Chapter 032: How Can She Face People?

Chapter 032: How Can She Face People?

Meng Suqiu hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Who had told her that Qinghuan had returned to the Ruan residence?

It was that old man, He Qizhang.

But why didn't they return to the Prime Minister's residence and instead stay at this villa overnight? What was going on?

People couldn't help but speculate.

Chen Po gently nudged Meng Suqiu forward. "Madam, didn't you come to this side courtyard because you were worried about the young madam?"

This was a good excuse, and Meng Suqiu softened her stern demeanor, moving to the side of the bed. "Yes, Qinghuan, you didn't return last night, and I was worried you two might have quarreled, so I rushed over to check."

Ruan Qinghuan nodded hesitantly. Her mother-in-law's entrance felt more like an inspection than a casual visit.

Her plans to sleep all day were ruined. Ruan Qinghuan opened the wardrobe to find only one dress, presumably prepared by He An in advance. After changing, she left the villa with her mother-in-law.

By the time Xia Lian finished washing the clothes and came out, there was no sign of the young madam.

On the way, Meng Suqiu happily purchased tonics, jewelry, and cosmetics. Chen Po and Meng Suqiu were ahead, while Ruan Qinghuan followed behind, yawning. Her legs were sore, and she really didn't want to move.

Chen Po took the box containing the pearl headpiece and whispered, "At this rate, it won't be long before the madam gives birth to a grandchild."

Meng Suqiu was even happier. "Indeed, I never thought that someone like An, a blockhead, would..."

"Madam, you're mistaken. It seems our lord has truly set his heart on the young madam."

Meng Suqiu nodded, a glimmer of relief in her eyes. She had been concerned when her son had been unwilling to marry the Ruan family girl. A merchant's daughter was of relatively low status, and rumors had it that the girl was arrogant and unforgiving. She had worried about how she would get along with An.

The marriage had been delayed for two years, and the current situation was somewhat unexpected for Meng Suqiu.

But love knows no bounds, and as long as they were happy, she was determined to be a good mother-in-law.

Meng Suqiu wanted to keep shopping, but Chen Po stopped her. "Madam, let's not shop anymore today."

"Why? I still have so many things to buy for Qinghuan."

"Madam, look at the young madam—she's practically falling asleep on her feet. Considering how exhausted she was last night, shouldn't we return to the residence and let her rest?"

Meng Suqiu, caught up in her joy, found Chen Po's suggestion reasonable.

In the carriage, Ruan Qinghuan yawned again, noticing the widening smile in her mother-in-law's eyes.

"Aunt."

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, a young lady emerged from the courtyard, running to Meng Suqiu's side.

"Mingxi?" Meng Suqiu was surprised.

Ruan Qinghuan looked up and realized this was Wei Mingxi, the cousin from He An's aunt's family.

Meng Suqiu pulled her to Ruan Qinghuan's side. "Mingxi, this is your sister-in-law, Ruan Qinghuan."

When Wei Mingxi saw Ruan Qinghuan, her attitude instantly changed. "So you're the merchant's daughter who's clinging to my cousin?"

"What are you saying? This is your sister-in-law. Your brother loves her so much, he can't even bear to see her leave."

Ruan Qinghuan really didn’t have the energy to argue, and even if she did, she needed to get some sleep first. "Mom, I’m heading back to Changchun Garden."

On the way back, Ruan Qinghuan felt troubled. Just as Liu Yueru had left, now Wei Mingxi had arrived. Liu Yueru at least knew how to pretend to be gentle and virtuous, but Wei Mingxi was a thoroughly spoiled brat.

She had all the attitude of a princess without any of the privileges.

Her father was just a county magistrate, yet she acted as if she belonged to one of the capital’s most powerful families.

According to the original narrative, after she arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, her main target had been Liu Yueru. Now that Liu Yueru had left, who knew what trouble Wei Mingxi would stir up.

When she returned to Changchun Garden and changed her clothes, she inadvertently saw marks all over her body in the mirror. No wonder Mother and Chen Po had looked at her strangely earlier…

Ruan Qinghuan gritted her teeth in frustration. It was all He An's fault. Now, how was she supposed to face anyone?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Ruan Qinghuan lay stiffly on the bed. She wasn’t a fool. He An had clearly done it on purpose yesterday. Every time, he said it was the last time, and they ended up staying up all night…

After court, He An went to the Crown Prince's estate. Several people entered the Crown Prince's study. Ji Lingchuan said with satisfaction, "The emperor has placed the Second Prince under house arrest for two months. This is a stroke of luck. With this, He An should be able to proceed to Lu City smoothly."

He An replied, "Not necessarily. Although the Second Prince can't leave his residence, the people working for him outside are still active. We can't afford to be careless."

The Crown Prince sighed, "This time, our attempt to win He An over failed. He might be more willing to take desperate measures now."

Ji Lingchuan frowned, "My troops will need to enter Lu City in small groups from various directions. To avoid being detected, they'll have to be spread out, which will take some time. So, I'll go first, and He An will depart five days later."

Both He An and the Crown Prince agreed with this plan. Only by arranging Ji Lingchuan's troops properly could they hope to take down the Second Prince's private army in one go.

He An said, "Next, it’ll be up to me to create a distraction for General Ji."

They absolutely couldn’t let the Second Prince discover that his private army had been exposed, so He An needed to put on a show. He exchanged a knowing glance with the Crown Prince.

"Prime Minister, are you trying to lull Prince Chen into complacency?"

"This will require the help of the Crown Prince."

Ji Lingchuan couldn’t stand the riddles anymore, "Can you two be more straightforward? You’re making me anxious."

He An remained silent.

The Crown Prince took a jar of wine from the cabinet and tossed it to Ji Lingchuan, "We need to make Prince Chen believe that our move on Lu City is just for show, to gain favor with the emperor."

Gaining favor?

He An said, "Since we've secured the opportunity for credit, shouldn't we celebrate first?"

Seeing that Ji Lingchuan still didn’t understand, the Crown Prince got straight to the point, "You're leaving the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, there will be a banquet at the Crown Prince's estate for officials and their families. Tomorrow, you’ll need to play your part well."

His performance?

Ji Lingchuan put the wine cup back on the table, his eyes filled with caution as he stared at He An for a long time before the other man finally lifted his gaze.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. It's just about finding a reason for you to leave the capital."

Ji Lingchuan: "..."

Under normal circumstances, leaving the capital wouldn’t raise any suspicion, but with He An heading to Lu City, if he were to leave the capital around the same time, it would certainly arouse the Second Prince's suspicions.

"But today, what the crown prince and He An said left him completely in the dark: 'What am I even supposed to do? I need to keep a low profile, or else people will notice when I leave the capital.'

The crown prince: 'That's exactly why you can't keep a low profile. If you nail it tomorrow, your departure from the capital will have a solid reason.'

He An nodded in agreement.

'Wait, but you have to at least give me some idea of what’s going on…… Hey, hey……'

He An got up and left. The Crown Prince gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 'I need to go check on the consort. We'll deal with tomorrow's plans when the time comes.'

Ji Lingchuan: '…Great.'"