Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 246 Waiting
On the way back to the manor, Su Qingwan remained silent the entire way.

Li An, that boy, was quite the smooth talker, calling Lü Zhu "sister" affectionately. Lü Zhu was utterly exasperated, wishing she could sew his mouth shut. She thought to herself, "Can't you see my young lady is in a bad mood? And Li An is still grinning like that." But Li An seemed completely oblivious to her feelings, continuing to ask Lü Zhu when she had arrived in the capital, and complaining that Lü Zhu was so disloyal, lying to him for so long and making him worry for months.

Green Bamboo was both amused and exasperated, and said irritably, "We're not that close, are we?"

Li An immediately put on a hurt expression and said pitifully, "Sister Green Bamboo is really ungrateful. She ate so many of my pastries and took so many of my peonies, and now she says she doesn't know me. It's so hurtful."

Green Bamboo was speechless for a moment, and his appearance made her lose her temper. She wanted to hit him, but she had to give up when she thought about Li An's current status.

After all, Li An had already been promoted and was now the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The thirty-odd Embroidered Uniform Guards that Lu Jing brought were all under his command.

Su Qingwan paid no attention to their petty squabble, completely ignoring Lu Jing as if he didn't exist. Back at the palace, she instructed the steward to settle everyone, adding discreetly, "Arrange for them to stay far away from my courtyard!"

"Yes, Princess!" The steward understood perfectly, fully comprehending her intention.

Su Qingwan has always lived in her old residence.

She and her sister, the twin beauties, were extremely favored in the Prince's mansion. Besides the Prince's main courtyard and the Heir Apparent's courtyard, theirs was the most spacious and beautiful. Su Qingwan had long been accustomed to living there; it held many wonderful memories, and she was truly reluctant to move. According to the layout of the mansion, her residence was in the back courtyard, while General Xiao Ning and the others lived in the front courtyard, with a considerable distance between them.

Seizing the opportunity, Green Bamboo secretly approached Su Qingwan and whispered, "Miss, this Third Young Master..."

Su Qingwan gently interrupted her: "We'll have to change how you address me from now on!"

“Oh. Your Highness is going to such extremes to stay in Huainan, determined to achieve your goal. It’s really going too far. How about…” Green Bamboo lowered her voice, a sly glint in her eyes, “I’ll secretly poison him and force him to leave?”

"Poisoning the Regent? Are you crazy?" Su Qingwan was both amused and annoyed. "Alright, I know what I'm doing, so don't do anything rash!"

"Alright!" Green Bamboo replied somewhat reluctantly, "Then I'll go find Li An and ask them when they're planning to leave!"

"You..." Before Su Qingwan could finish speaking, Green Bamboo skipped away. Su Qingwan shook her head helplessly and murmured, "Your thoughts are written all over your face. I'm afraid Li An will have figured you out completely in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

Li An had followed Lu Jing since childhood and was Lu Jing's most trusted confidant. He was clever and lively, and at first glance, he seemed like a simple-minded, muscle-bound hothead, but in reality, he was extremely meticulous and should not be underestimated. What Su Qingwan admired most about him was his tight-lipped nature and his exceptional interrogation skills. Girls like Lü Zhu, who were not particularly cunning, were no match for him.

Seeing this, Qingyun couldn't help but chuckle softly and comforted her, "Let her be. The young lady is upright and honest, so there's nothing to fear from them!"

In June, Huainan was unbearably hot. The study window was wide open, but the wind blowing in carried waves of heat. Su Qingwan buried herself in official documents for a while, then called Chen Feng over and asked, "What is he doing?" Chen Feng respectfully replied, "Perhaps he's too tired from his journey, he's resting now!"

"What about the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Everyone is resting. I only allow ten people to live in the mansion, and the rest are arranged in separate residences outside the mansion."

Su Qingwan nodded slightly, then lowered her head to continue flipping through the official documents. She knew that Lu Jing's foundation was not yet solid, and his trip to Huainan, undertaken in an effort to expedite the journey, must have been non-stop; he certainly needed a good rest.

When Lu Jing woke up, it was already evening.

Li An stepped forward and reported: "The princess has gone out," adding, "Your Majesty has come all the way to Huainan, yet the princess didn't even hold a welcoming banquet. How cold-hearted she is." These words were like a sharp needle, piercing Lu Jing's heart with unerring precision.

"What did she go out of the manor to do?"

"It was a banquet hosted by the prefectural governor for the people of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and the princess went to accompany them!" Although Li An also needed to rest, he would always try his best to find out any information that Lu Jing wanted to know.

Lu Jing frowned slightly, pondering to himself, "A princess of such high status is personally accompanying him?" Li An knew that Lu Jing had been traveling day and night and had a poor appetite, having not eaten properly for two days, so she ordered the servants to prepare many soups. However, even looking at these carefully prepared soups, Lu Jing still had little appetite, only managing a few hurried bites before rushing out.

He walked towards the prefectural government office. There was no curfew in Huainan City, and the city was bustling with activity at night. The night market street, in particular, was filled with all sorts of food, and there were acrobatic troupes and opera performers. Children played and laughed nearby, creating a scene of peace and prosperity, making one feel as if they were in the Jiangnan region, with an atmosphere of tranquility and joy everywhere. The people lived peacefully and harmoniously, feeling no sense of the threat of war.

Su Qingwan governed Huainan exceptionally well.

In just a few months, she poured her heart and soul into the construction of her fiefdom of Huainan. No one cared more about the peace and tranquility of Huainan than she did. Lu Jing's pace unconsciously slowed as she strolled along the riverbank. From the pleasure boats on the river, the laughter and chatter of young men and women could be heard from time to time. The separation of men and women in the borderlands was not as strict as in the capital. The people here were known for their fierce spirit, and women held up half the sky. Especially in her fiefdom of Huainan, there had always been girls' schools. After Su Qingwan came to power, she reopened many girls' schools and martial arts academies. Women could not only read and write, but also practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies, and even engage in commerce and entrepreneurship. This was Huainan under her rule, a veritable paradise, a dreamland that everyone longed for.

Anyone who attempts to destroy the beauty of Huainan will inevitably become its enemy.

"Master, weren't you going to the prefectural government to pick up the princess? Why did you stop here?" Li An asked, following behind with a puzzled look on his face.

Lu Jing stood on the stone bridge. The scenery here was very similar to the Jiangnan region, a land of fish and rice. Looking out from the stone bridge, the river was full of flower boats, and the sky was full of stars falling to the bottom of the river. The river lanterns swayed, creating a beautiful scene.

"I'll wait for her here!"