Chapter 405 - 397: Leaving Seclusion
Shanmoi felt that Li Si was impressive, as he could even guess what the young lady was thinking.
"Although I usually have a good impression of Sister Hui, it’s human nature after all. Mrs. Dong is Sister Hui’s biological mother, and some things cannot be blamed on Sister Hui. I knew she was Mrs. Dong’s daughter and still let her into the mansion. For the things Sister Hui did, I cannot blame her for having ulterior motives. I asked her to come to the mansion, so naturally, I was prepared for these matters. This matter, as I just said, let’s pretend we don’t know. Don’t tell the Marquis either. Later, you should go to Li Li and explain this matter to Li Si, and have him keep his mouth shut tight."
Shanmoi and Hailan could understand this because the Marquis has always been protective of the young lady. If he knew Sister Hui had other intentions towards her, or even wanted to harm her, he naturally wouldn’t let it go.
Lin Youning was busy entertaining guests all day and was indeed tired at this time. Thinking that her big brother didn’t come over now probably means he had things to deal with, she decided to go and rest first.
After the young lady rested, Shanmoi told Hailan that she had to go to the front yard to speak with Li Si. Hailan told her not to hurry back, but halfway there, she saw the Marquis coming from the front yard, and Shanmoi hurriedly paid her respects.
Gu Yifeng glanced at her without saying much and strode to the backyard. When Shanmoi arrived at the front yard to speak with Li Si, Li Li’s expression looked conflicted.
Seeing him like this, Shanmoi hurriedly asked, "You didn’t already tell the Marquis, did you?"
Li Si nodded with difficulty, "How could I not report such matters to the Marquis? Don’t worry, the Marquis is aware of these things, and he won’t make things difficult for Madam."
Shanmoi, hearing this, stomped her foot in frustration, glaring at him, "Why is your mouth so quick? You went directly to the Marquis, and now how am I supposed to explain this to Madam? You speak lightly, saying the Marquis won’t make things difficult for Madan, but what about the Marquis Mansion and Mrs. Dong? Mrs. Dong has always felt Madam secretly sways the Marquis, and now with this incident, she will certainly make more trouble for Madam."
Li Si quickly tried to console her, "Regarding Mrs. Dong, the Marquis favors our Madam because the Marquis’ heart lies with her. You needn’t worry about this, and as for Sister Hui’er, since she’s the Marquis’ daughter, he won’t deal with her like he does now. Once a daughter is married off, she is no longer part of the family. Next year Sister Hui is set to marry out, and the Marquis will turn a blind eye to this matter."
Shanmoi paid no heed to this and quickly left, ignoring Li’s calls behind her, pondering these matters as she headed towards the backyard. Thinking back to meeting the Marquis and his odd look at her, Shanmoi’s back tightened.
Could it be that the Marquis is upset, thinking she spoke ill of Sister Hui in front of the young lady?
If that’s the case, it shows the Marquis cares a lot about Sister Hui, even if she has harmed the young lady, he doesn’t want anyone to mention it.
If that’s so, isn’t the young lady the one who suffers?
Feeling uncomfortable, Shanmoi returned to the backyard, pulled Hailan aside, and secretly told her everything, including her thoughts.
Hailan sighed helplessly, "This is really the master’s business, don’t think about it too much, don’t cause unnecessary conflict between the pillars, or you’ll have a hard time dealing with it."
Shanmoi nodded, without saying more.
In the master bedroom, Lin Youning usually slept lightly, but today she was tired. When Gu Yifeng returned, she wasn’t awakened. When she woke up the next day, she found her big brother lying beside her.
Lin Youning smiled, "Why didn’t you go to court today, big brother?"
"The Holy Emperor’s health is unwell, and there has been no need to attend court these past few days. Besides, I have been taking sick leave with the Holy Emperor, so there’s no need to go to court unless there’s something to deal with. If you have nothing planned today, I’ll take you to stroll down the streets." Gu Yifeng thought about Sister Hui’s actions, noticed Sister Ning not bringing it up, and understood her intentions, so he didn’t mention it.
However, he felt protective of Sister Ning, thinking that there was no one around her who wasn’t exploiting her.
Upon hearing they could go out to the streets, Lin Youning was naturally happy. After breakfast, they dressed in casual clothes, and with servants carrying the sedan chair, they left the mansion.
While strolling, Lin Youning saw Wu Xueqin. By her side was a man who looked refined and upright, walking confidently with Wu Xueqin. Wu Xueqin was saying something, and the man occasionally nodded. Lin Youning waited until they walked away before mentioning it to her big brother.
"Did the Holy Emperor assign something to Wu Xueqin again?"
"She just offered some ideas and opinions. The tasks still require craftsmen to implement them. After all, she’s a woman; the Holy Emperor wouldn’t assign serious matters to her." As Gu Yifeng replied, he scanned the streets.
He knew Sister Ning wouldn’t casually ask about such things, so she must have seen Wu Xueqin earlier. However, after a glance, he didn’t see her and drew his eyes back.
Lin Youning nodded, suspecting the man with Wu Xueqin might be a craftsman.
By noon, they found a nice restaurant and settled in a private room. There were no movements from the Eldest Prince’s side, so Lin Youning didn’t inquire further, secure that since her big brother took her out, the matter must have been settled.
As for the man Lin Youning saw with Wu Xueqin, he wasn’t unfamiliar despite not knowing him personally; his name was well known.
The man was Wang Wen, the second son of Vice Minister Wang’s Mansion.
The Holy Emperor assigned the task to Wu Xueqin, but since she needed help organizing it, he asked Wang Wen to assist.
Although the rainy season had passed in the south, flooding occurred yearly. The Holy Emperor tasked Wu Xueqin with devising a flood management solution.
Wu Xueqin and Wang Wen were searching for carpenters on the streets, as Wang Wen didn’t understand her technical discussions. Wu Xueqin thought expert insights would help.
The palace craftsmen had no time for minor tasks, nor did they hold Wu Xueqin in high regard, prompting her to seek carpenters outside.