Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 731 Still Has Something to Do With Me? [Thank you! Thank you again! 36K words owed]

Shouan Hall Courtyard

outside the house,

Snowflakes fell silently to the ground.

Warm yellow candlelight shone through the window, illuminating a small area inside the room.

By the light of the candle, one could vaguely see that a thick layer of snow had fallen in the courtyard.

There were messy but clear footprints on the snow, and snowflakes like goose feathers would occasionally fall on them. It seemed that the snow would soon erase the footprints.

Following the footprints, we arrived at the doorway.

There were a few water stains under the porch by the door; those were traces of snow that had been brought over and melted.

Passing through two cotton curtains,

Upon entering the house,

Because the floor heating was on, the room was very warm.

Several candles were lit around the room, their bright yellow light allowing one to clearly see the scene inside.

Seeing the old lady sitting on the daybed at the head of the table as usual, Sheng Hong quickly bowed and greeted her: "Mother!"

Wang Ruofu, who was following behind Sheng Hong, also curtsied.

"Come and sit down," the old lady said with a smile.

"Yes, mother."

As Sheng Hong walked toward the chair, he glanced at Wei Shuyi, who had come earlier and was standing by his side because of the proximity.

On the way to Shou'an Hall, Minglan had already explained a few things to her mother, Wei Shuyi.

Although he already knew it wasn't a disaster, the matter involved the Crown Prince, who was second only to the Emperor, and was far too important for Wei Shuyi to handle. He was still somewhat flustered.

"Mother, may I ask what brings you and my wife here at this hour?"

Sheng Hong sat in the chair and leaned forward to ask.

The old lady smiled at Sheng Hong, then beckoned to Wei Shuyi and said, "Mother Ming'er, come over here."

As soon as this word comes out,
All eyes in the room turned to Wei Shuyi.

Once Wei Shuyi had stopped standing, Sheng Hong asked in confusion, "Mother, what is this?"

Wang Ruofu frowned and exchanged a glance with Liu's mother.

"Hong'er, did you know that His Highness the Crown Prince went to inspect the dredging work this morning?"

Sheng Hong nodded: "Mother, I know! I heard from my colleagues that His Highness the Crown Prince personally dealt with several civil and military officials."

"Yes! Jing-ge'er is among His Highness the Crown Prince's entourage."

Sheng Hong smiled and said, "My son knows about this too. Changfeng told him about it when we first got home."

After speaking, Sheng Hong turned his head to look at Wei Shuyi: "Mother, what does this matter have to do with Concubine Ming'er?"

Looking at Wei Shuyi standing quietly, the old lady said, "When we were having dinner this evening, Qingcao, who was by Jing'er's side, came to deliver a message saying that he was by the canal outside the city."

"Wei Xiaoniang's mother's eyes were already strained and she couldn't see His Highness the Crown Prince clearly, but by a twist of fate..."

Hearing the old lady's words, Sheng Hong looked at Wei Shuyi with disbelief.

Having served as an official for many years, Sheng Hong was well aware that if Crown Prince Zhao Fang were to make a grand inspection tour and then encounter someone acting like the old lady of the Wei family, Crown Prince Zhao Fang would not care at all.

Because the crown prince would only think that this was deliberately arranged by someone to flatter, fawn over, and please the heir apparent!

However, the Crown Prince's itinerary changed starting from the inner city, making it unpredictable and impossible to arrange in advance.

Moreover, the person doing all this was an elderly man with poor eyesight.

In a place that Crown Prince Zhao Fang should never see, there is an old man who sincerely prays for his family, and it is something the Crown Prince himself has personally experienced.

The hidden things here are even rarer and more precious than gold and silver jewelry!
I don't know how much this relates to the Sheng family.
Wang Ruofu naturally understood the importance of this matter, and murmured enviously, "This, this is too much of a coincidence!"

Sheng Hong nodded blankly, still thinking about the pros and cons of this matter—no, there were no cons, only benefits!
The old lady smiled at Wei Shuyi and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's quite a coincidence! More importantly, His Highness the Crown Prince asked Aunt Wei a few questions during his meal."

Sheng Hong sighed inwardly, realizing that the Wei family was only half a relative by marriage to the Sheng family.

It just so happens that the Crown Prince encountered them, but that's a matter for the Wei family, and it really has little to do with the Sheng family.

The old lady continued:

"Aunt Wei said that it was at the behest of the eldest daughter-in-law that the young lady of tomorrow specially contributed money to do charity."

"What?" Sheng Hong immediately stood up, looking at Wei Shuyi with surprise in his eyes.

"Huh?" Wang Ruofu was instantly dumbfounded, staring blankly at Sheng Hong who had jumped up. After a moment, Wang Ruofu said, "This, this, this has something to do with my wife?"

As he spoke, Wang Ruofu blinked, and an overwhelming joy burst forth from the bottom of his heart, causing him to grin involuntarily.

Behind Wang Ruofu, Liu's mother shook her head slightly and sighed softly, "Good heavens! This is truly..."

"Mother, is this true?" Sheng Hong stood up and looked at Wei Shuyi with surprise, then happily took several steps around the room.

"Very good, very good!" Sheng Hong exclaimed repeatedly.

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law's loss of composure, the old lady gave Fang's mother a meaningful look.

Madam Fang understood and moved an embroidered stool over, placing it next to Wei Shuyi.

"Mother, please sit down!" the old lady said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes, sit down!" Wang Ruofu grinned.

"Thank you, Madam, Master, and Madam!" Wei Shuyi bowed and waited for the excited Sheng Hong to sit back down before taking her seat on the embroidered stool.

Although Wei Shuyi's hands, resting on her knees, trembled slightly with nervousness, her face remained calm, and her eyes held a thoughtful expression.

The old lady on the daychair nodded approvingly upon seeing this.

"Mother, you don't seem very excited to me?" the old lady asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu turned their heads to look over.

After glancing at Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu, Wei Shuyi pursed her lips and said, "This servant has..."

"Excuse me! You are a concubine of the Sheng family, why do you refer to yourself as a servant?" Sheng Hong said, feigning displeasure and frowning.

"You're right, sir!" Wang Ruofu nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, my lord and madam. Then this servant will dare to call herself 'this concubine'," Wei Shuyi said.

Looking at the two who nodded, Wei Shuyi said, "I have a different opinion! So, although I am happy, I am not very excited."

"Huh?" Wang Ruofu was taken aback and looked at Wei Shuyi with curiosity.

The old lady smiled and asked, "Oh? Little Ming'er, do you have any different ideas?"

Seeing that Wei Shuyi was about to get up, the old lady waved her hand: "You can talk while sitting down."

Wei Shuyi nodded, sat down, bowed slightly, and said:
"I think that, although it was by a twist of fate that His Highness the Crown Prince saw and learned about these things..."

"But the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. Even if he returns to the palace and mentions this to His Majesty and the Empress, there is unlikely to be any tangible reward like gold or silver."

"If more people find out about this by accident, some might even gossip and make wild guesses!"

"It will damage the reputation of the Marquis's Mansion and the Fifth Young Master of the Xu Family."

“How could this be?” Wang Ruofu shook his head and said.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong calmed down considerably. He glanced at Wei Shuyi with some surprise in his eyes before falling into thought.

After a moment, Sheng Hong nodded and said, "Shuyi makes a good point."

Seeing Wang Ruofu's puzzled expression, Sheng Hong explained, "Think about it, why did His Highness have to run into our relative? And why was it when Jing-ge'er was with His Highness?"

"This, this is just a coincidence! It's a blessing from heaven!" Wang Ruofu argued.

Sheng Hong shook his head and said, "That's how it is! But those who don't know the truth might think that the Marquis's mansion and Jing-ge'er are using the Emperor's favor to embellish their relatives' reputations."

The old lady smiled and nodded: "Hong'er is right! Madam, it's enough that we keep this to ourselves!"

"Even if there are no rewards, His Majesty and the Crown Prince know this. Your future career will depend on these things, which cannot be obtained by spending money."

Wang Ruofu pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and nodded, "Mother is right! Your daughter-in-law will certainly keep this a secret!"

Wei Zhai

The courtyard and rooftops were covered with a thick layer of snow.

Inside the warm house, with the kang (heated brick bed) heated, the family was having a meal.

"My lord, why do you keep staring at me as soon as we get home?" Wei Yuyi, holding her son, looked at Jiang Shangfeng with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Shangfeng glanced at his mother-in-law, who was doing needlework with her eyes closed, and said, "Wife, today we distributed porridge and shoes, and the money was clearly given by my elder sister. It has nothing to do with Madam Wang. Why are you..."

Wei Yuyi pursed his lips, looked at the food on the table, and said, "My lord, that arrogant young master said that following the fifth young master of the Xu family would be prestigious and powerful. Do you believe him?"

Before Jiang Shangfeng could speak, Wei Yuyi said, "That many cavalrymen are not something a marquis's eldest son can lead."

"No matter who that person is in the capital, I just want to help my sister and make her life in the Sheng family better. That's better than anything else!"

Looking at her son in her arms, Wei Yuyi said again, "It's better for him too!"

(End of this chapter)