Chapter 76: This young lord was never a gentleman

Ningning? You're not even worthy to call her Ningning?

Shen Miaoyun lowered her eyes and looked at Zhao Lian.

She seemed to truly know the man before her for the first time, a wave of sorrow crossing her heart.

Shen Miaoyun turned her head and told the maid to fetch the horsewhip; after sitting down she said indifferently, "You saw it, what's wrong?"

Zhao Lian looked at Shen Miaoyun's calm face, then suddenly felt uncertain, not knowing whether she knew or not.

It seemed she didn't know.

"Nothing, just asking." Zhao Lian secretly observed her, finally confirming his wife truly didn't know, and a pang of regret rose in his heart.

Since Shen Miaoyun didn't know he kept a concubine, he also didn't know how to bring it up, so he let it go for now.

Shen Miaoyun applied the medicine for him, each with their own thoughts, and for a moment they sat in silence.

After applying the medicine, Shen Miaoyun was about to leave.

Zhao Lian suddenly grabbed her hand: "Yun'er, where are you going?"

Shen Miaoyun gently said as always: "I'm going to decoct your medicine. I heard at the Duke's Mansion that you were injured, and I was worried sick, so I first went to the Wonderful Hand Hall to buy the medicine. Wait for me here."

Zhao Lian felt guilty in his heart and involuntarily said, distressed: "Such matters should be left to the servants; how could I let you personally labor?"

Shen Miaoyun silently withdrew her hand: "It's fine; I always want to do something for you, and by decocting the medicine myself I can set my mind at ease."

Zhao Lian felt warm in his heart: "To have a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"

Leaving the room, Shen Miaoyun's expression grew cold.

She would never let Zhao Lian hurt Ningning.

Since he can't control his lower half, he might as well stay in there for the rest of his life.

After learning from Pei Zhi that Miaomiao had already left Jingcheng, Shen Shuangning finally felt completely at ease.

Only when she entered the palace again two days later.

Shen Shuangning remained unhurried, entering the palace at noon.

This time the guide was a little eunuch who helped carry her bundle, his attitude respectful.

Shen Shuangning walked with lowered eyes and brows, when suddenly she heard a few strange, clear sounds reaching her ears.

Pa! Pa!

One after another, in the silent corridor it sounded somewhat piercing.

A Heng was still curiously looking around, but Shen Shuangning immediately recognized it as the sound of a slap striking a face.

Turning a corner, she saw a palace maid kneeling on the green bricks, with an experienced palace maid standing before her; at that moment the kneeling maid lifted her hand and slapped her own face repeatedly.

That face was reddening until it was almost as red as the palace wall.

A Heng widened her eyes, not expecting to see such a sight.

The little eunuch who was guiding her, already accustomed to such scenes, silently led Shen Shuangning farther away.

Shen Shuangning didn't want to meddle, but after passing that palace maid she glanced over, and just that one look changed her expression.

Baozhu!

In her previous life, Shen Shuangning fell into the water in the palace; the former Jingyu had snakes bite her, and it was Baozhu who jumped in to save her, otherwise she wouldn't have known where she was.

After Baozhu saved her, she hadn't yet had a chance to repay the favor when someone dragged Baozhu away for a mistake to the Xinze Ku.

Moreover, because Baozhu was inside the palace while she was outside, separated by the towering palace wall, everything was very inconvenient.

When she finally managed to hear news of Baozhu, what she learned was Baozhu's death.

It was her who caused Baozhu's death.

And the sharp‑tongued palace maid standing before Baozhu she also recognized—she was the senior maid beside Consort Li, adept at borrowing the tiger's might, whom she had seen in her previous life and also during her last palace visit.

Shen Shuangning didn't think twice; she turned on her heel and walked toward Baozhu.

The little eunuch started, reached out to stop her, and shouted urgently, "Fourth Miss!"

But Shen Shuangning's figure had already gone far.

Baozhu had been kneeling here for over an hour, her head dizzy, yet she had to keep her spirits up; each time she swung a slap, she had to chant, "Long live the phoenix grace of Consort Li!"

If she missed a line, the palace maid in front would make her start over.

In a daze, she heard a pleasant voice.

The person said, "Stop."

Baozhu's slapping had become a reflex; just as the next slap was about to land on her face, a slender hand reached out and seized her wrist.

Baozhu stared, looked up, and saw a girl she had never seen before, very beautiful.

The girl looked at her pityingly and said, "Don't hit anymore."

At that moment the sharp‑chin, spiteful palace maid coldly said, "Fourth Miss, I advise you not to meddle." Evidently she remembered Shen Shuangning.

After all, anyone who can leave an impression on Consort Li, as her capable subordinate, naturally pays attention.

As soon as that palace maid spoke, Baozhu seemed to snap back to reality, quickly using her other hand to slap herself fiercely.

"Long live the phoenix grace of Consort Li!"

Baozhu's lips were already tinged with blood.

Seeing this, Shen Shuangning couldn't stop her, so she rose straight and looked at the spiteful palace maid, asking, "What fault has she committed?"

The maid slightly curled her lip, glanced contemptuously at Baozhu, and said, "Naturally it's this clumsy maid who bumped into Consort Li; without a lesson, how could she ever serve the consort well in the future?"

It turned out that in her previous life, at this moment Baozhu was still serving in the Brocade Palace, and her old injuries were probably sustained there.

Shen Shuangning's slender brows knitted tightly.

Now Consort Li is noble, favored by the emperor, and backed by the Prince Yan's Mansion; aside from the empress, she is the most powerful consort, while she is merely a minor clan daughter, with no say and no confidence to protect Baozhu.

Moreover, Consort Li most dislikes anyone opposing her; if she now insisted on protecting Baozhu, it would actually harm her.

As she pondered, her eyes flickered slightly, and Shen Shuangning thought of Princess Jingyu, already having a plan in mind.

... Baozhu... Beautiful Consort...

Head Palace Maid

Baozhu

Xie Lian'an

Black Wind Stronghold

Stronghold Chief

Marquis Manor

Emperor

Heir Apparent

Young Marquis

Chang Le Gong

Brocade Palace

Drunken Cloud Pavilion

Prince Yan's Manor

Beautiful Consort

【94】

madam

Head Palace Maid

Aheng

Baozhu

Shen Shuangning

Xiao Jingyuan

Zhao Lian'an

Xie Lin

flattery and fawning

Chief of the Black Wind Stronghold

Black Wind Stronghold

Marquis Manor

Emperor

Heir Apparent

Young Marquis

Chang Le Gong

Brocade Palace

Drunken Cloud Pavilion

Prince Yan's Manor

Beautiful Consort

Noble Consort

Stronghold Chief

Now we need to output glossary list after all translations. Format:

The senior palace maid lifted her brows slightly, still thinking that Shen Shuangning had come over suddenly to protect that dead girl.

The senior palace maid was quite pleased with Shen Shuangning's sense of timing, a hint of smile on her lips, as if she had placed Shen Shuangning in her camp.

Bao Zhu's expression stiffened, her shoulders trembling slightly, though deep down it wasn't entirely unexpected.

Moreover, a flicker of loss and ridicule crossed her eyes.

She had actually naively thought that the other party had come to rescue her, that someone as lowly as her deserved to die if she died......

A sharp slap sound came from nearby, and Shen Shuangning restrained herself from looking.

She stood at the gate of Brocade Palace and said to the senior palace maid, "I dare not disturb Her Highness's nap; could you, older sister, pass on my greetings to Her Highness?"

The other party slightly raised her chin, smiling, and said, "Miss Fourth, Her Highness will remember your thought. Miss Fourth, take your leave."

The senior palace maid had already categorized Shen Shuangning as someone trying to curry favor with Consort Li, and deep down she looked down on her a bit.

She had thought Miss Shen Fourth was someone quite extraordinary, but it turned out she was just an ordinary person.

The senior palace maid glanced down at Bao Zhu from above and said lightly, "All right, go in."

Bao Zhu collapsed to the ground, her voice trembling, and said, "Thank you, Older Sister Yichun."

Shen Shuangning walked a distance before turning her head.

The palace corridors were wide and deep; Bao Zhu's small figure knelt in the shadow where sunlight could not reach, as if she were about to be swallowed whole.

Rescuing Bao Zhu's escape could not be rushed, so Shen Shuangning temporarily set the matter aside, for there was plenty of time in the palace and plenty of opportunities.

When the senior palace maid returned to attend Consort Li, she told Consort Li about encountering Shen Shuangning.

Consort Li leaned sideways on the Noble Consort's couch, admiring her ten fingers freshly coated with brilliant nail dye; at the words, her gaze flickered slightly.

There were many who flattered and fawned, and she normally wouldn't care, but Shen Shuangning was different.

Shen Shuangning was, however, specially instructed by Heir Apparent Xiao Jingyuan to be well looked after, so she did pay a bit of attention.

She didn't think too much of it, just taking it as an amusing anecdote.

This trip to Chang Le Gong was still the same route as last time, needing to go straight north, which is also the necessary path out of the palace.

Shen Shuangning met Xiao Jingyuan head-on.

Unlike before, today Xiao Jingyuan wore official robes.

Purple robe with a golden sash, deep-set brows and eyes, an austere aura about him; he now gradually bore the appearance of a high-ranking, powerful minister from his previous life.

Shen Shuangning had a moment of daze.

Xiao Jingyuan also saw her.

"May the Heir Apparent enjoy myriad blessings," Shen Shuangning said, stopping, lowering her garments, and performing the salute.

Xiao Jingyuan gave a slight nod, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately he did not speak, nor did he, as before, simply turn and leave.

Shen Shuangning also had a question she wanted to ask, concerning Zhao Lian, but not knowing where to begin, she could only ask, "May I ask if the Heir Apparent has any news of the Young Marquis?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyuan's gaze turned cold in an instant, he tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "He's doing very well; he is about to marry the chief of Black Wind Stronghold."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyuan saw the woman's complexion turn pallid.

Shen Shuangning, however, quickly realized that Xie Lin would marry someone else, and would certainly not marry an enemy; otherwise, not only the Marquis's manor, but even the Emperor would not let him off.

Shen Shuangning realized that Xiao Jingyuan was doing this on purpose, her eyes gaining a hint of scrutiny—was Xiao Jingyuan speaking ill of Xie Lin in front of her?

"The Heir Apparent's conduct is truly not that of a gentleman."

The woman before him voiced her displeasure, Xiao Jingyuan lowered his gaze to look at her, his body leaning forward slightly, and suddenly uttered an astonishing remark.

"I, the Heir Apparent, have never been a gentleman."

Shen Shuangning's heart gave a jolt—what did Xiao Jingyuan mean by that?

She lifted her head, gazing at his dark pupils, the corners of his lips curved in a half-smile, and suddenly recalled that night when he had been drunk, bursting into the side hall of Chang Le Gong and doing those things to her......

Shen Shuangning's heartbeat inexplicably quickened; she averted her gaze somewhat flusteredly, clenched her fingers, and forced herself to sound calm, saying, "Heir Apparent, it would be better for you to act like a gentleman."

Having said that, she fled in some disarray.

Xiao Jingyuan stood where he was, unmoving, turned his head to watch her hasty retreat, and raised an eyebrow.

Ah Heng didn't know why, after her young lady had seen the Heir Apparent, the whole person seemed a bit off.

Ah Heng certainly didn't know what the Heir Apparent had done to her young lady.

Upon returning to Chang Le Gong, Shen Shuangning hadn't even had time to sit down before she poured two cups of tea to steady her nerves; only after moving away from that place did the feeling of being watched barely fade away.

Indeed, Xiao Jingyuan's behavior was far too different from usual; his gaze toward her was not pure, even carrying a strong sense of intrusion.

This ought not to be the case.

Could it be that he no longer cares about his brotherly bond with Xie Lin?

Shen Shuangning plopped down, her thoughts racing, and she realized she had overlooked an important matter: when had Xiao Jingyuan become interested in her? Or rather, when had he developed desire for her?

Could it have been at the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, where he unintentionally rescued her when an aphrodisiac took effect?

Right, how was her aphrodisiac neutralized?

Could it be that something had already happened between them that night?

Shen Shuangning pressed her forehead, feeling a surge of irritation.

Damn it, why can't I recall it?

Ah Heng watched her young lady lost in thought, feeling very curious, but not daring to disturb her, so she first went to tidy up.

Shen Shuangning soon calmed down; even if something had happened that night, it certainly hadn't gone all the way—she knew her own body very well.

Moreover, Xiao Jingyuan was naturally cold and self-disciplined; it should have been only her who offended him.

But it is very likely that their karmic entanglement began then...... She had drawn his attention, and for some unknown reason he had developed that kind of interest in her.

Shen Shuangning suddenly felt a pang of regret; when Xiao Jingyuan was drunk and his emotions chaotic, she ought not to have provoked him, saying those things—she feared he would bear a grudge after returning.

The worst outcome Shen Shuangning could imagine was that Xiao Jingyuan would see it through to the end as a villain, not stopping halfway, seizing her before Xie Lin returns, making her a concubine, letting her live out her days alone in the Prince Yan's manor, all to take revenge on her.

Thinking of this, Shen Shuangning felt a chill, and couldn't help but clutch her collar tightly.

No way! Chang Le Gong isn't safe; she must have Jingyu send more people!