.
Originally, there weren’t many guests, and everyone thought someone wanted Shen Zhao’s life, so they all took their leave. This matter eventually spread far and wide; some said it was a threat to Shen Zhao, and others said Shen Zhao had ordered a coffin for himself, vowing to fight against evil forces to the end.
When it reached the ears of the late Emperor, he commended Shen Zhao’s loyalty and even rewarded him. Jiang Wanning, as a result, received the first “mixed doubles” beating of her life from both her parents.
That coffin was still in the courtyard of the Shen Manor.
“Miss, I heard the pastries here are quite good. Why don’t we buy some for Master Shen?” Shaoyao pointed toward the direction of Shi Ding Lou.
“Alright.” Jiang Wanning did not expose Shaoyao’s true motive as a glutton.
As the group walked toward Shi Ding Lou, a flash of white light glinted across Jiang Wanning’s face. She narrowed her eyes and looked in that direction.
“Ningning, what’s wrong?”
Jiang Wanning looked at the carriage at the entrance. “Zhizhi, you guys wait for me here.”
After saying that, she walked toward the tea house across the street and went straight to the third floor. Before the young servant at the door could react, Jiang Wanning pushed the door open and entered.
Pei Yanchuan’s eyelids lifted slightly. The servant rushed in. “Prince…”
“Withdraw.”
The servant glanced at Jiang Wanning as he closed the door.
Without a word, Jiang Wanning walked to Pei Yanchuan’s side, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward the door. “It’s dangerous here.”
“Why are you here?” Pei Yanchuan did not move.
Jiang Wanning patiently explained, “I was shopping with Zhizhi. I noticed someone across the street watching this place. They have blades in their hands, and the carriage at the entrance has been tampered with.”
“How did you know this Prince was here?” Pei Yanchuan still barely moved.
“Your carriage is parked at the entrance, so I came up to take a look.”
Before Pei Yanchuan could speak further, someone crashed through the window. Seven or eight men in black, wielding long blades, charged toward Pei Yanchuan.
Jiang Wanning pulled the long whip from her waist and shielded Pei Yanchuan closely behind her.
“The whip work is not bad.”
Jiang Wanning was speechless. Was this the kind of thing to say at such a dangerous time?
Crack! A whip stroke flew out, the whip flexibly wrapping around the neck of one man in black. Jiang Wanning pulled back forcefully, and the man was sent flying. Another whip stroke landed on the face of another man.
In an instant, all the men in black turned their attack toward Jiang Wanning.
By the time Jiang Wanning had dealt with the men in front of her and turned around, she saw Pei Yanchuan holding a blood-stained blade, with a bleeding man in black kneeling before him.
Pei Yanchuan tossed the blade aside, pulled out a handkerchief, took Jiang Wanning’s hand, and wiped it carefully. “The enemy doesn’t only appear in front of you.”
Jiang Wanning’s face turned red. Her martial arts were naturally no match for the Prince of Langya’s.
“Prince.” The servant at the door rushed in.
“Clean this place up.”
“Yes.”
Soon, several soldiers rushed in to drag away the corpses in the room, and the tea sets and tables were all replaced with new ones.
“You knew there were assassins?”
Jiang Wanning looked at the soldiers who had appeared so quickly and the servant who didn’t look at all surprised.