Su Manor.
Shen Jing poured himself a cup of hot water and gulped it down to soothe his throat.
He had howled all night yesterday, and today, to deceive Pu Fanghai, he had kept up his miserable cries. His throat was already starting to feel uncomfortable.
"Young Master!"
At this moment, Chi Chi’s voice rang out from outside the door.
Shen Jing quickly got up, opened the door, and let Chi Chi in.
Seeing Shen Jing's face covered in red spots, Chi Chi immediately burst into laughter, then stepped forward and said, "There shouldn't be anyone else coming now. This servant will wipe off all this rouge from Young Master's face!"
"No, no!"
Shen Jing stopped Chi Chi. "We have to be careful with this. What if a doctor suddenly comes again? There wouldn't be enough time to put these red spots back on."
He still had to be cautious.
Pu Fanghai had left, but who knew if other doctors would still come?
"Oh."
Chi Chi lowered her hand and said with a smile, "I heard that the Princess ordered Lord Feng to find a doctor for you. The Princess is quite good to you."
"Hehe…"
Shen Jing gave her a sidelong glance. "If she knew I was the scoundrel she was looking for, she'd skin me alive!"
Right now, that girl was probably still sending people to look for him everywhere!
Anyway, he wouldn't go out until that girl left Luochuan Prefecture.
"It's good that Young Master knows to be afraid. Don't do such things again in the future."
Chi Chi wrinkled her nose. "Then Young Master should rest first! This servant will go help clean up the manor."
"Clean up what, clean up!"
Shen Jing glared at Chi Chi. "I just got one hundred thousand taels of silver. Isn't that enough for you to eat at the manor? You should rest when you need to rest. Don't go doing rough work! When you're well-rested, come find me. I'll teach you how to keep accounts and practice boxing."
"This… wouldn't be good, would it?"
Chi Chi frowned.
"What's good or not good!"
Shen Jing gently patted Chi Chi's head again. "We don't treat ourselves as lords, but we can't treat ourselves as servants either! You've suffered so much with me, what's wrong with enjoying some good fortune?"
"Oh."
Chi Chi nodded gently. "Then Young Master should rest first! This servant won't disturb you."
With that, Chi Chi withdrew from the room, thoughtfully closing the door for Shen Jing.
However, she didn't go to rest, but instead went to find things to do around the manor.
Shen Jing didn't rest either. He lay on the bed, refining his subsequent plans.
One hundred thousand taels of silver and three fingers were not enough to settle their grievances.
When dealing with enemies, if you're going to deal with them, you have to kill them!
He wouldn't do something like trying to kill a snake and getting bitten back.
Alas!
It was also his fault for not showing his face in front of Princess Qinghe.
Otherwise, he could have completely used her hand to eliminate the Song Family and the Zhao Family in one fell swoop.
Shen Jing pondered continuously, and gradually, a complete plan began to take shape.
...
For the next two days, Su Yourong accompanied Ye Li on tours around Luochuan Prefecture.
Ye Li didn't want to be gawked at everywhere she went, so she changed into men's clothes with Su Yourong and even glued some beard onto her face.
However, having learned her lesson, Ye Li no longer tried to get rid of her guards by any means.
Several guards were dressed as household servants.
After two days of touring, Ye Li also heard a lot about Shen Jing.
What she heard most about was Shen Jing marrying into six families and then, by sheer dumb luck, marrying into the Su Family.
And that half of the 'ode to the goddess of the luo river'.
After hearing people talk about Shen Jing marrying into six families again, Ye Li, in the carriage, looked at Su Yourong with a smile and said, "Your husband is quite an interesting person."
"In... interesting?"
Su Yourong's face twitched slightly.
She probably wanted to say shameless, but didn't want to say it directly in front of her, so she said it like this, right?
"Definitely interesting!"
Ye Li smiled. "Do you think a boring person could come up with such a ridiculous trick?"
"This... that's true!"
Su Yourong secretly smiled bitterly in her heart.
If she knew that scoundrel was Shen Jing, she probably wouldn't have said that.
Ye Li smiled, then suddenly asked, "By the way, how is Shen Jing's condition?"
"There's been some improvement, but it's still not very optimistic."
Su Yourong lowered her gaze, avoiding Ye Li's eyes.
"It's good that there's an improvement."
Ye Li said, then comforted Su Yourong, "In my opinion, your fate with him is destined by heaven! Since Heaven sent him to your side, it definitely won't take him away again! Don't worry too much!"
"Then I'll take the Princess's auspicious words."
Su Yourong nodded, forcing a slight smile.
Because she was leaving Luochuan Prefecture tomorrow, Ye Li chatted with Su Yourong continuously along the way, and kept comforting her.
Su Yourong felt very apologetic, but couldn't tell her the truth, feeling incredibly awkward.
That night, Su Yourong also stayed with Ye Li at the inn. The two chatted until late into the night before returning to their respective rooms to rest.
Early the next morning, Ye Li prepared to depart from Luochuan Prefecture.
The Su Family mother and daughter and all the officials of Luochuan Prefecture were at the inn entrance to see her off.
"Alright, don't see me off anymore!"
Ye Li patted Su Yourong's hand. "You've accompanied me for two days. Hurry back and see Shen Jing!"
"Then... alright!"
Su Yourong agreed, "Princess, take care on your journey!"
"You all take care too!"
Ye Li smiled, then instructed Feng Min and the other officials, "You all don't need to see me off either. Go back and attend to your own matters! Great Zhou has finally enjoyed a few years of peace. I hope you all govern your respective regions well and bring prosperity to the people!"
"Yes!"
Everyone saluted in unison.
After a few more pleasantries, Ye Li boarded the carriage, then poked her head out of the carriage to wave goodbye to Su Yourong and her mother.
The mother and daughter also waved back at her, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
She finally left!
Under everyone's gaze, Ye Li's carriage gradually moved away, eventually disappearing at the end of the street.
Su Yourong and her mother had a brief chat with Feng Min and the others, then also got into their carriage and returned to the manor.
On the other side, Ye Li leaned back in the carriage, secretly praying for Shen Jing.
She hoped to see the couple in the capital someday!
Ye Li let out a long sigh, then lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
Luochuan Prefecture's prosperity was far less than that of the capital, but after touring for two days, she still really liked this place.
She was about to leave, and she actually felt a little reluctant.
Just as she was sighing to herself, she suddenly noticed a calligraphy and painting stall by the street.
A painting hanging on the stall caught her attention.
The person in that painting looked like… that scoundrel!
Yes, it was that scoundrel!
Very similar!
"Stop!"
Ye Li suddenly called for the carriage to stop, and immediately instructed Lin Qi, the guard captain, "Go, have someone bring that painting over!"
"Yes!"
Lin Qi acknowledged the order and immediately went to the calligraphy and painting stall. "Bring that painting for my young lady to see!"
"Good, good!"
The person selling the calligraphy and paintings nodded repeatedly, took down a few pieces, and jogged to Ye Li's carriage. As he unfolded the painting in his hand, he boasted loudly, "This young lady truly has good taste! This is Shen Jing, the Son of Fortune of our Luochuan Prefecture!"
"He just squandered his family fortune, and then inexplicably married into Grand Tutor Su's family!"
"His luck is simply invincible!"
"Now many people buy his portrait to hang in their homes, just hoping to catch some of his good luck…"