The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 153 No Romantic Feelings

"I've caused you trouble today," Zhang Yushuang said apologetically after calming down.

She never expected that Prince Yu would chase her all the way to Huizhou Prefecture. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to Shangjia with Shang Mingshu, much less stay here for the festival. She would have stayed peacefully in Fengyang Prefecture.

"Does Yu Shuang not believe that His Highness Prince Yu would come here for you?" Shang Mingshu's gaze suddenly darkened.

Zhang Yushuang was lost in her own emotions and did not notice Shang Mingshu's change: "He is of noble birth. When I refused the Princess Consort of Yu, I had already offended him. After all, we have known each other for a while. How could he not know my temperament? Even if he came, I would not give in because of this. Why would he go out of his way to make me offend him again?"

Shang Mingshu remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Yu Shuang, perhaps His Highness Prince Yu did not come for you, no, he came for more than just you."

"Hmm?" Zhang Yushuang's still-wet eyes were filled with confusion as she looked up at Shang Mingshu.

“Your elder brother, Lu Sanlang, and General Xu are all here.” Shang Mingshu straightened Zhang Yushuang’s messy hair.

Zhang Yushuang was an intelligent woman. With just a little thought, Shang Mingshu understood.

Her lips trembled, her expression a mixture of laughter and tears, a strange look for a moment before she closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh: "I overestimated myself after all."

The current emperor is suspicious, and Prince Yu is the only one of the three princes with a reputation for virtue, and also the eldest. How could he not attract attention? The emperor is growing old and has recently become obsessed with seeking immortality and Taoist practices…

Prince Yu was walking on thin ice in the capital and dared not easily associate with powerful officials. However, his journey from afar for love might lower the emperor's guard against him.

And they could easily come into contact with Lu Sanlang, the descendant of a high-ranking official; Zhang Shizi, the heir to a duke's mansion; and Xu Tianxing, a young talent who held considerable military power...

This trip was worthwhile no matter what!
This is why he didn't care even though he knew Zhang Yushuang might reject him.

“Yu Shuang, what I’m saying is just my shallow guess…” The truth may not be so. Shang Ming Shu spoke her guess because it was possible, and also to appease Zhang Yu Shuang. “If it is as I think, then Prince Yu will not implicate the Shang family.”

His ambition lay elsewhere; he wanted to demonstrate the magnanimity of an emperor before these three rising stars, the future pillars of the court under his command, and thus he would not hold a grudge against Shang Mingshu for what happened today.

Zhang Yushuang's smile was forced: "In that case, I can rest assured."

At least, at least she didn't implicate Shang Mingshu.

Shang Mingshu wanted to say something to comfort Zhang Yushuang, but suddenly realized that whatever she said would be cruel to Zhang Yushuang, either cruel because she was being schemed against, or cruel because her infatuation was misplaced.

Finally, he could only smile gently and say, "It's getting late, let's get some rest."

"Ah."

The candle went out. Shang Mingshu was a martial artist, and Zhang Yushuang was lying beside her pillow. Even though Zhang Yushuang was not moving, she could sense through her breathing that Zhang Yushuang had not fallen asleep.

She waited and waited until she fell asleep, but Zhang Yushuang never spoke again.

The next day, Zhang Yushuang woke up looking like a completely different person. She was radiant, and the dark circles under her eyes were carefully concealed by makeup. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, like stars.

Shang Mingshu was vaguely worried. She hesitated several times before speaking, but Zhang Yushuang didn't give her a chance. After breakfast, Zhang Yushuang said she had something to do and had to go out. Considering that the young master Zhang had also come to Huizhou Prefecture, Shang Mingshu didn't want to ask to go with him.

She turned to look at the things she was busy with. After the new year, the Shi family's properties would be auctioned off through a brokerage firm. They had their eyes on quite a few, having made a fortune thanks to the pest infestation of tea leaves in Guangdong and Guangxi last year.

The money was gradually returned after the New Year, but the Shang family had too many things to do in the new year. First, they had to acquire several tea gardens and tea houses from the Shi family. Second, Shang Mingshu had her eye on several shops in the capital and wanted to take them over to run her own business – the Incense Monopoly Order.

Secondly, there's the imperial tribute market two months later. She wants to make a name for the new tea and the incense monopoly order immediately. The new tea merchant, Zishu, combined the Longjing tea recipe with her own improvements, but there are still some minor issues.

The three sisters stayed at home together. The sound of Shang Wenshu fiddling with the abacus was constant, Shang Zishu kept improving the tea recipe, and Shang Mingshu and Shang Jinliang worked together to plan the Shang family's business for the new year.

Zhang Yushuang leaves early and returns late every day, and her smile becomes brighter with each passing day.

"Third Sister, I just saw the man who was struggling with Zhang San Niangzi on the riverbank taking her away." Not long after Zhang Yushuang left that day, Shang Zishu came running over, lifting her skirt.

She was worried that Zhang Yushuang would be forced into something again, and she didn't know anything about the other party's background.

Shang Mingshu paused, her hand holding the pen still, and looked up to ask, "Does she have any objections?"

Shang Zishu thought about it carefully and realized that she didn't seem unwilling. Instead, she smiled with a girlish shyness, but she didn't say it directly. She just shook her head and said, "No."

"Let her be." Shang Mingshu lowered her head and continued writing with force in her wrist.

From then on, Shang Mingshu stopped asking about Zhang Yushuang's affairs. Lu Yi visited the Shang residence very frequently. His status made Shang Jinliang take him very seriously, and every time he came, he met with Shang Jinliang. Shang Mingshu couldn't stop him.

Shang Jinliang never praised Lu Yi in front of Shang Mingshu. Firstly, Lu Sanlang never mentioned Shang Mingshu to Shang Jinliang, and secondly, Shang Jinliang knew that Lu Sanlang had no feelings for Shang Mingshu, but rather had other motives.

Shang Jinliang couldn't fathom the purpose, but after confirming that Lu Sanlang was harmless, he was quite happy to be able to establish a connection with Commander Lu's family.

After the Lantern Festival, Xu Tianxing had to return to Shaoxing. Before leaving, he went to find Shang Mingshu again and asked her if she had changed her mind. He received a negative answer, but he was not discouraged. He left after saying that he was willing to wait for her.

Suddenly one day, Lu Sanlang stopped coming to visit. Shang Mingshu heard Du Zhong say that Lu Sanlang was injured and asked him to take a look at him: "They are just some bruises from being punched hard, not fatal."

After Du Zhong returned, he said to Shang Jinliang, "After all, he is a distinguished guest of the mansion, so we still need to be careful."

Shang Mingshu understood why Lu Sanlang sought out Du Zhong among so many doctors in Huizhou Prefecture: it was a subtle way of letting Shang Mingshu know that his injury was caused by Cheng She.

After these people's subtle and overt actions, Shang Mingshu had to admit that Cheng She might have some romantic feelings for her, but since Cheng She didn't come forward to expose them, Shang Mingshu pretended not to know.

"If Second Master Cheng were to express his feelings to you, Ming Shu, would you refuse?" Shang Zishu couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Yes." Shang Mingshu nodded decisively.

"Why? Because of Master Cheng?" Shang Zishu pressed.

"My relationship with Cheng Mian was completely clean and open." Shang Mingshu shook her head. "I have never wronged him, nor has he ever wronged me. It's just that we were destined to be apart. He will not affect my choice of who to entrust my life to. It's just that I have no romantic feelings for Second Master Cheng, and Second Master Cheng does not have the same pure heart as Third Master Cheng."