Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 88
The reason why Lu Yan was in a hurry to get off work was because two days ago, a white pigeon finally broke free from its cage and flew over Chang’an City.
And it fell into the hands of Lord Lu.
Shen Shu gave Shen Zhen two shops in excellent locations.
This shop was originally rented to a Japanese businessman, but now it has been taken back by Shen Zhen and turned into a tea shop.
The Jin Dynasty was a country where people loved tea, and the profits from tea were considerable, which led many businessmen who traveled far and wide to become tea merchants. Kaiyuan Gate in the West Market of Chang’an was the largest gathering place for tea merchants.
Tea merchants from Fuliang, Wuyuan, Qimen, Dexing and Jiangling all have shops here.
At the foot of the imperial city, the nobles were in power. This money-making business was like a hard nut to crack. Although Shen Zhen had found Lu Sheng, who was quite knowledgeable about tea, to be the shopkeeper, she still could not resist the people who did not want her to make money.
Originally, there were only two tea shops in the East Market, but after Shen’s sign was hung up, tea shops appeared everywhere overnight and tea merchants gathered together to bully her to do business.
Shen Zhen didn’t trust these people, so he had to send a letter to Lu Yan, asking him to find two reliable tea houses for him.
After reading the letter, Lu Yan stroked the pigeon with his thumb for a long time.
Lu Yan knew why Shen Zhen, who was a pampered daughter of an aristocrat family, suddenly bent on wanting to make money. In the end, it was because she had suffered too much injustice last year. Her family fell into poverty and she had no way to beg for money. In the end, she was forced to become his mistress due to the eight thousand copper coins…
Mistress..
Lu Yan thought it silently in his mind.
To be honest, he really treated her as a mistress at first. While enjoying her body, he thought that when his heart disease no longer recurred and when he was tired of her and had enough, he would send her back to Yangzhou.
He even prepared a considerable amount of hush money for her.
Thinking back on it, he couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth. It was indeed a bit shameless.
But now since she can do whatever she wants, it just so happens that the Lu family also has a tea shop in the West Market, so he can just give her his own networks.
He got on the carriage and drove slowly towards West Market.
Two hours ago——
The weather was gloomy and cloudy. Shen Zhen was fiddling with the peony flowers in her hand when suddenly she heard footsteps behind her.
“Surround it, and don’t let anyone in.”
Shen Zhen turned around and turned pale when she saw the visitor.
The eldest son of the Xu family, Xu Wei.
What is he doing here again!
When Miao Li and Miao Qi saw that it was him, they immediately blocked Shen Zhen’s way.
Xu Wei made a “stop” gesture with his left hand, and then said, “I just came here to reminisce with you girls.”
“I have no friendship with Young Master Xu.” Shen Zhen said directly.
Xu Wei looked at her face and smiled softly, “Miss Shen, tell your people to go out.”
After that, he raised the box in his hand and said, “This is an old item from the Yunyang Marquis’s Mansion. I think you wouldn’t want others to see the things inside.”
Shen Zhen’s eyes changed slightly. Who knows if there is a trick?
Xu Wei seemed to have read her thoughts, and said, “I just want to give this box to the third young lady, and say a few words. This is the West Market of Chang’an, in broad daylight, what is the third young lady afraid of?”
Old things from the Yunyang Marquis Mansion… After Shen Zhen thought about it several times she asked Miao Li and Miao Qi to guard the door.
As soon as the door closed, they were the only two people left in the room.
Xu Wei walked up to her, put the box in his hand on the table, and said quietly, “After the Yunyang Marquis’s mansion was confiscated, someone with dirty hands sneaked in and took some things to sell. I spent a lot of money to buy this, Miss Shen, take a look.”
Shen Zhen took it and lowered her head to look at the box in her hand.
The shop was filled with fragrance. The beauty had waist-length hair and slender, white fingers like catkins. Her beautiful profile, slender waist, and majestic curves made the man’s Adam’s apple slid up and down.
He pretended to sigh, but in fact, he blew a breath at her, making a few strands of her hair fluttered, revealing a section of white and exceptionally tantalizing neck ……
Xu Wei’s body instantly became hot blodded.
People who are not familiar with the eldest son of the Xu family will probably be deceived by his gentle and elegant appearance. Only people like Earl of Sunning know what kind of man he is in his bones and how dirty he plays at night.
On the surface, Xu Wei only had one concubine from a good family, but secretly he was a frequent visitor to brothels. After a woman had accompanied him, he rarely dared to go for a second time.
The more women he had, and the more tricks he played with them but he still could not forget Shen Zhen’s pitiful face, which was like mist. How could a girl like her crying and begging for mercy be compared to those prostitutes in Pingkang Lane?
Purity to the extreme is another kind of bewitching effect that can make people obsessed.
A girl like this should be pinned down and beaten at will.
Ever since Marquis Changping returned to the capital, he had given up on this idea, but his seventh sister[mfn](Xu Yiqing)[/mfn] accidentally mentioned that Marquis Changping was in mourning, and Shen Zhen could not marry him in the next two years.
With these words, his thoughts that were like dead ashes were instantly rekindled.
Since Shen Zhen had her own business and was not short of money, he would give her something else…
Shen Zhen held her breath and opened the box. After seeing what was inside clearly, her hands paused.
Then the box fell to the ground with a clang.
A peach pink bellyband, which she had sewn herself, also fell to the ground.
Xu Wei let out a “tsk”, bowed to pick it up, then held it in his hand and placed it at the tip of his nose. “It’s been a year, and it still smells good,” he said
Shen Zhen blushed instantly and snatched it away, “Don’t touch it!”
“ If I don’t want to touch it, who can touch it? “Xu Wei took a step forward.” I heard that Chu Xun saved you. Tell me, did he touch you?”
Shen Zhen didn’t want to say another word to him and was about to call for help, but Xu Wei covered her mouth and said, “I, Xu Wei, will officially take you as my concubine, okay?” In Xu Wei’s eyes, considering Shen Zhen’s current status as the daughter of a criminal, it was already a great honor for her to be his Xu family’s legitimate concubine.
Shen Zhen pushed him away, and at the same moment, the door of Baixiang Pavilion opened.
But the person who came in surprised the two of them.
It turned out to be…
Princess Jing’an!
“Shen Zhen greets the Grand princess.” Shen Zhen bowed.
Xu Wei was stunned, and quickly said: “I have met the Grand Princess.”
Princess Jing’an looked up at the two people’s panicked eyes, then glanced down at the bellyband on the ground, and her peach blossom eyes narrowed.
She finally had some free time to go out for a walk. Just a few steps into the West Market, she saw a group of people gathered outside the Shen family’s shop.
Curiosity made her walk in, but she never expected to see such a scene.
The Xu family has really opened her eyes recently.
“The eldest son of the Xu family also came to buy perfume and powder?”
Xu Wei smiled and said, “I just came here to pick some cosmetics for my sister.”
“Really? Have you finished selecting?” The eldest princess raised the corner of her lips.
Xu Wei coughed a few times awkwardly, took a step forward, picked up a few bottles and jars, and then put the money on the table.
Seeing that the Grand Princess didn’t want to leave, Xu Wei knew that today’s matter could not be accomplished, so he found an excuse to turn around and leave.
He thought to myself: I’ll find an opportunity to go to the Shen Mansion to see her some other day.
After Xu Wei left in disgrace, Princess Jing’an waved her hand and asked someone to close the door.
“Is this shop yours?”
“Yes.”
Princess Jing’an found a round stool and sat down. She tapped the table twice with her index finger and said, “Come here.”
As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhen’s heart, which was beating fast, was gripped again.
The tone of their voices was exactly the same.
Shen Zhen walked up to her, took a deep breath, and said, “Thank you, Grand Princess, for your help just now.”
Princess Jing’an raised her eyes to look at her and curled her lips. Not bad, she is a clear-headed person.
Looking around, Princess Jing’an’s eyes fell on the bellyband and she asked softly, “Is that yours?”
Shen Zhen clenched his fists.
She knew that it would be best to deny it right now. Her clothes were neat and tidy, and there was no trace of any ambiguity. If she lied, the eldest princess would not bother to investigate her affairs.
If the opposite is true, she won’t be able to wash herself clean even if she jumps into the Yellow River.
If a girl’s clothes fall into the hands of a man outside her family, even if there is no affair between them, her reputation will be ruined.
But when she looked at the eyes that were very similar to that man’s, she nodded.
“It’s mine.” Shen Zhen hurriedly explained, “But these were all placed in the Marquis’ Mansion before…”
Princess Jing’an interrupted her directly, “You don’t have to explain to me. I will pretend that I didn’t see anything that happened today.”
If she were just Princess Jing’an, Shen Zhen would not know how grateful she would be to her at this moment.
But she is still his mother.
Shen Zhen’s heart suddenly felt cold.
And once again, she realized that once she lost the halo of being the legitimate daughter of a marquisate, there would seem to be an incalculable chasm between her and him.
“Thank you, Grand Princess.” Shen Zhen whispered.
The little girl concealed it very well, but if you listened carefully, you could easily hear the faint sob in her voice.
Princess Jing’an looked at Shen Zhen for a long time without saying anything. When she stood up to leave, she touched the back of her head and said softly, “It’s okay.”
When Lu Yan arrived at the West Market, he looked up and saw a group of people gathered outside the Baixiang Pavilion.
“Master, that is the Grand princess’s carriage.” Yang Zong said.
Lu Yan’s eyes darkened and he said, “I saw it.”
“Master, are we going in?” Yang Zong also grew up in the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion. He knew that the Grand princess’s temper is exactly the same as his master’s.
But the young lady is inside…
“No.” Lu Yan rubbed his chest and said, “Let’s go.”
After a while, the Grand princess walked out of Baixiang Pavilion and subconsciously looked to the right, and indeed saw Yang Zong’s back.
And she gave a faint smile.
…
Shen Zhen sat on the round stool in a daze, her eyes slightly red without saying a word. Qingxi said a lot to her, but she was not aware of what Qingxi was saying.
Until that night, a person suddenly appeared beside her bed.
Shen Zhen sat up in fright.
Her long, smooth black hair fell on her shoulders. Her small face, not even as big as a man’s palm, was filled with panic.
Lu Yan leaned against the bed and casually twisted a strand of her hair, “Look at how promising you are.”
