OBS Chapter 256 An appointment with an old friend?
Chapter 256 An appointment with an old friend?
Madam Lin and Lin Wanning had just left the Princess's Mansion. Qin Ruo had nothing to do at home, so she simply took Xun Dong, Ban Xia and Mo Yue out for a trip.
Taking advantage of her free time, Qin Ruo wanted to take a trip to the capital to see if there was a suitable shop. Sooner or later, she would have to open a business in the capital.
Old Lady Qin stayed in the mansion with Mo Yu, Chun Tao, and Yi Qiu.
After the palace banquet, Old Lady Qin was like a frightened bird. She felt unsafe everywhere and didn’t even want to go out.
Unable to persuade Old Lady Qin to go out, Qin Ruo just let her do as she pleased. It had only been a few days since they arrived in the capital, so it would be good for her to rest a little.
After entering the twelfth lunar month, there have been several consecutive snowfalls and the weather has been getting colder these days.
When Qin Ruo went out, she was wrapped tightly by Xun Dong and Yi Qiu, even a hand warmer was brought with her. She was not qualified to leave the Princess's Mansion.
Despite the cold weather, the streets of the capital were bustling with activity.
Bright red lanterns are hung outside the shops on both sides of the street, creating a festive atmosphere everywhere.
The Emperor's birthday is also known as the Wanshou Festival, and it is the most important festival in Dasheng. The whole country celebrates the Emperor's birthday.
Because every business, and even ordinary people's homes, made some festive decorations to show respect for the emperor.
In order to welcome the envoys, the people from the Ministry of Rites have been very busy these days, and there are carriages everywhere at the city gate.
These days, even Si Heng was sent out to welcome the envoys on behalf of the emperor.
Qin Ruo and his party walked around the East and West Markets and saw a constant stream of people walking on the streets. Both adults and children were wrapped in thick clothes.
Everywhere you look, you can see shops selling silk, clothing, medicinal materials, and jewelry, as well as restaurants, bars, and entertainers.
The ninth day of the twelfth lunar month is the emperor's birthday, and envoys from various countries gather here. Now, on the streets, one can occasionally see people whose clothing style and facial features are obviously different from Dasheng's.
Qin Ruo thought it was too crowded, so after walking around the street, she took her people directly into the teahouse and booked a private room.
The group entered the box, and the waiter served tea and snacks, then left quickly.
Mo Yue also stood up and returned soon after.
"Princess, I just received news that the old marquis and General Shen from the Wu'an Marquisate returned to the city today and have gone directly to the palace." Mo Yue stepped forward and whispered to Qin Ruo.
Qin Ruo knew that Shen Weishan and Shen Junye had been recalled to the capital by the emperor.
It arrived today, which is a few days earlier than expected.
Qin Ruo had heard a lot about the deeds of Shen Weishan and his son Shen Junye.
The father and son were loyal to the emperor and patriotic. When Old Madam Xie and Si Heng talked about these two people, they also praised them highly.
Qin Ruo had never met this father and son, and didn't know their true personalities, so she reserved her own opinion.
"Okay, I understand." Qin Ruo nodded to Mo Yue.
It was a rare half day of leisure, so the master and his servants had some snacks in the teahouse and admired the beautiful scenery outside the window, which was quite pleasant.
Not long after, the waiter knocked on the door of the private room again.
The waiter walked forward respectfully and bowed to Qin Ruo.
"I greet Princess Ning'an. A lady from next door sent me over to tell her that she wants Princess Ning'an to come over for a cup of tea. Is it convenient for Princess Ning'an?"
The waiter had seen Qin Ruo on the day she came to Beijing and recognized her the moment she stepped into the teahouse.
"Which family is the lady from? What is her specific status?" Qin Ruo looked leisurely, sitting on the stool without moving.
"Reporting to the princess, this... I don't know either." The waiter said embarrassedly.
The lady was wearing a veil and was obviously in disguise, so he couldn't recognize her.
On weekdays, such things are very common in teahouses.
Some dignitaries do not want to reveal their identities, so they usually spend some money and ask waiters to pass on the message.
"Are you really that bold? You don't even know the other party's identity, yet you dare to come and deliver a message? If something bad happens to the princess, can you bear the responsibility?"
Banxia stepped forward and scolded the waiter harshly. At this critical moment, she didn't know how many people were keeping an eye on her master.
Who knows if the other party has ulterior motives.
The waiter was frightened by Banxia's momentum and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy: "Princess, spare my life. I am just an errand boy. The lady said that she and the princess are old acquaintances, so she asked me to come and pass on the message."
"Oh, by the way, I don't know that lady, but I know the man who came with her. He seems to be Mr. Shen San from the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion."
Shen Junling? Qin Ruo's heart was moved when she heard this.
"Get up. Banxia, look at the reward." Qin Ruo asked Banxia to give the reward to the waiter, and then followed the waiter out of the house.
She asked Banxia and Moyue to stay in the box and only took Xundong with her.
The waiter, who had just been scared out of his wits, turned around and received Qin Ruo's reward, and he was no longer afraid.
Qin Ruo was respectfully brought to the door of a top-notch private room. As soon as the waiter knocked, the door suddenly opened from the inside.
Looking at the woman who was wearing a thick veil, unable to see her real face, and whose figure was too thin, Qin Ruo's face did not show a trace of strange expression.
Inside the room, standing next to the tea table, the man with a reserved yet complicated expression was Shen Junling.
The woman behind the curtain silently made a gesture of invitation to Qin Ruo.
Qin Ruo didn't hesitate, nodded to her and walked into the house.
Xun Dong followed him in and closed the door of the box.
As for the woman under the curtain, from the moment Qin Ruo came in, she had already burst into tears as she stared at the person in front of her through the curtain.
"Shen Junling, greetings to Princess Ning'an." Shen Junling stepped forward and bowed to Qin Ruo, with a slight tremor in his voice.
"Mr. Shen, there's no need to be so polite. I have never had any friendship with your Shen family. I wonder why you two invited me here today?" Qin Ruo asked calmly, but her eyes fell on the woman behind the curtain.
"Qiu...Ruo'er, you've grown up. I, I am your mother." This sentence went around in Shen Ruyi's mouth for several times before she stammered out.
Shen Ruyi immediately took off the veil on her head and stared at Qin Ruo's face in front of her. Tears instantly wet her face.
"Madam, please don't joke. The past is like a cloud of smoke. My mother was just an ordinary woman who died of illness more than ten years ago. I dare not marry into a wealthy family like the Wu'an Marquis's Mansion."
Qin Ruo's tone was very calm, as if she was talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
When the waiter said that the person next to the lady was Shen Junling, she guessed who it was.
After Shen Ruyi was poisoned, Shen Junling returned to the capital. When he was not in the city, he basically stayed with Shen Ruyi in Guanghong Temple.
All this news was learned from Si Heng. Si Heng knew everything about the Shen Mansion and told us everything he knew.
He even confessed to Qin Ruo the secret that Shen Junling had surrendered to Si Heng long ago and was now under his command.
Otherwise, Qin Ruo would not come to see him.