The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 119 He Can’t Protect You, But I Can
"General, I have something to ask, but please give me your instructions." Shang Mingshu brought Xu Tianxing to the garden, and their maids and guards followed behind them from a distance.

Xu Tianxing stood with his hands behind his back, about one step away from Shang Mingshu. His gaze passed over Shang Mingshu's shoulder and fell on the cold pond in early winter, with one or two dead leaves floating on the surface of the water.

He didn't speak for a long time.

Shang Mingshu was puzzled: "General?"

Xu Tianxing's long eyelashes drooped slightly, shielding his eyes: "That day, Miss San told me that you have someone you like, and that person is Cheng Sanlang."

At first, Xu Tianxing thought that Shang Mingshu was in love with Cheng She. Shang Mingshu said in person that she had someone she liked. Xu Tianxing had close contacts with Cheng She and had cooperated with him many times. Cheng She helped him eliminate the Japanese pirates many times, and he appreciated and admired Cheng She very much.

I can only sigh that we met too late. I can only wish her well in finding such a good husband.

Later, he accidentally learned from Mrs. He's letter home that the person Shang Mingshu was going to marry was Cheng She's younger brother, so he paid more attention to it when he went to Beijing this time.

"General, do you want to tell me something about Third Brother Cheng?" Shang Mingshu didn't know Xu Tianxing very well, but she believed that given Xu Tianxing's character, he would not go to her to spread rumors and slander Cheng Mian.

"Cheng Sanlang was favored by the Left Vice-Minister of the Imperial Censorate, who wanted to marry him." Xu Tianxing told Shang Mingshu what he knew. "Cheng Sanlang repeatedly refused, angering Prime Minister Yan and Censor Yan. He was being ostracized in Kyoto. Ten days ago, Censor Yan's daughter publicly disrobed a woman who had shown interest in Cheng Sanlang. The woman, in anger, committed suicide by jumping into the river..."

Xu Tianxing spoke very tactfully. This Miss Yan was the middle-aged daughter of Censor Yan, whom he doted on. Both daughters of Prime Minister Yan had died of illness. Censor Yan and Prime Minister Yan had a father-son agreement. In addition, Miss Yan had learned her father's way of flattery, so Prime Minister Yan also regarded Miss Yan as his own granddaughter.

The woman who committed suicide by jumping into the river was just the daughter of a minor official. She was stripped naked in public. Her family was furious but had no way to appeal.

Counting the days of correspondence, Cheng Mian must have stopped writing to Shang Mingshu ten days ago. She thought back to Cheng Mian's past letters, which never mentioned his difficulties in Beijing.

One is the all-powerful Prime Minister, and the other is the Censor who is regarded as the Prime Minister's adopted son and holds real power. He is just a small scholar, so you can imagine how difficult it is for him when these people want to target him.

There was no complaint or distress in his words, only his vision for the future and the interesting things in the capital that he was familiar with. If Xu Tianxing had not told her today, she would not have been able to see any trace of distress in his letter.

"He... he was afraid of implicating me..." Shang Mingshu understood why Cheng Mian's letters stopped coming. This Yan girl was able to cause a girl who showed kindness to Cheng Mian to commit suicide by jumping into the river. If she knew that Cheng Mian was in love with her, she would probably not know how to deal with her.

"He can't protect you." Xu Tianxing revealed the cruel truth in a calm tone, "I can."

Shang Mingshu suddenly smiled, shook her head slightly, and bowed respectfully to Xu Tianxing. "General, I do want to marry into a wealthy family and have the Shang family protect me, but I'm not someone who relies on men. I'm greedy. I want him to protect me, but I also want to stand tall in front of him and have him respect me."

"I won't look down on you just because I protect you..."

"General, my relationship with Cheng Sanlang has not yet ended. He has never rejected me personally. Without a clear heart, I am not worthy of another relationship." Shang Mingshu still firmly rejected Xu Tianxing. "Thank you, General, for telling me this."

Xu Tianxing knew that Shang Mingshu must be very sad at the moment, and he shouldn't take advantage of her at this time. He admired Shang Mingshu's calmness and restraint, as well as her attitude towards feelings.

"I'm willing to wait for you." Xu Tianxing left this sentence and stopped disturbing Shang Mingshu.

After Magistrate He and Xu Tianxing left, Shang Zishu and Shang Wenshu hurried to find Shang Mingshu, and they immediately felt the coldness in Shang Mingshu's eyes.

They both knew that Shang Mingshu must have encountered something that made her extremely angry. Shang Zishu approached cautiously and asked, "Third sister, what did General Xu say?"

Shang Mingshu took several deep breaths before she calmed down and told Xu Tianxing everything he said without missing a word.

"How could a noble lady in the capital be so domineering and treat human life as worthless?" Shang Zishu couldn't believe it.

The capital is the imperial city, under the feet of the emperor. How powerful must they be to dare to be so presumptuous?

"As long as the operation is done cleanly and without leaving any evidence, it's possible." Shang Wenshu interacted with many people outside and thought deeply. "Power can make people confuse right and wrong and destroy evidence."

"Will she find out about my third sister?" Shang Zishu began to worry about Shang Mingshu.

"I'm going to the capital." Shang Mingshu's eyes deepened slightly.

No matter what, she had to understand Cheng Mian's attitude clearly. Would they work together to break free, or... were they just not destined to be together? There had to be a result.

And this Miss Yan, she can't let her become a threat to herself, she has to personally eliminate this potential danger!

"Go ahead." Shang Jinliang and Xiao Yu, who had heard everything clearly from behind the hanging flower gate, came out. He agreed that Shang Mingshu should handle her own affairs and trusted her ability. "The journey is long, there's no need to rush. Dad will take care of the family affairs."

With the support of her whole family, Shang Mingshu immediately packed her bags. When Shang Mingshu said goodbye to her family and set out for Beijing, Cheng She, who had been traveling day and night, had already arrived in the capital. He saw that his younger brother's temperament had changed drastically after only two months of not seeing him.

"Second brother." Cheng Mian, who used to be cheerful and cheerful, became calm, reserved, solemn and gloomy.

"You feel that you can't protect her, so you want to abandon her?" Cheng Sheren hadn't arrived in the capital yet, but he already knew everything that happened to his brother there. "If you are afraid of the Yan family's power, I, your brother..."

"Second brother!" Cheng Mian interrupted Cheng She. His dark pupils were no longer as moist and clear as a spring. They seemed to be dimmed by the darkness of the night, blocking out the starlight. "She is a good lady. I... am not worthy of her. I hope second brother will cherish her..."

Before Cheng Mian could finish his words, Cheng She knocked him to the ground with a punch. Cheng She strode forward, grabbed Cheng Mian's collar, lifted his brother up, and held him against the door: "What do you think of her? Do you think she is yours to hold in the palm of your hand? You cherish her when you like her, but when you don't like her, you just give her away casually?"

"Second brother, I didn't think so!" Cheng Mian grabbed Cheng She's fist with both hands and growled hoarsely.

"You didn't?" Cheng She sneered, "Think about what you said to me! He's just an imperial censor, so what if he has the Prime Minister behind him? Are you scared? You let me propose marriage, so that even if Yan Shi knew that you had a relationship with her, she wouldn't dare to make a move on her because she would become your sister-in-law, right?

Cheng Mian, you are such a coward! "