When Prince Hui’an and Bao Ge’er were around, Su Xiaoqi didn't feel comfortable talking to Du Yiyi.
Now that they had followed Madam Xu back, Su Xiaoqi began to talk about what she had been brewing.
“Yiyi, you told me before that your marriage could be decided by yourself. Is that true?”
Du Yiyi nodded, looking at Su Xiaoqi with some confusion.
“Why is Sister Xiaoqi asking this?”
Su Xiaoqi hesitated for a moment, then said directly, “It’s like this, it was quite a coincidence. Last night, when I passed by Luoming Courtyard, I heard someone talking inside.”
“Luoming Courtyard? Isn't that the courtyard where Prince Duan's mansion is located?” Du Yiyi was clever and naturally picked up the conversation.
Su Xiaoqi nodded and said it was true. Her own residence, the Princess Regent’s Luoxia Courtyard, was only separated from Luoming Courtyard by a small alley.
After sending Du Yiyi off last night, she and Shen Yun passed by there and happened to hear a man and a woman whispering by the wall.
“Could that person be the Heir?” Du Yiyi was extremely astute.
Su Xiaoqi’s hesitant demeanor, and her specific mention of her marriage, made her understand.
Until now, she had only mentioned to Sister Xiaoqi that she was seeing the Heir of Prince Duan.
Therefore, she understood everything at this point.
“Could he be meeting another woman, or teasing his own pretty maid?” Du Yiyi was not an ordinary young lady from a noble family.
She knew all the skills that young ladies from famous families typically possessed, such as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she also had knowledge of things they didn't, like martial arts.
Therefore, she was not shy about discussing topics that outsiders might find embarrassing.
Her directness surprised Su Xiaoqi, who then nodded repeatedly.
“That’s right, I heard him confessing his feelings to Su Yuru under the moonlight, and he even promised to marry her.”
“What, marry her? No, Su Yuru, isn't that the one from Mianzhou City? The direct line of the Su family is engaged to the Marquis of Yong'an Mansion?”
Du Yiyi’s thoughts were incredibly expansive. As Su Xiaoqi pointed it out, she understood everything.
The entire story formed in her mind.
Then, excitedly, she grabbed Su Xiaoqi’s hand and said, “Have you sent someone to watch them? I want to see how they’re dating!”
“What, what, what?” Su Xiaoqi could hardly believe her ears.
But seeing the sly and beautiful eyes of Du Yiyi, she felt that this was truly the real her.
“Uh, well, you are supposedly seeing each other, and you thinking like this is a bit too heartless, isn’t it?” Su Xiaoqi reminded her cautiously.
The Heir of Prince Duan could potentially become her future husband, and her excitement about seeing him date another woman seemed a bit excessive.
Du Yiyi chuckled and said, “I never liked him much anyway. I just thought he looked good, and everyone said he was talented. I figured since a woman has to get married, why not marry anyone? So, I thought I’d just go along with it. But since he’s not a flawless piece of jade, then I don’t want him.
Moreover, I think I might have another, better option.” Du Yiyi winked at Su Xiaoqi.
“Him?” A strikingly beautiful face flashed through Su Xiaoqi’s mind.
Seeing that Su Xiaoqi understood immediately, Du Yiyi happily said, “Yes, his face is much better than the Heir of Prince Duan’s. He’s so pleasing to the eye.”
“That’s fine, as long as you have your plans figured out.” Su Xiaoqi was merely sharing what she knew as a friend.
She couldn’t make the final decision for Du Yiyi.
However, she was very pleased with Du Yiyi’s ability to let go and move on.
As they talked, she agreed to take Du Yiyi with her if she ever saw the Heir of Prince Duan dating Su Yuru or anyone else again.
After leaving Du Yiyi, Shen Yun found her, saying he wanted to take her to see some excitement. The matter had just happened and was still fresh.
Su Xiaoqi first asked if it had anything to do with the Heir of Prince Duan.
Shen Yun denied it.
“It has nothing to do with the Heir of Prince Duan, but it is about a prince’s heir.”
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi followed him, and they quietly slipped down the mountain from behind.
In April, the mountain air was warm, flowers were in full bloom, and a gentle breeze caressed their faces, bringing a unique sense of pleasure to their hearts.
Shen Yun held Su Xiaoqi’s hand, and they ambled along the forest path.
The only sounds around were the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects.
Su Xiaoqi was in high spirits, listening to Shen Yun slowly recount the events.
“Shen Fu had an incident last night.”
Su Xiaoqi blinked, indicating that she was listening attentively.
“The one who took action was a young monk,” Shen Yun continued.
“What exactly happened to him?” Su Xiaoqi keenly noticed that Shen Yun seemed to be deliberately avoiding the details of what happened to Shen Fu.
Shen Yun rubbed his forehead, hesitated, and then said, “It seems he won’t be able to be a man anymore.”
He knew Su Xiaoqi’s nature; if he didn’t tell her, she wouldn’t let it go.
Rather than letting her go and inquire elsewhere, it was better for him to tell her.
Su Xiaoqi’s peach blossom eyes widened, and they darted around, looking at a certain spot on Shen Yun’s body.
She said ambiguously, “Won’t be a man anymore?”
Shen Yun saw where her eyes were directed and glared at her, “Yes, Shen Fu won’t be a man anymore. Why are you always looking at your husband?”
“Oh, I was just looking around.”
Su Xiaoqi wanted to ask how the young monk had managed to incapacitate him.
Was it castration, or were they fed some aphrodisiac…
However, seeing Shen Yun staring at her warily, Su Xiaoqi finally realized.
Shen Yun was not her male best friend from modern times, but her nominal husband.
If she continued to ask, she felt he might make a move on her to prove his innocence.
Indeed, Shen Yun hugged her and whispered threateningly, “Does my wife lack confidence in me? Perhaps we should try and see.”
Su Xiaoqi gritted her teeth, “Bah, try what? This is Gan Quan Temple, a sacred Buddhist site. You, you wouldn’t dare.”
“Letting wine and lust pass through the body, the Buddha remains in the heart,” No, I am not a Buddhist, so what precepts am I guarding?” Shen Yun lifted Su Xiaoqi’s chin and gently pecked her lips.
His movements were careful, light, and slow, making Su Xiaoqi’s lips tingle, and she couldn’t help but squirm in his arms.
Shen Yun, however, suddenly tightened his embrace, “Hush, wife, don’t move.”
Su Xiaoqi quieted down as there was movement from the bamboo building ahead.
“Ah, it hurts, it hurts so much! You quack doctor, where are you holding?”
“Fu’er, Fu’er, don’t worry, Imperial Physician Wang is examining you.” Prince Ning anxiously comforted his only son.
He and Princess Pingning had a total of two daughters and one son.
Since giving birth to these three children, Princess Pingning’s womb had been silent for so many years.
He also didn’t like to take concubines or keep maids for his pleasure, so he had only had Princess Pingning as his wife for many years.
The relationship between the couple could not be said to be good, nor could it be said to be bad.
It was just like ordinary couples.
He was not particularly enthusiastic about male-female matters, rarely visiting the main chambers throughout the year.
Most of the time, he slept in the study in the outer courtyard.
This was because, like the current Emperor, he enjoyed studying ancient texts and calligraphy.
In his youth, Princess Pingning had even made a fuss about this several times, telling him to go be a couple with his calligraphy and paintings.
In a fit of anger, the resentful Prince Ning slept with a maid that very night and brought in a concubine the next day.
Only then did Princess Pingning become anxious and never dared to make a fuss again. Prince Ning never elevated any other women.
Princess Pingning was then relieved. Instead of fighting for favor with other women, she preferred his paintings and calligraphy. After all, they were inanimate objects and could not threaten her position as princess, nor could they take credit for anything.
Thus, scarcity made things precious. He had only one son, and therefore, he was the apple of the couple’s eye.
Especially Princess Pingning, who doted on him to an extreme.
She truly pampered him as if he might fly if held, or melt if put in her mouth.
As a result, she had spoiled him to the point of being lawless.
He had caused trouble in the mansion multiple times before, but Princess Pingning had acted as a devoted mother and dealt with it by minimizing major incidents and resolving minor ones.
This included, but was not limited to, the matter with Huaihua.
However, as the saying goes, if you walk too much on a dark path, you’ll eventually encounter a ghost.
If you walk by the river often, your shoes will inevitably get wet.
He had been too unruly in the past, and now he had reaped his just deserts.
“Ah, ah, it hurts, it hurts! I want to see, I want to see! Ah, Father, Father, let me see.”
“Fu’er, no fooling around. The doctor is examining you; don’t move around.” Although Prince Ning was in his forties, Heaven had been exceptionally kind to him.
His face seemed to show no trace of time, still appearing young, looking at most in his early thirties.
Standing next to the mature-looking Shen Fu, one might even believe they were brothers.
“He looks so much like you.” Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun were hiding in the bamboo forest outside the bamboo building, obscured by the low-lying bushes. She saw what the legendary Prince Ning looked like.
Shen Yun fell silent.
For some reason, even though he and Shen Fu were not close, having only met a few times at most.
There was no open animosity between them, yet seeing him in such a predicament brought him immense satisfaction.
This feeling was indescribable and made him feel awkward.
He didn’t want to face this feeling directly.
“Shen Fu has committed many evils; this is his own doing and has nothing to do with you.” Su Xiaoqi saw that Shen Yun seemed to have something on his mind about this matter.
She thought he was blaming himself for Shen Fu’s misfortune.
She figured that since he knew about this incident immediately, he must have sent people to keep a close eye on him, and perhaps his men could have intervened when the young monk acted.
However, because he hadn’t received his permission, they chose to stand by.
“Perhaps. When that young monk came in under the guise of delivering fruit, Zhang Lei told me that he intended to harm Shen Fu.
I could have stopped him, but I didn’t.”
Su Xiaoqi nodded in agreement, “You certainly couldn’t stop him, otherwise, he would know you had people watching him.
If he investigated further, he would also realize that you were scheming against him. With his temperament, he might not be grateful and let you off the hook.
If one doesn’t act for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them.”
Su Xiaoqi had no good feelings towards Shen Fu.
His misfortune was well-deserved.
After all, Zi Ling, who was by her side, had been severely harmed by him.
A girl of only fourteen or fifteen years, so cruelly tormented by him that she almost lost her life.
If Zi Ling hadn’t met her and been treated by her medical skills, she would have certainly died.
And Zi Ling was just one of the dozens of girls that Shen Fu had abused.
According to reliable information from Shen Yun’s side, several respectable young girls, unable to bear the shame after being defiled by Shen Fu, had committed suicide on the spot.
With so many lives on his hands, so much blood stained, Shen Fu had only paid such a small price.
Su Xiaoqi felt it was far from enough!