Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 170

After leaving the street, Shen Qingzhou went straight back to the Grand Commandant's mansion.

Song En already knew the news and was waiting at the entrance of Bibo Pavilion.

"You didn't give anything away, did you?" Seeing Shen Qingzhou's bad expression, Song En quickly led him into the house and handed him a cup of hot tea.

Shen Qingzhou loosened his clothes: "I left in a hurry and didn't have time to look behind me." As he said this, a look of worry appeared on his face: "She asked me earlier if I was hiding something from her. I suddenly left her, so I'm afraid I've already given myself away."

Song En said, "Given that you and Miss Lu have been together for so long, and that Miss Lu has not yet tried to delve deeper into your feelings for you, it is evident how much she trusts you."

Shen Qingzhou braced himself against the sides of the kang table, his brows furrowed tightly: "That's why I always feel I've let her down."

Song En remained silent.

"Let go of me! You've been nagging me the whole way, aren't you tired of it?"

Just then, a boy's rough voice came from outside the courtyard gate.

The two people inside looked up and saw Shen Zhui and his page pushing and shoving each other outside the open courtyard gate. One wanted to come in, but the other wouldn't let him.

Shen Zhui was so badly beaten by Liang Mi that the back of his head was swollen, and he was also falsely accused of being a bad person. Before he could even argue with him, his pageboy dragged him out of the alley. Then, together with the guards, they forced him into the carriage.

Shen Zhui was furious!

What did he do to deserve this?

Why is he so unlucky? He's disliked everywhere he goes!
Upon returning to the manor, he saw Shen Qingzhou's carriage parked in the front yard. He immediately remembered that the beating he had suffered today was all because he had chased after this guy!

Why is he running?

It's just that he bumped into a girl while they were out shopping.
What's so shameful about this?

If he hadn't run, he wouldn't have gotten hit like that!
He couldn't swallow this insult, so he barged over without a second thought and decided to confront him directly.

Little did I know that the road would be full of obstacles!
Not only did the pageboy try to stop him, but the guards also tried to stop him, and even the wolfhounds under the wall started barking at the noise. So much so that the moment he stepped across the threshold, he quickly retracted his raised hind leg.

The pageboy shrugged: "I already told you, Second Young Master, you can't get into Bibo Pavilion. Why don't you believe me? These wolfhounds are all descendants of military dogs brought back from the battlefield. Do you think you can beat them?"

Shen Zhui stared blankly at the several large, muscular dogs in front of him, then glared at him fiercely before turning around and running away.

Inside the room, Song En took a deep breath: "This second young master is nothing like the Grand Commandant in temperament."

Shen Qingzhou leaned on the table and stared at the courtyard gate for a long time before straightening up: "Go back and find General Wu and have him transferred back to the border."

Song En turned to look at him: "I'm afraid this matter will require the approval of the Grand Commandant."

“Then go find the Grand Commandant.” Shen Qingzhou straightened up. “In short, get him out of the capital within ten days.”

Song En watched him walk silently into the inner room, and then said, "The Second Young Master may be transferred, but unless he never appears in public with Miss Lu again, something like today will happen again."

"And when that time comes, will you, young master, have to clean up the mess one by one?"

"Even if you could do that, can you guarantee you could keep it from Miss Lu if it happened too many times?"

Shen Qingzhou stopped under the curtain.

Song En watched his retreating figure: "Young master, you only have two choices right now: either tell Miss Lu the truth or sever all ties with her."

Shen Qingzhou lowered his head and slowly began to unbutton his robe.

“But you, young master, would never be able to do the second thing. If you could, you wouldn’t have allowed things to develop to this point.” Song En’s voice was clear and distinct. Shen Qingzhou tossed his robe aside, walked to the corner of the room, and lit an incense burner.

The swirling smoke resembles lingering, endless thoughts.

Song En walked up to him and said, "Since the marriage between the Lu and Yan families was arranged, Lu Jie's relationship with the Yan family has become increasingly close. However, Miss Lu has suffered a lot from the Jiang family and is obviously not on the same page as her father."

"Why don't you be frank with Miss Lu, reveal your identity, and take the opportunity to find some opportunities from the Lu family to first undermine the Lu and Yan families?"

"You're making me use her." Shen Qingzhou put the lid of the incense burner back on.

“No,” Song En shook his head. “I just think that since things have come to this point, you might as well go with the flow.”

"Have you thought about the consequences?"

Shen Qingzhou glanced at him, then slowly walked back to the couch and sat down. "It's true that she hates the Yan family to the bone. If I tell her who I am, she will definitely be curious about why I am in Shawan."

"In that case, I would have to explain to her what I was doing in private."
"Of course, even if I could tell her everything, I think she would help me and agree with the path I've chosen."

"But if she does that, she will be betraying her father and the Lu family."

"She was just a woman. Unlike us men, she held no official position and could not rally a large following with a single call to arms."

"If this happens in the future, how will she face herself?"

Song En frowned. "But the young lady and the young master are already engaged. If this engagement can be fulfilled, wouldn't that protect the young lady?"

Shen Qingzhou picked up her teacup and glanced at him again: "We're both risking our lives, and we don't even know if the other will survive to the end. Jiang's girl is always chasing after you, so why do you hide whenever you see her?"

Upon hearing this, Song En suddenly shut his mouth.

After a while, he asked, "Is the young master determined not to tell Miss Lu anything?"

Shen Qingzhou lowered her eyes and turned the cup in her hand over and over again: "Rather than letting her misunderstand me, it is indeed better to tell her the truth in person."

"You take care of Shen Zhui's transfer to the border first, and then I'll think about how to bring it up with her."

The day I reveal the truth to Lu Jia will also be the day I sever all ties with her.

She has suffered enough; she deserves to die a peaceful and happy life. Shen Qingzhou will never let her get caught up in such a vortex, nor will she allow her to suffer the same tragic end as in her previous life.

Looking at him with his brows furrowed in a knot, Song En sighed, "It's true that man proposes, God disposes."

"However, didn't you say that Lu Jie's behavior regarding Miss Lu's matter these past two days has been quite strange?"

"In any case, this is a clue. Let's take advantage of the moment to learn more about him."

Hearing this, Shen Qingzhou's eyes lit up. "Go and have someone inquire about the state of Lu Jie and Jiang Shi's relationship over the years. How does he treat Jiang Shi's daughter?"

Song En smiled wryly: "It's probably difficult for us grown men to find out about the inner affairs of other people's homes."

"Then let's ask a woman," Shen Qingzhou pondered. "Jiang Shuyi is so gossipy, wouldn't it be most suitable to leave this to her?"

Song En: "She's a young woman, so it's not good to ask her about things."

Shen Qingzhou slowly sipped his tea: "Miss Lu is a young lady, and you just asked me to use her to sow discord between the Lu and Yan families. What, can't I use someone else?"

Song En: ...

(End of this chapter)