Chapter 44: You Are Truly Stubborn

Did he want Shen Ning to be devoted to him?

No, Shen Ning wouldn’t. With her temperament, she would surely hate the Regent immensely, despising him for using such a despicable method to have her…

Qin Yanshu was stunned, suddenly feeling hopeless and powerless.

The person who committed such a despicable act was clearly himself. If Shen Ning were to hate anyone, it would be him.

“Yanshu.” Madam Qin said, seeing him in such a lost and distracted state, almost hating that he wasn’t made of stronger material. “Your wedding with the Eldest Princess is imminent. Don’t think about other irrelevant people anymore. She is already the Regent’s, not someone you can provoke.”

Qin Yanshu looked at his mother and took a deep breath, gradually calming his emotions, but a chill continued to swirl in his lungs.

“Mother.” He said calmly, “I want to go to the Regent’s residence, not to see Shen Ning, but just to speak a few words with the Regent.”

Madam Qin said coldly, “You are not allowed to go.”

Qin Yanshu was firm. “If Mother does not agree, then the marriage between me and Princess Pingyao will be called off.”

“How insolent!” Madam Qin’s face turned ashen with anger. “Qin Yanshu, do you still have any sense? Can you afford to provoke the Regent?”

Qin Yanshu replied, “I’m not going to provoke him.”

Madam Qin closed her eyes for a moment, suppressing her anger. “It’s getting late. You can go tomorrow. After visiting the Regent’s residence, you must cut all ties with Shen Ning in the future.”

Qin Yanshu remained silent for a moment, then insisted, “I want to go tonight.”

“You are truly stubborn.” Madam Qin said, so angry she wished someone would beat him, but in the end, she turned and ordered coldly, “Prepare a carriage for the eldest young master! Guards, protect the eldest young master well.”

“Yes.”

Qin Yanshu bowed slowly. “Thank you, Mother.”

“I must have owed you in my past life.” Madam Qin said, throwing down those words before turning and leaving with a flick of her sleeves.

Qin Yanshu left the residence and got into the carriage, calmly contemplating what he would say to the Regent when he met him.

Outside, there were rumors of how terrifying the Regent was, but he had never felt that way.

As the nephew of the Empress Dowager, he had lived a life of splendor since childhood, enjoying almost the same treatment as a prince when entering and leaving the palace. He had always known that the Regent would die sooner or later, while the Qin family could enjoy prosperity for a hundred years.

So, as long as he could endure the humiliation for a short time, and the humiliation for Shen Ning, once he married Princess Pingyao, he would be able to stand up to the Regent.

If he could hold on for two or three years, by the time the Regent disappeared, the Qin family would have no more rivals. Then he would definitely protect Shen Ning and compensate her doubly for the grievances she had suffered.

He just hadn’t expected her to be so strong-willed, preferring to marry the brutal Regent rather than be his concubine.

Qin Yanshu regretted it, regretting it so much that his guts turned green.

If he had known Shen Ning would make such a choice, he would not have allowed his mother to call off the engagement. As long as the engagement wasn’t broken, she would always be his fiancée, and even the Regent would have no right to take her away.

Qin Yanshu closed his eyes in pain, his heart overwhelmed with deep regret.

The carriage slowly arrived at the gate of the Regent’s residence.

Qin Yanshu got out of the carriage and walked up to the courtyard, saying to the doorman, “Please inform the Regent that Qin Yanshu, the eldest son of the Imperial Uncle’s residence, requests an audience.”

The doorman frowned. “The Regent is occupied with important matters and is not seeing visitors today.”

Qin Yanshu said, “I have something very important to discuss with him in person.”

“The Regent has instructed that he will not see anyone today.”

“You—” Qin Yanshu was about to say something when he suddenly remembered what day it was, and his voice caught.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said, “Then may I see the Regent’s Princess Consort?”

“Young Master Qin.” the doorman frowned, looking at him with some displeasure, “it’s getting late. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to come asking to see the Princess Consort?”

Moreover, even if one wanted to see their Master or the Princess Consort, one should send a notice in advance, not show up unannounced like this.

The eldest son of the Qin family really had no manners at all.

Qin Yanshu clenched his hands, looking at the closed gate of the Regent’s residence. After a moment, he lowered his head and took out a pouch of silver from his sleeve, handing it to the doorman: “Trouble you to inform them. If the Regent’s Princess Consort says she doesn’t want to see me, I will leave immediately.”

The two doormen weighed the silver in their hands, it was quite heavy.

One of them softened his attitude a bit: “Wait here. I’ll go in and ask.”

Qin Yanshu let out a sigh of relief and nodded slowly.

He waited outside for a long time, thinking that these days should be when the Regent’s poison acted up. Even if he took the antidote on time, there was a good chance he wouldn’t be able to see him.

So, he had come at the wrong time, but also at the right time.

Qin Yanshu actually knew little about the poison the Regent had been afflicted with.

He only knew that the Regent was indeed poisoned, and even if he took the antidote on schedule, there was a significant possibility he wouldn’t survive two years later.

Because the late Emperor had never intended for him to live.

As for what symptoms and reactions occurred during the poison’s onset, and what happened after taking the antidote, outsiders had no way of knowing.

After a long time, the doorman came out from the side door, “Please follow me.”

Qin Yanshu came back to his senses, thanked him, and followed him inside.

Shen Ning was sitting in the pavilion of the courtyard in the Jade Hall at this time. Two lanterns hung above the pavilion, illuminating it brightly and enhancing the beauty’s cold and otherworldly appearance, as stunning as jade.

Ji Yucang was resting inside. Although the poison had been administered today, his body was weak during the poison’s onset. Last night, he probably tossed and turned all night without sleep, and today he needed to catch up on sleep to restore his vitality.

However, Shen Ning was the Regent’s Princess Consort after all, and to avoid suspicion, it was impossible for her to meet a man from outside in the inner courtyard, especially now that it was night, which was even more inappropriate.

She could only have the visiting Qin Yanshu brought to the Jade Hall.

“Ning.” Qin Yanshu walked to the pavilion and looked at Shen Ning deeply, “I have something to tell you.”

Shen Ning sat at the table drinking tea, her tone indifferent: “Please address me as the Regent’s Princess Consort.”

Qin Yanshu’s expression tightened slightly: “Ning—”

“Qin Yanshu, do you want to be slapped again?” Shen Ning raised her eyes slightly, looking at him expressionlessly, “I’ve been in a bad mood lately. Whoever annoys me, I want to vent my violence on them. If you call me by my name again, you won’t have the chance to speak tonight.”

Qin Yanshu’s lips tightened until they turned white. After a long silence, he finally compromised: “Princess Consort.”

“What is it?”

“I want to clarify something with you.” Qin Yanshu walked to the stone table and reached out to take Shen Ning’s hand, “There’s something I’m sorry about—”

Slap!

Shen Ning stood up and slapped him across the face: “The difference between superior and inferior, the separation between men and women, have you forgotten again?”

Qin Yanshu’s face was slapped to the side. He covered his face, looking down in despair: “I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Speak quickly, fart quickly.” Shen Ning sat down coldly, “After farting, get lost quickly.”

Inside the bedroom, Ji Yucang stood with his hands behind his back at the window, watching the scene in the courtyard and listening to Shen Ning’s cold words. The corners of his mouth curled into an indulgent smile.

Although Qin Yanshu’s arrival was quite unpleasant to him.

However, Qin Yanshu was destined to not get any good treatment in front of Shen Ning, and he could even give his Princess the opportunity to vent her violence. This could be considered one of Qin Yanshu’s few uses recently.

“I want to clarify something with you.” Qin Yanshu said, lowering his head as if it was difficult to speak. “There’s a rumor going around recently that the incident with the bandits you encountered in the countryside was because the Regent liked you but couldn’t have you, so he sent someone to kill the maids and guards around you, and the person who sullied your virtue was the Regent himself.”

Shen Ning stared at him silently, her gaze cold and chilling, making one’s heart shiver.

Qin Yanshu pursed his lips: “Have you heard this rumor?”

Shen Ning’s voice was clear and cold: “What exactly do you want to say?”

“If you’ve become devoted to him because of this rumor, I… I…” Qin Yanshu bit his lip, “I…”