Chapter 148

In the blink of an eye, the day of departure for Jiangting Manor arrived; today they set out, and tomorrow they could catch up with their cousin's wedding banquet.

Four carriages were already parked in front of the Duke's mansion, all spacious and comfortable ebony-wood carriages.

Three were for passengers; the remaining one was packed full with gifts prepared for the cousin—from silk cloth to gold and silver jewelry, to the fashionable pastries and tonics of the capital, piled so high they nearly overflowed.

By the carriage, Qingyun wore a neat combat uniform, a sword at his waist, standing ready. On the surface he had more than twenty Black Armor Guards, while in the shadows who knew how many secret guards lurked.

Each of these Black Armor Guards was stalwart, standing like iron; even though they deliberately restrained their aura, the fierce feeling honed over years amidst blades and swords still hit them like a gust.

Seeing this, the guards of the Duke's mansion all involuntarily straightened their backs.

Shen Xiuci had already been waiting aside; Shen Er was also there, the two brothers' auras clashed, so even standing together they rarely spoke.

Duke Rongguo Shen Lang, having finished his three-day leave, emerged from inside wearing a refined scholar's robe alongside his lady; Shen Shuangning followed beside him in a pale pink flowing fairy dress.

Only the members of the main branch were going to Jiangting County today.

Shen Lang had always cherished his wife, and not having seen her in a while, he would follow her wherever she went, wagging his tail like a puppy.

What pleased Shen Shuangning was that her parents' relationship had always been good; although her father had been forced to take a concubine years ago, he had never neglected her mother's feelings.

Perhaps having been raised pampered since childhood, the former Shen Shuangning would have been full of longing for love.

Shen Lang watched the imposing Black Armor Guards before the Duke's mansion, his eye twitching slightly as he thought, 'This Young Master Xiao is being overly nervous; it's just a trip to Jiangting County near the capital—why deploy Black Armor Guards?'

With his father around, what could possibly go wrong?

Shen Lang himself was a military officer; though he had never led troops in battle, he considered himself no mere ornament, confident he could protect his wife and daughter.

Generally, fathers who dote on their daughters tend to be somewhat critical of their sons-in-law; although Xiao Jingyuan's gesture was well-intentioned, Shen Lang felt little gratitude deep down, but he ultimately said nothing.

From Lady Liu's perspective, however, she felt that Xiao Jingyuan truly cared for her daughter, being very attentive, and she nodded slightly in satisfaction.

The party soon set off.

The convoy slowly passed through the long street; sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, casting the Black Armor Guards' shadows elongated, adding a touch of lethal aura.

Just then, the carriage carrying Shen Shuangning brushed past another low-key carriage.

Inside the carriage, Pei Zhi was resting with eyes closed, but as if sensing something, his fingertip paused lightly on his knee, then he lifted a hand to pull back a corner of the curtain.

His gaze swept over the opposite carriage's style, and he instantly recognized it as the mark of the Duke's mansion; looking at the guards on either side, it seemed they were setting out on a long journey.

Pei Zhi lowered the curtain, tapped lightly on the windowsill, and calmly ordered, 'Go find out where the Duke's mansion is headed and who is aboard.'

The attendant outside immediately replied, 'Yes.'

The carriage interior fell silent again; Pei Zhi raised his hand to touch his left cheek, his fingertip tracing the skin and clearly feeling a thin, long scar.

It was from the last time he clashed with Xiao Jingyuan, when he was wounded by the opponent's blade.

He himself did not care about appearances; it was merely that she disliked a lover whose looks were marred.

Therefore, until this scar completely faded, he did not wish to appear before her, nor let her see his 'unseemly' appearance.

Pei Zhi's lips curled into a cold arc. Even if in this life she still chose that Xiao Jingyuan scoundrel, became engaged, and was soon to marry—so what? He would never let go.

After all, it was he who, after her death, used his essence and blood as a guide, defied heaven to change fate and bring her back to life, even arranging a yin marriage.

The vermilion mole on the back of her neck is the mark; it cannot be washed or rubbed away.

How could he possibly resign himself to that?

She is his; from the moment of her rebirth, she was destined never to escape.

The next morning, as the sky just began to show fish-belly white, the carriages set off on the dew and entered the territory of Jiangting County.

After traveling another half an hour on a country lane, they could see in the distance a picturesque scatter of houses and fields—the Liu family manor had arrived.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this is merely a manor; it lacks the carved beams and painted pillars, the splendid grandeur of capital mansions, yet the Liu family's wealth placed in the capital would still be top-notch, and in Jiangting County they are truly a prosperous household.

Within the manor there were not only a thousand mu of fertile fields, but also a gristmill and a weaving workshop; the household was very well-off.

The manor's master had received the news early; that morning he brought his family and clansmen to wait at the gate, while Liu Yu, as the bride, was still preparing inside the house and not present here.

To the manor, the people of the Duke's mansion were undoubtedly the most honored guests of the day.

Moreover, this branch of the Liu family could enjoy today's peace and stability entirely thanks to Lady Shen Shuangning's mother, who single-handedly promoted and supported them years ago; this debt of gratitude naturally demanded respectful treatment.

The manor master had not expected the Duke himself to come in person, and for a moment he felt overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

"I have seen the Duke and the Duchess! You've finally arrived, as we've been hoping!"

Shen Lang gave a slight nod, returning the greeting.

This branch of the Liu family had close ties with the Duke's mansion.

The manor master privately often affectionately called Lady Liu 'little sister,' but in public his etiquette was utterly proper, his demeanor respectful to the utmost.

"Seventh Brother, there's no need for so much ceremony—we're family; such formality only creates distance." Lady Liu laughed, giving the manor master a light, feigned support, her tone warm and natural.

The manor master's smile grew increasingly warm.

Shen Shuangning, observing propriety, addressed the manor master as 'Uncle-in-law'.

The manor master followed the sound and looked over; when his gaze fell on the girl, his eyes involuntarily flashed with astonishment: 'Is this Ning-tou? It's been two or three years since I last saw her—she's truly changed, blossoming into ever greater grace and beauty, almost unrecognizable!'

The Liu family also turned their gazes to Shen Shuangning, all somewhat incredulous.

They naturally knew this cousin from the capital, but they had not expected her to have changed so much.

Although she had a maiden's face, her brow bore a serene gentleness; her whole bearing carried a noble aura that even surpassed the Duchess, making her seem like a lady of high standing, and for the moment she was somewhat restrained, daring not to step forward to get close.

Shen Shuangning was unfamiliar with the others, only looking at the manor master and asking, 'Uncle, where is my older cousin?'

The manor master replied, 'She's in the bridal chamber, doing her makeup, waiting for the auspicious moment; you can go find her yourself later—she's long been wishing to see you.'

At that moment, Qingyun dismounted, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in a salute to the manor master, his expression stern and unsmiling.

The manor master sized up the young man before him.

Just now he had noticed from afar those Black Armor Guards who seemed out of place and radiating killing intent; he could tell they were not the Duke's mansion's own guards.

But since they had come together with the Duke's entourage, he gave it no further thought.

Lady Liu did not explicitly state the identities of Qingyun and the others; she merely told the Liu family not to worry about them.

The manor master then ceased questioning, made a gesture of 'please,' and said, 'You've had a rough journey; please go inside and rest.'

This manor occupies a vast area, with gray-brick, dark-tiled houses spreading along the gentle slope, and all around are fields stretching as far as the eye can see.

Because it was the joyous day of Liu Yu's wedding, the manor was already festooned with festive red silk everywhere, and even the old locust trees by the roadside had red ribbons tied to them, fluttering lightly in the wind.

People on the manor came and went, chatting and laughing, very lively.

The group exchanged greetings as they walked.

Shen Shuangning walked quietly beside her elder brother, her gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

In fact, the manor hadn't changed much from her memory; each time she returned, she unconsciously relaxed a great deal.

She thought to herself that this visit, besides attending her cousin's wedding, she also wanted to check how the potatoes were growing.

Shen Shuangning wore a lotus-root-colored wide-sleeved flowing fairy dress, its hem embroidered with silver-thread orchids, swaying gently with her steps; her hair was styled in a flying fairy bun, and coral earrings dangled beside her flawless, snow-white cheeks.

She had not deliberately dressed up, yet she could not hide the innate nobility and grace, truly the image of a precious blossom from a noble lineage.

The manor folk rarely had a chance to see the daughter of a prominent, wealthy family, let alone a young lady as outstanding in looks and refined in demeanor as Shen Shuangning.

Many daughters-in-law and young women of the manor quietly stopped their work, their gazes fixed on her, momentarily staring, and they whispered among themselves:

"Which young lady is that? She's really beautiful..."

"She seems to have stepped out of a painting!"

A few elders who worked for the Liu family and had seen Shen Shuangning's childhood appearance chuckled and chimed in: "You wouldn't know this, would you? She is the Fourth Miss Shen of the Rong State Duke's Mansion, the cousin of Miss Liu Yu, and she used to come play at the manor when she was little!"

"No wonder—back then she was like a little wild girl, always following Miss Liu Yu up trees to bird-nest, down to the ponds to catch fish and shrimp, getting tanned dark; who would have thought she'd grow up to be this gorgeous!" another aunt said, her voice full of emotion.

Upon hearing this, the people around widened their eyes in surprise: "No way? Isn't she the Shen Fourth who used to cause trouble with Miss Liu Yu? The one who used to chase the manor's dogs three blocks down the street?"

"It's her indeed—otherwise how could there be the saying 'a girl changes greatly at eighteen'?"

"She was naturally a noble blossom; after being nurtured in the capital for a few years, she naturally stood out—it's no wonder they didn't recognize her."

"......"

As these discussions rose, the figures of the duke's mansion entourage gradually faded into the distance, and soon they arrived at the manor's main house.

Regarding that "Chen Yuan," Shen Shuangning had already, two days earlier, had her mother write a letter to the Liu manor lord, urging him to investigate the fellow's background more thoroughly, since it concerned Liu Yu's lifelong affair and could not be taken lightly.

For now the wedding proceeds as scheduled, and it seems the manor lord still feels quite at ease about "Chen Yuan."

At this point, Lady Liu probed indirectly, and the Liu manor lord stroked his beard, declaring firmly: "Rest easy, sister! I specifically had people look into it again, and have ascertained—the "Chen Yuan" you mentioned and the "Chen Yuan" who is to marry Yu'er are actually two different people."

"The former is the family's only son, while the latter has a younger brother, and there are inn registrations along the way as proof—there should be no mistake. Yu'er is my daughter born late in life, and I cherish her dearly; I will certainly not let anyone exploit a loophole."

Lady Liu, hearing him say that, exchanged a glance with Shen Shuangning.

Since the manor lord himself had said so, as outsiders they naturally saw no need to say more.

Lady Liu said: "All right then, I was overthinking. As long as he's a reliable young man, Yu'er will be happy."

The manor lord laughed: "If you were to meet that Chen Yuan, you'd also be satisfied."

Lady Liu smiled, neither affirming nor denying.

Shen Shuangning was going to look for the bride, so Qing Yun and the others naturally couldn't follow; they could only be escorted by the manor's servant to sit in the west wing room.

Earlier, as they walked from the manor gate to the main house, Qing Yun had carefully observed the surroundings and detected nothing unusual.

On this manor most are honest tenant farmers, with a few martial practitioners, but nothing to fear; moreover, hidden guards have been stationed around Fourth Miss Shen, so any disturbance would be noticed immediately.

Even if something were to happen, Qing Yun is confident he could cope.

Thinking thus, Qing Yun relaxed a little, picked up the tea the servant had brought and took a sip, then suddenly thought of something and casually asked:

"Why don't I see Mr. Chen?" Qing Yun said. "On such a joyous day, Mr. Chen wouldn't still be busy planting in the fields, would he?"

The other party stared blankly, took a moment to react, before realizing that the gentleman before them was asking about Chen Jia.

They then replied: "That's right; Mr. Chen has been ill for several days, recuperating indoors."

Upon hearing this, Qing Yun's face showed surprise: "Ill? Then I'll go see him."

However, speaking of Shen Shuangning on her way to find her cousin Liu Yu, she inadvertently caught sight of a person.

Whether it was an illusion or not, that person bore a striking resemblance to Xie Yan!

The instant that thought arose, Shen Shuangning's head buzzed, and her blood seemed to freeze throughout her body.

Immediately after, a strong sense of danger surged upon her!

Just as she was about to look more closely, a child suddenly rushed forward from ahead, slammed into her, and knocked her back a step.