Chapter 713: Chapter 713: Eccentricity

Thinking of returning to the mansion, certain to face parental reprimand, his ears would suffer.

Chu Shun decided to seek refuge at the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

But after driving away the servant, he realized that Qin Hanhan would also remain at the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

If he stayed, they would be under the same roof.

Parents ahead, poison behind.

Chu Shun was troubled.

He decided to stay at the Great Buddha Temple for a few days, burning bundles of incense every morning.

Yet, the plan was good until Prince NanAn spoke, prompting him to abandon the idea immediately.

“Are you really planning to stay at the Great Buddha Temple for a few days?” said Prince NanAn.

“Aren’t you afraid your aunt will misunderstand and think you’re becoming a monk at the Great Buddha Temple?”

“…”

Though it was merely Prince NanAn’s speculation.

Chu Shun indeed feared further gossip.

Forget it.

Better endure it.

He, a grown man, is afraid of her, a lady?!

Before Su Jin left, Chu Shun secretly asked her if there was any medicine to prevent being poisoned with a parasite.

Su Jin, “…”

This kind of poison was beyond her medical expertise.

She could only tell the pulse of someone poisoned was off but didn’t know what parasite caused it.

However, she knew that those skilled in poisoning had a slightly lower tolerance than ordinary people.

For example, if someone really annoyed her, she might just lift a finger to give them a bit of poison and calm down.

Qin Hanhan misunderstood Chu Shun, thinking he was spying on her, and then Chu Shun suddenly experienced a loss of inner strength. It was easy for Su Jin to guess that Qin Hanhan had poisoned him.

No one without some self-protection skills would dare to travel alone for a thousand miles from the Southern Border to Daqi?

Su Jin was powerless to help.

Chu Shun was dejected.

Despite someone detoxifying him, those eyes still seemed to want to teach him a lesson.

Is there anyone more unlucky than him?

Su Jin took the carriage back to the Prince Zhenbei Mansion.

As soon as she got down from the carriage, she was informed that the eldest daughter of Duke Chong’s Mansion was waiting for her and had already been waiting for an hour.

Xie Jinyu accompanied Shangguan Feng’er, waiting for her in the main hall of the Agarwood Pavilion.

Both of them had embroidered handkerchiefs wrapped around their hands.

Repeatedly swaying the Empress Dowager to support them, wielding power to oppress people, especially when Shangguan Feng’er used fake silver notes to deceive her, only to be caught red-handed by Xingxing.

Using fake silver notes was against national law, especially with a denomination as large as ten thousand taels, enough for her to be locked up in the Ministry of Justice for three months.

Duke Chong and the Empress Dowager advocated that even the Emperor could not be above the law and forced the Emperor to punish her, ultimately resulting in two hours in the Ministry of Justice’s jail.

The Empress Dowager knew she wouldn’t give up easily, so as soon as the matter was exposed, she punished Shangguan Feng’er with thirty strikes on the palm and gave Xie Jinyu, who wasn’t the instigator but was aware, twenty strikes.

With swift action, the Empress Dowager silenced Su Jin, forcing Shangguan Feng’er to bring the silver note to Su Jin to apologize.

Additionally, she gifted Su Jin a pair of porcelain bottles.

From the revelation of the fake silver note to leaving, Su Jin hardly spoke a word.

The Empress Dowager both punished and rewarded, Su Jin was willing to let it slide as a gesture of respect.

But this respect she offered, the Emperor might not.

If one can forge one fake silver note, one can forge ten; the Emperor would certainly not let this slide.

And during the time in Yongning Palace, there were many palace maids and eunuchs present; Su Jin doubted there was no one from the Emperor amongst them.

Having been summoned into the palace by the Empress Dowager and leaving with a reward—

The Emperor would surely be curious.

As Su Jin expected, the Emperor sent someone to inquire about what happened in Yongning Palace and, upon learning about the fake silver note, he was immediately enraged.

Such a major issue couldn’t simply be resolved with thirty strikes on the palm by the Empress Dowager!

The Emperor summoned Duke Chong into the palace and fiercely reprimanded him.

The Emperor ordered him to thoroughly investigate who in the Capital City dared sell fake silver notes and to punish them severely.

Duke Chong did not expect that after his son suffered at Prince NanAn’s hands, his daughter would fall into Su Jin’s hands…

Shangguan Feng’er, a legitimate daughter of Duke Chong’s Mansion, was raised as the center of attention, given Duke Chong’s influence in the court.

Apologizing was unprecedented for her.

However, with the Empress Dowager’s command, she had no choice but to comply.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Su Jin looked at her, “What did you say again?”

Shangguan Feng’er gritted her teeth, “I’m sorry!”

Her voice was so loud that the maids sweeping outside the courtyard heard it.

Su Jin smiled faintly, “To correct one’s mistakes is commendable.”

Shangguan Feng’er nearly shattered her silver teeth in anger.

Xingxing, seeing the ten thousand taels silver note, told Su Jin, “This silver note has a watermark, it’s genuine.”

Su Jin couldn’t help but laugh.

This maid’s backstabbing technique was too adept.

“Go get the ointment,” Su Jin said.

Xingxing hurriedly ran to the back courtyard to fetch the ointment.

Shangguan Feng’er took the ointment and left.

Upon leaving Agarwood Pavilion, she could no longer maintain the fake smile on her face, her expression darker than ever.

On the carriage back from the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, she happened to see Duke Chong’s Mansion steward with officers confiscating a shop.

Her fake silver note was bought from that shop, costing her ten taels of silver.

The carriage moved slowly, and with the curtain hanging high, Shangguan Feng’er saw the Beauty Pavilion.

Customers came in waves, constantly pouring in.

In terms of the most lively and profitable in the entire Capital City, the Beauty Pavilion was unmatched.

Ever since that lady bandit entered the Capital, she swindled many out of money and had such a booming shop!

And business at the ice shop only got better!

Especially the ice shop, ever since Su Jin suggested transporting lychees, it opened up a new line of business for the ice shop.

Fresh fruits were hard to transport because of the high cost of ice blocks.

But for the Conscience Ice Shop, ice block prices were the cheapest.

Then Conscience Ice Shop started transporting all sorts of perishable items into the Capital City…

The Capital city was full of aristocrats with money.

As long as the goods were good, there’s no worry they wouldn’t spend.

The ice shop’s business prospered, and although others weren’t envious, Song’s Ice Shop was jealous.

If not for the Conscience Ice Shop, Song’s Ice Shop wouldn’t have closed and suffered such losses!

Thinking of those losses, Shangguan Feng’er was so angry she gnashed her teeth.

Passing by Beauty Pavilion, her glare seemed intent on turning the place to ashes.

Some people learn from setbacks.

But some simply refuse to give up until their goals are achieved.

Hoping for them to back down and let things be peaceful—that was impossible.

It’s said the king is approachable, but his henchmen are hard to deal with.

Facing such people, Su Jin was destined for no peace.

…

Inside, Su Jin sat drinking tea while Xingxing peeled a pear for her.

Once peeled, Su Jin bit into the snow pear.

Xingxing took the fruit peel outside, and several young maids gathered around to ask, “Sister Xingxing, does the heir of Marquis Jingguo really have such a peculiar habit?”

They had been waiting for Xingxing to return so they could ask, waiting for half a day.

Their curiosity almost like a cat scratching at them.

“What peculiar habit?” Xingxing didn’t react immediately.

“Like peeking at girls’… skirts” — the last two words were so hard to say.

But everyone knew.

Just as Xie Jingchen was passing by and returning to his room, he happened to overhear the maids gossiping, and he entered the room with a darkened expression.

Xingxing naturally had to clear Chu Shun’s name, saying, “Of course, he doesn’t have such peculiar habits.”

She told the young maids what she knew.

But the young maids did not believe it.

The heir of Marquis Jingguo had a good relationship with the Young Master, and the Beauty Pavilion owned by the Heir’s wife included the heir of Marquis Jingguo, surely he would be biased toward him.

If he didn’t have peculiar habits, why would he do such a thing?

And in front of such a crowd, no one expected him to be like that.

Hmm.

All the noble sons who heard about this felt Chu Shun had lost face for men.

All the girls who heard about it, without exception, secretly despised him.

Especially as Chu Shun had a good family background, good looks, talents, and martial arts counted among the best among noble families.

Even though no serious romances had bloomed, many girls secretly admired him.

Once this was exposed, not only were potential romances entirely squashed, but they also condemned him most fiercely —

Hypocrite.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep