Chapter 194: He Needs a Woman Like Jiang Shuning

Chapter 194: He Needs a Woman Like Jiang Shuning

After seeing off Jiang Shuning and Ling Wu, Su Wan directly headed to her father Master Su's study, carrying a stack of portraits of eligible bachelors.

She came straight to the point: "Father, I want to break off the engagement with the Third Prince and instead find a suitable live-in husband to marry into our Su family and continue the family line!"

"What?" Master Su's eyes bulged wide. "Wan'er, you've only just been jilted by the Fifth Prince. If I hadn't agreed to this marriage with the Third Prince, our Su family would hardly be able to hold our heads high in the capital! And now you say you want to break it off—how can I show my face!"

He paused, as if remembering something. "I heard that Miss Jiang came to our residence today. Did she put you up to this foolishness? I'm going straight to the Jiang residence to talk to Chancellor Jiang!"

"Father, don't be so quick to get angry!" Su Wan quickly tugged at Master Su's sleeve. "No one talked me into this; I figured it out on my own! Think about it—if it weren't for the Third Prince's consort stirring up trouble, why would I have become so jealous of Jiang Shuning that I'd stoop to framing her? Now my reputation is ruined, the Fifth Prince immediately called off the engagement, and the Third Prince, seeing I had no way out, promptly came to propose. Clearly he doesn't want me sincerely—he's just after our Su family fortune, trying to pick up the scraps!"

Master Su's expression shifted. "Could it be that this whole thing was a trap set by the Third Prince and his consort? First they provoke you into harming Jiang Shuning, then the Fifth Prince jilts you, and they reap the benefits?!"

"Father, don't you find it suspicious too?" Su Wan pressed on, lowering her voice. "Those two are as cunning and venomous as snakes. I'm your only precious daughter—how could you bear to let me walk into a den of wolves? Besides, the Third Prince already has a whole harem of wives and concubines. I've never liked sharing things since I was little, least of all a husband. If I married him, wouldn't I be miserable?"

The more Master Su thought about it, the more sense it made. The imperial family always acted high-handedly. If they truly intended to swallow up the Su family assets, then as a mere merchant family, they would have no power to resist.

In that case, his daughter would suffer, the family fortune would be lost—that would be true ruin.

"Furthermore..." Su Wan deliberately drew out the word, teasing.

"Furthermore what?" Master Su pressed.

Su Wan pouted. "Furthermore, the Third Prince is utterly plain-looking! I've always loved beautiful things since I was a child. If I married an unattractive husband and had to look at that face every day, how stifling would that be!"

Master Su was left speechless, the corner of his mouth twitching.

If the Third Prince—who prided himself on being a dashing ladies' man—knew that his own daughter was dismissing him as mediocre in appearance, he'd be hopping mad and want to crawl into a hole!

After a moment's deliberation, his expression softened slightly. "We can break off the engagement with the Third Prince, but as for your talk of recruiting a live-in husband... forget it! Men in this world have too much pride to do that—who would agree to marry into the bride's family? They'd just be greedy, shameless men!"

"Father, that's where you're wrong! There are plenty of talented, good men down on their luck in this world. As long as we extend a helping hand, they'll be eternally grateful. You've worked hard your whole life to build the Su family wealth—do you really want to hand it over to outsiders? Wouldn't it be better to leave it to the son I will bear someday?"

This struck a chord with Master Su. His eyes wavered, and he murmured, "What you say does make some sense, but... but the Third Prince has already come to propose, and the whole capital knows. If we refuse now, won't we be slapping him in the face publicly?"

Su Wan sneered, disdain dripping from her voice. "Face? He didn't even send a proper betrothal gift—just a few words. Is that really a proposal? Besides, when the Fifth Prince broke the engagement, did he care one bit about the Su family's face? Since the imperial family can be so heartless, why should we care about their dignity?"

"Wan'er speaks sense!" Master Su made up his mind on the spot, raising his voice. "If the imperial family doesn't give us face, we don't have to kowtow to them! I'll have someone send word to the Third Prince's residence right away—this marriage, the Su family will not proceed with!"

Hearing this, Su Wan was overjoyed.

"Father is wise! Now, let's go through these portraits carefully and choose the most suitable live-in son-in-law!"

The Su family's public rejection of the Third Prince's marriage and the announcement that they would seek a live-in husband for Su Wan spread through the capital in just a few days.

In teahouses and wine shops, gossip buzzed constantly, even dragging up the old news about Consort Xi's demotion.

The noble families speculated privately: Is the Third Prince, Xiao Xiuzhan, truly out of favor?

Otherwise, why would a mere merchant's daughter choose to seek a live-in husband instead of marrying a prince as a secondary consort?

Inside the Lingge Palace, Jiang Yaozhen was trembling with rage upon hearing this news.

"Outrageous!" Her shrill voice echoed through the room, frightening the maids into silence as they knelt, not daring to raise their heads.

"Is Su Wan brain-dead? She turns down being a prince's secondary consort just to recruit some live-in husband? Has she lost her mind?" Jiang Yaozhen's chest heaved violently. The thought of the Su family's immense fortune slipping through her fingers made her heart ache as if it were being twisted.

That was an endless mountain of gold and silver—her greatest asset for establishing her position in the harem and gaining favor for Xiao Xiuzhan!

Now it was all gone!

Chun Hua cautiously stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, please calm down... I sent someone to investigate. It seems it was the eldest young lady who put that idea into Su Wan's head."

Jiang Yaozhen spun around, her eyes venomous. "Who did you say?"

"It... it was the eldest young lady," Chun Hua said, her scalp tingling under that venomous gaze. "The eldest young lady visited the Su residence a few days ago, and that very day, Su Wan started clamoring to break the engagement and find a live-in husband. It must be that the eldest young lady said something to her."

"Jiang Shuning!" Jiang Yaozhen ground out the name through gritted teeth, as if she wanted to chew it up and swallow it whole.

"It's her again! That cursed, persistent woman!"

Every single move she made seemed to be effortlessly foiled by that woman.

Just thinking that Su Wan—that merchant's daughter she had thought she could easily manipulate and control—had been swayed by Jiang Shuning's few words and slipped completely out of her grip made the fire of fury in Jiang Yaozhen's heart burn so fiercely that it ached in her very core.

"Jiang Shuning, you are my greatest stumbling block!" Jiang Yaozhen's nails dug deep into her palms, her eyes full of malice.

Meanwhile, in his study, Xiao Xiuzhan listened to his subordinate's report, his face as dark as a storm cloud.

The Su family's rejection was a resounding slap in the face.

He, an imperial prince, was turned down by a merchant's daughter—how could he hold his head up after this?

But when he heard that the one behind it all was Jiang Shuning, the towering rage inexplicably dissipated, replaced by a strange sensation.

Jiang Shuning? Why would she sabotage his marriage?

A thought arose unbidden in his mind.

Could it be... she's jealous?

Could it be that she actually harbored some feelings for him, and therefore couldn't bear to see him marry another woman, even just a secondary consort?

Once this thought surfaced, it spread like wildfire through his mind, instantly occupying his entire consciousness. The suffocating humiliation from the public insult eased miraculously.

He suddenly felt that losing the Su family's vast fortune wasn't so hard to accept after all.

Not long ago, the spies he had sent to Nanshuo City had returned with a shocking truth—back when Nanshuo City was on the brink of collapse and the situation was nearly hopeless, it was Jiang Shuning, disguised as a man, who had calmly taken charge and arrived with doctors in time, helping Xiao Lingchuan turn the tide and save the day.

Such a brilliant and courageous noblewoman—how could she not captivate one's heart?

Xiao Xiuzhan's knuckles tapped lightly on the table. The gloom in his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a deep, calculating appreciation.

He desperately needed a woman like Jiang Shuning.

A woman who could see through people's hearts, weave plots in silence, and help him turn the tables.

If he could win her support...

A meaningful smile slowly curled at the corner of Xiao Xiuzhan's lips.

He refused to believe that he couldn't beat that half-breed Nanyue bastard Xiao Lingchuan!

---

After successfully persuading Master Su to agree to the live-in husband arrangement, Su Wan's marriage was settled not long after.

She personally came to deliver the invitation to Jiang Shuning. With a smile in her eyes, she said solemnly, "Miss Jiang, you must grace us with your presence on the wedding day!"

Jiang Shuning took the invitation and, seeing her face glowing like a peach blossom, with joy that couldn't be hidden from her eyes and expression, couldn't help teasing, "Look at Miss Su, so radiant with happiness—you must have chosen a husband who suits you perfectly. Congratulations, Miss Su, on getting your wish!"

Su Wan covered her mouth with a smile, a hint of pride sparkling in her eyes. "After much deliberation with my father, I finally chose Scholar Li. He is highly learned; in the future, when our children learn from him, they will surely be exceptionally intelligent. Even if they later go into business, they will be far superior to ordinary merchants!"

"As for Mr. Lin, alas, his background is truly pitiful, so I asked my father to pay for his freedom and rescue him from his gambling-addicted father. Now he is the manager of the Su family's silver shop. Guess what? Those noble maidens from the capital flock to the shop every few days just to catch a glimpse of his charm, and business has actually increased by a full fifty percent!"

Hearing this, Jiang Shuning couldn't help laughing. "When it comes to business, nobody does it like the Su family!"

"Of course!" Su Wan stepped forward with a smile, intimately taking Jiang Shuning's hand, her tone sincere. "Miss Jiang, in the past I was blind and schemed against you first, but you set aside past grievances and even gave me advice. You deserve half the credit for my future happiness! From now on, if you ever need any help, just say the word, and I, Su Wan, along with the entire Su family, will do our utmost to assist you!"

Jiang Shuning, upon hearing this, deepened her smile and gently patted her hand. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Su. You'll have to keep your word!"

"Don't worry!" Su Wan patted her chest firmly. "Although our merchant family values profit, the reason we can accumulate immense wealth is by adhering to the word 'trust'! My word is my bond; I never break a promise."