Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Too Absurd!

When Marchioness Shun Yang once visited the Duke Residence, Sheng Zhi Wan heard about it. Based on the symptoms Marchioness Shun Yang described, Sheng Zhi Wan wrote a prescription to nourish and regulate the body.

Marchioness Shun Yang did not know the prescription came from Sheng Zhi Wan’s hand. Marchioness Shun Yang only thought it was a secret palace fertility recipe, so she immediately had someone send it at top speed to Prince Yi’s residence.

Three months later, the daughter who had shown no signs of pregnancy was diagnosed as pregnant. After that, she smoothly gave birth to a son.

Not long ago, she even became pregnant again.

As for Cui Ji Wen, the Minister of Works, he was a deeply filial man. Every rainy season, his father’s legs suffered stabbing pain that was hard to bear, so Sheng Zhi Wan had someone deliver medicated plasters to ease it.

And Madam You had suffered a lung illness before the new year. Even Feng Mao, her husband, had almost given up on her, but Sheng Zhi Wan sent ginseng that kept Madam You alive.

People ate grain and lived in this world, so it was impossible to never fall ill. Even if someone did not get sick, what about their elders and their children?

Over these two years, every household friendly with the Duke Residence had received, more or less, medicines and prescriptions Sheng Zhi Wan sent.

Back when Sheng Zhi Wan lived at the Duke Residence, they naturally treated those favors as belonging to the Duke Residence, and they kept close contact with the Duke Residence.

But now Sheng Zhi Wan had divorced and cut all ties with the Duke Residence. They naturally separated that debt of gratitude from the Duke Residence.

That was why, between the Duke Residence and the Princess Residence, they chose the latter.

While Qi Shu Xian was still stunned, another carriage with a residence crest rolled into Yong Kang Lane.

It belonged to the Grand Defender General Residence.

Qi Shu Xian clenched his fingers and guessed it was Madam Han.

Compared to the earlier guests, someone from the Han Residence coming was normal. After all, the Han Family’s young master was someone Sheng Zhi Wan had saved.

But when Qi Shu Xian saw Old Madam Han step down from the carriage, his eye twitched again.

After that came Madam Ye and a young miss from the Minister of Revenue’s residence.

Madam Pei from the Huai Hua Grand General Residence.

Madam Chen.

Madam Zhou.

The Liang Residence.

The Song Residence.

Then another plain carriage arrived from outside the lane, and the woman who stepped down looked oddly familiar to Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian thought for a long time before remembering that she was the madam of Director Han of the Imperial Academy. Qi Shu Xian had only seen her once by chance when he studied in the past, yet she came to the Princess Residence now.

These people… when did they even cross paths with Sheng Zhi Wan?

Why had Sheng Zhi Wan never told him?

“Oh? Isn’t that Qi Shi Zi?” A teasing voice suddenly came from behind. “Qi Shi Zi isn’t at the Duke Residence choosing a new wife, so why did Qi Shi Zi have time to come to the Princess Residence?”

Qi Shu Xian turned around.

Shang Xing Yu carried a red fox pelt and grinned in a way that begged for a punch. “Ah, I forgot. Everyone came to the Princess, so who had time to go to the Duke Residence? Tsk.”

Qi Shu Xian’s face darkened.

Shang Xing Yu blinked at Qi Shu Xian. “Are you going in? If Qi Shi Zi isn’t going in, then I’m going in.”

Shang Xing Yu lifted his foot and walked toward the Princess Residence.

“Wait.” Qi Shu Xian gritted his teeth and blocked him. “She is opening her residence. What are you going there for!”

“Of course I’m delivering a congratulatory gift to the Princess.” Shang Xing Yu shook the red fox pelt in his hand.

“Isn’t that something you sold to her?” Qi Shu Xian still remembered Sheng Zhi Wan planned to pay fifty thousand taels.

“I don’t feel like selling anymore.” Shang Xing Yu smiled. “I want to give it to the Princess. Is that not allowed?”

After speaking, Shang Xing Yu bumped Qi Shu Xian’s shoulder.

Qi Shu Xian felt an irresistible force shove him back two steps. He was startled. How did Shang Xing Yu have such strength?

By the time Qi Shu Xian steadied himself, Shang Xing Yu had already walked past him with deliberate provocation.

“Young Master Shang Er!” Qi Shu Xian suddenly called out in a low, heavy voice. “Don’t forget it. Back then, Sheng Zhi Wan refused to eat and drink and starved herself to beg for an imperial decree, just so she could marry me!”

Sheng Zhi Wan once loved him without holding anything back.

Now, even after the divorce, Qi Shu Xian still treated Sheng Zhi Wan as his personal possession. Qi Shu Xian would not allow any other man to covet her.

Shang Xing Yu paused and turned his head. Shang Xing Yu looked Qi Shu Xian up and down, then suddenly spoke: “Do you not pee on ordinary days?”

Qi Shu Xian froze.

Shang Xing Yu walked into the Princess Residence.

Qi Shu Xian came back to his senses, and his face flushed red.

What did Shang Xing Yu mean?

Shang Xing Yu was saying he did not even pee and take a look at himself?

Qi Shu Xian returned to the Duke Residence in a fury.

Outside the Duke Residence, there were only a few sparse wheel tracks.

Concubine Tao awkwardly accompanied a few madams and young ladies in the pavilion, supposedly admiring the snow.

In the dead of winter, what snow was there to admire?

Those madams and young ladies were not truly there to admire snow. They came because they heard Qi Shi Zi would be taking a new wife.

But after sitting there for so long, they still did not see even a hint of Qi Shi Zi’s shadow. The madams could not help feeling displeased. After sitting a short while, they took their leave.

Duke Qi’s face looked grim. When Duke Qi saw Qi Shu Xian return, Duke Qi demanded at once, “Where did you go?”

Qi Shu Xian looked at Duke Qi. His lips moved, but he said nothing.

Duke Qi grew impatient and asked again.

Only then did Qi Shu Xian speak three words, “The Princess Residence.”

“What?” Duke Qi’s anger surged. “Why did you go to the Princess Residence? She already petitioned for divorce, and you still went to look for her?”

Qi Shu Xian’s voice turned rough. “Does Father know why no one came to the Duke Residence?”

Duke Qi froze.

Qi Shu Xian said, “Because they all went to the Princess Residence. Marchioness Shun Yang. Madam Wang, the wife of Minister Cui. Madam You, the wife of Secretariat Director Feng Mao…”

Each name Qi Shu Xian spoke made Duke Qi’s expression sink deeper.

In the end, Duke Qi cut him off. “Impossible! She’s just a woman. Those people were always friendly with my Duke Residence. How could they go to the Princess Residence? This is absurd!”

Even if they did not come to the Duke Residence, they should not have gone to the Princess Residence!

“I saw it with my own eyes.” Qi Shu Xian no longer wanted to argue. “If Father doesn’t believe it, Father can go and see for himself.”

If Duke Qi learned that Old Madam Han from the Grand Defender General Residence also went to the Princess Residence, and that even the Director of the Imperial Academy might be close to Sheng Zhi Wan, Duke Qi would feel even worse.

Forget it.

Qi Shu Xian drew a deep breath. Even if those people were close to Sheng Zhi Wan, so what? Sheng Zhi Wan was still only a woman.

As long as he climbed steadily upward in the future, he would make Sheng Zhi Wan regret it. He would make all those people regret it.

With that thought, Qi Shu Xian forced himself to pull together. Qi Shu Xian cleaned himself up and was about to head to the drill ground, but Meng Yang’s people came to invite him over.

Meng Yang did not expect that while Meng Yang still lay in bed, the Duke Residence would already be looking to choose a new wife for Qi Shu Xian.

Meng Yang had worked so hard to squeeze Sheng Zhi Wan out. How could Meng Yang allow another woman to step over her head?

On top of that, the Third Prince sent word yesterday and told Meng Yang she had to raise three hundred thousand taels of silver within two months.

Three hundred thousand taels of silver – if not for the matter of the pension silver, Meng Yang could grit her teeth and work another two months and perhaps barely gather it.

But Meng Yang never expected that the Cang Nan soldiers were recruited near the capital. One careless sentence Meng Yang blurted out back then cost seven or eight tens of thousands of taels to smooth over.

Still, it was not without a method.

And luckily, this snow arrived at the right time. It reminded Meng Yang of that unprecedented Mo Bei cold disaster in Sheng Kingdom’s history.

Corpses covered the ground.

And it was also worth mountains of gold.

If Meng Yang handled it well, she might use this chance to make a huge profit.