Chapter 353: Happenings in Shangjing (10)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Wuma Jun felt that he had already probed for the information he wanted. He maintained his composure. The anxiety in his heart had been relieved, and he looked more relaxed than before. However, Princess An Yina, who had been silent, stole a glance at Jiang Pengji, who happened to be looking at her as well.
“Is she... your beloved concubine?” Jiang Pengji asked deliberately.
She was dressed in won’s clothing, and she seed to be very close to Wuma Jun. Ordinary people would have had such thoughts.
Wuma Jun quickly clarified, “That isn’t sothing to joke about. If my second brother heard that, he’d definitely be jealous. This is my second sister-in-law. She left the palace this morning to climb the Guanyin Mountain to ask for the Buddha’s rcy. We happened to run into each other when she ca back to the city, so I’m thinking of going back to the palace with her.” He did not explain further as to why they did not return to the residence of the second prince, but ca to the teahouse instead.
Jiang Pengji was suddenly enlightened. She replied frankly and apologetically, “Oh, she’s the second princess. I was rude just now. Please forgive .”
An Yina took the opportunity to stare at Jiang Pengji from head to toe. She was only at ease after confirming that there was nothing abnormal about her facial expression.
“It’s okay. Langjun can’t be blad for being suspicious because of the situation. It’s indeed my fault.” An Yina did not really let Jiang Pengji bow and apologize to her. She smiled sweetly and let the matter slip.
“Did you hear anything just now?” An Yina suddenly asked. She was still smiling, and she bent her fingers like an orchid. She stroked the hair on her temples behind her ears.
Judging from her behavior, she did not look panicked or guilty at all; it was as if she was asking about the weather. She observed Jiang Pengji’s reaction and facial expression with her enchanting eyes.
Jiang Pengji was very experienced. She would not be swindled by such a simple trick. She frowned in a seemingly puzzled manner. Her eyes that shone like lacquer were full of doubts. She asked, “Hear what?”
An Yina was relieved upon seeing her reaction. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
Her mind spun, and she was thinking about a suitable reason for her question. She prevaricated, “When I was resting in the room next door, I vaguely heard a rustling noise. However, I was too tired from worshipping Guanyin this morning, so I couldn’t open my eyes for a second. After quite so ti, I realized that I lost a valuable item when I woke up. There must have been a thief...” She smiled bitterly as she was explaining, as if it was a very important thing that was stolen.
“There’s a thief in the teahouse?” Jiang Pengji frowned and asked seriously, “What did you lose? If it’s a personal item, your reputation may be negatively affected if the thief spreads it to the public. You must catch him as soon as possible.”
An Yina pursed her lips. “Thank you for your concern. The thief might know the consequences, so he didn’t steal anything valuable; he only stole a few purses. I’ve only lost so ordinary belongings, but... But, there was a handful of soil that I brought from my hotown in my purse. I always bring it with to remind myself to not forget my roots. Now that it was stolen by the thief, I’m in a panic...”
An Yina left her hotown by herself and married into Dongqing. No one could say that it was bad of her to bring her hotown’s soil with her to cherish the mories she made there.
Jiang Pengji could not help but be moved. She sighed a little and said, “Your marriage to Dongqing is a bond of friendship between the two countries. However, it’s hard for one to leave their hotown, so you brought so soil from your hotown with you. Your noble action makes feel deeply ashad. I want to help you with this, but I didn’t hear any unusual noise when I was having tea with Xiaoyu in the tea room. Why don’t we ask the manservant in the hall?”
An Yina knew how good the soundproofing of the teahouse was. Otherwise, she would not have picked such a place to et Wuma Jun.
She kept probing Jiang Pengji until she was sure that Jiang Pengji and Xu Ke really did not hear them. The doubts in her mind finally disappeared.
She nodded with a smile, revealing a frail, worried look. “If that’s the case, I better not trouble you. I’ll get soone to investigate it later. If I can’t get it back, I can only accept it as God’s will. I heard that your sister is going to marry into the royal family. By then, we’ll be relatives, so you should co visit often. It’s getting late now. I should return to the residence so that my husband won’t be worried.”
An Yina purposely ntioned the daughter born of the mistress of the Liu residence, Liu Huan. Jiang Pengji answered in a proper manner, “You’re right.” Jiang Pengji smiled sowhat embarrassedly and replied humbly, “She’s too spoiled at ho, so she has a bad temper. Please take care of her after she gets married. I’ll be very grateful.”
An Yina tittered, and covered her mouth with her handkerchief. She sowhat glared at Jiang Pengji with a moving look in her eyes. “Your sister’s husband is here. He should be the one taking care of her.” An Yina got up, as if she was going to leave.
Wuma Jun acted like he was blushing. He realistically portrayed a man who was about to get married.
Xu Ke, who was in the background, calmly watched the three of them rival against each other. He sat quietly without looking sideways, as if he was watching a show.
He only acknowledged Jiang Pengji’s acting skills. The shaless couple, An Yina and Wuma Jun, could not be underestimated, either.
Well, they were able to et each other in secret without being caught. If they did not know how to act, they would have been exposed already. How could they be so free and unfettered?
Seeing that An Yina and Wuma Jun were making excuses to leave, Xu Ke and Jiang Pengji got up to see them off.
However, God did not seem to favor An Yina and Wuma Jun. They could not leave in peace. A servant girl stopped them, sowhat embarrassed, and bowed to them.
“What’s going on downstairs?” Jiang Pengji played with the sandalwood fan in her hands. She unfolded and shut it while she spoke to the servant girl indifferently. “If there isn’t an explanation and you’re stopping the four of us for no reason, I’ll deal with your boss directly.”
Cold sweat was trickling down the servant girl’s back. She replied in fear and trepidation, “Please don’t be angry. Unruly people are creating trouble downstairs. I only venture to stop you in order to prevent you from getting injured.”
“Creating trouble?” Jiang Pengji smiled. “I rember that this property is under the na Prince Changshou. Soone actually dares to create trouble here?” As she was speaking, there was a clank downstairs, as if sothing had been smashed. Jiang Pengji walked past the servant girl and went downstairs to check out the scene.
“Xiaoyu, protect the fourth prince and the second princess. Don’t let anyone attack them.” Before leaving, she even gave Xu Ke a command.
The command made Wuma Jun and An Yina’s plan of leaving through the back door fall to pieces.
They could only summon up the courage to follow her downstairs.
In the hall, the perforrs, who were playing music, and the dancers, who were dancing, had already fled in a panic and hid in the corner.
It was originally a place for people to paint. Now, two groups of people were confronting each other with daggers. The atmosphere was tense.
“What’s going on?” Jiang Pengji asked a manservant in a low voice while she watched the two groups of people.
The manservant looked extrely horrified. He was quivering while hiding in the corner, and he did not dare to go forward and ease the conflict between the two groups of people.
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