Chapter 68

Chapter 68: It Really Was Hard to Sleep Soundly

Ye Rong slapped his chest and said, “Exactly! Princess was our benefactor. Young Master might have been a wastrel, but he was a real wastrel who repaid kindness. He was much better than those hypocritical fake gentlemen.” Ye Rong added, “Princess, if you ever need anything, come to our Minister Residence and find me anytime!”

Pei Yu An and the others chimed in, “And us too.”

Those wastrels never bowed their heads to anyone, but Princess Qing Ning was different. She was a woman, and she still managed to save them while facing Mountain Bandit. What was so wrong with lowering their heads a little?

Madam Han also said, “Heir Apparent, since the Duchess decided before that Princess had lost her chastity, instead of keeping it in her heart, it would be better to let Princess prove herself so the misunderstanding can be cleared.”

Qi Shu Xian had no answer. For the first time, he resented Madam Cui for still thinking about Sheng Zhi Wan’s dowry at a moment like this.

As her son, Qi Shu Xian knew exactly what Madam Cui was thinking. But Sheng Zhi Wan was his wife. Even if her things were in Madam Cui’s hands, they still belonged to Sheng Zhi Wan. It would also stop Sheng Zhi Wan from spending recklessly and secretly donating silver behind his back.

These past few days, Qi Shu Xian had run into many obstacles while trying to sell property. Only then did Qi Shu Xian understand how important money was. That was why Qi Shu Xian had not stopped it back then.

But now it was different. Sheng Zhi Wan was so calm and composed that Sheng Zhi Wan even admitted she had never been husband and wife with him. That meant Sheng Zhi Wan truly had not been violated by Mountain Bandit.

If Sheng Zhi Wan ate the Sunflower Tongue Fruit, it would be like stomping the Duke Qi Residence’s face into the dirt and grinding it twice more.

Just then, a timid voice came from the crowd: “Princess, there is Sunflower Tongue Fruit here. This commoner girl doesn’t want silver. If Princess likes it, this whole basket can be given to Princess.”

A young miss carried a basket with the fruit covered by rough cloth. When the cloth lifted slightly, it really was Sunflower Tongue Fruit.

Ting Lan immediately took out a small silver ingot and accepted the Sunflower Tongue Fruit from the young miss.

Ting Lan called out, “Princess!” Ting Lan carefully peeled off half the skin, then brought the other half to Sheng Zhi Wan.

By the time Qi Shu Xian tried to stop it, it was already too late.

Madam Cui glared at Sheng Zhi Wan, still clinging to a thin thread of hope. It had to be that Sheng Zhi Wan was gambling on Madam Cui not daring to let Sheng Zhi Wan eat it. Madam Cui refused to believe Mountain Bandit could really hold back when faced with Sheng Zhi Wan’s face.

Madam Cui also did not believe those wastrels.

Not until Sheng Zhi Wan took the Sunflower Tongue Fruit into her hand.

Madam Cui clenched her fingers so tightly they trembled, her eyes locked on Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan glanced at Madam Cui, smiled, and bit down without hesitation, then said, “Sweet and juicy. It tasted pretty good. Mother and Miss Meng, do you want to try some?”

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled again and continued, “Oh, I almost forgot. Mother can’t eat this. Miss Meng was with the Heir Apparent long ago and even became pregnant with the Heir Apparent’s child, so Miss Meng can’t eat this fruit either.”

After Sheng Zhi Wan finished speaking, she seemed a little regretful. Sheng Zhi Wan told Ting Lan, “Don’t waste it. Later, share the fruit with the little girls in the residence.”

Ting Lan loudly replied, “Thank you for the reward, Princess!”

Someone whispered, “This… Princess Qing Ning was actually telling the truth? After two years of marriage, she was still clean with the Heir Apparent. No wonder she couldn’t have a child. If she really gave birth, wouldn’t the Duke Qi Residence turn upside down?”

Another voice said, “Then why was the Duchess at the Autumn Appreciation Banquet the other day, envying other people’s daughters-in-law for being pregnant? She sounded jealous in every word. For a grandson, was she willing to make her son a cuckold?”

A third voice warned, “Hey, keep it down…”

Servants from different residences huddled together and whispered.

Madam Cui swayed hard and nearly collapsed. Qi Shu Xian hurried to support Madam Cui, then turned to Sheng Zhi Wan and said, “Enough! Do you really want to anger Mother into falling sick again before you’ll stop? I misunderstood you, but I was worried about you too. Since you were fine, you should have said so earlier. Why did you have to make all this happen?”

Sheng Zhi Wan sneered, “Didn’t I say it?”

Sheng Zhi Wan could not be bothered with Qi Shu Xian. After thanking Madam Han, Shang Xing Yu, Ye Rong, and the others, Sheng Zhi Wan finally took An Zhi and Ting Lan and walked into the residence past Qi Shu Xian.

When Sheng Zhi Wan reached Meng Yang, Sheng Zhi Wan suddenly stopped.

Sheng Zhi Wan narrowed her eyes at Meng Yang’s belly, which had begun to swell, and said with a gentle smile, “Miss Meng doesn’t seem to look very well. Thinking too much can affect the fetus.”

Meng Yang’s face paled. Meng Yang bit her lip and said, “Thank you for your concern, Princess. This commoner girl just didn’t rest well last night.”

Sheng Zhi Wan replied meaningfully, “Is that so? If you do too many guilty things, it really is hard to sleep soundly.”

Meng Yang said, “Meng Yang doesn’t understand Princess’s words.”

Qi Shu Xian chased after them from behind and demanded, “Sheng Zhi Wan, what are you trying to do? Our matters have nothing to do with her. Why are you making things hard for a weak woman?”

Sheng Zhi Wan turned her eyes to Qi Shu Xian. Her calm gaze did not ripple at all because of his protection. For a moment, Qi Shu Xian could not even find a trace of himself inside those eyes.

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter if Miss Meng can’t understand. This time, when I was kidnapped, I wasn’t harmed at all. Instead, those Mountain Bandit-two hundred and thirteen of them-all died in a single night.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “More than two hundred lives, Miss Meng. I wonder if the one who wanted my life can bear such heavy cause and effect after hearing this result. I’ve heard that the evil a person does will come back to their own descendants.”

Meng Yang kept her head lowered, nails digging into her palm. Meng Yang felt both hatred and fear.

At the same time, when Meng Yang heard they were all dead, Meng Yang finally loosened her breath.

Good. They were all dead.

As long as Zhang Da Hu was dead too, no one would ever know this had anything to do with Meng Yang.