Reborn Princess

The word "it counts." made Zhou Cechen feel relieved.

He took a step back and distanced himself from Shen Lilan. "Okay, since it counts, then there is no regret."

Shen Lilan didn't say anything, so Zhou Cechen had to lower his voice as much as possible: "If you don't want to talk, then I won't ask. I can leave you alone today, but Shen Lilan, don't make me wait too long."

After saying that, Zhou Cechen turned and left. Shen Lilan didn't dare to look up at his back until he left.

Liuchun and Lunong walked into the room and looked at Shen Lilan worriedly, "Madam, are you okay?"

Shen Lilan shook his head. "Nothing. Light up the heater in the room and rest here today."

"Yes."

Liuchun lit charcoal in several stoves in the bedroom according to Shen Lilan's instructions.

At this time, Birui came in. Seeing this, Shen Yanlan asked a few servants to finish their work and then left.

After the servants left, Birui closed the door and reported, "Madam, Fuzhen's business has been completed."

Shen Lilan nodded and seeing that Birui still had something to say, he let her continue.

"Ms. Fu Zhen also met Yan Ci in Miao Chun Fang. Yan Ci is the shopkeeper of the Yan family, one of the great merchants in Jiangnan."

Shen Xilan understood what she had guessed. As expected, everyone under Zhou Cechen had an identity.

"Did Fu Zhen tell Yanci what medicine he needed to buy?" Shen Lilan asked.

"Yes."

Now that Zhou Cechen’s people know about this, it will depend on whether he can uncover the conspiracy behind this large-scale drug purchase.

……

In the Liyuan Pavilion, as soon as Zhou Cechen came back, he stood guard at the door and said, "My Lord, I have something to report."

"come in."

Yanci followed Zhou Cechen in and said, "This time when I went to Miaochunfang, I met the head of Wansanglou and learned something."

"What's the matter?"

"The head of Wansanglou bought a large amount of herbs such as Forsythia suspensa, Coptis chinensis, and Nepeta tenuifolia at Miaochunfang. I thought it was just a normal purchase, but after checking all the pharmacies in Yanjing, I found that almost all the pharmacies had sold out of these herbs."

"These herbs are not rare, but the current situation is really abnormal."

"There must be something fishy going on when things are out of the ordinary. Go and ask Military Advisor Ji to come."

"Yes."

When Ji Xinan entered the study, he saw Zhou Cechen sitting in an armchair by the window with a gloomy face. He fanned himself with his Zhuge fan and jokingly asked, "What's wrong with you, my Lord?"

"What do you think of the current situation in the capital?" Zhou Cechen pushed a cup of tea towards him.

Ji Xinan chuckled, "Those involved are confused, but those who are watching can see clearly."

"It's a pity that I wasted half my life studying for the imperial examinations and achieved nothing. Otherwise, I would have been a pawn in the government."

"Speak human language." Zhou Cechen's voice was cold and serious.

Ji Xinan said sternly: "Just look at the news I brought back this time. How can Da Qi be stable if two thousand war horses are privately raised?"

"I will list for you how this rebellion needs to be planned."

"One is money, two is weapons, three is horses, and four is public opinion."

"Your Majesty, these things are already complete. Don't you know that yourself? Today, Yanjing seems to be completely quiet, but in fact, a storm is about to come. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked General Pei to secretly mobilize troops to station around Yanjing, you wouldn't have tried those corrupt officials over and over again, and you wouldn't have secretly guided that woman to beat the drum to appeal for justice and calm Yanjing's public opinion."

"Aren't these... all preparations for Zhou Chao's rebellion?"

Zhou Cechen tapped the tabletop with his rough index finger as he listened to Ji Xinan's words. After he finished speaking, he asked, "Then what do you think the fact that all the medicinal herbs in Yanjing City were sold out means?"

Ji Xinan looked up at Zhou Cechen as if he had thought of something. "Epidemic."

Zhou Cechen sneered, "What a bunch of crazy people who treat the lives of the people as worthless and yet attempt to rebel."

"Then what should the prince do next?"

"You are my military advisor." Zhou Cechen raised his eyelids and looked at him. "What do you think?"

"We must prepare the medicine immediately. No matter what, we must buy it even if it costs a lot. Otherwise, the Great Qi will be in danger."

"Send someone to do it immediately. Go and ask Tang Yi which disease these herbs are most needed for."

"Yes." After Ji Xinan left, Zhou Cechen looked at the bamboos outside swaying in the wind. It was going to rain again.

As if he suddenly remembered something, Zhou Cechen silently recited a name in his heart - Wansanglou.

He was somewhat puzzled as to why Hui always got the news before him and was willing to reveal it to him.

……

Liuchun came in holding an umbrella and a basket of plum blossoms. "My lady, this is probably the last season of wintersweet. After the continuous rain, many flowers have fallen. The weather is getting warmer. It will be the beginning of spring in two days."

Shen Lilan looked at the rain falling outside the house. It had been raining for nearly half a month, raining intermittently every day. She had been living in Xiaolanxuan for nearly half a month.

These days, Zhou Cechen still came to have meals with her every day. He seemed peaceful, but Shen Lilan knew that he was waiting for her to speak.

Shen Lilan said to Liu Chun: "Put the flowers in the blue and white porcelain on the antique shelf."

"Yes." Liu Chun glanced at the purse in Shen Lilan's hand and asked, "Madam, is this for the prince?"

Shen Yanlan did not answer her but said to her: "Tell the servants to prepare the carriage."

"Miss, are you going out again?" Shen Xilan had to go out every few days these days, so Liuchun was observing her all the time.

"Yeah." Shen Lilan responded.

Shen Lilan put away the half-embroidered sachet in her hand, lifted up her skirt, and stood up, then told Liu Chun, "Prune the Clivia in my warm room."

Liuchun paused while arranging flowers, "Your Majesty, you won't take me out with you again?"

Shen Lilan was walking out. After hearing Liu Chun's words, she turned around and glanced at her. Just this one glance made Liu Chun tremble with fear.

"Yes, I will take care of it."

After Shen Lilan left, Liuchun put down the scissors in his hand and left the house through the back door.

……

In the Shou'an Hall of the Shen family's west mansion, Liuchun knelt down to report Shen Lilan's recent abnormal behavior.

"The princess has been going to Tong Garden every few days, and she only brought Birui and Lunong with her. I thought this was really strange, so I went to see her the other day when she wasn't paying attention, and I found that she was meeting a man."

"Really?" Wang Ciyuan asked after burning incense in front of the Buddha.

“Nothing false.”

"I also learned that the prince and the princess have started to disagree in the past few days and no longer sleep in the same place. I guess the princess is secretly meeting with a man."

Liuchun was kneeling on the ground reporting, but he did not see Shen Luoning, who came to pay his respects, hiding at the door.

She curled her lips, Shen Lilan, I didn’t expect you to be so shameless.

Three days later, Shen Luoning really waited for Shen Xilan in Tongyuan. She was sitting on the second floor and watched her go upstairs with a foreign man.

Shen Luoning ordered Si Yu, "Go and report to Prince Ding'an, and tell him that his princess consort had a secret meeting with a man from outside the palace in Tong Garden."

Si Yu hesitated and said, "Miss, I'm afraid this is not appropriate."

Shen Luoning frowned and looked at her: "I'm asking my sister to stop the loss in time."